Dog Community

Dog Evolution - where it's been and where it's going

Posted : 8/30/2006 7:01:52 AM

I came across this article when attempting to research social maturity in hares.

[linkhttp://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/canine%20origins.htm]http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/canine%20origins.htm[/link]

The research isn't quite brand new, so I'm not sure if it's been posted before, but I thought it deserved some attention from fellow dog owners interested in how their pet dogs differ from wolves.

The general gist of the article(s) I found especially interesting because I have long thought along those lines. The authors say that domestic dogs and wolves are indeed quite different to one another in some key areas. They are more keyed to understand humans than any other animal in the world, including chimpanzees. They also retain some juvenile behaviours into adulthood that have a particularly strong impact with us, such as whining and appeasment rituals. It's fascinating to consider how dogs became the way they were and I have long felt that they have been with us for so long, now, that they must have evolved into something that's really quite different from a wolf. I've seen wolves and I can tell you I wouldn't want one in my domestic household. I look into their eyes and see the typical independence and self-serving wiring that I see in other wild animals I have encountered. It's what I love about wild animals. When I look into the eyes of a dog, I see something that's very interested in me and desperately wants to be my friend and interact with me. Dogs are apparently wired to attach to humans primarily and other dogs secondarily. What a bizarre situation!

What I find most interesting is the idea that dogs evolved alongside humans, specialising in things as humans specialised. I have been thinking a lot of late about the future of breeds bred for specific purposes that are rapidly disappearing. A lot of dog breeds went extinct as they were improved upon and replaced, and I wonder if there is a future for some of our more specialised breeds, like flock guarders. Will we see a shift away from working dogs and towards purely companion animals in the future? I feel like a lot of breeds aren't exactly ideal as pets and I wonder if they will die a natural death or be kept alive by a handful of fanciers. And I wonder about these new so-called 'designer' crossbreeds that are being given their own 'breed' name. While I don't agree with the wholesale way these breeds are currently being produced, I think there is method in the madness. People are trying to create better pets, right? And isn't that what we've been doing all along with dogs? Crossing them with other specialised breeds to create something exactly right for the task we have in mind? Right now, I see that the task many breeders have in mind for their dogs is to make great pets. Where will dog evolution go from here?

jones

Posted : 8/30/2006 2:00:05 PM

What's next in dog evolution... good question.

I think that because of increased attention to and availability of healthy diets for canines, dogs are going to have an increasingly longer life span. And because people are more willing to treat canine illness, we're going to see more lifelong treatment for dogs rather than euthanasia practices. This of course parallels trends in human health... however, because many or most of the sick dogs will be sterilized, unlike in humans this won't necessarily mean an increase in genetic illnesses. I would predict, at first, a spike in doggy disease as dogs are more likely to be diagnosed and treated for chronic illness - but sometime in the future a decrease in genetic ailments among dogs (optimistically speaking).

I think we have already begun to see, and will continue to see, a decrease and eventual extinction of pet store puppies. But I think BYBs and particularly designer dogs will rise up to fill that void in the market. I predict designer dogs will explode in popularity even more than they have, and that they may become the most popular dogs in America ahead of purebreds and adopted mutts. What happens from there depends on whether people in general get real and get responsible about designer dogs. One scenario is that people get wise to designer dogs just like they did to pet stores... one scenario is everyone loves designer dogs but they leave breeding to breeders and the population is controlled... and then of course in one scenario people breed their designer dogs to other designer dogs and we see a boom in ill bred mixes of all sorts.

What about the evolution of dogs behaviorally... well, again this depends on how responsible people are going to be about breeding. Since dogs are being used less and less for their original work or anything resembling it, more breeds that were originally working on farms or in fields will probably move toward more "companion" work. Original breed traits will be somewhat preserved but altered - perhaps curbed or shifted to fit in with life as a companion to humans.

Of course, the evolution of dogs depends a great deal on the evolution of humans. Are we going to rein in our population growth? Are most of us going to live in huge mega-metropolises in the future? Are we going to continue on a trend of consumerism and materialism or will as a species become more attuned to the needs of the environment and other animals?

ron2

Posted : 8/30/2006 5:15:59 PM

Excellent article and thank you for sharing. It's interesting to note that, after 10 years of analysis, the do find, in fact that the arctic breeds are older than some of the other breeds. This places, say a Siberian Husky, closer to wolf than, of course, a Pomeranian. In fact, it's a "pet" theory of mine (pun intended) that the Sibe has retained it's wolfish look because it was never bred for looks, but for performance and temperment. For at least 1,000 years of recorded history the Siberian, formerly the chukchi dog, lived with the families, including children.

I find it interesting that, through the process of domestication, we may have accidently altered the pack taboo of physical violence. I.e., a dog may be more violent or aggressive than a wolf, as wolves fighting in the pack would disrupt the ability to hunt and survive as a pack.

Also, that the dog is more readily attuned to a human and able to understand a human than a wolf or chimp. To this, I would be tempted to say that it is possible for a human to be alpha to a dog, but not to a wolf or chimp. By alpha, I mean leader, prime, one to follow, whatever. This also could mean that a dog can see it's humans as members of its pack, especially if it's well socialized to humans. Now, if dogs have lost the inhibition towards intrapack violence that wolves have, it is certainly upon us humans to keep a lid on it, through training, control of the environment, etc. I still think that wolves and dogs evolved from a common ancestor, though it may have been a canid not much changed from the grey wolf, but I'm not sure they've totally figured it out, yet. But it could certainly refine some aspects of our understanding of dogs and how to interact with them.

Or you could be like me and have a domesticated bear (Thanks, Glenda.)

dawn

Posted : 8/30/2006 5:52:50 PM

cool stuff to think about. In addition to how dogs are evolving, I also like to wonder about how our culture will evolve in regards to dogs, and how this may affect, in a physical and behavioral way, the actual animals. For instance the recent news anecdote about the "Dog Resaurant" in Seattle or some place. I'm starting to think that in 50 years or perhaps less, dogs are really going to come "up" into our weird, human world whether they like it or not - as more and more it seems like (americans especially?) most people treat dogs as children, human children. We already have doggy daycare, bakeries, and now restaurants. I like to wonder, what next? and will that be to dogs' benefit?

ron2

Posted : 8/30/2006 6:48:58 PM

"give me winter and give me dogs and you can have the rest" - Knud Rasmussen

OT - I think your sig is great.

dawn

Posted : 8/31/2006 3:47:11 PM

ORIGINAL: ron2

OT - I think your sig is great.

Oh thanks! I love the winter, and love dogs, so when I came across that quote it just seemed perfect for me.

Jan

Posted : 8/31/2006 10:16:51 PM

Will we see a shift away from working dogs and towards purely companion animals in the future?

I think we already have. I read an interesting book about this called "The New Work of Dogs," by, I think it's Jon Katz. He had some interesting insights into how dogs are evolving to do more "emotional work" than the physical tasks of years past. And how humans are sometimes unfairly burdening them with huge emotional demands as we become an increasingly fragmented and disconnected society.

Interesting reading matter...

Jan

cocoloco

Posted : 8/31/2006 11:07:19 PM

Here is an article I found interesting. It overlaps with some of the research in your link.

ron2

Posted : 9/1/2006 2:25:45 PM

That, too, was quite interesting.

spiritdogs

Posted : 9/1/2006 2:37:31 PM

Dog evolution? Hmmm...I was just wondering when Pat Robertson would come out with the newest book on that subject. I think he might call it "The Doodling of America". (Is there a tongue-in-cheek emoticon?)

ron2

Posted : 9/1/2006 2:42:50 PM

Anne, that made me giggle. I wonder how he would explain the emergence of dogs, and how the might be different or similar to wolves.

Unless God created Labs so duck hunters wouldn't have to wade into the rushes to get the kill.