The History of Dogs
by Bob Evanston
Several millenia ago, man and an early ancestor of the modern dog formed a mutually beneficial partnership. This animal was, most likely, an unusually tame jackal, or perhaps an ailing wolf that had been driven away by the pack. These new companions protected humans against wilder animals and guarded sheep and goats. In return, they received food and a dwelling. As time passed, these early dogs became man's trusted companions.
In nearly all parts of the world traces of an indigenous dog family are found, the only exceptions being the West Indian Islands, Madagascar, the eastern islands of the Malayan Archipelago, New Zealand, and the Polynesian Islands, where there is no sign that any dog, wolf, or fox has existed as a true aboriginal animal.
In ancient Asian regions, as among the the Mongolians, dogs were wild creatures, prowling in packs like wolves. This is still the case in many Eastern cities. If we examine the records of the high civilizations of Assyria and Egypt, we begin to discover distinct varieties of the canine form.
The myriad of different dog breeds, and the significant differences of their general appearance, size and temperament, makes it hard for us to believe that they could share a common ancestor. If we think of the differences between, say the St. Bernard and the Miniature Black; the Mastiff and the Japanese Spaniel; the Deerhound and Pomeranian, we become puzzled in considering that they all descended from one progenitor. Yet, the same is true of other species, such as breeds of horse. Dog breeders know that it is not at all difficult to produce a variation in type by selection.
If we want to compare dogs and wolves and, it would do well to look at the osseous systems, or skeletons of the two. These are actually quite similar, to the extent that their transposition could not be readily observed.
The spine of a dog has seven vertebrae in the neck, thirteen in the back, seven in the loins, three sacral and twenty to twenty-two in the tail. As for ribs, both the dog and wolf have thirteen pair --nine true and four false. They both have the same number of teeth --forty-two, and the same number of toes --five front and four hind. In many cases, a general outward description of either one could serve the other.
The behavior of the two species is quite similar in many ways. While the wolf naturally howls, he can easily learn to bark if confined with dogs. Although a natural carnivore, like the dog he will eat vegetables or even nibble grass when ill. When hunting, a wolf pack will separate into parties; one will follow the trail of the quarry, while the other intercepts its retreat, a strategy also employed by many sporting dogs when hunting.
Another common trait that canis familiaris and canis lupus share is the period of gestation, which is sixty-three days for both species. A wolf's litter usually contains three to nine cubs, which are blind for twenty-one days. After being suckled for two months, they are able to consume half-digested meat that has been disgorged for them by their dam or even sire.
The native dogs of all regions approximate closely in size, coloration, form, and habit to the native wolf of those regions. Of this most important circumstance there are far too many instances to allow of its being looked upon as a mere coincidence. Sir John Richardson, writing in 1829, observed that the resemblance between the North American wolves and the domestic dog of the Indians is so great that the size and strength of the wolf seems to be the only difference.
Some see the difference between the dog's bark and wolf's howl as a definitive one. However, we know that wolf pups, along with jackals and wild dogs will readily learn to bark when raised by bitches, while domestic dogs will forget the habit if they run wild long enough. This, then, cannot be used as proof of the dog's origin.
Darwin hypothesized that domestic dogs descended from many sources, including European, Indian and African wolves, several species of jackal, and most likely from several extinct species as well. So it is very likely that our modern dogs have an extremely diverse ancestry indeed.
Bob Evanston writes and researches on many topics pertaining to animals and pets. You can get more information on pet guides and some useful resources on dog training This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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