History of Dogs

Have you ever wondered about your dog's ancestry? The word dog was originally used to for a particular canine English breed, but it is now widely used for all members of the Canus famillaris. Other species in the Canus family are the jackal and wolf. Anthropologists aren't quite sure which species was the first to meet with humans.

People started their current relationship with dogs around 1300 B.C. This was during the Stone Age when most people were primarily hunters, lived in primitive shelters and had not yet started to farm. People most likely first noticed dogs when the dogs were rummaging for food in piles of garbage.

The dogs were initially scared away because people thought they were pests. They began to appreciate dogs when the saw the chasing rats away from their camps and ate food garbage that was collecting flies. Other people with camps noticed and soon wanted dogs of their own! Eventually everyone wanted a dog as a companion.

Over time people began to teach dogs new skills. Early dogs were trained to aid their follow human hunters. Other dogs were trained to watch and protect their human companions from large animals such as bears and other not so friendly people. Other dogs were trained to pull sleds long distances over the cold, windy snow. Still others lived on farms and ranches and were used to protect and herd livestock.

In the early days dogs had to find their own food as people were rarely wealthy enough to provide it to them. Only the dogs that worked had a good chance of receiving food from humans. Most early dogs were thin and had diseases, like their human companions.

Written by Samantha Summers, CityPetSite.com Staff

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