The reasons dogs became human’s Best friend

In the summer of 2018, a two-month-old puppy's remains were uncovered in Siberia when a patch of permafrost near the Indigirka River melted. The puppy, named Dogor, was determined to be 18,000 years old and was remarkably well-preserved, with most of its fur, teeth, and nose intact. However, scientists were unable to confirm whether Dogor was a dog or a wolf, as it came from a period when wolves were becoming domesticated.

The process of domestication is still not fully understood, including when and where it first occurred and the genetic and anatomical changes involved. However, scientists believe that the split between wolves and dogs genetically occurred between 40,000 and 27,000 years ago, with interbreeding between domestic dogs and wild wolves along human migration routes. Dogs initially resembled wolves at the start of domestication, but one key genetic trait they share is hypersociability, which is the tendency for adult animals to initiate social contact with members of other species.

The domestication of dogs likely followed the commensal pathway, where dogs benefited from a relationship with humans by scavenging for food and being drawn to discarded human food. Humans eventually realized the usefulness of domesticated wolves as guards, hunting companions, and helpers in domesticating other livestock species. Dogs followed humans wherever they went, and their spread can even be tracked through genetic adaptations related to changes in diet associated with agriculture.

There has been debate about whether dogs were domesticated once or multiple times, but recent research suggests that domestication likely occurred just once, with a continuous lineage of domesticated dogs. Dog burials found across different regions and time periods indicate the close bond between humans and dogs, with dogs often buried alongside humans and treated similarly in death. Over thousands of years, domestication led to physical and genetic changes in dogs, resulting in the diverse breeds we see today.

While the origins of the human-dog relationship are still complex and evolving, it is clear that dogs have been our loyal companions for a very long time. The DNA results of Dogor, the 18,000-year-old puppy, may provide further insights into the early days of domestication.

It’s estimated that about 15,000 to 14,000 years ago, wolves (ancestors of the modern dog) began the transition from wild animal to domesticated companion. While some remained wild (today’s wolves are their descendants), others chose to associate more closely with humans.

As people learned how to live with and train them, these animals began to assume important roles in society and family life — hunting, guarding and even companionship. One sign of this bond that archeologists have identified was burial. During this time, humans began burying dogs much like they would bury their own dead, sometimes even burying them together. Examining these ancient dogs’ remains gave scientists even deeper insight into human-dog relationships. For example, the Bonn-Oberkassel dog’s teeth show that it lived with ailments that would have required human’s care to survive.

Around 8,000 years ago, many people began to abandon nomadic ways in favor of settling down and farming, which made working dogs that herded and protected livestock increasingly important in daily life. Dog evolution was shifting too — dog DNA samples from 8,000 to 4,000 years ago show that they were adapting right along with us. While their wolf ancestors were carnivores, dogs developed the ability to digest starchy foods that were common in human diets!

Friendship between dogs and humans isn’t just a matter of history and archeology — four-legged friends make appearances in ancient art around the world!

Records show that in ancient Greece dogs were often kept in healing temples for their therapeutic abilities. These important members of ancient Greek society were depicted in sculpture and on painted pottery.

Egyptian murals show pharaohs with pet companions, and sculptures, toys, art and even mummies of dogs show how important canines were to pet parents going back as far as 6000 BCE.

Even leashes made it into ancient art depicting dogs with humans! Rock art in northwestern Saudi Arabia is the earliest-known prehistoric art depicting dog-assisted hunting.

We’ve come a long way since the ancient world, but the desire to immortalize our canine companions in art is just as strong now as it ever was!