History of the Dog and his long service to Mankind

"At a remote time in the past, the earth was inhabited by people other than those created by the sun-god. They were very bad and fought among themselves all the time. When the sun-god saw this he decided to annihilate these people and to create another population in their stead. To destroy the bad people, the sun-god sent torrential and continuous rain, the springs opened, and the ocean overflowed. In the deluge all mankind was swept away. Then the sun god decided to create new people. First he made a man, then a woman, and finally a dog to keep them company. Later he created the guanaco and the rhea as food for the couple he had brought forth. "

from the Folk Literature of the Tebuelche Indians

A SPECIAL AND MYTHICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMANS

Dogs have a special and unique relationship with humans. Not only are dogs a product of their own culture, but they are also active participants in the culture of humans. In fact, dogs were the first animals to take up residence with people and the only animals found in human societies all over the world. For more than twelve thousand years, dogs have played an integral part in our lives. What is most remarkable about dogs is their ability to adapt to the diverse cultures and needs of the people with whom they live and serve.

In the whole history of dogs there have been more than 2000 breeds. Most of these breeds have disappeared during the long battle with time and nature. It is estimated that there are currently about 400 dog breeds in existence worldwide. Today's dogs provide a multitude of valuable services some new and many going back tens of thousands of years.

companion dogs
therapy dogs
hearing dogs
guide dogs
service dogs
guard dogs
search & rescue dogs
military dogs (K9 Corp)
hunting dogs
herding & ranching dogs
racing dogs

DOGS ARE DESCENDED FROM WOLVES

Most researchers agree that about 12,000 years ago, a change slowly began to occur in the wolf populations. Some continued to thrive but others began to spend more time with people. It is possible that some wolves tended to be a little more playful than others. These wolves were not tolerated in the structured wolf pack; but this type of personality went well with people.

Perhaps shunned by their peers, these more friendly dogs entered the camps of the Native American. These dogs still looked to a leader for guidance and felt more comfortable knowing their place within a hierarchy. For this reason, the dog readily became an intricate part of the life of Native Americans.

Not only did dogs descend from wolves, in fact, as geneticist Robert Wayne states, "dogs are grey wolves, despite their diversity in size and proportion; the wide variety in their adult morphology probably results from simple changes in developmental rate and timing." The results of Wayne's analysis show that gray wolves and dogs vary by just 0.2% in their mitochondrial DNA; the distance between wolves and coyotes is twenty times this amount. In other words, as far as their mitochondrial DNA is concerned, dogs are virtually identical to wolves.

Modern dogs still retain wolf-like characteristics, no matter what the size or breed. Though the degree of these traits varies with different breeds and even different individuals, it is clear that some characteristics are more visible in specific breeds. Wolf-like dog characteristics include:

Pack Behavior: Dogs naturally look up to a leader, most often their owner, and are usually more comfortable in hierarchical groups.

Dominant/Submissive Relationships: Body language, posture, and behavior dictates dominant and submissive relationships; a dog drooping its head and tail when scolded, for example, indicates submission to its leader, its owner.

Aggressiveness & Territoriality: Dogs naturally seek to protect what they have claimed as their own, just as wolves mark a specific hunting or home territory. This aggression and territoriality extends to strangers; new visitors or chasing mailmen, for example; as well as guarding food.

Socialization: Wolves play and socialize to cement their relationships as well as perfect critical hunting skills. Even games such as frisbee, fetch, or tag are critical to a dog's socialization.

Chasing: When prey is spooked and flees, wolves instincts encourage a chase that may result in another meal. Dogs display this instinct as well, often chasing cars, bikes, or anything that flees before them, though without the same predatory consequences.

Fleeing: When frightened, wolves naturally flee to protect themselves. Dogs do this as well, particularly around loud, unknown noises (fireworks, vacuum cleaners, thunder, etc.) that could prove to be hazards.

Vocalization: Listening to a wolf's song is a popular therapeutic technique in new age circles, and many people recognize the distinct range of howls, growls, and other sounds that make up a wolf's vocabulary. Dogs vocalize as well through howling, barking, and whining to attract their owner's attention, alert them to danger, or express emotions such as joy, anger, and fear.

Each of these characteristics supports the theory of dog history intertwined with that of wolves. As individual groups of dogs are examined, it is clear that centuries of careful, deliberate breeding has accentuated specific traits suitable to particular purposes.

A LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE

The Greek author Homer is probably one of the first to write about dogs and canines are mentioned frquently in his classic epic, the "Odyssey," written in the 9th century B.C. The following snipets will give the reader some idea of our friends long history of integration into the culture of mankind.

Initially man used wolves during the hunt, for keeping flocks together and to warn against approaching enemies
Stone-aged people tamed dogs to help them track game. About eight thousand years ago, ancient Egyptians raised Saluki hunting dogs.
Skeletal remains indicate that five diverse types of dog existed in the Bronze Age (about 4500 BC) - mastiffs, wolf-type dogs, greyhounds, pointing dogs, and shepherding dogs, and cave paintings show dogs working alongside human hunters.
In the 5th century BC the Greeks utilized dogs as guards. Fifty dogs protected the fortress of Corinth and when attacked, saved the town. The sole canine survivor was given a pension for life and a silver collar. The Greeks also used them for hunting, some preferring Celtic dogs for that task.
Doctors of the time used dogs to determine whether a person was dead or in a coma; a wag of the dogs tail would indicate life, but a silent dog meant the person was indeed dead. In 350 BC Aristotle made a list of the known breeds, discussing the merits of some.
During the reign of the early Greek, and later, the Roman Empire, dog's were kept not only as hunters, herders, and guardians, but also as a beloved pets. Dogs began to appear in sculpture, and had their portraits painted and some of the world's finest canine art dates to this time period.
That their fidelity was noted and rewarded during ancient times is evidenced both by the story of Odysses' hound Argus, and by the real dog "Delta". Unearthed at Pompeii were the remains of a dog stretched out beside a child. The dog, "Delta", wore a silver collar which told that he belonged to Severinus, whose life he had saved from a wolf.
In the Far East, what kind of a life a dog lead depended wholly on it's breed. The dog could find itself employed as a hunter (the noble Chow Chow), fighter (the Chinese Shar Pei), or as the main course at dinner. Dogs very much like today's Pekingese and Japanese Chins were of an established type featuring pushed in faces and curled tails. In the Royal Courts, they were considered so important that they were assigned their own human servants. Then, as now, they were highly prized, pampered house pets, at one time carried along the trade routes as gifts of high esteem for emperors and kings.
In Tibet, the Tibetan Terrier was given as a token of favor. Not a real terrier, the breed did not hunt, herd, or guard. It's true value lay in the fact that it was believed to be a 'Luck Bringer'.
Atilla the Hun, used giant Molossian dogs, precursors of the mastiff, and Talbots, ancestors of the bloodhound, in his campaigns.
Napoleon had dogs posted as sentries at the gates of Alexandria, in Egypt, to warn his troops of any attacks.
During the Middle Ages, people started seeing dogs as status symbols. Dogs gave people distinction. The number of dog breeds started to increase enormously. Dogs were bred for size, length, color, face, and behavior.
The lap dog became popular in Europe as the ladies of the court took to them as 'comforters'.
Early European church documents show that it was common for the parishoners to bring their dogs to services with them as footwarmers.
Dogs figured prominately enough in medieval daily life that they became the objects of a number of laws. For instance, the Ownership of a Scottish Deerhound or Greyhound was kept off limits from all but the Nobility.
But the medieval common man also had his dogs, not always readily recognizable to us today, the names referred more to a dog's use than it's particular breed. For example; Ban Dogs were fierce dogs kept tied during the day and loosed at night to guard; and Turnspits were small dogs used to run on the wheels that turned the spits over the great open fireplaces. Every locality also had it's own variety of Terrier ideally suited to hunting the local varmints.
The Renaissance saw a further refining of breeds. A wealthy merchant class had both spare cash and spare time, and dogs bred strictly as companions became popular.
Dalmatians were trained to run along with horse and carriages in the mid 1800s, and became known as carriage dogs. Their job was to guard from other dogs which would chase the carriage and frighten the horses. Fire departments also used dalmatians to guard their carriages and the dalmatian became mascot of the fire service.