Ever wonder how the dog evolved? All dogs no matter what breed all descended from the grey wolf. Learn how the domestication process took place, and what wolf characteristics dogs retain.
Ever wonder how your dog evolved? There are more than 350 different breeds of dog, each one--from the Chihuahua to the Great Dane--descended from the grey wolf.
The domestication of dogs by man dates back at least twelve thousand years. Domestication of the wolf may have begun with orphaned wolf cubs brought into villages and raised by children. Ancient man may have also started the domestication process by befriending wolves which helped them hunt and drive herds.
There were advantages at that time to having semi-tame wolves. The acute hearing of the wolf would alarm humans of imminent danger at night, for example. However, as civilization evolved, the jobs of dogs became more varied and specific; as a result, different breeds were created to handle different jobs. Selective breeding has allowed human manipulation to create the traits that you see in dogs today, such as the pushed-in face of the pug, or the speed of the greyhound to catch its prey.
Regardless of how far your dog has evolved from its ancestor, there is still a great deal of wolf present in the domestic dog. Dogs are still genetically wolves, and they share seventy-eight chromosomes. The two species are still able to cross-breed, creating the wolf hybrid, which (unlike the mate of a horse and donkey, a mule) is not sterile.
Besides the physical similarities, there are many behavior similarities between the wolf and the dog. Wolves and dogs live in pack societies. They have group rituals such as greetings, feeding, playing, mating, and hunting. Both communicate with other pack members through facial expressions and body movements; vocalizations such as growls, howls, and whines are used. Leading each pack is a dominant male or female. This dog or wolf is known as the alpha. The alpha leads by example, and other pack members show their respect by submission. You may have witnessed this in your own house if you have more than one dog. A dog may cower when faced with another dog, or its hair may stand up (the technical term for this phenomenon: piloerection).
In creating the domestic dog, humans have retained some wolf characteristics. Dogs retain much of the territorialism of wolves and the suspicion of strangers, making dogs effective guardians of our selves and property. The dog has also retained the ability to follow a creature's scent through the forest, and breeding has in some cases actually improved that--the bloodhound, for example. Most dogs are also excellent hunters, which may be a characteristic of the wolf that has stayed genetically stable in the dog.
In contrast, a wolf is unlikely to accept new pack members as well as a dog will accept them. Wolves also will generally act shyly around humans. A wolf never bonds to humans very well, even when raised by people from birth, and is not as trainable. It is true that wolves or wolf hybrids may form emotional bonds with their human companions, but they will also maintain their own autonomy and may never heed a single command given by the human owner. This is why most knowledgeable authorities recommend not buying a wolf or wolf hybrid pup.
Over the thousands of years, we have shaped dogs through breeding into dogs with floppy ears, sleek coats, and short noses--exactly the opposite of their distant ancestor. We have created dogs to suit our needs. However, if you look closely into your dog's eyes, you may realize you are looking into the eyes of a wolf.
