It is believed that dogs were most likely the first animals to be domesticated, and it is a fact that they have accompanied humans for over 20,000 years to possibly 40,000 years. The following are some interesting facts about dogs:
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| This may be the world's first image of dogs, likely dating back more than 8,000 years. Two dogs appear to have leashes on them. |
Some believe that wolves began following nomadic tribes to feed on the remains of the animals the hunters killed, and in return, they would protect the humans from danger.
Seeing how useful wolves could be, humans trained the cubs to hunt, farm and guard. Those that proved to be the best were the ones chosen to mate, eventually resulting in the hundreds of breeds of dogs we have today. It took thousands of years of domesticating before dogs were specialized and separated into breeds.
There is evidence in the Bible that abusing dogs was considered acceptable. In fact, to call a human a dog implied that they were of very low status. In the New Testament, it meant that the person was considered evil.
The ancient Egyptians loved cats but they also loved dogs. It is believed that they were likely the first civilization to keep dogs as pets, not as working dogs.
In ancient Asia, Pekingese and Japanese Chins were treated like royalty. They had their own servants and were even worshiped in the temples of China for centuries.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, many purebred dogs were abandoned, leading to uncontrolled mating and unwanted mongrels roaming the streets. To help this problem, monasteries began breeding purebred dogs to sell to the rich and placing heavy blocks around the necks of mixed breed dogs to keep them from mating with purebreds.
Some anthropologists think it's possible that the mongrels who did roam the streets after the fall of Rome were the source of legends of werewolves because they terrified villagers.
Dogs were present in the Americas before the arrival of European colonists, but these dogs were not derived from North American wolves. Instead, scientists believe the American dogs likely originated in Siberia and dispersed into the Americas alongside people.
Despite the many different dog types today with their own unique personalities, it is a fact that all dogs still posses some traits and behaviors with their wild relatives. Just to name a few interesting ones... they defend their territory by marking their space with urine, they bury bones and toys to keep safe from others, and they spin around before laying down to make them a comfortable spot.
