How did dogs appear?

wild ancestor

Experts consider the wolf to be the main contender for the role of the dog’s ancestor. The main mystery is the time and place of its domestication. Scientists still cannot come to a consensus on this issue. The most ancient finds that testify to this event are dated something like this: 30 thousand years BC. e. Moreover, the remains are found in different parts of the world – from the Goya Cave in Belgium to the Altai Mountains in Siberia. But even such early evidence of domestication does not leave scientists indifferent: a dog could live next to a person before, just a nomadic lifestyle did not involve burial, which means that there can be no evidence of this.

The homeland of the dog has not yet been determined. It is believed that the process of domestication began to occur simultaneously among different tribes that had nothing to do with each other.

Friendship between man and wolf

It is also interesting how a wild animal suddenly became a domestic one. On this score, scientists put forward two versions. According to the first, wolves, despite the long-standing enmity with people, followed the tribes, picking up the remnants of food. And gradually there was a rapprochement between the wild animal and man. According to the second theory, a man picked up motherless wolf cubs and raised them in a tribe, using them as helpers and protectors.

Whatever the story, one thing is clear: Living together has affected both human and animal psychology.

People began to pay less attention to hunting skills, and the dog became socialized.

The gradual development of the household also affected animals. The sedentary lifestyle, agriculture and cattle breeding expanded the functions of the dog. From a hunter, she turned into a watchman and a shepherd.

In the service of man

At all times, the dog has been a faithful assistant to man. In the 17th century, rescue dogs were bred in the monastery of St. Bernard, located in the Swiss Alps. They searched for travelers who got lost and fell under an avalanche. As you might guess, these noble rescuers were St. Bernards.

Dogs were especially distinguished in the war. According to historical data, animals began to be taught to this business 6 thousand years ago. War dogs served in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. It is believed that they became the ancestors of a whole group of dogs called Molossians. Its most famous representatives are Cane Corso, Tibetan Mastiff, Doberman, German Boxer and many others.

Dogs were directly involved in World War II. In the USSR, the shepherd Dina became especially famous, which became famous as the first saboteur dog; the East European Shepherd Dzhulbars, who discovered more than 7 thousand mines, and the Scottish Collie Dick. In an operation near Leningrad, he discovered a mine that was supposed to destroy the Pavlovsk Palace.

Today it is impossible to imagine life without a dog. Every day, these animals participate in rescue operations, help detain criminals, they even diagnose diseases and treat people. But most importantly, they give us their love, devotion and loyalty free of charge.