long before we raised livestock and grew
crops humans lived side by side with
dogs it's widely accepted among
scientists that dogs are descendants of
wolves in fact their DNA is virtually
identical but how exactly did a fierce
wild animal become our loyal companion
according to DNA analysis the
transformation from wolf to dog began
some twenty to forty thousand years ago
when people and wolves were living and
hunting in close proximity by about
fifteen thousand years ago dogs were
found virtually everywhere people were
but humans may not be able to take all
the credit for domestication some wolves
were already less fearful of approaching
people those individuals became favored
by people for their tame ability over
many generations they became tamer and
lost some of their predatory qualities
such as big sharp teeth what resulted
was the dog
the very first domesticated animal
thousands of years later humans began to
play a more active role in the breeding
of dogs
the ancient Egyptians may have been the
first to breed dogs for specific uses
such as hunting guarding and war in
ancient China dogs were bred to look
like lions an important symbol of the
Buddhist faith selective breeding
eventually gave rise to many different
looking dogs or pure breads and the 18th
century purebred dogs were becoming more
of a status symbol among wealthy
households by the 19th century the
crossbreeding craze was underway
culminating in the first dog shows by
mid-century
humans were mixing and matching dogs no
longer just for their utility but also
for their appearance today we have over
300 different breeds making dogs the
most diverse species on earth but by
breeding offspring that exhibit only the
most pronounced traits some say we've
gone too far in some cases dogs are the
ones that suffer with genetic disorders
in certain breeds that can lead to
problems such as difficulty breathing
hip dysplasia and increased risk of
cancer yet for all the problems we've
introduced into our canine companions
we've also found ways to bring dogs into
our lives more than ever before dogs
today live among us not just as our pets
but also as therapy dogs
search-and-rescue dogs and even war dogs
humans have also found ways to give back
to our furry friends with advancements
in veterinary medicine and establishing
rescue organizations to help dogs find
good homes in many ways the canines that
once lived only among their own packs
tens of thousands of years ago have come
to depend on us as much as we depend on
them
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