The Natural Dog
Kingdom: Animalae
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canus
Species: familiaris
The first dog was Tomarctus, a genus whose name means “almost a bear.” It roamed the plains and grasslands of North America some ten to fifteen million years ago. The entire family of Canidae -- including wolves, jackals, coyotes, and dholes -- are descendants of Tomarctus. Sceintists believe that the immediate ancestor of the domestic dog Canis familiaris is Canis lupus, the wolf.
Dogs have been an integral part of indigenous cultures around the world. The Aborigines respected and tamed wild dingos. The dogs would snuggle up to Aborigines and sleep with them as bed-warmers – this the origin of the term “two-dog night”.
The domestic dog as we know it today is likely an evolution between humans and wolves. Wolf and man were competing predators in the same hunting territories. Man may have seen in the wolf the potential of a hunting ally, and expert in hunting and sniffing and an animal upon whom he could depend for information about the wild. Perhaps man first trapped orphan cubs, and then, by a process of careful selection, produces changes over a few generations to breed for the traits that suited his needs.
Dogs were useful to early humans in a variety of ways. It could assist in hunting and guard other animals or possessions. It could be eaten for food, it’s fur could provide warmth.
Today, dogs have other benefits, particularly as a companion animal. Once established, the emotional bond between human and animal is exceptionally strong. Dogs see for the blind, hear for the deaf, and help heal mental illness. Dogs give us love and affection and receive ours in return.
Even though our domesticated pets are completely dependent on us for their survival, they still retain their wild nature. And so, what is best for them is for us, as agents of Nature, to give them, as much as possible, what Nature would provide.
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