Domestic dogs, along with coyotes, jackals, wolves and dingoes make up the genus Canis. Although the fossil record is limited, the first members of this genus probably appeared about one million years ago, but the domestic dog developed much later. Due to a number of similarities, both physical and behavioral, it is believed that the domestic dog evolved from the wolf.
By the time humans and wolves began to interact, probably more than 15,000 years ago, there were two distinct types of wolf in the northern hemisphere: those from the north, which were large with long, pale coats; and those from the south, which were slimmer with short, darker coats. These variations were simply natural adaptations to climate, but once the bond was established between humans and wolves, the domestic dogs evolved as a process of selective breeding.
THE DOMESTICATION OF THE DOG
The domestication of the dog probably began around the time our human ancestors
became hunters and gatherers. Wild dogs would have scavenged on the outskirts
of the temporary camps and the hunters would have appreciated the warnings
they gave of approaching danger. As settlements became more permanent, dogs
would have become increasingly useful as guard dogs and eventually hunting
and herding dogs.
From these early times, the evolution of the dog was largely dictated by humans.
Dogs were selectively bred to perform specific tasks by breeding together those
dogs that exhibited particular traits, such as size, hunting ability and aggression.
Gradually, through this process of interbreeding, distinct types of dog were
developed and maintained.
Greyhounds and Mastiff type dogs are the oldest recognizable breeds of which there are historical records. Depictions of Greyhounds have been found on 8,000 year-old fragments of Mesopotamian pottery and there are records of Mastiffs that are nearly as old as this. In ancient times, Greyhounds were used primarily as hunting dogs, while the large, aggressive Mastiffs were used in battle and as guard dogs.
DIVERSIFICATION
Over many thousands of years, dogs developed and diversified as human needs
changed. The evolution of hunting dogs is a good example of this process. The
Greyhound was an exemplary hunting dog, swift and powerful and could chase
and kill a variety of prey. However over the centuries, as hunting methods
became more refined and the kinds of prey hunted became more varied, new breeds
of hunting dog were developed.
Dogs are now bred not only to chase game but also to sniff it out (scenthounds),
to point to it in the field (pointers and setters), to flush it out (spaniels),
to retrieve it (retrievers) and to chase it down burrows (terriers).
BREEDING FOR LOOKS
In early times, dogs were bred to perform specific tasks, and how they looked was largely irrelevant. However, even in ancient times this was not always the case. In the East, there is a long and rich tradition of breeding dogs for appearance. As early as 5000 years ago, Chinese emperors were breeding tiny “lap dogs” to carry around their palaces. This process of miniaturization led to the development of the toy dogs, many of which became favorites with royalty over the centuries. Toy dogs remain popular pets to this day.
THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
The greatest influence on the domestication of the dog since wolves and humans first made contact was the Industrial Revolution. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, urbanization and changes in the nature of employment meant that people had more leisure time to devote to hobbies. By the late nineteenth century, breeding and showing of dogs were popular pastimes. As a result, the focus of breeding shifted to the appearance of the dog and the variety of dog breeds grew enormously.
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