Dogs come in every shape, size, color, and fur coat type imaginable, so it can be hard to imagine that our canine companions have wolf ancestry. While some dog breeds, like Siberian huskies and malamutes, look almost identical to their ancient descendants, breeds like poodles and shih tzus do not.
While we’ll do a brief and more shallow dive into the early man-befriends-wolf topic, there are several wonderful books on the topic. A few of our favorite books about wolves and dogs are:
Of course, there is no way to know for sure - and there is no “one way” this domestication occurred. However, leading anthropologists and zoologists believe that the separation of certain wolves from their pack, which led to the taming or domestication of the dogs we know and love today, began roughly 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. They’ve determined this from remaining genetic evidence.
According to NewScientist.com, “The oldest known dog burial is from 14,200 years ago, suggesting dogs were firmly installed as pets by then. But it isn’t clear whether domestication happened in Europe or Asia – or in multiple locations – or why it happened. Dogs are the only animals domesticated by hunter-gatherers: all the others were domesticated after farming became widespread.”
There are several theories about how this shift from how a wild predator and human threat transformed into one of our most beloved animal companions.
Hunter-gatherers operated in a time without refrigeration. Things could only be stored at cooler temperatures during the winter months (in some locations) or in a pottery crock submerged in cold water or springs. This meant that everything we hunted or caught had to be eaten as soon as possible.
Our ancestors were also very adept at drying and smoking meat. Still, a good hunting season meant lots of extra meat and offal, and that would have drawn more brave wolves near human encampments to take and eat what they could.
Over time, some of the outliers or wolves at the bottom of the pack may have stuck around more often for scraps, which incrementally socialized them with humans, and domestication continued from there.
It makes sense that early humans would have been as inclined to care for injured animals or baby animals abandoned by their mothers the same way we do now. These puppies may have been wilder than the domesticated dogs we live with today. We see that feral tendency in dogs that are part wolf.
However, the puppies would have grown to bond with their human “pack.” This made them dependent on us, with future wolf-turned-dog generations becoming increasingly domesticated.
Wolves are pack animals, and their packs have a distinct hierarchy. As in any group, some members are more accepted by the pack than others. As a result, those who are lower in the pack hierarchy or who become ostracized altogether are left to their own devices. This makes them extremely vulnerable.
Packs hunt together, sleep together, and defend one another. A lone wolf was ultimately a wolf at risk. However, by creeping into the human pack (particularly after meal time when scraps and leftovers were left on the ground or thrown to the exterior of the perimeter, these wolves developed relationships with interested humans.
Wolves are hunters/foragers, just like our ancestors. Hunting season was a universal affair for all fresh meat-eating creatures when the edible game was moving through the territory. As a result, it’s highly likely that our hunting ancestors learned from wolves, including how to hunt as a pack (lure prey, drive them in one direction toward the other hunters, etc.).
Depending on the situation and how many carcasses our ancestors could process and haul from the hunt to camp, there’s a good chance that a wolf pack’s failed hunt meant they ate our scraps - - and vice versa. Also, it’s arguable that we stole freshly hunted meat from wolves by scaring them away from it.
Woven, through all of the theories on wolf domestication, is the reality that humans have much in common with wolves - the same way we do today. We were both top predators, dependent on cooperative living, reliant on good hunts to survive, and needed protection from other top-tier predators. We are playful, and affectionate, and respect a hierarchy within our families. There is an intelligence and curiosity that is mutually appreciated by both species.
So, the more we encouraged positive behaviors from nearby wolves, the more domesticated wolves became and the more protective of the human pack they were. This meant humans also reaped the benefit of “guard wolves,” the same way working guard dogs are used now. If nothing else, wolf’s keen senses of hearing and smell also benefitted our ancestors like they do now. Their alert attention, growls, and barks would have alerted the humans to the presence of visitors, intruders, or potential invaders.
In return for their companionship and working attributes, wolves gained the warmth of a fire, year-round shelter, and extra food. What a wonderful and symbiotic relationship our ancestors created all those thousands of years ago. Aren’t you grateful? We sure are!
Do you suspect your dog has more wolf DNA memory than you’d like? Are they aggressive, overprotective, or undersocialized the way a wolf would behave? Despite their domestication, dogs still share ancient instincts and perspectives with their wild ancestors, and that’s where high-quality training is essential.
Contact Alternative Canine Training. We work closely with dogs and their human companions to ensure everyone is safe, well-behaved, and fully bonded so they can enjoy the optimal lifelong friendship.