One night many thousands of years ago, Og and his hunting buddies were sitting around a fire that illuminated a small spot in what must have been a huge, dark, and very scary world. As long as the fire burned, wolves, bears and saber-toothed tigers remained at bay. But Og noticed a small wolf hovering at the edge of the light.
He threw a small Mastodon bone at the wolf to scare it off. But to Og's surprise, the wolf picked up the bone and brought it back! Og repeated the toss several times and each time the wolf brought the bone back, much to the amusement of Og and his buddies.
At some point the wolf spotted something in the darkness that Og was not aware of. The wolf bared his fangs and growled. Og and his buddies began yelling and throwing things in the direction of what ever it was out there. Satisfied that the threat had been scared off, Og rewarded the wolf with a piece of Mastodon meat. Og then pointed at the wolf and yelled, "dOg," which meant "Little wolf belonging to Og." And that was the first dog.
Obviously, the above story is a compete fabrication. However, research into the origins of dogs indicates that dogs did evolve from wolves, possibly as long as 100,000 years ago. More interestingly, dogs could not have developed without human intervention. So the story above, while fanciful, may not be too far from the truth.
There are many similarities between dogs and wolves. For one thing, dogs and wolves are the same species, meaning that a dog and a wolf can produce offspring capable of reproducing. Not only are dogs and wolves similar in appearance, (except when it comes to creatures like Shiz Tsus) but dogs and wolves exhibit similar social behavior. Therefore, is very likely that the first dogs were domesticated wolves, and the breeds we have today were entirely created by humans.
What is a dog breed? It is a little more complex than just "Poodles," or "Boxers." A dog breed refers to any group of dogs of similar characteristics developed and maintained by humans. Also, "breed" can include landraces, or natural breeds. These dogs have developed similar characteristics over time in response to their environment, but without direct selection by humans. An example of a landrace is the Dingo of Australia.
Over many years, Og's descendants found that some dogs were good at hunting, while other dogs were better at other tasks. For example, breeding good hunters with other good hunters, resulted in consistently good hunting dogs. Around 12,000 years ago, humans began cultivating crops, and dog breeds became more specialized, more similar in appearance, and less "wolf-like." Hunting and guarding dogs were large, while dogs kept for pets or to capture burrowing animals were smaller.
While many dog breeds such as German Shepherds have been around for hundreds of years, it was not until the formation of the English Kennel Club in 1873 that formal documentation of dog pedigrees was established.
Shortly thereafter, breed clubs began to be established to promote and enhance specific breeds. Each club defined the characteristics their breed must have, and other characteristics the breed must not have. The clubs also established pedigrees so that a dog could be certified - or pedigreed - as being of that specific breed.
While specific-breed clubs have been effective at maintaining the uniformity of their breeds, the results are controversial. Maintaining a specific breed of dog is a totally human activity, and breeds as we know them would not exist were it not for breed clubs. But to maintain the characteristics of a breed while satisfying demand for the dog, significant inbreeding has taken place in many breeds.
The result is a dog that may be "perfect" in terms of meeting the show requirements of the breed, but in reality, the animal often has serious chronic problems which are painful to the dog and result in shortened lifespan.
An example of this type of breeding is the English Bulldog. Hundreds of years ago, "bulldogs" were raised to compete in the grisly wagering sport of bull or bear baiting, in which the bulldog would bite a tied up bull or bear around its muzzle and suffocate it. After this activity was thankfully outlawed, the bulldog breed was "re engineered" to be smaller, squat, bowlegged, and have a pronounced under bite.
The Bulldog Club of England, founded in 1875, determined that the appearance of the dog that we're familiar with today should be the standard for the breed, rather than a leaner dog that is more athletic.
Ironically, the bulldog was deliberately changed into a creature that is completely incapable of any athletic activity, let alone bull baiting. Even bulldogs of fifty years ago look remarkably different - leaner, taller, longer muzzle - than do bulldogs of today.
Bulldogs, like several other breeds, are a high-maintenance dog. The short muzzle inhibits breathing, which leads to snoring and heart problems. Bulldogs are extremely sensitive to heat.
Anyone familiar with the University of Georgia's mascot, Uga, has probably seen the mascot on the sidelines sitting on a bag of ice. Frequently, bulldog pups must be delivered by Cesarean section because of their large head. The folds in the skin must be cleaned to prevent infection. The list continues, but other popular breeds suffer from similar chronic ailments.
However, increased awareness of the bulldog's (and other dog's) health issues is prompting changes. In response to a BBC documentary, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, has revised the standards for the bulldog as well as over 200 other breeds. The "new bulldog" will be thinner, taller, more athletic and have a longer muzzle.
This move by The Kennel Club (UK) has not been well received by bulldog clubs, which see the move as unnecessary and an over reaction. (The owners of the current UGA mascot, Uga VII, are opposed to the changes.)
So in the future we should see substantial changes in a number of breeds that will result in longer-living, healthier breeds of dogs - and happier dog owners. Perhaps even Uga will be leaner, taller, and not have to site on a bag of ice in hot weather. Og would be proud.
