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history of dogs is also the history of man's relationship with
dogs. Dogs are in the family of animals called Canidae,
which includes the wolf, fox, and jackal among others.
Specifically though, dogs, domesticated dogs, are called Canis
Familiaris. Unlike our wild ancestors, the humans took
us in, made us part of their lives, as friend, companion, and
worker. When exactly the dog became domesticated is unclear,
as long as history was recorded, dogs have been included in
these writings. Some dog remains as old as 10,500 years
old were found in Idaho. There are even some ancient Babylonian
illustrations where dogs are depicted, roughly 2200 B.C.
So, now that we know that dogs
have been around so long, now it is our turn to look at why
we've been so closely linked with our human friends.
First, we are domestic, we can live within the confines of
a household or family unit. This first fact separates
us from our relatives the wolf. The second factor is
what we give to humans and how humans have used us to better
aide themselves with life's little tasks. There is a
wide selection of dog breeds and this wasn't accident...Human's
genetically bred us for specific tasks, some dogs were bred
to protect owners property, some were bred for their abilities
at hunting, some were bred for their superior sense of smell.
Each of the dog breeds, varying from the great mastiff down
to the smaller dogs were bred to be that way by our humans
for specific tasks.
Today, we still play, work,
and associate ourselves with our human counterparts.
They are our friends, our companions, we work for them, they
work for us, and together, we find that being with our humans
and the humans being with us, is beneficial for both of our
well being. I could specifically name all the avenues
dogs have entered into, from Entertainment including our proudest
dog actors, Rin Tin Tin, Benji, and Lassie, to our rescue
dogs, to dogs that protect, to the lovable poodle that brings
a smile to their owners face. Our history is a long
one, our purpose is a proud one, and our coexistence with
mankind is one that we cherish.
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