dogs it's widely accepted among scientists that dogs are descendants of

wolves in fact their DNA is virtually identical but how exactly did a fierce

wild animal become our loyal companion according to DNA analysis the

transformation from wolf to dog began some twenty to forty thousand years ago

when people and wolves were living and hunting in close proximity by about

fifteen thousand years ago dogs were found virtually everywhere people were

but humans may not be able to take all the credit for domestication some wolves

were already less fearful of approaching people those individuals became favored

by people for their tame ability over many generations they became tamer and

lost some of their predatory qualities such as big sharp teeth what resulted

was the dog the very first domesticated animal

thousands of years later humans began to play a more active role in the breeding

of dogs the ancient Egyptians may have been the

first to breed dogs for specific uses such as hunting guarding and war in

ancient China dogs were bred to look like lions an important symbol of the

Buddhist faith selective breeding eventually gave rise to many different

looking dogs or pure breads and the 18th century purebred dogs were becoming more

of a status symbol among wealthy households by the 19th century the

crossbreeding craze was underway culminating in the first dog shows by

mid-century

humans were mixing and matching dogs no longer just for their utility but also

for their appearance today we have over 300 different breeds making dogs the

most diverse species on earth but by breeding offspring that exhibit only the

most pronounced traits some say we've gone too far in some cases dogs are the

ones that suffer with genetic disorders in certain breeds that can lead to

problems such as difficulty breathing hip dysplasia and increased risk of

cancer yet for all the problems we've introduced into our canine companions

we've also found ways to bring dogs into our lives more than ever before dogs

today live among us not just as our pets but also as therapy dogs

search-and-rescue dogs and even war dogs humans have also found ways to give back

to our furry friends with advancements in veterinary medicine and establishing

rescue organizations to help dogs find good homes in many ways the canines that

once lived only among their own packs tens of thousands of years ago have come

to depend on us as much as we depend on them

you