 Dogs and wolves share 99% of their genetic structure, and archeological evidence supports the fact that wolves were man’s original companions more than one hundred thousand years ago. Wolves are naturally pack animals, and it has been theorized that lone wolfs – particularly abandoned puppies – would be drawn to human tribes for care and companionship. Human compassion led ancient people to care for the animals, and in doing so, they discovered a canine’s enormous capacity for bonding and loyalty, which could then be exploited for service: guard dogs, hunting, and so forth. There are many legends that allege the relationship also went the other way and that wolves often raised lost or abandoned children as they would their own pups. The Roman myth of twin brothers Romulus and Remus is such a tale: the abandoned infants were supposedly nursed by a mother wolf. Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book is another heartfelt story of a young child being raised by wolves. Over the centuries, ancient peoples may have continued finding lost wolves, but more than likely recognized the benefits of the man-wolf relationship and captured pups to raise, perhaps by killing the guarding parents first. Eventually, the domesticated wolf population was large enough to promote breeding, and gradually new traits appeared as the existing animals were interbred. In fact, many of the most fantastical dog breeds today (chihuahuas, for example), are severely inbred and have several inherent health disorders because of this practice. This specialized breeding, involving different species of wolves over centuries, has led to every dog breed in existence today.
|
 |
|
