Ancestry of Dogs

Dogs or at least the modern-day breeds have come a long way since their original canine ancestor; the wolf. Domestication has caused the canine companion to have a reduced brain size, floppy ears, increased docility and hormonal changes. 

Domesticated animals have shown to be more playful and social whilst their wild counterparts show an increase in aggression and fearfulness. A study, using 78 dog breeds ranging from ancient breeds such as Huskies and Malamutes to more modern breeds such as Chihuahua’s and Pomeranian’s, was performed to examine the correlation between domestic behaviours and early and late stage domestication. 

The study found that there is strong evidence to support that ancient breeds dogs (e.g. Huskies) will show more consistent signs of increased aggression and fearfulness. This is due to the Husky and Malamute breeds being closer in bloodlines to the wolf. Whereas the correlation between modern breeds (e.g. Chihuahua’s) and more playful and social behaviours was found to be inconsistent. 

200 to 500 years ago, the selection of modern breeds was based around social and playful behaviours. In the last 200 years this has shifted due to the human race having a greater desire for traits such as colour, coat structure, physical appearance and pure breeding programs despite undesirable behaviour. Meaning, modern breed dogs have more variation and a greater inconsistency in their behaviour. 

We should always treat each dog independently as the behaviours could be inconsistent with what is expected due to ancestry and domestication. 

However, when choosing the appropriate dog for a family or a loveable companion, one should always be aware that the breeds closer to ancient lines breeds have a tendency for behaviours which may be incompatible with young children and other animals. They can also have varied reactions to stimulus and socialisation.