How a dog has built a relationship with humans over the centuries

Dog - Garbage Eater 

A dog's career alongside humans began quite banal. The ancestors of the dog circled around human camps (because we were still a migratory species at that time) and ate easily accessible waste and human excrement. Following the man on the hunt, the first dogs slowly began to participate in it, and the man took advantage of the ever closer acquaintance, thanks to which the first dogs gained the role of a watchman, a booster and a food store for worse times. We do not know when the dog began to play the role of a four-legged friend more and more, but already 14 thousand years ago he deserved respect deserving to be buried by the side of a human. The oldest dog grave was found in Bonn-Oberkassel (Germany) and the sick pup was buried next to a 40-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman. Fossil evidence shows that this dog was cared for and cared for by someone when he was ill. Thus, mutual love between man and dog already flourished in the Upper Paleolithic.

Worthy bas-reliefs

When man began to lead a settled life several thousand years ago, the dog that accompanied him already had many roles, functions and varieties of shapes and colors. It is hardly surprising that the ancient reliefs preserved several thousand years ago provide further evidence of the closeness of man and dog. Dogs in ancient Mesopotamia had the function of guardians, healing, presented alongside the gods. It seems that in ancient Egypt the role of companion dogs was more developed than that of guardians. The multitude of shapes and colors also proves that the role of the dog was different. While dogs with a massive mastiff build were presented in Babylon, Egypt was dominated by light dogs with an athletic build similar to a greyhound, but not only. In the largest mass canine grave of antiquity, among the mummies of almost 8 million dogs (most sacrificed to the god Anubis), dogs of various shapes were found, including those resembling today's dachshunds. According to the Egyptologist from the American University of Cairo, Salima Ikram, many of these mummies were to honor a beloved animal and ensure eternal life alongside the dog-headed god Anubis. Unfortunately, many of them were also symbolic offerings by pilgrims, as is the custom of lighting candles in the church today.

Dog nature worthy of a poem

However, over the centuries, the dog has found its place more and more not only at the human side. In the Middle Ages, the utilitarian role of hunting and farm dogs was strongly separated from dogs with more and more knee-length companions. It was then that the term Maltese was coined - which was used to describe every little white spaniel-type dog that could be hidden in

sleeve. You can find out how popular dogs were from the earliest reports of the written word, because bakeries baked bread for people and "dog " bread from coarsely ground flour. However, the church did not approve of keeping and nurturing animals at a time when many people in the medieval streets were starving. It was not until the end of the Middle Ages and the revival in every field that it was possible to express your feelings openly - also to dogs.

One of the first masters of Renaissance poetry - Petrarch, who immortalized in words not only his love for Laura, but also in many places recalled his bonds with dogs. The behavior of the dogs caught the attention and admiration of the poet. His devotion to canine companionship was reflected, both in private letters, where he complained to his friend that he was "alone, with only one dog", and in his poetry, which reflected the early stance of humanism and the privileged role of the dog as a link of human culture and what the writers later referred to as "nature ". And so dogs more and more won our homes, palace salons, to have their own beauty contests in the 19th century, which led in many breeds to associate their appearance features with serious diseases and a reduction in their quality of life and well-being.

Dog love in the 21st century

The modern dog is an element of the lifestyle of its owners, and even a definition of social status. On the other hand, when most dogs no longer have to work for their livelihood, their achievements are more competitive and sporting, bringing glory and pride to their handlers. Among the current dog keepers, we will also find an increasing number of people choosing dogs that require care and care, such as the one from a prehistoric grave, often selected from homeless dogs abandoned by people, which crowds wait in shelters. So why we love our dogs nowadays? Whether for fitness, fashionable origin, exceptional intelligence - often attributed to the breed of the dog? Is for the mere fact that they are

dog?

The discoveries of the last decades show that the dog has adapted to living with humans genetically. Behavioral patterns and attitudes towards living with humans are developed at an unprecedented level in other animals, including domestic animals. Your dog - whether purebred or not, he lives to love you and share his emotions and life with you. Therefore, do not force him into a wolf, open up to cooperation and take advantage of every moment spent together, building this unique bond that your dog offers you. More and more often, dogs can accompany us all day - including in office work, where they share their positive attitude, building a better atmosphere in the company and reducing employee stress.

Read more:

1. Luc Janssens LA, Liane G, Schmitze R, Streetf M, Van Dongeng S, Crombe P.: A new look at an old dog: Bonn-Oberkassel reconsidered. Journal of Archaeological Science Volume 92, April 2018, Pages 126-138
2. Walker-Meikle K.: Medieval Pets. The Boydell Press, Woodbridge 2012
3. Wynne C: Dog is Love. Quercus Publishing 2019