The evolution of the relationship between dogs and humans is the subject of an opinion piece in National Geographic. Brian Hare, an esteemed evolutionary anthropologist, summarizes the dog-human coevolution. According to the article, wolves were domesticated when humans were not tolerant of carnivorous competitors.
When modern humans arrived in Europe 43,000 years ago, they killed off all the large carnivores. The success of dogs is due to the survival of the friendliest wolves, which approached humans while scavenging around garbage dumps near human settlements.
These friendly wolves were then tolerated, and over time, their appearance changed as they developed splotchy coats, floppy ears, and wagging tails.
They also evolved to better understand human gestures. In fact, dogs are better at reading human gestures than even our closest evolutionary relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos. This ability has allowed for the extraordinary communication between humans and dogs.
Of course dogs also served as a warning system and defense against hostile strangers and predators and were used to help with hunting.
However, recent research has questioned the long-term behavioral benefits of spaying and neutering dogs, as these procedures increase the probability of aggressive behavior in dogs.
Attachment theory is an important concept in psychology, credited to British psychiatrist and psychologist John Bowlby, and developed further by Mary Ainsworth, an American-Canadian developmental psychologist.
Attachment theory refers to the enduring psychological connection formed between a person and someone they feel a strong bond with, which provides pleasure and security during times of stress. Infants form multiple attachments over time, first with their primary caregiver and later with others such as their father, siblings, and grandparents.
Attachment is crucial for healthy psychological development, but it depends on the opportunity for attachment and quality caregiving. For example, an infant separated from their primary caregiver at birth and raised in an orphanage may have a less secure attachment than an infant raised in a typical family environment.
John Bowlby described four primary attachment styles: secure, ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized. Secure attachment occurs when the primary caregiver promptly, dependably, and sensitively attends to the infant’s needs.
Children with secure attachment tend to trust their caregiver, feel distressed when separated from them, and exhibit pleasure upon their return. Ambivalent attachment occurs when the primary caregiver is inconsistent in their attention to the infant. Children with ambivalent attachment tend to mistrust their caregiver but feel severely distressed when they are absent.
Avoidant attachment occurs when the primary caregiver is physically, emotionally, or operationally disengaged from the child or punishes the child for seeking comfort. Children with avoidant attachment tend to avoid their caregiver and show no preference between their caregiver and a stranger.
Disorganized attachment occurs when the primary caregiver is inconsistent in their response to the child, sometimes being responsive and other times non-responsive or even aggressive.
Children with disorganized attachment tend to avoid and resist their caregiver and exhibit disorientation and confusion. This video provides a practical explanation of Bowlby’s attachment styles and their impact on a person’s social and emotional life: https://youtu.be/WjOowWxOXC…
The domestication of dogs from wolves was a result of coevolution between the two species. This process took place during a time when humans were not very tolerant of carnivorous competitors and had wiped out most large carnivores in Europe.
The success of dogs can be attributed to the survival of the friendliest wolves, which were bold but not aggressive, and approached humans while scavenging at garbage dumps near their settlements. Over time, their
Over time, their physical appearance has been molded through selective breeding to perform specific tasks such as hunting, herding, and guarding. Dogs are known to be highly social animals and have a strong bond with their human caretakers.
They are also highly trainable, which has led to them being used in a variety of roles such as service dogs for individuals with disabilities, search and rescue dogs, and even as law enforcement dogs. Despite their domestication, dogs still retain many of their ancestral instincts and behaviors, such as barking and digging.
This combination of physical attributes, trainability, and natural instincts make dogs a unique and valued species, and it is no wonder why they are considered to be “man’s best friend.”