Empiric Behavior of Dogs on Humans

The relationship between dogs and humans is dated back at least 15,000 years ago. Dogs became potentially the first animal to be domesticated as they performed many jobs and played many roles for their human companions. Although dogs come in a diversity of sizes and shapes, they are all one species with the same history.

Dogs are members of the Canidae family. A larger group called Carnivora, which includes bears, cats, and seals, is the order where canids belong.

A scientist like Charles Darwin reasoned that different types of dogs might have been descended from different types of wild canids as have been observed in the diversity of both. However, modern DNA analysis shows that a dog is a domesticated form of the Gray Wolf.

As the understanding on the modern genetics developed, humans began to intentionally breed dogs for a wide range of specific traits. Through the process, dogs have developed into hundreds of breed varieties, which show more morphological and behavioral variations among the land mammals.

Common terms in breeding circles:

• dog – male canine
• bitch – female canine
• litter – a group of offsprings
• sire – the father of a litter
• dam – the mother of a litter
• pups or puppies – generally refers to the offspring; they are called so until they are about a year old.

Dogs have been selectively bred for sensory capabilities, various behaviors, and physical attributes, including: herding livestock; hunting; catching rats; guarding; helping fishermen; pulling loads; guarding carriages and horsemen; warming laps; and accompanying humans.

Dogs are highly social animals and their relationship with humans is frequently distinguished by solid emotional connection. As a result, dogs are popular as human companions or pets. The behavioral pattern among dogs’ accounts for their playfulness, trainability, and ability to fit into human households and social situations.

A complex set of communication modes are used by dogs to navigate their social environment. They have a tremendous capacity to interpret varied body language and sounds and to learn complex social behavior. Touching has become a social bonding and communication between them and their owners. The ability of dogs to read and deliver non-verbal cues makes them expert at reading human beings.

Through empirical observations, dogs are fairly reliant on human camaraderie and may possibly be ill with poor health in its absence. Many dogs are reported to have parting anxiety if their owner is gone for an extended phase of time. This has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationship.

Some research also shows that dogs are able to convey depth emotions, which are not of the same extent to any other animal. This is believed to be because of their closely-knit development with the humans and the survival benefits of such communication.

The loyalty and devotion of dogs to their human companions demonstrate part of their natural instincts that mimic the human idea of love and friendship, which led many dog owners to view their pets as full-fledged members of the family. This loyalty has earned them the sobriquet “man’s best friend.”