Zen Dog Walking
(206)-432-4808
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Contact

From Wolves To Dogs: The Domestication Story

7/31/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
It’s easy to take our canine friends for granted when they’ve been by our side virtually since the dawn of humanity. But have you ever stopped to consider how on earth your hyper, loyal (and maybe not so smart) furry friend was originally descended from the wild, clever, and fearful wolf?

It all started with the gray wolf tens of thousands of years ago. The theory goes that humans began taking in and taming wolf pups that would rummage through human trash, and since wolves are pack animals, it was relatively easy for them to fit in with their new human “packs.” Somewhere down the line, we humans realized that a relationship with these tamer wolves was extremely beneficial for hunting, and the rest is history.

We know that dogs were descended from wolves through DNA evidence, but other than that, the specifics of domestication history is actually not very well understood. For example, where exactly were they first domesticated? Some claim the Middle East, while others say Europe or East Asia, but no one really knows for sure. Greger Larson, an archaeologist and geneticist, says that because dogs were domesticated so long ago and have cross-bred so many times throughout history, that their genes are like “a completely homogeneous bowl of soup.”

And here’s another interesting tidbit: in the 20th century, a Russian geneticist named Dmitri Belyaev attempted to find out why domesticated dogs look and act so much different from their wolf ancestors. To do this, he bred tame foxes for several generations until he noticed that they began to display similar typical features of dogs that are normally absent in wild foxes, including floppy ears, shorter snouts, spotted coats and the tendency to bark.

Based on DNA, we know that dogs were descended from wolves and not foxes, so what the above information tells us is that the these specific dog characteristics cannot be a product of natural selection, but rather that the genes that account for tameness must also carry a code for things like barking or spotted coats.

To complicate matters even more, some researchers, like Larson, believe that dogs may have even been domesticated twice. His theory on this says that humans in western Eurasia domesticated the gray wolf, while at the same time, humans farther east in Asia were also domesticating gray wolves. Around the time of the Bronze Age, humans from the East began migrating, with their canine companions, westward. Upon meeting, the western dogs mated with the eastern dogs, resulting in a new branch in the domestication tree.

Confused yet? Don’t worry, no one really knows all the answers to this mystery, and at this point Larson says that the only way we’ll ever know the full truth about the domestication of dogs is “to go back in time.” Just be happy that your furry companion is (hopefully) much more cuddly and playful than a gray wolf!

Picture
1 Comment

PSA: Don't Let Your Dog Near Your Stash Of Weed

7/2/2017

4 Comments

 
Picture
It’s no secret that we’re pretty progressive when it comes to marijuana here in Washington state. Everyone’s jumping on board the weed train: your teachers, your parents, and even your grandma is taking a newfound interest in the previously illegal substance. But what happens when your dog happens to find your stash that you accidentally left sitting out on your coffee table? Let’s take a look.
 
The first thing you’re probably wondering is, can dogs actually get high? Why yes, they can. Not unlike humans, dogs can get high through ingesting marijuana directly or consuming edibles. But while marijuana leaves many of us humans with a pleasant sense of euphoria and perhaps a never-ending fit of the giggles, dogs could end up with some severe effects that can even lead to death if they ingest too much of it.
 
Typical, less-serious signs that your dog has ingested marijuana include pacing back and forth, panting, loss of balance, or even paranoia. Symptoms will tend to show up between 30 and 60 minutes after the substance has been ingested.
 
Sometimes just packing away your weed securely isn’t enough to make sure that Fido doesn’t get the negative effects of marijuana. As it turns out, secondhand smoke can also be quite harmful to dogs. Inhaling causes marijuana to hit the bloodstream more quickly, so symptoms will show up faster that way than if ingested.
 
So how can you tell if your dog has had a little too much fun with your weed stash? There are several symptoms of marijuana poisoning that include lethargy, dilated pupils, seizures or a low heart rate. And of course, if you suspect that your dog has ingested marijuana, contact your veterinarian or Animal Poison Control right away.
 
Unfortunately there hasn’t been a ton of research conducted on dogs and marijuana, so we don’t have all the information yet. Some researchers even believe that a small amount of marijuana could be beneficial to dogs! But when in doubt, it’s probably better to keep your pot in a secure spot far away from your dog until more research has been conducted on the topic!

Picture
4 Comments

    Authors

    Aiden Swank
    ​Walker and Blog Manager
    Picture
    Michelle Ranken
    Walker and Contributer
    Picture
    ​Matthew Allan Von Itter
    Owner, Zen Dog Walking
    Picture
    Matthew circa 1979

    Archives

    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    Categories

    All
    Canine Genetics
    Charities
    Diet
    Health And Wellness
    Raw Food Diet
    Skin And Coat

    RSS Feed

Home | About | Services | Contact  | Booking and Payments | Forms​ | Dog Blog | Links
Zen Dog Walking BBB Business Review
Check out Zen Dog Walking on Yelp
Instagram
Photos used under Creative Commons from davidmulder61, AndyMcLemore, BuzzFarmers, I am Fry, [Smalley Photography]