Lazy Sunday


Location: Tufnell Park, London

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from wolf to dog

The human/ canine relationship is thought to have begun between 40 and 60 000 years ago when man began to use wolves as a “tool” in hunting. It is thought that these would have been raised from cubs or be marginalised individuals who would be more inclined to form a mutually beneficial relationship (food, care and shelter in exchange for “work”/hunting). Both natural and artificial selection played their part in the diversion of the two species. Larson et al made a study of comparing the DNA of 700 modern dogs with that of the Newgrange series to suggest a dual-origin for the dog at each end of Eurasia, though as the eastern Asian population grew with time it replaced the European population so became the root of the modern dog. It should be noted that the modern dog does not descend directly from the modern wolf but from the east and west Eurasian wolves that are now extinct. We have to go back approximately 20 to 30 million years ago to find the common ancestor of the dog, the east...
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At what age does a puppy’s critical learning period take place?

A puppy’s critical learning period takes place during its first 14 weeks of life. This is the time during which the brain is developing, and it is their experience during this period that will have the most impact on their personalities and behaviour. Scott and Fuller (Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog) carried out the 1st influential study in this field. They concluded that “dogs should be introduced gradually and sensitively to the circumstances that they are likely to experience during their lives.” (Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog, 1965) The critical learning period divides into a series of stages:   the neonatal (birth to 2 weeks) in which their mental capacity has yet to develop, the eyes and ears are still closed and nearly all their time is spent sleeping and feeding. Mild stress through gentle handling is very beneficial for the stimulation of the brain, and accelerates the development of motor and problem-solving skills as well as hair growt...
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Is pack leadership based domination or the parental bond?

The dominance theory originates in the work of Rudolph Schenkel who studied captive wolves in Zoo Basel in 1947 in which he proposed the existence of an alpha wolf, that had fought his way to dominate the pack. He also drew on many comparisons with dogs to support his hypothesis as well as giving personal anecdotes about his own dogs. Further weight was given to this theory in 1970 when Meech published “The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species” based on studies of wolves in Michigan's Isle Royale National Park. However as time went on studies moved onto wolves in the wild, and began understand that the wolf dominance theory was fundamentally flawed as wolf packs in the wild were related by blood, that is to say a male and a female would form a partnership and their off-spring would become the pack, so leadership was on the basis of the parental bond rather than domination. As the cubs grew up they would move on, find a mate and begin their own packs. On the oth...
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