Do dogs have human best friends

2020 was the year that many of us were reminded of the sheer joy that having a dog in your life can bring; from lockdown companions to exercise alibis, our dogs certainly lived up to their reputation as “(wo)man’s best friend”! 

As Father’s Day (and Mother’s Day of course) approaches, at Sniffe & Likkit we started wondering how our ‘fur-kids’ came to be such an important part of the family…. no matter how big or small that family might be. And is it only dogs that can achieve this special bond with us? 

You may have many best friends but your dog only has one.

Research suggests dog ownership may improve heart health, decrease depression, and even help you live longer – it’s a symbiotic relationship that has been as beneficial for humans, as much as our canine companions. And it’s a bond that stretches back at least 15,000 years.

That's one possibility at least; some fossil evidence suggests domestication as far back as 30,000 years. If that’s true then as James Gorman notes, we loved our tail-wagging besties before inventing agriculture, language, or permanent homes and even before we domesticated cows, goats, or cats!

It’s the original ‘special relationship’

The human-dog relationship was born when ancient wolves discovered they can scavenge the leftovers from human kills for more reward, and far less risk, than hunting themselves. Over successive generations, their offspring became more dependent on human benefactors and we took them into our service.

But where are we now? We love Kevin Dickinson’s list of 6 reasons why dogs truly are our best friends… all the links are at the bottom of this blog – it’s fascinating science stuff!

Top reasons why they’re our best friends

1. Dogs see us as family… and you thought it was the other way around! (So did we). Turns out that Dogs see their people as family, and the feeling seems to be mutual. Cognition scientists at Emory University demonstrated that a dogs' brains' reward centre lit up most when presented with human scents (even over food and other dogs). These results bolstered other research that shows dogs act similarly to human sounds and that they are the only non-primates to run toward humans for protection and comfort.
2. Dogs may be able to curb the risk of some mental diseases. That's the conclusion of research that compared ownership of pets with rates of mental illness. Participants who owned dogs in the first years of life showed the largest protective effect. But cats did not show a similar link between ownership and a reduced risk of mental diseases.
3. Dogs are your heart's best friend, too. We all know that walking is good for physical health and overall wellbeing. Regular walks with your dog is great exercise and boosts cardiovascular health. Yet more research (this is a popular topic!) compared the health of pet owners with those who did not own pets and found a correlation between dog ownership and heart health. The researchers associated this with increased engagement and physical activity.
4. Dogs make life better (and longer).  Reasons 2 and 3 add up to improved wellness… so no surprise then that dog ownership correlates with a 24 percent reduced risk of all-cause mortality, likely explained by an increase in physical activity and a decrease in depression and loneliness. Over to Sweden, where (yup, more research) found that single dog owners had a lowered risk of death, either due to cardiovascular disease (11 percent) or other causes (33 percent).
5. Dogs can teach us ways to learn.  Comparing how kids and dogs retrieve treats from a puzzle, it turns out dogs are better at ignoring bad advice. Dogs nimbly skip unnecessary steps, thereby showing their ability to filter information effectively. The children settled on pure imitation, regardless of whether a step proved useful in solving the puzzle.
6. Dogs teach us about ourselves. Dogs resemble their owners in more ways than floppy jowls or a perky gait. Dogs can mirror their owners' personalities – with extroverted owners rating their dogs as more active and playful.  

But we think there's more!

That’s all well and good for the researchers, but any dog owner knows there’s more to it than that...

1. Dogs are just great company. Feeling lonely and down? Who’s there, staring back at you with those puppy dog eyes, floppy tongue and wagging tail. 
   

2. Dogs love us unconditionally. You can tell you’ve got a special connection when you go away for a few days and your dog is over the moon to see you return. Once they love us, it’s forever without judgement or pressure (…okay maybe not if there’s treat jar involved). Humans have an extra special bond with their pooches because they are there, no matter what you’re going through.
3. Dogs will do amazing things for us. From rescuing their owners, to putting themselves in danger to help out, the protection instinct is strong and coupled with intelligence and problem-solving… well, you’ve got one handy sidekick in a crisis.  Humans have bred dogs to do lots of different jobs so the range of skills they have is quite extraordinary
4. Dogs have an infectious zest for life. They take each day – each moment - as it comes.

Does this inspire us to live our best lives? We think so. They teach us to live in the moment and appreciate time with our family.

What would be your top reasons for making a dog your best friend? 

Sources: 

 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/19/science/the-big-search-to-find-out-where-dogs-come-from.html

 https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/dog-mans-best-friend?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

 https://bigthink.com/ideafeed/brain-scans-show-dogs-think-of-humans-as-family-more-than-other-dogs

It may seem hard to believe, but all dogs, even the chihuahua and basset hound, are descended from wolves. It’s just that humans have had a big hand in changing their genetic makeup and turning them into hugely different breeds over the centuries.

Despite scientists not agreeing on when dogs were first domesticated, estimates fall between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. But how did this happen exactly?

How did fearsome, hardy, wild predators come to live with us, side by side? It’s hard now to picture a Yorkshire Terrier being a descendent of the mighty grey wolf.

Today’s pampered and much love pooches are a far cry from wild wolves. We treat our dogs like family, make sure they’ve covered by dog insurance and spoil them with plenty of treats! To many owners, their dog is literally their best friend.

How did dogs become man's best friend?

In terms of where the first dogs were domesticated, well, there’s plenty of debate but genetic studies suggest areas such as Mongolia, Europe, Asia and southern China.

A recent study has suggested that dogs were domesticated in both Europe and Asia.

If you go by stories and hearsay, such as the tale documented in the film ‘Alpha’ then one hunter befriends an injured wolf. Though unfortunately there’s really not much evidence to back these claims up.

Another guess is that humans started to capture wolf pups and began keeping them as pets.

However, a lot of scientists tend to agree on another theory - one which surprisingly involves wolves actually domesticating themselves in a way.

When wolves began encountering humans instead of running away and keeping their distance, some started to test the water.

And perhaps it ended up being survival of the fittest in that the wolves who were friendlier towards humans tended to be more likely to survive.

So we ended up with larger numbers of wolves who were more likely to be friendly towards us.

Being friendly might have allowed them to access food from hunter-gatherers.

They may have started to be able to pick up on human cues and in time, humans began to build a relationship in return.

Without transporting ourselves back thousands of years, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how dogs became our best buds, but we can certainly make some educated guesses.

Once the bond was established, humans started realising that they could breed dogs for specific purposes such as hunting, retrieving, farming, herding and tracking.

It seems somewhere along the line we realised that dogs can simply be fabulous company and loyal companions, and so we bred dogs to be by our side as house pets, too.

Where did the phrase ‘a dog is a man's best friend’ come from?

It is claimed that the first time the phrase ‘man’s best friend’ was used, was in 1789 by King Frederick of Prussia.

“The only, absolute and best friend that a man has, in this selfish world, the only one that will not betray or deny him, is his DOG.”

He was talking about his Italian Greyhound when he used this phrase.

It was also used in a poem by Ogden Nash titled ‘An Introduction to Dogs.’ Here is the paragraph in which it is mentioned, right at the beginning of the poem.

‘The dog is man's best friend.

He has a tail on one end.

Up in front he has teeth.

And four legs underneath.’

Since then the phrase has been repeated, so much so that it has stuck in our minds and in our hearts.

These days, whenever you think of dogs, this saying comes to mind and it brings a feeling of great affection – especially to those who own a dog.

Why are dogs friends with humans?

Well nowadays, it’s easy to see why we get so much out of our canine companions.

We provide everything for them including shelter, warmth, food and safety. Modern domesticated dogs have come to see this as a natural way of living.

And as mentioned above, wild wolves may have initially become friends with humans because they either realised we were an additional food source (giving them scraps) or they figured out it’s better to be friendly to us and survive than cause conflict and risk being killed.

Again, these are just theories but they seem like reasonable explanations as to why dogs would be friendly towards us.

Why dogs are so loyal?

When you ask any owner about why they love canines so much, it’s highly likely they will mention the fact that dogs are so loyal.

They are always there for us, and many will do absolutely anything for their owner, even try to save them or get help in an emergency.

Their loyalty knows no bounds, but why are dogs so loyal? It’s partially because they’ve learned to be over the centuries in their role as our companions.

They have come to expect loyalty as being part of their job description.

But it’s also because of the bond that humans have built with our doggy friends over time, whether they’re a pedigree show dog, a hound, or a mongrel rescue dog that’s had a rough start - we love our dogs unconditionally. And they start to recognise this.

It’s also hard to ignore that fact that dogs will reward us with their loyalty if we give them positive reinforcement like food and walkies and plenty of love.

Have you ever noticed how dogs will usually be more loyal and obedient towards whichever family member feeds them? This is no coincidence.

Another core reason why pups and pooches are loyal is because it’s built into them.

Dogs, like wolves, are pack animals. If you look at wolves in the wild, they’re extremely loyal to their pack and will protect and support them no matter the cost.

This is a part of what makes them such expert survival specialists – working together.

Well, domesticated dogs may have come to see us as their pack in a way, and they protect and support their pack members.

Studies have also shown that dogs can feel emotions and experience emotional contagion. The fact that they grow to adore their owners only further contributes to their devotion and loyalty. 

So now that we’ve covered a brief history of dogs and how they potentially came to be at our side, let’s delve into what makes them so amazing and why today’s owners see their pup as their bestest bud in the world.

Here are ten reasons why dogs really are a man’s (or woman’s) best friend:

First and foremost, dogs are great company. Even when you’re feeling lonely and down, they’re there, staring back at you with those puppy dog eyes.

When you have a dog, you get used to having them around all the time for company, and your house feels so empty without them.

Part of the reason why they’re man’s best friend is because they’re quite simply good to have around.

Over the years, humans and canines have grown a very special relationship that works well for both sides. Dogs get love, shelter, food and a safe place to live. We get company, affection, loyalty and dedication.

It’s a win-win situation for both parties, and that’s why we love each other so much.

There is no other animal on the planet that we have quite the same relationship with. It’s clear to see we both get so much out of being in each other’s lives.

It’s literally the best feeling when you come home after a hard day, and there’s a big waggy tail there to greet you.

Every time we return home, dogs show their love by jumping for joy and being so happy that we’ve come back to see them.

You can tell you’ve got a special connection when you go away for a few days and your dog is over the moon when you come back.

Dogs will do incredible things for their family (or pack).

They’ve been known to rescue their owners from all sorts of sticky situations and put themselves in danger just to lend a hand (or paw).

Part of the reason our bond with them is rock solid is because we know that when it comes down to it, they would do anything to protect us.

It’s clear that dogs have a zest for life. They take each day as it comes and enjoy every little moment.

Maybe part of the reason why we have such a close relationship with them is because they inspire us to live our best lives. They teach us to live in the moment and appreciate time with our family.

Dogs aren’t as complicated as humans. Once they love us, it’s going to be forever. And they love us without judgement or pressure.

They are just there, always, wagging their tail showing us just how much we mean to them.

And for us humans, to be loved by an animal no matter what we do, what mistakes we make or how we act is so special. Your dog doesn’t care if you lose your job or do something you regret, they just carry on loving you.

According to a recent survey published in the journal Nature, dog owners are more likely to be healthier overall because of their increased level of activity.

Having a pup means we have to take them out for regular walkies and that benefits us as well as our doggy companions.

Other research also suggests that women sleep better when they cuddle up next to their dogs, rather than another human. So the next time you’re suffering from insomnia, cuddle up with your pooch instead!

When you’re going through a hard time, it can help to have a dog around. Humans have an extra special bond with their pooches because they are there no matter what you’re going through.

Sometimes when times get tough you don’t want human contact, all you want is to curl up on the sofa with your furry friend.

Dogs don’t abandon us, they stick by our side through thick and thin. Research has also found that dogs can help reduce stress levels and boost productivity at work.

Whilst some dogs may have been used to help protect livestock, over time humans have come to recognise their ability to keep us safe, too.

Many people have a dog for protection as well as company. Check out this list of the best guard dogs to see which one could be right for you.

Humans have bred dogs to do lots of different jobs. Different breeds have different skillsets, from collies herding sheep and labradors guiding the blind to today’s medical detection dogs.

Who knew when we first made friends with wild dogs that eventually they’d be detecting medical conditions like seizures and cancer?

The range of skills dogs have is quite extraordinary and yet another reason why we value them so much.

Protecting your friend with dog insurance

If you own a dog, it’s important to ensure that they’re covered by adequate dog insurance - just in case they fall ill or get injured.

Get a dog insurance quote online today and find the right level of cover for your best friend.