Something I constantly think about and am totally fascinated by is our history with canines. This relationship is more than 30,000 years old- that's prehistoric... Literally! Some modern dog breeds are thousands of years old like the Greyhound and Saluki.

Our domestication of the dog (a competing and more adept predator than us.) predates the invention of agriculture (the domestication of crops and food supply) by approximately 10,000-12,000 years . It predates our relationship with the horse (a prey animal early humans weren't in competition with.) by about 8,000 years. They are the FIRST genetically modified organism.

There are four main theories about the origins of domestication- my goal is NOT to detail each and try and prove or debunk any of them. In all likelihood, it's an amalgamation of all four over the initial several hundred years in all different parts of the world.

My fascination is in those early people. The first people who saw this four legged predator and had an idea.

What was the idea? Was there an inspiration or some catalyst? What was it about our ancestors' curiosity and ambition that would make them befriend and earn the trust of another predator and then have it serve our purposes. Not only did they serve us but they did so with great enthusiasm. You still see this today with Border Collies as they move sheep, Greyhounds as they chase game across the plains, Labradors when they swim and pick up a duck and Beagles when they howl through a forest after a rabbit. Through rain, mud, heat and great adversity, they love what they do and they have been bred to do it very well.

In this ancient world, thanks to this curiosity, we are now competing with one less predator and because of the dogs natural ability our success in hunting increased, our awareness and ability to protect ourselves and resources increased because of their superior hearing, sense of smell and natural combat skills.

How brave and crazy must have those first people have been to have the idea of taking another predator in and raising it?

This is where and why food and praise are so important still today. They are the original building blocks of this relationship. Food, praise and work.

Food is the first form of trust between humans and dogs. The cautious canine approaching a human camp because they could smell the food from miles away. Unsure of these strange two legged predators, our ancestors must have seen the potential but also the caution they approached with. Throwing them food toward them and keeping a safe distance is building trust. While we are certainly trying to make use out of the dog and it's ability, they are certainly exploiting US to make their life easier. It's a similar notion of warnings to not feed wildlife like coyotes. They were becoming dependent by exploiting us to give them scraps. With each approach, food is closer and closer to us. Recognizing this potential, when they take the food back to the pack/den and there was a pregnant or nursing bitch. We follow them back and take the pups and this is one theory about the beginning of domestication.

The way we were able to give praise and affection from us was a whole new world for the dog and is very natural for both species in a small/familial setting. On a hunt, the dog will become aware of prey before us and when they give chase, we follow and then support them in finishing the kill. At the end of a chase, the dog gets a hold of the prey and engages in combat alongside the human and after the success, being encouraged and built up, the dog has earned it's food and right to stay a part of the tribe or pack. Neither human or dog work as hard as they would by themselves. Humans using the dogs superior nose, ears, speed and natural combat skills and humans using their critical thinking and hand tools thanks to our thumbs and developed brain come to a new, symbiotic relationship.

We are both social mammals and still today, our want to have them around and do things with them now is in both our DNA.

I say and go on and on about this point a lot and it's very valid and relevant to dog owners in today's world- Before any organization, before any sport, before all the studies, funding, method, labels of conditioning and quadrants and all the divisive camps, it wasn't just a mutually beneficial relationship, it was out of necessity, out of a need for survival. We DEPENDED on them.

Because of how we've progressed as a species and built the world around us, now we no longer need them. There are very few places and jobs in the world where a dog is truly required.

We should reflect on this history, study the dynamics of this (literally) ancient relationship and honor it, respect it, where it comes from and what it took to get here. Not ignore it and disrespect our shared history by making them into something they are not.