Chapter One: Paleolithic to Neolithic, leaving no stone unturned in the earliest stage of canine human relations.

Canine and human archaeologists and paleontologists agree that it is very difficult to pinpoint an exact location where our canine ancestors first discovered and then decided to adopt humans. Was it in East Asia? The Middle East? Is it possible that packs of canines in different locations all came to the same conclusion about the utility of humans? Interestingly on the most important points canine and human scholars agree. The partnership began in the old Stone Age and started when canines first noticed how handy the human thumb was. Humans might be awkward standing on only two legs but they were managing to hunt, kill game, and cook it into delicious food over campfire flames.

Gradually the canines got closer, first picking up scraps of discarded food. Then the canines got more adventurous, moving even closer, getting larger pieces of meat tossed to them by the humans. Soon canines and humans were hunting together. Our formidable senses of hearing and smell, our greater speed running coupled with their hands that made knives, spears, bows and arrows made a formidable combination. How do we know this? Because human artist painted hunting scenes of dogs and humans and our joint prey on the walls of caves.

Our next big advance came during the Neolithic (New Stone Age). Humans noticed that we were very good at chasing and herding small animals and even some bigger than ourselves. And we noticed that it would be far easier to collect a dinner on a regular basis from a herd than to go after each prey separately. So with some human help, we organized sheep, goats and cattle into herds. Meanwhile we got the humans to build shelters and plant crops.

Of course our appearance changed over time as we lived with humans. But then the human appearance changed too even more dramatically than ours. Both canines and humans developed a sleeker and to our eyes a more attractive body better suited to the new lifestyle.

Ryder's Journey

A canine perspective on history and helpful writing tips.