Last year’s American election, the most hotly contested election in the country’s history, was an all-guns-blazing affair. In the theatrical race to capture the hearts and minds of everyday Americans, neither candidate flinched at brutally attacking the other, and nothing was out of bounds.
Only two days before the elections, the Biden campaign hit Trump where they knew it would hurt.
Donald Trump was the first US president in 100 years that did not have a dog in the White House. A fact that Biden (with the support of an army of PR specialists) believed would paint Trump as a cold and unrelatable figure in the minds of voters. The bond between dogs and humans must be pretty strong if it’s used as a weapon to influence the politics of the most powerful nation on earth.
This week I’m looking back at the evolution of our furry friends to find out how these animals and humans became the best of friends.
My introduction to dogs
Two dog-related memories stand out from my childhood. The first is the traumatic impact of the movie Benji the Hunted. I vividly remember the sadness and tears after watching the movie. It was my first exposure to immense heartache. I can’t recall the details of the plot, but for the last 30 years, I believed that my anguish was due to Benji’s death at the end of the movie. But in researching this article, I was dumbstruck to learn that, despite numerous close calls, Benji survives and gets rescued at the end! I have no idea what made me so sorrowful then, but what a relief. 30 years of emotional trauma for nothing.
(Apologies for the spoiler if you were planning on watching this 1987 classic this weekend)
For most people lucky enough to have the privilege, memories of the first family dog are a highlight from childhood. Our first dog was Mimi, a Maltese Poodle named after Mimi Coertse, South Africa’s first operatic prima donna. Fittingly, little Mimi was a real lady, but also a most trusted sidekick to me and my brother for our adventures in the garden.
The evolution of dogs
Dogs (canis lupus familiaris) are essentially domesticated wolves, with the modern grey wolf (canis lupus) being the dog’s nearest relative. Genetics indicate that they broke off from their ancestors roughly 30,000 years ago. It is thought that the domestication of wolves started with individual wolves that broke away from their pack structure to scavenge the scraps of human hunter-gather settlements. Over time, humans found a use for these animals and domesticated them to serve various needs.
They were, for example, used for hunting or to guard camps. Dogs were also bred to support specialized tasks like herding or racing. There were not many types of dogs, and their function largely defined them. However, with the emergence of dog shows during the Victorian era, dog types were standardized into breeds and dogs became defined by their form, not their function, with some dogs bred purely for aesthetic purposes. Today there are different breed-recognition protocols, so the number of dog breeds recognized varies per organization. The American Kennel Club (AKC), for example, recognizes around 200 breeds, but the Federation Cynologique Internationale (rest of the world) recognizes closer to 400.
The AKC organizes its many recognized breeds by dividing them into seven different groups, i.e. Sporting, Working, Herding, Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and my favourite, Toy (e.g. Pomeranian).
Our connection with dogs
We’re a part of the pack
Our connection with dogs may stem from the fact that dogs are pack animals and have evolved to include us in their pack. In a piece from the Smithsonian magazine, Laurie Santos, director of the Canine Cognition Center at Yale University, explains how dogs have learned to use humans to solve problems:
“Several researchers have presented dogs and wolves with an impossible problem (e.g., a puzzle box that can't be opened or a pulling tool that stops working) and have asked how these different species react,” Santos explains. “Researchers have found that wolves try lots of different trial and error tactics to solve the problem— they get at it physically. But at the first sign of trouble, dogs do something different. They look back to their human companion for help. This work hints that dogs may have lost some of their physical problem-solving abilities in favor of more social strategies, ones that rely on the unique sort of cooperation domesticated dogs have with humans. This also matches the work showing that dogs are especially good at using human social cues.”
The chemical bond
There’s even scientific evidence supporting the bond between humans and dogs. When humans gaze into each other’s eyes or a parent bonds with a child, the body releases oxytocin, a hormone linked to bonding and trust. Studies have found that when dogs and people look at each other, the same hormone is released in both humans and dogs.
Does this image stir a slight emotion? If so, that’s the oxytocin working its magic.
Famous people and their dogs
Winston Churchill and Rufus
Winston Churchill had a beloved poodle named Rufus that accompanied him to luncheons and Buckingham Palace. "No, Rufus, I haven't found it necessary to ask you to join the wartime cabinet", Churchill once said when Rufus trotted into a cabinet meeting during WW2. Sadly Rufus was run over by a car but was replaced by Rufus II, an identical poodle.
Adolf Hitler and Blondi
Even Hitler, the human embodiment of evil, had a loving bond with a canine. Blondi, his darling German Shepherd, was allowed to sleep in his bed, and it is rumoured that he loved her more than Eva Braun, his mistress. Blondi also accompanied Hitler to the bunker where he spent the final days of the war. Hitler killed Blondi using cyanide capsules as a test before he and Eva Braun took their own lives, in the same way, the next day.
Paul McCartney and Martha
Beatles fans were surprised to find out that the song “Martha My Dear” from The Beatles’s White Album, was not about a woman, but about Paul McCartney’s beloved English Sheepdog named Martha.
“Martha, my dear
You have always been my inspiration
Please, be good to me
Martha, my love
Don't forget me
Martha, my dear”
Pablo Picasso and Lump
In 1957, a photographer visited Picasso’s home along with his Dachshund called Lump. Picasso and the dog were so enthralled with one another that the guest ended up leaving without Lump, who then stayed with Picasso for six years. Lump featured in many of Picasso’s artworks.
Sadly, we don’t currently have a dog, but that doesn't mean that dogs don’t drive positive outcomes in our household. Watching cute dog videos online never ceases to lift my wife’s mood. She also waves at strange dogs in the park like they are old acquaintances. For me, there is comfort in knowing that the day I triumphantly stroll through the front door with a puppy in my arms, will be the day that I book a lifelong VIP pass in my wife’s good graces.
Dogs mean something different to each of us. Learning more about them has definitely given me a newfound appreciation for a (wo)man’s best friend.