A new owner cuddles her pug puppy.

      ACCORDING TO THE 2005/2006 AMERICAN PET Products Manufacturers Association’s National Pet Ownership Survey, Americans own more than seventy-three million dogs. There are many reasons for owning a dog, among them are the sheer fun and unconditional love a dog offers. For many people, no aspect of dog ownership is more rewarding than the bonding, nurturing, and trust that come from raising a puppy. It is a remarkable experience on many levels. Regardless of how hectic or demanding your life is, the day-to-day responsibilities of caring for a puppy keep you grounded and remind you to appreciate what is really important in life—your relationships with the people and animals around you. In addition, modern science has proven that daily interaction with a dog is just plain good for you! Studies have shown that owning a dog lowers stress, encourages regular daily exercise, and often speeds recovery times after major surgery.

      Puppies Through the Ages

      People have recognized and enjoyed the benefits of canine companionship for thousands of years. Many historians believe this enduring bond began when ancient humans adopted and raised orphaned wolf puppies. Archaeological excavations have discovered wolf and human remains at the same sites dating back four hundred thousand years. The wolf was the first species to be successfully domesticated.

      DNA evidence and physical variations between ancient wolf and modern-day dog skeletons show that the dog was a genetically separate species from the wolf at least forty thousand years ago and was definitely domesticated by fifteen thousand years ago. By the beginning of the Stone Age (circa 7000 BC), the dog had become a common feature of human settlements, whereas evidence of domesticated livestock did not begin to appear at human habitation sites until one thousand years later.

      Researchers believe that the domestic dog first evolved in eastern Asia. The “parent” animals were descendants of a smaller wolf species, the Indian wolf. From eastern Asia, early dogs migrated with humans to populate the Middle East, Africa, and Europe and eventually across the Siberian land bridge to North and South America.

      Scientists comparing ancient wolf skulls with today’s dog skulls have found the latter to be smaller and more rounded, with narrower jaws, shorter muzzles, and smaller teeth. These physical changes of domestication were accompanied by equally dramatic behavioral changes. The domestication process altered the wolf’s natural wariness, making the dog more trusting, curious, and tolerant of unfamiliar experiences. The ability to accept variations in diet and living conditions allowed the dog to benefit from the emerging ecological niche created by human evolution.

      Domestication actually enhanced the wolf’s reproductive capability. A primary feature of domestication is the ability to breed in captivity. At least eight thousand years ago, humans began deciding which animals would be bred. Canine traits originally developed in response to natural selection were suppressed or enhanced through artificial selection. So began the evolution of specialized dog breeds.

      Hunting dogs were selectively bred to be larger, smaller, faster, or stronger to better pursue different types of game. As humans became increasingly dependent on livestock and farming, dogs were adapted to new roles, including herding and guarding valuable livestock, defending a homestead in an owner’s absence, and eradicating mice and rats.