Fetching was thought to belong to dogs alone as they have learnt it due to 15,000 years of their domestication. However, the scientists have now discovered that wolf cubs also play fetch. The findings of the research suggest this game might be innate to all canine species.
In a behavioural test, the results of which were published in iScience magazine, 13 wolf puppies from three different litters were tested. The subject of the research was to compare their behaviour to dog puppies. In one test, eight-week-old wolf puppies spontaneously showed interest in a tennis ball and returned it to an unfamiliar person they had never seen before upon encouragement.
Animal experts were shocked by this finding. Behavioural ecologist Christina Hansen Wheat, of Stockholm University, even noticed that when observing the first wolf puppy retrieving the ball, she got goosebumps.
Only some of the studied puppies were interested in this kind of interaction with a person. However, the researchers knew immediately that if some variation of the game directed by a human is innate to wolfs, it might have had a crucial role in dog domestication. Wolf puppies showing human-directed behaviour could have had a selective advantage in the early stages
of dog domestication.
Moreover, the details between these two canine species might help us explain where the behaviour typical for dogs comes from. The research results also showed that our ancestors probably tried to domesticate wolves as well as dogs.
To learn more about the behavioural similarities and differences of wolves and dogs, the team of researchers will continue to work with the data collected over the course of three years of hand-raising wolves and dogs under identical conditions.
According to the data published at the end of last year, more than half of the people from around the world lives with at least one pet. The most numerous dog population is in the United States (70 million dogs), followed by Brazil (36 million) and...
When I travel, I'm always interested in what is the view of the given country upon the keeping of pets. And generally, how animals are treated there. The position of cats, dogs and rodents varies significantly in different countries, so there’s...
People often confuse the grey wolf with the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. This shepherd’s and today a very popular breed was bred from the German Shepherd by crossbreeding with the Carpathian wolf. Even though the dog and the wolf are very similar in...
The golden hamster, sometimes referred to as hamster-teddy bear because of its appearance, was first captured less than a century ago by zoologists in Syria. Hence also its second name – the Syrian hamster. Over time, it became a popular pet throughout...
The cloning of dogs or cats is slowly becoming a completely normal reality. For now, you can encounter it mostly in Asian countries. It’s the companies in South Korea that are most famous for their business plans focusing on the grieving dog and cat...
It would probably entirely unnecessary to describe the appearance of the German Shepherd. Probably everyone, even non-dog-lovers, have seen the German series Inspector Rex. Apart from the most famous colouring with black or golden marks, it is bred...
Getting a cat doesn’t mean only buying a cat toilet, bowls, a bed and a couple of toys. You also have to realise that the animal will also need certain care and count with this already before getting it. Each breed has its own specifics. While some are...
The Persian Longhairs, which have most likely descended from the Turkish Angoras, were bred in England at the end of the 19th century. Since then, they have undergone great changes, and today they have a much more compact body in comparison to the...
The desire for your own dog friend can also lead to a great disappointment. Since a lot of people fall for scammers when buying through an ad. Getting a dog this way is a risk not only from the money point of view, but also with respect to the mental...
Traveling with a dog in the city is stressful for many dog owners. One of the reasons may be the fear of riding escalators. If the dog is not accustomed to them since young age, he can have issue with it as an adult. Even in the case that your dog aces...
For the majority of dog breeders, winter is the period that has to be waited out somehow. But this time of year provides ideal conditions for the musher sport. And if you found pleasure in summer trainings with the dog, don’t hang the dog harness on an...
Most owners consider pets kept at home to be full-fledged family members. And year after year, they invest more and more money in them. Just for dog and cat food, Czechs spend around eight billion crowns a year. The business around pets is experiencing...
