Dogs have been with us for thousands of years, and are often called "Man's Best Friend". But we owe their existence to a greatly misunderstood animal: the wolf.
How could that cute, cuddly puppy be related to the "Big Bad Wolf"? Well, the story of the dog probably started like this: Wolves realized that they could get a lot more food from human food scraps than if they hunted it or scavenged for it in other places, so they started living near villages. The humans living there saw that wolves were much better hunters and trackers than they were and would be useful to have while they were hunting. The humans took the friendliest and cutest wolf pups, raised them, and trained them to hunt. These forerunners of dogs were also like intruder alerts, since they would bark when there were intruders. People could then sleep well without worrying that someone might attack while they were asleep. People with "early dogs" probably fared better than people without them. Some of these "early dogs" especially appealing to people, so they bred them with others that looked similar. That's how different dog breeds were formed.
Today, there are over 100 breeds of dogs, but they wouldn't exist if it weren't for the wolf.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Idaho Wolf Hunt
In Idaho, people are planning a wolf hunt because they claim that wolves are hunting too many deer. Wolves actually play an important role in the food chain. They prevent overpopulation of deer. When there is overpopulation, the deer consume all the food in the area and starve. When there are wolves, the deer population is in control and the whole herd can get food. Wolves also hunt only the old, sick, and weak deer who are easier to catch. This results in a stronger herd. To see what other people think and to post comments on this issue, go to http://www.topix.com/forum/us-house/c-otter/T46FIB6RFIH27BQ5D
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