Human Traits In Dogs

This canine streak is uncanny!

- Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

Are dogs closer to humans in behaviour than even apes? It is not unreasonable to view dogs and humans as subject to convergent evolution (Hare and Tomasello, 2005) as over so many thousands of years both puppies and human children have lived in the same social environment, unlike their own closer relatives – apes and wolves. Consequently dogs and humans share behaviour that was previously regarded as only human.

For example, the rule of “survival of the fittest” gave way a long time ago to the survival of the “smartest”. It has not happened with even the most sentient and humanlike of all animals, the elephant. They have no idea of how to survive human beings, loss of habitat, being poached. Nor do the great apes. Wolves have retreated a long time ago and are almost near extinction.

But the dog? Take the human care out of the picture and what happens? A 30-year study done in Moscow city by biologist Andrei Poyarkov, on stray dogs throws light on their behaviour. These strays are not lost or abandoned animals that have grouped together – they grew up on the streets and have been on their own for generations now. In fact; a newly abandoned tame canine will probably be killed by them. These street dogs do not have a distinct colouring any more, no spots and stripes, no wagging tails and they are not friendly in the domestic dog fashion. But they are not in the least like wolves.

A TOUGH STRUGGLE

The struggle to survive is tough and only three per cent ever breed. This strong selective pressure has led them to evolve into distinct behavioural types. There are guard dogs, who follow security personnel, treating them as the alpha leaders of their packs. They sit next to them at their stations and are fed by them. Others, called scavengers, roam the city for garbage, instead of interacting with people, and they hunt whatever they can find including cats and mice.