Dogs are descended from wolves, and have been domesticated since ancient times. A dog is defined as “a domesticated animal of a domestic or wild animal.” Dogs are used for a variety of purposes by people. People consider a dog as a pet that helps protect them, aids them in their tasks, or helps them perform a specific task.
Dogs primarily eat both meat and plants, most often mixed with potatoes, carrots, corn, and oats. Wolves usually hunt and eat animals together, such as sheep and deer. They also eat berries and other fruits, and roots, tubers, seeds, insects, and carrion. Examples of plant material that dogs often eat include grasses, weeds, and fruits. Dogs also scavenge for food and sometimes kill prey to eat.
Dogs have a number of jobs, some of which include guard dogs for farmers and ranchers, guide dogs for hikers, detection dogs for the police, and sled dog for the blind. These animals may be used for hunting as well, although hunting is usually done by humans. They are also sometimes used as assistance animals, helping humans with their everyday tasks.
Humans sometimes hire dogs as companions, helping humans with their daily tasks, such as helping a person get dressed, picking up a cup of coffee, guiding blind persons, or taking the mailbag to the post office. A domestic dog is typically trained by owners, who may teach the dog a number of tricks such as going out on walks, fetching dropped items, and going to the bathroom outside. A well-trained dog is a joy to have around, and dogs are considered to be one of the most loyal pets ever to come from humankind.
wolves were probably the first species of canine domestication. Wolves are best known for being pack animals that live in packs in which the alpha male leads the pack. Domesticated wolves were used as hunters and soldiers by early settlers in America, and they are now protected in several states. Wolves are members of the family canidae, a group of mammals that includes all the different breeds of wolves, including the domestic dog.
Many smaller dogs originated from wolves. Their ancestors probably survived alongside man until they were brought into cultivation. Today’s domestic dogs are probably descended from ancient wolves, although they are often bred to be friendly and to entertain their humans. Dogs have played an important role in society since time immemorial, and they continue to be prized as pets even in today’s age of high-tech living. The lives of today’s pets, however, are much different from those of the earlier days when man’s best friends were wild mammals.