It’s no secret dogs are descendants of wolves. Their mannerisms and behaviors are reminiscent of their ancestors – the howling, digging, and sniffing out scents. But there’s one trait that wasn’t passed down from a wolf. Can you guess what it is?
Barking.
That’s right, adult wolves in the wild do not bark like domestic dogs do.
Interestingly, barking is a trait exclusive to cubs and adolescent wolves.
But why?
A wolf doesn’t bark in the wild because they know that if they are in danger, the best and safest thing to do is to stay as quiet as possible. Rather than bark at the threat, they’ll hide from it until it has passed.
So how come dogs bark and wolves don’t?
Some research states that dogs learned to bark thanks to their close relationship with humans. Since we are vocal creatures by nature, dog’s learned rather quickly that we aren’t the best when it comes to picking up non-verbal cues. So in an effort to get our attention and communicate with us, domestic dogs learned to bark.
On the other hand, some researchers think that dog’s learned to bark after years of selective breeding. In general, humans like dogs that are friendly and gentle, not timid and aggressive. So, over the years, the barking in juvenile wolves was bred into domestic dogs.
No matter the reason, barking is a normal, natural behavior that we’ve come to accept in dogs. Though it can be annoying at times, we couldn’t imagine our pups without this annoyingly lovable trait
Most of my day is spent playing with dogs. When they nap, I’m here working on my blog. You’re welcome to reach out and connect with me.