When can the origin of dogs be traced back to?

The oldest domestic dog fossil discovered so far is about 1,200 years old. But people still cannot accurately determine when!

it began to change into the domestic dog. In ancient times, the many similarities between wolves and humans in their way of life made the process of wolves changing from wild beasts into domestic dogs simple. At that time, wolves, like humans, ran everywhere in search of food. People often gave leftover food to the wolves, and the wolves gradually became familiar with humans, always following human footprints, indicating nearby herds in advance and warning of dangerous situations. People were also interested in wolves, and wolf cubs were easy to tame. In this way, the evolution of wolves into domestic dogs gradually began.

With the rise of animal husbandry through human breeding of livestock, livestock became the prey of wolves. The free-roaming wild wolves changed from friends of humans into enemies, while the tamed "domestic wolves" could guard livestock and defend the tribe, and thus evolved into dogs. It was not until more than 100 years ago that they were bred and raised as purebred dogs. With the rise of the textile industry and the intensification of agriculture, wool became an important industrial raw material, and at the same time it also brought about a demand for a new dog breed - the sheepdog. The task of the sheepdog is to guard and drive the flock, stop the flock from trampling crops, and protect the flock from poaching. Therefore, it must be alert, agile, patient, fast, able to work independently, obedient to commands, and gentle and considerate toward lambs. Under different regions and different geographical conditions, different types of sheepdogs formed, each with its own outstanding characteristics. To this day, the long-haired German Shepherd of the plateau regions is known for its enduring perseverance. In clay regions, short-haired sheepdogs formed, which kept clay from sticking to their bodies. Today, most of the world-famous dog - the German Shepherd - has this kind of coat structure.

The history of the modern German Shepherd is inseparable from VonStephonitz. VonStephonitz (Marx von Stephanitz) was born in 1864 and died in 1936. Breeding and cultivating an ideal versatile working dog was his lifelong pursuit. His rich experience suggested to him that native sheepdogs had many gifts for becoming working dogs. At that time, purebred dog breeding and dog shows had already spread from Britain to Germany. Dog breeds in many places were called purebred dogs and were bred according to standards, but many working dogs were valued not for their working ability but for their appearance. At that time, Scottish Sheepdogs and Collies were the most popular, and some people also liked native sheepdogs, especially gray, short-haired (smooth-haired), erect-eared, wolf-like sheepdogs, which were especially popular. At the end of the 19th century, in Sachsen and other places, dogs had already begun to be bred commercially. Dogs in Wvtternberg tended to have erect ears, reasonable bone structure, steady gait, strong endurance, better tail shape than Thvringen dogs, and a calm temperament. Thvringen dogs' tails were often curled. Therefore, breeders in Wvtternberg could obtain gray, erect-eared dogs by mating with Thvringen dogs. This laid the foundation for German Shepherd breeding. At that time, people mated wolves with dogs, but the results were not ideal.

At a dog show, VonStephonitz saw the "ideal dog" Hektorlinksrhein, later renamed HerandvonGrafrath. In 1899, together with ArthurMeyer (Arthur Meyer), he established the German Shepherd Dog Association (SV).

VonStephonitz was a famous dog breed taxonomist. During his military service, he visited many European countries to observe how dogs worked and collected a large amount of dog material and photographs. In his book "The German Shepherd Dog - Words and Pictures," he introduced all the famous sheepdogs of that time. His main view was that the German Shepherd is a working dog, and he firmly opposed breeding that focused only on appearance. He published many influential articles in professional publications. Because of his close relationship with the military and his own unremitting efforts, the German Shepherd finally replaced the Collie and the AiredaleTerrier as a military and police dog. His efforts achieved success. From then on, the outstanding performance of the German Shepherd made it a dog breed loved by people all over the world today.