Dog Plush & History

When we were young, didn't we all wish to have a puppy of our very own? Even as we grew older, that puppy was never far from our thoughts. There could be any number of reasons that the canine we wished so desperately for never came to be, so instead we 'settled' for a dog plush animal.

Some would argue that settling for dog plush is really not settling at all, but a way in which to have that puppy we always dreamed of. After all, dog plush can still be our most trusted friend and companion even if they can't wag their tail or bark on command. The other upside is that dog plush will never require anything more than lots of love and attention as opposed to the real thing which will need food and vet care costs which can mount quicker than you realize.

When looking at the history of dogs, it's really about looking at the partnership between dogs and humans; a dogs ability to assist humans with herding and hunting along with being companions to them that can be loved. In return, dogs are given food, protection, and shelter (and companionship). But, there is some controversy as to when exactly this partnership was established.

In recent studies conducted, there has been the suggestion that dogs and wolves split themselves around 100,000 years ago into different species. No one knows for sure whether or not humans had anything do with it.

The oldest dog skull ever discovered was in Belgium and is believed to be from 31,700 BP. The skull is more closely related to the prehistoric dog rather than the wolf. Interestingly, that skull is said to be a wolf transitioning into a dog and is not domesticated at all. At some point in their evolution there was a change in the dogs diet which is quite possibly when the human/dog relationship began.

What is known about dog domestication is that it was a very long process which likely started further back than what was thought previously. From the caves in Europe where the prehistoric dog skull was found, it is believed that dog domestication may have started some 30,000 years ago even though evidence shows that humans and dogs with working relationships began 14,000 years ago.

Whatever the origin and history of the dog, what we know today is that with the domestication of the canine, it has produced the incredible variety we have now. The 45 million dogs kept as pets in the United States, are a testimony to the continuing success of this relationship.

It's no surprise that after teddy bears were created, dog plush would not be far behind. Our relationships with dog plush are as treasured as they are with the real thing.