Horrible Science: Paleolithic Grrrufts

Part ofScienceHorrible Science

How did wolves become dogs?

Horrible Science image of four wolves.

Dogs have not always lived alongside humans. Long ago, the animals we now call dogs were wild wolves.

Between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, some grey wolves began living near humans to find food. Humans benefited from their protection and help with hunting.

The calmer wolves were kept and cared for. Over many generations, wolves gradually became the first dogs.

The transformation of wolves to different breeds (groups that share the same features) of dogs took thousands of years.

Horrible Science image of four wolves.
Back to top

Watch: Paleolithic Grrrufts

The dogs we know and love today have come a long way since they roamed around as wolves and they definitely weren’t as well-trained.

Back to top

What is domestication and selective breeding?

Image of Horrible Science characters Ugg and 'Clare Shedding'. They are smiling. In the bottom left, there is the Horrible Science logo. On the bottom right, the caption on an eyeball reads 'a real way wolves became pet dogs'.

Domestication happens when humans gradually change plants or animals by choosing which ones to care for and breed (help reproduce).

In the case of dogs, the steps involved in domestication were that:

  1. Calmer wolves were kept close to humans.
  2. Those wolves had puppies.
  3. The calmest puppies were kept and raised.
  4. Then the process was repeated again and again.

This is called selective breeding. It means humans selected animals with useful traits, such as friendliness, loyalty or size.

Over many generations, this led to dogs that looked and behaved very differently from their wild ancestors and it is the reason why we have so many different dog breeds today.

Image of Horrible Science characters Ugg and 'Clare Shedding'. They are smiling. In the bottom left, there is the Horrible Science logo. On the bottom right, the caption on an eyeball reads 'a real way wolves became pet dogs'.
Back to top

How have dogs changed over time?

Image of a brown illustrated dog

Ancient wolves were fast, strong and wary of humans. Modern dogs come in many shapes and sizes and are often trained to live closely with people.

Some changes include:

  • shorter snouts and smaller teeth in some breeds

  • differences in fur colour and length

  • behaviour that makes dogs easier to train

These changes happened slowly over many generations, showing how dogs have changed in their appearance and behaviour over time.

Image of a brown illustrated dog
Horrible science logo

Horrible Science fact

There are now more than 400 dog breeds, from teeny tiny lap dogs you could fit in a handbag to huge working dogs that you’d definitely struggle to lift.

Selective breeding has made dogs one of the most varied animal species.

Horrible science logo
Back to top

Quiz

Back to top

How to use Horrible Science in the classroom

If you're looking to bring energy, humour and curriculum-aligned content into your science lessons, Horrible Science might just be your new secret weapon.

How to use Horrible Science in the classroom
Back to top

More on Horrible Science

Find out more by working through a topic