How Domestication Ruined Dogs' Pack Instincts
Wolves dramatically outperform pooches at a task that requires them to work together.
The origin of humanity’s best friend is still murky, but here’s a likely scenario. In the distant past, wolves started skulking around human campsites, scavenging the carcasses left behind by hunters. Perhaps, to make the most of these opportunities, they evolved to be more docile. They transformed in both physique and temperament, and eventually became domestic dogs.
As they changed, they gained the ability to interact with humans, becoming increasingly attuned to our gestures, expressions, and emotions. But they lost something, too.
, from the University of Vienna, that dogs are terrible at a simple task that requires them to cooperate. Working together, they have to pull on two pieces of rope to bring a piece of distant
