Origin of Dogs

Tens of thousands of years ago, before the internet, before the Industrial
Revolution, before literature and mathematics, bronze and iron, before
the advent of agriculture, early humans formed an unlikely partnership
with another animalthe grey wolf. The fates of our two species became
braided together. The wolves changed in body and temperament. Their
skulls, teeth, and paws shrank. Their ears flopped. They gained a docile
disposition, becoming both less frightening and less fearful. They learned
to read the complex expressions that ripple across human faces. They
turned into dogs.
Today, dogs are such familiar parts of our livesour reputed best friends
and subject of many a memethat its easy to take them, and what they
represent, for granted. Dogs were the first domesticated animals, and
their barks heralded the Anthropocene. We raised puppies well before we
raised kittens or chickens; before we herded cows, goats, pigs, and sheep;
before we planted rice, wheat, barley, and corn; before we remade the
world.

DOG BREEDS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dog_breeds

1. 1
Play tug-of-war with your dog. Most dogs instinctually take to games of tug-of-war
because its one of the ways puppies can play while both tugging on an object with
their mouths. Choose a long, soft toy (such as a stuffed animal or a knotted rope)
that you can grip away from your dogs mouth and that your dog cant wrench out of
your hand with a head shake.[1] Grip the toy with your hands at the ends, and
associate a command such as Get it! with the game. Once the dog tug playfully
without letting go for ten to twenty seconds before giving another commands such as
Drop it.[2]
It will obviously take time to teach your dog the commands. Use

positive reinforcement and treats to teach the commands. For instance, have a treat
ready in one hand when you say, Drop it. Repeat the command but dont provide
the treat until your dog releases the tug toy.[3] After several times, your dog will begin
associating the phrase and obeying even without the treat.
Contrary to popular belief, its okay to let your dog win at tug

sometimes. Its an especially good tactic to help your dog develop confidence when
it comes to play time, and it does not automatically make your dog think of itself as
the pack leader.
Keep the tug toy at waist height or below so as not to encourage your

dog to jump up on your or others.[4]

2
Teach your dog to fetch. While many sporting dogs were long bred for the purpose
of fetching (think retrievers), almost all dogs still love to play fetch. You can use a
standard active toy (such as a ball) or even something like a frisbee or disc that is
made of a solid hard plastic or rubber. Get your dogs attention with the object while
it is still in your hand, ensure the dogs eyes track it as you move it around, and then

throw the toy. Call your dog back to you with the toy and use the same Drop it
command you would for a game of tug-of-war before throwing it again. [5]
If your dog initially has trouble understanding that you want it to chase

the object, then start teaching your dog fetch by playing a game of tug where you
toss the tug object a foot or two away. Your dog will still grab it at this distance, and
you can slowly increase the distance until it turns into fetch. [6]
While sticks are the stereotypical object with which to play fetch

outside, they can actually cut your dogs mouth or cause other injuries. Use dog-safe
toys instead. You can even use soft, stuffed toys for indoor games of fetch. [7]
This is also a great source of exercise for dogs that doesnt have to

wear you out at the same time, and by changing up the direction, distance, and
height at which your throw the toy, you can keep your dog engaged in the play for a
long time.[8]

3
Play hide-and-seek with your dog. This game is great because it also encourages
dogs to use their sense of smell. Take your dogs favorite toy or a few treats and go
hide in part of the house where the dog cant see you. Then call your dogs name
once and wait for it to come find you. Excitedly give your dog praise when it finds
you, and reward the dog with one of the treats or a brief game of tug with the toy you
brought.[9]
o

Use the Stay command to stop your dog from following you as you
hide. If your dog doesnt yet know the Stay command, this is a great game to help
teach it, or you can simply have someone else hold the dog still while you hide and
let go as soon as you call for the dog.[10]

Choose very easy hiding spots as you teach your dog the game, and
find progressively harder ones as the dog gets the hang of how to play. Once your
dog is a pro, you will be able to hide completely out of sight, forcing the dog to use
its sense of smell to locate you.[11]

4
Look into dog agility groups. If you have a high-energy dog that is eager to obey,
investigate joining a dog agility group.[12] You can find information on these groups at
veterinary clinics, local pet stores, or through an internet search. An agility course
has various objects and walks that the dog is taught to navigate. These include
weave poles, teeter boards, tire jumps, elevated walks, and tunnels.
These fun gatherings test both the owner and dogs ability to work as a

team to navigate these objects and walks in a competition against other owners and
dogs.

5
Teach your dog vocabulary. One fun game is to teach your dog a vocabulary. As
you hand over a toy, say the name. An example would be a ball. Say, Ball, and give
the ball to the dog. Then have the dog give you the ball and repeat the process of
naming and handing the ball to your dog. Then when the ball is on the floor, point at
it and say, Get your ball. The dog will likely associate the word ball with the actual
ball and should go to it. This process can be repeated with almost any object as long
as the word is one simple word.[13]

6
Play with your dog often. Now that you have some fun games and toys in mind,
make sure you play with your dog often. You should aim to play with your dog twice
a day for around fifteen minutes each time. You can also combine playtime with
other exercise for your dog, such as walking over to the neighborhood park before
playing and walking home.