Scientific research is revealing that dogs are entering a new phase of evolution.
Modern day dogs are adapting rapidly to human-centric environments.
Some breeds, particularly those bred for companionship are evolving faster due to their close interaction with humans.
This transformation proves that evolution does not take thousands of years, it can happen in decades when species are closely interactive with human life.
This new phase focuses on cognitive adaption, social behaviour and social responsiveness.
Dogs are showing a higher capacity to understand human verbal language, body language and our emotional states.
In a study published in Nature, dogs were able to interpret hundreds of human words and interpret emotional tone more accurately than previously recorded.
DNA sequencing reveals subtle yet significant changes in the genes responsible for stress response, learning ability and memory.
This suggests changes are accelerating due to human influence.
Many modern dogs are adapting to urban life by becoming less aggressive and more sociable and scientists have linked this change to constant interaction with humans, noise desensitisation and changes in routine environments.
Human society changes rapidly and our pets are forced to adapt alongside of us.
In the 1950s dogs were often kept outside in a kennel, sometimes chained, in semi-rural areas they roamed free and were rarely desexed or vaccinated.
Pedigree breeding kennels were becoming more common in the 1970s and we saw trends of rare and unusual dog breeds like the Afghan hound, husky and poodles.
Except for farm working dogs, people started allowing their dogs inside the house more often.
Dog training and sports were growing and dogs were becoming a part of the family.
Dog registrations with Councils started in the 1970s to 1990s.
Dogs now live in units, travel frequently, sometimes in the front seat of a car.
They are exposed to modern stimuli like TV, radio, they visit cafes with their humans.
Many people work part time or from home, so dogs have more human companionship and often closely connected.
Some modern breeders are breeding dogs based more on behaviour traits than their physical looks, especially to cater for a high demand in emotional support dogs.
As our loyal companions change, we too need to evolve in how we understand, train and care for them.
Dogs will continue to change and evolve as long as they live alongside humans and our environments continue to change.
