Why Not a Pet Monkey?

March 31, 2004

(Note:  Since I wrote this article further research has shown that the first domestic dogs arose in the area called the Levant along the western Mediterranean)

            A catch phrase that ricochets around the veterinary arena these days is “the human animal bond”.  This expression describes what some would call a mystical union between people and their pets.  Cynics discount the “human animal bond” as nothing more than a touchy-feely promotion designed to entice more dollars out of the pet-owning  community.  Promotions are second nature to marketers and one might be tempted to agree with the cynics except that there is a lot of good scientific data that lend tangibility to the connection between people and pets.  First of all, there are lots of pets!  Nearly one third of American households are home to at least one dog.  In urban areas especially, cats rival dogs as the pet to own.  Americans love their pets.  A survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association revealed that 34 percent of pet owners talk about their pets when conversing with others, while only 20% talk about their spouses! 

            The human animal bond is not a new thing, especially where dogs and people are concerned.  In fact, the recovery of archeological evidence, such as bones, suggests that dogs and people came together somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago, so we’ve had time to get acquainted.  Dr. Robert Wayne, a researcher at the University of California, used DNA tracking to find the origins of modern dogs.  His studies showed that dogs evolved from a species called the gray wolf in East Asia and he put a date on the event more than 100,000 years ago! 

            But why dogs?  Wouldn’t it have made more sense that a species of demonstrably higher brain wattage, like chimpanzees, would hook up with people?  Why don’t we all have a monkey running around the house?  Dr. Brian Hare, an anthropologist at Harvard University answered this question in a study published last year in Science.  He found that although monkeys possess a higher intellect, dogs are uniquely endowed with an ability to read human social cues.  In these experiments Hare hid bits of food and then offered a signal, such as pointing or gazing at the hiding place, to the experimental subject.  Dogs beat out all other species tested in finding the food.  According to Dr. Hare dogs have an uncanny ability to consider a human point of view. 

            The recognition of this trait has caused scientists to reconsider how dogs evolved.  Previously it was assumed that hunter-gatherer peoples of East Asia confiscated wolf pups and returned with them to camp, reared them and bred them for pets.  Studies suggest that this scenario is unlikely.  It is more plausible that wolves lurked close to human habitats and began social interaction, gaining as much as they gave in the bargain.  Over time, lots of time, dogs and humans “co-evolved” as partners in hunting forays, in the process forging the social connections that we today call the human animal bond. 

            Most of my clients need no scientific study to tell them that they share something special with their pet.  They know intuitively what science has revealed empirically:  pets provide love and companionship in good times and in bad.  Now science tells us that pets reduce their owners’ suffering from disease such as arthritis, they help children through their parents’ divorce, they have a calming effect on children with Attention Deficit Disorder, and improve the quality of life for many elderly, especially those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. 

            Most people consider their pet a part of the family.  In my twenty three years in veterinary practice I have seen the status of pet dogs in the Slate Belt enhanced greatly.  Very few are kept tied outdoors anymore, now most have access to the living room couch.  I will address the furry family member’s needs each month in this column.  I welcome your questions and hope that I can entertain and inform you.