Love Those Dogs

Canines have lived with humans for thousands of years. Like other domesticated animals, dogs originally worked for a living, providing protection for their human companions and helping out on the hunt. But somewhere along the line, dogs became part of the family. Today, many people treat their dogs like children, giving them gourmet meals, spa treatments, birthday parties and luxury dog vacations. Some even go so far as to take problem dogs to pet psychiatrists.

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But not all dogs live pampered lives of leisure. Many still work, earning their keep in movies and television, or providing assistance for the ill and handicapped. Police dogs play an important role in law enforcement, helping sniff out drugs and other contraband and tracking down — and taking down — dangerous criminals. Harvard anthropologist Brian Hare has found some tantalizing clues that help explain why dogs are so uniquely effective at working for humans and which suggest that dogs may be more in control of our relationships with them than we might like to think. 

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

Our love for dogs also has a dark side. A group of dog-loving volunteers goes undercover to investigate the demand for pet dogs, particularly purebreds. Such demand has fostered an under-regulated breeding industry that is contributing to increased genetic problems in dogs.

National Geographic Ultimate Explorer’sMireya Mayor investigates the ancient, but evolving relationship between humans and dogs. What skills do dogs have that make them so well suited for living and working with humans? Are we putting too much pressure on our four-legged friends to conform to our modern-day lifestyles and expectations? Mayor explores these questions and more as she delves deep into the world of man’s best friend.