Mary Allen
We feed them, walk with them, take care of them and play with them: many of us can no longer imagine life without a dog. And vice versa? Can dogs survive without human care?
Whether they live with their family in a house, live outdoors, or are wild, dogs live in a world dominated by humans. Over the millennia, they have become accustomed to adjusting their lives to people. But even if the fossil record suggests that dogs were tamed during the Ice Age: animals existed before us humans.
That is why there is no definite answer to the question of whether dogs can do without us. However, various experts have already dealt with this topic.
One of them is Marc Bekoff. The former professor of ecology and evolutionary biology writes in Psychology Today that an addicting mind game will not only end badly for dogs.
After all, it is estimated that about 80 percent of the dogs on our planet do not live with humans. Scientists observing street dogs in India, for example, found that they showed almost no physical signs of stress. Marc Bekoff is convinced that dogs who have spent their entire lives with humans can live well without us.
Without Humans, Dogs Would Be Freer, But They Would Be Exposed to More Dangers
But will they be missing something? Of course, they would have had more freedom than in “captivity.” Even so, other challenges await them in the wild. For example, they will have to defend themselves – depending on their size, age, gender, and other factors, they can be easy prey. There would be no easy food sources, but let’s be honest: Anyone whose dog has ever eaten feces or vomit knows that fur noses are true omnivores.
However, medical attention from veterinarians and/or dog baskets that provide dogs with a safe place to sleep would not have been possible without humans. At the same time, however, there will be no more breeding torture. No artificial selection of properties that people prefer.
Dizzy? Unsurprisingly, this intellectual game can go on almost forever.
Four-Legged Friends Adapt to New Living Conditions
In all honesty, most dogs would probably quickly adjust to a world without humans. Instead of understanding and responding to human behavior, they will develop other skills. “Most dogs would not mind if there were no people around,” – such as the sharp conclusion of the veterinarian Doctor. Joanna Pendergrass.
For example, it is also likely that there will be mestizo dogs and other animal species such as coyotes and wolves. This could create races that are even better equipped to survive in the wild.
Fortunately, these are all just hypotheses – after all, it is unlikely that dogs will live in a world without humans in the near future.
At least we sincerely hope so.