Domestication & Evolution
Behaviour Bible : Chapter 1 : Verse 1
How can we understand an animal without first understanding how it became what it is? To truly comprehend the nature of anything, we must know the process that got it here, and with dogs, that story is quite extraordinary.
First, we delve into evolutionary psychology, what it is, the language that is entrenched within this paradigm, as well as some of the key theories from within the canine and animal application: evolutionary ethology. We take in the taxonomic view of our dogs and then take a deep dive into the known history of the dog—when, where and why they have developed, and a population snapshot of who, what and where the dog population is made up of today. From this foundation, we delve into theories of canine evolution and begin to question whether we can call the process one of domestication at all?
This verse is much more than a history lesson and includes a behind the scenes interview with a man who has lived the last 22 years with wolves. It gives our students a telescope into how artificial selective pressures have impacted the breeding of our pet dogs and inquires how morphology may impact both temperament and behaviour.
Students will leave this verse with the ability to see dogs through the filter of their history with us and recognise how many choices they make are far from free will.
The course covers
- Basic taxonomy
- Basic canine geography and population counts
- The competing theories for when and where dogs were domesticated as well as looking at the evidence for each
- Principles of evolution including adaptations and mutations
- The various main constructs in evolutionary science including theories of evolution
- Game theory and how it applies to social behaviour
- A deep dive into the behaviour of wild dogs and wolves and what that tells us about domestication theory
- How evolution and domestication applied to modern dogs
- An in depth interview and case shadow with Daniel Weigend who has spent the last 22 years raising and living with wolves at Lobo Park
- An exploration into what fox domestication might tell us about dog domestication
Your Instructor
Nando and Dean make up the team that run The School of Canine Science, an education provider that teaches, trains and mentors dog trainers to reach their potential in a competitive industry.
All of our courses, either in person or online are firmly rooted in science and evidence with strong practical hand on elements.
Nando : has been working as a dog trainer and instructor for 14 years. Best known for his accessible style, impressive YouTube tutorials, big personality and awe-inspiring ability to train the tricky dogs that many people claim are un-trainable. Nando has appeared on multiple mainstream TV shows, presented around the world, authored books, hosted his own international radio show, receivied more than 20 million views on YouTube and has a Facebook following of over 26,000. Nando loves all areas of dog training but his true passion lies in scent detection.
Dean : is a dog trainer with less than three years formal experience yet in that time he has managed to propel himself into the forefront of the industry with his intense theoretical knowledge and an masterful eye for precision. After completing a Masters Degree in Business and working for 16 years in the Technology Industry Dean is obsessed with systems, processes and measurement – leading to an eye for detail and an aptitude for clean, efficient training. Dean has worked behind the scenes on TV shows animal training but is probably best known for tricks & tutorials with his dog Sidney.