Name: From wolves to wiener dogs: the evolution of ‘pet parents’
Uploaded: 2025-12-22T23:54:29.416Z
Duration: 3 min 29 s
Description: Treating your dog like a child may seem like a modern practice, but it actually has ancient roots. Cultural historian Ainsley Hawthorn dives into the fascinating history of pet ownership.

Treating your dog like a child may seem like a modern practice, but it actually has ancient roots. Cultural historian Ainsley Hawthorn dives into the fascinating history of pet ownership.

Toronto

The article explores the transformation of dogs from wild wolves to cherished companions, emphasizing how human attitudes toward pets have evolved over thousands of years. It highlights that 95% of Canadian pet owners now consider their animals family, with many millennials preferring the term 'parent' over 'owner.'

Historical evidence and changing social norms are discussed, from ancient burial practices to the Victorian era's emphasis on pets teaching values. The article concludes by noting that while dogs are not children, the language of 'pet parenting' reflects the deep bond between humans and their canine companions.

From wolves to wiener dogs: the evolution of ‘pet parents’

For hundreds of thousands of years, wolves stalked the plains and forests of Eurasia. They were apex predators at the top of the food chain. So how did we get from that to this? I'm here at Republic Pets, where they're taking Santa photos, not with children, but with dogs. Today, 95% of Canadian pet owners consider their animals part of the family. More than half of millennials would rather not use the term owner at all. They'd prefer to think of themselves as parents to their pets, and they do things with their animals that people used to do only with children. They throw them birthday parties, host bark mitzvahs, dress them up for Halloween, and yes, even take them for photos with the big man himself. Now lest you think I'm pointing fingers, this is my dog, Effie. Historians once believed that human beings created dogs by catching wolf pups and breeding the tamest ones together, but that would have been a dangerous undertaking. It now seems more likely that wolves domesticated themselves by coming closer to human settlements in search of food. It was survival of the friendliest, but domestication had a surprising side effect. As the tamest animals bred together, their offspring not only had gentler personalities, they also looked more like babies, with wider faces, shorter snouts, and smaller bodies. These cuter, friendlier wolves made great hunting partners, and they could be recruited for other jobs like guarding and hauling. People took on the role of caregivers to these new animals. The bones of a puppy buried 14,000 years ago show that it had survived a life-threatening illness. Someone had taken the time to nurse it back to health, even before it could have been of any service to the community. By the Greco-Roman period, people were breeding small, fluffy lap dogs like the Miletian miniature, whose only job was to play and cuddle, a bit like eternal children. Throughout the Middle Ages in Asia and Europe, lap dogs remained popular with upper-class women, children, and monks who spent a lot of time indoors. With the Industrial Revolution, there was less and less work for dogs to do, and canines of all sizes came to be valued more for their companionship than their usefulness. The Victorians believed that keeping a pet could teach children good values like responsibility and empathy, and a family dog became part of their vision for a happy home. Like kids, dogs became dependents, reliant on human adults to take care of them while doing little in return. Modern pet culture has come about through a long evolution in our relationship with animals. The term pet parent may be relatively new, but seeing dogs as childlike isn't. Nearly 2,000 years ago, a Roman buried what was probably their Miletian miniature dog, and her tombstone bore this inscription, For Helena, adoptive daughter, a soul incomparable and well-deserving. Dogs aren't children, and we aren't their parents, but the fact that we describe ourselves that way is a symbol of the profound relationship our two species share.

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