Reading #1 (required reading pgs 16-17)

How the
Became
Life was tough for humans
A new kind of friend
UP years. But scientists are only now starting
CLOSE
Synthesizing As you read these articles,
look for how dogs, and their relationships to understand the history of dogs. There are
Dania with humans, have changed over time. many mysteries. But one thing is certain: All
at her dogs have the same ancestor, the gray wolf.
school in
LOOK FOR WORD NERD’S 6 WORDS IN BOLD
Lebanon This does not mean that a fierce

B
e glad you didn’t live on Earth
35,000 years ago.
That was a time known as
the Ice Age. Large sheets of ice
covered much of Europe, Asia,
and the Americas. There were no nations yet,
no cities or towns. Many of our early human
ancestors struggled to survive. They lived in
wolf suddenly morphed into a yapping
Chihuahua with a pink bow. The change
happened slowly. It took thousands of years.
Experts speculate that the first dog appeared
between 15,000 and 38,000 years ago.
At that time, many animals posed a threat
to humans. Wolves were among them. But
at some point, a group of humans and a
group of wolves teamed up. How did this

BRUNO DE FAVERI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (WOLF); GRANGER, NYC/THE GRANGER COLLECTION (DOG MUMMY)

caves or huts made of animal bones. They happen?
hunted reindeer with sharpened stones and One theory: A few wolves crept into
sticks. Danger was everywhere. There were human campsites to eat food scraps. They
diseases with no cures. There were saber- were less aggressive than other wolves.
toothed tigers with 11-inch fangs. There But they still helped protect humans
were elephant-like mastodons with long, from other animals. And so the
sharp tusks. humans let them stay. The
But during this harsh time, gentler wolves ate human food.
something beautiful was born: the This helped them live longer
friendship between humans and dogs. than other wolves. They gave
birth to even gentler babies, which
From Wolf to Dog grew up and had gentle babies
Dogs have been living with Beloved ancient Egyptian
too. After a while, there was a
humans for thousands of hunting dogs were often new, calmer breed of wolf.
turned into mummies.

16 S T O R Y W O R K S
Wolf
the Dog
during the Ice Age.
made things better.
Hunters, Napkins they’d wipe their greasy hands on dogs. On
Centuries went cold nights, people used dogs as foot warmers.
by. The wolves In Europe, some kings wouldn’t eat their food
living near humans until their dog had tasted it first. That way,
continued to they could tell if the food had been poisoned.
change. They got Sergeant Stubby was the
smaller. Their ears most famous dog soldier A Stronger Bond
ERMOLAEV ALEXANDER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (PUG); BETTMANN ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES (SERGEANT STUBBY, BALTO); ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES (TERRIER)

got floppier. They of World War I. In the Americas, dogs have been helping
became friendlier humans for many years. Native peoples used
and more eager to dogs as guards and hunting companions.
please humans. Over time, a new kind of George Washington planned Revolutionary
creature developed: the dog. War battles with his hunting dog Sweetlips
Dogs were the first domesticated animals— by his side. In the early 1800s, explorers
that is, animals bred and raised to live Lewis and Clark crossed America’s western
among us. Today, there are many kinds of wilderness with a big black dog named
domesticated animals. There are cows that Seaman.
give us milk, chickens that lay eggs, horses Over time, the
that we ride, and sheep that provide wool. bond between
But dogs were the first. dogs and people
Humans began putting dogs to work in has grown very
new ways. They trained dogs to hunt, fight, strong. And it all
and herd animals. Roman warriors marched began thousands
into battle alongside huge war dogs. In of years ago,
ancient Egypt, favorite hunting dogs were with a family Balto became a hero for
turned into mummies and buried with their of wolves delivering medicine to sick
children in Alaska.
owners. howling across
Dogs helped in other ways too. Before a dangerous, frozen
people used forks, spoons, and napkins, land. ■ TURN
AGE
THE P T MORE!
U
IND O
S T O R Y W O R K S . S C H O L A S T I C . C O MT•OMFA R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 7 11
 Reading #2 (extension reading pgs 18-19)
Informational Text

How
America
Went DOG
Crazy
Today, dogs are
more than pets.
They’re members
of the family.

Y
ap, yap, yap! then she grabs Scout and kisses
Pant, pant, pant. him.
Lick, lick, lick. “But he’s so
Scout, a little CUUUUUUTE!”
brown dog, seems You can almost see Ruby’s
to be going crazy. He bounces up Scout and Ruby heart melting with love.
and down like a furry ball. His And Ruby is not alone.
tongue flaps from his mouth as
he licks everyone in sight. Too Dirty and Smelly
“He’s just excited,” sighs 12-year-old Today, nearly half of all American
Ruby. “He’s always excited.” families own a dog. We spend tens of
ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES (TERRIER); COURTESY OF FAMILY (RUBY)

Scout lives with Ruby’s family. He yaps
loudly. He slobbers. He leaves puddles on the
floor. He stains the rug.
No one in Ruby’s home ever imagined
that they would own such a spoiled, badly
behaved little beast. Nor did they imagine
that they could love an animal as much as
they love Scout.
“He’s so annoying,” Ruby moans. But
billions of dollars on our dogs each
year. There are vet visits, grooming, gourmet
treats, and more. A 2015 poll found that
38 percent of U.S. dog owners cook special
meals for their dogs. It’s no surprise that
96 percent of owners think of their dogs as
family members.
Dogs have been by the sides of humans for
thousands of years. But until recently, dogs

18 S T O R Y W O R K S
 were mainly valued for the work they cats than dogs in American
could do. They chased foxes away from homes. But humans have a
chicken coops. They cleared restaurant special connection with dogs.
kitchens of rats. They hunted for Scientists are just starting to
ducks. They pulled sleds over snow. figure out this connection.
When fires broke out in cities,
firehouse dogs cleared the A Surprising Discovery
way for fire wagons pulled by Studies show that dogs
horses. make our lives better. Dog
These hard-working owners tend to get more
dogs were too dirty and exercise; those daily walks
In the ’50s, the show
smelly to live indoors. If Lassie helped turn dogs
make them healthier. Dogs
they got sick or hurt, they into all-American pets. can help kids with autism and
healed on their own or they other challenges cope with
died. Most vets treated only stress.
animals that were seen as valuable New research is helping
at that time, like horses and cows. to uncover the scientific reason for our
connection to dogs. In 2015, Japanese
From Workers to Pets researchers found that when humans and
But by the late 1800s, that was changing. dogs look into each other’s eyes, something
America was becoming wealthier. More happens inside their bodies. Both the
people could afford to feed and care for a human’s and the dog’s brains release a
pet. New and powerful soaps scrubbed dogs chemical that makes them feel close. It’s the
clean and killed fleas. Companies started same chemical that helps mothers feel close
selling dog food, which made feeding a dog to their babies.
simpler. Vets opened offices just for treating Another study showed that when
pets. In the 1950s, humans point to something, dogs look
TV shows like where we’re pointing. This shows that dogs
Lassie and The try to understand us. Not even our closest
Adventures of animal relative, the chimpanzee, does that
GABI RONA/CBS PHOTO ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES (LASSIE); GRANGER, NYC/THE GRANGER COLLECTION (FALA)

Rin Tin Tin naturally.

helped turn Today, dogs help humans in many ways.
dogs into They lead people who can’t see. They find
popular pets. people who are lost. They comfort wounded
President Franklin D.
Americans soldiers.
Roosevelt was rarely seen love other pets But most dogs, like Scout, have just one
without his terrier, Fala. too. There main job: to love us. And for most of us,
are more that’s enough. ■

WHAT’S THE CONNECTION?

Imagine you are a beloved family dog, and you want your puppies to learn about their
FIND AN
background. Write a letter to them explaining your species’ history, from your wolf ACTIVITY
beginnings to your current life. Use information from both articles in your letter. ONLINE!

S T O RY W O R K S . S C H O L A S T I C . C O M • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 19