It’s no secret that it’s dogs that hold the title of man’s best friend, and they have for quite some time now. But before they became the lazy, unbearably cute and seemingly always snackish creatures we now share our sofas with, they were animals confidently roaming the wild. (Yes, that’s probably difficult to imagine looking at your dog trying to break free of yet another weird position or place it found itself stuck in.)
Nowadays, every dog owner’s camera roll is brimming with proof of said critter being a human’s loyal companion. But if you’d like to see some images dating tens if not hundreds of years back, scroll down to find some of the best posts shared by ‘A History Of Dogs’ Instagram account, and enjoy.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interviews with the creator of the Instagram account, as well as the professor and chair of Florida Gulf Coast University's department of Biological Sciences, Charles Gunnels, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about domesticated animals.
#1 This Is The Official Nasa Portrait For Now Retired Astronaut Leland Melvin
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#2 An Award Winning Photographer, Piccoli Is A Master At Capturing Dogs In Motion
Image credits: @claudiopiccoliphotographer
#3 A Caribou Inuit Girl Holds Her Canadian Eskimo Puppy
Image credits: Norbert Rosing
Created roughly five years ago, ‘A History Of Dogs’ has already amassed close to 140k followers on Instagram, who enjoy seeing fun dog pictures from different time periods pop up in their feed. If you’re curious to learn how it all started, the reason was pretty simple—the mastermind behind the account simply put together the two things they love most.
“I'm a dog lover and history buff so combining the two was fun for me,” they told Bored Panda in a recent interview. “I enjoy the storytelling and research involved in each post. I wish I had more time to do it.”
#4 The TV Reporter Gerd Ruge Interviews Bastian, The English Basset Belonging To West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, In Front Of The West German Parliament In Bonn, Germany, On June 4, 1972
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#5 “Kitten And Foster Mother” Photo Postcard C. 1915
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
Discussing the possible reasons why people seem to enjoy browsing historical pictures of dogs, the creator of the Instagram account suggested that netizens like learning something new. “Many didn't know there were dogs on the Titanic, or that there's a dog mummy at the Egyptian Museum, or that Reykjavík banned dogs for 60 years,” they pointed out.
#6 The Final Exam For German Police Service Dogs To Remain Calm In Front Of A Cat, 1987
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#7 “All Ears.” NYC, 1980
Image credits: @jamelshabazz
#8 Tatler Magazine, London, May 16, 1928
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
It will likely come as no surprise, but the dog enthusiast creator of the Instagram account is a dog owner themselves. “Dogs are the best,” they said, adding one of their favorite stories about their pet:
“I used to have a terrible boss. When I brought my well-trained, fully potty-trained dog to my boss's studio for the first time, he walked in and immediately took a piss on my boss's personal bag. I was apologetic, but I know why my dog did it. Who else would do that? No one. Definitely not my cat, even though I love him a lot too.”
#9 Knife Grinders In France In The Early 1900s. The Workers Laid Face Down To Save Their Backs From Being Hunched Over All Day. They Brought Their Dogs To Lay On Their Legs For Warmth
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#10 Dog Of Randall The Jeweler, Ca. 1875
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#11 Fully-Packed Londoners Leave Town, Carrying Golf Clubs And A Happy Dog, For An Easter Holiday Break In 1930
Image credits: Austrian Archives/Imagno
Any dog owner would likely agree that even when their critter finds themself in some sort of a pickle or does something they shouldn’t have done (like peeing on their boss’s bag, for instance), they can look awfully cute. According to the biology professor Dr. Charles Gunnels, we often find animals’ goofy behavior to be quite adorable because we have co-evolved to domestic animals the same way domestic animals have evolved to us.
“Much of the research has focused on domestic animals having evolved to us. For example, a recent study found that dogs—and not wolves—evolved a muscle above their eyes that allows them to raise their ‘eyebrows’ in a similar fashion to human facial expression. The follow-up study has not been completed yet, but I would expect that people show a strong preference for dogs that can produce this signal.”
#12 Manchester Terrier With Cape, 1905
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#13 The Concierge’s Dog. Paris, 1929. Photo By André Kertész
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#14 Henri Matisse, His Dog, And His Monstera
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
It’s difficult to say when exactly dogs started drifting away from their predecessors, wolves, but some sources suggest that it’s a process that likely started roughly 40,000 years ago.
“Humans and the willingness to associate with humans is the most important difference between wild animals and their domestic counterparts. Animals that were willing to associate and interact with humans made the first steps towards domestication,” Dr. Gunnels suggested, pointing out that those which avoided humans remained wild.
“The domestication process and the willingness to associate or avoid humans is the first—and I would argue—the most important piece in the domestication process. You cannot domesticate animals that actively avoid humans. This final statement may be overly simplistic, but it is true.”
#15 In 1968, The Beatles Released The White Album, And With It, A Song Called “Martha My Dear.” It Was Inspired By And Written About Martha, Mccartney’s Dog
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#16 Dog Eating Ice Cream Cone Hidden Behind Boy’s Back. New York, 1949
Image credits: William Milnarik
#17 Dog School, California, Ca. 1929
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
“Honestly, I think that humans have co-evolved preferences for animals that are important in their lives, such as pets and other domestic animals,” Dr. Gunnels said, suggesting that people clearly benefit from their presence.
“There is tons of evidence that shows a positive effect of pets on people; pets are associated with physiological, mental, and behavioral improvements in people. This does not mean that pets benefit everyone, but pets have clear positive effects on many,” the expert added.
#18 Charging Thunder, A Sioux Native American From Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#19 Betty White At Home With Her Dog, 1957
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#20 A Dalmatian With A Disney Artist At The Walt Disney Studio In Burbank
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
The positive influence pets have on us is likely why so many people enjoy browsing animal-related content. “It would make sense that humans have strong preferences for something that they have benefited from throughout recent (10,000+ year) history.”
Discussing what affects the well-being of the animal itself, the professor of biology suggested that three main factors tend to influence animal behavior the most, which are health and well-being, social environment, and genetics and how genes interact with the environment.
#21 A Woman And Her Dog In Harlem, NY. 1943
Image credits: Gordon Parks
#22 Portrait Of Harold Lloyd Sitting And Holding His Dog Specks In His Lap. The Dog And Harold Are Wearing Matching Eyeglasses. Date Unknown
Image credits: Wisconsin Historical Society
#23 4th Century Bce Greek Mug. Located At The National Etruscan Museum Of Villa Giulia
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
If dog content is something you enjoy, you have definitely found yourself in the right place, as we have plenty more in store for you; continue to Bored Panda’s category dedicated entirely to them and see for yourself.
Happy scrolling!
#24 18-Year-Old Alice Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's Eldest Daughter, In 1902 With Her Dog, Leo, A Long-Haired Chihuahua
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#25 Jackie Robinson, His Dog, And His Wife Rachel At Their Home In Stamford, Connecticut, Shortly After He Was Voted Into The Baseball Hall Of Fame In 1962
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#26 The Year Was 1962, The Mets Played Terribly, And Their Original Official Mascot Was A Floppy-Eared Beagle Named Homer
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#27 Writer Kurt Vonnegut And His Dog Pumpkin
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#28 In 1942, Pepito Von Zalez Became The First Chihuahua To Climb Mount Everest
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#29 On June 19, 1944, W.n. Ely`s American Foxhound, Lena, Of Ambler, Pa., Gave Birth To 23 Healthy Puppies. It Was Her First Litter, And It Gave Her The World Record For The Largest Litter Of Puppies To Survive
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#30 People And Their Dog In Nebraska
Image credits: John Johnson
#31 Family Portrait
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#32 Johnny Lunchbucket And Friend - "A" Train To Brooklyn, New York, 1940s
Image credits: Joe Schwartz
#33 As Ashley Grew, Stein Realized The Precocious Pup’s Talents For Catching Flying Discs
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#34 A Bronze Statue Of A Dog Named Rex, Lying On A Stone Platform Engraved With His Name. Rex Was The Faithful Companion Of John E. Stow, One Of The City’s Longest Practicing Fruit Merchants, Who Died In 1884
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#35 Konrad The Dachshund Sits On Some Of His Winnings From The Gaines Dog Food “Lucky Dog” Contest, 1949
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#36 Steven Tyler, His Mother, And His Dog
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#37 On March 16, 1938, Hyde Park’s Own Shepherd LED His Sheep Along The Serpentine Pathway To New Grazing Grounds Elsewhere In The London Park. His Dog Has Taken To The Water To Prevent The Sheep From Swimming Away
Image credits: George W. Hales/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive
#38 In 1966, Life Magazine Featured A Photo Essay About Bellybutton, A 3-Year-Old Shorthaired Pointer With Amazing Underwater Abilities. He Could Go As Deep As 20 Feet And Would Remain Submerged For Up To 15 Seconds
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#39 Photos Of Chilean Riot Dog Rucio Capucha. Rucio, A Stray Dog, Frequently Joined Protests, And Became A Target Of Deliberate Police Violence. After Being Injured By A Police Water Cannon During A Protest In Santiago, He Was Adopted By A Family
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#40 Humphrey Bogart And His Third Wife, Mayo Methot, With Their Dog, 1944
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#41 A "Dog's Bar" In Paris, Maintained At Claridge's Hotel In The Champs Élysées
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#42 Woman Hailing A Cab In New York City, 1956
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#43 At The Dawn Of Sound In Motion Pictures, A New Genre Of Short Films With Synchronized Sound Called "Talkies" Became Popular.“ In Response, Mgm Studios Came Up With “Barkies.”
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#44 This Photograph Was Probably Taken By Either William E. Baker Or James Larry Johnson, Photographers Who Operated A Photographic Studio At 116 1/2 Dexter Avenue In Montgomery, Alabama, From The 1910s To The 1930s
Image credits: the Alabama Department of Archives & History
#45 An Afghan Hound In A Saab, 1960s
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#46 Dog On The Cover Of Life Magazine
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#47 Children Pose On The Front Lawn Of The White House For A Picture With Laddie Boy, The Harding Family Pet Airedale Terrier
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#48 The Greyhound Bus Company Might Have Been Founded In 1914, But It Didn't Adopt The Greyhound Name Until 1929
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#49 Bluey Was A Female Australian Cattle Dog Born On June 7, 1910. She Herded Cattle And Sheep For 20 Years
Image credits: ahistoryofdogs
#50 A Grave At The Pet Memorial Park In Wantagh, New York
Image credits: @mikesspics
