How Humans Ruined Dogs

[Music] a let's be honest this is not the product of evolution have you ever wondered how this Fierce intelligent and agile animal could have turned into this a kind of toy for humans and the worst part what future awaits them in the next 200 500 or 1,000 years it's time to dive deeper into this topic [Music] this is a question that has been on my mind for many years why do certain species seem to evolve negatively or rather why has Humanity influenced some species so negatively as I've grown up my love for animals and dogs

in particular has led me to ask countless questions that I'll be sharing on this channel but let's go back to the beginning it all started in the Ice Age although researchers don't agree on the exact moment or place what is clear is that all modern dogs descend from a common ancestor the gry wolf or canis lupus which has inhabited our planet for approximately 1 million years an animal that earned its place in The evolutionary ladder after millions of years of changes and adaptations regarded as a great hunter it developed a sharp sense of smell excellent

hearing over distances of more than 10 kmet binocular vision with a 250° angle and a system of communication through howls mainly used to attract the attention of its pack not to mention its Advanced teeth equipped to hold prey tear and cut meat in short a well-developed species highly advanced in evolutionary terms that we are lucky enough to still enjoy today but certain individuals in remote areas went one step further they timidly approached the fires lit by primitive humans for warmth and it was there where everything changed their patience sometimes paid off and they were rewarded

with leftovers from that night's meal little by little they became a faithful companion to humans until they became Inseparable that marked the beginning of a close relationship that would extend until today but like everything touched by man there would be consequences and and wolves were no exception that relationship eventually led to the domestication of the wolf bringing with it a new species the canis familiaris or the common dog as we know it today which appeared around 15,000 years ago humans began selecting the tamest individuals resulting in animals with lower adrenaline and melanin which caused physical

alterations like coat color giving rise to the first breeds later and through a somewhat primitive artificial selection they were selecting specific traits that give rise to different breeds of dogs this combined with humans Continental migrations left us with an incredible variety of dog breeds across all continents the so-called domestication syndrome different coats different sizes bodies ears and up to this point everything seemed fine but I've always found it super intriguing how it's possible that such a wide variety of breeds was created in fact it's much more pronounced than with humans and this is where I

want to get to how does the Pug even remotely resemble a golden retriever I know in terms of affection or as a pet it doesn't matter much but biologically it's hard for me to understand how they share more than 90% of their genome to me it's like comparing an alien to a human I'm serious I don't think it's a coincidence that they chose it as one of the protagonists in Men In Black just cuz something's important doesn't mean it's not very very small how small how is it possible that in an effort to create a

perfect breed we ended up designing a fragile comedic animal that suffers just by existing it's this Paradox that made me create this video and delve much deeper into the topic because I truly believe it's important that we all understand this we already know all dogs come from wolves right okay but if is it normal that there are dogs completely deformed standing next to their closest relative the wolf absolutely not just by looking at the difference in skulls between wolves and pugs we can already get an idea of the radical changes their biology has undergone in

fact the internet is full of memes making this comparison because although it might seem funny it's really a reflection of how poorly we're evolving as a species and I want to focus on the Pug not only because it's one of the oldest breeds but because I believe it's one of the most mistreated and the best example of what I want to convey honestly when I see one I feel the same way I do when I see a small dog I like to pet it and I even find it cute but at the same time I

must admit it makes me suffer later on you'll understand what I mean let's go back to the era of domestication apparently in the Asian region specifically in China there are ancient documents that indicate that in the time of confucious around 700 BC there were short snouted dogs in fact they were considered Imperial property just like pearls and Jade Emperor Ling liked them so much that he gave them titles and female dogs were given the same status as his wives this obsession with specific traits and dogs led to breeding with the sole purpose of creating and

perfecting breeds but it also caused cranial deformation giving rise to the three types of skulls found in dogs today doos calic mesophilic and brachy calic like the Pug or Bulldog undoubtedly the most affected but we've heard this story before haven't we in Europe royal families like the habsburgs only married their cousins to keep the power in the family and because of that they turned out horrible since they had no other genes to mix with their genetic defects became more and more pronounced until Carlos II of Spain was born one of the most radical victims of

inbreeding and repeated crosses between close relatives this man was born with a mouth so Twisted he couldn't even swallow had rickets was lame suffered from epilepsy and barely lived to 35 well exactly the same thing happened to purebred dogs especially the oldest ones like the Pug or Bulldog each generation has more defects and less Health all of this was accentuated after the British Invasion of China in 1860 when pugs were found in the Chinese Imperial Palace and brought back to England Queen Victoria became fond of the breed and played an active role in their breeding

which led to even more deformation in barely 200 years they went from having short snouts and relatively athletic bodies to having squashed faces and being stocky and and deformed so yes we can say that this obsession with perfecting breeds and traits comes from the Victorian era where this practice spread and became the lucrative business of purebred dog breeders that we all know today and while nowadays there's a lot more caution and we try not to mix such close relatives the problems of excessive artificial selection are still there in fact all brais spelic dogs like pugs

English and French Bulldog or boxers are much more prone to Serious diseases remember Carlos II well the same thing happens to them their skull is so flat they can barely breathe which is why they spend much of their time snorting and coughing but those are just a few of their problems the list is endless on average pugs have 54 times more likelihood of developing brais phalic obstructive Airway syndrome 51 times more likelihood of having narrow nostrils 13 times more likelihood of suffering from Coral ulcers 11 times more likelihood of having skinfold dermatitis 2.5 times more

likelihood of becoming obese and two times more likelihood of having overgrown Nails as you can see it's an animal born to suffer and honestly I don't think even 10% of people who buy a dog like this know they can have all these problems and while it's clear that all purebred dogs no matter which are more prone to disease than a mut with malformations like hip dysplasia elbow luxation or a shorter life expectancy these issues are always associated with purebred dogs but without a doubt basophilic dogs are the ones who suffer the most honestly as a

dog lover I don't think there's anything better than walking with your dog being able to play with them run and enjoy their healthy life but people who choose these kinds of breeds what are they really looking for do they want something funny a doll these dogs can barely walk because they suffocate and can hardly see think about it we've gone from having a companion we hunted with to degrading them into a toy we admire dress up carry in a purse a backpack or even sometimes in a baby stroller but yes in today's society we think

pets are just that where did the Wolf's incredible attributes go that Vision sense of smell snout agility intelligence or without being too strict where are the natural abilities of a normal dog compared to a dog designed through genetic manipulation like the Pug the wolf was The evolutionary product of millions of years adaptive changes that formed an exemplary animal and we in just a few thousand years are destroying all that Evolution and let me let me be clear I have nothing against pugs because they are not to blame it's the owners who I believe aren't aware

that they're encouraging animals to suffer throughout their short lives and this is where I want to make you think I believe we need to reconsider how we treat animals because at this rate what does the future hold for them I'll leave you with that thought thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next video