Throughout the long course of history, dogs have helped people hunt, protect livestock, drive away wild beasts, guard homes, and even deliver messages in emergencies, playing a tremendous role in human survival, reproduction, and development. It is precisely because of the dog's sincerity that a deep friendship has been forged between humans and dogs.
The dog is one of the earliest animals domesticated by humans. From an archaeological perspective, remains of domestic dogs have been discovered at early human cultural sites in China, including the Yangshao Culture, Longshan Culture, and Dawenkou Culture sites in the Yellow River basin, as well as the Hemudu Culture and Liangzhu Culture sites in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. From an evolutionary perspective, during the period when humans relied on hunting for survival, hunters were often followed by wild dogs. When prey was wounded by hunters, these wild dogs would gather to snatch the kill. The hunters would take what they needed and leave the rest for the wild dogs. Over time, hunters and wild dogs gradually became familiar with each other, slowly building a bond of affection. Thus, wild dogs were gradually domesticated into household dogs.
In the mythological legends circulating among the Kazakh, Mongolian, and Uyghur ethnic groups, the domestication of dogs by humans is directly attributed to divine will: after creating humans, the gods created the dog as the first animal, telling the dog that its future master would be humanity and its mission was to protect human life and property. Therefore, having been entrusted by the gods, dogs are extremely loyal to humans, helping them guard sheds and enclosures, hunt, and keep watch at night, working tirelessly without complaint, all because this is the decree of the gods.
No matter what, loyalty to its owner is the instinct of a dog. When hunting, a dog will constantly keep in touch with its owner, almost like a hunting companion fighting side by side. When running, a dog will also circle around its owner, treating the owner's home as its own and the area around the house as its territory. When the owner opens the door in the morning, the dog will run around and join in the excitement. When the owner works in the fields, the dog will squat at the edge of the field as a lookout. When a stranger comes to the house, the dog will run to the owner and react defensively, driving the stranger away. As the saying goes, "A son never thinks his mother ugly, and a dog never despises its family's poverty." Regardless of the owner's social status or the family's wealth, a dog is forever unwaveringly loyal to its master.
In an era when communication technology was underdeveloped, dogs could also serve as messengers for people. The "Shuyi Ji" (Records of Strange Things) tells such a story: During the Wei and Jin dynasties (220-420 CE), the scholar Lu Ji raised a remarkably understanding dog named Huang Er (Yellow Ear). One time, Lu Ji had important matters to communicate to his family while in the capital, but the matter was so critical that he could not find a trustworthy person to entrust it to. So he instructed Huang Er, saying, "I am giving you this letter. You must take it back to my family for me, and only return after obtaining their reply." With that, Lu Ji tied the letter to Huang Er's hind leg, and Huang Er set off. By the forty-ninth day, Huang Er had not yet returned, and Lu Ji was extremely anxious. On the fiftieth day, Huang Er finally came running back, haggard and exhausted. Lu Ji quickly removed the reply from Huang Er's leg and read it hastily. After finishing the letter, he realized that Huang Er had died from overexertion and exhaustion. Lu Ji was deeply grieved and built a tomb for Huang Er, which later became known as "Huang Er's Tomb."
Dogs are also highly intelligent and use methods similar to wolves to herd sheep, which greatly benefited the development of human hunting and animal husbandry. When humans hunted, dogs would track wild animals and assist in herding sheep, driving away wild beasts. They played a pivotal role in the complete domestication and large-scale breeding of hoofed animals such as goats and sheep, making an indelible contribution to the development and progress of agricultural society. Even in today's highly advanced technological era, dogs remain indispensable companions in people's lives. Beyond continuing to be used for guarding homes and deterring thieves, dogs are also kept as pets. Additionally, the military specifically trains working dogs to search for criminals, detect drugs, and inspect prohibited items such as explosives and weapons, making their uses extremely broad.
Further Reading
Mythological Legends of the Dog
According to legend, long ago, the dog felt lonely and wanted to make friends with other animals. The dog first approached the wild rabbit, but at night, the rabbit fell asleep in the grass, while the dog could not sleep and kept barking at every sound. The rabbit whispered to the dog, "Are you crazy? Why are you barking in the dark? If a wolf hears you, it will come and eat us." The dog thought the rabbit was a coward and went to befriend the wolf. At night, the dog barked incessantly at the rustling wind, and the wolf said that if a bear heard the barking, it would come and eat them. So the dog left the wolf and went to befriend the bear. The dog kept watch outside the bear's cave, but again it barked continuously. The bear, angered by the barking, said, "Why are you making such noise? If a human hears it, they will come and capture me." The dog thought to itself that the bear, though strong and robust, was not as brave as a human. Finally, the dog found a human. At night, the human slept inside the house while the dog kept watch outside. When the dog barked at night, the human would come out to check, and instead of scolding the dog, would give it some food. The dog felt that humans were the best of all. And so, the dog and humans became close friends.