Canine Domestication, Social
Structure and Behavioural Influences

Which Hypothesis is Better Supported?

Evidence indicates that neither hypothesis fully explains domestication. Genetic data suggest a gradual divergence from wolves over 15,000–20,000 years across multiple regions (Kistler et al., 2020). Self-domestication may have resulted from wolves adapting to human settlements and becoming tamer (Perri et al., 2020), causing morphological changes. As social structures grew, humans began actively breeding dogs (Perri, 2016; Morey, 1992). Gradual taming explains why modern dogs are highly sensitive to human cues and form close bonds. This two-stage model, self-domestication followed by directed selection, fits archaeological, genetic, and experimental data (Essler et al., 2017). It recognises both species as individuals (Ciucci et al., 2024) and highlights the social structure shaping dog evolution (Perri et al., 2020).