Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] We know how much we love dogs. But why do dogs love us? Not just with companionship, but with unwavering, unconditional devotion. A kind of love that follows us, waits for us, and stays by our side, no matter what.
[00:00:18] Maybe you felt it yourself, that quiet understanding when your dog looks at you, the way they seem to sense your emotions, offering comfort without a word.
[00:00:28] But where did this bond begin?
[00:00:31] There was a time when humans were wild, vulnerable, always moving, always searching for food. And in the shadows, just beyond the firelight, were the wolves, watching and waiting. But instead of attacking, some of them grew closer, maybe drawn by hunger, maybe by something else. And over time, they. They stayed. They became partners in survival, protectors, and eventually, family.
[00:00:59] And that was the beginning of something extraordinary. A connection that's lasted for thousands of years.
[00:01:07] My name is John Littlefair, and welcome to Never Just A Dog.
[00:01:28] To start the journey, we have to wind the clock back a little. I mean, way back, like 40,000 years ago. Well, dogs, they were wolves.
[00:01:39] Picture prehistoric humans sitting around a fire, eating whatever they managed to hunt or gather.
[00:01:45] Meanwhile, a few wolves lurk in the shadows, hoping for scraps.
[00:01:50] The more aggressive wolves get chased away, but the friendlier, less fearful ones, they get lucky. Over time, these wolves figure out that being close to humans means food, warmth and safety.
[00:02:04] These tamer wolves have pups, and their pups are even friendlier. Fast forward thousands of years and we have dogs.
[00:02:13] The bond between humans and dogs grew deeper as civilizations formed. Ancient societies recognized their usefulness. The first known depictions of dogs appear in cave paintings and carvings dating back to at least 9,000 years.
[00:02:29] Egyptian tombs feature dogs sitting alongside their human companions, some even mummified to accompany their own journey into the afterlife. Dogs didn't just tag along for the ride. They actively shaped human survival.
[00:02:45] Dogs herded livestock, guarded settlements and even helped with transportation, pulling sleds across the Arctic.
[00:02:52] The variety of roles they played influenced their development, leading to different breeds with specialised skills.
[00:03:00] But here's a question that seems like it should have a simple answer. If dogs evolve from wolves, why are there still wolves? I mean, after all, if evolution is supposed to move things forward, shouldn't wolves be out of the picture by now?
[00:03:17] But that's not how evolution works. Evolution isn't a straight line where one species replaces another. It's more like a branching tree with different species adapting to different environments and lifestyles.
[00:03:31] Some wolves adapted to human life and became dogs, while others stayed in the wild and continued to thrive in their own ecosystems.
[00:03:40] Wolves didn't get left behind in the evolutionary race. Instead, they just took a different path. The ones that stayed in the wild continued to be apex predators, perfectly suited to their environment.
[00:03:53] Meanwhile, the ones that cosied up to humans found a whole new way to thrive.
[00:03:59] It wasn't about one species replacing another. It was about diversification.
[00:04:05] So dogs and wolves are two sides of the same coin.
[00:04:09] One choosing a life with humans, the other choosing the wild. But in the end, both parts are valid. Both species have survived and thrived in their own ways.
[00:04:21] And maybe that's a lesson for us too. I mean, life isn't a single path. It's about adapting and surviving and finding your place in the world. Whether it's in the wilderness or curled up on the couch with your favourite human or favourite dog.
[00:04:47] Dogs can read us like a book. Unlike wolves, dogs lock eyes with human, an evolutionary trait developed purely for us. They even develop new facial muscles to give us those legendary puppy dog eyes.
[00:05:02] Dogs have basically become professional human manipulators. Unlike their wolf ancestors, dogs developed an ability to understand human emotions. They know when we're sad. They know when we're excited. They can even recognize facial expression.
[00:05:19] So that puppy dog eyes look. Science says it's an evolutionary adaption. Dogs literally develop special facial muscles just to communicate with us.
[00:05:30] Your dog didn't just decide to love you. It's been written in their DNA for thousands of years.
[00:05:37] And dogs don't just see the world differently from us, they experience it differently.
[00:05:43] While humans rely mostly on sight, a dog's primary senses, smell. And their sense of smell is not just better than ours, it's an entirely different level of perception. Humans have around 6 million scent receptors in their noses. Dogs have anywhere between 220 to 300 million.
[00:06:04] So when we experience strong emotions like stress and fear, sadness, excitement, our bodies release different chemical compounds. Dogs can detect these changes often before we even become consciously aware of them.
[00:06:19] So we know that dogs are emotionally dialled in. But let's get into the science behind that heart melting gaze they give us. Because as it turns out, it's not just cute, it's chemical. So the feeling you get when your dog locks eyes with you and for a second it's like you get each other. Like there's some kind of silent understanding, a connection that doesn't need words.
[00:06:44] Turns out science backs that up.
[00:06:47] Researchers in Japan found that when dogs stare into our eyes, our brains react in the same way they would if you're looking at your own baby. Your dog has basically hacked your biology to make them love you even more.
[00:07:02] This all comes down to oxytocin, which is sometimes referred to as the love hormone. It's what bonds mothers to their babies. But here's the wild part. Dogs trigger that same chemical reaction in us. A researcher named Takeafumi Kukusui studied this by studying dogs and their owners. He found that when dogs and humans spent time locked in eye contact, oxytocin levels spiked by 130% in dogs and a massive 300% in humans.
[00:07:46] Dogs have been our best friends for a long, long time. But now we have the earliest pictorial evidence of that bond. Prehistoric rock art in Saudi Arabia showing humans hunting with dogs on leashes. And these pictures, they could be at least 8,000 years old, making them the earliest known depiction of dogs and art.
[00:08:06] Fossils tell us that dogs existed over 30,000 years ago. But they don't show how we lived together. That's where these rock carvings come in. Discovered by archaeologist Dr. Maria Gorgdon from the Max Planck Institute, she's catalogued over 7,000 figures, including at least 349 dogs. The carvings show them hunting alongside humans, biting prey, surrounding animals and working in packs.
[00:08:35] And these weren't just generic depictions. The artists captured individual markings and characteristics. Eight thousand years ago, someone carved a picture of their dog, just like we take photos today.
[00:08:48] That bond, it's ancient.
[00:08:52] The research was published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.
[00:08:57] I was blown away by this amazing discovery, so I got in touch with Dr. Maria to ask if there's anything more she wished to add. She wrote me back, saying to me, the love between dogs and humans is clearly visible in the rock art because they took so much care to show individual dogs with their individual characteristics.
[00:09:18] They clearly show animals that were well known and well loved.
[00:09:22] Other animal species are shown in much more generic representations.
[00:09:40] Dogs have walked beside us for thousands of years, not just in life, but in the stories we tell. Their loyalty, love and quiet understanding have made them more than just companions. They have become symbols of devotion, resilience, and the kind of love that asks for nothing in return.
[00:10:00] In literature, dogs are often written as mirrors of humanity's best qualities.
[00:10:06] Shakespeare knew this very well. Whether it was with the mischievous crab in the Two Gentlemen or the faithful hounds that symbolize loyalty and class. In Macbeth and J.R. tolkien, a man who understands the power of myth and legend gave us Yuan, the great wolfhound of the Silmarillion, a creature of destiny who defied even the gods for love and loyalty.
[00:10:32] From the collie who crossed mountains to return home in Lassie, Come home to Buck in the Call of the Wild, torn between his love for a man and the call of something ancient. To Enzo, in the art of racing in the rain, who sees life with a wisdom beyond words. Dogs in literature remind us of what it means to love completely. They remain steadfastly by our sides. Others embark on journeys of their own. And some wait, wait for years, believing with every beat of their heart that love will bring their person home.
[00:11:07] But when was the first time this connection between humans and their dogs was ever spoken about, ever written about?
[00:11:15] We have to go back quite some time to 800 BC, and speak about a poet called Homer.
[00:11:23] Homer is one of the most significant figures in Western literature. Often considered the father of epic poetry, he's traditionally credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two foundational texts that have shaped storytelling, language and cultural identity for over 2000 years.
[00:11:44] These works, believed to have been composed in the 8th century BC, offer this rich depiction of ancient Greek society, its values and methodology. Themes of heroism, perseverance, fate and the human condition are deeply embedded in both epics, influencing literature and philosophy throughout history.
[00:12:06] Despite the profound impact of his works, very little is known about Homer's life.
[00:12:13] There's no definitive historical record of his existence, and scholars have long debated whether he was a single poet or a symbolic figure representing a collective tradition of oral storytelling.
[00:12:25] Ancient sources suggest that his compositions may have been spoken orally before being written down.
[00:12:32] Regardless of his true identity, Homer's poetry preserves a detailed account of the values, beliefs and experiences of ancient Greek civilization.
[00:12:43] And within his piece, the Odyssey, the most amazing part is the story of Argos, Odysseus's loyal dog. This passage, though brief, is one of the earliest examples in literature of the deep bond between humans and their dogs, illustrating themes of loyalty, neglect and the passage of time.
[00:13:04] The story of the dog Argos in The Odyssey After 20 years away, 10 years fighting in the Trojan War, and another 10 years struggling to return home, Odysseus finally arrives in Othaka. However, his return is not triumphant. He does not immediately reclaim his home or reveal his identity.
[00:13:24] Instead, he disguises himself as a beggar, carefully observing who has remained faithful to him and who has betrayed him in his absence.
[00:13:34] As he enters the estate, he encounters Argos, his once proud hunting dog, now lying on pretty much a pile of manure and incredibly weak.
[00:13:45] In Odysseus absence, Argos has been neglected, left to deteriorate outside the palace.
[00:13:53] Despite Argos's failing body, he immediately recognises his master.
[00:13:59] Though Odysseus is In disguise, Argos lifts his head and wags his tail, acknowledging with one final effort. Odysseus, unable to break his cover, cannot go to his faithful companion, but he sheds a tear, one of the rare moments in the epic where he openly expresses emotion.
[00:14:20] Shortly after seeing Odysseus one last time, Argos takes his final breath and dies.
[00:14:29] The scene is a powerful contrast to the rest of the Odyssey, which is filled with battles, gods and mythical creatures.
[00:14:37] In a poem that spans the vast struggles of men. This simple moment between a man and his dog is one of the most profoundly human.
[00:14:46] Argos represents unwavering loyalty and patience, waiting 20 years for the return of his master, even as the world has moved on without him. His death, occurring at the moment of recognition, highlights the depth of devotion that dogs have for their owners, a relationship that transcends time, culture and circumstance. Homer captures in just a few lines what dog owners throughout history have known. The bond between a person and their dog is built on trust, love and loyalty.
[00:15:19] The passage continues to resonate with readers today, reinforcing the idea that dogs are not just great companions, but deeply woven into the human experience.
[00:15:30] Argos's story is a testament to the enduring connection between humans and dogs, reminding us that even in the vast expanse of history, some things remain unchanged.
[00:15:43] There are many experts that have questioned Homer's existence.
[00:15:47] But my question is why Homer, the supposed blind poet of ancient Greece, chose to include a dog in the Odyssey.
[00:15:57] Not just any dog, but Argos.
[00:16:01] Argos, the loyal hound who waited 20 years for his master Odysseus to return, only to die upon seeing him again.
[00:16:10] Why did he speak about Odysseus sadness? Why did he speak about Odysseus hiding his tears? How did Homer, if he was truly blind, capture this moment so perfectly? Was it an emotion he experienced himself woven into Odysseus journey? Was it grief hidden within the verses, something Homer couldn't express outright but left us to feel centuries later?
[00:16:37] Or was Homer even one person at all?
[00:16:41] Could the Odyssey have been the collective voice of many, passed down as spoken word before it was even written?
[00:16:49] If so, did this moment, the reunion of man and dog, survive centuries of retelling because it was universally understood?
[00:16:59] Did people of 800 BC feel the same ache in their hearts that we do know now when we lose a beloved pet?
[00:17:08] And here's the most fascinating part. When the Odyssey was Finally transcribed around 650 BC, did scribes or editors ever think about removing this scene? If so, why didn't they? What made this one moment so untouchable because throughout history, from 800 BC all the way up to today, it's never just a dog.
[00:17:36] And maybe before we built our great civilizations, before we surrounded ourselves with screens and endless distractions, something greater than us knew exactly what we'd need. Not just survival, not just progress, but something simpler, something more profound. Maybe that's why a wolf stood in front of us all of those years ago. Not by accident, not by coincidence, but by design.
[00:18:05] Maybe it was never meant to stay a wolf. Maybe it was waiting for us to see it differently, to see beyond its teeth and its wildness to something familiar.
[00:18:17] And as the centuries have gone on, dogs didn't just become part of our world. We became part of theirs. They softened us where we were hardened. They gave us loyalty. In a world that feels unpredictable, they stood behind us through walls and heartbreaks, through lonely nights and uncertain days. They asked for nothing but our presence. And in return, they gave us everything.
[00:18:44] We spend our lives looking for meaning, searching for something to hold onto. And yet it's been there, right along, curled up at our feet, resting its head on our lap, pressing against us in quiet moments when we need it most.
[00:18:59] Maybe that's the greatest gift of all. That in a world that's constantly changing, in a life that can be unpredictable and overwhelming, dogs remain simple, steady and true.
[00:19:12] They remind us of what really matters.
[00:19:15] They remind us that we're loved.
[00:19:19] And in the end, no matter what else happens, together, we both turned out all right.
[00:19:26] My name is John Littlefair, and thank you for listening to this episode of Never Just a Dog.
