---
date: 2025-10-03T16:19:07-06:00
description: "We were made for dogs, and they us."
lastmod: 2026-03-04T01:31:12-07:00
showTableOfContents: true
type: "post"
title: "TIL: We Created Dogs and Dogs Created Us"
image: "/images/otto-1.webp"
image_caption: "Otto, Stalwart"
image_alt: "Image of my sweet pup Otto, Irish Setter 7 months"
tags: ["life", "dogs", "history", "til"]
---

# Context

I started listening to [_Sapiens: A Brief History of Human
kind_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapiens:_A_Brief_History_of_Humankind) and was struck at the significance of dogs
in human history. I [realized](/posts/people-are-actually-right) that dogs really are man's best
friend, and only animal that has evolved alongside us since the hunter gatherer period. Its incredible!

# Reflection

Otto (pictured above) is my first dog. I feel like having a dog isn't for everybody, but having humans is for every dog.
I've found such satisfaction in my relationship with him. We really mutually benefit each other. Dogs are so malleable,
they really pick up on so much of what you do and how you want them to behave. There is some learning required from
you as the human, and moments to stop and think critically about what it is you want from them. But, once you train
something only a handful of times, dogs _learn it_, they _understand_ us. What an incredible relationship us monkeys
created with these wolves.
