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There’s a good reason why wolves became human companions long before domestic breeding turned them into everything from Great Danes to poodles, scientists in Vienna say.
They wanted to be our friends because underneath that furry hide they were a lot like us.
For several years, researchers at Vienna’s University of Veterinary Medicine have been studying wolves that have been raised in captivity just like domesticated dogs, to see how they differ from the canine pets that are in so many of our homes. They have even established the Clever Dog Lab and the Wolf Science Center.
In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers Friederike Range and Zsofia Viranyi offer their “Canine Cooperation Hypothesis.”
According to the hypothesis, ancient wolves already possessed at least three social skills that made them suitable for human companionship: They were tolerant, attentive and cooperative.
Just like dogs.
And they were very social, running in packs, just like humans.