| Summary: | This thesis aims to study the behavior of nursing and whether it’s been affected by the domestication of dogs. Pupps are raised through complex social dynamics demonstrated in both dogs and arctic foxes, this may have changed in dogs due to different treatment and ideologies surrounding dogs compared to the natural way of a canid. By analyzing carbon and nitrogen (δ13C & δ15N) through IRMS, the diet of historic dogs and arctic foxes represents nursing and weening in dogs, who for certain is influenced by humans, and foxes who are not. Modern day arctic foxes from Canada, Russia, Island and Sweden are compared to paleolithic arctic foxes from Sunghir, Russia. The result shows an adequate diet without much variation indicating no changes in the species cycle of behavior, therefore being a good representative to the dog’s wild counterpart. Modern day puppies with well-known nursing pattern and diet resulted in lower values of δ15N than both the arctic foxes and a medieval dog from Sigtuna. It showed a highly carnivores diet including marine elements which entails that nursing can be seen in single canine individuals, however more research is required surrounding tooth dentine, its formation and eruption in canines.
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