Humanity’s best friend:A dog-centric approach to addressing global challenges

• Published in: Animals
• Main Authors: Sykes, Naomi, Beirne, Piers, Horowitz, Alexandra, Jones, Ione, Kalof, Linda, Karlsson, Elinor, King, Tammie, Litwak, Howard, McDonald, Robbie A., Murphy, Luke John, Pemberton, Neil, Promislow, Daniel, Rowan, Andrew, Stahl, Peter W., Tehrani, Jamshid, Tourigny, Eric, Wynne, Clive D.L., Strauss, Eric, Larson, Greger
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Dog domestication; Strategic development goals; Sustainable development; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/d0ac0c1d-34d9-4eff-a465-e3d753adbccd; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10030502; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85082818474&partnerID=8YFLogxK

No other animal has a closer mutualistic relationship with humans than the dog (Canis familiaris). Domesticated from the Eurasian grey wolf (Canis lupus), dogs have evolved alongside humans over millennia in a relationship that has transformed dogs and the environments in which humans and dogs have co-inhabited. The story of the dog is the story of recent humanity, in all its biological and cultural complexity. By exploring human-dog-environment interactions throughout time and space, it is possible not only to understand vital elements of global history, but also to critically assess our present-day relationship with the natural world, and to begin to mitigate future global challenges. In this paper, co-authored by researchers from across the natural and social sciences, arts and humanities, we argue that a dog-centric approach provides a new model for future academic enquiry and engagement with both the public and the global environmental agenda.