When the hunter reached the top of the slight ridge he could see for quite a distance ahead.  The wooly mammoth herd he had been following could be seen feeding on the tundra several hundred yards away.  Using their huge tusks to rake the snow, the gigantic beasts moved slowly as they fed on the grasses exposed  by their efforts.  Unknown to the hunter he was the first human being to step foot on to the continent which would be named North America over ten thousand years later.  But he was not alone; accompanying him was his dog.

More than likely this hunter and his dog were not alive when the migration to the new world began.  These ancient nomads were simply following the herds of animals as they crossed the Bering Strait through the ice free corridor we know existed during the peak of the last ice age.  As long as game was easily obtained there was no use to travel great distances.  Only when the herds of mammoths, mastodons, giant bison, and other now extinct animals were hunted out in the area would the small bands of hunters move on.  When they did, the domesticated dogs became pack animals to help carry their supplies.

Much has been written and studied concerning the first people to inhabit the Americas, but very little is known about the first American dog.  Although we know some aspects of the relationship between the hunters and their domesticated dogs, there is still much to be learned.  The role played by these fascinating animals may be more important than it seems at first glance.

Man’s relationship with dogs began many thousands of years ago, some say as much as 100,000 years.  Dog was man’s best friend long before the saying became popular.  Because of archaeological evidence showing dogs living with humans we have a greater understanding of the relationship they mutually enjoyed.  The dogs had a steady food source and enjoyed the companionship of the human families, while the humans had ever vigilant guards to warn them of intruders.

Some scientists have put forth the theory of dogs domesticating humans instead of the other way around.  The Eurasian gray wolf is the species from which all dogs originated according to DNA evidence obtained from testing many breeds of dogs.   Perhaps some of these wolves were more personable than others and enjoyed human contact.  By hanging around the campsites they would receive handouts from the hunters and their family members and a bond was formed.  This trait can still be noticed in foxes and wolves.   These hangers-on would follow the clan, mate with each other, and further increase the domestic tendencies.     

Eventually the dogs were bred for their hunting ability as well as for other traits needed by the humans.  Tracking and bringing animals at bay for the hunters to kill was almost  certainly a useful task for the animals.  They were also used as pack animals to the nomadic bands of hunters.  Some pulled small travois or sleds loaded with supplies needed for travel.  In some cases they were portable sources of food in emergency situations.  Wonderful animals indeed.

But the hunters were not the only creatures following the herds.  Saber tooth cats, Dire wolves, American lions, and other predators were always waiting for a chance at an easy meal.  This also included the hunters and their families, especially when they were butchering one of the large animals they managed to kill.  The smell of blood would entice these vicious killers in close to investigate.  The dogs would warn of their approach giving the hunters advance warning to be ready.  There is no doubt some of them gave their lives protecting their adopted families.

The ancestors of these first American dogs were present in many native tribes when the first Spanish explorers landed in Florida.  Hernando De Soto’s mention of them was devoid of a clear description other than they looked like long haired wolves but barked instead of howled as a wolf does.  Although other reports of American dogs are given by other European explorers, nowhere is the dog described as being an attractive animal.  Some Native Americans report the dogs as being double jointed so they could burrow into holes after animals easier. 

George Catlin lived among various tribes of Plains Indians during the 1830’s.  His wonderful paintings preserved a way of life enjoyed by these people in the only way possible.  Beside portraits of important chiefs and warriors, everyday life is colorfully displayed, including a few glimpses of the dogs living among the people.  In one particular painting two dogs appear very similar to the description given by the De Soto chronicler.  But these dogs could be of European descent. 

Many scientists believe the true American dog no longer exists.  There seems to have been a systematic eradication of the native dogs by the European settlers.  They introduced the Old World breeds to the New World and discouraged crossing them with the native dogs.  The Native American’s themselves started raising the European dogs and further assisted the eradication effort.  In some places it was illegal to raise or possess the native breed.

There are several breeds claiming native status but science seems to say otherwise.  DNA testing appears to indicate very few native genes in most claimants.  Even the Eskimo dogs have DNA from European breeds.  But science is advancing rapidly and someday we will know more about these important animals.  With cloning extinct animals becoming a distinct possibility we may even get to see a true American dog at a future time.

Scientists today think there have been several migrations to the Americas in the past.  Ocean-going people may have followed the kelp beds to the western coast of the U.S. and settled here.  Some may have used rafts such as Thor Heyerdahl did in Kon Tiki.  But dogs are not particularly useful on a boat or raft during a long ocean voyage.  So we are left to assume they entered this country with the hunters following the game. 

They say you don’t miss things you’ve never had, but this isn’t always true in today’s informative world.  These first American dogs protected, loved, and helped the first immigrants to our country and we repaid them by completely wiping them out.  We saved the bison and the bald eagle but lost the animals who loved us the most.  Damn our historical reality.