It’s no secret that it’s dogs that hold the title of man’s best friend, and they have for quite some time now. But before they became the lazy, unbearably cute and seemingly always snackish creatures we now share our sofas with, they were animals confidently roaming the wild. (Yes, that’s probably difficult to imagine looking at your dog trying to break free of yet another weird position or place it found itself stuck in.)
Nowadays, every dog owner’s camera roll is brimming with proof of said critter being a human’s loyal companion. But if you’d like to see some images dating tens if not hundreds of years back, scroll down to find some of the best posts shared by ‘A History Of Dogs’ Instagram account, and enjoy.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interviews with the creator of the Instagram account, as well as the professor and chair of Florida Gulf Coast University's department of Biological Sciences, Charles Gunnels, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about domesticated animals.
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This Is The Official Nasa Portrait For Now Retired Astronaut Leland Melvin
The story behind this is fun, too. In short: Astronauts always took photos with family members. Animals however were not allowed, so with some help he sneaked them on the premises and had to prevent them from barking, had quickly the photo taken and the helper got the dogs off the premises in a flash.
This is so cool, have seen this photo dozens of times but didn't know that!
Load More Replies...I have seen this portrait a few times. Each time, it gets more beautiful than the time before. Precious.
I really love the fact that they allowed his dogs to be in a official portrait.
They didn't, actually animals were not permitted at all on the premises. See above for condensed version of the story.
Load More Replies...An Award Winning Photographer, Piccoli Is A Master At Capturing Dogs In Motion
... That's not a 'Dog'. That's a Surface-to-Air Missile Launch! Thunderbird 2 could not make a better takeoff!
This is SO me and my Zoey... Best frisbee dog in Northern Indiana!! She is going on 11.
A Caribou Inuit Girl Holds Her Canadian Eskimo Puppy
The puppy is thinking, "No one told ME it was picture day!"
Vintage, if the 50's are considered that. This picture is more vivid than the origional.
Load More Replies...Created roughly five years ago, ‘A History Of Dogs’ has already amassed close to 140k followers on Instagram, who enjoy seeing fun dog pictures from different time periods pop up in their feed. If you’re curious to learn how it all started, the reason was pretty simple—the mastermind behind the account simply put together the two things they love most.
“I'm a dog lover and history buff so combining the two was fun for me,” they told Bored Panda in a recent interview. “I enjoy the storytelling and research involved in each post. I wish I had more time to do it.”
The Final Exam For German Police Service Dogs To Remain Calm In Front Of A Cat, 1987
Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil...
In my country at the moment, people are rehoming greyhounds who used to be runners. They have a cat and a small fluffy dog on staff for just this reason. To certify that a greyhound is safe around cats. Most aren't. This cat would be an official member of the police force.
Dog people admire the dogs , but can we talk about the real rockstar here?
The TV Reporter Gerd Ruge Interviews Bastian, The English Basset Belonging To West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, In Front Of The West German Parliament In Bonn, Germany, On June 4, 1972
Erm, well quite rightly soooo, yes I have Sir! Ahem 😅
Load More Replies...True superstars never are. They know who they are, and don't need artificial validation.
Load More Replies...Discussing the possible reasons why people seem to enjoy browsing historical pictures of dogs, the creator of the Instagram account suggested that netizens like learning something new. “Many didn't know there were dogs on the Titanic, or that there's a dog mummy at the Egyptian Museum, or that Reykjavík banned dogs for 60 years,” they pointed out.
“Kitten And Foster Mother” Photo Postcard C. 1915
Seeing pictures of dogs from so long ago always makes me sad for some reason
“All Ears.” NYC, 1980
Just so all you younglings know, colour photography has been in use since the 50's. Any black and white photography you see from the 80's is, by that point, an art style choice and not a technology limitation.
Tatler Magazine, London, May 16, 1928
I could be wrong, but I think there's a third one in this photo.
Load More Replies...It doesn't look like anyone's in the mood to tattle.
It will likely come as no surprise, but the dog enthusiast creator of the Instagram account is a dog owner themselves. “Dogs are the best,” they said, adding one of their favorite stories about their pet:
“I used to have a terrible boss. When I brought my well-trained, fully potty-trained dog to my boss's studio for the first time, he walked in and immediately took a piss on my boss's personal bag. I was apologetic, but I know why my dog did it. Who else would do that? No one. Definitely not my cat, even though I love him a lot too.”
Knife Grinders In France In The Early 1900s. The Workers Laid Face Down To Save Their Backs From Being Hunched Over All Day. They Brought Their Dogs To Lay On Their Legs For Warmth
I realize this is a historical photo but something about it looks extremely AI. I’m saying this as the wood stove has no flue. And I have never seen a wood stove like that. Also what is this job? The dogs (there’s a second small dog on the third man) are sitting on these guys legs as to what? Prevent them from falling forward into the hole as they do what exactly? There is no equipment for working.
Fully-Packed Londoners Leave Town, Carrying Golf Clubs And A Happy Dog, For An Easter Holiday Break In 1930
Betty White At Home With Her Dog, 1957
Betty White was always a huge animal advocate. I read somewhere that she said she got it from her father, who had a huge soft spot for animals, was always rescuing strays, and bringing them home to foster and adopt out. She grew up helping him with the animals they were caring for, and that set the tone for her lifelong commitment to animal welfare. One helluva cool lady. RIP Betty!
Any dog owner would likely agree that even when their critter finds themself in some sort of a pickle or does something they shouldn’t have done (like peeing on their boss’s bag, for instance), they can look awfully cute. According to the biology professor Dr. Charles Gunnels, we often find animals’ goofy behavior to be quite adorable because we have co-evolved to domestic animals the same way domestic animals have evolved to us.
“Much of the research has focused on domestic animals having evolved to us. For example, a recent study found that dogs—and not wolves—evolved a muscle above their eyes that allows them to raise their ‘eyebrows’ in a similar fashion to human facial expression. The follow-up study has not been completed yet, but I would expect that people show a strong preference for dogs that can produce this signal.”
In 1968, The Beatles Released The White Album, And With It, A Song Called “Martha My Dear.” It Was Inspired By And Written About Martha, Mccartney’s Dog
Martha, you look just like my girl (now passed) named Lucie. I think Old English are Beatles spirit animals, along with John's Siamese
Dog School, California, Ca. 1929
Manchester Terrier With Cape, 1905
You 'will' treat me with the respect to which I am entitled.
It’s difficult to say when exactly dogs started drifting away from their predecessors, wolves, but some sources suggest that it’s a process that likely started roughly 40,000 years ago.
“Humans and the willingness to associate with humans is the most important difference between wild animals and their domestic counterparts. Animals that were willing to associate and interact with humans made the first steps towards domestication,” Dr. Gunnels suggested, pointing out that those which avoided humans remained wild.
“The domestication process and the willingness to associate or avoid humans is the first—and I would argue—the most important piece in the domestication process. You cannot domesticate animals that actively avoid humans. This final statement may be overly simplistic, but it is true.”
Dog Eating Ice Cream Cone Hidden Behind Boy’s Back. New York, 1949
Omg my dog did something like this once. I was visiting my parents and we were eating in the living room. My dad had some food in his hand and was resting his forearm on the arm rest of the sofa. The dog took a drive by bite. Literally on the way past. I burst out laughing and my dad hadn’t even realized. It would have been the stealthiest thing and she’d have gone unnoticed if I hadn’t been there.
The Concierge’s Dog. Paris, 1929. Photo By André Kertész
knowing that concierge also means gossip in French, the photo takes on another meaning :D
Charging Thunder, A Sioux Native American From Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
I thought charging thunder was the mans name? Did this just *woosh*?
Load More Replies...“Honestly, I think that humans have co-evolved preferences for animals that are important in their lives, such as pets and other domestic animals,” Dr. Gunnels said, suggesting that people clearly benefit from their presence.
“There is tons of evidence that shows a positive effect of pets on people; pets are associated with physiological, mental, and behavioral improvements in people. This does not mean that pets benefit everyone, but pets have clear positive effects on many,” the expert added.
Henri Matisse, His Dog, And His Monstera
A Dalmatian With A Disney Artist At The Walt Disney Studio In Burbank
I love this. One of my favorite Disney movies. My favorite of the pups is Rolly—so chubby and adorable
Dog Of Randall The Jeweler, Ca. 1875
That's what is says in the caption. You can't lie on the internet.
Load More Replies...The positive influence pets have on us is likely why so many people enjoy browsing animal-related content. “It would make sense that humans have strong preferences for something that they have benefited from throughout recent (10,000+ year) history.”
Discussing what affects the well-being of the animal itself, the professor of biology suggested that three main factors tend to influence animal behavior the most, which are health and well-being, social environment, and genetics and how genes interact with the environment.
A Woman And Her Dog In Harlem, NY. 1943
Portrait Of Harold Lloyd Sitting And Holding His Dog Specks In His Lap. The Dog And Harold Are Wearing Matching Eyeglasses. Date Unknown
18-Year-Old Alice Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's Eldest Daughter, In 1902 With Her Dog, Leo, A Long-Haired Chihuahua
I love this woman. Apparently, she was wild. Wore trousers (gasp!), smoked, drank, gambled. Her dad - the President - once said 'I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both'.
I heard she also had a pet snake (or python?) that she would take to parties
Load More Replies...If dog content is something you enjoy, you have definitely found yourself in the right place, as we have plenty more in store for you; continue to Bored Panda’s category dedicated entirely to them and see for yourself.
Happy scrolling!
4th Century Bce Greek Mug. Located At The National Etruscan Museum Of Villa Giulia
Jackie Robinson, His Dog, And His Wife Rachel At Their Home In Stamford, Connecticut, Shortly After He Was Voted Into The Baseball Hall Of Fame In 1962
I giggled because the title mentioned the dog before the wife.
Photos Of Chilean Riot Dog Rucio Capucha. Rucio, A Stray Dog, Frequently Joined Protests, And Became A Target Of Deliberate Police Violence. After Being Injured By A Police Water Cannon During A Protest In Santiago, He Was Adopted By A Family
I bet he just wanted to play with the big waterhose as all dogs would. Glad he got adopted
there was an other dog El Vaquita that there was a faked demostration for to get him to a vet
A bit more of the story: After being adopted and nursed to health, Rucio kept running away to join the protesters over and over again.
People And Their Dog In Nebraska
Writer Kurt Vonnegut And His Dog Pumpkin
On June 19, 1944, W.n. Ely`s American Foxhound, Lena, Of Ambler, Pa., Gave Birth To 23 Healthy Puppies. It Was Her First Litter, And It Gave Her The World Record For The Largest Litter Of Puppies To Survive
When asked to comment, Lena said, "I'll be happier when they start sleeping through the night".
Konrad The Dachshund Sits On Some Of His Winnings From The Gaines Dog Food “Lucky Dog” Contest, 1949
Fun fact - the dog food called Winalot was originally formulated for racing greyhounds, hence the name
In 1966, Life Magazine Featured A Photo Essay About Bellybutton, A 3-Year-Old Shorthaired Pointer With Amazing Underwater Abilities. He Could Go As Deep As 20 Feet And Would Remain Submerged For Up To 15 Seconds
This Photograph Was Probably Taken By Either William E. Baker Or James Larry Johnson, Photographers Who Operated A Photographic Studio At 116 1/2 Dexter Avenue In Montgomery, Alabama, From The 1910s To The 1930s
Outfit puts it closer to the 1910's than the 30's. That collar was incredibly popular in the mid 10's.
Johnny Lunchbucket And Friend - "A" Train To Brooklyn, New York, 1940s
On March 16, 1938, Hyde Park’s Own Shepherd LED His Sheep Along The Serpentine Pathway To New Grazing Grounds Elsewhere In The London Park. His Dog Has Taken To The Water To Prevent The Sheep From Swimming Away
A Bronze Statue Of A Dog Named Rex, Lying On A Stone Platform Engraved With His Name. Rex Was The Faithful Companion Of John E. Stow, One Of The City’s Longest Practicing Fruit Merchants, Who Died In 1884
The same happens at the gravestone of Greyfriars Bobby
Load More Replies...In 1942, Pepito Von Zalez Became The First Chihuahua To Climb Mount Everest
Was that even healthy for the wee thing? Or is this a joke that just zoomed over my head here at ground elevation?
As a chihuahua owner - they are very capable, intelligent, good natured digs, contrary to popular opinion.
It wasn't that he wanted to climb Everest... he just couldn't find a lamp-post
And did Pepito Von Zalez climb back down again, or can you still visit them there to this day?
A "Dog's Bar" In Paris, Maintained At Claridge's Hotel In The Champs Élysées
The Year Was 1962, The Mets Played Terribly, And Their Original Official Mascot Was A Floppy-Eared Beagle Named Homer
As Ashley Grew, Stein Realized The Precocious Pup’s Talents For Catching Flying Discs
In later years it was rumoured that Ashley had caught an alien spaceship.
Now all i can think about is the opening scene in The Flight of the Navigator
Load More Replies...Steven Tyler, His Mother, And His Dog
At The Dawn Of Sound In Motion Pictures, A New Genre Of Short Films With Synchronized Sound Called "Talkies" Became Popular.“ In Response, Mgm Studios Came Up With “Barkies.”
When asked about their new fame, Buster said Woof woof, while Oscar pondered grr, boof, yap yap.
Which was very clever because they were quoting their own movie.
Load More Replies...Bluey Was A Female Australian Cattle Dog Born On June 7, 1910. She Herded Cattle And Sheep For 20 Years
Strangely though, Bluey is a nickname for someone with red hair.
Load More Replies...Family Portrait
Woman Hailing A Cab In New York City, 1956
Next picture is twenty cabs lined up all vying for her business. She probably chose to take the cab of the oldest, most married-looking, and least bothersome of them, just to have some peace and quiet during her journey.
Tabitha, girl, chill out. This is an article about dogs. It's not that serious.
Load More Replies...An Afghan Hound In A Saab, 1960s
I, too, had a Saab 95 and used to take my chihuahua mix on road trips. I miss that car.
Dog On The Cover Of Life Magazine
Humphrey Bogart And His Third Wife, Mayo Methot, With Their Dog, 1944
Agreed. 1962 would have been so much better.
Load More Replies...Children Pose On The Front Lawn Of The White House For A Picture With Laddie Boy, The Harding Family Pet Airedale Terrier
The Greyhound Bus Company Might Have Been Founded In 1914, But It Didn't Adopt The Greyhound Name Until 1929
A Grave At The Pet Memorial Park In Wantagh, New York
One Stray Dog Was A Constant During Protests In Chile, And Spotted Joining Protestors Against The Police. His Name Is El Vaquita, Meaning “Little Cow"
Irish Wolfhounds Were Documented In Rome As Early As 391 A.d
Wally Atkenson, 6 Years Old Of Palos Park, Ill. Sits Between Dogs Members Of The Chicagoland Dalmatian Club, Watching The Movie “One Hundred And One Dalmatians” In The 7th Fl. Screening Room Of The Chicago Theater. Feb. 7, 1961
Kato, Nicole Brown Simpson's Akita In Laguna Beach. February 18, 1995
Cabinet Card Terrier C. 1890. Photo By W. Humphries
The only reason the dog is on the chess table is because a cat knocked off the pieces. Credit where credit is due.
Rin Tin Tin Celebrating Christmas In 1927
"Poodle On A Writing Desk" By Jacques-Barthélemy Delamarreby. Oil On Canvas. Late 18th Century
The Mummy Of A Hunting Dog, Displayed In The Egyptian Museum In Tahrir
A Dog Named Messi Took Home His Own Unofficial Prize — The Palm Dog At The Cannes Film Festival
Marlene Linteau, 17, With Pancho, 6, Showing Off Dog Trailer, La Crescenta, California, 1951
Joan Bradshaw Photographed By Earl Leaf Walking Down Hollywood And Vine, 1957
She's still alive. Was an actress. "Things were looking up for the 21-year-old Bradshaw, who had posed for Playboy, appeared on TV’s Dragnet, and scored a social coup at celebrity clothier Sy Devore’s Halloween party by arriving with Elvis Presley. She married producer Frank Ross in 1961; two years later he persuaded her to quit acting."
The Salish Wool Dog Is A Prehistoric North American Dog Breed That Lived With Indigenous Peoples In What Is Now Washington State And British Columbia. They Were Valued For Their Thick Coats, Which Were Used To Make Textiles And Blankets
“A Very Small Dog”, Jamie Wyeth, 1980, Oil On Canvas
My grandmother worked for Jamie Wyeth when I was teen. I met James Cagney there.
15 Years Old Stevie Wonder, 1965
In 1963, Lady Greyhound Attended The New York World's Fair Where She Had Her Own Fashion Show And Handed Out Paw-Tographs
A Dog At The Funeral Of Martin Luther King Jr, Wearing A Sign That Reads "I Had A Dream, Amen, Amen." April 9, 1968
Burt Reynolds Polishing His Star After It Was Unveiled On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame In Los Angeles, 1978
I love him in “City Heat” with Clint Eastwood. love his moustache :)
Did you know that the person who gets a star on the Walk of Fame has to pay for it themselves? True.
The Coronation Of Pope Pius III, 1509
Gary Mead, Age 5, Rides His Pyrenean Mountain Dog The Half Mile To School Each Morning In Plumstead, London. 1960s
nah, small light child and an absolute unit of a dog that is used to keep packs of wolves away from livestock. that dog is perfectly fine
Load More Replies...I had a Great Pyrenees. His name was Potawatomi, but I often called him Sugar Cookie. When he was about 2 months old, he ran under my Mom's tire (a Vega if anyone remembers that, the cheapest car made) with his front paw and I freaked out. He limped with his paw out, got bunches of attention and checking it out and pets and then not even 2 minutes later he was limping and holding out his OTHER paw! He was a super sturdy giant dog. I can't even begin to imagine a 5 year old boy would be a burden.
It was 60 odd years ago. The dogs been dead for years. Chill.....
Load More Replies...In The Summer Of 1939, The British Government Began Preparing For The Outbreak Of World War II. Part Of That Preparation Involved The Formation Of The National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee
Sadly, the government convinced people that there would be food shortages leading to starving pets, and masses of pets were euthanized unnecessarily before the 'false war'.
False war?? What do you mean by "false"? There was a war. There were food shortages. There were starving people.
Load More Replies...Countess Phyllis Della Faille De Leverghem, Photographed In 1950 By Jack Bims, Is Shown In The Bedroom Of Her Villa In Morocco, Reclining Amidst Her Numerous Chihuahuas, An Afghan Dog, And Her Parrots
did they change the title? It says and is an afghan
Load More Replies...Rembrandt's Baroque-Style Self-Portrait With A Poodle, Circa 1631
During The Victorian Era, A Style Of Photo Called “Hidden Mother” Photography Became Popular. In The Images, Mothers Hide Themselves Under A Piece Of Fabric Strategically Draped Over Their Bodies While Holding Up Their Baby
Brittany Murphy For New York Times Magazine. September 1, 2002
You're a virgin who can't drive. She had such a short and sad life. RIP Brittany.
Liberace Poses Alongside His Beloved Dogs At His Palm Springs Estate In September 1980
The Colisée Café On The Champs-Elysees, 1951. After Watching A Saturday Afternoon Hollywood Movie, Seven American Girls Stop For Some Cokes
Happy Halloween
A Young Lady And Her Baby, Spring Fair, Long Beach, 1951
Anyone Who’s Ever Stayed With Their Dog At The Plaza Hotel Has A Little Dog Named Pinky Panky Poo To Thank
Femme Au Chien, 1962. By Pablo Picasso. The Painting Features Picasso's Afghan Hound Kaboul, Named After The Afghan Capital, And Jacqueline Roque, His Second Wife
Happy Easter
David Hasselhoff And Dogs
Portrait Of Ivan Drašković Found In Trakošća Castle, Located In Northern Croatia
Elvis Presley And Duke The Poodle, December 20, 1957
C.1880s Cabinet Card Of A White Poodle
Mamie Van Doren And Dog, 1955
College Football Dog Mascot Uga, University Of Georgia
Madonna Photographed By Steven Meisel For Versace, 1995
All the different plastic surgeries, plus it's 29 years ago. She looks a bit like Paris Hilton tho in this pic.
Load More Replies...Ju Ju And Her Dog Coppelia. Oil On Canvas Board. Painting By Philip Evergood, 1958
A Dog Featured In “La Visitación” By The Maestro Of Miraflores, 1490
"Yes, I am dog. definitely not an alien! I love to do dog things like borking and walking with my leg. Ik love to dig up bones and do taxes."
I'm surprised there weren't photos of the Fairmont dogs. For decades they have had resident hotel dogs known as “Canine Ambassadors.” maybe next time :)
I'm surprised there weren't photos of the Fairmont dogs. For decades they have had resident hotel dogs known as “Canine Ambassadors.” maybe next time :)
