I got this interesting comment from Andrew on my What is Dog Cruelty article -

Question: what is dog cruelty?

Answer: the domestication of dogs is cruel.

What do you think? Is the domestication of dogs cruel? Are dogs that are left in the Wild happier than domesticated dogs?

Let us consider how dogs have fared compared to their wild, not-domesticated brothers and sisters – the gray wolves.

Wild thang!

Wolf vs. Dog

Wolf vs. Dog

Gray wolves have been on and off the endangered species list since 1974. Arguments have been over what constitutes a safe wolf population size – whether it should be 300 wolves or 2000-2500 wolves.

In contrast, based on the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook (2007 Edition), there are more than 72 million pet dogs in the U.S. Clearly, from a survivability standpoint, dogs have done much better than wolves.

Some argue however, that sheer numbers alone does not necessarily indicate quality of life. After all, some of the most populous countries have a relatively low standard of living for most of its citizens.

Therefore, which factors contribute most to a dog’s quality of life?

Dog Quality of Life

Here are some of the key factors that contribute to a dog’s quality of life. If I am missing any, please let me know.

• Food.
• Shelter.
• Health.
• Freedom to roam, dig, roll in skunk sauce, etc.
• Pack companionship.
• Physical and mental activity.

For a quality of life comparison, let us consider each of these factors for domesticated dogs and non-domesticated or wild dogs (e.g. dingoes).

1. Food and Shelter

Food and shelter.

Domesticated dogs often get as much food as they want, fed to them on a silver platter. Non-domesticated dogs must work hard for their food, often traveling long distances to look for prey. Sometimes, they may go hungry for days at a time if no prey can be found.

As we encroach more and more upon the natural habitats of wolves and wild dogs, it will become more and more difficult for them to find proper food sources and shelter. Indeed we should be better animal stewards and protect more of their living areas. But the fact remains that human encroachment is a fact of life that all wild animals must deal with.

In terms of food and shelter, domesticated dogs win out because they are provided with both. Animal laws do at least state that owners must provide their dogs with adequate food and shelter.

2. Health

Wild dogs do not have any special health-care, aside from what they can provide to each other. On the other hand, domesticated dogs are properly vaccinated against dangerous diseases (e.g. rabies, lyme disease) and can receive help and medication for allergies, joint issues, skin parasites, and much more.

As a result, domesticated dogs frequently have better health and live longer lives than wild dogs.

Some may say that wild dogs need not deal with as many human introduced health hazards, e.g. cars and over-feeding. That is true, but most serious health issues are faced by all dogs, including heartworm, rabies, lyme disease, and cancer.

3. Freedom to roam, dig, and roll in skunk sauce

Freedom to dig.

Clearly wild dogs have more freedom. They need not live in a house and are free to migrate over long distances in search for food. They may dig wherever, and roll in whatever that suits their fancy. Nevertheless, unlike domesticated dogs, much of their time will be taken up by the search for food.

Domesticated dogs live in fixed locations (houses or apartments), and often have many rules placed upon them. Many are not allowed to dig at all, and certainly rolling in skunk sauce is a big no-no. Constraints may be placed on where they can walk, how fast they walk, what they can smell, where and when they can pee, what they can eat, and much more.

As far as freedom goes, wild dogs get a much better deal than their domestic counterparts.

Freedom to roll in skunk sauce.

4. Pack companionship

Pack conpanionship.

Wild dogs often live in packs and hunt in packs. A pack is needed for survival and also provides its members with companionship from their own kind.

Domestic dogs have a human pack that they live with. In multi-dog households, they have both human and dog companionship.

However, it is often the case that dog owners are busy and away for most of the day. As a result, domestic dogs may spend most of their lives chained in the yard, and left alone to bark at shadows.

In terms of pack companionship, domestic dogs that do receive good quality time with their pack (human and dog), probably have it best. They have the leisure time to enjoy the company of their family, and get to engage in a larger variety of activity and play. However, wild dogs probably have it better than dogs that are left alone in an empty house for most of the day.

Sadly, a greater number of domestic dogs probably fall into the latter group.

5. Physical and mental activity

Wild dogs get physical and mental exercise every day by necessity – during the hunt for food.

Domestic dogs often get food presented to them in a bowl, and will require other forms of physical and mental exercise. There are a variety of fun ways to exercise a dog including -

• Neighborhood walks and hikes at the park or beach.
• Obedience exercise.
• Fun dog games such as flirt pole, fetch, and soccer.
• Dog sports such as agility, disc dog, fly-ball, and lure coursing.
• Interactive toys.
• Supervised play sessions with other friendly dogs.

A domestic dog that gets a good mix of these activities every day has it better than a wild dog. However, dogs that are not exercised and walked regularly, will have a lower quality of life.

Fun game of flirt pole.

Is the domestication of dogs cruel?

When I started out writing this article – I didn’t think so.

My intent was to write up the pros and cons, then clearly show that domestic dogs have a better life. But after writing this article, the results are not clear at all.

Andrew makes a good point.

Many domestic dogs probably have a lower quality of life than wild dogs. Luckily, there are also a fair number of domestic dogs that enjoy a very good life with their human pack – one that is filled with understanding, joint activity, and a lot of pack companionship.

In the end, the question of quality of life for a domestic dog comes down to us – how we treat our dogs and what laws we enact to protect them. It can be a great life for a dog, if we care to attend to their very simple needs.

Dogs are pack animals and need to spend time with their human pack. They also need exercise and positive outlets for their doggy-energy. That is why it is most important to consider our current time commitments and constraints before getting a dog.

Dogs are pack animals and need to spend time with their human pack.