If humans disappeared, what would happen to our dogs?

By Bradley Smith, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, CQUniversity Australia
Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne

For many of us, dogs are our best friends. But have you wondered what would happen to your dog if we suddenly disappeared? Can domestic dogs make do without people?

At least 80% of the world’s one billion or so dogs actually live independent, free-ranging lives – and they offer some clues. Who would our dogs be if we weren’t around to influence and care for them?

What are dogs?

Dogs hold the title of the most successful domesticated species on Earth. For millennia…

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