Interspecific cooperation in human (Homo sapiens) hunting: the benefits of a barking dog (Canis familiaris)

The first wild animal humans domesticated was the wolf (Canis lupus). The benefits of dog presence for human hunting success is often mentioned as a probable factor initiating the domestication of the wolf. We compared the per-hunter moose (Alces alces) hunting success of four hunter groups of different sizes with and without a dog. Groups with a dog had a higher hunting success for every group size. The difference was most pronounced for the smallest group (< 10 hunters) — hunters with a dog obtained 56% more prey than those without a dog. Indeed, the mean hunting success was the highest for the smallest groups with a dog. Among larger groups, hunting success was independent of the group size regardless of whether or not a dog was present. In groups over ten hunters, hunting success correlated with the number of dogs. The benefit of hunting with a dog had a density-dependent pattern: the benefit increased when moose density was low. Our results give quantitative support to the hypothesis that the benefits of cooperative hunting was a potentially important factor in the wolf domestication process.