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This one took some digging, but we managed to find a pithy explanation at Alpo.com offered by dog behaviorist Dr. Ilana Reisner. The answer relates to the fact that dogs and wolves share over 99% of their genetic material. "Dogs are often found digging into cool soil to escape hot weather; by digging and then turning several times they can direct their bodies into the curled posture that will best take advantage of the depression's
coolness." This is a remnant of the burrowing behavior of their wild cousins and ancestors. Recent scientific studies suggest that dogs were domesticated much earlier than previously thought. Instead of dating them with the advent of agricultural societies around 15,000 years ago, they may have been domesticated by primitive cultures as much as 100,000 years ago. What's in a howl? According to Nova Online, the low pitch and long duration of a wolf howl helps it carry across tundra and through forests. A wolf pack that howls together stays together; howls are used to locate and identify family members.
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