Scientists believe that dogs evolved from a type of wolves back then. Dogs were probably domesticated by accident, when wolves began trailing ancient hunter-gatherers to snack on their garbage. Docile wolves may have been slipped extra food scraps, the theory goes, so they survived better, and passed on their genes.

The dog was the first species and the only large carnivore to have been domesticated. The archeological record and genetic analysis show the remains of the Bonn-Oberkassel dog buried beside humans 14,200 years ago to be the first undisputed dog, with disputed remains occurring 36,000 years ago.

The timing and causes of the domestication of dogs are both uncertain. Genetic evidence suggests that dogs split from their wolf ancestors between 27,000 and 40,000 years ago. The oldest known dog burial is from 14,200 years ago, suggesting dogs were firmly installed as pets by then.

I think knowing about dogs’ history is fun and important if you own a pet. If you own a pet you can learn more about your dog, and what their history was like and get to know them better.