When did people start keeping pets?

People often wonder when humans began keeping dogs as pets, given the millions of pet dogs worldwide.

It was traditionally thought that dog domestication started around 15 000 years ago.

New evidence indicates that humans might have domesticated wolves much earlier, potentially around 40 000 years ago.

So, the question remains: when did humans start keeping dogs as pets, and why did they feel the need to have furry companions in their lives?

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The history of pet domestication

Humans may have domesticated dogs around 40 000 years ago, but their roles in our communities have changed over time.

Initially, dogs were primarily domesticated for functional purposes.

They assisted with hunting, guarding, and herding, which were vital tasks in those early times.

As humans shifted towards farming around 8,000 years ago, dogs continued to help by protecting crops and controlling mice and rats.

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Dogs didn’t only serve functional roles; they had cultural significance in many societies.

In ancient times, some believed pets were intermediaries between humans and the deceased.

Certain societies thought dogs needed to consume a human body for passage into the afterlife, while others believed dogs had the power to prevent death.

In ancient Greece, therapists and doctors kept dogs, thinking they had healing properties.

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This article was compiled with the help of Artificial Intelligence