Why Did Humans Domesticate Dogs?
If you’ve ever had a dog, you know how much fun they can be. But did you know that dogs have been domesticated for at least 15,000 years? The earliest human-dog partnership started when humans first began to domesticate wolves in the Middle East. This happened around the same time as sheep and goats were domesticated around 11,000 years ago.
After being domesticated by humans for such long periods of time, it is easy to think that dogs are simply another breed of human with fur instead of skin. However, there are many reasons why dogs have become domesticated by man...
Hunters
Early humans used dogs to help them hunt. Dogs can track animals, scare them and hold them in place, or even kill them. They can also be used to help carry meat back to the camp from a successful hunt. In addition, some researchers believe that domesticated dogs may have helped early humans defend themselves against predators like large cats and wolves by alerting their owners when predators were nearby and defending against attacks by fighting off the predator or distracting it with barking or other behavior until the human hunter arrives on scene
Guard dogs
Once humans were farming and living together in large groups, they needed a way to protect their property. Dogs have been used to guard livestock and people since ancient times. And though we can't know for sure why humans first domesticated dogs, it's safe to say that there was an increasing need for security as our ancestors became more settled.
When you think about it, this makes sense: If you're going to grow crops or keep animals on your land, you want to be able to protect them from predators (and thieves). Guarding animals from other predators like wolves or bears is one thing; guarding your property from human invaders is another entirely!
Wolves were drawn to humans first
Researchers believe some wolves were drawn to human settlements because they could scavenge food from large camps.
The presence of humans would have drawn in wild wolves, which sought out the most convenient source of food: garbage. The wolves benefitted from these leftover scraps and continued following us when we moved on from one campground or town into another. Thus began our symbiotic relationship with dogs—and this pattern may explain why dogs stick around even when we don’t feed them directly anymore (in fact, many pet owners are happy when their dog eats leftovers).
Romans, Greeks & Egyptians Had Specific Breeds
Dogs have been used for thousands of years to herd sheep and goats, hunt for food, guard settlements and even carry supplies. Ancient civilizations like the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians all had their own breeds of dogs specifically meant for these purposes.
The Romans used mastiffs to guard fortresses and war camps as early as 218 B.C., but because they were also used in warfare, Roman soldiers carried smaller dogs with them on the battlefields—most likely terriers or toy foxes—to kill rats that chewed through leather equipment or gnawed at dead bodies buried within walls before becoming a health hazard to those living inside them
In the end, it’s clear that dogs have been with humans for a long time. And we can’t know exactly when their partnership started, but we do know that it was probably driven by some combination of hunting, guarding and companionship. And whatever the reasons for their initial domestication, there’s no denying that today our relationship is more than just interdependent—it's downright symbiotic!