There are archaeological finds in Europe showing that a strong relationship between humans and dogs existed as far back as 100,000 years ago. People trained wolves to hunt and to guard humans from lions, bears, and other dangerous predators. In return, the wolves received food, shelter from the rain, and other treats – like something to chew on. This is how the first relationship between humans and dogs began.
When the Stone Age began, humans spent a lot of time breeding offspring that were intelligent and less aggressive. Over time, this breeding resulted in what we now call the dog.
¶The Romans
The Romans were the first to use dogs as pets. The bond became so strong that they began taking dogs with them into wars across Europe. As they traveled through Europe, they collected different dog breeds and brought them back home.
Monks in Rome started breeding purebred dogs to sell to the wealthy. They hung heavy stones around the necks of mixed-breed dogs to prevent them from mating with the purebred dogs.
¶The Crusades
Rats were a very big problem during the Crusades. To prevent the spread of disease, small dogs were used to hunt the rats. Examples of breeds that were used include terriers and spaniels.
¶The Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, hunting was a popular sport in England, which led to a number of different breeds becoming popular at that time – such as the Greyhound and the Mastiff.
¶The first dog show
The first dog show was held in England in 1859. The exhibition brought together many dog lovers from all over the world and helped secure the most popular purebred dogs.
Many new breeds were developed during the 19th century because people no longer cared about the special breeds that had belonged to the upper class. These breeds were developed for specific purposes – above all to help with farming.
¶The dog in the future
To be able to use dogs for new purposes, people must understand how dogs should be trained and raised. Humans have been able to train dogs to do different tasks for several thousand years. Dogs improve people’s quality of life. It has been shown that daily contact with a dog helps physically ill people recover more quickly.
In the future, the relationship between humans and dogs is expected to remain primarily as a companionship-based one, just as it is today.
