when did humans start keeping dogs as pets
Origin of the domestic dog
The origin of the domestic dog is not clear . The domestic dog is a member of the genus Canis , which forms part of the wolf - like canids , and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore . The closest living relative of the dog is the extant gray wolf and there is no evidence of any other canine contributing to its genetic lineage . The dog and the extant gray wolf are sister taxa as modern wolves are not closely related to the wolves that were first domesticated . The archaeological record shows the first undisputed dog remains buried beside humans 14,700 years ago , with disputed remains occurring 36,000 years ago . These dates imply that the earliest dogs arose in the time of human hunter - gatherers and not agriculturists . The dog was the first species to be domesticated . 
The origin of the domestic dog is not clear . The domestic dog is a member of the genus Canis , which forms part of the wolf - like canids , and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore . The closest living relative of the dog is the extant gray wolf and there is no evidence of any other canine contributing to its genetic lineage . The dog and the extant gray wolf are sister taxa as modern wolves are not closely related to the wolves that were first domesticated . The archaeological record shows the first undisputed dog remains buried beside humans 14,700 years ago , with disputed remains occurring 36,000 years ago . These dates imply that the earliest dogs arose in the time of human hunter - gatherers and not agriculturists . The dog was the first species to be domesticated .
The origin of the domestic dog is not clear.  The archaeological record shows the first undisputed dog remains buried beside humans 14,700 years ago, with disputed remains occurring 36,000 years ago. These dates imply that the earliest dogs arose in the time of human hunter - gatherers.
The origin of the domestic dog is not clear . The archaeological record shows the first undisputed dog remains buried beside humans 14,700 years ago , with disputed remains occurring 36,000 years ago . These dates imply that the earliest dogs arose in the time of human hunter - gatherers and not agriculturists .