The first pets

The dog was the first animal to be domesticated, ie kept as a pet. There is much debate over the date that humans started keeping dogs as pets, and estimates range from 13,000 to 30,000 years ago. The earliest dog bones were found in Belgium 31,700 years ago, and ancient dog bones have also been found across Europe, Australia and Asia.

But why did people start keeping dogs as pets?

Well basically the first ones were just tamed wolves. They would be attracted to human settlements and would get fed. Over time they developed features more like dogs and less like wolves. For example they lost their sharp teeth. Humans then began to breed dogs for uses such as hunting, and keeping guard.

Image: www.dogbreedinfo.com/northerninuitdog.htm