Dogs and humans have had a mutual relationship for thousands of years. Dogs were originally domesticated around 14,000-11,500 BC in Asia and Europe. Ancient dog skulls found near the Yangtze River delta in China indicate that wolves started associating with early humans to receive food scraps from the human’s tool production sites or hunting areas – unintentionally initiated by man or intentionally sought by a wolf is not known.
Over time, wolves began living alongside humans and eating scraps leftovers from hunting and gathering expeditions, etc. This led to cross-breeding between the two species which created today’s modern dog breeds! Dogs have been used as work animals since ancient times, they were employed by early hunter-gatherers to both help with the hunt and carry packs. During the neolithic age, dogs were also semi-domesticated or kept around human settlements, not as pets or work animals but as a source of food.
Over time, humans began breeding dogs to emphasize certain physical characteristics, like certain coat colors or herding behaviors. This helped humans to better utilize dogs for their specific tasks. They also bred certain characteristics out of the dog population, like aggression or protective behaviors that were not conducive to domestication.