Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

by Yuval Noah Harari

The dog was the first animal domesticated by Homo sapiens, and this occurred before the Agricultural Revolution. Experts disagree about the exact date, but we have incontrovertible evidence of domesticated dogs from about 15,000 years ago. They may have joined the human pack thousands of years earlier.

As I watch my Scottish Terrier slumber on the couch in my office I can fully understand how she could contribute to my ability to survive by helping me hunt and coming to my defense even if it is a sabre tooth tiger menacing me.