9781422273005

What Is a Service Dog?

Dogs Throughout History Dogs have lived alongside people for thousands of years as both companions and helpers. While no one knows exactly when or how they became domesticated , at some point in time, both humans and the wolves that would eventually evolve into the domesticated canines that we know today figured out that it was beneficial for both species to work together. The first relationship between the two may have begun with a wolf living on the outskirts of a person’s living space, taking and eating the scraps of food that were left behind. The person then perhaps discovered that the wolf would bark and alert them to approaching danger. Evidence found at archaeological sites of ancient civilizations has shown that dogs were not only considered to be useful helpers to those they lived with but also valued as companions. In one of the oldest known stories, The Epic of Gilgamesh , dogs appear as the treasured companions of the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. While the people of the ancient Middle East utilized canines as hunters and guardians, artwork and inscriptions show that they were also viewed as companions and lived in homes with people, just as they do today.

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