by Brian Fleming

Created on: January 20, 2009   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

If diamonds are a girl's best friend, than dogs are a man's best friend. But how did this come to be? When did man and dog become inseparable? Did Adam have a canine pal? How come cats, birds, or pigs aren't man's closest companion? To answer these questions, let's jump into the canine time machine, set the dial to 12000 B.C.E. Here we go!

2009...2005...1933...1500...466...0...1000...3423 ...6444...10210...1200 B.C.E.!

As early as 12000 B.C.E., dogs and men began their epic friendship. Proof of this are archaeological evidence found in a German burial sight; although, in this point in time, dogs had not been domesticated. Step back into the time machine and fly forward to 6000 B.C.E.

The earliest domestication of dogs was in Neolithic China (7000 B.C.E.). It is not clear; however, why dog and man began their friendship here. Maybe man was tired of sleeping on the floor by himself after a big fight with his wife, at least this way, man could have a dog to keep him company until his wife cooled down. Jump back into the time machine, as the coordinates are now set to Sweden, 3700 B.C.E.

By now, man had formed into simple hunter-gatherer societies. Maybe man decided dog meat really didn't taste as good as other types of meat, or maybe man discovered dogs would play fetch with them; whatever the reason, man began to use dogs to help them hunt for their community. Our modern day rottwilers and pit bulls can attest to to this hunting instinct. Now, use the time machine to flip instantly to five A.D.

Dogs were still man's best friend (by far the longest relationship of all time). Dogs were not only companions in the Roman Empire, but also continued to help man hunt. At that point in history, hunting was no longer only for killing animals to feed the community. Hunting had become a sport, refined and defined by the Romans. Archaeological evidence shows that Romans used dogs in hunting sports, such as killing lions for entertainment. Now the dog was not only a friend to man, but an entertainer as well.

Uh oh, looks like the time machines almost out of gas, better get back to the present.

Now adays, dogs continue to be man's best friend, as well as his support, and entertainment. No friendship has outlived that of man and dog. Two thousand years from now man and dog will still be best friends, floating together in their hovercraft houses, playing fetch with rocket-powered frisbees.

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