By Andrew Somerville, and Bailey Cacciatore

Human and canine companionship dates back thousands of years. In North America, a recent University of Arizona study suggests that the first human and canine companionship began forming 12,000 years ago, based on archaeological evidence found in Alaska. For generations human and canid relationships were more utilitarian, as canids performed a variety of tasks for people, which can still be true today.

In Arizona archaeological evidence shows the first possible human and canid connections along the Santa Cruz River in Tucson dating between 1200 to 800 BCE. These early relationships between dogs and Indigenous Peoples in Arizona were potentially both spiritual and pragmatic compared to modern counterparts today. Dogs were revered in many Native American cultures and were seen as guides to the spirit world.