If I recall correctly, use of dogs in Europe has been traced back to the late paleolithic period (circa 20 000 years BCE). I've no doubt having a dog or a pack of them was a game changer in terms of hunting game, and even protection and company. According to article below, by about 7000 BCE domesticated dogs (wolves?) were commonplace. I imagine they were treated like some husky packs in Alaska and northern Europe / Russia. Not quite house dogs, but living outside in close proximity. Would be great if someone discovered a prehistoric sled or something. Mind you, during the pre central heating ice age, it may have been commonplace to cosy up next to your dogs fer warmth, after all, we probably smelt just as bad ;) Brief article here https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-wolves-really-became-dogs-180970014/
And this is a bit more in depth....suggests that dogs found in Newgrange were from an 'Eastern' strain of pooch, rather than western.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/06/the-origin-of-dogs/484976/
On a different slant pertaining to pets....Evidence for early cat domestication unsurprisingly is from the Middle East region. I guess that to do with grain production and keeping vermin out of yer stash?.
https://www.upi.com/Cats-were-first-domesticated-in-the-Near-East-and-ancient-Egypt-DNA-data-shows/4221497894324/
This made me laugh, and it's obvious if you've ever had a cat...they domesticated themselves.... https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/domesticated-cats-dna-genetics-pets-science/
Anyway, I digress (again)....
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