Dogs Have Been ‘People’s Best Friend’ For Over 20,000 Years

Getty Images Smiling dog jack russell terrier lying in the grass with tennis ball. Dog enjoys playing ball, concept of active plays with the dog
How long have dogs been ‘people’s best friend’? More than 20,000 years, scientists say. A new study released this week claims that the first humans to migrate into North American 15,000 years ago brought their dogs with them. But the human-canine connection goes back even farther than that – it’s believed that dogs were first domesticated in Siberia some 23,000 years ago.