The domestication of animals has influenced history and had a positive impact on people in the past. Domestication can be understood as the process by which animal species came into contact with people and significantly changed the way animals live. The domestication of animals did not happen overnight; it was a complex progression that took many years. Domestication caused social, political, cultural and economic changes (Mammals and humans: domestication and commensals). The dog (Canis lupus f. familiaris) was the first animal to be domesticated. An animal that has been confined and bred for a long period of time, kept in an environment where humans control its food supply and husbandry, and is used economically by humans is considered a pet. The beginning of the relationship between dogs and humans is uncertain. However, the dog's ancestor is the wolf (Canis lupus). Wolves roamed throughout Eurasia, Central America, North America and North Africa about fifteen thousand years ago. The wolf developed into subspecies that vary in color and size. The two species believed to be the ancestor of the dog are the Eurasian wolf and the Indian wolf (see A1 and A2). Over thousands of years, humans and wolves have become accustomed to each other. Food was the key to attracting wolves. After luring wolves with food, humans appreciated their watchful nature. Since taming an adult wolf was a difficult task, humans of the past began to domesticate pups (wolf pups) instead. The cubs needed to be fed, so the women fed them with their mother's milk. Those who were faithful were allowed to become adults and produce offspring (Mammals and humans: domestication and commensals). Humans greatly valued dogs and Herod...... middle of paper...... (The Piankhi Stele). It is not known how the Egyptians trained their horses, but one teacher compared the horses to schoolchildren. “Horses brought from the fields forget their mothers. Yoked they go up and down on all his majesty's errands. They become like those who generate them, who are in the stable. They do everything for fear of being beaten” (Lichtheim). In the eastern Mediterranean the horses of the Egyptians were admired. The Assyrians tried to obtain as many horses as they could (Ancient Egypt: farmed and domesticated animals). The domestication of dogs, goats, cattle, horses, and even other animals we have today was a gradual process. The domestication of animals had a positive impact on people a long time ago. It has caused economic, social, cultural and political changes. Many people today own animals that were domesticated long ago (Mammals and humans: pets and diners