True or False: Dogs were domesticated before cats.

The story behind the answer

True. Archaeological and genetic evidence shows dogs were domesticated from wolves at least 15,000–23,000 years ago (and possibly earlier), while cats were domesticated later, around 9,000–10,000 years ago in the Near East. Early dog burials, like the Bonn-Oberkassel dog (~14,200 years old), reflect a deep, early human–dog partnership.

Context helps: dogs teamed up with hunter-gatherers for tracking, guarding, and companionship; cats arrived with early farming. As stored grain attracted rodents, wildcats moved in, and humans tolerated—and then valued—them as pest controllers. Memory tip: “Dogs helped hunters; cats helped farmers.” Hunters came before farmers, so dogs came first.