Traditionally, humans acquired dogs to serve functional purposes (Marston & Bennett, 2003). We were able to document a relationship between humans and dogs as early as twelve thousand years ago. As our ancestors began to become less nomadic, they settled down and began forming small communities where they learned to grow crops and raise livestock (Horowitz, 2009 ). These settled communities were sufficiently stable that it wasn't long before wild animals began to notice that they were producing large amounts of waste. Wolves are scavengers as well as hunters and may have been some of the first animals to discover this lost treasure (Horowitz, 2009). The least fearful of these wolves became increasingly undaunted by the presence of unknown humans. Together, the two species began to tolerate each other through prolonged encounters until, eventually, humans began to welcome some cubs as "pets" or, in times of trouble, "food." serve as assistant hunters and protectors (Horowitz, 2009). We can only assume that the functionality of these domesticated wolves served a great purpose; why else would you justify letting a meat eater into your home? It would be difficult to provide supplies for such an animal, and if one were unsuccessful, it would run the risk of becoming their pet wolf's next meal. Nowadays, people adopt dogs for numerous reasons. The most common reason reported for acquiring a dog is companionship, followed by promotion of exercise, followed by protection, and finally breeding or show (Jagoe & Serpell, 1996). A study conducted by Andrew Jagoe and James Serpell (1996) revealed that dogs acqui...... middle of paper ......ell, V. (2008). In the minds of animals. National Geographic, 213 (3), 37 – 61.Marston, L. C., & Bennett, P. C. (2003). Reforging the bond – towards a successful dog adoption. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 83 (3), 227 – 245.Tuber, D.S., Miller, D.D., Caris, K.A., Halter, R., Linden, F., & Hennessy, M.B.(1999). Dogs in animal shelters: problems, suggestions and necessary skills. American Psychological Society, 10 (5), 379 – 386. Tynes, V. V. (2007). Dog housetraining challenges. Veterinary Medicine, 102,254 – 262.Wells, D.L. (2003). A review of environmental enrichment for kennel dogs, Canisfamiliaris. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 85 (3 – 4), 307 – 317.Wells, D. L. & Hepper, P. G. (1998). A note on the influence of conspecific eye contact on the behavior of protected dogs. Applied science of animal behavior, 60 (1), 83 – 88.