History
Select a Level
NEW
19 Oct 2026
An artist’s reconstruction of Pınarbaşı, where hunter-gatherers buried their dogs alongside humans nearly 16,000 years ago.Kathryn Killackey
Dogs Have Been Our Best Friends for Over 14,000 Years
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Section: Warm Up
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Scientists study very old dog bones.
b) Scientists find a new kind of cat.
c) Children teach dogs to swim.
Ask:
(1) Do you have a dog, or does a friend have a dog?
(2) What do dogs do to help people?
VOCABULARY
bone (/bəʊn/, noun)
Meaning: A hard, white part inside the body of a person or an animal.
Example: My dog likes to chew a big bone.
wolf (/wʊlf/, noun)
Meaning: A wild animal. It looks like a big, grey dog.
Example: The wolf is running in the snow.
scientist (/ˈsaɪəntɪst/, noun)
Meaning: A person who studies the world and learns new things.
Example: The scientist is looking at an old bone.
cave (/keɪv/, noun)
Meaning: A big, dark hole in a rock or under a hill.
Example: Bats sleep in a dark cave.
puppy (/ˈpʌpi/, noun)
Meaning: A baby dog.
Example: The little puppy is playing with a ball.
friend (/frend/, noun)
Meaning: A person or an animal you like and play with.
Example: My dog is my best friend.
guard (/ɡɑːd/, verb)
Meaning: To keep a place or a person safe.
Example: Our dog guards the house at night.
Dogs are our best friends. Many children love dogs. But how old is this friendship? Scientists have a new and exciting answer.
Scientists are studying very old bones. The bones come from caves and old homes in Europe. Some bones are from dogs. Some bones are from wolves. Dog bones and wolf bones look the same! So the scientists look at DNA. DNA is a tiny code inside every animal.
The answer is a big surprise. Some dog bones are more than 14,000 years old! One old dog is from Switzerland. Another old dog is from a cave in England.
The first dogs are not big and fluffy. They look like small, grey wolves. They live with people. They guard homes at night. They help people find food.
People love their dogs and puppies. The dogs are part of the family.
Today, many dogs have DNA from these very old dogs. The German Shepherd is one. The St Bernard is one too. Look at a dog near you. Maybe its family is very, very old!
A 14,300-year-old dog jawbone from Gough's Cave in the UK. Aimee McArdle/NHMLondon (Patronato del Museo de Historia Natural (Nature))
A 14,200-year-old dog jawbone from the Kesslerloch cave in northern Switzerland suggests dogs were widespread across Europe during this time.Ivan Ivic/Cantonal Archaeological Service (KASH) of Schaffhausen
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Section 8: Discussion Questions
1) Do you like dogs? Why?
2) What is your favourite colour for a dog?
3) How do dogs help people?
4) Are dogs good friends? Why?
5) Do you want a puppy? What name do you like for it?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: guard, wolves, bones, caves
Dogs are our best friends. Many children love dogs. But how old is this friendship? Scientists have a new and exciting answer.
Scientists are studying very old _______(1). The bones come from _______(2) and old homes in Europe. Some bones are from dogs. Some bones are from _______(3). Dog bones and wolf bones look the same! So the scientists look at DNA. DNA is a tiny code inside every animal.
The answer is a big surprise. Some dog bones are more than 14,000 years old! One old dog is from Switzerland. Another old dog is from a cave in England.
The first dogs are not big and fluffy. They look like small, grey wolves. They live with people. They _______(4) homes at night. They help people find food.
People love their dogs and puppies. The dogs are part of the family.
Today, many dogs have DNA from these very old dogs. The German Shepherd is one. The St Bernard is one too. Look at a dog near you. Maybe its family is very, very old!
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the story about?
a) Dogs and people are friends for a very, very long time.
b) Wolves are dangerous animals.
c) Puppies like to play with balls.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1) Scientists are studying very old bones. T/F
2) Dog bones and wolf bones look very different. T/F
3) The first dogs are big and fluffy. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Write 1, 2 or 3.
a) ____ Scientists say: some dog bones are more than 14,000 years old!
b) ____ Scientists find very old bones in caves.
c) ____ Scientists look at the DNA in the bones.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1) bone
2) wolf
3) cave
4) puppy
5) guard
a) A baby dog.
b) To keep a place safe.
c) A hard, white part inside an animal.
d) A big, dark hole in a rock or a hill.
e) A wild animal. It looks like a big, grey dog.
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1) The first dogs look like small ______.
a) cats
b) wolves
c) horses
2) I think dogs are good friends because they ______ people.
a) eat
b) forget
c) help
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1) A) friends. B) are C) Dogs D) best E) our
2) A) old B) Scientists C) bones. D) studying E) are
ANSWER KEY
A1 Answer Key
Warm Up: a) Scientists study very old dog bones.
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
(1) bones, (2) caves, (3) wolves, (4) guard
Section 2: Main Idea
a) Dogs and people are friends for a very, very long time.
Section 3: True or False
1) True
2) False – they look the same.
3) False – they look like small, grey wolves.
Section 4: Put Events in Order
a) 3
b) 1
c) 2
Section 5: Vocab Match
1 – c, 2 – e, 3 – d, 4 – a, 5 – b
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1) b) wolves
2) c) help
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1) C, B, E, D, A – Dogs are our best friends.
2) B, E, D, A, C – Scientists are studying old bones.
Section 8: Discussion Questions (sample answers – answers will vary)
1) Yes, I like dogs because they are friendly and fun.
2) I like brown dogs. / I like black and white dogs.
3) Dogs guard homes. They help people find things.
4) Yes, dogs are good friends because they play with us.
5) Yes, I want a puppy. I like the name Max.
Thank you for your feedback!