--- title: Dogs Probably Came From Central Asia 15,000 Years Ago description: A study published Tuesday sampled the DNA of thousands of dogs to make the claim. canonical: https://time.com/4079485/dogs-origin-central-asia/ author: Tanya Basu article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-20T14:22:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:51.083Z article:section: Science og:title: Dogs' Origins Traced to Central Asia 15,000 Years Ago og:description: The study sampled the DNA of thousands of dogs around the world og:url: https://time.com/4079485/dogs-origin-central-asia/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ccae5b81508587f/698869003c1639cf3e45a4cd/mongolia-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Mongolian Nomad Travelling og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Dogs' Origins Traced to Central Asia 15,000 Years Ago twitter:description: The study sampled the DNA of thousands of dogs around the world twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9ccae5b81508587f/698869003c1639cf3e45a4cd/mongolia-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Dogs May Have Come From Central Asia > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=6f3306af-ac61-49dc-88a7-1fb31dbc7793&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: How to Take Better Photos of Your Dog [Watch (HLS stream): How to Take Better Photos of Your Dog](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/RhpBI66N.m3u8) (2:45)  _Published 2015-10-12. Elias Weiss Freidman, a.k.a. The Dogist, has photographed more than 8,000 dogs_  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Oct 20, 2015 2:22 PM UTC  A Mongolian woman with her caravan of animals about to travel to the Galshar Naadam, Khentii Province, Mongolia. A Mongolian woman with her caravan of animals about to travel to the Galshar Naadam, Khentii Province, Mongolia. Richard Manning—Getty Images  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Oct 20, 2015 2:22 PM UTC Dogs haven’t always been man’s best friend, and the question of when they were first domesticated is surprisingly complex. A new study sheds some light on the issue, with an international team of scientists pointing to Central Asia as the the best candidate for the origin of today’s pups. The [study](http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/10/14/1516215112), published Tuesday in the journal _PNAS_, is the most expansive one to date, using three types of DNA gathered from 161 breeds of 4,500 dogs, along with 549 “village dogs”—street and feral dogs that make up an estimated 75% of the world’s total dog population—from 38 countries. While it’s long been known that dogs can trace their roots to gray wolves, the new analysis is the strongest indicator yet that modern dogs originated in what is now Nepal and Mongolia, developing into the canines they are today over the course of 15,000 years. The DNA of dogs in nearby areas like East Asia, India and Southwest Asia are extremely genetically diverse, giving scientists confidence to make the claim. But while the study is impressive for its sheer breadth, scientists are wary of making a definitive statement on dogs’ origins. Previous studies placed dogs’ ancestral tree in other regions like Siberia and Europe, said Adam Boyko of Cornell University and one of the study’s researchers, who called the origins of modern dogs “extremely messy.” Boyko [told the New York _Times_](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/science/central-asia-could-be-birthplace-of-the-modern-dog.html?%5Fr=0) that it was very possible that dogs were domesticated elsewhere before arriving in Central Asia and diversifying into modern canines. Regardless, the study’s large population sample, including village and feral dogs, is remarkable, representing a clearer picture of dogs and where they come from. As Boyko quipped, “The great thing about working with dogs is that if you show up with food you don’t usually have trouble recruiting subjects. Usually.” ## Transcript I look for a moment between me and the dog. My name is Elias Weiss Friedman and I take photos of dogs around the world. I think the first rule is to get Down on a dog's level. [ MUSIC ] The next rule is to have something they want. So, that's the toy or food. [ MUSIC ] And to use that and move it around the lens. [ MUSIC ] If you give them a minute to sort of relax They'll sort of lose energy and that's when they will sit and really stare at you. [ MUSIC ] Too easy. [ MUSIC ] It's like I'll stalk the dog a little bit Can I take a photo of your dog? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I tend to perch from the dog's side, so give him a little space. Sit, sit, sit. Sit. Good girl. [ MUSIC ] Dogs are like children for a lot of people. You're asking to photograph something meaningful to them. We have to be sensitive to that. [ MUSIC ] Don't wear clothing that you don't want to get torn up cuz you have dogs jumping on you. You're gonna get slobber all over you. [ MUSIC ] But I have a back up squeaky, beef jerky, lens wipes for slobber on the lens. [ MUSIC ] No? You don't want that? Good Max. He's on. [ LAUGH ] Max, sit. [ MUSIC ] I think that what I want people to get out of my work is sort of an overall sense of happiness. These dogs. All they need is food and love. It's very simple. And you can see that in their face. 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