Preshistoric Dog Buried with a Mammoth Bone in Its Mouth

Does it prove they were man's best friend even then?

The remains of three prehistoric dogs have been unearthed by paleontologists, including one with the bone from a mammoth in its mouth.

Researchers believe the bone may have been inserted in the animal's mouth by a human after it died, signifying a ritual burial.

Knick Knack Paddy Wack, give the the dog a bone?  I can imagine a "cave man" being so attached to his dog that he would bury the dog with a bone in hopes that it would do the dog some good in the afterlife. Kind of touching actually.

What were the dogs like?

The dogs were described as large, with an estimated body weight of just over five stone and shoulder height at least 24 inches, resembling a larger and heavier Siberian husky.

The researchers believe the animals were used for hauling meat, bones and tusks from mammoths and firewood.

The dogs are thought to have lived on a diet of mammoth tusks and meat, died when they were between four and eight years old, and suffered from numerous broken teeth during their lifetimes.

It was a tough life for those dogs, even with humans.  For reference, 5 stone is about 70 lbs.  Skye is about 60 lbs (large for a Siberian female), so she might have been regarded as a bit on the scrawny side for a good "cave dog".  You might want to be be a big to take on the Cave Bears.