Pets in Lyra’s World?

The other day, during a particularly nasty spell of insomnia, I found myself in an internet rabbit hole: the pre-historical (paleolithic) context in which humans domesticated dogs.

I learned that the first evidence of domesticated dogs is dated to about 33,000 years ago. This (coincidentally?–doubtful) is the same dating as the alethiometer gives Lyra for the trepanned sculls that she saw in the museum in Will’s Oxford. Which led me to the question: Do humans keep pets in Lyra’s world, or does the fact that every human has a lifelong companion circumvent the need for pets?

At first I could not think of any mention any domesticated dogs living or working with humans in Lyra’s world, but then I remembered that the gyptians used dog sleds to get to Bolvangar. There was not an emotional connection that I could pick in the handful of references to them. The most emotional reference to dogs is in the The Golden Compass chapter 13 “Fencing”, where a man refers to the dogs as “my dogs.” The Samoyeds who kidnapped Lyra also had sled dogs.

So from this I gathered that working dogs were used, but there wasn’t the emotional connection that I have with my dog. Either it wasn’t mentioned because it doesn’t occur in Lyra’s world, or Pullman just never went there–but regardless it wasn’t a significant bond.

This makes sense because if you have a companion that is literally your other half, you probably don’t feel the need to have an animal companion where you couldn’t hope to have the same ease of communication with, or the constant access to.