Throughout their long history, Qimmit have remained working dogs–still almost exclusively bred by mushers to pull sleds for transportation and to assist in hunts, Tatiana Feuerborn, lead study author and a paleogeneticist at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes for Health, tells Popular Science.

Some dogs are social butterflies, eager to greet every person they meet with a wagging tail and happy grin. Others are more selective, forming an unshakable bond with just one special person who becomes their whole world.

History remembers kings, queens, generals, and poets—but let’s not forget the dogs who loyally trotted by their side, slept at their feet, and occasionally barked during significant diplomatic moments.