Why did Plains peoples continue to use dogs after horses became available?

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Plains style — Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains Dancers at the Totah Festival Powwow performing the Northern Tradition dance, a dance inspired by Plains traditions, on September 1, 2007, in Farmington, New Mexico.

Even after the introduction of the horse, Plains peoples continued to utilize dogs as draft animals for specific, mundane tasks. Horses were considered highly valuable assets, and their use was generally reserved for more significant activities, such as hunting buffalo or traveling long distances.

In contrast, dogs were employed for short-distance chores, such as hauling water and firewood from nearby valleys to a camp or village. While the horse revolutionized mobility and hunting efficiency on the grasslands, the continued use of dogs allowed communities to preserve the labor and energy of their horses for more critical needs.1