Wolves keep away other animals, and are more alert than humans. If I'm a Paleolithic human, having a wolf nearby that isn't eating my kids precisely because I give it snacks instead, and that is going to just naturally ward off bears or other pests, even in the dark of night, seems like a great win.
Consider the megafauna situation of 20-30k BP: huge, scary animals more dangerous than wolves. It might've started as a temporary alliance against other apex predators.
