ANIMAL Teachers

WARM-BLOODED ONES

DOG (DOMESTIC)

Seeing Both Sides

The Animal “Dog” is Domestic Dog. (Wild Dogs are distant Cousins to Dog, while Wolf, Coyote, and Jackal are Dog’s Siblings.) According to the fossil record, Dog’s ancestor is Grey Wolf. Like Grey Wolf, She marks her territory with scent, and defends it fiercely. Also, She buries her bones like a Wolf burying food.

Dog has enjoyed one of the longest associations with people. Around the world, people told stories about Dog. Europeans thought that if a stray Dog honors you by coming home with you, you would have good luck. Since they thought Dogs were loyal, courageous, and vigilant, Celtic warriors considered it an honor to be compared to Dogs, In Ancient Greece, Homer wrote of Argus who waited for Ulysses, his master, to return from the Trojan Wars. Across the ocean, the Abenaki people of Maine spoke of crossing the Abyss into the Land of the Dead on the backs of their Dogs. Meanwhile in Persia, stray Dogs were considered to be holy.

However, people also told stories about Dog’s dark side. Europeans spoke in whispers of the “Wild Hunt”. This supernatural Pack of Hounds flew through the air in pursuit of their quarry. To witness the Wild Hunt was a frightening experience.

To many people, the most frightening Dog of all was Black Dog. In England, Black Dog was a sign of death. Muslims believed that Black Dog was a Jinn (Devil), and Christians saw It as the Devil on the prowl for souls.