Cultural depictions of the dog

Cultural depictions of dogs in Western art extend back thousands of years to when dogs were portrayed on the walls of caves. Representations of dogs in art became more elaborate as individual breeds evolved and the relationships between human and canine developed. Hunting scenes were popular in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Dogs were depicted to symbolize guidance, protection, loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness, watchfulness, and love. As dogs became more domesticated, they were shown as companion animals, often painted sitting on a lady's lap. Throughout the art history there is an overwhelming presence of dogs as status symbols and pets in painting mainly in the Western art. The dogs were brought to houses and were allowed to live in the house and cherished as part of the family, and were regarded as mostly in the upper classes who used them for hunting and could afford to feed them. Hunting dogs were generally connected to the aristocracy. Only the nobility were allowed to keep hunting dogs, and this would signal status, and it was the signalment of a noble man. Dog portraits became increasingly popular in the 18th century, and the establishment of The Kennel Club in the UK in 1873 and the American Kennel Club in 1884 introduced breed standards or 'word pictures', which further encouraged the popularity of dog portraiture.

The walls of caves and tombs dating back to the Bronze Age have illustrations or statues of dogs. These generally portray dogs used for hunting, and even children's toys and ceramics depicting dogs. Some of the prehistoric paintings are found in Bhimbetka rock shelters, these paintings depict dog on a leash with a man. Rock art of Tassili n'Ajjer also include depiction of dog.

The Ancient Greeks and Romans, contrary to the Semitic cultures favored dogs as pets, and valued them for their faithfulness and courage and were often seen on Greek and Roman reliefs and ceramics as symbols of fidelity. Cats were not favoured over dogs, on contrary Ancient Greeks and Romans didn't keep cats as pets. Dogs were given as gifts among lovers and kept them as both pets, status symbols or kept for guardians and as hunting dogs. Dogs were appreciated by the Greek for their faith and love. Homeros Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus who had a dog called Argos he raised and who was the only one that recognized him when he returned home after his travels, disguised to conceals his appearance. Only the old dog recognized him instantly. This theme has been often depicted in on ancient Greek vases.

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