Dog o' Day
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Religion and dogs

By Vanessa Rodriguez

ROME, ITALY - JANUARY 19: A dog and its owner attend a traditional mass for the blessing of animals at the Sant'Eusebio church on January 19, 2014 in Rome, Italy. Every year during the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot animals are blessed in countries around the world. (Photo by Giorgio Cosulich/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - JANUARY 19: A dog and its owner attend a traditional mass for the blessing of animals at the Sant'Eusebio church on January 19, 2014 in Rome, Italy. Every year during the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot animals are blessed in countries around the world. (Photo by Giorgio Cosulich/Getty Images) /
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Religion and dogs, what an understated topic. Sadly, we’ve missed tales of archaeology, sacrifice and mummification.

We often overlook the religious history associated with dogs. In ancient civilizations, humans venerated and cherished dogs. Their history showing an eternal relationship with humans. Dog’s religious presence is found around the world.

Egypt

Cats are synonymous with Egypt, dogs not so much. Yet, we’re all familiar with Anubis, the dog god of the underworld. A love of dogs was not reserved for religion; when an Egyptian family’s dog passed, the entire family would shave their heads–now that’s love. Mummified dogs were also found by archaeologists, affirming the belief that humans sought a dog’s companionship even in the afterlife.

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Greece

The Romans also worshiped Anubis. They went as far as sacrificing dogs to the god. Dogs are also featured in great Greek epics such as “The Odyssey.” Canines were, of course, kept domestically, the commo

n Greek breed was the “Melitaian”, small dogs, no bigger than a rat. Similar to the Egyptians, bones of these dogs were found buried with their owners.

Mexico

Archaeological digs found more dog bones in Mexico. These bones were of the Xoloitzcuintle, or Xolo for short, the hairless Mexican dog. Aztec and Mayan traditions worshiped these dogs. Xolos, according to belief, escorted the dead through the underworld. Turkeys and Xoloitzcuintles were also p

art of th

e ancient Mexican diet. When Spanish conquistadors colonized Mexico, they reportedly had their fill of the Xolo population.

China

In Chinese lore, dog’s placed 11th in the “Great Race,” an ancient fable that elaborates on the order of the Chinese zodiac. Coming in second to last, due to their playful disposition, people born during the year of the dog are easy-going and loyal. There was a single dog of worship, Panhu, a dog of Chinese mythology, worshiped by the Yao and She clans. Unlike the Aztecs, the Panhu religion forbade the eating of dogs.

The worship of dogs needs no justification. Their history is clear, carved into caves in Saudi Arabia, painted on Greek pottery, and buried along the dead. So give your pooch an offering, they will after all, see you through the afterlife.

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