Cultural depictions of dog

In China, Korea, and Japan, dogs are viewed as kind protectors.

Mythology and religion

In ancient Mesopotamia, from the Old Babylonian period until the Neo-Babylonian, dogs were
the symbol of Ninisina, the goddess of healing and medicine, and her worshippers frequently
dedicated small models of seated dogs to her. In the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods,
dogs were used as emblems of magical protection.In mythology, dogs often serve as pets or as
watchdogs. Stories of dogs guarding the gates of the underworld recur throughout Indo-European
mythologies and may originate from Proto-Indo-European religion. In Greek mythology,
Cerberus is a three-headed watchdog who guards the gates of Hades. In Norse mythology, a
bloody, four-eyed dog called Garmr guards Helheim. In Persian mythology, two four-eyed dogs
guard the Chinvat Bridge. In Welsh mythology, Annwn is guarded by Cŵn Annwn. In Hindu
mythology, Yama, the god of death, owns two watchdogs who have four eyes. They are said to
watch over the gates of Naraka.

The hunter god Muthappan from the North Malabar region of Kerala has a hunting dog as his
mount. Dogs are found in and out of the Muthappan Temple, and offerings at the shrine take the
form of bronze dog figurines. In Philippine mythology, Kimat, the pet of Tadaklan, the god of
thunder, is responsible for lightning.

The dog's role in Chinese mythology includes a position as one of the twelve animals that
cyclically represent years (the zodiacal dog). Three of the 88 constellations in western astronomy
also represent dogs:

Canis Major (the Great Dog, whose brightest star, Sirius, is also called the Dog Star)

Canis Minor (the Little Dog)

Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs)In Christianity, dogs represent faithfulness. Within the
Roman Catholic denomination specifically, the iconography of Saint Dominic includes a dog,
after the hallow's mother dreamt of a dog springing from her womb and becoming pregnant
shortly after that. As such, the Dominican Order (Ecclesiastical Latin: Dominicanus) means
"dogs of the Lord" or "hounds of the Lord" (Ecclesiastical Latin: domini canis). In Christian
folklore, a church grim often takes the form of a black dog to guard Christian churches and their
churchyards from sacrilege.Jewish law does not prohibit keeping dogs and other pets. Jewish law
requires Jews to feed dogs (and other animals that they own) before themselves and make
arrangements for feeding them before obtaining them.The view on dogs in Islam is mixed, with
some schools of thought viewing it as unclean, although Khaled Abou El Fadl states that this
view is based on "pre-Islamic Arab mythology" and "a tradition to be falsely attributed to the
Prophet." Therefore, Sunni Malaki and Hanafi jurists permit the trade of and keeping of dogs as
pets.

Literature
In Homer's epic poem the Odyssey, when the disguised Odysseus returns home after 20 years, he
is recognized only by his faithful dog, Argos, who has been waiting for his return.

Art

Cultural depictions of dogs in art extend back thousands of years to when dogs were portrayed
on caves' walls. Representations of dogs 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.

Education and appreciation

The American Kennel Club reopened a museum called "Museum of the Dog" in Manhattan after
moving the attraction from outside of St. Louis. The museum contains ancient artifacts, fine art,
and educational opportunities for visitors.