Man’s Best Friend, even back in the Middle Ages

Dogs, back in the middle ages, were hard workers. They were guard dogs watching over everything from homes, good, and livestock. Some found work as hunting dogs. There were even fighting dogs. Spanish conquistadores in the late Middle Ages used a dog that was a mix of deerhound and mastiff. The dogs was dressed for battle in padded armor and spiked collars. Usually the dogs were released just as an enemy formation was about to break up, ensuring a successful outcome of the battle.

Dogs owned by nobility enjoyed a good life. Lords would often employ dog boys whose job it was to be with the dogs at all times. Dogs would sleep in specially constructed cages which were cleaned daily and often had fires to keep the dogs warm.

In the 13th century lap dogs were becoming fashionable among noble women and these dogs also seemed to have enjoy a good lifestyle. The scholar Albertus Magnus noted that lapdogs often died of constipation due to an overly rich diet.

Just like today, it was the dog’s loyalty that endeared it to the people of the Middle Ages, so much so that they symbolized loyalty. Dogs were often on tomb effigies resting at the feet of the deceased, as an indication that the deceased man’s loyalty to his lord.

Not all Europeans treated dogs well. There is evidence that dog sacrifice was practiced in Medieval Hungary. In 2009, 1,300 bones from about 25 dogs were discovered in Kana, a town outside Budapest. Ten dogs were buried in a pit, four puppies buried in upside down pots. About a dozen other dogs were found buried underneath house foundations. These dogs were probably used to ward off evil.

It was common practice in Hungary during the middle ages to lock animals inside new houses or kill them as people moved in. Sometimes dogs were beaten to death on the doorsteps, giving vivid illustration of the phrase it’s a dog’s life.