All the News That's Fit to Bark!
A very long friendship, beautifully told.
Historical collection imageFranklin D. Roosevelt Library · Public domain
A grand name, a place in the White House and a spot beside FDR in bronze: meet the little Scottish terrier who became a very public companion.
Historical collection imageUnknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
Royal charters set rules for restraining dogs to protect game, while hunting manuals later recorded the calls and names used by those who followed hounds on the trail.
Historical collection imageEvidence from Saqqara and Asyut shows that dogs and other canids were mummified in large numbers as votive offerings connected to the gods Anubis and Wepwawet.
Historical collection imageState Library and Archives of Florida · Public domain
In the age of wooden sailing ships, a few strong swimmers helped crews reach safety when gales drove vessels onto rocky coasts.
Historical collection imageGary Todd from Xinzheng, China · Public domain
Legal commentaries in the Digest of Justinian outline when owners or handlers could be held liable for harm caused by dogs and other animals.
Historical collection imagePeter Tillemans · Public domain
Parliamentary records show how lawmakers tried to raise money from dog keepers for more than two centuries.
PhotographPhotograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · CC BY-SA 4.0
From sentries to messengers, dogs played practical roles in classical and Hellenistic warfare, though their use as battlefield combatants remains debated by scholars.
PhotographArchaeological finds from the Viking trading center at Birka include dog remains placed alongside people, offering limited but tangible clues about how some Norse communities treated animals in death.
PhotographNo-longer-here from Pixabay · CC0 1.0
The first recorded dog show in 1859 focused on sporting dogs, while the Kennel Club later introduced consistent rules emphasizing registration, health, and fair play.
Historical collection imagePenitential texts from before the 11th century listed dog meat among prohibited foods, with evidence of such taboos surfacing mainly during famines.
PhotographDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 3.0
Conrad Gesner and Ulisse Aldrovandi compiled ancient traveler tales of cynocephali alongside descriptions of real primates, expressing varying degrees of skepticism about the more fantastical claims.
PhotographThe formation of the United States Border Collie Club in 1975 and the first handler clinic in 1976 helped bring structured herding events to a country that previously had almost none.
Historical collection imagePhotographes du National Geographic · Public domain
British and Belgian forces used trained dogs to carry messages and stand watch when other communication failed, relying on their natural alertness in the chaos of battle.
PhotographImported German Shepherds helped some veterans of the Sino-Japanese War regain independence, decades before guide-dog programs became widespread in the country.
Historical collection imageGary Todd from Xinzheng, China · CC0 1.0
Burials from about 12,000 years ago in northern Israel contain small canids that lived near people, offering clues to changing relationships between humans and wolves.
Historical collection imageA 14th-century tale of a saint and his canine companion became an enduring symbol of compassion during times of plague.
Historical collection imageHerbert Ponting (survived the expedition and died in 1935) · Public domain
Norwegian and British expeditions to Antarctica in the early 20th century relied on working dogs for transport, with outcomes shaped by breed selection, feeding, and handling practices drawn from Arctic traditions.
Historical collection imageJean-Marc Nattier · Public domain
Artworks from the period show these companion animals appearing alongside royalty and nobles, reflecting their place in elite visual culture.
Historical collection imageМузей космонавтики / Главархив Москвы · CC BY 4.0
From suborbital rocket rides in the early 1950s to the first safe returns from space, mixed-breed street dogs from Moscow played a documented role in gathering data on launch stresses, weightlessness, and reentry.
PhotographConquistadors brought large mastiffs to the Americas in the early 1500s. Contemporary accounts describe the animals creating fear among Indigenous fighters.
Historical collection imageSwedish National Heritage Board from Sweden · Public domain
Accounts from the period describe how families in northern Scandinavia relied on working dogs to manage herds, drive animals to pasture, and guard against threats in daily nomadic life.
Historical collection imageМузей космонавтики / Главархив Москвы · CC BY 4.0
Technical publications and mission records show that dogs continued to fly in the years following Laika’s 1957 mission, revealing both the program’s demands and the animals’ capacity to adapt under extreme conditions.