In ancient times, which culture (country) revered dogs the most? And Why?

Question

Please, serious, informed answers only. Thanks!

Answer 1

Tough question. I don't know the methodology by which you would like to define how one determines which culture revered dogs the most.
* One ruler that can be used is what survives of the legends and inscriptions from the passage of time. Some people would say Egypt then.
* Another ruler is to look to see which culture(s) did the most with their dogs and created dogs to fill more of lifes niches.

In my opinion, I would have to go with the latter. And the canine genome studies do support that.

The land mass we now call East Asia (parts of which are now China) has been shown in the dog genome studies to have originated the earliest and the most diverse group of structurally and behaviorally different breeds that still retain the haplotypes and genetic code associated with the original wolf species.

These East Asian varieties are the Afghan Hound - Akita - Alaskan Malamute - Basenji - Chow Chow - Lhasa Apso - Pekingese - Saluki - Samoyed - Shar-pei - Shiba Inu - Shih Tzu - Siberian Husky - Tibetian Terrier. (see chart: http://www.genome.org/content/vol15/issue12/images/large/1706fig2.jpeg )

Dogs of current breeding were used for the genetic samples. Please realize that these dogs did not exist in their current form back when.

The actual landraces and types of dogs of the past are extinct now and these are their decendents which may be combined 'races' of these ancient wolf types.

These modern breed names given are believed to be true decendents of the most ancient domestic dogs only because their genepool lacks genetic traces (think "CSI") of more modern genetic code that developed later in the genome timeline.

If they didn't rever dogs... Why did they create so many structurally different types of dogs? Why did they create smaller pet dogs morphology, with mutations such as dwarfism and achondroplasia that would need to be babied more than village pariah? The northern breed types are still morphologically closer to wolves and generally behaviorally quite independent like their wolf kin.

One can only conclude that dogs were very important to the East Asians and they developed dogs to suit the lifestyles of the various cultures involved - with some types seemingly developed just to please the wealthy people. Many of these cultures do not have a written history of their dogs. Dogs were so important in their lives, that there was nothing to write about in their eyes.

As to the idea that the Pharoah hound is the most ancient of breeds, unfortunately the current breeds known as the Pharoah hound and the Ibizan hound both have scraps of genetic material that show that they have genetic 'who dunnit' material from modern breeds. According to the Canine Genome study, these dogs do not have the same degree of purity to the ancient genetic code. Apparently, according to this genome CSI, the people so loved the Egyptian icons of Anubis and the hound type dogs shown in Egyptian art, that they used the dogs they had to recreate what they believed was the most ancient of breeds. You can read about this in the following and also in the genome link in sources below.
http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/2004/05/20/dog.php

You can also review the picture link I gave above, to see where those dogs fit into the timeline. You'll see they have genetic pattern in the chart that ranks them as modern breeds.

So I don't know if that answers your question, even given the dynamics of geocultural boundaries that exist today as opposed to when earliest dog breed evolved, but it is fun speculaing. :)

Answer 2

Pharaohs, as seen in the ancient breed, the Pharaoh Hound.The Pharaoh Hound is the oldest domesticated dog in recorded history. Two hounds are depicted hunting Gazelle on a circular disc which is thought to have been part of a game. The date, around 4000 B.C., was certainly before the first dynasty. The origin of this hound in prehistoric times has been the subject of research by many Egyptologists. They conclude that if this race of dogs could have resulted from a mixture of many kinds of wild canidae, it is quite natural that from time to time, one of these elegant individuals would crop up with the elegant silhouette of Canis Doerdelini, the beautiful limbs of the Canis Lupaster, & the long nose, erect ears & gentle nature of the Pariah or Wandering Dog of Egypt. They were seen as representatives of the Ancient Gods by the original Egyptians. The dogs were favored as the hunters and faithful, loyal companions in the daily life of the kings and nobles of all periods in Ancient Egypt & were frequently depicted in carvings.

Answer 3

I would have to say Egypt. Pharoh dogs are one of the oldest breeds of dogs.

But don't count out China. Akitas, Chin chins and some of the other toy breeds that come from that area of the world have a millenium of history behind them as well!

Answer 4

The Pekinese. It is because when the British invaded Peking, the Pekinese gave up there lives to save the lion-dog from the British "devils". And only people from the royal bloodline were allowed to touch them.

Answer 5

Egypt - which is where the greyhound type dogs came from. At one time commoners were not allowed to own greyhounds, just like at one time in Afghanistan only royalty were allowed to own afghan hounds.

Answer 6

Egypt

Answer 7

China bred many of today's lap dogs. Dogs were kept and bred among the wealthiest and most established families for thousands of years. I think they were even given as much-valued gifts.