DOGS AND ART

The number of breeds of dogs, especially hunting, grew. In the XVII century. France was the first place the number of breeds of hunting dogs. All the French kings loved to hunt and did so with a truly royal scale and luxury. It was at this time is the emergence of rock chien blanc du roi (royal white dogs), elegant, healthy, have no equal in the hunt in a pack. Through exchanges, trade and conflicts between various European states, these are noble and educated, beautiful and friendly animals who do not have an unrivaled loyalty, strength and intelligence, have become very popular. They were immortalized by the greatest artists who depicted them lying at the feet of the noble proprietors.

For several centuries artists put on his paintings of dogs, illustrating a person's love for these animals. The pictures of the Renaissance has many beautiful dogs. Among the famous artists who painted dogs were Durer, Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Mantegna, Titian, Bosch, Brueghel the Elder, Rubens, Canaletto, Velasquez, Goya. The list is endless.

In poetry, theater and love for dogs has also found expression: it is enough to mention Lorenzo de 'Medici and Shakespeare.

In the XIX century. consolidation of democratic forces in England and the Revolution in France changed the lives of not only people but also dogs.

Gone huge pack of hounds, which kept the gentry, but the passion of people to hunt remained. Hunters of the middle class were content with one or two dogs, if only they were fast and had a good scent. The most prized dog, make a point in the form of production, so the British brought pointer breeders, breed, which became famous.

Start of specialization

In the Middle Ages dogs were kept in monasteries as an escort, they may have helped smooth over the monks loneliness. Thus, in the Abbey of St.. Hubert in the Belgian Ardennes was launched Blood Hound. Also, according to reliable sources, the German monks, who needed a dog that can protect the monastery from the attacks, brought a German shepherd.

It was during this period began specialization of hunting dogs. Pointers and setters used to search for prey, a dog with a good scent shoo deer Greyhounds used to prosecute mining; Molossian dogs accompanied the hunters on the buffalo and bear. Small dogs, which called beaver, at this time also began to be used for burrowing hunt fox and hare. Thus, the first terriers.

Following the example of the Great Khan's Mongols, who, according to Marco Polo, took to hunt a pack of five thousand, European nobles had a thousand to fifteen hundred hunting dogs.

Soldiers Queen Elizabeth I in suppressing the Irish rebels helped at least eight dogs, and Spanish conquistadors during their conquest of America were accompanied by large dogs, dressed in armor.

In the civil, military and sporting life of the dog began to play a big role. Already there were treatises on the care of a dog, which was recommended to keep a dog in heat, if they returned tired from the hunt, every day of their comb, to keep clean their bowls, commented on the nutrition of dogs and how the sea water to cure a dog from eczema .

In the Middle Ages, veterinary science has been very approximate. At the same time, dogs were used for the treatment of human diseases. Thus, it was thought that the blood of a white dog can cure madness, and black - helps with the heavy labor. The first knowledge of veterinary medicine and surgery in Europe come from Arab countries.

FROM ANCIENT ROME TO THE MIDDLE AGES

Since ancient times, dogs used in war. Thus, the Romans were connected and fighting dogs. For defense and attack dogs were used Molossian with strong canines. They wore neck collars with metal sticking out in all directions blades. At the sight of these dogs are often the enemy fled, without even joining the fight. But worst of all had so-called messenger dogs. Military orders were placed in a small copper cylinder, which swallowed a dog. When she arrived to destination, often had no time to wait until the cylinder will come naturally, so the unsuspecting courier had to kill.

In the first decades after the fall of the Roman Empire during the invasion of the barbarians have forgotten about the dogs, and they returned to the original state. Cities and villages began to scour the ferocious pack of hungry dogs that accompanied the conquerors.

However, in the Middle Ages, dogs, unlike cats, no one accused of witchcraft and the relationship with the devil. However, in this period, they inspire people to disgust. Perhaps, that's when there are such expressions as "tired as a dog, a dog's life", "son of a bitch" and "dog dog's death."

Yet in the Middle Ages dogs were left at the service of man through hunting. When it was hunger, the man to at least some variety to their table, nothing to do but to hunt. And the rich and poor, armed with bows, crossbows, spears, all sorts of knives, as well as networks and traps, began to hunt.

The more people engaged in hunting, the more I realized that he needs assistant - a dog that can hunt in the dense forests and swamps, which so much was at that time. During this period in England is a good hunting dog was valued as a slave.

First description of dogs

Everywhere, in order to survive, had to hunt or it was necessary to protect themselves from uninvited guests, a man used dogs, constantly improving and creating new species and providing them with proper nutrition.

Even before the classical period the Greeks were wolf similar and Egyptian dogs, as well as the Persian Molossian dogs. Greek philosopher and zoologist Aristotle mentioned in his writings existed when it dogs, dividing them into the rock under the name of places where they occurred. Thanks to him, we know that in 300 BC. e. already existed a dog from India, Egypt and Epirus (northwest Greece). However, the author has not left us more or less accurate descriptions, so we can not imagine how they looked.

Hunting dogs also highly valued in ancient Rome. Ovid wrote about how to make sure that the bitch will be good puppies. A writer Varro gave the first advice to a beginning dog. In particular, he wrote that he does not trust the dogs eat the leftovers. He believed that from this they get used to the taste of blood and then can attack live animals. Grek an Oppie, author of "Kinegetika" ( "Hunting"), he was engaged in breeding dogs, small size, which in his opinion, is better suited for hunting in the woods.

Thus, one could argue that for two thousand years ago there was interest in people, and perhaps even love for dogs. In Pompeii, the houses hung signs with the inscription "Cave Canem" ( "beware of dog"), which proves that here was taken to keep the guard dogs. Typically, the use of fierce dogs Molossian enormous size and with frightening teeth. During the day they sat on the chain, the night they were released, and they ran through the territory belonging to the owner. It was fashionable to keep the ferocious animals in the house or garden.

Guard dogs, which have five thousand years

To make sure that the dogs actually existed in ancient times, and understand what the social function performed Canis familiaris, to refer to the drawings made by ancient man.

However, the prehistoric artists more inspired by animals, which were the object of hunting. In the caves there are images of deer, bison, wild boars, and dogs do not. Perhaps the dogs were so common that it is not particularly interested in ancient art. However, later in the so-called prehistoric art has changed and people began to depict the jackals and hyenas. Around 4500 BC. e. came the first image of a dog: naturally, it helped the hunter. True, the outward image of the animal is like no one from the existing breeds of dogs. Ancient people portrayed not only hunting dogs: the handle of a knife, made 4-5 thousand years ago, shows a dog with a collar. Perhaps this is the first evidence that already existed at that time guard dogs.
Through ancient Egyptian paintings survived the first pictures of dogs, resembling modern. Initially portrayed hunting dogs and taxis. Later, mastiffs, perhaps imported from the East, then - hounds. Important role in the dissemination of new breeds in Egypt, Rome and Athens played the Phoenicians, who traded in the Mediterranean countries and Central Europe.