Who were the Dogs of Ancient Egypt?

Loved and Revered…

With the Egyptians of ancient dynasties believing the next world was a continuation of this life, they also believed you could take with you that which is precious.  This was why their pets were sometimes mummified and accompanied them in their tombs, so they could provide companionship ongoing.  As a dog of a ‘well to do’ Egyptian you’d better hope you passed away before your owner, otherwise your number’s up when your master dies. Dogs were preserved with the degree of care a human would be. It was not uncommon for a person’s head to be shaved anyway for hygiene reasons but if their dog died before them, their owner/s would shave their bodies including their eyebrows to signify they were grieving.  An uncovered catacomb in Saqqara revealed an estimated eight million mummified dogs however it is unknown whether these were all pet dogs. The Jackal/Dog god Anubis guided deceased souls to the Hall of Truth so the god Osiris could judge them. 

The Egyptians also kept rather exotic animals like baboons, falcons, monkeys and even hippopotamus’ many of which were also mummified but the dog appears to be a clear favourite (no surprise there).  Whilst many homes had cats, dogs required more care and were more commonly owned by those who could better afford them.  Household canines served as companions for any class of people but were also employed as hunters, guards and were used by the military.

The types of breeds popular with this civilization were the Saluki, Pharaoh Hound, Greyhound, Whippet, Basenji and Ibizan. Early wall paintings and carvings c. 3500 BC depict Egyptian dogs wearing some rather ornate collars.  The collar ranged from a simple leather band up to a highly decorated item bearing the dog’s name. Some names reflected the dog’s colour such as ‘Blacky’ whilst others portrayed a quality such as ‘Brave One’.

Either way, we have no doubt ancient dogs were loved as deeply as modern dogs.

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)