The traditional role of dogs in the UK

Any discussion of human–animal relationships in the UK naturally assumes a western perspective and it is recognised that other cultures have developed different histories and traditions.

The role of dogs in society and in human–animal relations has changed over the years, but the pace of change has been considerably more rapid over the past 100 years. Dogs have been sought throughout history for their ability to befriend and bond with humans. We have looked to dogs for natural canine functions of hunting, tracking, herding, guarding, scenting and protecting.

Although dogs have long been companions for humans, it is only since the introduction of the domesticated family pet that companionship has become their prime function. By contrast, the use of dogs for fighting is a well-established tradition. Over 2,000 years ago, Phoenician traders introduced fighting mastiffs into Britain from the Mediterranean, and in 55BC, Julius Caesar commented on the fierce nature of these animals, which he encountered in his invasion of Britain.

The English medieval ‘sport’ of bull baiting developed from the ability of the English bulldog to grasp and hold bulls by their noses. Such dogs were then often used by butchers rather than hunters. Their function as ‘cattle controllers’ ensured that bulldogs were later highly favoured by immigrants travelling to the US in the 18th and 19th century.

Neither is the keeping of a dog to designate status a new phenomenon. The kings of England always retained wolfhounds or mastiffs as pets/guardians. Companionship remained a central theme for establishing relationships with pet animals. However, in western culture ‘there has been a consistent linkage between companion animals and social status’ (Sanders, 1999: 5). The retention of an animal as ornament or property was at one time only available to the rich. Working-class people traditionally kept dogs as working animals. Jessup (1995) notes four types of dogs prized in history above all others: the greyhound (sight hunter), the hunting hound (scent hunter), the sheepdog (guardian and herder) and the mastiff bulldog (molossus/bullenbeisser). Such functions of course largely relate to the pre-industrial period, although in agriculture working dogs have retained their purpose and function for much longer.