Dogs

Dogs are creatures that are or are fictionally derived from *Canis familiaris*. Dogs have been important for human cultures starting in perhaps Europe or Eurasia 35,000 ago, when they started shifting from tame wolves. Todays dogs are one of the most well-known animals in the world. Many people own dogs as pets, and many others use them for practical purposes. Still others have wild dogs living around their villages eating trash and scraps. In part because of this they are one of the most heavily featured animals in media around the world. Before then, dogs often had roles in mythology, folklore, and common lore.

In American portrayals they are often loyal, sometimes dumb sometimes above-average in intelligence (but rarely genius); sometimes fearsome sometimes gentle. They can be portrayed as males or females, but female dogs may be of specific "prettier" or "girly" breeds, such as poodles or breeds with long, silky fur. Dogs are often portrayed as the hunters, rivals, and enemies of cats. This is in part because a dog's hunting instinct may cause it to chase cats. However, dogs and cats often live together, an understanding that is becoming frequently more understood to the point where most Americans are aware of it.

## Name

Many plants are named after dogs, such as dogwood and dog's tongue.

## Cultural importance in non-English cultures

**North America**

*Wazhazhe:* In certain context the use of dog might be better described with the word "canine", as in certain contexts the word translated as dog in older texts often disclaim it and describe it to be both dogs, wolves, and coyotes. I'm not sure how this word impacted the ancient understanding of these animals, perhaps they saw them as the same, or almost the same but with varying attributes. Dogs were guard dogs and pullers, pulling travois for luggage before the horse and even after the horse was introduced. Unlike many other plains tribes, dogs were taboo for eating amongst the Osage, only done in times of famine. Despite or probably because of this, many a family owned tons of dogs. A regular or well to do family might own 40 or more. The second gens or subclan of the Elder Tzi-zhu (one half of the tribe divided into varying clans or gens) was called the Dog People, or better translated the Canine People. It's noted that dogs were for protection, and dogs themselves guarded the villages from enemies and predators, along with the other things wolves and coyotes did. The Osages honored a certain star which happens to be Sirius for us, which is coincidentally also the Dog Star for these people. Dog Star, or Dog That Lies In The Sky, was a masculine star, and was to be referred to with "grandfather" in the ways that these people respected their gods in their religion. The Dog People subclan acted as the messenger for the Elder Tzi-zhu clan.

Black Dog was a male name amongst these people. A famous chief, who was very anti-European, was named Black Dog. From what I remember he was notable in that he was reluctant to share information about his tribe and their religion to those writing it down, which in this case included educated Native Americans like Francis La Flesche, who could speak Omaha, a language that can be understood by Osages. Another name is Dog Passing By.

All of that was from the past. These days the Osages have separate words for dogs, wolves, and coyotes and the religious associations are tattered.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Cunningham\_s\_Encyclopedia\_of\_Magical\_Her/W4ur0wJ8uEoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=dog
2. ↑ The Osages Children Of The Middle Waters by John Joseph Mathews Pg. 34 First Edition
3. ↑ Osage Indian Customs And Myths by Louis F. Burns, pg. 204, possibly first edition.
4. ↑ Osage Indian Bands And Clans by Louis F. Burns pg. 39 First Edition
5. ↑ Osage Indian Bands And Clans by Louis F. Burns pg. 66 First Edition
6. ↑ Osage Indian Bands And Clans by Louis F. Burns pg. 68 First Edition