Ancient Watch Dogs

Most domestic dogs bark when alarmed or excited, and some react to the slightest disturbance with a veritable storm of hysterical yapping. By comparison, the barking of wolves is subdued and infrequent, occurring only in moments of intense excitement or in response to threatening Intrusions, usually by other wolves, into the home range or territory. The difference in barking incidents between dogs and wolves is largely the product of genetic changes. It would seem that artificial selection by man has had the effect of reducing the level of stimulation needed to evoke defensive behavior in most domestic breeds. Deliberately or unconsciously dogs have been bred to overreact to suspected threats and, judging from the exaggerated responses of some breeds, the process of selection must have been intensive. Recent research by criminologists in Britain has shown that the sound of a barking dog inside a house remains one of the most effective defences against burglary.

Special breeds of guard dog have been in existence for thousands of years. The prosperous citizens of ancient Babylonia and Assyria kept large and reputedly savage Mastiffs to counteract urban crime. By way of encouragement, they were given suitably bellicose names such as Hesitate Not, Biter of the Adversary and Expeller of the Sinful. The same people had the habit of burying tiny terracotta figurines of Mastiffs under  the doorways of their houses, presumably as a kind of magical deterrent to evil spirits and burglars. Even earlier than this, dogs acquired a reputation as guardians of livestock. In Sumerian texts of about 5000 BC the dog-headed goddess Bau (whose name is probably derived from the sound of a dog's bark) was described as a protector of flocks. Similarly, the symbol of royalty in early dynastic Egypt, the so-called 'Sceptre of the Pharaohs', was a shepherd's crook, the handle of which was shaped like a dog's head. Early sheepdogs probably did little in the way of livestock herding, their primary role being as protectors of the flock from thieves and predators. Ironically, the principal antagonist in this respect was their own ancestor, the wolf. In parts of Europe and Asia where simple pastoral economies are maintained to this day, ancient breeds of flock-guarding sheepdogs are still in use. They include the Tibetan Mastiff, a notoriously ferocious breed from the Himalayas and Mongolia; the Komondor and Kuvasz from the plains of Hungary; the Bergomasco and Maremma from the mountains of ltaly, and the well-known Pyrenean Mountain Dog. All are large. Heavily built animals with thick coats to protect them from the elements; the fur is generally white, a color thought to be least alarming to sheep. Typically they are reared in close company with sheep so that they grow up regarding the members of the flock as social companions.

Although specialized guard dogs came into their own with the advent of prosperous urban civilizations, ordinary household dogs were probably valued as early-warning devices long before this. Hunting and nomadic peoples, Fearful of animal marauders (and malevolent spiritual beings), would appreciate the vigilance and alarmist behavior of their dogs. The dog's natural animosity towards strangers would also be a considerable asset during hostilities between neighboring groups.