Daily Beam Blog

The only ancient civilization which didn’t value dogs highly was Judaea, where dogs were mostly hated and despised. This is odd given the fact that the Jews borrowed so many cultural ideas and customs from neighboring nations such as Egypt. They didn’t dislike all animals, they were just generally unkind to dogs. But they seem to have regarded the animal under two aspects—that of the guardian of house or herds, and of scavenger of the streets.

Writing about the dog was always complimentary in Ancient Greece, however. Judging by the records and artifacts form that civilization, the dog may have been prized more highly for its character than for its utilitarian aspects just like how Boston Terriers serve as a companion dog to elderly and children. Greek philosophers especially admired dogs for the noble qualities they embodied such as fidelity, honesty and righteousness.