Warhounds

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

I wonder if the Romans would ever use domestic(or just) wolve hybrids as pets.

[LEG X EQ]

I think that the Romans had e very good relation to wolfes and dogs, the ancient italics (before they used the greek god system and created a god for everything) worshiped the wolf. I think, thats also why the Romans had the wolf as their prime symbol followed by the eagle, because they still in a way worshiped what their ancestors the italics did.

 

The Italian Spinone (or italian griffon) is said to be a dog breed that was propably around the roman times in the Cottian Alps (today Piemonte, italy). Its a very Loyal and great hunting dog.

[Virgil61]

I love dogs, have a Doberman myself.

 

So lets talk about dogs. What other nations valued particular dogs, and which did the Romans prefer?

 

I know that there's a breed of Italian sheep dog called the Maremma that comes from the province of Maremma (formerly part of Etruria now southern Tuscany) and a larger sub-breed called the Maremmano Abruzzese from the province of Abruzzo, where my family is from (and, interestingly, a source for many of the tribes fighting for citizenship during the Social Wars and later a base of support for Pompey's father and Pompey).

 

All the sites claim the Meremma are mentioned by Varrone in 116 BC, but I haven't confirmed it.

[monkey]

Just harking back to Wolves, if you check out this link:

 

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/czechoslovakianwolfdogphotos.htm

 

You'll see something very similar to what I would imagine Romans would have done with the Wolf, Wolves are obviously not good pets (tend to eat/massacre everything in sight) so it would make sense to 'water them down' a bit whilst retaining that fearsome look.

 

However, were they not more inclined to hunt them? Hence the need for molossers.

 

The dogs shown here are again a very modern resurrection, 1958 if I'm correct, banned in the UK (damn!) and not for the inexperienced, but a magnificent animal I think you'll agree.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Now that's a nice breed. I wonder if the Alaskan or Siberian Husky is the same is close in relation, genetically because they do kind resembler a whole lot.I also kinda think what you shown me, their long face kinda resembles a fox a quite lot I think.

[monkey]

Huskys and Malamutes are probably the closest domestic (I say domestic but you can't really keep the damn things in the house) relations - the Czech wolf dog has a very vulpine face I think, we are very used to associating wolf hybrids from wider faced breeds, where as these are Alsatian which has the longer Wile E Coyote type snout.

 

You han usually tell a breed which has a large proprtion of Wolf Genes by it's coat (long boring two tired oily explanation) and its inability to bark, only yip or howl - see Huskys, Malamutes etc. Which is another reason not to have them in the house!

[monkey]

There are now 2 threads running this topic!

 

I just found this on a Corso forum and would like to share it with you, five pages of all the things an ancient Molosser would be getting up to, some great images. The sticks you will see the agitators holding are just for that - agitation - these dogs are in no way being harmed.

 

As for the guy with the doormat on his arm....

 

http://www.apexcanecorso.com/Working1.htm

 

Enjoy!