Discover the Stories of Dogs Who Shaped History

Sergeant Stubby, the decorated World War I dog

Young Queen Elizabeth II with two corgis

An ancient Pompeii fresco showing Helen, Alexandros (Paris), Cassandra and a large Molossian dog lying on the ground, painted in classical Roman style with soft colors and faded details.

Hercules and Cerberus by Peter Paul Rubens

Sledder Gunnar Kasson hugs Balto the famed sledge dog

Vintage photograph of a dog dressed as a Victorian gentleman

Greyfriars Bobby: Scotland’s Faithful Watcher

A joyful Old English Sheepdog runs toward the camera

From ancient tombs to royal courts, battlefield trenches to space missions; dogs have always been more than companions. They have been legends. Dogs in History uncovers the fascinating, forgotten, and famous canine stories that left pawprints throughout time, and the ones still being written today.

Explore heroic hounds of the past, mythic guardians of legend, and modern dogs making history right now through acts of service, courage, and loyalty.

A digital publication devoted to sharing canine tales.

Winding track of light grey dog paw prints moving left to right across the screen in the background

Monthly Spotlight: The Wrong Dog for the Job

Not every dog who shaped history looked the part. One was a scrawny street dog plucked from a Paris gutter who ended up decorated for frontline service on the Western Front. One was a cartoon Great Dane drawn in deliberate violation of everything his creator knew about the breed. And one was a creature of English folklore so thoroughly misunderstood that the writer who made him famous had to travel to Dartmoor to find out what he actually was. Three dogs. Three stories. None of them remotely qualified — and all of them unforgettable.

Our Stories

Dogs in Myth and Religion

Black Dog: The Dartmoor Terror Behind The Hound of the Baskervilles

Dogs in Myth and Religion

The black dogs of Dartmoor haunted the moors for centuries before Conan Doyle borrowed them — and he wasn't entirely convinced they weren't real.

Dogs in Myth and Religion

War and Working Dogs

Rags: The Paris Stray Who Went to War

War and Working Dogs

He was found in a Montmartre alley on Bastille Day 1918, ran messages through the trenches of World War I, and spent the next seventeen years as a celebrated military figure—while the man who found him was slowly forgotten.

War and Working Dogs

Dogs in Art and Literature

Scooby-Doo: The Dog Who Was Drawn Wrong

Dogs in Art and Literature

The man who designed Scooby-Doo spent fifteen years learning the rules of perfect draughtsmanship at Disney — then broke every single one on purpose.

Dogs in Art and Literature

Our latest stories…

Our Stories

Ancient Dogs

Peritas: The Truth Behind Alexander the Great’s Dog

Ancient Dogs

The legend of Peritas, Alexander the Great’s war dog, was almost certainly invented — but Alexander’s grief was real.

Ancient Dogs

Dogs of Royals and Rulers

The Dogs China's Emperors Kept in Their Sleeves

Dogs of Royals and Rulers

For a thousand years, Chinese emperors bred dogs small enough to carry inside a robe sleeve — ranked above courtiers and protected by death penalty. In 1860, the British Army found five of them in a burning palace and named one after the theft.

Dogs of Royals and Rulers

War and Working Dogs

Smoky: The WWII Dog Who Ran the Wire

War and Working Dogs

She was never an official war dog, but Smoky saved 250 men by crawling through 70 feet of darkness on the strength of one man's voice.

War and Working Dogs

Dogs in Myth and Religion

The Hounds of Annwn: Wales’s Ghost Dogs Were Never Hellhounds

Dogs in Myth and Religion

In the First Branch of the Mabinogion, a Welsh prince steals a kill from a pack of white-and-red-eared hounds — and finds himself answering to the King of the Otherworld.

Dogs in Myth and Religion

Famous Dogs

Rin Tin Tin: The Dog Who Saved Warner Bros.

Famous Dogs

He rescued a studio from bankruptcy, launched one of Hollywood’s most powerful careers, and died while his owner lost the house — and none of it involves the Oscar story you’ve probably heard.

Famous Dogs

Dogs of Royals and Rulers

Fortuné: The Dog Who Bit Napoleon on His Wedding Night

Dogs of Royals and Rulers

Before Napoleon entered Josephine's bed, Fortune was already in it — and he never accepted the new arrangement.

Dogs of Royals and Rulers

Explore our Dogs in History stories…

A group of dogs sit around a poker table playing cards, with drinks and poker chips, in a humorous and classic painting with a purple filter

Dogs in Art & Literature

Dogs have been immortalized in paint, prose, and poetry from medieval manuscripts to modern masterpieces. Step into the creative world where dogs are muses, metaphors, and beloved characters.

Young girl in a dress sits on a bench with two Corgi dogs, smiling, in a black-and-white photo taken outdoors with a gold filter

Dogs of Royals & Rulers

From royal courts to political offices, dogs have shared the spotlight with rulers, royals, and statesmen. These stories reveal how loyal companions earned titles, appeared in portraits, and joined their owners in tombs.

Mythological scene of Hercules dragging Cerberus, the three-headed dog, from the underworld, with ruins and flames with a green filter

Dogs in Myth & Religion

In myths, legends, and sacred traditions, dogs often appear as guardians, guides, and symbols of loyalty. This category explores the spiritual and symbolic roles of dogs across cultures and faiths.

A historic black-and-white photo of Sergeant Stubby, the decorated World War I dog, wearing a military jacket adorned with medals and patches with navy filter

War & Working Dogs

From the battlefield to the farm, dogs have long served with skill, courage, and loyalty. These working dogs shaped human history not just in war, but in daily life around the world.

A black-and-white photo of Lassie, the famous Rough Collie, placing her paws on a desk while interacting with a man in a suit, likely from the 1950s television era with teal filter

Famous Dogs

Some dogs made headlines, others made history. These are the unforgettable tales of real dogs who left pawprints on the world through loyalty, bravery, or pure charisma.

Ancient Roman mosaic artwork showing a dog chasing a deer, made from small tiles with an orange filter

Ancient Dogs

Long before modern breeds, dogs walked beside humans in the earliest civilizations. Discover how dogs were worshipped, buried, and depicted in ancient art across Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia, and beyond.

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

– Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz (movie)

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A king might have many courtiers, but only one faithful dog.

– Attributed to King Frederick II of Prussia
Cerberus guards the gates of Hades, ensuring none escape.

– Greek mythology

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Stubby’s actions in the trenches saved lives. He’s the most decorated dog of WWI.

– Sgt. Robert Conroy, U.S. Army

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Laika was the first living being to orbit Earth. She gave her life to open the door to space.

– Soviet space program tribute

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Dogs were buried beside warriors in Scythian tombs—companions in life and death.

– Archaeological interpretation
Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound.

- Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles

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My beautiful Dash… his attachment to me was quite remarkable.

– Queen Victoria, about her spaniel Dash
Anubis, jackal-headed god, watches over the dead.

– Ancient Egyptian belief

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Balto proved himself a real sled dog hero… he led the way through the storm like he could see.

– Gunnar Kaasen, Balto’s musher, 1925
Hachiko waited every day for his master, not knowing he had passed away. His faithfulness still inspires.

– Japanese saying about Hachiko

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The Ashkelon dog cemetery held hundreds of carefully buried animals.

– Ancient Canaan (Israel), 5th century BCE
Scooby-Doo where are you?

- Shaggy, from the Scooby-Doo TV Show

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If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.

- Woodrow Wilson

Discover the Stories of Dogs Who Shaped History

Monthly Spotlight: The Wrong Dog for the Job

Our latest stories…

Explore our Dogs in History stories…

Dogs in Art & Literature

Dogs of Royals & Rulers

Dogs in Myth & Religion

War & Working Dogs

Famous Dogs

Ancient Dogs

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

A king might have many courtiers, but only one faithful dog.

Cerberus guards the gates of Hades, ensuring none escape.

Stubby’s actions in the trenches saved lives. He’s the most decorated dog of WWI.

Laika was the first living being to orbit Earth. She gave her life to open the door to space.

Dogs were buried beside warriors in Scythian tombs—companions in life and death.

Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound.

My beautiful Dash… his attachment to me was quite remarkable.

Anubis, jackal-headed god, watches over the dead.

Balto proved himself a real sled dog hero… he led the way through the storm like he could see.

Hachiko waited every day for his master, not knowing he had passed away. His faithfulness still inspires.

The Ashkelon dog cemetery held hundreds of carefully buried animals.

Scooby-Doo where are you?

If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.