Mammals such as goats, sheep, pigs and cattle owe much of their success and popularity as domestic species to the fact that they or their products are edible and can be farmed on a commercially viable basis. Few people would regard the domestic dog in the same light, despite the fact that dog meat is edible and was or still is eaten in various parts of the world. The general reluctance to accept the idea of an early gastronomic relationship between man and dog may not be entirely the product of Western squeamishness. Wolves are primarily carnivorous, and grow and reproduce best on a diet of meat; had our ancestors wished to farm them for food, they would have been obliged to catch and kill other species to feed them on.
In spite of this obvious economic restriction, dogs were formerly raised for food on something approaching a commercial scale in certain regions of the globe notably southern China, Polynesia and Central America. This form of exploitation probably originated as a means of coping with chronic shortages of animal protein from more conventional sources and people were forced to fall back on dog-eating as a last resort. Significantly, cannibalism was also widely practiced in some of these areas, possibly for the same reason. Elsewhere, dogs were also eaten from time to time, but almost invariably the practice had important ritual connotations.
Domestic dogs treat people as members of their own species and by so doing compel people to regard them as part-human and to grant them privileges and rights which would normally be reserved for people. For this reason, dog- eating is ta boo in many cultures and viewed as a form of cannibalism. Yet ironically, the dog's affinity for humans may under certain circumstances provide a reason for eating it. Among certain North American Indian tribes, dogs were sacrificed and offered as food at ceremonies designed to cement political friendships; since the Indians were extremely fond of their dogs, the act of killing and offering them as food represented the supreme sacrifice, the ultimate and morally binding gesture of friendship.
In a number of other cultures, dog flesh was eaten as a prelude to warfare on the assumption that warriors would absorb the courage, nimbleness and sagacity of the animals. The eating of dogs had even greater symbolic significance in societies where dogs were revered as spiritual allies or totems. Within totemic cults it is believed that the flesh of the totem, eaten at the appropriate time and with correct ceremony, has magical rejuvenating qualities. The eating of dogs or wolves as part of religious or devotional ceremonies is possibly as ancient as totemism itself. Later the ritual probably acquired secondary importance compared with dog meat as a source of protein sustenance, and with shortages of alternative foods, the secondary role took precedence and evolved into the intensive use of dogs as food items. This trend finally culminated in special edible dog breeds, such as the Chow Chow and the native dogs of Polynesia, which were able to survive and reproduce on a largely vegetarian diet.
In spite of this obvious economic restriction, dogs were formerly raised for food on something approaching a commercial scale in certain regions of the globe notably southern China, Polynesia and Central America. This form of exploitation probably originated as a means of coping with chronic shortages of animal protein from more conventional sources and people were forced to fall back on dog-eating as a last resort. Significantly, cannibalism was also widely practiced in some of these areas, possibly for the same reason. Elsewhere, dogs were also eaten from time to time, but almost invariably the practice had important ritual connotations.
Domestic dogs treat people as members of their own species and by so doing compel people to regard them as part-human and to grant them privileges and rights which would normally be reserved for people. For this reason, dog- eating is ta boo in many cultures and viewed as a form of cannibalism. Yet ironically, the dog's affinity for humans may under certain circumstances provide a reason for eating it. Among certain North American Indian tribes, dogs were sacrificed and offered as food at ceremonies designed to cement political friendships; since the Indians were extremely fond of their dogs, the act of killing and offering them as food represented the supreme sacrifice, the ultimate and morally binding gesture of friendship.
In a number of other cultures, dog flesh was eaten as a prelude to warfare on the assumption that warriors would absorb the courage, nimbleness and sagacity of the animals. The eating of dogs had even greater symbolic significance in societies where dogs were revered as spiritual allies or totems. Within totemic cults it is believed that the flesh of the totem, eaten at the appropriate time and with correct ceremony, has magical rejuvenating qualities. The eating of dogs or wolves as part of religious or devotional ceremonies is possibly as ancient as totemism itself. Later the ritual probably acquired secondary importance compared with dog meat as a source of protein sustenance, and with shortages of alternative foods, the secondary role took precedence and evolved into the intensive use of dogs as food items. This trend finally culminated in special edible dog breeds, such as the Chow Chow and the native dogs of Polynesia, which were able to survive and reproduce on a largely vegetarian diet.
