"Dog Days" (Latin: diēs caniculārēs) is the ritual of the capturing, skinning and drowning of dogs.
In ancient times, on really hot days during the summer months people believed that drowning dogs and wearing their coats would bring good luck and a plentiful harvest for the autumn. Special "dog barbers" would be set up offering dogs a respite from the heat with a welcome trim and a cooling down from a water spray bottle. The refreshed dogs would then be offered the "chill out" room, where, under the promise of water and snacks they would be gaffled and clubbed to death or drowned.
In ancient roman times dog furs became a must have fashion item and bespoke dog barbery couture began to spread across the entire roman empire. It soon fell out of fashion once it reached the roman ruled provinces in the middle east and asia as they considered the dog to be sacred and would only dogs them if they could be eaten.
Although the market for dog fur had slumped, in Europe people were colder and the bear population had declined drastically increasing the demand for dog fur. But this too would have a dramatic effect on the Roman dog trade. Rather than import expensive dog skins from Italy, Britons had an abundance of dogs and used them to create cheap affordable dog furs for the masses. With a style of their own, more expense and flamboyant "Normandy furs" soon became popular and flourished across northern europe eventually reaching back to Rome long after the ritual of skinning dogs was obsolete.
All content copyright Tom Crowley
