By Sally Cragin
DEAR PET TALK: What are the dog days of summer? Rusty, age 12
DEAR RUSTY: This phrase goes all the way back to Homeric Greece (900 B.C.) and originated when ancient astronomers noted that Sirius, which is a star in the “Canis Major” (dog constellation) is visible.
In mythology, Sirius was the companion dog of Orion the Hunter, and the appearance of this constellation coincides with late summer.
Sirius, the brightest star in the sky now, is actually the dog’s “nose” and the constellation is adjacent to Lepus, a hare that Canis is chasing!
We think of the dog days as a time when it’s so hot, dogs just lie on the floor with their tongues out, but the original meaning meant a time when men went to war, as well as a time when the Romans thought that Sirius added extra heat to the sun, because it was so bright!
And if you were selecting a puppy during the time of Ancient Greece, Xenophon (4th century B.C.) declared the best names for dogs were just one or two syllables, so they could be easily called!
Xenophon named his favorite dog Horme (Eager), and Atalanta, the swift-footed racer of mythology called her dog Aura (Breeze).
Sally Cragin works with Be PAWSitive: Therapy Pets and Community Education. Visit www.bepaws.blogspot.com or on Facebook for more.
