Ladies with Little Dogs: Attitudes towards Dogs in the 18th and 19th Century Russia

Abstract

This article deals with the attitude of the Russian nobles towards dogs. The sources are mainly memoirs, as well as Russian literary works of the 18th and 19th centuries, especially those in which the “dog” theme was not the main one but rather appeared as an additional characteristic of a situation or hero. These data show that men and women treated dogs differently. In addition, men and women preferred to communicate with different dog breeds. In the Russian society of the 18th and 19th centuries, toy dogs (ladies’ dogs, or bed dogs) were attributes of a rich and noble lady. Men treated such dog breeds with disdain. Foolish, whimsical, and dependent pet was quite consistent with the behavior of a noble girl or lady – with her outfits, fainting, and dependence on a gentleman. On the other hand, men liked their hunting dogs (as well as watchdogs). These animals were big, strong, and cocky; they usually lived not in a house, but in a yard. The fashion for having toy dogs gradually faded away. Cats were increasingly becoming favorite pets. Since the middle of the 19th century, it was mostly an unpleasant old lady who was living surrounded by pugs or other little dogs.