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Dogs in the Heavens
by Fred Lanting
Copyright January, 2009 -
In the "olden days" (which to today's generation probably means before TV), when there were no street lamps or lighted guppy aquariums, and people used candles or torches to find their way at night, the sky could get very dark indeed. Especially when the moon was less full or on the other side of Earth, night was a time for many to look up and wonder at the immensity of the universe. Without "light pollution" in the sky, many more stars were visible to the unaided eye than we can see today near any civilization. So many, that in the Old Testament, when God promised Abraham his descendants would be innumerable as the stars, it boggled Abraham's mind. Yet he believed the unbelievable, and became known as an example of faith.
In Greek lore before Christ, in Arabic lore before Mohammed, and in the ancient religions of many cultures, the luminous heavenly bodies played important parts in the drama of life. In those days, science and superstition were intermingled, and religion pervaded every experience and touched each object. The ancients traced the path of "fixed" stars as they, like the moon and sun, traveled roughly from east to west. As the earth turns, these stars appear to curve in a crescent path as they pivot around Polaris, the North Star.
In the northern sky, the Big Dipper in winter starts off standing on its handle, the far edge pointing toward Polaris. By spring, when it's pleasant enough to go out onto the lawn at night in robe and slippers, the Big Dipper has turned bottom-side-up with the handle pointing southeast, but the two stars on the edge still point to Polaris. The North Star is not the easiest to find-even when the pointers are not hiding behind the trees close to the horizon. But from my front porch, it's right over the mailbox and the corner of my dog yard.
At least three star groups or constellations deal with dogs, and I'm sure you can think of two of them. Before getting into that, I want to answer a question you may not have thought to ask as yet: what about the planets? Stars take the same paths every day (every time the earth rotates), with minor changes in position made over a period of thousands of years. They are flaming suns in their own systems and galaxies, while the planets around our own sun reflect its light instead of generating their own. As the moon circles Earth and appears "in" different star constellations at different times, so do the planets as they circle the sun with varying "years" in their own time schemes. That bright "star" you see, even when it's not really dark, such as after dawn or in early evening may not be a star at all, but Venus or Jupiter, and they may be there in different months of different years. Mars may be about the only other planet you'll see with the naked eye, especially if you live near city light pollution.
The dog-related stars are mainly visible to Americans from late fall to early spring, when there are more hours of darkness. In summer, by the time the sun sets, these have already begun to show themselves to the Hawaiians and Japanese and will not come around again at night until November. Crisp winter nights with no clouds may be best for viewing the more recognizable stars, including those involving dogs.
Orion
Let's look at the late fall sky first. Being a confirmed warm-weather aficionado since I moved from the Arctic Circle (Toledo, OH) I dread the day I first see Orion rising over the eastern horizon. It foretells the dark, cold months ahead. It is then that the mighty hunter starts off lying on his back, the three bright jewels on his belt in a nearly vertical (east-west) line. By the time the rest of his form is visible in the contrast of the darkening sky, Sirius can be seen to his right and rear. A little later you can identify the other major stars in a large semi-circle around Orion's top half, even with the belt, starting on the horizon from a little to left and sighting clockwise until you end at Orion's uplifted foot (see illustration). Off to the side of the reddish-tinged Aldebaran is a fuzzy cluster which, with binoculars, becomes a septet of diamonds – the Pleiades.
As spring arrives, the best viewing of Orion and his stellar halo is had by looking westward after sunset. He now stands on the western horizon with his star-studded belt horizontal (north-south). You will easily find Sirius at dusk, but the rest of the neighbors are not visible until it gets darker.
Canis Major
Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and for a good part of the year is the "first star I see tonight". Popularly known as "The Dog Star", it has been associated with Canis familiaris almost since the beginning of history and among many cultures. 
The Greeks fancied Sirius as the head of a great dog (the constellation Canis Major) which stands on his hind feet ready to pounce on Lepus the hare. Incidentally, Lepus is the origin of the Easter Bunny, and is related to spring and pagan resurrection symbolism from long before Christ. The Arabians also thought of the constellation as Al-Kalb-al-Akbar, "the Greater Dog". In India it was the dog "Deerslayer", and the stargazers of the Euphrates knew it as "Dog of the Sun". The Egyptians, who worshipped Sirius and built temples in its honor, did so because this watchdog's annual appearance announced the time of the Nile's flooding. The overflow brought fertility and nourishing water to farmlands, providing for another harvest.
This great star, visible from every inhabited region of Earth, is only 8.6 light-years away. That's about half a million times farther than our sun, but being twice the diameter of Sol, it is 27 times more luminous. Since it is considered younger than the Sun, Sirius is much hotter, probably 20,000°F. Only astronomers with very powerful telescopes can see that the light actually comes from a double star, Sirius A and its small "white dwarf" companion, which revolve around a common center of gravity.
As Summer progresses, the Dog Star rises soon after the sun and closely follows or "dogs" it through the hottest days of the season. This gave rise to the phrase "dog days" as much as did the notion that dogs go mad more easily in late summer. Toward the end of January, Sirius rises in the east about the time the sun sets in the west, and by late spring it sets before dark. So the best time to view Sirius is from mid-November to mid-spring.
The star is a brilliant bluish-white today, but early Babylonian, Greek, and Roman manuscripts currently under study at Ruhr University in West Germany indicate it was once more red. Ptolemy, Cicero, Seneca, and others mentioned its ruddy hue, and ancient Romans sacrificed red-coated dogs to Sirius. Gregory of Tours in the Sixth Century reported that it was called Rubeola, which means red or rusty. The most likely explanation for this "sudden" (cosmically speaking) change is that Sirius B was a red giant that collapsed to a white dwarf, a common event in the aging process of stars, though not usually thought to be accomplished very quickly.
A Greek legend has it that Aurora gave a swift dog to Cephalos, who raced it against the fox. The dog did so well against his speedy cousin for such a great distance that Jupiter, the king of gods, was pleased. Therefore he placed it in the sky as its reward. Some Egyptologists say that the chief deity Osiris and the star Sirius are derived from the same root word. A son of Osiris named Anubis was often pictured in the hieroglyphics as having a dog-like head (most likely a jackal), and when Isis searched for Anubis, she had a dog's assistance. Whatever Canis Major was called in the earliest pagan religions, it represented the qualities of speed, fidelity, protection, and mental agility-qualities we like to attribute to our dogs today.
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General info on The Sieger Show Experience with tour guide Fred Lanting
The SV Bundessieger-Zuchtschau (BSZS or Sieger Show) in Germany is generally held in the last week of August or first week in September at a different location each year, depending on stadiums available. (The cost of stadium for this one-weekend event, and the competition with soccer/football events that sign contracts for many per year, determine the choice.) For the past 20 years or so, I have offered my non-profit 6-7-day guided tour of the show and sightseeing, including visits to kennels and training clubs. Get an SV judge's perspective of the bloodlines and procedures, along with experienced introductions to Germany's culture and beauty. My groups come from all parts of the globe, so even just the companionship is like a world-travel experience. We usually arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday before the show, and return the following Wednesday.
Looking for a great dog-related experience combined with seeing a different part of the world? Whatever your breed or activity in dogs, the annual Lanting guided show-and-sightseeing tour could be the experience of a lifetime. Read my annual “Impressions” articles on various websites for an idea of what we've seen in recent years. Tours centered on other countries’ Sieger Shows, the BSP, and world Schutzhund trials are also available if enough people sign up.
None of "my people" have ever been sorry, and all have wished they had done it earlier! You will see the best of the breed, meet important GSD people, sometimes see another country or two, and have the over-all greatest dog show experience of your life. I also include, if you decide to join us, a variety of travel tips. I offer an SV conformation judge's perspective of the show (I also have AKC, UKC, and foreign judging experience). One year, when a travel-agency tour leader again deserted his group, they came to where my group was sitting and asked me questions. References available from previous tour participants. Testimonials are numerous. I hope you will join us and recommend this tour to your friends and acquaintances. As a judge with much experience in Schutzhund training and competition, and being very familiar with Western Europe, I am able to give the best tour possible. People going it on their own cannot see the important parts of the country (sometimes we tour adjacent countries, too), and paying for your rental car is more than chipping in to pay for the van and my expenses. Read my "Impressions" on various websites for an idea of what we've seen in recent years.
There will be 3 long days of the big show, and about 3 to 4 days of sightseeing and visits. Please let me know as soon as you can, with a $400 (US) deposit, so I can start putting my notification list together and finalize (hold) hotel reservations for you. There is a lot of work involved in putting together such a tour! I will make the hotel plans based on your deposits, & arrange the visits and van(s). Easy, fun, educational and, for most --- the unique trip of a lifetime. You will not be any younger next year, and if you don't make the decision to get out there and smell the roses NOW, while you think of it, you're more likely than not to lose the opportunity and desire. Join the group! Tell others about it, too. Fred
Contact me at Mr.GSD[at]netscape.com and tell your friends and Internet contacts.
Postal mail: 3565 Parches Cove, Union Grove, AL 35175-8422 USA
Editor’s Note: A well-respected and frequent GSD specialty and all-breed judge for many clubs around the world, with KC and other-country credentials, Mr. Lanting since 1966 has lectured on Gait-and-Structure, Canine Orthopedic Disorders, and other topics, and has judged in about 30 countries, including the prestigious FCI Asian Shows hosted by Japan Kennel Club and the KC of India, the Scottish Kennel Club, and many National Specialties in the USA and elsewhere. He has been described by a former OFA director as the world’s leading non-veterinarian authority on hip dysplasia. A dog breeder since 1945, a GSD owner since 1947, and a show judge since 1979, he has lectured at numerous veterinary schools in the USA and abroad. He is the author of “must read” books for the dog owner (see below for ordering info). Curriculum Vitae available upon request.
Announcing the new “Canine HD and Other Orthopedics Disorders” book: The expanded revision is a comprehensive (nearly 600-page), amply illustrated, annotated, monumental work that is suitable as a coffee-table book, a reference work for breeders and veterinarians, and a study adjunct for veterinary students. It is equally valuable for the owner of any breed. It covers every aspect of HD and other orthopedic, bone, or spinal disorders, and includes genetics, diagnostic methods, treatment options, and the role of environment. Your autographed copy will be mailed from the USA as soon as the appropriate amount is received and is processed. Pricing: US $68, plus $5 postage in the U.S., or ask about mail overseas. Combine orders with “The Total German Shepherd Dog” by the same author ($50 plus postage). 17 of the 20 chapters are suitable for owners of any breed.
