Medieval Guide Dogs

How long have blind people used dogs as their guides? We don't really know, but there is evidence that it's been going on since antiquity. These dogs are seen in medieval manuscripts, the kind that bored monks illuminated with drawings of everyday life. The drawing above is from a manuscript from the late 12th century. Dr. Krista A. Murchison of Leiden University rounded up quite a few rare depictions of guide dogs from medieval Europe, including some that show dogs carrying bowls, which may have been to collect alms. That's a good dog. -via Strange Company