Dog
|
This article is about the animal. For other uses of Dog, see Dog (disambiguation). |
Dogs, also referred to as hounds,[3b] are quadrupedal mammals of the family Canidae, Genus Canis, Order Carnivora.[6] These animals are encountered on several worlds throughout the Imperium, some being trained as War Dogs.[1a] Dogs are canine animals, just like wolves.[4]
Overview
According to ancient knowledge, every dog on Terra is descended from a wolf pack that was tamed on the shores of the Youngsea River. This is said to have occurred some fifty-five thousand years before the Great Crusade began.[4][Note 1] Huntsmen often utilize dogs to flush out prey from hiding.[3a] Dogs make excellent little vassals. Their senses are superb, able to spot a Callidus imposter in disguise.[3b]
Traitor Guardsmen are known to utilize dogs like their loyalist counterparts. Both in battle and to keep order, setting the canines on any and all who disrupt the ruling order. Hounds are a useful asset to any slaver. Blood Pact slavers are known to utilize cyber-mastiffs known as hate-dogs.[5b]
The Iron Snakes Space Marine Chapter is said to be unique among the Adeptus Astartes in that they are trained to use war dogs for tracking and flushing out Dark Eldar.[1b]
Known Types
Notable Dogs
- Creed (deceased) — Stalkerhound of Baroness Hawthorn Astair-Rakkan. Died fighting an Ursid encountered during a hunt.[3b]
- Ibram Gaunt — Stalkerhound of Baroness Hawthorn Astair-Rakkan; a good bird dog.[3b]
- Macharius — Stalkerhound of Baroness Hawthorn Astair-Rakkan[3b]
- Princeps — favoured hunting dog of the High Legislator of Fuce, on Baal Solock[1a]
- Yarrick — Stalkerhound of Baroness Hawthorn Astair-Rakkan[3b]
Slang Usage
Dog is often used as an insulting term or comparison. Calling someone a dog usually infers that they are mindlessly subservient to a fault, and it can also mean someone as mindlessly savage as a beast.[3b]
For the latter reasons, those with borderline heretical opinions of the Imperium might compare the Imperial Guard to simple dogs. Others might name their hounds after famous Astra Militarum commanders, either as a subtle insult obscured by a layer of flattery or earnest tribute is hard to say. Imperial Knight pilots might also refer to Guardsmen as hound, due to the comparison that both flush out prey from hiding to be shot by the Knight.[3b] Commissars, Guardsman officers, and self-aware low-ranking soldiers might also refer to their common troops as dogs or dog soldiers.[5a]
Dogs are also genetically related to wolves. Due to all these reasons, after the Burning of Prospero, it was customary for Chaos Space Marines of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion to refer to the Space Wolves as "the Dogs",[2a] the "Emperor's Dogs",[2b] or the "Dogs of Fenris"[2c]
Trivia
 |
- Note 1: The "Youngsea River" mentioned in Prospero Burns (Novel)[4] is possibly a reference to the Yangtze River. In 2011, a study confirmed that Asian regions south of the Yangtze River was the principal and probably sole region where wolves were domesticated by humans. This ran counter to theories, at the time, that placed the canine line as descending from the Middle East. (Origins of domestic dog in Southern East Asia is supported by analysis of Y-chromosome DNA. Heredity, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2011.114)
See also
Sources
- 1: Brothers of the Snake (Novel):
- 2: Battle of the Fang (Novel):
- 3: Assassinorum: Kingmaker (Novel):
- 4: Prospero Burns (Novel): Part One, Chapter 4
- 5: The Guns of Tanith (Novel):
- 6: Void Stalker (Novel), Chapter XX
