In the Middle Ages, masters depended on dogs to protect their land at night. For this responsibility, dogs were trained to kill men by attacking substitutes, such as a bear, capable of standing upright like a man, or a monkey sitting on a horse, resembling a man on horseback. Animal baiting became such a popular form of entertainment that dogs were bred for it. During the Renaissance, bulls, in addition to bears, were frequently used for baiting because they were readily available and could be eaten after the entertainment. Linda Kalof, author of Looking at Animals in Human History, hypothesizes that the popularity of this horrible spectacle is rooted from an interest in understanding animal nature and temperament.
But bears were chosen because they are similar to people… did people find themselves in bears?
This puppy is no longer physically capable of animal baiting anymore. He can only love and be lovely!
a letter "T" for the friend I painted this for!
-Christie