Beware of the dog
Encyclopedia
Beware of the dog is a warning sign
indicating that a dangerous dog
is within.
buildings such as the House of the Tragic Poet
in Pompeii
, which contains a mosaic
with the caption "Cave canem". Some suppose that these warnings may sometimes have been intended to prevent visitors from stepping upon small, delicate dogs of the Italian greyhound
type.
, placing such a sign does not relieve the owner of responsibility for any harm which may come to people attacked by the dog.
Such signs may be placed to deter burglary
even if there is no dog.
Warning sign
A traffic warning sign is a type of traffic sign that indicates a hazard ahead on the road that may not be readily apparent to a driver.In most countries, they usually take the shape of an equilateral triangle with a white background and a thick red border...
indicating that a dangerous dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
is within.
History
Warning signs of this sort have been found in ancient RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
buildings such as the House of the Tragic Poet
House of the Tragic Poet
The House of the Tragic Poet is a typical 2nd century BC Roman house in Pompeii, Italy...
in Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
, which contains a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
with the caption "Cave canem". Some suppose that these warnings may sometimes have been intended to prevent visitors from stepping upon small, delicate dogs of the Italian greyhound
Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound is a small breed of dog of the sight hound type, sometimes called an "I.G.", or "Iggy" for short.-Appearance:The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the sighthounds, typically weighing about and standing about tall at the withers...
type.
Law
Under English lawEnglish law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
, placing such a sign does not relieve the owner of responsibility for any harm which may come to people attacked by the dog.
Such signs may be placed to deter burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
even if there is no dog.