Medieval church dogs

The reaches of time have long passed over the now-extinct dog, Scabellum canis. These dogs were bred to warm people’s feet during church services throughout Europe. During the medieval period, the gentry endured long services on cold stone floors with the aid of these long-haired dogs trained to suffer with the patience of Saint Monica. People removed their boots and slippers and slipped their toes into the warm fur of their own Scabellum, trained to refrain from fidgeting or whimpering.