A Sanitary Revolution: How the Victorians Transformed Dirty Dogs into Hygienic Hounds - With Dr. Neil Humphrey, PhD

It is paradoxical that the same society responsible for implementing a modern, hygienic lifestyle was the first to conceive of pet dogs as intimate, home-dwelling companions. Cleanliness became one of Victorian society’s fundamental attributes. Dogs—increasingly understood as furry family members fundamental to modern, middle class lifestyles—had to be sanitized similarly to their human counterparts to live indoors. The cleanliness we expect of our pets today is part of a broader Victorian “sanitary revolution” that forever changed what was deemed acceptable for humans and dogs.