In medieval and Renaissance Europe, dogs were considered little more than "machines" which performed certain tasks, such as guarding a home or tracking game, but this view changed significantly during the Age of Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason) of the 17th and 18th centuries.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1730/dogs--their-collars-in-the-age-of-enlightenment/.