Why do we say "Love me, love my dog"?

Meaning:

If you love someone you should accept everything and everyone they love.

Background:

This expression is first recorded in a late 15th century book of miscellany, and is also found in John Heywood's 1546 book of proverbs. Similar proverbs can be found in other languages including French and Spanish.

Today, many people find many dogs more likeable than many humans, but this phrase has its roots in a time when dogs were not viewed so lovingly as today.

Dogs have co-existed with humans for thousands of years, but the concept of keeping one as a pet is relatively new, at least in Europe. It wasn't until the late Middle Ages that pet-keeping became popular among the aristocracy; noble women started to acquire lap dogs and the men directed their affection to hunting breeds. The middle class started to warm to dogs as pets in the 18th century; but it was the 19th century Victorians who firmly established the tradition, along with many of the breeds we know today. The Kennel Club was founded in 1873 and the first Crufts Dog Show took place in 1891, including six Pomeranians entered by Queen Victoria.

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