THE DOGS OF WAR?

The Romans, kept dogs, just like modern day people. But, the Romans rarely used these dogs just as a house pet, they mostly used them for guarding their homes, for gladiatorial battles, and for unleashing against their foes in warfare. The popular Roman breed of dog is the now extinct "Mollosian," which looked like an oversized Rottweiler. Mollosians were originally from Greece, probably brought to Rome by soldiers or merchants.
In Pompeii, archaeologists found mosaics with images of Mollosians and words the "cave canem," or, "beware of the dog." It is obvious that Mollasians became extinct because of the Romans and Greeks sending them into battles and pittting them against gladiators in an arena. Also, legend has it that Alexander the Great had a Mollosian that killed a lion and an elephant in the arena. So, Romans may have treated their dogs a bit too harshly, but they didn't know any better. The Romans were like children, still learning.