Cats get a lot of press in relation to ancient Egypt, especially because of the goddess Bastet. Dogs get relatively short shrift, in part, as Jennifer Wegner mentions in the article, there wasn't really a dog deity in ancient Egypt.
Dogs were fairly popular, however, and there were definitely some dog people - like on of the Intefs who erected a stela dedicated to his dogs, who also had names. In some ways, I find the fact the dogs were named even more significant than the stela.
This puppy's name, if he had one, appears not to have been preserved, so he has been dubbed "Hapi-Puppy" by the researchers. I realize some might find it rather horrific that the puppy was probably killed so that he could be mummified to accompany his master, but if you think of it from the ancient Egyptian perspective, it's actually a rather remarkable testament to the affection Hapi-Men felt for his pet.
Incidentally, this is not a recently excavated mummy, though the story does give that impression - both Hapi-Men and his puppy have been in the U Penn collection for some time.
Found via Egyptology News
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