ABSTRACT
The use of dogs by the medieval European aristocracy in times of political intrigue to test whether their food had been poisoned is one example of the very ancient practice of animal experimentation. Small dogs are depicted walking among the dishes in a famous painting of the banqueting table of the Duc de Berry in the early 15th century. This may reflect the Duke's known enthusiasm for dogs, but they may have been tasting dogs (chiens-goûteurs) used to check the Duke's food in an early form of toxicity testing. 1
