Dragon Age - The Importance of Dogs

BioWare has an update for Dragon Age titled The Importance of Dogs:

I am frequently asked, during my travels in foreign lands, to explain the omnipresence of dogs in Ferelden. In every civilized corner of Thedas, an astute observer will note that dogs are employed in hunting game, keeping barns and storehouses free of vermin, herding livestock, guarding homes, and in the mountains they are even used as beasts of burden. It is simply that Fereldans show appreciation for the work that their dogs do. And perhaps the reason for that is tangled up in mythology.