In Scottish folklore, there is a story told of Great Conachar, a chieftain who had a dog of enormous size known as Cù Mòr - the big dog.

In his youth the dog was a powerful and loyal hunting companion but age comes for us all and the Cù Mòr was no different. With age he grew weak and infirm and being no longer able to hunt Conachar decided it was time to put the old dog to rest - but he was stopped by an old woman - 'Leig leis a’ chu tha lath’ fhein a feitheamhair”—“ Let the dog live : his own day awaits him.”. At the time, the land was ravaged by a savage wild boar who had killed every man who had attempted to hunt it; when the day came that Conachar set out to pursue the beast - Cù Mòr followed him. Conachar hadn’t gone far before the boar attacked him and though he defended himself he could not wound the boar, his spear fell useless against it’s thick hide and he could not over power it. Loosing the fight, it seemed assured Conachar would meet his end on the tusks of this terrible beast - then his loyal companion, emboldened with the vigour of his youth entered the fray. The battle was long, Cù Mòr and the boar fought tooth and tusk until the bloody end. The boar lay slain, but the big dog had received his death wound, and after a few steps back toward Conachar he died at his masters feet, having indeed had his day.