Where is the Beware of the Dog mosaic in Pompeii?
At the main door of the House of the Tragic Poet, in Regio VI, under glass. The house reopened on August 15, 2026: 9:15 to 16:20, last entrance 16:00, on any Pompeii ticket. You go in by the side door, straight into the garden, and see the mosaic from the street side of the main entrance.
By Chiara Vitale · Sources checked
- House of the Tragic Poet, Regio VI: 9:15–16:20, last entrance 16:00
- Included in the €20, €25 and €30 tickets; nothing extra to buy
- Nearest gate: Porta Marina, from Pompei Villa dei Misteri station
- Open again since August 15, 2026, after the park's change of visiting route
What is the House of the Tragic Poet?
A house of the traditional shape: atrium in front, garden behind. It's famous for one floor, the mosaic of a chained dog at the main entrance with the words CAVE CANEM. The park keeps it under glass now.
The name comes from another mosaic, actors getting ready for a play, that lay in the atrium and tablinum. The living room had large paintings from the Iliad; the one still on the wall is Ariadne left behind by Theseus, opposite the room's "Sale of Cupids", a scene copied all over Europe after the house was dug out in 1824 and 1825.
In the garden stands a small aedicula, the lararium, the shrine for the household gods that almost every house here had. The originals of the mosaics and paintings are in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
What to see, in order
The mosaic at the main door
Stand in the street at the main entrance; the dog is on the threshold under glass, teeth out, chain on.
Inside: the garden, the lararium, Ariadne
You enter by the side door, which opens on the garden. Find the lararium there, then the living room with Ariadne on the wall. Edward Bulwer-Lytton set part of his 1834 novel in this house.
Park Houses list, summer March 16 to October 14.
How do I get there?
- Take the Sorrento line to Pompei Villa dei Misteri. Enter at Porta Marina with your ID.
- Go up past the Forum into Regio VI. The house is in the streets north of the Forum, on the way toward the House of the Faun and the Vettii.
- Look at the main door from the street, then walk round to the side entrance, which leads into the garden.
- Be there before 18:00. Last entrance 18:00; the site itself admits until 17:30.
Park "How to get there"; map and guide.
Will a guided tour show me the dog?
All tour selections →Check the route line. The walk for six names the House of the Tragic Poet; other routes may pass the door without going in, so read the stop list. What I'd do: a small-group walk, then this house alone.
Tour selections compare routes, tickets and meeting points; the tour page shows the route line. tour listings, data from September 19 and 20, 2026.
Before you go
Which ticket do I need?
Any Pompeii ticket: €20, €25 or €30. The house is inside the walls, in Regio VI.
Is the mosaic the original?
The park's page says the originals of the mosaics and paintings are in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. The dog you see at the door is under glass; the park doesn't say on that page whether it's the original or a copy.
Why is the house open again?
The park changed its visiting route on August 15, 2026: five houses opened, including this one, and four closed. Hours 9:15 to 16:20, last admission 16:00. The full notice is on the places page.
Can I walk in through the main door?
No. The park's page says the house is entered from a side entrance that leads straight to the peristyle. The main door with the mosaic is for looking at.
Why "Tragic Poet"?
A mosaic of actors preparing for a play, found in the house, gave it the name. The dog gave it the fame.
Is it good for children?
Yes. A dog, a chain and two Latin words: the easiest thing in Pompeii to explain. What I'd do: let them read CAVE CANEM out loud, then go find the lararium in the garden.
Park ticket table, prices effective January 12, 2026; park notice of August 15, 2026.