Kyon Khryseos (Golden Dog), Laelaps, a dog in Greek mythology

The Kyon Khryseos (Golden Dog) was an animal set by Rhea to guard the infant god Zeus and his nurse, the goat Amaltheia, on the island of Krete (Crete). When Zeus reached maturity he placed the dog amongst the stars as the constellation Canis Major.

The Golden Dog was sometimes identified with Lailaps (Laelaps), a magical dog which Zeus gave Europa upon her arrival in Krete and which was afterwards passed down to Minos, Prokris and the hero Kephalos.

Laelaps was a dog in Greek mythology that always caught what he hunted. According to one source, Laelaps was the gift Zeus gave to Europa. The dog was later given to King Minos; Cephalus, who was Procris' husband, decided to use Laelaps in order to catch the Teumessian fox, which could never be caught. So, a paradox formed; a dog that always caught what it hunted, was after a fox that could never be caught. When Zeus realised what was going on and that the two animals would run for eternity, he decided to turn them both to stone, and then into constellations; Laelaps became the constellation Canis Major and the Teumessian fox became Canis Minor.