Sagdid
Sagdid is a ritual which forms an essential part of a Zoroastrian funeral ceremony. The word "Sagdid" means "glance of the dog". Sagdid involves having a sacred dog watch over a recently deceased body, often before it has been touched by anybody else. The ritual is thought to restore purity, lessen the chance of infection, and more practically the ritual is used to determine if the deceased is truly deceased. Sagdid is also performed over deceased dogs in some instances.
Dogs in Zoroastrianism
The Vendidad speaks of different kinds of dogs such as the shepherd's dog, house-dog and hunting dog. Additionally, it also classifies the fox, the weasel, the otter, the porcupine, and the hedgehog as "dogs". The otter is highly sacred in that multitudes of individual dogs are considered to be reborn into a single otter.A detailed treatment of the various types of dogs, their virtues and rights are given in Fargard 13, 14, and 15 of the Vendidad. "Dogs", especially true dogs in the biological sense, are considered to deserve respect and protection; there are detailed prescriptions concerning the care which is due to them and the harsh punishments for those who harm them. For more details, see Dogs in Zoroastrianism.
The ritual of ''Sagdid''
The ritual of Sagdid is explained in Fargard 8 of the Vendidad. The dog is perceived to be a beneficent animal and the Druj is believed to flee at the very glance of the dog.The expression "four eyes" is thought to refer to a dog with two tan flecks above the eyes. In the absence of such a dog, any type of dog could be used.