This constellation was added to the sky by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius who was not only an astronomer but the major of Danzig. Hevelius invented 10 new constellation in the northern sky, astronomers today still use seven of them. It was in 1687, that Canes Venatici or the hunting dogs were created. According to myth the hunting dogs were being held by the Herdsman Bootes and it is suggested that this may be to prevent them from chasing the two bears around the celestial pole. Before Hevelius this area of sky was part of Ursa Major The Great Bear, there are only two stars of note they used to be known as Asterion or the northern dog and Chara or the southern dog, these 2 will become alpha and beta Canes Venatici.