Cave canem — Dogs

The story behind the answer

“Cave canem” is correct because it’s the Latin for “Beware of the dog.” Cave is the imperative “beware,” and canem is the accusative of canis (“dog”), the case required after cave. The other options are either different animals (lupus = wolf, bestiam = beast) or use the wrong case (canis is nominative).

This warning famously appears on floor mosaics at Roman house entrances—most notably in Pompeii’s House of the Tragic Poet—often showing a chained guard dog to deter intruders. Memory tip: think “caveat” (beware) + “canine” (dog) = Cave canem.