History of Dogs
Dogs are undeniably man's best friend, and dog history goes back centuries. While each individual breed has a unique history that explains the specific origins of its characteristics (size, temperament, coat, etc.), all breeds share some common dog history based on their ancient ancestors, the wolves.
From Wolves to Dogs
Dogs and wolves share 99% of their genetic structure, and archeological evidence supports the fact that wolves were man's original companions more than one hundred thousand years ago. Wolves are naturally pack animals, and it has been theorized that lone wolfs - particularly abandoned puppies - would be drawn to human tribes for care and companionship. Human compassion led ancient people to care for the animals, and in doing so, they discovered a canine's enormous capacity for bonding and loyalty, which could then be exploited for service: guard dogs, hunting, and so forth.
There are many legends that allege the relationship also went the other way and that wolves often raised lost or abandoned children as they would their own pups. The Roman myth of twin brothers Romulus and Remus is such a tale: the abandoned infants were supposedly nursed by a mother wolf. Rudyard Kipling'sThe Jungle Book is another heartfelt story of a young child being raised by wolves.
Over the centuries, ancient peoples may have continued finding lost wolves, but more than likely recognized the benefits of the man-wolf relationship and captured pups to raise, perhaps by killing the guarding parents first. Eventually, the domesticated wolf population was large enough to promote breeding, and gradually new traits appeared as the existing animals were interbred. In fact, many of the most fantastical dog breeds today (chihuahuas, for example), are severely inbred and have several inherent health disorders because of this practice. This specialized breeding, involving different species of wolves over centuries, has led to every dog breed in existence today.
Wolf-Like Characteristics
Modern dogs still retain wolf-like characteristics, no matter what the size or breed. Though the degree of these traits varies with different breeds and even different individuals, it is clear that some characteristics are more visible in specific breeds. Wolf-like dog characteristics include:
- Pack Behavior: Dogs naturally look up to a leader, most often their owner, and are usually more comfortable in hierarchical groups.
- Dominant and Submissive Relationships: Body language, posture, and behavior dictates dominant and submissive relationships - a dog drooping its head and tail when scolded, for example, indicates submission to its leader, its owner.
- Aggressiveness and Territoriality: Dogs naturally seek to protect what they have claimed as their own, just as wolves mark a specific hunting or home territory. This aggression and territoriality extends to strangers - new visitors or chasing mailmen, for example - as well as guarding food.
- Socialization: Wolves play and socialize to cement their relationships as well as perfect critical hunting skills. Even games such as frisbee, fetch, or tag are critical to a dog's socialization.
- Chasing: When prey is spooked and flees, wolves' instincts encourage a chase that may result in another meal. Dogs display this instinct as well, often chasing cars, bikes, or anything that flees before them, though without the same predatory consequences.
- Fleeing: When frightened, wolves naturally flee to protect themselves. Dogs do this as well, particularly around loud, unknown noises (fireworks, vacuum cleaners, thunder, etc.) that could prove to be hazards.
- Vocalization: Listening to a wolf's song is a popular therapeutic technique in new age circles, and many people recognize the distinct range of howls, growls, and other sounds that make up a wolf's vocabulary. Dogs vocalize as well through howling, barking, and whining to attract their owner's attention, alert them to danger, or express emotions such as joy, anger, and fear.
Each of these characteristics supports the theory of dog history intertwined with that of wolves. As individual groups of dogs are examined, it is clear that centuries of careful, deliberate breeding has accentuated specific traits suitable to particular purposes.
Group Dog History
Because wolves were interbred to create new breeds with certain characteristics, every breed group has a slightly different dog history. As any modern breeder will choose the best dog and bitch to produce puppies encompassing the better traits of both, ancient breeders used similar techniques to foster a wide variety of dogs.
Sporting Dog Group
These dogs (spaniels, setters, etc.) are bred for hunting, running, and agility. Dogs with longer limbs, high energy levels, quiet voices (so as not to scare off prey), and retrieving abilities are desired, and those characteristics can be found in many wolves. Many such breeds originated in western Europe during the centuries when hunting was both a gentleman's sport and a necessary provisionary pastime.
Hound Group
Hounds are also bred for hunting, with a history of champion trackers and game dogs. Most hound dogs - greyhounds, beagles, and bloodhounds among them - are particularly vocal, displaying that wolf characteristic with enthusiasm and frequency. Today, hound breeds enjoy a dog history filled with noble work in law enforcement and protection.
Working Dog Group
These dog breeds, including Dobermans, boxers, and rottweilers, are bred to be powerful, strong specimens capable of tasks of strength and endurance. While many wolves are sinuous and agile, strength traits are easy to find in wild wolves. The history of the working group includes the St. Bernard mountain rescue dogs and many breeds used to pull sleds in northern climates.
Herding Dog Group
Herding dogs most likely originated in areas with open plains and other geographic characteristics suitable to maintaining large animal herds such as sheep and cattle. Herding breeds include sheepdogs and collies, breeds with the agility, speed, and intelligence necessary to control large numbers of other animals. Wolves have been known to herd their prey, forcing them into a trap or toward an area where an attack was more likely to succeed.
Terrier Group
Terriers were originally bred to enter burrows and dens to flush out game or destroy pests and field rodents. In order to do this, the dogs needed to have keen eyesight for dark areas, low slung bodies that could fit into small spaces, and powerful jaws to dispatch their quarry. Cairn terriers and wheaten terriers are prime examples of these feisty breeds.
Toy Dog Group
Toy dogs are anything but playthings, but they are the group most differentiated from their ancestral wolves. Toy breeds - chihuahuas, maltese, and papillons, for example - are bred for small size but still retain the wolf-like qualities of their larger cousins, proof that even the most unusual dog breeds have a history closely intertwined with wild wolves.
Non-Sporting Dog Group
The non-sporting group is a mixed bag of breeds that do not fit will within other classifications. From dalmations to bulldogs, these breeds lack distinctive breeding traits but are nevertheless further examples of dog diversity derived from wolves.
Dog History in the Making
Dog history is ongoing today as breeders combine known dog breeds to experiment with different traits and characteristics to create more desirable pets. One example is the desire for more hypo-allergenic breeds: while no dog is truly non-allergenic, a hypo-allergenic breed (such as the maltese) sheds less and generally is more appealing to individuals with strong allergies. Mixed-breed bloodlines are being strengthened to create new breeds such as the maltipoo (maltese-poodle) and cockapoo (cocker spaniel-poodle) that exhibit the best characteristics of both original breeds.
Summary
Dog history is as rich and varied as the dog breeds themselves. All dogs originated from ancestral wolves, but careful breeding has created dozens of distinct breeds that highlight desired characteristics. Modern breeders are continuing this fine history by creating new breed combinations that are slowly being accepted by professional organizations even while they become popular new pets.
How to take care of a dog
How to take care of a dog
It is best if you do a bit of research about how to take care of a dog before deciding to accept a dog as a member of your household. Caring for a dog involves a lot of responsibility, since you will be the sole provider for your dog’s social, dietary and health-related needs. You will also need to be prepared to train your dog, since this is also a very important part of understanding how to take care of a dog. Here is a general guide that will familiarize you with how to take care of a dog, as well as provide tips to help you keep your dog healthy.
Puppy Care
Being aware of how to take care of a puppy requires a bit of a different approach than knowing how to take care of a dog. Puppies require special attention, since they are still in their “learning” stage. Encourage your puppy to interact with the world around them, and be open to new situations or environments. This is also known as “socialization”, and involves exposing your puppy to as many new things as possible. Socialization is a very important part of how to train a puppy, since it sets the foundation for future dog training. Most well-socialized puppies will be much easier to care for, since they tend to exhibit better behavior. It’s also important that you feed your puppy a special puppy-food diet for at least their first year. Growing puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, and need to be fed accordingly. Just like knowing how to take care of a dog, knowing how to take care of a puppy requires that you do some research beforehand.
Feeding
Knowing how to take care of a dog involves proper attention to your dog’s diet. Though it may be tempting to purchase a low-quality dog food formula that is inexpensive, this can negatively affect your dog’s health. Understanding how to take care of a dog means that you are accepting the responsibilities associated with proper dog care. It’s recommended that you feed your dog a high-quality, nutrient-rich dog food formula that is balanced enough to ensure proper digestion. Checking dog food reviews is an excellent way of picking a high quality dog food.
In general, the first five listed ingredients in a dog food formula will make up the “bulk” of the food. Be sure that at least two of the first five ingredients are derived from high-quality protein sources. It’s also best to avoid dog food that contains artificial preservatives, colors or chemical flavoring.
Training
Part of knowing how to take care of a dog involves knowing how to train a dog. Dogs that are properly trained are much easier to manage, and can adapt more easily to new training programs. Proper dog training should ideally be started as soon as you bring a dog into your home. Understanding how to take care of a dog means that you will have to be sensitive to how quickly your dog can learn new commands. Different breeds of dogs have different levels of intelligence, and will learn at different speeds. The best way to be aware of how to take care of a dog in relation to training involves a lot of patience. Potty training in particular can be difficult, as some dogs need a bit of time to adapt to going to the bathroom outdoors.
Exercise
Knowing how to take care of a dog also involves an adequate level of exercise. Each year, thousands of dogs experience obesity-related health problems. If you truly care about how to take care of a dog, it’s important that you incorporate exercise into your dog’s daily routine. Exercise can be a brisk 30 minute walk, or an extended session of playtime.
Grooming
Another essential part of knowing how to take care of a dog involves attention to your dog’s grooming. Most dogs will need to be groomed at least twice per week, though some long-haired dogs may require more frequent grooming. Be sure to check your dog’s eyes, ears teeth and nails during the grooming process. In some cases, early identification of a health problem can save your dog from a serious medical condition. Decent grooming equipment can be found at any discount pet supplies store.
Veterinary Care
Proper veterinary care is extremely important when understanding how to take care of a dog. It’s best if you bring your dog in for veterinary checkups at least once per month. If you’re worried about costs, you may want to invest in pet insurance for your dog. Pet insurance can cover some or all of your veterinary bills, and will usually also cover emergency procedures. Many dog owners often underestimate how important veterinary care is for knowing how to take care of a dog.
Dog Food Ratings
Some of the earliest commercial dog food formulas were made from waste materials from industrial meat processing plants. Dog nutrition has progressed significantly since that time, and we now have a lot of information about what our dogs should be eating in order to stay in good health. If you want to choose the best formula for your dog, you usually have to sort through all of the commercial dog foods that claim to be the “most nutritious” choice for your dog. Many of the larger pet food companies have extensive marketing departments, which spend a lot of time and money convincing you to purchase their products.
To choose the best formula for your dog, you need to do a bit of research. You need to read dog food reviews, which can allow you to gain an understanding of the experiences other dog owners have had with their dog’s food. You need to research the ingredients in each formula, in order to discover their origin, quality and level of nutrition. You need to find out the background of each dog food company, including their history, quality standards and if they’ve ever been involved in any pet food recalls. You need to find out if a company has special formulas for your dog’s age, health condition or level of activity.
Thankfully, we’ve done all of this research for you. Each of these dog food reviews takes into account the company that manufactured the formula, the quality of the ingredients, a general description of all of the reviews of each formula, and lots of other information. Each of these pet food review articles takes a detailed look at specific dog food formulas, allowing you to make a more informed decision about how to provide for your pet’s nutritional needs.
