Dog
From BeastWiki
The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated subspecies of the wolf, a mammal from the Canidae family of the order Carnivora.
Over the time, the dog has developed into a hundred of breeds and variations. The height of dogs varies from breed to breed, some breeds stand roughly at about three feet and some ranges from just a few inches (Chihuahua, the smallest dog breed). The texture and length of coats also varies. Some breeds have short and smooth coat and others have coarse and woolly coats. The colors of the coats is also very diverse. Colors may range from light tan to dark brown and gray to black .
Some research show that dogs were domesticated from wolves some 15,000 years ago or even as early as 100,000 years ago based on fossil records. Evidence shows that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China and Japan. Genetic research has identified 14 ancient dog breeds such as Chow Chow, Basenji. Shar Pei,etc. Many of the 14 ancient breeds points to the high possibility that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia.
Contents |
[edit] Human Relationships
Dogs are often regarded as a “man's best friend” mainly because of their loyalty to their masters. The service and help they provide is also one of the main reasons why almost every household has a pet dog.
Dogs are very sociable animals and they possess a high level of intelligence. They can be easily trained to fit in most households and other social situations. Their often calm and playful nature is often endearing to many people. Playfulness and loyalty are some of the main reasons why a lot of people keep dogs as pets.
Aside from being pets, domesticated dogs are used for various tasks. In the ancient times, dog such as German Shepherds and were used trained for war service. Some dogs were bred for agricultural and livestock protection purposes. Other breeds of dogs are also used propagated based on different human needs.
[edit] Dog varieties
Humans use dogs as for assistance in a lot of day to day tasks. Specific dog breeds are used for specific tasks.
Types of working/utility dogs:
Assistance dogs – trained to assist handicapped people. Labrador Retrievers are commonly trained for this task.
Guard dogs – trained to protect properties. Examples are Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers.
Herding dogs – trained to protect livestock from predators. Sheepdogs are usually trained for this type of work.
Hunting dogs – trained to search and retrieved game.
Police dogs – trained to assist in police work like drug and bomb detection. German Shepherds are typically used for this kind of task.
Rescue dogs – trained to search for missing humans. St. Bernard dogs are commonly adept at this kind of task.
[edit] Dog sport
Dog sport is also popular in some places. Dog sport usually involves competition concerning dog agility, obedience, physical strength and toughness. Dog shows are also popular in other places. This kind of competition follows certain standards of a certain dog breed and judges them if they meet the characteristic of the dog breed. Winners are those dogs that conforms with the established breed standards.
Dog sport/show includes:
Dog racing – tests the speed and agility of dogs.
Dog fighting – this is illegal in some countries because of the brutal nature of the game. It tests the toughness and tenacity of dogs.
Dog shows - dogs compete based on an established dog breed standards.
Sled dog racing – tests the speed and agility of dogs
Obedience training - tests the patience and obedience of dogs.
Weight pulling – tests the physical strength and toughness of dogs.
[edit] Dog breeds
Dogs have been selectively bred for thousand of years from the same ancestral bloodline, and sometimes mixing different bloodline. The process still continues in the modern times and today, there are a lot of different dog breeds all over the world. There are over 800 breeds recognized by various kennel clubs all around the world.
Breed categories:
Bulldogs – examples are Old English Bulldog (already extinct), English Bulldog and French Bulldog
Fighting dogs – examples are American Pit Bull Terrier and Tosa Inu
Toy dogs – examples are Chihuahua, Papillon, Pug and Yorkshire Terrier
Working/Utility dogs – examples are Siberian Husky, German Shepherd, St. Bernard and Bull Mastiff
- Extinct dog breeds – examples are Old English Bulldog, English White Terrier and Norfolk Spaniel
[edit] Dog meat consumption
Although dogs are usually kept as pets, certain dog breeds are farmed for human consumption. Consumption of dog meat is usually a taboo in countries where dogs are popular pets. Most Western countries frown upon the practice of eating dog meat.
The Chinese people may have been the first people to domesticate dogs as pets, there are also records that shows that dog meat has been a source of meat in ancient China, possibly even before the time of Confucius.
[edit] Dog in bestiality
Dogs are popularly used as “stars” in bestiality pornography. Dogs along with horses are the more popular animals featured in bestiality. Dogs in bestiality industry are often referred to as K9.
[edit] See also
more to come
