Popular breeds of dogs
ABOUT DOGS
Dogs are immensely social creatures who have descended from a wild ancestor, almost certainly a wolf-type animal. It is thought that they started to become domesticated around 15,000 to 30,000 years ago.
 |
| Popular breeds of dogs |
The process of domestication is likely to have been a long one, possibly triggered by dogs scavenging around human "kills" and the detritus of human dwellings, thereby becoming a common sight to human eyes. This process was probably fueled by human beings' need to hunt wild animals, to protect dwellings, and (eventually) to satisfy a yearning for companionship, all of which requirements a dog could fill.
Despite the massive diversity of modern dog breeds, all belong to the one species (Canis lupus familiarls). The dog's lupine origins explain much of what we need to know about it. Dogs are social animals, with a tendency to live in packs with a recognized "top dog." Their interactions with others of the same species are governed by their primeval inherited instincts of pack behavior. They tend to hunt in packs, with a complex range of cooperation behaviors that make catching prey more certain. They are able to catch, hold, kill, and dismember prey carcasses, often much larger than themselves (it is this trait that makes dogs dangerous for farm animals, if not properly controlled and trained, particularly if two or more dogs roam farmed land unsupervised). They are also capable of chewing bones. They are meat-eating predators and scavengers with an omnivorous tendency—they eat fruits, roots, and other vegetable matter in addition to meat and carrion.
Dogs in domesticity:
In the domesticated context, dogs become devoted to the human "pack leader." Their general tendency is to try to please this perceived leader whenever possible. They derive comfort from the pack leader's
rewarding behavior and from the presence of a human companion. They tend to protect the pack's lair in this case, the human home. Humankind has, over the millennia, exploited various physical and behavioral attributes of the canine species and enhanced them by selective breeding.The dog's powerful vision, sensitive hearing and smell, hunting instinct, herding instinct, and retrieving, guarding, and protecting behaviors have all been targets of selective breeding, which has led to the many and varied breeds suited to certain purposes in the service of humans. Dogs hunt with us, detect game, control pest rodents, guard and help manage flocks and herds, seek out explosives and drugs, go to war, and serve as our companions and pets.
When breeding, bitches give birth to a number of temporarily sightless, very defenseless, and dependent young (called a litter). The usual number of mammary glands and teats is ten. In addition to suckling their young, dogs regurgitate food for the puppies, until the pups become less dependent. A bitch tends to come into "season" about twice yearly (an individual can vary widely from this, but normally follows her own regular pattern) and produces blood in the week to ten days preceding ovulation. At the end of this bleeding phase, she is usually receptive to the male.
Some popular breeds of dogs:
* Bedlington Terrier
* Border Collie
* Border Terrier
* Borzoi
* Cocker Spaniel
* Dachshund
* Deerhound
* Doberman Pinscher
* English Bull Terrier
* Golden Retriever
* Great Dane
* Greyhound
* Hungarian Vizsla
* Jack Russell Terrier
* Labrador
* Lhasa Apso
* Miniature Poodle
* Miniature Schnauzer
* Munsterlander
* Norfolk Terrier
* Pekingese
* Poodle
* Pug
* Rhodesian Ridgeback
* Rottweiler
* Rough Collie
* Schnauzer
* Sharpei
* Shetland Collie
* Springer Spaniel
* Staffordshire Bull Terrier
* Tibetan Terrier
* Toy Poodle
* Whippet
* Wolfhound