Animal
Dog Kingdom
Dogs were domesticated from wolves as recently as
15,000 years ago. New evidence suggests that dogs were first
domesticated in East Asia, possibly China. Over time, the dog has
developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation.
Dogs, like humans, are highly social animals and this
similarity in their overall behavioural pattern accounts for their
trainability, playfulnes and ability to fit into human households and
social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in
the realm of interspecies relationships.
The loyalty and devotion that dogs demonstrate as part
of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human
idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets
as full-fledged family members.
The common name for the domestic dog is ‘Canis familiaris‘, a species of the dog family ‘Canidae’. The dog is generally considered the ‘first’ domesticated animal.
Dogs can differ in appearance, function, temperament
and size. Some small dogs can weigh as little as 1.5 pounds, whereas
some larger dogs can weigh as much as 200 pounds.
Depending on the country, there are about 138 officially recognised dog breeds.
Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are
often trained as working dogs. For dogs that do not have traditional
jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit
their natural skills.
It is estimated that for more than 12,000 years the
dog has lived with humans as a hunting companion, protector and friend. A
dog is one of the most popular pets in the world and has been referred
to as ‘mans best friend’. Whether you are poor or rich, a dog will be
faithful and loyal to you and love you to bits.
A pet dog will fit easily into family life and
environment, they of course need caring for as any other pet – feeding,
grooming, bathing and when ill, will need a visit to the vets. Dogs
thrive on affection and will happily wag its tail when showered with
love and attention. Dogs will also sit and sulk if they get told off for
doing something wrong.
A well-mannered dog must be trained properly and with
patience and perciverence. You must never mistreat a dog at any time as
not only is it very wrong to mistreat any animal, but some will bite in
their own defense.
Larger dogs need considerably more exercise over a
larger area than medium sized or small dogs. You can take them out into
the countryside or to your local park or recreation ground. Here, they
can run about and play games and get the exercise they need to keep them
fit and healthy.
Dogs can be taught how to do things. Throw a small
branch, stick or frizzbee and you can teach your dog to go fetch and
bring the item back to you. Dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive
cells over an area about the size of a pocket handkerchief (compared to
5 million over an area the size of a postage stamp for humans). Some
breeds have been selectively bred for excellence in detecting scents.
What information a dog actually detects when he is scenting is not
perfectly understood. Although once a matter of debate, it now seems to
be well established that dogs can distinguish two different types of
scents when trailing an air scent from some person or thing that has
recently passed by, as well as a ground scent that remains detectable
for a much longer period.
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