Our Beloved Pet
The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the wolf, and has been and still is one of the most popular working and companion animals in the history of humans. There are estimated to be 400,000,000 dogs in the entire world. There are approximately 74.8 million pet dogs in the United States alone.
Our beloved canine companions come in hundreds of varied breeds. Heights measuring from the withers range from a few inches in the tiny Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; colors vary from white through grays to black, and browns from light to dark in a wide variety of patterns; and different coats that can be very short to many centimeters long, from coarse hair to something as soft as wool, straight, curly, or smooth.
Dog as an English word, in common terms, refers to the domestic family dog, Canis lupus familiaris. The species was originally classified as Canis familiaris in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, also known as Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus, and was often called the Father of Taxonomy. In 1993, our friendly companion was reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, by the famous Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists. The term"Dog" is sometimes used to describe any mammal belonging to the family Canidae (meaning "the dog family"), which includes animals like the wolf, fox, and coyote.
In the dog breeding community, the male canine is referred to as a dog, while the female canine is called a bitch. The father of a litter of pups is called the sire, and the mother of a litter is called the dam. Canine newborns are generally called pups or puppies until they are about a year old. A group of new offspring is referred to as a litter. The process of birth is whelping.
The origin of the domestic canine is based on DNA evidence, the wolf ancestors of our family pet diverged from wolves approximately 100,000 years ago, and dogs were domesticated from the wolf ancestors approximately 15,000 years ago. Bearing this date in mind it suggests that dogs were the first species to be domesticated by humans.
There is evidence that suggests dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, most likely by China, and people who migrated into North America would have taken dogs with them from Asia.
With the migration of humans so to came the migration of a variety of dog species and with the expansion of agriculture and then in turn urban sprawl the population of canines increased dramatically, and so to a need for specialized breeds for working dog roles.
The partnership between dogs and humans dates back a very long time. Strong archaeological and genetic evidence indicates a time period of domestication in the late Upper Paleolithic close to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, approximately 17,000 and 14,000 years ago….that would be 98,000 dog years …give or take a few
There are over 800 breeds of dogs recognized by a number of different kennel clubs that span the globe. However there are a vast amount of dogs especially outside the United States that do not belong to any recognized breed. In spite of humans deliberate artificial selection processes for our benefit, and the morphological diversity that resulted from the process dogs can still spot each other in a room of other animals! To determine “breed” the dog must possess inherit characteristics that separates it from other animals within the species. s for breed popularity the American Kennel Club the Labrador as one of the most popular breeds, however the owner of any given breed is going to argue that their breed is the best, and they all have their reasons and preferences.
For years humans have used dogs for various tasks realizing quickly that certain breeds are more adaptable for certain tasks than others. . For example, Border Collies are known heir ability to learn commands, while other dogs may not be so motivated to obedience training, but rather show interest in learning other skills. Since dogs do rather well at adapting to a given situation they have taken well to doing jobs for humans and in the process given unconditional love and obedience.
The loyalty and devotion that our dogs demonstrate are part of their natural instincts as pack animals and mimics the human notion of love and friendship, leading many pet owners to view their dogs as part of their family. Likewise, dogs seem to view their human companions as part of their “pack”, and make few, if any, distinctions between their owners and fellow dogs.
Some facts regarding “man’s best friend”
* 39% of U.S. households own at least one dog.
* Most owners (63%) own one dog.
* 25% of owners own two dogs.
* 12% of owners own three or more dogs.
Twenty-eight million dog owners give their dogs holiday gifts, and a whopping 13 million celebrate their pets' birthdays in various ways. The APA also explains that 13 million dog owners consider their dog a best friend.
In our quest to show our true love for our buddies we have spent billions of dollars collectively each year for gourmet foods, custom dog houses, whirlpools …yes you heard right, designer clothing and a host of other toys and gadgets to make their lives more comfortable.
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who labors, fights, lives, breathes for him alone,
Unhonored falls, unnoticed all his worth,
Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth –
While man, vain insect! Hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven.
