A brief history of breeding
A Golden Retriever greets his boy after school, a tennis ball in his mouth, ready for a game of fetch. An English Springer Spaniel leaps forward to bring back a fallen bird. A Pomeranian snuggles with his owner, who's laid up with a broken back. A Doberman Pinscher accompanies his owner as she jogs through the park at night. The answer lies not only in their plasticity--the range of sizes and shapes they come in--but also in human creativity. Dogs are designer animals, cut from the fabric of our needs and fashioned to suit almost any purpose.
Early dog pleased early manIn the beginning, dogs barked an alarm when wild animals or strangers approached the outskirts of the human settlements where they lived, scavenging meals from the communal garbage dump. They kept down vermin by ridding the area of rotting food. Dog's first job, then, was to act as a combination security and waste management system. Since both services were valued by early humans, their presence was tolerated.We don't know how dogs made their way from the farthest edges of village life to the greater warmth and comfort of the Mesolithic hearth, but move they did. Although early people didn't know anything about genetics or heritable traits, they probably kept the puppies with the loudest and most insistent barks, the better to alert them to predators.
Breeding becomes a hobbyBreeding as we know it today is a fairly recent invention. For the most part, it wasn't until the 19th century that people began to keep records of canine bloodlines and to classify dogs into specific breeds rather than generic types such as hunting dog, hound, herding dog, or lap dog. Breeders ranged from noblemen creating a better retriever to shepherds refining herding ability for their particular livestock.Today, we live with more than 400 dog breeds recognized by kennel clubs around the world, which govern dog shows, field trials, hunt tests, herding tests, and other measures of quality and working ability. While many of those dogs still perform the work for which they've been bred for centuries or even millennia, the majority of them live with us as companions, perhaps the most important job of all.
Plenty of variety within a breedChoosing a purebred is the best way to know what you're getting in a dog as far as looks and temperament, although it's never an ironclad guarantee. Each breed is known for a particular temperament, but even within breeds we find variety. The Rottweiler can be clownish or commonsensical, the Papillon intensely energetic or lovingly laidback, the Greyhound friendly or retiring.
Those differences can be related to how frequently he was handled as a very young puppy, how well you socialized and trained him after you brought him home, as well as the genetic luck of the draw. Whatever dog you choose, and wherever you acquire him--reputable breeder, animal shelter, or breed rescue group, the two of you will be a new link in a chain of friendship stretching back thousands of years. |
 
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Tammy Grimes: heroine or criminal?
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Did Tammy Grimes cross the line when she took a suffering dog out of a stranger's backyard? Or did she do the right thing, no matter what the law says? Share your thoughts with other readers here. |
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Feb 2, 2010 7:22pm by Ms. Alaska view |
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Why is it legal to Deer & Moose hunt but illegal to fight dogs?
Shouldn't all hunting down & killing of animals for sport be considered just as cruel as dog fighting? Obviously I'm not ... (continued) |
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Jan 21, 2010 9:07am by Jaz view |
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Vizsla PLEASE!!!
I have had 2 Vizslas. I live in Sacramento, Ca. and want a new one. Samson died of cancer after several surguries. I can'... (continued) |
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Jan 14, 2010 4:03pm by Jenevi view |
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Mystery Mix!
We rescued my dog a year ago--she was a stray. Ever since, we have been desperately trying to figure out what mix she is.... (continued) |
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Nov 12, 2009 3:22pm by Mellissa view |
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