Dog Breed Identification
Dogs come in every shape, size, and personality. How many times have you seen a dog walking with its owner, loping along a country road or paddling in a pool or pond and wondered what kind of dog it was? How do you identify a particular dog breed? Are there noticeable differences among the different kinds of dogs?
History
About 15,000 years ago man first domesticated the dog. It is generally accepted today that this first dog was a Gray Wolf, since modern dogs are so genetically similar to Gray Wolves that they are able to breed with them successfully. Dogs were most likely introduced into the human household by the adoption of an abandoned wolf cub. Being a pack animal, the young wolf would have assimilated easily into the human clan and raised its own pups as part of the human community. Over the following millennia, people began to breed for particular characteristics until we have the diverse dog populations of today, which the American Kennel Club designates as sporting, hounds, terriers, herding, working, toy and non-sporting dogs. These purebred dogs can be identified by the physical and behavioral characteristics that were bred into them to assist humans.
Hunters
In addition to gathering fruits, grains, and vegetables, man first obtained food by hunting. Since wolves also hunted in groups, man and dog were natural partners in hunting large and small game. Dogs were soon bred to find, flush out and bring back killed or wounded game. This required speed, stamina and loyalty, so sporting breeds like Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers, Springer spaniels, and other pointers, retrievers, setters and spaniels were created.
Like the sporting dogs, hounds were bred to hunt, and were divided into sight and scent hounds. Sight hounds, like the speedy Borzoi, Saluki and Greyhound, are tall with long necks and large eyes, while the slower scent hounds, like bloodhounds, Bassett hounds, and beagles, are built lower to the ground with long floppy ears that funnel smells into their large sensitive noses. A specialized hound, the miniature dachshund, was bred to be an extra-long, short-legged scent hound that would follow the vicious badger into its den without hesitation.
Like the sporting dogs and hounds, terriers are hunters, designed to seek out and kill vermin---rats, mice, weasels---and so were bred to be feisty, fierce and fearless. Terriers, like the Jack Russell, Boston terrier, Cairn terrier and Scotty, are alert, active, energetic barkers, usually small in stature but large in spirit. Many terriers have distinctive wiry coats, while others, like the Soft-Coated Wheaton terrier, have smooth silky coats.
Helpers
When humans began to keep herd animals, they needed a dog to assist them in moving the livestock from place to place and bringing them home again in all kinds of weather. Herding dogs, like border collies, Shetland sheepdogs, and German shepherds are strong, agile, quick, and intelligent so they can intimidate and outthink the wayward or stubborn sheep or cow. With their pointed cocked ears, they look alert and ready for action, while their heavy coats keep them warm or dry in rain and snow.
In some cultures horses and other draft animals were not available, so dogs were bred to fulfill that role. These dogs had to be large, strong, and untiring, like the Alaskan malamute, Siberian husky, Great Pyrenees, Samoyed, and Saint Bernard, all of which are large and heavy-coated.
Other working dogs, like guard dogs and watch dogs, for example, the Doberman pinscher, Rottweiler, and Akita, are big and muscular with heavy jaws, large shoulders, and spring-like legs that allow them to look fierce and discourage any danger to their human owners. They generally have low, loud barks and blood-curdling growls.
Companions
Dogs bred to be companions comprise the toy dog group, which includes the Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Pug, Pekingese, Papillion, Maltese and Shih Tzu. Some toy dogs have been bred down from larger breeds, like the miniature poodle, Italian greyhound, miniature pinscher,and toy King Charles spaniel. Toy dogs were historically owned by only the wealthy and used as companions, bed warmers and status symbols, since they served no utilitarian purpose, like hunting, herding and working dogs.
Breed Specifics
In addition to these general guidelines, specific guidelines on breed identification---appearance, build, and temperament---can be found at the American Kennel Club web site, or in books like the Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds by Caroline Coile, The Howell Book of Dogs by Liz Palika, and The World Atlas of Dog Breeds by Dominique De Vito.
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