Dogs are believed to be
descendants of wild wolves.
They were the first wild animal
to be tamed. Ancient man probably
brought home cub wolves to
raise as pets. The pet wolves
were also useful in driving
away bears and other wild
animals. One of the oldest
known breed of dogs is the
Salukis, which were bred by
Egyptians thousands of years
ago as hunting dogs. Greyhounds
and Dalmatians are also among
the oldest breeds documented.
Over the centuries, people
have found many ways for dogs
to be useful. Dogs helped
to pull loads, herd cattle
and sheep, and guard their
master and the master’s
property. The Ancient Greeks
developed tiny lap dogs, which
were meant to be held in a
lady’s lap to help keep
her stomach warm. Bulldogs
with huge jaws and short noses
were developed so they could
hang onto the throat of a
bull and still be able to
breathe. In more recent years,
dogs have been trained as
seeing eye dogs for the blind.
Dogs have also been recruited
to work with law enforcement
to detect drugs and explosives.
Today many dogs, such as
the Poodle or Chihuahua, no
longer resemble the wolf.
Other dogs, such as the Siberian
Husky and the German Shepherd
still show a strong resemblance
to the wolf. There are many
different breeds in existence
today, from the short haired
Beagle and Boston Terrier
to the long haired Cockers
and Scotties. The Beagle may
be better suited to live in
the city, while Setters or
Collies may be more comfortable
in the country. The tallest
dogs are Great Danes and the
Irish Wolfhound. They would
probably be more comfortable
in a place where they had
a lot of room to run and play.
In the United States, one
out of three families owns
one or more dogs. Most dogs
live anywhere from eight to
fifteen years. When dogs are
one year old, they are as
physically mature as a 15
year old human. Dogs can see
some color but not as vividly
as humans, thus they are considered
color blind. Yet, dogs can
see much better in dim light
than us. Dogs have us beat
in the category of smell,
also. Their sense of smell
is up to one million times
greater than humans!
Regardless of which kind
of dog you choose- big, little,
smooth haired, shaggy, fast,
slow, playful or dignified,
dogs make wonderful companions.
Enjoy their companionship
and remember they need plenty
of love, attention, and petting
to be happy!
About the Author
Published by: Wendy Yeager
http://www.wenmarcorp.com/dogs-go2
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