Dogs, Glorious Dogs! 

My best friend is named Beau and he is a beautiful Golden Retriever, who goes everywhere with me. Well... almost everywhere.

What is your best friend's name?

Those of us who are dog owners (and lovers) all know the special feeling we have for our canine companions, those uncritical, uncomplaining buddies, who are happy just to keep us company each and every day and ask for nothing in return but a good bowl of chow and a couple of pats on the head (although most of us gladly give them much more.)

But just how much do you know about your best friend? How he came to be, and how he became the great companion he is to you today. This site will tell you a bit about your dog's history and breed, why he or she is the way he/she is and a whole lot more.

Some Dog History

The dog is a canine omnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for somewhere between 14,000 and 150,000 years. In this time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. For example, heights ranging from just a few inches (such as the Chihuahua) to nearly three feet (such as the Irish Wolfhound), and colors ranging from white to black with reds, grays, and browns also occurring in a tremendous variation of patterns. Dogs, being highly social animals, are known for their trainability, playfulness and for their ability to fit into human households and social situations. 

Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society. Working dogs of all kinds do traditional jobs such as herding and new jobs such as detecting contraband. For dogs that do not do their traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills. In many countries the most common and perhaps most important role of dogs is as companions. Dogs have lived with and worked with humans in so many roles that they have earned the sobriquet Man's best friend.

Terminology for Dogs

Ancestry and History of Domestication

There is archaeological evidence of dog remains, showing the characteristic morphological differences from wolves, from at least 14,000 years ago, while wolf remains have been found in association with hominid remains that are at least 400,000 years old. The molecular genetic data suggest that the domestic lineage separated from modern wolves around 150,000 years ago (Vilà et al, 1997). In the early 2000s, some research indicated that domestication in fact had already begun to occur as early as 100,000 years ago.

Dogs were, and are, valued for their aid in hunting. Dog burials at the Mesolithic cemetery of Svaerdborg in Denmark indicate that in ancient Europe, dogs were valued companions.

Some evidence suggests that several varieties of ancient wolves contributed to the domestic dog, with deliberate or unintentional interbreeding taking traits from one or more of the ancestral wolf lines. Although all wolves belong to the species Canis lupus, there are (or were) many subspecies that had evolved somewhat distinctive appearance, social structure, and other traits.

For example, the Japanese wolf, which became extinct in the early 20th century, was much smaller than most wolves, generally had a gray coat with reddish underbelly, and possibly had a more solitary hunting habit; the North American wolf, which still exists in limited ranges, is much larger than many wolf subspecies, displays many coat colors from nearly white through solid black, and exhibits a complex social structure involving highly formulaic dominance and submission rituals.

The Indian or Asian wolf probably led to the development of more breeds of dogs than other subspecies. Many of today's wild dogs, such as the dingo, the dhole and pariah dogs, are descended from this wolf, along with sighthounds such as the Greyhound. Recent genetic evidence shows that most modern dog breeds are related to Asian canines, contradicting earlier hypotheses that the dog, like humans, had evolved originally in Africa. The Asian wolf also likely interbred with descendants of the European wolf to create the Mastiffs—the Tibetan Mastiff being an example of a very ancient breed—leading eventually to the development of such diverse breeds as the Pug, the Saint Bernard, and the Bloodhound.

The European wolf, in turn, may have contributed many of its attributes to the Spitz dog types, most terriers, and many of today's sheepdogs. The Chinese wolf is a probably ancestor to the Pekingese and toy spaniels, although it is also probable that descendants of the Chinese and European wolves encountered each other over the millennia, contributing to many of the oriental toy breeds.

The North American wolf is a direct ancestor to most, if not all, of the North American northern sled dog types; this mixing and crossing still goes on today with dogs living in the Arctic where the attributes of the wolf that enable it to survive in a hostile environment are still valued. Additionally, accidental crossbreeding occurs simply because dogs and wolves live in the same environment.

Current research indicates that domestication, or the attributes of a domesticated animal, can occur much more quickly than previously believed, even within a human generation or two with determined selective breeding. It is also now generally believed that initial domestication was not attained deliberately by human intervention but through natural selection: wild canines who scavenged around human habitation received more food than their more skittish counterparts; those who attacked people or their children were probably killed or driven away, while those more tolerant animals survived, and so on.

Dog Society

Dogs thrive in small social groups or packs which, from their viewpoint, includes humans. Dog packs are characterized by companionate hierarchy, in which each individual has a rank, and in which there is intense loyalty within the group. Dogs thrive in human society because their relationships with humans mimic their natural social patterns. The dog is always aware of its rank relative to other individuals in the group. An assertive dog may consider itself the alpha animal, considering its human master to be subordinate.

Properly socialized, dogs can interact with unfamiliar dogs of any size and shape and understand how to communicate.

Dominance and Submission

Dogs, like wolves, establish a hierarchy through aggressive play and roughhousing along a continuum of dominance and submission. When kept as pets, dogs include humans in this hierarchy. It is important for successful socialization that puppies participate with their littermates in learning to relate to other dogs. Dogs learn to successfully relate to other dogs by keeping the peace rather than constantly fighting to reestablish this hierarchy.

Dominance Behavior

Dominant dogs generally take the initiative and are more active than less dominant dogs. Displays of dominance include standing above or over other dogs, placing a paw on other dogs, holding the tail and ears erect, looking directly at other dogs, circling and sniffing other dogs, growling if the other dog moves, and aggressive marking of territory with urine. Submissive displays mirror dominant displays and include adopting a posture that is lower than other dogs, such as crouching, rolling over on the back and exposing the abdomen, lowering the tail—even tucking it beneath the legs, flattening of the ears, averting the gaze, nervously licking or swallowing, dribbling of urine, and freezing or fleeing when other dogs are encountered.

Ideally, the dominant/submissive social structure of dogs avoids conflict and enforces social stability. Poorly socialized dogs who are inept at establishing dominance hierarchy may become involved in excess conflicts, especially from a human viewpoint. People who misunderstand dog behavior or who have inadvertently placed themselves in a disadvantageous position within the dominance submissive hierarchy can find themselves participants in similar conflicts with the animal(s).

It is problematic to anthropomorphize the dominance/submission behavior of a pet or to mistake it for characteristics more appropriately applied to humans. It can be dangerous for a dog to be dominant relative to its master or mistress. By rewarding "bravery" or "boldness", there is a risk that in fulfilling a dog's wants it begins to feel it is the dominant pack member. Likewise, it can be dangerous for a dog to consider itself "the equal of any dog", because unnecessary and destructive conflict can result; rewarding a dog's aggressive behavior may eventually backfire. Likewise, submission in a dog is not necessarily an indication of a problem dog. Continuing to discipline a dog after it has adopted a submissive posture is contrary to a goal of obedience. From the dog's viewpoint, it has conceded the point and is communicating its acceptance of the owner's dominance.

Dogs language can generally be learned by humans. The dog in this photo is inviting play.

Dogs value the companionship of the others in their "pack" and are sometimes distressed if they are separated from it. Typical reactions when a dog is separated from the pack are barking, howling, digging, and chewing. These activities may distress humans when they need to leave dogs alone for a period of time. However, this behavior, called separation anxiety, can be overcome with training, or at least decreased to the point where it becomes manageable. If young puppies are habituated to periods alone from an early age, this can normally be prevented entirely.

Favorite activities

When seeking relaxation, dogs enjoy lying about with their companions, favoring spots with a good view of their surroundings.

On the next page we will talk about Dog Attributes and Anatomy.