Why Are There So Many Dog BreeDS?

Introduction

Did you know that Pekingese dogs were originally bred as lap warmers for humans in China? Lots of dogs are bred for specific purposes and jobs. You will discover many more reasons that dogs have been bred and why there are so many breeds of dogs.

Evolution

Dogs have evolved with humans. People living in or around China trained wolves thousands of years ago. Many different breeds have been made this way.

Dogs are all the same species, Canis Lupus Familiaris. They also share a common ancestor, Canis Lupus of central Asia. Dogs have evolved or changed while living with humans for thousands of years.

It has been suggested that all dogs have evolved from a small group of wolves living near humans that tamed them. Most dog breeds have existed and evolved with us for over 10,000 years.

Scientists think that dogs evolved from a wolf-like creature that had lived millions of years ago. Dogs are one of the first domesticated animals because they have lived with or around humans for an estimated 15,000 years.

Early Dogs

Most early dogs looked like the Dingo, wild dogs native to Australia. Most domestic dog breeds originate or come from the mixing of some main types of dogs: Hounds, Spaniels, Terriers, Greyhounds, and Mastiffs.

Dogs are often scavengers, so it is thought that dogs adopted humans, not the other way around. There is also a possibility that some dogs could have lived elsewhere and gone extinct.

Adaptations

Dogs are adapted for different climates. For example, furry Eskimo dogs have the heaviest fur of any animal, while the tropics are perfect for hairless dogs.

A dog's eyesight gives it a wide field of vision which is 250 degrees. This means they can see everything that is in front of them, as well as things to the side of them and some things slightly behind them. Humans only have about a 180 degree field of vision, so we mostly see what is in front of us.

A dog's eye structure also allows them to see in low light. This is perfect for a night time hunt.

Dogs can also hear a much wider range of frequencies of sounds than humans can hear. That's why there are special dog whistles that can be used to call and train dogs that use a high frequency which dogs hear but humans don't hear. That's also why your dog can hear the sound of dinner hitting the dog bowl from a block away!

Dogs also have a great sense of smell. They have 220 million scent cells in their noses to help them smell, while humans only have about 5 million.

Breeding

There are lots of dog breeds and they are all the same species. There is an estimated number of 339 recognized breeds in the world.

Some people believe that many dogs have changed too much over time, and this is going to negatively affect future breeds.

Breeding dogs has given humans many different kinds of dogs that are able to suit any lifestyle and family. Dogs have been selectively bred for specific purposes. Dogs vary in size, some no larger than a kitten. Others, like the Great Dane, stand 3 feet tall at the shoulder.

Many different kinds of dog breeds have developed because their owners wanted to encourage certain behaviors and physical characteristics in their dogs. Dogs are bred for appearance and personality traits. Every person can have a dog that has literally been designed for them.

FUN FACT: Groups of people started to breed dogs either as a hobby or a living.

Jobs For Dogs

In some countries, dogs are used as draft or work animals. Dogs are used as transportation, such as sled dogs to help or get around in Arctic regions. The ancient Aztec culture raised dogs for food.

Dogs interact and work with humans in many different ways. They are also used for herding sheep, hunting, tracking, emotional support, seeing eye dogs, and sporting dogs. Some dogs are bred and trained to be exceptional sniffers in order to detect drugs, weapons, or bombs. Some dogs, such as pitbulls, Tosas, American Staffordshire Terrers, Tibetan mastiffs, Bull terriers, and American bulldogs are used as fighting dogs.

Other dogs use their exceptional senses of hearing and smell to work on rescue missions. For example, rescue dogs may be trained to find people that are buried in the debris from an earthquake, tornado, or building collapse.

Other types of animals also work with humans. For example, cattle, yaks, horses, elephants, camels, pigs, and even rats and birds may work as draft animals. Elephants, horses, and camels are used for transportation. Rats are used to detect landmines. Pigs and birds are used for hunting.

But overall, dogs have many, many different kinds of jobs working with and helping humans, more than any other animal. This is another big reason why there are so many breeds of dogs.

What Dogs Do for Us

Besides working, dogs have enriched the lives of humans in many other ways. They protect us from danger. They teach responsibility to kids. They support the disabled. They bring us comfort and companionship. That's why dogs are often considered not just an animal, but part of the family.

Dogs in the Future

You can probably assume that dogs will stay around and keep evolving with us for the next 10,000 years. Did you know that dogs have even been used to explore space? (See the BONUS article below!) Maybe they will come with us as we explore the solar system and beyond!

Who knows what the future will hold? It might be a new ice age, or an overheated planet, or a colony in space. No matter what, I'm sure that dogs and humans will continue to change and evolve together just like they have over the last 10,000 years.

This is a Pekingese dog. They were first bred as lap dogs for people in China.

Scientists think that dogs have evolved from wolves that lived near humans millions of years ago.

This is a Dingo, a wild dog that lives in Australia.

Another scavenger is the Turkey vulture.

The Husky has lots of fur, so it can live in cold climates.

This is a Xoloitzcuintli (show-low-uht-skwint-lee ), a hairless dog that lives in the hot climate of Mexico.

The Pug is an example of breeding negatively effecting dogs. Since the pug's face is pushed in, it makes it hard for them to breath. This also causes excessive panting, health issues and discomfort in the dog.

This is a picture of a Great Dane and a puppy can you tell the difference?

Horses are another kind of draft animal.

One job for a dog is a service dog.

Some dogs are used in war. This dog is one of them.

Pit bulls have a bad reputation because they are used as fighting dogs. Any dog can be dangerous if it is scared, hungry, or confused. But once they figure out they are in a safe place, all they want is snuggles and love from their owners.

People with disabilities may get support from service dogs.

Visit these sources to find more information:

Websites about Dogs:

Books about Dogs:

Dogs in Space by Vix Southgate

This is Laika. The Soviet Union sent her to space to see if life could survive in space. Sadly, Laika was never supposed to come back to Earth.

This statue in Moscow honors Laika, the first living creature sent from Earth to outer space.

The Soviet space dog program sent 57 dogs into space and paved the way for sending human explorers in space.

DOgS in space

A stray dog named Laika was the first living creature to be launched into Earth's orbit. She was sent into space on November 3, 1957. Sadly, it was always understood that Laika was never going to come back to Earth.

Laika was a 2 year-old mixed breed dog that weighed about 13 pounds. She was one of the stray dogs that had been taken to the Soviet spaceflight program after she was rescued the streets. Only female dogs were used because they are better suited for close confinement. Stray dogs are used because they are better able to adapt to challenges.

Laika was trained just like a human would be. She was learning how to accept smaller living spaces. She was spun in a centrifuge to acclimate (get used to) changes in gravity. She learned to accept food that was jelled.

When people learned about the launch, Laika became an international celebrity! The Soviets reported that Laika survived in space 6 to 7 days until she was euthanized before her oxygen ran out. The satellite that she was on was destroyed on the way back to Earth on April 14, 1958.

The name "Laika" is the Russian word for "bark." It is also the name of a breed of Russian sled dogs.

A small monument with a statue of Laika was unveiled in Moscow in 2008.

Laika's sad fate aroused the world with sympathy and concern. Over the next years, the Soviet Union launched missions sending 57 dogs into space. But after the experience with Laika, the missions were launched with a plan to bring the dogs back to Earth.

Almost all of the dogs survived their missions, and several made multiple trips into space. A stray dog named Otvazhnaya went into space six times, including once with a rabbit named Marfusha.

Another stray dog named Damka made a successful trip into space and then was adopted by a space scientist. Damka went on to have puppies and lived 14 more years with her new family on Earth after returning from her trip in outer space.

The Soviet space dog program proved that it was possible to live in space and safely return to Earth, and just a few years later in 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin would become the first human space, followed by the American astronaut Alan Shepard.

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