INFORMATION ABOUT DOGS

1. INFORMATION
ABOUT DOGS

3. ◦ Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are domesticated mammals, not natural wild animals. They were
originally bred from wolves. They have been bred by humans for a long time, and were the first animals
ever to be domesticated. There are different studies that suggest that this happened between 15.000 and
100.000 years before our time. The dingo is also a dog, but many dingos have become wild animals again
and live independently of humans in the range where they occur (parts of Australia).
◦ Today, some dogs are used as pets, others are used to help humans do their work. They are a popular pet
because they are usually playful, friendly, loyal and listen to humans. Thirty million dogs in the United
States are registered as pets. Dogs eat both meat and vegetables, often mixed together and sold in stores
as dog food. Dogs often have jobs, including as police dogs, army dogs, assistance dogs, fire dogs,
messenger dogs, hunting dogs, herding dogs, or rescue dogs.
◦ They are sometimes called "canines" from the Latin word for dog - canis. Sometimes people also use "dog"
to describe other canids, such as wolves. A baby dog is called a pup or puppy. A dog is called a puppy
until it is about one year old.
◦ Dogs are sometimes referred to as "man's best friend" because they are kept as domestic pets and are
usually loyal and like being around humans. Dogs like to be petted, but only when they can first see the
petter's hand before petting; one should never pet a dog from behind.

4. Appearance and behaviour
◦ Dogs have four legs and make a "bark," "woof," or "arf" sound. Dogs often chase cats, and
most dogs will fetch a ball or stick.
◦ Dogs can smell and hear better than humans, but cannot see well in color because they
are color blind. Due to the anatomy of the eye, dogs can see better in dim light than humans.
They also have a wider field of vision.
◦ Like wolves, wild dogs travel in groups called packs. Packs of dogs are ordered by rank, and
dogs with low rank will submit to other dogs with higher rank. The highest ranked dog is called
the alpha male. A dog in a group helps and cares for others. Domesticated dogs often view their
owner as the alpha male

5. Lifespan
◦ Different dog breeds have different lifespans. In general,
smaller dogs live longer than bigger ones. The size and the
breed of the dog change how long the dog lives, on average.
Breeds such as the Dachshund usually live for fifteen
years, Chihuahuas can reach age twenty. The Great Dane,
on the other hand has an average lifespan of six to eight
years; some Great Danes have lived for ten years.

6. Origin of dogs
◦ ll dogs are descended from wolves, by domestication and artificial selection. This is known
because DNA genome analysis has been done to discover this. They have been bred by
humans. The earliest known fossil of a domestic dog is from 31,700 years ago in Belgium.Dogs
have lived with people for at least 30,000 years. In 2013, a study was published that showed
that the skull and teeth of a canid, dated to 33,000 years ago, had characteristics closer to a
dog than to a wolf, and the authors conclude that "this specimen may represent a dog in the
very early stages of domestication, i.e. an “incipient” dog." The researchers go on to suggest
that it was, however, a line that did not lead to modern dogs.Genetically, this material is closer
to that of a modern dog than to that of a wolf. Other signs of domestication are that sometimes,
dogs were buried together with humans. Evidence of this is a tomb in Bonn, where a man of
about 50 years of age, a woman of about 25 years of age, the remains of a dog, plus
other artifacts were found. Radiocarbon dating showed that the human bones were between
13.300 and 14.000 years old.

7. Dogs and humans
◦ Dogs are often called "man's best friend" because they fit in with human life. Man refers to
humankind and not just guys (Old English). Dogs can serve people in many ways. For example,
there are guard dogs, hunting dogs, herding dogs, guide dogs for blind people, and police dogs.
There are also dogs that are trained to smell for diseases in the human body or to find bombs
or illegal drugs. These dogs sometimes help police in airports or other areas. Sniffer dogs
(usually beagles) are sometimes trained for this job. Dogs have even been sent
by Russians into outer space, a few years before any human being. The first dog sent up was
named Laika, but she died within a few hours.