Fanstastic animals

My favourite domestic animal is the dog.The dog were first domesticated from wolves at least 17,000 years ago,but perhaps as early as 150,ooo years ago based upon recent genetic fossil and DNA evidence.In this time,the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation.For example,heights at the withers range from just a few inches (such as the chihuahua) to roughly three feet (such as the Irish Wolfhound),and colours range from white to black,with reds,grays,and browns occurring in a tremendous variation of patterns.

Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desired behaviors in specific circumstances. Some examples are:

a) Teaching a dog basic obedience commands (part of obedience training) b) Teaching a dog to perform tricks casually or for circus acts c) Teaching a guide dog to lead the blind d) Teaching a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster e) Helping a hunting dog learn to perform its instinctive behaviors at appropriate times
The specific behaviors taught in each case are different, but the underlying principles are similar.

In the wild as pack animals, canines have natural instincts that favor training. These instincts are manifested when the dog lives with humans as a desire to please a trainer as a dog would please senior members in a pack in the wild.

Dog breeding, at its best, is a blend of science and art. The skilled breeder has at least a general knowledge of genetics and health, and and in-depth knowledge of the breed standard and conformation points of his chosen breed. Most breeders are fiercely loyal to their dogs, and are concerned about each individual animal.

At its worst, breeding can be a slipshod enterprise in which the major concern is profit, with little regard to the health and welfare of the dogs involved. These often take the form of so-called ‘backyard breeders’ (the term for random or ignorant breeding conducted on a small scale), and ‘puppy mills’ or ‘puppy farms’ (larger businesses). It must be pointed out, however, that many excellent breeders run small-scale programs in their homes, barns, or back yards, and there are profitable large-scale operations run with knowledgeable staff and superlative veterinary care, so size and motive alone are not indicative of the quality of the breeding program.