Friday, July 1, 2011

The History Of Dog Breeding

By Evangeline Chandler


Selective dog breeding can produce offspring that are effective in many fields. The mating process is designed to produce puppies with desirable traits, like special skills, exceptional strength, and training capacity. Some animals are intended to become gentle, loving family members, while others are produced to be workers. For many years, farmers, rescue workers and police officers have depended on canine assistance. People with physical disabilities, such as blindness or hearing loss, also depend on help from these resourceful animals.

Since prehistoric times, humans have maintained herds of helpful animals. The relationship between canines and humans has evolved over thousands of years. Today, there are three distinctive groups of canines, livestock guardians, hunters and sighthounds.

Those who protect livestock against threats from predators perform their tasks by instinct. They become acquainted with their herds as puppies, and develop a bond with them. They are effective at protecting their home herd, but will not perform their duties in other herds. As an example, a canine who has bonded with a herd of sheep will not protect herds of goats or cattle. Some effective livestock guardians include Sheepdogs, Armenian Gamprs, Mastiffs, Komondors and Great Pyrenees.

The hunters are gun canines, including Dachshunds, terriers and hounds. The hound group is sub-divided into three categories, lurchers, scent hounds and sighthounds. The sighthounds have high visual acuity and great speed. These include Greyhounds, Afghans and Whippets. The scent hounds have highly advanced olfactory senses and can effectively track game. This group includes Coonhounds, Bloodhounds, Dachshunds, Basset Hounds and Beagles. The lurchers are a mixture of working dogs and sighthounds. A common combination is a blending of terriers and Greyhounds.

Terriers are effective at hunting mammals. They can track an animal's den, and go underground to drive them out. These include Jack Russells, Bull Terriers, Airedales, Pit Bulls, Kerry Blues, Yorkshire Terriers and Boston Terriers.

Animals that burrow deeply, such as rabbits, prairie dogs, foxes and badgers, are hunted by Dachshunds. These speedy, short-legged, long-bodied animals can travel effectively through burrows. This canine is the only one certified to track prey both below and above ground.

Members of the gun canine group frequently accompany game hunters who carry shotguns. These include setters, retrievers, spaniels and pointers. They can locate small prey on both land and water. These canines include English Setters, Labrador Retrievers, German Shorthaired Pointers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels.

For centuries, humans have depended on dog breeding to create helpful partners. Their dependability, adaptability, agility and loyalty make them ideal companions. Their effectiveness in new fields has recently been acknowledged, especially by those in the medical community.




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