Dog Breeds: Reflection of Dogs’ Thousand Years Existence
For thousands of years now, dogs have been selectively bred as to produce more varieties with superior characteristics than their predecessors. At first, the breeding was centered on the level of the dog’s adaptability to domestication and the efficiency of the dog, for example its hunting ability. This then resulted to a vast diversity of dog types. But that did not stop there, later dogs were bred to give rise to the assortment of more distinct and attractive forms.
A variety of dogs can be called a breed (distinct kind of families) only on the condition that the parent dogs must have offspring of the same characteristics (e.g. behavior and characteristics). This principle is called true breeding.
Generally speaking, the majority of traditional breeds are termed as “purebreds”. On the other hand, domestic dogs are called as Canis familiaries.
The following are the different general classifications of dog breeds:
Bulldogs
Cur
Extinct dog breeds
Fighting dogs
Gundogs, including Pointers, Retrievers, and Spaniels
Herding, including Sheepdogs
Hounds, including Sight hounds and Scent hounds
Hunting
Sled dog
Terrier
Toy
Working (or Utility)
However, this can be further classified into smaller but similar dog breeds such as the Lurchers, Mastiff types, Pitbulls and Spitz types.
The herding dog breed is most commonly known as the sheepdogs. They basically have the ability to control the behavior (specifically the movements) of other animals. These are usually included in the intelligent types of dogs and are devoted to their partners for they normally use their own judgements and their owner’s commands. In most forms of this dog breed, they have the tendency to drive and to gather the herd.
The examples of the herding type are Briard, Puli, German Shepherd, Collie, and Old English Sheep dog.
Included in the oldest dog breeds are the hounds. They are differentiated into two types:
Sighthounds-they hunt by sight and include the greyhound build.
Scenthounds- they hunt by scent and include the foxhound build.
Some breeds have the combination of both and some don’t appear like hound dogs at all.
The examples of which are the Basset hound, Basenji, English Foxhound, Saluki and the Beagle.
On the other hand, also known as the companion dog breeds are the nonsporting dogs. This is the most diverse all dog breeds and is sometimes considered as the catchall for dog types that cannot be categorized elsewhere. The following are the examples of this dog breed: Boston terrier, Bulldog, Chinese Shar-pei, Dalmatian, French Bulldog, Standard and Miniature Poodle, and Tibetan Terrier.
The modern hunters are the sporting breed. In general, they work with hunters to complement for the hunter’s abilities. Setting and pointing breeds work by locating the game for the hunter. Spaniels are known for moving the game so the hunter may shoot the prey. The retrievers bring back the game to the hunter. The examples of this type are the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, English Setter, Field Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Pointer and the Sussex Spaniel.
The terrier group includes the dogs that hunt for rodents and the likes, usually lurking near the ground. The term terrier actually originated from the word “terra” which means earth. They were later bred to fight against one another. Vermin-catching terriers are further classified into two: the long-legged and the short-legged.
The examples of this dog breed are the Bull Terrier, Irish Terrier, Lakeland Terrier and the Miniature Bull Terrier.
The toy dogs usually comprise of the miniature version of the other groups of dogs. However, quite a number of these types have ancient origin, which makes it difficult to trace them with other dog varieties. This group includes: Chihuahua, Japanese Chin, Papillon, Poodle, Pug and the Toy Fox Terrier.
The working dogs on the other hand are known for their hardiness and intelligence. They are further sub-divided into:
Protecting or guarding breeds
Sledding breeds
Carting breeds, and;
Rescue breeds
The examples of this dog breed are the Alaskan Malamute, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Doberman, Great Dane, Newfound land and Rottweiler.