Post by Pygmy on Jun 27, 2008 23:09:47 GMT -6
The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term encompasses both feral and pet varieties and is also sometimes used to describe wild canids of other subspecies or species. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history, as well as being a food source in some cultures. There are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.
But..You Probably already know all this.
The largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolf Hound, not the Great Dane as many people commonly believe. The TALLEST however is the Dane. Oddly enough the largest dog living at the moment is a Mastiff, but he is a genetic mutant and is not a good representation of his breed. The smallest breed being the mexican Chihuahua, the smallest dog is a Chihuahua who is so small and weak her lungs were never formed properly and she will probably die early. English Bull Dogs are never born naturally and always need a cesarian section for them to be born becasue their skulls are so large and round.
The same gene that makes the Chinese Crested Hairless is a lethal gene that also causes them to be very sick and loose thier teeth. The gene that makes Dalmations spotted is also prone to making them blind and deaf as well. The King Charles Spaniel is so prone to heart failur that 90% of its members die from heart related problems before their 10th birthday. Many Giant breeds are so large they are prone to hip displysia and bloat. Many tiny breeds have teeth problems so severe that they need daily teethbrushing the same as a human needs. The Basinji is a barkless dog but far from silent-it yodles and yells and howls like a wolf.
We humans have bred dogs to be these mutants. They say the English Bull Dog was bred the way it was because the smooshed nose made it easier to grip the bulls nose, and other such Bull shit. If you were to throw a EB into a pen witha bull and tell them to go 'bait' or 'chatch' it the dog would die. No other way around it. Its legs are to short to chatch a rowdy bull. It could certianly never jump high or quick enough to reach the bulls muzzle before over heating and needing a break. Anyone with livestock should already know this by applying simple logic.
Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound.
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. lupus
Subspecies: C. l. familiaris
Molecular systematics indicate that the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) descends from one or more populations of wild wolves (Canis lupus). As reflected in the nomenclature, dogs are descended from the wolf and are able to interbreed with wolves.
There are numerous dog breeds, with over 800 being recognized by various kennel clubs worldwide. Many dogs, especially outside the United States of America and Western Europe, belong to no recognized breed. A few basic breed types have evolved gradually during the domesticated dog's relationship with humans over the last 10,000 or more years, but all modern breeds are of relatively recent derivation. Many of these are the product of a deliberate process of artificial selection. Because of this, some breeds are highly specialized, and there is extraordinary morphological diversity across different breeds. Despite these differences, dogs are able to distinguish dogs from other kinds of animal.
Sometimes...
Tho two dogs who vary in size (IE: Yorkie and a Chesapeak Bay Retreiver) should always beclosely monitered for dogs have a thing called PREY DRIVE, whcih makes them want to chase and kill prey so any moving small mammel can trigger this Prey Drive. Some breeds like GSDs are higher in prey drive then others like Golden Retreivers.
Mixed-breed dogs or Mongrels (also called "mutts") are dogs that do not belong to specific breeds, being mixtures more than two in variant percentages. Mixed breed dogs and purebred dogs are both suitable as companions, pets, working dogs, or competitors in dog sports. Sometimes different breed dogs are deliberately bred, to create cross-breeds such as the toolapoo, a mixture of tooler Spaniel and Miniature Poodle. Such deliberate crosses may display some degree of hybrid vigor and other desirable traits, but may or may not inherit any of the desired traits of their parents, such as temperament or a particular color or coat. Without genetic testing of the parents, the crosses can end up inheriting genetic defects that occur in both parental breeds.
But..You Probably already know all this.
The largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolf Hound, not the Great Dane as many people commonly believe. The TALLEST however is the Dane. Oddly enough the largest dog living at the moment is a Mastiff, but he is a genetic mutant and is not a good representation of his breed. The smallest breed being the mexican Chihuahua, the smallest dog is a Chihuahua who is so small and weak her lungs were never formed properly and she will probably die early. English Bull Dogs are never born naturally and always need a cesarian section for them to be born becasue their skulls are so large and round.
The same gene that makes the Chinese Crested Hairless is a lethal gene that also causes them to be very sick and loose thier teeth. The gene that makes Dalmations spotted is also prone to making them blind and deaf as well. The King Charles Spaniel is so prone to heart failur that 90% of its members die from heart related problems before their 10th birthday. Many Giant breeds are so large they are prone to hip displysia and bloat. Many tiny breeds have teeth problems so severe that they need daily teethbrushing the same as a human needs. The Basinji is a barkless dog but far from silent-it yodles and yells and howls like a wolf.
We humans have bred dogs to be these mutants. They say the English Bull Dog was bred the way it was because the smooshed nose made it easier to grip the bulls nose, and other such Bull shit. If you were to throw a EB into a pen witha bull and tell them to go 'bait' or 'chatch' it the dog would die. No other way around it. Its legs are to short to chatch a rowdy bull. It could certianly never jump high or quick enough to reach the bulls muzzle before over heating and needing a break. Anyone with livestock should already know this by applying simple logic.
Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound.
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. lupus
Subspecies: C. l. familiaris
Molecular systematics indicate that the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) descends from one or more populations of wild wolves (Canis lupus). As reflected in the nomenclature, dogs are descended from the wolf and are able to interbreed with wolves.
There are numerous dog breeds, with over 800 being recognized by various kennel clubs worldwide. Many dogs, especially outside the United States of America and Western Europe, belong to no recognized breed. A few basic breed types have evolved gradually during the domesticated dog's relationship with humans over the last 10,000 or more years, but all modern breeds are of relatively recent derivation. Many of these are the product of a deliberate process of artificial selection. Because of this, some breeds are highly specialized, and there is extraordinary morphological diversity across different breeds. Despite these differences, dogs are able to distinguish dogs from other kinds of animal.
Sometimes...
Tho two dogs who vary in size (IE: Yorkie and a Chesapeak Bay Retreiver) should always beclosely monitered for dogs have a thing called PREY DRIVE, whcih makes them want to chase and kill prey so any moving small mammel can trigger this Prey Drive. Some breeds like GSDs are higher in prey drive then others like Golden Retreivers.
Mixed-breed dogs or Mongrels (also called "mutts") are dogs that do not belong to specific breeds, being mixtures more than two in variant percentages. Mixed breed dogs and purebred dogs are both suitable as companions, pets, working dogs, or competitors in dog sports. Sometimes different breed dogs are deliberately bred, to create cross-breeds such as the toolapoo, a mixture of tooler Spaniel and Miniature Poodle. Such deliberate crosses may display some degree of hybrid vigor and other desirable traits, but may or may not inherit any of the desired traits of their parents, such as temperament or a particular color or coat. Without genetic testing of the parents, the crosses can end up inheriting genetic defects that occur in both parental breeds.
