So, you are possibly interested in purchasing a dog and want to know more about them and the different breeds? Well, I hope these pages will be of help to you.
Perhaps you already have a dog and just want to know more about them and the specific breed you have. These pages will give you what you are looking for.
First off...let's establish that we are pretty certain that the domestic dog came from wolves (Canis lupus). Originally these "dogs" were used for hunting during the last Ice Age.
These "dogs" were originally chosen for the traits they possessed. Hunters were looking for the "dogs" that were most docile and lacked fear and had a tolerance of stress. There would have been few of these "dogs" at first. So the ones that were found with those traits were very inbred at first.
The first change in these dogs was a change in their coat color. Over time these new dogs became less and less like their forbears, the wolf. Authorities now know that coat color is associated with temperment in domestic animals. The earliest dogs were tawny-yellow in color.
These first dogs were not fed a good diet and therefore became smaller over time. Later dogs were developed and selected for color, length of coat, long or short legs, carriage of ears and tail, as well as the temperment and behavior. This led to the more than 400 different breeds of dog that we have today.
One of the oldest of breeds is thought to be the greyhound type. The most highly bred example of small dogs is the Pekingese. It has soft fur, large eyes and an "infantile" face. It is the best example of the changes that have happened in the dog since the wolf.
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Dog Breeds listed in alphabetical order:
PLEASE NOTE: Even though there are about 400 breeds of domestic dogs, the American Kennel Club (AKC) only recognizes 150 of them. It is these 150 that I will be describing on the next pages. If there is a dog breed not listed that you want to know more about, please e-mail me at the address at the end of this page and I will be more than happy to find out all I can about that particular breed for you.
