How Dogs Became Man’s Best Friend
by Vincent Summer
Filed under Dogs
Before there were dogs, there were untamed wolves roaming prehistoric forests. These wolves were the first domesticated animals. Early humans would bring them home and use them for companionship and protection. In the event of a wild bear or any other large animal attacking, wolves would protect their human masters from danger. Ancient Egyptians, in specific, bred hunting dogs that would eventually be known as Salukis. Dalmatians and Greyhounds are other examples of ancient dog breeds still popular as of the present day.
The passing of time has seen the dog become a very functional animal. Dogs have been used to move heavy things, for herding sheep and cows, and more importantly, to protect their masters from danger. Here’s one strange, but true use of dogs – ancient Greek “lap dogs” who only served to provide warmth to Greek ladies. Non-conventional bulldogs were developed in the past, possessing slightly different facial characteristics that would allow them to grasp a bull’s throat successfully. In the past few decades, “Seeing Eye” dogs have been trained to guide blind people. Most police forces have dogs specially trained to find drugs and/or other dangerous substances, like explosives.
There are very few dogs these days that still resemble the wolf in appearance. Older breeds, like German Shepherds and Husky dogs, still have some wolf-like features that make them look similar to their predecessors. These days, there are practically thousands of dog breeds and varieties, with different sizes (i.e. the small Beagle and the larger Irish Setter), features and purposes. A dog like the Beagle can adjust well to city living, while active dogs like Collies and Irish Setters are best for the country. Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds are the tallest breeds of dogs. Since these are long, large dogs who love running around, they would be best suited for places with lots of room for play.
In America, figures show that one out of three families are dog owners. A dog’s lifespan is usually between eight and fifteen years. When your dog turns one, it’s similar to that of a regular human turning fifteen. Dogs are color blind due to the fact that they cannot see colors as thoroughly as humans. They make up for it with good vision in the dark. Dogs have us soundly beat as having a more powerful sense of smell. A dog’s sense of smell is better than an average human by about a million times.
Dogs are, above all, considered by majority of people as Man’s Best Friend, regardless of their size, hair quality or personality. Treat your dog properly and give it the right amount of care, attention and love that it needs.
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