Many books have already been written about dog breeds.
Recently, I enriched my library with another album, in which over 450 dog breeds are briefly described. An interesting fact is that the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) officially recognizes about 400 breeds, the AKC (American Kennel Club) slightly less than 200, and the British Kennel Club in 2021 had 222 recognized species on its list. So easy to get confused 😉
Today I am going to present you with a brief historical outline.
Dogs have accompanied us for at least 15,000 years. It is difficult to say when we started to select them consciously. What is certain, however, is that when we started – we crossed individuals that were the most useful and, therefore, the most effective in the work performed. So we had guard dogs, fighting dogs, draft dogs, herding dogs, dogs catching rats, tracking dogs, etc.
Over time, hunting dogs were divided according to the work that was expected of them:
– hunting for small game, ferocity and readiness to fight in the caves of chased creatures (e.g. dachshunds, fox terriers);
– barking at animals and avoiding their attacks (hounds);
– work on the trail, tracking a shot animal (tracking dogs);
– exposing game (pointers and setters);
– bringing hunted birds (retrievers);
– and others that do not come to mind at the moment.
When hunting was the favourite pastime of the aristocracy, a good kennel was the pride of the noble people. Dogs were cherished for their work, efficiency, and speed. The most effective ones were crossed with each other, hoping their offspring would work just as well or even better.
Everything began to change when ladies envied their husbands’ passion for dogs and began to acquire small, cute companion dogs. The gentlemen competed to which of them had the best working dog. Ladies began to outdo each other on whose dog was prettier. Since beauty is subjective, and human vanity has always been well-earned, then… Someone cleverly devised the idea that bored ladies and their dogs can make a good deal. That is how the well-known to this day dog shows were created.
In the past, the breed of the dog determined what the dog was helpful for.
Today, few dogs work, but the predispositions (although often not as strong as before) remain.
Looking at the specie, we will also learn a lot about the needs and characteristics typical of a given breeds.
No comments