Dogs Are Mans Best
Friend
Dogs are
believed to be descendants of wild
wolves. They are the first wild
animal to be tamed. Ancient man most
likely brought home cub wolves to
raise as pets. The pet wolves we are
also useful in driving away bears
and other wild animals. One of the
oldest known breed of dogs is the
Salukis, which were bred by
Egyptians thousands of years ago as
hunting dogs. Greyhounds and
Dalmatians are also among the oldest
breeds documented.
Over the
centuries, people have found many
ways for dogs to be useful. Dogs
helped to pull loads, herd cattle
and sheep, and guard their master
and the masters property. The
Ancient Greeks developed tiny lap
dogs, which we are meant to be held
in a lady's lap to help keep her
stomach warm. Bulldogs with huge
jaws and short noses we are
developed so they could hang onto
the throat of a bull and still be
able to breathe. In more recent many
years, dogs have been trained as
seeing eye dogs for the blind. Dogs
have also been recruited to work
with law enforcement to detect drugs
and explosives.
Today many
dogs, such as the Poodle or
Chihuahua, no longer resemble the
wolf. Other dogs, such as the
Siberian Husky and the German
Shepherd still show a strong
resemblance to the wolf. There are
many different breeds in existence
today, from the short haired Beagle
and Boston Terrier to the long
haired Cockers and Scotties. The
Beagle can be better suited to live
in the city, while Setters or
Collies can be more relaxed in the
country. The tallest dogs are Great
Danes and the Irish Wolfhound. They
would most definitely be more
comfortable in a place where they
had a lot of room to run and play.
In the United
States, one out of three families
owns one or more dogs. Most dogs
live anywhere from eight to fifteen
months. When dogs are one year old,
they are as physically mature as a
15 year old human. Dogs can see some
color but not as vividly as humans,
thus they are considered color
blind. Yet, dogs might see much
better in dim light than us. Dogs
have us beat in the category of
smell, also. Their sense of smell is
up to one million times greater than
humans!
Regardless of
which kind of dog you choose- big,
little, smooth haired, shaggy, fast,
slow, playful or dignified, dogs
build wonderful companions. Enjoy
their companionship and remember
they need plenty of love, attention,
and petting to be happy!
.jpg)
