Ebook K9Obedience Essential Guide To Your Dog

The Essential Guide to
Your Dog
Where He Came From, and Why
From the leading source of dog training and dog obedience information online
www.K9Obedience.co.uk
Copyright Protected All rights reserved
www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally
ere is no faith,
which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog.
Konrad Lorenz
www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally Page 2
CHAPTER 1 - THE EVOLUTION
There is no incongruity in the idea that in the very earliest period of mans
habitation of the world he made a friend and companion of some sort of aboriginal representative of our modern dog, and in return for its aid in protecting him from wilder animals, and in guarding his sheep and goats, he gave it a share of his food, a corner of his dwelling, and grew to trust and care for it immensely over time. It is thought that dogs were the first animals to live with people. The remains of dogs, estimated at 14,000 years old have been found in Germany, 13,500 years old in Israel and 10,500 years old in Idaho (USA). In Western Russia in an area known as Bryansk, evidence of dog remains have been found alongside bones of reindeer, mammoth and artic fox. All dogs, wild and domestic, belong to the Canid family (Family Canidae). This family group includes wolves, jackals, dogs and foxes. There are thirtyeight species of wild canids living in habitats ranging from tropical rainforests to Arctic Tundra. Although they are diverse, they do retain distinctive characteristics. Canids live in complex social groups. They hunt co-operatively and share their kills, the higher-ranking members eating first. They bear live young, have similar dental structures and are homoeothermic (able to maintain their body temperature at a constant level). The present day domestic dog can be linked genetically to the Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus). It is not known exactly why or how wolves first started interacting with man. It is true that they would have shared a common characteristic in so far as both hunted and both did so in packs or organised units.
Page 3
It has been suggested that the dog could also have evolved from Coyotes and Jackals, which can also interbreed and produce fertile offspring. In the 1950s Nobel Prize winning behaviourist, Konrad Lorenz put forth the idea that some breeds derive from Jackals and some from Wolves. Seeing that there was little evidence and lots of different opinions, most biologists decided that most likely the Wolf was the ancestor of the dog. In 1997 an international team of scientists led by Robert Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles, used the techniques of molecular biology to compare the genes of dogs with those of Jackals, Coyotes and Wolves. Blood tissue and hair samples were collected from 140 dogs of 67 breeds and 162 wolves from North America, Europe, Asia and Arabia. From each sample they extracted DNA from tiny organelles within the cells called mitochondria. The chromosome DNA of an animal cell comes from both parents but the mitochondrial DNA comes only from the mother. Ancestry can be more positively identified when studying mitochondria DNA. Robert Wayne discovered that Wolves and Coyotes differ by 6% in their mitochondria DNA whilst wolves and dogs differ by only 1%. A portion of the mitochondria DNA called the control region was studied because it varies greatly amongst mammals. This led to the analysis that wolves and dogs control regions in the mitochondria had similar sequences. Coyotes and Jackals were a lot more different. In fact every Coyote and Jackal sequence differed from any dog sequence by at least 20 sites and sometimes more. His research went on to discover that all dog sequences fell into four distinct groups. The longest group representing three quarters of all modern
dogs resulted from a single Wolf lineage. Other groups showed that wolves must have then mated with the domesticated dog. The research concluded that dogs have been separated from wolves for much longer than their fossil remains suggest. The DNA analysis published in 1997 suggests a date of about 130,000 years ago for the transformation of Wolves to dogs. Although all wolves belong to the species Canis Lupus, there are many sub species. 95% of current dogs come from just three original foundling females. Matthew Binns of the Animal Health Trust in England says: They are the Eves of the dog world.
One can therefore well conceive the possibility of the partnership beginning in the circumstance of some helpless cubs being brought home by early hunters to be tended and reared by the women and children. Primitive man would have been indifferent to the questionable advantage of harbouring such a dangerous guest. The young cubs would soon have grown to regard themselves and be regarded as members of the family. It would not take long for early man to realise the benefits of the hunting instincts of the maturing animal. Treading the primeval forests he would appreciate the keener nose and sharper eyes than his own. The early dog in turn would find better shelter in his association with man and a more regular and reliable food supply. Thus mutual benefit would result in some kind of tacit agreement of partnership, and through the generations the
wild Wolf would gradually become gentler, more docile and tractable. The dreaded enemy of the flock developed into the trusted guardian of the fold.
e evolution of the dog had begun.
Coyote
Page 6
CHAPTER 2 - THE INTERACTION BETWEEN DOG AND MAN

The Earth trembled and a great rift appeared, separating the first man and woman from the rest of the animal kingdom. As the chasm grew wider and deeper the other animals ran for the safety of the forest. Man was left on one side of the chasm and all the animals were on the other. Of all the beasts only Dog was unhappy. Dog paced back and forth restlessly until he finally ran forward and leapt across the gap. He managed to catch the edge with his paws but couldnt quite pull himself up. Man reached down and saved him saying You shall be my companion forever. Native American folk tale
14,000 years ago the dog had become so important to man that they were included in human burials. One of the oldest archaeological evidence found to support this belief is a 12,000 year old Natufian burial site located in what is now known as Israel. The grave revealed an elderly person holding a puppy in their left hand. Burial sites have been discovered which were exclusively for dogs. In Ashkelon, Israel, there is one such site which is 2,500 years old. Wolves followed the nomadic hunter-gathers, scavenging the remains of their campfires and following them on their hunts probably hoping to fill their stomachs with any leftovers. Gradually domestication began as prehistoric people took advantage of the Wolf s abilities. They started using them on hunting trips to bring down prey. The Wolf would have guarded mans camp, their sensitive noses, their acute hearing and ever-watchful eyes alerting man to danger. Co-habitation with the wolf/dog would have improved mans chances of survival. Living with them had a profound effect on human psychology,
hunting skills and territorial and social behaviour. Would humans have developed differently had the wolf not frequented their campsites? A recent study suggests that the domestication of dogs mutually led to profound changes in the biological and behavioural evolution of both species. Dr. Paul Tacon, principal research scientist at the Australian Museum believes that the early canine-sapien relationship ultimately changed the world. He has explored the implications of dog domestication close to the time that modern hunters are believed to have emerged. This included: e development of big game hunting e origins of mateship and new forms of bonding e rise of settlements worldwide
He concluded that dogs were a key force which led to the anatomical and behavioural modern human of 100,000 years ago. The primitive man and the early dog combination spread from the Middle East, colonising South East Asia and the Australo Pacific regions. They crossed the Bering Land Bridge and proceeded rapidly across the North American continent. The Australian Dingo remains today much the same as the primitive Pariah dog. Evidence also shows that as the dog became more intertwined with man he learned to hunt big game in packs. This is a distinctive wolf behavioural trait. There is no evidence of this amongst the pre-sapiens such as early Neanderthal Man. The primitive human would have watched the dogs behaviour, he would have seen the dog mark its territory with urine. Archaeological records show that around this time humans began to mark their territories with handprints, grooves in rocks and fingerprints in clay. Engraved and painted pictures were also common around 40,000 years ago.
In nearly all parts of the world traces of an indigenous dog family are found. In the ancient oriental lands, and generally among the early Mongolians, the dog remained savage and neglected for centuries, prowling in packs, gaunt and wolflike much like the wild dogs of today under the walls of eastern cities. It is not until we come to examine the records of the higher civilisations of Assyria and Egypt that we discover any distinct varieties of canine form. Assyrian sculptures depict two such dogs, a Greyhound and a Mastiff, the latter described in the tablets as the chained up, mouth opening dog, that is to say it was used as a watchdog. Several varieties are referred to in the Cuneiform inscriptions preserved in the British Museum, England. The Egyptian monuments of about 3000 B.C. present many forms of the domestic dog, and there can be no doubt that among the ancient Egyptians it was just as much a companion, just as much a favourite in the house, and just as much a help on the hunt as it is today. In the city of Cynopolis the dog was held in the highest esteem, next to the sacred Jackal, and on the death of their dog the whole family would shave their whole bodies and abstain from eating food of any kind, which was in the house when the dog died. Among the distinct breeds kept in Egypt there was a massive wolf-dog bred. This dog was a large, heavily built hound with drooping ears and a pointed muzzle. At least two distinctly different varieties of Greyhound were kept. These would have been used to hunt gazelle and would have probably been housed outside the main quarters. The last dog was a small breed of Terrier or Turnspit with short, crooked legs. This dog was most definitely regarded as a household pet. Archaeologists have found evidence which shows that this dog lived in with the family and had access to the entire house. It accompanied the family outdoors on walks much as the domestic dog does today. It had a collar made of leaves or leather, or even precious metals. Some of these collars would have been elaborately made by craftsmen. When
the dog died it was embalmed. Every town throughout Egypt had a cemetery for canine mummies. The dog was not greatly appreciated in Palestine however, as both in the Old and the New Testaments it is commonly spoken of with scorn and contempt as an unclean beast. Even the familiar reference to the Sheepdog in the Book of Job states But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. This suggests contempt of the dog and it is significant that the only biblical allusion to the dog as a recognised companion of man occurs in the apocryphal Book of Tobit (v.16) So they went forth both, and the young mans dog with them. The Jews wanted to prevent the dog from being idolised. Even in the New Testament the Apostle warns those to whom he wrote beware of dogs and evilworkers. Dogs were however employed by Jews to guard sheep or to protect them from wild beasts. The pagan Greeks and Romans had a kindlier feeling towards their animals than did the Jews. Their hounds, like their horses, were selected with discrimination and bred with care. They were given names and held in high esteem. Roman and Greek literature contains many references to the courage, obedience, and affectionate loyalty of their dogs. Pythagoras after founding a new sect in Greece taught the Egyptian philosophers that when the body dies, the soul entered that of different animals. At the death of any of his favourite disciples he would hold a dog to the dying mans mouth in order that his departing spirit would pass into the dog. He believed that there was no other animal as virtuous as the dog. The Phoenicians were also unquestionable lovers of the dog. They were quick to recognise the points of special breeds and started to breed certain characteristics into the lines. In their colony in Carthage, during the reign of Sardanapalus, they already possessed the Assyrian Mastiff which they exported
to far off Britain. It is known that they exported the Water Spaniel to Ireland and to Spain. The Mohammedans (Muslims) have also always regarded the dog as an unclean animal. They believed that the dog should never enter any human habitation and should have no owners. Instead the dog should roam the streets and the district protecting all. The Hindus regarded the dog likewise as unclean, and would purify themselves if a dog touched them. They believed the dog to be possessed by a wicked and malignant spirit and should any dog venture near children learning their lessons, the teacher would send the children away in case the dog had disturbed their minds. In every Mohammedan and Hindu country the worst insult bestowed on a European or a Christian is a dog It is a significant fact when we come to consider the probable origin of the dog and its interaction with man, that there are indications of the dogs domestication at such early periods by so many peoples in different parts of the world. Historical artefacts have proved that dogs were subjugated and tamed by primitive man by the Assyrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, and also by the ancient barbaric tribes of the western hemisphere.
Page 11
CHAPTER 3 FROM WOLF TO DOG

Wild Dog said, O my Enemy and wife of my Enemy. What is this that smells so good in the Wild Woods? Then the Woman picked up a roasted mutton bone and threw it to the Wild Dog and said Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, taste and try. Wild Dog gnawed the bone. It was more delicious than anything he had ever tasted and he said, Oh Enemy and Wife of my Enemy give me another. The Woman said, Wild Thing of the Wild Woods, help my Man to hunt through the day and guard this Cave at night, and I will give you as many roast bones as you need. Rudyard Kipling
The diversity of the dog lies more with artificial sources rather than Mother Nature. Charles Darwin suggested that the reason that there is such a variety amongst dogs was that they have evolved from other canids such as Jackals, Coyotes and Foxes. Genetic studies carried out by evolutionary biologist, Dr Robert Wayne of the University of California, have proved this not to be so. The 400 or more breeds of dog have originated from the Grey Wolf. The question arises as to just how so many different breeds of dogs came about. The selection began when the wolf became a common part of early mans campsites. Fierce, aggressive wolves would have been driven away leaving the more timid ones to scavenge around mans dwellings. These would have bred, producing yet more wolves of a less aggressive nature. As man travelled across continents so the wolf travelled with him. As generations of these tamer wolves passed so the dog started to form. These dogs would have adapted to the
environments in which they lived. Ones that dwelled in cold climates were large dogs with dense coats that could better survive to reproduce. Likewise in deserts and warmer countries the dogs were slight of body with less hair. Mans requirements of the dog also played a part in the evolution. If the dog was required to hunt it was lean in the body and had long limbs. Dogs that existed on mans left-overs no longer needed to bring down large prey so they developed with smaller skulls and teeth than their ancestor, the wolf. The brain also became smaller as the dogs diet changed.
Grey Wolves
Another theory has recently been put forward by Ray and Lorna Coppinger in their book Dogs; A startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behaviour, and Evolution. The Coppingers convincingly propose that dogs were not domesticated as a direct result of artificial human intervention with wolves. Instead that the dog evolved naturally as a by-product of human settlement. As early humans formed permanent camps, waste food and rubbish accumulated. This created a scavenger niche. As wolves are too timid by nature to adapt readily to the advantages of such a niche, forces of natural selection began to
Page 13
produce a tamer variety of wolf which was brave enough to move in so that it could scavenge. These tamer wolves had a reduced flight distance from humans. They began to get closer and interact more and more with humans. They no longer needed natures tools for successful hunting as they were feeding around human camps. These scavenger varieties of wolf developed with smaller heads, teeth, brain and overall body size. The temperamentally bolder yet less physically formidable nature of the dog is what separates it from the wolf. Wolves are pack-hunting predators; dogs became scavengers at human encampments. These camp or village dogs suggest the Coppingers theory carries a lot of logical sense. The authors agree that these village dogs may have become more valuable to humans as they accompanied man on the hunt though the Coppingers belief that these dogs were more beneficial to primitive man as pest controllers, rather than for food acquisition. Man would have used the dog more for its barking, which would serve as an early warning system when danger threatened. To conclude, the Coppingers image of an early dog is a canine with a low prey drive, minimal aggressive behaviour, eating waste and killing pests. To add to this the dog would bark if something scared them, inadvertently scaring the source of the noise away. This does not go along with other scientific notions of a wolf being tamed and bred from as an ancestor to the modern dog. The first archaeological evidence of dogs, which were morphologically distinct from wolves, comes from roughly 12,000 years ago in the Middle East. Dr Robert Waynes genetic data concludes that the split from wolves to dogs occurred 135,000 years ago but these creatures were a far cry from the dog we know today. They would have been wolf-like in appearance and with semi-wild temperaments.
Page 14
Ray Coppinger, a biologist and author at the Hampshire College believes that: Natural breeds occasionally arise. One way is through simple adaptation to different environmental niches; dogs in Northern regions had to be bigger because of the cold. Another way is when a catastrophe like rabies wipes out an entire local population of dogs. If just one pregnant female survives the catastrophe, or if a new pair arrives from elsewhere, their descendants will only have that female or the pairs genes to work with. If that lone female or both the new arrivals have red hair and curly tails, their offspring will have the same.
Some evidence suggests that several varieties of ancient wolves contributed to the modern dog. There were sub-species of wolves spread across the world. They had distinctive appearance and social structure. The Japanese wolf (now extinct since the 20th century) was much smaller and had a grey coat with a red underbelly. The North American wolf on the other end of the scale, is much larger than other wolves and has a variety of colours in its coat. It also has a complex social structure whereas the Japanese wolf was more solitary. The Asian wolf probably led to the development of more breeds of dogs than other sub-species of wolves. The Pariah Dog, The Dingo and many wild dogs of today are descended from the Asian wolf. Until recently it was thought that the dog, like humans, evolved originally in Africa but recent scientific research has proved that the dog evolved from the Asian Grey Wolf. The Asian wolf also interbred with descendants of the European wolf to create the Mastiffs, (Molossus). The Tibetan Mastiff is an example of this ancient breed and can be seen in more detail in the K9 Obedience Breed Directory on our website.
Page 15
The European wolf contributed its attributes to the Spitz dog types. Also many of todays sheepdogs and terriers can be traced back to these sub-species of wolf. The Chinese wolf is ancestor to many of the toy groups such as the Pekingese. The North American wolf is ancestor to most of the sled dog types. Breeding between dogs and wolves still occurs both deliberately and accidentally. Mixing and crossbreeding arctic dogs with wolves is done to retain the characteristics of the wolf so the Arctic sled dogs can survive in such a hostile environment. It is likely that wolves and dogs have interbred for as long as both species have existed. This would have been most likely between wolves and wild or feral dogs. The resulting offspring may have been a hazard to any human communities nearby and may account for most of the reported wolf attacks on humans. Breeding between wolves and dogs has been deliberately done, mostly by breeding large dogs such as the German Shepherd with a relatively tame wolf. The resulting pup is a beautiful animal. Regal, captivating and highly intelligent the wolf dog has grown in popularity and the number of hybrids in the USA is estimated at around 300,000. Much controversy surrounds the breeding of hybrids. In the wild, a wolf s natural instinct would be to kill a dog and not breed with it. These are no ordinary dogs as they retain many of the wolf s character and behavioural traits. Contrary to popular beliefs they do not make good guard dogs. Wolves are shy and wary of humans by nature and are highly social and pack orientated animals. A wolf dog hybrid does not make a good pet. Nine out of ten such hybrids are put to sleep before they are two
years old due to aggression and other behavioural problems. Wolf dogs over 74% wolf are illegal to own without a special class 2 licence in the USA. It is illegal to keep a first generation wolf in many countries including Great Britain. In the Cevennes region of Southern France between 1764 and 1767, about 100 people were attacked and at least 64 killed by a pair of savage wolves. Most of the victims were children. These animals came to be known as the Beasts of Gevaudan. They were hunted and killed whereupon it was found that the animals were wolf hybrids, perhaps siblings born from the breeding of a wolf with one of the large dogs commonly kept by farmers in the region.
Red Wolf
Page 17
CHAPTER 4 - THE BREEDS EMERGE

When the Man waked up he said, What is the Wild Dog doing here? And the Woman said, His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will always be our friend for always and always and always. Rudyard Kipling
In 350 B.C. Aristole made a list of the known dog breeds of the time. The breeds were categorised into three groups. Sight/Hunting dogs, Mastiffs/Guard dogs and Toy/House dogs. Today there are over 500 breeds of dogs worldwide. Elaine Ostrander of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, Washington, led an extensive study into the genomes of dogs. The researchers used genetic analysis to group dogs into various breeds. They attended many dog shows around the USA, taking samples of cheek swabs. Genetic research carried out on 85 breeds of dogs has shown that 14 of the breeds have genetic fingerprints and form a cluster most like the early domestic dogs. Seven of these have the oldest patterns. These are: Chow Chow, Shar Pei, (China) Akita and Shiba Inu, (Japan) Basenji, (Africa) Siberian Husky, (North East Siberia and Alaska) Malamute, (North West Alaska)
Page 18
This confirms the study carried out in 2002 that suggested that ancient dogs originated in Asia and migrated to Africa then on to the Arctic. This latest research has led to much controversy, as many people believe the Ibizan Hound and the Pharaoh Hound were ancient dogs and these are not included in the list. The researchers say that although the appearance of these hounds matches those found depicted on Egyptian tombs, their genomes are not linked to the ancient dogs. More likely these dogs are a result of interbreeding amongst the true ancient dogs. Many other studies have also been carried out which reveal how close breeds are to one another and the order in which they emerged over the millennia. Dogs are grouped into sight and scent hounds, working and guard, toy and companion, northern, flushing spaniels, water spaniels and retrievers, pointers, terriers and herding dogs. As people began to work with animals in herds, dogs were used both to help in herding and guarding the flock. This is thought to have begun during the Neolithic period. As agriculture began so dogs became more useful in guarding villages and in war. The different breeds of dogs were established. Location played an important part in how the breeds were evolving. Sight hounds were bred in open desert countries such as the Middle East. Scent hounds were bred in lands such as Europe, where dense woodland made it difficult to see game. Each group of breeds developed special physical and behavioural characteristics that enabled them to accomplish certain tasks. Greyhounds have been found on ancient Mesopotamian pottery fragments, dating back to 5000 B.C. These dogs had been bred purposely to hunt in the desert. They had deep chests, long legs and a sleek head and could run swiftly across the sands to bring down prey.
Page 19
The Mastiffs: Another group were the Mastiffs and Rottweilers. Large, strong and aggressive dogs were excellent at guarding property and livestock. Many such dogs were used in battle. Archaeologists have discovered bas-reliefs from the Babylonian Assyrian empire showing Mastiff dogs hunting lions, dating around 2,500 B.C. Phoenican traders introduced the dog to Britain around 500 B.C. These Mastiff dogs were taken with the Celt tribes as they battled their way across the Swiss Alps and down into Italy. The Carthaginian General, Hannibal (218 B.C.) led his forces to eastern Spain over the Pyrenees Mountains. He took with him several battalions of trained war Mastiffs. On the long journey the Mastiffs mated with local breeds, which in turn introduced breeds such as the St. Bernard (Alpine Mastiff ), Neapolitan Mastiff, Pyrenean Mastiff and the Spanish Mastiff. During the Roman occupation of Britain (55 B.C.-415 B.C.) dogs were taken from Britain to Rome to guard prisoners and fight in the Roman arenas against lions and bears. The blood thirsty Romans considered it great sport to watch these huge dogs compete against an equally strong adversary. Human prisoners were also thrown into the arena to face the dogs much to the crowds delight. The dogs were clad in armour and accompanied the Romans into battle. A dog weighing 100 kilos, trained to leap, bring down and disembowel a man on horseback was a violent and feared warrior. Romans held their dogs in high esteem and many dogs lived with their masters. A Romans house with a watch or guard dog had to display a sign saying Cave Canem which meant Beware of the Dog. The Mastiff was said to be Caesars favourite dog bringing to mind those famous lines from Shakespeares Julius Caesar: Cry havoc! And let loose the Dogs of War.
Page 20
The Hunting Dogs: Dogs were not only being bred for their strengths on the battlefields or for their swiftness in catching the prey. In Europe the Abbots of the Saint Huberts Abbey in Ardennes recognized dog breeding to be a source of revenue and created breeds to sell to wealthy nobles. So the hunting dogs emerged, notably the Chien de Saint Hubert (Bloodhound). This dog was said to be the father of all European hunting dogs. Dogs became expensive and hunting was reserved for the rich. The peasants dogs had to wear huge blocks around their necks to stop them mating with the pure bred dogs. Speciality breeds thrived. The expertise of the hunting dogs was invaluable to man. Different dogs were bred depending on the prey to be hunted. The scent hunting dogs were bred to track prey through dense forests. They had pendulous ears that are thought to assist in gathering the scent when following a trail. Scent hounds tend to be numerous as they were often kept in large packs. Different hounds were bred to hunt specific prey such as boar, deer, and hares. Many of the ancestors of scent hounds today were bred in France and Britain. Whilst hunting in thick forests the huntsman would lose sight of the dogs therefore they were bred to have a low melodious voice that would carry across the undergrowth. This is called baying or giving tongue. A scent hound has approximately 220 million smell sensitive cells over an area as small as a pocket handkerchief. The Portuguese Water Dog dates back to 700 B.C. It was first used as a patrol dog along the Russian-Chinese border. The Berbers captured these dogs and took them into North Africa where they spread and arrived in Portugal in the 8th century. Portuguese fishermen soon discovered that the dog (called Cao de Agua) was an excellent swimmer as well as a hard working creature. They used them to herd fish into their nets or to retrieve lost nets. Being such good
swimmers the dogs were used as couriers from ship to ship or from ship to shore. The Irish Water Spaniel was bred around A.D. 650. It had a curly, greasy coat that repelled water and webbed feet for swimming. Many Spaniels and Retrievers were bred for the specific purpose of assisting man on the hunt. Early man had many ways of hunting prey. Not having the modern weapons of today he had to use spears, stones, blowpipes, bows and arrows or nets. The French hunting dogs were bred to hunt any sort of game but the English specialised in breeding different dogs in accordance with the prey being hunted. Smaller dogs were bred to track through dense undergrowth or woodlands. In Scotland, a breed of dog was needed to chase vermin and small animals so the Scottish Terrier was bred with later offshoots such as West Highland White, Skye Terrier, Dandie Dinmont and the Cairn Terrier.
A Modern-Day Cairn Terrier makes a great, fun family pet

(Find out more about this breed in the www.K9Obedience.co.uk breed directory)
Page 22
CHAPTER 5 - THE SIGHT HOUNDS

The red long tailed dog goes at night into the stalls of the hills; he is better than the long faced dog. He makes no delay in hunting, his face glows like a god and he delights to do his work.
(Translated from Egyptian Hieroglyph)
The Basenji or Congo Terrier (pictured) is recognised to be one of the true ancient dogs. They originated in Africa and spread into Egypt where they can be seen depicted on steles in Egyptian tombs dating around 3500 B.C. Tribes in the North Eastern Congo bred the Basenji for hunting. They call the Basenji embwa na bwasenji meaning dogs from when we were wild. The Basenji does not bark but yips or yodels instead. Sculptured in stone dating back to 3,000 B.C. he is shown to be a hunter and a companion. A bronze statue of a man and a Basenji type dog, dated around 1,500 B.C. with a curled tail and a wrinkled forehead can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Many different breeds of dogs emerged around this time. Sight hounds were bred for their swiftness and keen eyesight. Salukis, Afghan Hounds, Greyhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Ibizan Hounds, Sloughi, Irish Wolfhound, and the Borzoi. These dogs were all possibly bred from the dogs of the Bedouin and Berber tribes of Africa thousands of years ago. The need arose for swift, leggy dogs with keen eyesight, which could course prey over rough and open terrain.
The Greyhound is such a dog. Bred by the Bedouin tribes in North Africa and Asia they were taken into Egypt and were so highly favoured that the birth of a Greyhound was celebrated as much as the birth of a son. Although the Egyptians kept many dogs, the Greyhound were highly prized and lived with families. Often they had special kennels and were cared for by dog handlers. If one of the Egyptian nobility died, his Greyhounds would be buried with him. Anubis, the Egyptian God had the body of a man and the head of a Greyhound type dog. Trade routes took the Greyhound into the Mediterranean where they became just as prized by the Greeks. These Greyhounds had deeper chests and were bred to be heavier as they hunted larger animals. These dogs also featured in Greek mythology and architecture. The Sloughi was native to Libya, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The Bedouin valued the dog as much as they valued their Arabian Horses. If a Bedouin went visiting, his Sloughi went with him and would have been treated as an honoured guest. A Bedouin tribesman would give up his blanket rather than let his Sloughi get cold at night. If a Sloughi died, its master would grieve for his dog just as he would grieve over the loss of a child. The Sloughi was used to hunt Desert Hare, Fennec (desert fox), Gazelle, Hyena, Jackal, and Ostrich. They were excellent open space hunters that relied on vision, stamina and speed. They tended to have larger heads than Salukis and were much stronger.
Page 24
The Saluki (Also known as Gazelle Hound, Arabian Hound, and Persian Greyhound.) Named after the Arabian city of Saluki in the Middle East, this was the only breed to be given any status by the Muslims. The Saluki (pictured left) is thought of as a sacred gift of Allah. For this reason a Saluki could never be sold but could only be given as a gift of friendship. The Salukis origins go back to 7,000 B.C. Man had spread across the land mass known as Mesopotamia and with him roamed the small Desert Wolf (C. I. Arabis) which was a lighter, faster variety of wolf. Over time the dog evolved, capable of surviving in the harsh desert climate. The Saluki was also cherished by the Egyptians who called the dog El Hor, meaning the Noble One. The Saluki had feathered ears, legs and tail. A bas-relief, dated 1450 B.C. from Thebes, shows two Saluki type dogs bringing down game. The tomb of Tutankhamen held an ostrich feather fan decorated with scenes of a boy king hunting with dogs very similar to Salukis. The remains of Salukis have been discovered mummified bearing elaborate collars. This signifies just how important the dog was to the Egyptians.
Page 25
The Afghan Hound The Afghan Hound (also known as the Baluchi Hound) has been described as the King of dogs. Native to the Sinai, the Afghan Hound is mentioned in Egyptian papyruses. 4000 year old pictures of Afghans have been found on the walls of caves in Afghanistan. This was a land of high mountains, deep valleys and wide-open deserts. Tribal nomads roamed across the terrains accompanied by their Afghan Hounds. The dog had been bred from many local breeds. These dogs needed no instruction when coursing prey. With exceptional swiftness they would run and keep running until the prey was caught. They possessed seemingly endless stamina and could leap and turn at speed when chasing Hare or Mountain Deer. The dog spread across the area from eastern Turkestan to Turkey. The Afghan Hound is such an ancient breed that it is often called The dog of Noahs Ark.
The Pharaoh Hound (Kelb Tal-Fenek) Pharaohs origins lie in Egypt and the hound is depicted on many Egyptian temples dating back to 4400 B.C. The Pharaoh Hound travelled with the Phoenician traders to the islands of Malta and Gozo where the hound was used primarily for hunting rabbits. It has survived on these islands for over 2,000
years. It is one of the few dogs that have remained unchanged from its ancient ancestors. The Pharaoh Hound blushes when excited.
The Ibizan Hound Also known as Podenco Ibicenco, another of the Egyptian dogs, the Ibizan Hound was taken to the Balearic Islands in the 8th century. The Ibizan Hound had been bred from the small pricked-eared greyhound and it was a swift little hunting dog, quick to catch rabbits and other small animals.
Page 27
CHAPTER 6 THE HERDING DOGS AND ARCTIC DOGS

Many years ago in the lands of early man, a couple of dogs sat on a hill passing the time of day whilst watching a group of humans who were trying to round up a herd of reindeer. Having watched the humans running around, waving their arms and yelling, the dogs declared: We could do that better and they did. The question is, did the ancient man breed an irreplaceable helper or a dog who himself wanted to help?
The world in the Stone Age looked vastly different than it does today. The continent of Asia touched every ocean and every continent. The Asian terrain was vast and rugged with extreme differences in temperature. It is hardly surprising that most of the dogs ancestry began here. The New Stone Age people were gatherers and had started keeping herds of livestock. Archaeological findings show that they kept herding dogs to assist them in guarding their flocks. These dogs were interbred for type and location. Tribes such as the Goths (100-200 A.D.), the Cimmerians (700-600 B.C.), and the Cimbri (100 B.C.) travelled far and wide accompanied by their livestock and their dogs. One direct descendant of these dogs is the Portuguese Water Dog. Tribal people such as the Berbers took dogs into North Africa and on to Morocco. Tribes known as the Iberians migrated from South West Germany over the Pyrenees and into Iberia (Portugal), Ireland and Wales. The Irish Water Spaniel is a descendant of the Portuguese Water Dog. Wherever man roamed they needed dogs to guard and control their livestock. The Canaan Dog (Kelef Knaani) was an ancient dog of the Israelites, 2,200 years ago. This tough, hardy dog was used to herd and guard flocks of sheep
and herds of camels and goats. It is thought that the Welsh Corgi, Border Collie, Old English Sheepdog and the German Shepherd have been bred from the Canaan Dog. Depending on the geographical location herding dogs were bred for a specific quality. In cold climates the herding dogs had thick coats and were large and strong. They were used to guard livestock rather than control them. Their size and strength meant that they could fight off wolves and bears. The Akbash, Maremma, Komondor and Great Pyreenean dogs were fierce guardians and protectors of the flocks. These big dogs were generally light in colour so as to blend in with the animals they guarded. Further north in the cold climates of the Artic and Siberia, dogs were bred such as the Siberian Husky, Samoyeds, Inuit Dog and the Alaskan Malamute. The Malamute gets its name from a group of Eskimos known as Mahlamuits. These people needed a dog that served three purposes: guarding, hunting and herding. These all round working dogs had to pull heavy sleds for long distances in extremely cold temperatures. They were also used to hunt polar bears, moose, wolves and walruses. The Inuit Dog (Qimmiq) dates back 4,000 years. It originated in the region of Mongolia. The Tunit people who lived there migrated across the Bering Straits between 900-1100 A.D. and their dogs went with them. The Tunit people settled in Greenland. The Inuit dog could sniff out seal breathing holes and hunting in packs they would surround a polar bear and hold it until the hunter arrived. They were also true herding dogs, keeping vigil over the Tunits herds of reindeer. The Northern people bred many Spitz type dogs that retained similar characteristics.
Page 29
All of these dogs could stand extreme temperatures of more than 50 degrees below zero. They were bred to herd, hunt and guard. They had thick, waterproof double coats. Often they had thick bushy tails to curl around their faces when sleeping for protection from the cold. Most had long noses to warm the cold air before it reached their lungs. They had oil deposits under their eyebrows that helped them shake off thick snow. The ears were thickly furred as a barrier against the cold. Robust and hardy, they could tolerate pain, which enabled them to keep working against all odds. They needed the ability to think for themselves in order to survive in such harsh environments. The Irish Wolfhound is one of Europes oldest herding breeds. Their origins can be traced back to 273 B.C. Bred by the Celts in the first century B.C. they were first used as war dogs then they shifted to herding. The Phoenician Traders had brought their dogs with them to Europe and these huge Mastiffs are the ancestors of most of the herding dogs used across Europe today. The Celts contributed most towards breeding the various strains of herding dogs. The Celts were constantly travelling and by mixing dogs with superior abilities with their own dogs they created specific breeds of dogs. The Greeks had a herding dog from the Molossi Barbarians. The Celts admired these dogs and used some of them to breed with their own dogs. In 1000 to 600 BC the Celts had hundreds of different breeds of dogs dispersed across Europe from Great Britain to Asia Minor and across the continent from Germany to Spain. Each village would have a breed of dog based on the needs of the community, the local geography and the climate. The Irish Wolfhound was owned by Emperors, Kings and nobility. The Roman consul Quintas Aurelius received seven wolfhounds as a gift. It is written that, all Rome viewed with wonder.
Page 30
The true herding dogs of Europe developed with Tibetan ancestry of which the Komondar and the Kuvasz still remain true to form today. Herding dogs work in various ways. The Border Collie gets in front of the sheep and gives eye which means it stares hypnotically at the sheep to turn them. Dogs such as this are called headers. Other dogs work by nipping at animals heels and are called heelers. One such dog is the Australian Cattle Dog. Other dogs will actually jump on an animals back to herd them and control them, such as the Koolie. Ancient man knew nothing of genetics but would breed one dog with another to obtain a working dog that suited his purpose. Many of the early European herding dogs originated near the Basque regions near the Pyrenees Mountains. Little thought was paid to the appearance of these dogs, which remained shaggy and unkempt. Selective breeding focused on enabling a dog to function well over different terrains. The dog had to be able to withstand fluctuations in temperatures, it had to be athletic and flexible, and it had to be independent in character yet remain obedient to its master. Most of the herding dogs today have been bred within the last couple of centuries. Sadly few remain as true working dogs as keeping livestock for the small farmer has proved to be increasingly unprofitable. On larger ranches men using quad bikes or tractors still use herding dogs to work livestock. In northern countries, sled dogs are hauling freight, aiding exploration teams, and working in search and rescue. One famous incident concerning sled dogs is retold below: THE IDITAROD DOG SLED RACE The Diphtheria epidemic that threatened the town of Nome and the subsequent race against time to fetch the serum from Nenana by mushers and their dog sleds is truly remarkable. Much is made of Gunnar Kasson and his dog, Balto as he delivered the serum on Feb 2nd 1925 being the last team on
the trail. It is true that he had faced blizzards and sub zero temperatures as he travelled the last 53 miles. The real unsung hero of this saga is Leonhard Seppala. It was he that surpassed all that Mother Nature threw at him and travelled 340 miles in total to get the serum to the people of Nome. Never before had this been done or in such dangerous conditions. Seppala defied all odds to help the townspeople. Leonhard Seppala, (1877 1967) was a Norwegian immigrant who arrived in Nome, Alaska in the year 1900 as a participant of the gold rush. He learnt quickly to drive a dog sled and his first dogs were called Nigger and Jack. Soon he was entering and winning sled dog races. Seppala was a quiet man who had the strength of an ox and a genuine love for his dogs. A bit of a loner, he spent a lot of his time with his dogs, training in the Alaskan wilderness. Russian fur traders brought dogs with them from Eastern Siberia and started entering the sled dog races. They were laughed at because of the slender size of their dogs, which was only half that of the typical Alaskan Sled Dogs of the day. Given odds of a hundred to one, the Russians were soon laughing loudest as they began to win races. A wealthy young Scot named Charles Fox Maule Ramsey imported seventy of these Siberian dogs and soon his three racing teams dominated the 1910 All Alaskan Sweepstakes. Leonhard Seppala was entrusted by Ramsey to breed and train his dogs and in return, Seppala was given his own bitch and dog. Seppalas own Siberian dog team began racing and he won the Norse Sweepstakes. Seppala was said to have hypnotic powers
of control over his dogs, so unbelievable was their performance. Sled dog racing was discontinued at the outbreak of World War One. After the war, Seppala began successfully racing with his Siberian dogs. At the time of the Diphtheria epidemic, Seppalas lead dog Togo was a seasoned Husky. Never had he owned a dog with such stamina and courage. It was mainly due to this magnificent dog that he managed to travel 340 miles in the worst possible conditions. Only a last minute decision by Alaskas governor to speed the delivery by adding the extra team of Gunner Kasson, robbed Seppala and his dog Togo of their rightful place in history. It was Gunner Kasson and his dog Balto that received the honours and the subsequent fame. Togos preserved carcass is on display at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Museum, Wasilla, Alaska.
Page 33
Today, the Iditarod Sled Dog Race commemorates this historic event. The Iditarod trail was a major lifeline for Alaska, right up until the aeroplane replaced the dog sled. The Iditarod race was the brainchild of a woman called Dorothy Page who planned Alaskas 1967 centennial celebrations. The first race was held in 1967 and still has worldwide interest.
e Last Great Race

This is a time for heroics, This is a time to be brave If we all work together And do our part
These peoples lives well save! Mush! Everybody Mush! by Rudyard Kipling
Page 34
CHAPTER 7 - THE TOY DOGS AND ANCIENT CHINESE DOGS

Even the tiniest Poodle or Chihuahua is still a wolf at heart Dorothy Hinshaw Ancient China bred many dogs for uses such as herding, guarding and companion dogs. The Chongquing Dog is thought to have been in existence since the Han dynasty (206B.C.-22A.D.) Dogs were primarily used for hunting before the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907). Fu Xiuyi, writing in the western Jin Dynasty (A.D. 265-316) wrote: A dog is as fast as an eagle and as fierce as a tiger
Bones of dogs have been found alongside human remains in Central Chinas Henan Province. A Neolithic Age pottery vase has been unearthed in Qinan, Northwest Chinas Gansu Province. On this vase are four muscular dogs fighting each other. The vase has been carbon dated to approximately 7000 years old. Ancient Chinese people believed the dog to be the God who safeguarded people at night. They saw the dog as a lucky sign and he was welcomed into their homes. One dog which China embraces as its own is the Chow. Artefacts dating from 150 B.C. show the Chows existence as a hunting dog. The Chow is one of the worlds oldest breeds of dogs. They were a wonderful all-round breed of dog that could hunt, retrieve, and point. They were excellent sled dogs and would haul loads in severe weather conditions with their thick, heavy coats helping to keep them warm. They were used to guard property and boats. One Chinese Emperor is reputed to have kept 2,500 pairs of Chow! The dog was
also bred for its distinctly flavoursome flesh, Chow or Chou being the Chinese word for edible. In 1878, a British historian wrote that he had found 25 restaurants in Canton with Chow on the menu. A distinctive feature of the Chow is its blue-black tongue that was said to taste most delicious. China prohibited the buying or selling of dog meat in 1915. Another ancient breed is the Shar Pei, which originated in the Kwangtung Province around 200 B.C. Shar Pei means sand skin referring to the coat, which is short and rough. It also has a blue-black tongue. These dogs were highly intelligent, aloof and stubborn. They were also bred for fighting, their short coats and loose skin made it impossible for an opponent to get hold of them. The loose skin also helped them to twist and turn to face their adversary even when being held. The Shar Pei had hooked teeth for a firmer grip. Following World War Two, as China stabilised under communist law and became The Peoples Republic of China the government were hard put to feed the human population. Dogs were at first highly taxed and later banned altogether. The dog population of China was virtually wiped out only a few being kept in far-flung villages. The Shar Pei faced extinction but the breed survived as a few were bred in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 1973 a Hong Kong breeder called Matgo Law wrote to American magazines for help in reviving the breed. This resulted in the continuance in the breed, as we know it today. In 1978 the Shar Pei gained distinction as being the rarest breed of dog in the world and was entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
Page 36
The Chinese Fu Dog The Pekingese was also known as The Sacred Dog of Sinkiang or The Chinese Temple Forest Dog and it was bred from Northern European dogs mated with the Chow. It is thought that the Fu dog may also be the link between the Chinese wolf and the Chow. The Fu dog or Pekingese was considered to be protector of the home and the children. In the study carried out by Elaine Ostrander into the genetic origins of dogs, the Pekingese was one of the fourteen dogs which showed genetic ancestry. They are thought to be 2000 years old. These dogs are highly revered by Chinese people. The Peke is a striking dog with a black face and brown eyes. Colours range from red sable to blonde and black and tan. They were bred to be bow-legged to discourage them from straying far. The Pekingese or Fu dog was bred exclusively to be a companion to the Emperors, his ladies and his eunuchs. No one else could own these dogs and to steal one was punishable by death. The Forbidden City was invaded during the second opium war or the Boxer Rebellion by allied troops. The Emperor Xianfeng was forced to flee along with other members of his court. One elderly aunt remained accompanied by her five Pekingese dogs. As the, foreign devils entered the palace she committed suicide. The five dogs were removed before the palace was burned. Lord John Hey took a pair, whom he called Schloff and Hytien to give to his sister, the Duchess of Wellington. Sir George Fitzroy took another pair for his cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and the fifth was presented to Queen Victoria of England, who named the dog Looty. This was the beginning of the breed in Europe.
An Irish doctor called Dr Heuston had established smallpox vaccination clinics in China at the request of the then Chinese government. The impact was dramatic, resulting in a huge fall in the rate of death from Smallpox. To show his gratitude, the Chinese minister Li Hung Chang presented Dr Heuston with a pair of Pekingese called Chang and Lady Li, which returned with the doctor thus establishing the breed in Ireland. The Pekingese is said to have come from Buddha hence his name, the Temple Dog. The rumoured reason Buddha made him so small was so that the little dog could destroy all the demons hiding in the corners of the temple. Buddha then gave the Pekingese the heart of a lion so the dog could fight the fiercest demons in China. The Chihuahua got its name from the Mexican state between west Texas and New Mexico. The Chihuahuas origins lie with the ancient dogs of the Toltec people. Their dogs were crossed with the hairless dogs from the Orient. The Aztecs conquered the Toltecs and took the dog as their own. The Chihuahua became a sacred icon of the upper classes and was used in religious ceremonies as a guide for the spirits of the departed. The Chihuahua is registered by Kennel Clubs as being the smallest dog. It weighs only 2 to 6 pounds and stands at 6 to 8 inches tall. Other dogs such as the Lowchen, Lion Dog, or Le Petit Chien Lion originated in Europe but these breeds are relatively modern in comparison with the
ancient breeds of China and Japan. Other breeds classed as Toy dogs include Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, Papillion and many others. It should be remembered that although these dogs are small in size they were originally bred to assist man in various forms of work. The Yorkshire Terrier for example was specifically bred to kill rats and other small vermin. While it is true that some of the toy dogs were bred to be lap dogs they have all evolved from the wolf and despite being small they carry many of their ancestral instincts.
Page 39
CHAPTER 8 THE DIVERSITY OF THE DOG

Dogs are our link to Paradise. They dont know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring...it was peace. Milan Kundera
Kennel Clubs across the world recognise over 450 breeds of dogs. From an Irish Wolfhound or St Bernard to a Maltese or a tiny Papillion, no other animal on the planet has such variety nor such genetic elasticity. Man has manipulated the dogs genes through breeding and interbreeding more than any other animal to suit his own needs and pleasures. Over the last hundred years dogs have been stretched and shrunk, their coats bred curly or smooth, their noses have been shortened and lengthened and their instincts honed and tuned to a multitude of specific tasks from killing to saving lives. Someone once described dog breeding as painting with dog genetics. Dog breeds are being split into even smaller categories. Desmond Morris wrote in his book The Dictionary of Dogs that All a dog has to do is to look good, walk proudly and not bite the judges. This is the same animal that traces its ancestry back to Chinese Emperors, Egyptian Pharaohs, the Celts, and Alexander The Great. Would any of these ancient people recognise the dog as he is today?
Page 40
Amongst breeders, the purity of the breed has to be passionately preserved and protected. In many cases this has become an obsession. To register a newly born puppy with any Kennel Club, the criteria is that both parents are pure bred and have registered pedigrees within the breed. Dog shows are taken extremely seriously and are highly competitive. There is big money to be made, as winning dogs can earn more than their keep as stud dogs or breeding bitches. The standards for each breed have been decided and laid down by Kennel Clubs. They are exact to the point of being almost ridiculous. For example a King Charles Spaniel must have a coat that is: long, silky, straight and never curly and a Pekingese must have a slow, dignified rolling gait in front with close action behind. The descriptions of each breed read like a book, sometimes running into hundreds of poetic details. This is known as line breeding. Sometimes this interbreeding causes unwanted genes to be passed down. Often it is the case in breeding dogs that a champion sire will be used repeatedly, resulting in close family relations as generations pass. This is especially true with dog breeds which are considered rare. Diseases and unwanted behavioural traits can be passed through generations, even though symptoms are not apparent in the parents. Many traits skip generations, lying dormant until a recessive mutant gene emerges. Pedigree breeding has to remain in-house allowing no diversity to enter the bloodlines. This results in defects becoming characteristic to certain breeds. For example, Dalmatians are prone to deafness,
A dog making the best of Hip Dysplasia

Page 41
Boxers to heart disease, Border Collies have eye anomaly (CEA) and so on. Other conditions such as hip dysplasia, deformities and behavioural problems can occur with pure-bred dogs. Bruce Fogle writing in his Encyclopaedia of Dogs says that cross-bred dogs have a life expectancy of 13 years compared to 7 years of some pure breeds. Sometimes precision breeding has its advantages. The fineIncreasing demands for sloping backs are unnatural and unfair on has turned out to be of benefit to man. We these superb dogs. reap the benefits of a dogs wonderful sense
tuning of the sense of smell in some dogs
of smell as the animal proves its excellence with the Police Force and search and rescue teams. Border Collies have been bred to enhance the herding instinct and are now reputed to be the best herding dogs in the world. However, sadly mistakes have been made. It was decreed that Bulldogs should have big heads. Through this fine-tuning, the heads have become so big that they cannot pass through the birth canal, which forces them to be born by Caesarean Section. Breeders decided that German Shepherds, especially in the U.S., should be bred with sloped backs instead of the older traditional and more natural straight-lined backs. This has resulted in severe hip dysplasia becoming a common problem. Breeders are playing a dangerous game. In their search for perfection they are narrowing the diversity of the dog as a species. Some say it would be better to broaden the bloodlines to keep the breeds healthy. The American Kennel Club and the Canine Health Foundation poured $1.4 million into genetic research and other research. There has been an explosion in DNA testing for hereditary diseases. Now DNA tests are being used for 20
or so diseases that affect 50 different breeds. The Dutch government has signed The European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. The Dutch Kennel Club tested 30 dog breeds. The results were alarming as they proved that pure-bred dogs, because of exaggeration of type and inbreeding, suffered more genetic problems than any other pet animal. To redress the problem they politely asked Breeders to stop the close inbreeding of dogs. This was met with little response so it has been decided to make the changes mandatory. The Dutch Kennel Club has changed the rules under which a dog can be registered as a Pedigree. A pedigree certificate will only be given to puppies which meet the new criteria. All other puppies will be issued with a Certificate of Descent. The new rules are far less demanding and no longer call for anything to be excessive. For example, the standards no longer call for diamond shaped eyes, which have been the cause of horrendous diseases of the eyes. Many people are against Kennel Club administered breeding programmes that severely restrict gene pools and base breeding rules on aesthetic qualities, thereby leading to ill-health in the dog. Bulldogs are a classic example of mans complete disregard for the well being of the dog, when fashion and competitive edge is introduced. The Bulldog is grossly deformed and modern breeders are perpetuating the problem with every puppy that is born. The Bulldogs health problems are directly related to the dog being interbred to emphasise certain aspects of its appearance. The creature suffers from elongated soft palate, small trachea, eyelid anomalies, stenotic nares and hip dysplasia. The dog has severe breathing problems including snuffling, snorting, wheezing, grunting, and loud snoring. In hot weather they struggle to breathe. They cant walk normally or run without gasping for breath. Because of their stunted body they suffer from
digestive problems and flatulence. Hip problems, heart problems, skin problems, the list goes on and on. It is said that if you feel like throwing money at your vet then get a Bulldog! Bulldog breeders charge from $1000 to $1500 per puppy. The reason for this high cost is to pay for the artificial insemination because Bulldogs cannot mate without assistance. When the female is with young she cannot give birth naturally as the bulldogs head is too large to pass through the birth canal. In our view this is becoming shameful and is certainly breeding to extremes which causes dogs severe discomfort and sometimes death as our human requirements and fashion-orientated demands grow beyond the natural realms of possibility for a dog. The Bulldog originated in England in the 13th century and was called A Butchers Dog as it controlled unruly cattle. Later it became more commonly used for bullbaiting. Not the most pleasant of pastimes for sure, but the dog was entirely different than it is today. It was a strong, healthy dog, (it had to be to fight bulls) with a tenacious, feisty character. The sport was considered inhumane and was prohibited in 1835. Show-dog breeders have turned the Bulldog into a caricature of the dog he once was. The dog has been bred to suit human social statements, with no consideration to the well-being of the dog during its short life.
A picture of health, vitality and happiness?
Page 44
CHAPTER 9 ASSISTANCE DOGS AND THEIR IMPACT ON US

Assistance Dog is the generic umbrella term for dogs that have been trained or bred to assist humans in a functional capacity. A kind of extension of the very first steps humans and canines took when wolves came into contact with man for lengthened periods.
Guide Dogs For The Blind One of the first people to use a Guide Dog for the blind was Alan Caldwell, who said: Flash has revolutionised my outdoor life. The first guide dog for the blind was trained in Potsdam in Germany. Towards the end of the First World War, a doctor was looking after injured war veterans when he was called away from a blind man he was treating to an emergency case. He left his German Shepherd with the man. When he returned he was so impressed at his dogs behaviour with the blind man and how the two had interacted, that he decided to start an experiment in training dogs to work for blind people. So successful was he that in 1923 a guide dog training centre was established which, over the next ten years, trained several thousand dogs. Most of the dogs were German Shepherds as the GSD has a strong sense of loyalty to its owner
and by having a dog with excellent protective instincts, the blind person felt safe and protected. A wealthy American woman, Mrs Dorothy Harrison Eustis, was breeding German Shepherds in Switzerland for the customs service and the police. She visited the Potsdam Centre and was so impressed that she wrote an article for the American Saturday Evening Post, in October 1927. A blind American called Morris Frank bought the newspaper and later he was reputed to have said that the five cents he paid for the newspaper bought an article that was worth more than a million dollars to me. Frank wrote to Mrs Eustis with a heartfelt plea: I want one of those dogs he said. Thousands of blind people like me abhor being dependent on others. Help me and I will help them. Mrs Eustis trained a German Shepherd dog and a few weeks later Morris Frank had Buddy at his side. He was the first person in America to have a guide dog for the blind. The dogs undergo an intense training programme both in-house and with the public. The dog must have first learnt all the basic commands to perfection. The dog must be sociable with no sniffing, snapping, or jumping up on people. The dog is trained to negotiate obstacles, barriers, street crossings, city and country environments and all means of public transport. Once the dog is considered to be experienced with all aspects of the training it is introduced to its new owner. Then the training starts again to educate the guide dog and the blind owner as they form a trusting relationship.
This was to be the beginning of a plethora of organisations across the world training guide dogs for the blind. To have a guide dog means that a blind person regains independence and can go outside to traverse the streets, use public transport, visit shops, and doing so safely in the knowledge that the dog beside him will be his eye on the world. Millions of people have benefited once again from the special relationship that man has with dogs.
Therapy Dogs Therapy Dogs International was formed in 1978 after it was discovered that holding or stroking a dog lowers blood pressure and relieves strain and tension in people who are depressed. Therapy dogs help people who are in need of an emotional service. Both children and adult lives are enhanced by interacting with therapy dogs. Children with Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida and many other disabilities often find benefit from contact with a therapy dog. Golden Retrievers, St Bernards, and Labradors all make excellent therapy dogs with their soft fur and appealing eyes they bring smiles to the faces of children and enhance their lives. Medical Research has also shown that some dogs are able to use their incredibly advanced sense of smell to detect skin cancers. Many peoples lives have been
saved by such scent testing, especially in Australia and the US in areas of strong sunshine and harmful UV rays where fair skinned people are especially vulnerable.
Hearing Dogs These dogs assist deaf or hard of hearing individuals by drawing their attention to a number of household sounds. This could be the ringing of a doorbell, alarm clock, appliance buzzer, or smoke alarm. Someone calling a name or even a babys cry can be the trigger if trained correctly, and the dogs response can be preset to whatever is required in their assistance environment. The dogs used are usually small to medium-sized dogs from various breeds and have to be sociable and friendly. Like the guide dogs, the hearing dogs have to undertake an intensive training programme before meeting their new owners.
Service Dogs Service dogs are trained to assist disabled people by fetching or carrying objects, opening or closing doors, turning light switches on or off, and many other tasks which the disadvantaged person cannot do. The greatest gift the assistance dog brings to its human partner is overwhelming love and companionship.
Search and Rescue Dogs From someone trapped under tons of rubble in a disaster area or a child lost on a hillside, dogs are there to assist. In floods, hurricanes, accident sites and in countries stricken by war we call for the expertise of a dog-enabled search and rescue team. One dog and its handler can do the work of twenty men in a fraction of the time. Dogs can sense odours at concentrations 100 million times lower than humans can. They have 220 million sniffer cells compared to our own inferior number of just 5 million. They can detect sound vibrations at 250 yards that most humans cannot hear at 25 yards. They can detect one drop of blood in five quarts of water. The dogs eyesight is more sensitive than our own with a wider field of view and a heightened ability to detect motion on the horizon. Dogs have super-sensitive hearing, another asset in locating buried or trapped humans. Every single country in the world uses dogs in assisting humans or rescuing them. Teams of dogs and experienced search and rescue workers travel anywhere in the world to wherever there has been a disaster. In 2005 search and rescue teams travelled to Pakistan to help people trapped after the earthquake. The professionalism demonstrated between the team members and their dogs led to many human lives being saved. On September 11th, 2001, The World Trade Centre was attacked killing thousands of people and causing devastation the likes of which America had never witnessed before. Scores of emergency service teams rushed to the site. Fire, Ambulance, and Police worked side by side to rescue victims buried under the collapsed towers.
Page 49
Rushing to assist came search and rescue teams from several countries, as well as teams from across the states of America. Over 250 search and rescue dogs worked tirelessly without any protective clothing or gas masks. They searched areas far too dangerous for humans to venture into. Trained to detect sweat and other body odours, they can also distinguish between the living and the dead. One exhausted team worker said of the dogs: They go underneath into void spaces, anywhere we can get the dogs in. The site is very difficult for the dogs. They are crawling on their bellies and squeezing through things. Its incredible. Many of the dogs were emotionally traumatised by the carnage and unprecedented stress they encountered, but still they carried on working.
Page 50
CHAPTER 10 FORCES DOGS

What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; its the size of the fight in the dog. Dwight D. Eisenhower (and Barry McGuigan!) The Police, the Armed Forces and Customs Control all use various breeds of dogs in their daily fight against crime. Indeed, over the centuries right up to the present day, dogs have been employed as peacekeepers and guards. The Police Force in the United Kingdom started using dogs as early as the 15th century. Dogs went out on patrol with Police Constables as they patrolled the streets, especially in smaller towns and villages. There was a lull in using dogs after 1918, despite other countries in the world building up their own dog patrols. In 1946 the Metropolitan Police Force decided to reintroduce dogs and by the late 60s most forces throughout the United Kingdom were working with dogs. Generally German Shepherds are employed for patrol work, riot control and apprehending criminals. Other breeds such as Springer Spaniels, Labradors and Border Collies assist in drug detection or in detecting explosives.
Military Forces use dogs in a similar way. Again, mostly German Shepherds are used as sentry dogs to accompany military guards on patrol. The dogs give warning by barking or growling when strangers are near. This is useful at night to prevent being attacked from the rear. Dogs have also been deployed to war zones, right up to the present day. Many were used in World War 2. A famous war dog from World War 2 was Chips. He was assigned to the Third Infantry Division to serve in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. He was trained as a sentry dog. One day Chips broke away from his handler and attacked a pillarbox containing an enemy machine gun crew. He seized one man and was so ferocious that the entire crew surrendered. Chips was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. In 1993 Disney made a TV movie about Chips. Chips went to Pleasantville, New York to enjoy life as a civilian. His new family gave Chips a loving home but the dogs happiness was short lived. He died seven months later from complications resulting from his war injuries. Chips was only six years old. The war dogs role has not always been a pleasant one. For their amusement, the Romans would watch their huge Mastiffs disembowel people in the arena. The Spanish Conquistadors invaded the West Indies taking their war dogs with them. In 1513 a missionary called Bartolome de Las Casas wrote: The Spaniards with their horses, their spears and lances began to commit murders and other stranger cruelties. They entered into towns and villages, sparing neither
old men nor women. They ripped their bellies and cut them to pieces as if they had been slaughtering lambs in a field Most tried to flee. They tried to hide in the mountains. Men who were empty of all pity, behaving like savage beasts. These evil men had even taught their hounds, fierce dogs to tear natives to pieces at first sight.
During the Roman Empire entire formations of dogs were used in battle. Many were equipped with spiked collars and armour. Napoleon used dogs to guard the gates of Alexandria in Egypt. The Spanish used dogs against the native Indians when they invaded Mexico and Peru. The first American Canine Corps was set up in the Seminole war of 1835. Cuban-bred Bloodhounds were used to track Indians and runaway slaves. In 1884 the German Army at Lechernich, Berlin, set up the first organised military school for dogs. Dogs were used by many of the armies during both World Wars. In 1988 the Israeli Special Forces sent four Rottweilers with bombs strapped to their backs, on a suicide mission against enemy bunkers in Lebanon. The operation was code named Blue and Brown. The East Germans used over 5000 dogs to patrol the Berlin Wall. 2500 were used as guard dogs and 2,700 as horse dogs on patrol. The French Armed Forces used 1177 German Shepherds and the Americans used 88 teams of dogs during the Gulf War. Throughout warfare, dogs have displayed bravery at their masters side. They have been used as guards, messengers in battle, mascots, in detecting mines and other explosives, and in tracking and searching for the enemy. They have been
deployed to Vietnam, Korea, Northern Ireland, Singapore, Bosnia, and Kosovo to name but a few countries. They have been shot at, faced falling bombs, and dropped by parachute from aircraft. Dogs have played the heros role through the centuries, often sacrificing their lives in the line of duty. A somewhat darker side of the use of dogs in warfare is carried out in many countries. Dogs are subjected to warfare experiments, both chemical and biological. At Porton Down, Wiltshire, England a sensory irritant called, IMCHT, whose effects are similar to C.S. gas and C.N. (tear gas) was administered to Beagle dogs. A 1991 report states All animals dosed with the test material immediately became agitated and showed congestion of skin and conjunctiva. At higher doses I-MCHT produced in-coordination, convulsions, trembling and rapid blinking. Dogs who received the higher doses had to be destroyed. These experiments and various similar ones are sadly repeated in many so-called civilised countries, causing suffering to thousands of dogs. One may argue that these warfare experiments are beneficial but there is little logic to this cruelty. Dogs never incited warfare. They never chose to invade other countries and cause the death of human beings. It is an obscene paradox to use the dog in warfare experiments, as it is this animal that has worked tirelessly, assisting the human race, showing loyalty and devotion to duty. Surely their human service to date is so unfailing and constant that they can be spared this task, which must be beyond the call of duty?
Page 54
Donald Barnes, a former researcher at the Weapons Effect Branch on Brookes Air force Base, USA, said: The more I look back I see their (the scientists) greatest fear is in people finding out how the animals are treated and thereby initiating steps to correct that.
Page 55
CHAPTER 11 FROM WOLF TO DOG

Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit you would stay out and your dog would go in. Mark Twain
It has been argued that mans manipulation of the dogs genetic design has been for the benefit of the dog. No one can prove whether it was the work of nature, God or man that began the evolution of the dog from the wolf. Scientists can demonstrate that the rapid evolution is an example of neoteny or paedomorphism. Neoteny describes a process by which paedomorphism is achieved. In neoteny, the physiological development of an animal or organism is slowed or delayed. This process results in the retention of juvenile physical characteristics well into maturity (paedomorphism). An example is found in insects and some amphibians. Sexual maturity may be reached in the larval stage of some insects due to temperature or lack of iodine. The larval form is then the mature form and can mate and produce eggs. To simplify, it is much the same as flicking a switch on or off. In neoteny a gene is switched off. When neoteny occurs in Salamanders and the gene is switched off too early the Salamander remains aquatic and is known as an Axolot. As with all species, young wolf cubs are more sociable and less dominant than their parents. In the evolution of the dog, neoteny has occurred resulting in a simple retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood. Compared to wolves, adult dogs are juvenile wolves. The first dogs would have had the soft fur, round torsos, large heads and eyes and ears that hang down rather than stand up. Nature has made young animals to look this way to elicit protective
and nurturing behaviour in adults of the species. So the dog has retained all the characteristics of the wolf cub. Man has taken these characteristics and with selective breeding, has enhanced some and subdued others. Breeds that were required to guard flocks such as sheepdogs retained the characteristic of staying close to their litter, in this case the flock, which the dog is herding. They have no predatory behaviour. They respond to any perceived threat with a lot of barking and only engage in fighting as a last resort. Their physical appearance is juvenile, with soft fur ears that hang down and so on which do not raise fear responses in the sheep. The Border Collie is an exception in that it has a more adult-like appearance and works by dominating the sheep into the required action. Breeds such as Pointers, Spaniels, Retrievers etcetera have an intermediate state of paedomorphism, they share in the wolf packs hunting behaviour but in a juvenile role and do not have the kill instinct. The least paedomorphic behaviour is found in the Basenji. An ancient breed of dog that originated in Africa. The Basenji was prized for its speed, courage, and intelligence. It would hunt alongside humans on a peer basis as the dog has an independent nature. The Basenji does not need nor does it appreciate human attention or nurturing. The Basenji has the body shape and the characteristics of an adult canine predator. So one can see how the breeds of today have evolved from the wolf. To begin with, the selective breeding had a definite purpose as a means to assist man. A quieter dog with more herding instincts would have been chosen to work livestock and a fiercer more aggressive dog would have been used for guarding. Would humans have evolved in quite the same way without the help of the dog? Ray and Laura Coppinger argue that the dog is now a species in its own right and not a household trained version of the wolf as previously believed.
This has huge implications in the field of dog training as most training is based on treating the dog as though it was a wolf in a wolf pack. The Coppingers argue that dogs do not form packs in the same way as wolves and that dogs are as similar to wolves as humans are to apes. One would not attempt to raise a human baby in the same way as a mother chimp raises its young. At K9 Obedience we see some logic in their theory, and we certainly support the idea that the modern-day dog is a species within its own right, but only due to time and not due to behaviour. In our vast experience of observing, training, handling and studying dogs of all breeds in modern society, we are adamant that the dog has many wolf-life characteristics. After all, the wolf IS the dogs ancestry, and the only point to be argued is merely how much one breed has retained from its ancestral heritage as opposed to others. As for the pack instinct not being present in todays dogs, we couldnt disagree more. Whilst many breeds have lost a lot of the pack instinct in a modern household, if they are thrown into a pack of dogs at any point in their lives, they automatically know how to behave, how to communicate and how to interact with safety and trust, or with total dominance or subservience. These are clear characteristics of wolf behaviour, with perhaps some dilution present in that most dogs will not kill another male which enters his pack, although this does happen from time to time. Due to the centuries of evolution with man at his side in one way or another, the dogs own importance placed on food supply and breeding rights have greatly diminished (as we took over both roles a long time ago) and as a result a fight to the death to protect his future and that of his pups is usually completely unnecessary. As with all natural theory and the only exception really being mankind, killing is done when it needs to be done, and the dog no longer needs to do so very often, so it doesnt.
Page 58
Scientists have examined at length how form embodies function. Depending on what task the early dogs were performing and how they were living, man would have put selective pressure on certain traits that resulted in puppies being born with those traits. So a small, weaker dog could not pull a large, heavy sled. A fierce aggressive dog that was more similar to a wolf could not guard the sheep. Without any knowledge of DNA or the genetic structure of a dog, the ancient tribes did selectively breed specific dogs for certain duties. A physical variation between breeds is down to neoteny, or development timing. The Coppingers give the Bulldog and the Borzoi as examples. Both have the same facial bones but the Bulldogs starts growing later and stops sooner than the Borzois. Roughly speaking, all infant canines are the same but take on different appearances and characteristics as they grow. Mans need for the dog has certainly changed. Their most common role now is that of a companion to humans. In 2002, over 3.7 billion was spent on companion animals in the United Kingdom with its 6.1 million dogs being kept as companion animals. In the USA, there are 102.8 million households. 45 million of these are dog owners with a total of just under 63 million dogs. Many people see this increase in dog ownership as a no-win situation. Without a doubt dogs are a drain on the family budget, many end up in rescue homes for numerous reasons, the most common one being I didnt realise he
would grow so big or I didnt know it would be so difficult to handle or that he wouldnt like the new baby. For whatever the reason, it is the dog that suffers every time, and we humans go on with our luxury existence where suffering and pain are rarities, even when such things are deliberately caused to other species which roam our planet. The relationship between humans and dogs has become so intertwined over the centuries that we are now inseparable. We owe these animals a great deal for contributing to us being the way we are to day. A special affinity exists between man and dog; almost an intangible bond that connects us and has done since the Stone Age. The fact that this bond existed even 12,000 years ago was proved when the remains of a dog were found resting in the hand of a human skeleton on the ancient Natufian site in Israel. It seems that man could not be parted from his dog even in death. Relationships between humans and dogs are an integral part of this world we live in. Both parties must keep the right perspective on this relationship however, and it is only humans which ever threaten to lose this perspective, and in fact do lose it quite often, leading to behavioural problems, medical problems and more. As much as you love your dog, he IS an animal, and not a person, not a child, not a replacement for a loss in your life, not an ego-boost for you in your human need to appear better than others. This is an animal born into a human home. We have a duty to allow the dog to be just that, a dog, and not a toy, fashion statement or a substitute for anything other than the void which is left when a dog does not have pride of place in the human home.
History has shown us just what hard-working, loyal and intelligent animals dogs are. Please, please respect this and give your dog the life which HE deserves and fully needs, not a life which you think you would like him to have. He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. Anonymous
(But in the absence of a name, we like to think this was written by a dog.)
K9Obedience.co.uk is the leading online source of caninefriendly, humane, and above all, eective dog training methods.
The current level of dog neglect and cruelty, the number of unwanted dogs in rescue shelters, and the number of dogs put down as unwanted every day is forcing us to think about just how civilised our societies really are when it comes to our dogs. Last year, in the UK alone, over 100,000 dogs were picked up as strays and nearly 8000 dogs were put down (yes, deliberately killed) due to being classed as unwanted. What on earth is going on? A nation of dog-lovers? I dont believe that is the case at all. I believe we have a huge number of dog-lovers but that we are, in fact, a nation of dog-wanters. We certainly love our dog shows, we definitely love the benefits we receive in our use and abuse of dogs, but as for being a nation of dog-lovers, well I am sorry but that doesnt wash with me.
Page 61
When the average family decide to upgrade their car to a newer or better model, do we drop the old one somewhere and forget about it? Do we dump it in a scrap yard? NO. We SELL IT to another owner who wants it, and we go to great lengths and cost in finding that owner, because what we love most is money, and in a nation of money-lovers, to throw away a good car would be pure madness. When it comes to our dogs however, many people see fit to drop a dog off in the street or to leave him tied to the gates of the nearest rescue shelter, leaving them with the problem of finding him a new home, feeding and maintaining him in the mean time, and sometimes having to put the dog to death in the absence of another dog-lover to come along and take the dog home. The reason for this madness is that it costs nothing to drop a dog off at a rescue shelter, as there are fortunately some wonderful people out there (like Jayne who runs www.germanshepherdrescue.co.uk) who are prepared to give up their time and money to actually make dogs lives better, and wherever possible to find them another home where they will hopefully be valued and wanted as much as the dog values the owner, unconditionally and without reservation of any kind. Perhaps if a dog cost 20,000 to buy, and if disposing of it other than to a good home was not possible without spending a similar sized fortune, then the situation might be very different. It is clear to us at K9 Obedience that money is the greatest motivator of all, not love and certainly not kindness, on a generalised national level of course. One look at the racing Greyhound industry will support this view. It is about what we can obtain materially from our dogs which is most important, and not what we can do for our dogs. Of course there are literally millions of
exceptions, and there are a huge number of wonderfully caring and loving dog owners in this country, I should know as I have met many of them, but tell that to my rescue German Shepherd Darcy while he was chained up in a garden for his entire first year of life, whilst being systematically set alight, punched, kicked, starved and being subjected to all manner of other abuses along the way. Thank God he found me, and thank God I found HIM. So does he now hate humans? Nope. He adores them, being the ever-positive, ever-trusting and unwaveringly loyal and devoted dog that he is. My life would not have been the same without him, and the same goes for my Springer Spaniel who had her ears burnt to a cinder before she had even reached 4 weeks of age. These are not the actions of a civilised nation of dog-lovers, these are the actions of a society which neither holds to account, nor adequately discourages cruelty and abuse on the most faithful creature man has ever known. If you steal some money from a Post Office and are convicted of the theft, then compare your punishment to that of a repeated dog abuser (in 90% of cases) you will see just what the country values most highly, and just what it certainly does not. The welfare of animals is way down our list of priorities as a nation, and as a society. This needs to change, and if we do not change it soon, it would be arrogant to assume that the dog will continue to trust and adore its human partners indefinitely. To see the relationship between man and dog deteriorate would be an absolute tragedy, and an irreversible one. But it may well happen, in fact some say it is already beginning to happen as more and more dogs develop behavioural problems and nervous aggression.
Page 63
We have to stop this, and we have to stop it NOW!

At K9 Obedience we are committed to two things, and we will do anything in our power to succeed in both. These are: 1. To dramatically transform the dog rescue and abuse situation in the UK through a combination of petitions, campaigns, and educational tools. 2. To bring the average persons understanding of their dog to a higher level, thus ensuring the happiness of the dog and its owner simultaneously.
However, we can not do this alone, and we urge everyone who reads this to think about some of the history of the dog covered in this book. Think about what it has done, what it is doing, and what we wish to keep it doing for ever more.
Please feel free to use the huge amount of free information and resources on our website (www.K9Obedience.co.uk) to gain a better understanding of everything canine, and PLEASE make sure you pass on the lessons you learn to other, less educated owners around you. We are never perfect and can always improve and learn more about dogs. As Ann Landers amusingly, but accurately remarked:
"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful."
Page 64
We are rapidly increasing our online database of information on dog training, dog obedience and dog care and very soon we will provide the largest canine information database on the web, whilst still remaining true to our ideal of only providing the highest quality of information and techniques for use with todays dogs. Our methods are not designed to impress humans, and we dont seek any approval from anybody other than dogs themselves. The dogs they have been used with are testament both to our methods and to our understanding of the dogs mind, and you can prove this yourself by trying some of them with your own dog. What more approval do we need than a happy, balanced, safe and above all obedient dog which follows its owners instructions instantly, not from fear of pain or similar negative repercussions, but out of simple appreciation for its owners understanding and adherence to its canine needs. We also offer a Your Dogs page where you can host a webpage on our site with photos and words about your dog, and this will enable us to show the less responsible members of the dog owning public how a dog should be treated, loved and honoured by its human counterparts. Show the world your dog, and show the people of the world what he or she means to you. Maybe others will then see there is far more to the dog than they first thought, and just maybe you will help improve the dire situations in which many dogs currently are living every single minute of every single day. Please help us to help dogs, and if you know of any cruelty or neglect happening near you, please email us in total confidence at:
report-abuse@k9obedience.co.uk
Page 65
We guarantee your anonymity unless you state otherwise and will ensure that the authorities take action to stop it immediately. One email could be all it takes for you to be able to rescue one of the thousands of abused dogs from their life of pain and suffering, or just plain neglect. If you dont report it, who will? And we WILL take all cases seriously and ensure theyre dealt with. If the person who lived next door to the first owner of my German Shepherd hadnt decided to report the abuse they witnessed from their bedroom window almost every day, then he would not be lying at my feet as I write this, and both my world and his would not be as rich and enjoyable as it is today. Whoever and wherever you are: Thank You.
Darcy - With that expression we cant quite put into words, but we know its a good one.
Page 66
Thank you for being someone interested enough in dogs to have taken the time to read this, and we hope both you and your dog have gained in some way from our information. If you have any feedback or comments you wish to raise in relation to the content and views your have read in our ebook, please share them publicly in our Dog Discussion Forum where we can reply or discuss your feedback openly. Click Here to join for Free and we look forward to hearing your views.
May your dog bring you as much happiness as ours have brought us.
& The K9 Obedience Team
With special thanks to:

Marion Griffin for her huge effort and time given to researching this project, and
Mark Lindsey of FADsites.com who formatted this ebook and designed the K9Obedience site.
Page 67
Well leave you with the words of a remarkable human being called Gene Hill:
I can't think of anything that brings me closer to tears than when my old dog -- completely exhausted after a hard day in the field -- limps away from her nice spot in front of the fire and comes over to where I'm sitting and puts her head in my lap, a paw over my knee, and closes her eyes and goes back to sleep. I don't know what I've done to deserve that kind of friend.
Page 68

Ebook K9Obedience Essential Guide To Your Dog

Încărcat de

Informații document

Descriere originală:

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Ebook K9Obedience Essential Guide To Your Dog

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

The Essential Guide to

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

CHAPTER 1 - THE EVOLUTION

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

e evolution of the dog had begun.

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

CHAPTER 2 - THE INTERACTION BETWEEN DOG AND MAN

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

CHAPTER 3 FROM WOLF TO DOG

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

CHAPTER 4 - THE BREEDS EMERGE

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

A Modern-Day Cairn Terrier makes a great, fun family pet

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

CHAPTER 5 - THE SIGHT HOUNDS

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

CHAPTER 6 THE HERDING DOGS AND ARCTIC DOGS

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

e Last Great Race

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally

www.K9Obedience.co.uk Dog TrainingNaturally