Dog Breeds - The Reason There Are Numerous To Choose From

Before we get into the details, we want to tell you about our plans for this dog breeds section of the website.

In this article we'll just give a general overview of why there are so many breeds available, and mention a few that might fit exactly what you are looking for.

Later on we'll look more closely at popular dog breeds, and specific groups available. We'll talk about herding breeds, sporting and non-sporting breeds, working breeds, toy breeds, terrier breeds and more, giving you insight to each category and what these dogs are like.

Finally, we'll get down to the nitty gritty and have a specific article about every dog breed available, and even talk about some designer dogs that aren't officially breeds yet, but may be some day. But that's in the future, for now we'll give talk about breeds in general, because humans have essentially created these breeds for specific reasons. Why? Because people realized the many benefits of having a partnership with dogs. And because dogs are easily trained and incredibly loyal to their leader.

Compare dogs to cats. Are dog smarter? No, it's just that it is in their nature to be loyal to their leader. Cats, with a couple of notable exceptions like lions and cheetahs, do not have a group or pack instinct. And if we go way back in time, man found out that the leader of a canine pack could be replaced by a man. The very existence of man depended on successful hunting. Yet most often we as humans did not have the speed and endurance of our prey. Man relied on intellect and the ability to work together as a team.

Dogs were mans competitors for food, and they were faster and had could run longer while working together. They could even pick up smells no man could hope to. So rather than compete, man somewhere decided it was better for all involved if we would work together with those we were competing with. We could not work with foxes since they had no pack order and no organization. Coyotes and jackals likewise do not have lasting pack mates. Wolves, African hunting dogs and dingoes on the other hand did have that hierarchy, and showed a more complex social interaction. They quickly became the best candidates for domestication.

But domestication more than just changing the wolves behavior. The animal had to be physically changes to meet the needs of man. This was accomplished through selective breeding. And more desirable traits were bred in, including all efforts to eliminate monogamy, which obviously would have seriously slowed down the selective breeding process.

It was a great relationship. Dogs helped us hunt, and in return got shelter, a good food supply and were protected from predators. From this a natural companionship was formed.

When nomadic tribes discovered it was easier to maintain a year round supply of animals than depend on hunting, herding was developed. And again humans looked to dogs for help. They now not only killed for food, they were bred to keep herds of goats, cattle and other animals together. And to move the herds to keep them safe from predators and poachers.

And as man's needs changed, the number of dog breeds increased because of the jobs that they needed to complete. The sight hound for example was one of the earliest breeds developed for a particular task.

Ok, so that was a rather lengthy history lesson and now you know why there are so many different dog breeds. But let's get down to the nitty gritty. You may be asking, what breed of dog is best for me?

Again, this will be just a general overview, but if you're looking for a dog that loves to play with children, three great choices would be the Collie, Beagle, and Labrador Retriever.

All dogs need some grooming but if you want a breed that requires less attention in this area check out the Chihuahua, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or the Whippet.

Are you looking for the proverbial lapdog? The Shih Tzu, Pomeranian and English Toy Spaniel love to sit down with you.

If you want a companion to jog or hike with you might consider a Parson Russell Terrier, Siberian Husky, or a Border Collie.

And if you want a sporting buddy, a pet that's agile, strong and active, again the Border Collie would be a good choice. Also consider a Greyhound or Sheltie.

Do you need an obedient pet, a breed that listens and won't be distracted? Then your best choices may include the Border Collie again, the Golden Retriever and the Shih Tzu.

Obviously this is far from an all inclusive list, and we will be getting into more details later.

In the meantime, if you are looking for items related to your favorite breed, we highly recommend you check out Animal Den. They have a fantastic selection of items related to all the most popular breeds.