GENERAL HISTORY OF DOGS

 There is no incongruity in the idea that in the very earliest period of man's habitation of this world he made a friend and companion of some sort of aboriginal representative of our modern dog, and that 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 in his dwelling, and grew to trust it and care for it. Probably the animal was originally little else than an unusually gentle jackal, or an ailing wolf driven by its companions from the wild marauding pack to seek shelter in alien surroundings. One can well conceive the possibility of the partnership beginning in the circumstance of some helpless whelps being brought home by the early hunters to be tended and reared by the women and children. Dogs introduced into the  home as playthings for the children would grow to regard themselves, and be regarded, as members of the family

In nearly all parts of the world traces of an indigenous dog family are found, the only exceptions being the West Indian Islands, Madagascar, the eastern islands of the Malayan Archipelago, New Zealand, and the Polynesian Islands, where there is no sign that any dog, wolf, or fox has existed as a true aboriginal animal. In the ancient Oriental lands, and generally among the early Mongolians, the dog remained savage and neglected for centuries, prowling in packs, gaunt and wolf-like, as it prowls today through the streets and under the walls of every Eastern city. No attempt was made to allure it into human companionship or to improve it into docility. It is not until we come to examine the records of the higher civilizations of Assyria and Egypt that we discover any distinct varieties of canine form.

The dog was not greatly appreciated in Palestine, and in both the Old and 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 "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" is not without a suggestion of contempt, and it is significant that the only biblical allusion to the dog as a recognized companion of man occurs in the apocryphal Book of Tobit (v. 16), "So they went forth both, and the young man's dog with them."

The great multitude of different dog breeds and the vast differences in their size, points, and general appearance are facts which make it difficult to believe that they could have had a common ancestry. One thinks of the difference between the Mastiff and the Japanese Spaniel, the Deerhound and the fashionable Pomeranian, the St. Bernard and the Miniature Black and Tan Terrier, and is perplexed in contemplating the possibility of their having descended from a common progenitor. Yet the disparity is no greater than that between the Shire horse and the Shetland pony, the Shorthorn and the Kerry cattle, or the Patagonian and the Pygmy; and all dog breeders know how easy it is to produce a variety in type and size by studied selection.

In order properly to understand this question it is necessary first to consider the identity of structure in the wolf and the dog. This identity of structure may best be studied in a comparison of the osseous system, or skeletons, of the two animals, which so closely resemble each other that their transposition would not easily be detected.

The spine of the dog consists of seven vertebrae in the neck, thirteen in the back, seven in the loins, three sacral vertebrae, and twenty to twenty-two in the tail. In both the dog and the wolf there are thirteen pairs of ribs, nine true and four false. Each has forty-two teeth. They both have five front and four hind toes, while outwardly the common wolf has so much the appearance of a large, bare-boned dog, that a popular description of the one would serve for the other.

Nor are their habits different. The wolf's natural voice is a loud howl, but when confined with dogs he will learn to bark. Although he is carnivorous, he will also eat vegetables, and when sickly he will nibble grass. In the chase, a pack of wolves will divide into parties, one following the trail of the quarry, the other endeavouring to intercept its retreat, exercising a considerable amount of strategy, a trait which is exhibited by many of our sporting dogs and terriers when hunting in teams.

A further important point of resemblance between the Canis lupus and the Canis familiaris lies in the fact that the period of gestation in both species is sixty-three days. There are from three to nine cubs in a wolf's litter, and these are blind for twenty-one days. They are suckled for two months, but at the end of that time they are able to eat half-digested flesh disgorged for them by their dam or even their sire.

The native dogs of all regions approximate closely in size, coloration, form, and habit to the native wolf of those regions. Of this most important circumstance there are far too many instances to allow of its being looked upon as a mere coincidence. Sir John Richardson, writing in 1829, observed that "the resemblance between the North American wolves and the domestic dog of the Indians is so great that the size and strength of the wolf seems to be the only difference.

It has been suggested that the one incontrovertible argument against the lupine relationship of the dog is the fact that all domestic dogs bark, while all wild Canidae express their feelings only by howls. But the difficulty here is not so great as it seems, since we know that jackals, wild dogs, and wolf pups reared by bitches readily acquire the habit. On the other hand, domestic dogs allowed to run wild forget how to bark, while there are some which have not yet learned so to express themselves.

The presence or absence of the habit of barking cannot, then, be regarded as an argument in deciding the question concerning the origin of the dog. This stumbling block consequently disappears, leaving us in the position of agreeing with Darwin, whose final hypothesis was that "it is highly probable that the domestic dogs of the world have descended from two good species of wolf (C. lupus and C. latrans), and from two or three other doubtful species of wolves namely, the European, Indian, and North African forms; from at least one or two South American canine species; from several races or species of jackal; and perhaps from one or more extinct species"; and that the blood of these, in some cases mingled together, flows in the veins of our domestic breeds.





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Dog Agility Equipment - Free Play Or Competition

There are five factors to consider before you and your dog decide which agility direction you want to focus on. First, there is fun with your dog at home . Second, there is competiton where many people have that "gotta win" inside their bodies (and I'm one of them!). Third, you will need to find out if you and your dog just want to have some fun and exercise at a club for a social and competitive outing. Fourth, there are pros and cons with running through the dog agility equipment for fun or competition. And lastly, make a decision and stick with it.

I've had people come to me and say their dog can jump high, is full of energy, has a hunger to run and jump, etc. But that does not mean all dog trainers and their dogs will want to compete in the agility sport ring. You might get the impression your dog just wants to have some fun, so make an effort to set up an agility course in your backyard, or get together with a small group. I am not suggesting to set up a whole agility course, we know its costly and takes up a lot of space, and we know most of your backyards will not be able to fit all equipment. Instead, set up a few obstacles such as some jumps and weaves, make up your own course. Or just have your dog do most of the exercise jumping over bars and chasing a ball or frisbee. You might want to get involved in social activities such as dog or breed clubs. There are a lot of clubs just starting agility, or just getting together to have some fun and to socialize, a healthy atmosphere to gather around dogs. Even clubs that have a competitive group also welcome newcomers to join a beginners class.

To train and prepare your dog for competition takes time, patience, and more patience. Converting from the fun atmosphere in your backyard or club to the competition level changes your spontaneous free play to planned training sessions and goals of putting in more training time.

Training for competition requires lots of teamwork. You and your dog need to know each other well, trust each other, and find your weaknesses and strengths in both of you. To be successful in competition, your dog must have a "clean run", meaning no bars knocked down, making the contacts, running on course, and making the time. Gee, that's a huge challenge to do all that in one run. This does require training specific behaviors for each obstacle. You need to ask yourself "are we willing and capable of working hard?" If that's what you want and your dog is able, then get start with simple training methods, do one thing at a time, until both of you can move on to the next harder method of training. Competition on Animal Planets channel on TV as well as games such as Great Outdoors on ESPN looks so easy for the handlers and their dog running the agility course. Don't forget the fact that it took most of them 3-5 years to reach that level, or more.

If you can't decide which direction to go, free play or competition, let your dog do the speaking. Play with your dog, throw a frisbee, ball, play tug o war, take up obedience training, give yourself some time, maybe 2-4 months. That will give you a better idea what your dog enjoys. Making a decision on either free play or competition, there is no right or wrong answer. Every dog owner and their dog will make an agreement or pact on what kind of activity they choose. However, one needs to observe carefully the talents, limitations, and desire each dog has. For instance, a border collie that loves to run and jump all over the agility equipment, but is asked to do training for obedience, which requires lots of sits, stays, gos, and comes, may find it difficult to be still The bottom line is to find out what makes your dog happy and how you can have a good time with your dog. Do not force your dog to run in the agility ring when it wants to just stay at home, or do not force it to stay at home where it wants to get out and go.

There are some pros and cons with free play vs. competition agility. The good part about free play training is that there is no pressure to perform the best whereas competition requires no mistakes in the ring to be successful. Free play training is also less costly vs. competition. In competition, the equipment must meet the organizations standard requirements. Most competition agility equipment must be made from metal, which is expensive to purchase. Agility clubs have their own facility to train, but it will cost to practice or train at their club. Some clubs will charge a member monthly fee, or pay as you run the course or by time.

Don't wait until your dog gets too old to even walk anymore. Make a decision which way you want to go. You might want to wait up to 5 years of your dogs life before deciding to continue have free play agility and let you dog be a dog, or get into the competion mode. Remember no matter what kind of dog you have, it takes hours, months, and even years to train for competiion. Unless your dog tells you playing with balls and frisbees is good enough for dog life. You might make the wrong decision, but its never a bad one if you keep them both fun for the dog. And your dog probably don't give a hoot what you decide!

Brad Carlson is a dog trainer at Agility by Carlson. For more training details, visit our website at http://www.carlson-agility.com/



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