This is also a good time for the trainer to talk about what exercises need to be done at home in order to continue to condition the dog into better obedience. The owner needs to know that consistency throughout the dog’s day - and not only when in class - is what will bring about the desired results.

The beginner’s group of a dog training class will most often be divided into two parts: one group who is interacting with their dogs, another group who is sitting nearby to watch and learn. You can gain a lot of knowledge just by watching how another person’s response makes their pet act! Sometimes you might learn what NOT to do; and this is valuable information as well.

The basic format of an effective dog training class would go something like this: one dog owner would pose a question or concern; then the trainer would demonstrate the basic steps with two or three untrained dogs in the class. So that the group can see a comparison, it would then be followed by a short exhibition with dogs that are already trained. It will be great to see how quickly results may be achieved.

A question-and-answer session will benefit the entire class, as usually one person’s concern is relevant to the problem that other members of the group might have. A good instructor will clearly repeat the question, then give his answer so that everyone in the class can hear and thus learn. Having this Q&A time will lead to informative discussion sessions, and will avoid time-consuming repetitions of a subject.

Some other basics to be covered this first meeting are: reminding owners not to feed their dogs for several hours before the class, making sure the dog has had proper exercise before coming to class. This eliminates the need for excessive pooper-scooping during the class, and allows for pets to be less hyper active. Participants should be told what to expect the following week when they arrive with their dogs. They should be shown the basics of how to stop excessive barking by keeping the dog on a short controlled leash, as well as what to do if a fight between dogs occurs.

Written by Jake Peterson from: Oh My Dog Supplies - your source for luxury dog carriers online

Your local grocery store is not always the best supplier of your dog’s food. Most grocery stores carry the least expensive dog food brands, these brands usually advertise a great deal on television and will seem very familiar to you when you’re looking at them at the grocery store. But if you talk with your veterinarian regarding what food is best for your Labrador they will most likely not refer you to your local grocery store to make your purchase.

The three types of food that your Labrador may use in any combination for their diet include: canned, semi-moist, and to dry. Another type of food that your lab may receive is the leftover food from your table; these should only be an occasional treat. None of these types of dog food should be used exclusively as they can present nutritional problems for your dog. A balanced combination of all these types of dog food will work best for your dog’s digestive system and their overall health.

Dry dog food is often recommended by your veterinarian, you can use this type of food and combine it with a little bit of table scraps or canned dog food to make a balanced and delicious diet for your dog. Too much table scraps will defeat the purpose of buying a balanced well-made dry dog food as will too much canned dog food. Table scraps are made of very high caloric fatty foods usually and will not add much to your dog’s nutritional diet. Canned dog foods are made of mostly water and will also not add much to your dogs diet.

At your next veterinarian appointment discuss your ideas for your dogs diet. Your vet should be able to help you decide on a nutritious and delicious diet that will keep your Labrador retriever healthy and happy. Although your veterinarian may recommend a brand of dog food that they sell in their office, be sure to ask them what brand they would recommend you buy from your local dog supply store. Most dog supply stores will carry a variety of types of canned and dried foods ranging in qualities equal to that of the brand your veterinarian is selling. Take your time and do your research to find the dog food that works best for your pet without causing increased stomach problems or other digestive issues.

Feel free to test a variety of foods but always use one main food as the base. For instance once you choose the dry dog food that you like you can add small samples of canned food to see which one your dog enjoys the most. But do not change your dog’s whole diet at one time, that will cause digestive problems for your lab.

Written by Jake Peterson of Oh My Dog Supplies - your source for sturdy wooden dog steps

First introduced to the West in 1907 the Afghan Hound’s roots date back to the pharaohs of Egypt and is derived from the ancient sighthounds of the Middle East. The Afghan Hound eventually made its way to Afghanistan where it exists in three varieties: short haired; fringe haired and the long thick haired much favored in the West and a darling of dog shows.

Although the records no longer exist, the Afghan Hound made its debut to the western world around the late 1890s. The Afghan dog breed was initially met with little enthusiasm until the appearance of an Afghan Hound named Zardin in 1907 (belonged to Captain Barff) which dog fanciers in Britain were much taken with and felt epitomized how the Afghan Hound breed should look. By the early 1920s the Afghan Hound’s foray into the West was cemented much in part due to the passage of returning British military officers and their families (India-Afghanistan Border Wars)to and fro from Afghanistan with specimens of the breed.

The lineage of Afghan hounds in existence today generally hails from two variants of the breed; the more common line being described as the Bell Murray Afghan Hounds. The Bell Murray Afghan Hound strain are so designated because they were bred by Major and Mrs. Bell Murray in Baluchistan a then independent state south of Afghanistan. After eight years of breed development, the Bell Murrays returned to Scotland with their Afghan Hounds.

Over the course of its history, the Dalmatian has worn many hats of occupation which include: retriever, bird dog, ratter, war dog, shepherd and more. But it was as a coach dog in Victorian England that the Dalmatian found its true calling; a coach dog. As a coach dog the Dalmatian served both a practical and aesthetic purpose.

The practical function of the Dalmatian as coach dog was to ward off marauding dogs and any other like animals from harming or disturbing the horses drawing the coaches. As for the aesthetic aspect, well let’s just say it looked cool to have those spotted dogs trotting by the carriage and most likely it was probably a distinction of affluence to have such dogs accompanying one’s carriage. From the 1880s the Dalmatian was selectively bred for its fondness to run beneath horse drawn carriages, the ideal dogs being those that ran close to the hooves of the rear horses.

However with the rise of the automobile the Dalmatian lost its prominence in society though it continued as a coach dog for horse-drawn fire engines, a tradition that transitioned into the Dalmatian being adopted as the contemporary fire dog. The Dalmatian was formerly recognized by the AKC in 1888 but due to selective intensive breeding for its characteristic spotted pattern this dog breed was plagued by genetic urinary problems; namely a predisposition to uric acid stones (kidney stones). To correct this problem the Dalmatian dog breed was subsequently crossbred with various Pointer breeds!

Dalmatian Dog Article By Kayye Nynne

If you are a dog owner you’re probably aware of the recent pet food scandal that has rocked the nation, resulted in several pet deaths, hundreds of animals falling mysteriously ill and the nationwide recall of 60 million packages of dog food products (and counting) as well as other pet foods!

The Culprit

Melamine: This is the substance at the center of the pet food poison scandal. Pure melamine is used to make plastics and fertilizer so how the heck could it make the transition into dog food? Well the story begins in China…kind of.

Animal feed producers in China have apparently for some time routinely supplemented their feed with melamine to artificially boost the protein content (which translates into more profit). Protein readings are done by assessing the nitrogen levels of the feed and guess what? Melamine has a high nitrogen content!

Unfortunately this sordid tale gets worse. As if adding poisonous melamine to your dog’s food was not bad enough another toxic ingredient is routinely added to Chinese animal feed products. This substance is known as cyanuric acid. In the United States this stuff is commonly used to disinfect swimming pools!

Investigators looking into the hundreds of pet food poison related deaths now believe that the combination of those two ingredients in commercial dog food and other pet food synergistically elevated the toxins to the point where they became lethal to pets.

The Dirty Secret Close To Home

Although American food safety regulators are pinning the blame on pet food contaminated with Chinese animal feed products, the alarming truth is that dog food manufactured in the USA is also toxic to your pet!

Commercial dog food manufactured in the US contains no less than 6 deadly chemicals that have been banned as unfit for human consumption because they cause:

Hair Loss (fur loss);

Kidney Disease;

Liver dysfunction;

Stomach cancer;

Blindness;

Leukemia; and

Skin cancer, to name but a few! The substances that cause these problems are found in preservatives…

Oh But I Always Use Preservative Free Dog Food!

You may think that your dog is safe and healthy because you only insist on buying preservative free dog food. Well dog manufacturers have found a legit way around that too! Many dog foods labeled as preservative free in fact contain preservatives because the manufacturers exploit a loophole whereby they do not have to list any preservative that they themselves did not add.

And unfortunately many preservatives are added to pet foods at the rendering plant well before the meat is ever sent to the manufacturer. One of the most widely used and most powerful preservatives also happens to be one of the most toxic! It is called ethoxyquin (EQ) and you aren’t going to see it listed on your dog food label anytime soon (even though it is in that “preservative free” dry pet food you love to buy) because the manufacturer has no legal obligation to list it.

Although ethoxyquin is permitted in pet food, workers exposed to this substance showed symptoms similar to those of people exposed to agent orange (poisonous herbicide used by the US government in Vietnam War that caused cancer and other diseases).

Your Dog Is Eating Dead Dogs And Dead Cats!

Perhaps the sickest part of this sick tale is that euthanized (put down) dogs and cats are recycled as chow for your pet! The city of angels (Los Angeles) is known for the devilish practice of recycling approximately 200 tons of dead cats and dogs each month into pet food!

Arrrgghh…disgusting huh?

Still it gets worse; poisonous disinfectants and denaturing chemicals are used to treat those recycled dead animals and “render them safe” for your dog’s consumption, not to mention the fact that the toxin used to kill those animals (sodium pentobarbital) can withstand the heat used in the denaturing process.

Bottom line: If you love your dog and want to see him/her live to a ripe healthy old age, perhaps it is time you considered alternative means of nutrition!

Click Here For More On Healthy Dog Meals

Any true professional with experience and working knowledge of Livestock Guarding Dogs (LGDs) will bluntly tell you (if you so inquire) that raising the “perfect livestock guardian dog” hinges more on early socialization and training than any inherent genetic attributes. Which brings us to the thread of this discussion; can a Pit bull be used as a livestock protecting dog (in other words can you imagine a Pit bull lovingly looking after sheep?).To answer this sufficiently one has to consider what a livestock guardian dog is, what it does, and how it became the champion at what it does.

Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) are a select group of dog breeds that have been bred over several generations to accentuate the most desirable traits best suited for the activity of protection. These dogs are expected to watch over the livestock quite often unattended by the shepherd; in other words they were bred to be independent which explains their apparent aloofness to human overtures in comparison to the other breeds.

This all tends to suggest that those dog breeds which have been bred over several generations (in some cases spanning thousand of years) for selective traits best suited to the protection of livestock should naturally exhibit such qualities. Unfortunately this is not the case! Remember earlier I mentioned that the true Pros found in this field maintain that timely socialization and optimized training play a far greater role in the development of a good protector dog than genetics; well it is true! This is not to say that genetics plays no part whatsoever, because the fact remains it most certainly does!

Breed Inherent Behavior

Most purebred breeds of dog typically exhibit stereotypical behavior inherent to that particular breed for the simple fact those characteristics have been accentuated over time through selective breeding. Gundogs for instance are inherently inclined to retrieve because they’ve been bred to accentuate such a trait (practical application of this trait is: retrieval of hunted game). This genetic inheritance also explains why certain dog breeds (Labrador, Golden Retriever, to name but a few) find the game of “fetch” so engaging. However, were you to attempt the game of “fetch” with a canine from one of the livestock guardian dog breeds you would in all likelihood be very disappointed! The dog would probably stare at you with an expression that says “what’s up with this moron” before indignantly sauntering off to more productive activities.

It shouldn’t be unreasonable to presume that a gundog would be naturally tolerant and unafraid of the sound of gunshot but to make such an assumption would be quite incorrect! If such a dog were not introduced to the sound of gunfire as a puppy (within the critical period of learning and before the onset of fear) then that dog would thereafter forever perceive the sound of gunfire as something to avoid; in other words the dog will be gun shy. This is a classic example of nurture at play; behavior being influenced by external factors such as socialization and training rather than genetics. In the same vein, a livestock guardian dog from so-called excellent stock that has never been introduced or socialized with livestock whilst a puppy (within the critical period of learning), cannot, nor will it ever be, able to properly perform livestock protection duties. Why? Because its puppy brain never developed the necessary neuronal connections.

The Pit Bull And The Sheep

Thus the question of which livestock guardian dog breed makes the best shepherd protection dog is moot if the influence of nurture (socialization and training) is not factored in! Which brings us full circle to that nagging question of whether a Pit Bull can actually make the cut as a livestock protection dog?

Keep in mind that there are two important factors at play here: nature (genetics) and nurture (socialization/training). So if a Pit Bull pup is raised with sheep early on (from 4-16 weeks of age) it is conceivable that it could perform the role as protector. The early association with sheep will ensure that the Pit Bull regards sheep as its primary companions. However that Pit Bull still has to overcome one major hurdle…the role of its genetic heritage!

Pit Bulls are a dog breed that were originally bred and developed to fight. In other words they possess an innate aggressive streak as a result of multiple-generation selective trait breeding encouraging and accentuating such characteristics. (I know I’m going to get a lot of flak for this from Pit Bull owners and fans but the fact remains folks… Pit Bulls were originally bred for fighting!)

Verdict: A Pit Bull could, in the face of timely socialization, act as a livestock guardian dog but the legacy of its heritage would greatly increase the probability of such a protector attacking the animals it was entrusted to take care of!

Our understanding of dog intelligence has come along way and certainly immense comprehensive strides have been made since the days of Rene Descartes (the renowned French philosopher, scientist and mathematician) who pioneered the school of thought that proposed animals were nothing more than biological machines!

According to Descartes, observed animal behavior amounted to nothing more than a reflex response to external stimuli, much in the same way as when a bare-footed person steps on a sharp object such as a thumb tack when they immediately withdraw the affected foot without any apparent conscious decision.

Descartes’ views on animal intelligence, or more accurately put, lack thereof, not only denied the existence of intelligence in animals they propounded that animals were not self-aware and thus were incapable of emotional range or being able to consciously register pain. Being an extremely influential person of his time Descartes’ opinions went a long way in justifying undue cruelty to animals be it through experimentation or otherwise.

However thankfully those barbaric days are long behind us and today it is the rare individual who still believes that animals are incapable of thought or emotions. That said though, there’s still a ways to go before we can accurately qualify and quantify animal intelligence. Ironically this is perhaps so for the simple reason that since we measure the intelligence of different species against that of ourselves we are inherently practicing anthropomorphism (attributing human qualities and characteristics to non-human subjects, be they animals or inanimate objects), because we innately identify and attribute higher value to those behaviors that somehow mimic ours or make some form of sense to us.

The Anthropomorphism Factor

The inherent flaw in this approach is that it overlooks the reason why the various species of animal behave the way they do; namely that their brains are connected and wired in a pattern best designed to perpetuate the success of that species within its designated environmental niche; a niche which is invariably very different to that occupied by people.

This is not to say that humans are dog behaviornot smarter than any other (as far as we know) animal on earth, but it just means that we have to concede the fact that when we measure the intelligence of other species against our own, by necessity anthropomorphism is going to be a factor. Perhaps this is no more evident than in the assessment of dog intelligence, most specifically, the difference of intelligence in the various dog breeds.

Perhaps the most cited authority on dog intelligence is the excellent book by Stanley Coren (click Here). In Dr. Coren’s book which is based on his observations and research Coren asserts that there are three kinds of intelligence displayed by dogs which include the following: adaptive intelligence (the ability to solve problems); instinctive intelligence (characteristics and behaviorisms that are genetically driven); and lastly working / obedience intelligence which refers to the ability to obey and carry out instructions.

With particular emphasis on obedience intelligence, Coren came up with a list describing the most intelligent dog breed first, running down to the least intelligent dog breed, based on the observations of some 200 dog obedience judges and trainers.

However Dr. Coren’s study has generated a number of vocal criticisms of which perhaps the most pertinent object to the sample size of the study as well as to the subjectivity of its approach. Many claim that 200 is far too small a number to result in meaningful conclusions and that furthermore any conclusions were inherently biased because they were based on the subjective observations of the various dog trainers.

According to the study, the dog that topped the list as the smartest canine was the Border Collie and the dog that was bottom of the list was the Afghan Hound. Much as Coren rightfully points out that the measure of intelligence is not limited to any one factor, one however, cannot but help get the impression that more value was attributed to a dog’s ability to carry out instructions (obedience/ working intelligence) than was accorded to the other parameters of intelligence.

Comparative studies and experiments have revealed that dogs exhibit surprisingly poor problem-solving abilities compared to their wild counterparts (wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingos etc). Research conducted on wolves illustrated that they generally learn through observation in contrast to dogs that learn through repetition. Such cognitive insightfulness appears to be inherent in the wild forms of canid which may explain why tamed individuals of those wild canids are notorious for escaping their pens and kennels!

Though great progress has been made in understanding dog intelligence evidently there is still much to be learned and much we still don’t know.

Livestock guarding dogs and livestock herding dogs both fall under the umbrella category of sheepdogs or shepherd dogs, but it is important to understand that these are two very different dog breeds. Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) were developed and bred to protect livestock from predators such as: wolves, jackals, coyotes, baboons, leopards, bears etc. Herding dogs on the other hand were developed and bred to…well, herd!

Livestock guarding dogs date back several thousand years and even as far back as 2000 years ago were a common sight in many parts of the world. Though many of these working dogs were considered until recently as rare breeds in the West, the truth is there are and have been millions of these dogs plying their trade of protecting livestock all over the world. In fact the protection of livestock could well have been one of the first primary uses mankind had for dogs.

It is not unreasonable to hypothesize that livestock guarding dogs originated from the Middle East especially when one considers that is from there that livestock was first domesticated. Following this pattern of thought it is not unreasonable either to state that livestock protection breeds may be several thousands of years old though they certainly wouldn’t predate the first domesticated animals (sheep; circa 8000 years ago). There are plenty of historical references and drawings of livestock guardian dogs dating back thousands of years.

When one thinks of livestock protection dogs typically certain breeds spring to mind. Such breeds include the following:

Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Kangal Dog
Akbash Dog
Caucasian Ovcharka
Great Pyrenees
Tibetan Mastif
Kuvasz
Komondor
Maremma Sheepdog
Polish Tatra Sheepdog
Tibetan Mastiff
Sarplaninac

Size And Appearance

The above list is certainly not an exhaustive one and though some of the breeds are quite well known others are not. A striking feature of most livestock guarding dogs is that they tend to be larger in size than most other canines. This actually shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise since these canines were bred to ward off predators some of which attain considerable size such as bears and wolves. Another notable feature about livestock protection dogs is that very often they are white (a characteristic more commonly found in European based breeds). There’re a number of reasons to explain the tendency to favor white in these dogs ranging from plain superstition to the age-old myth that white embodies purity of strain.

Most local shepherds contend that they prefer white dogs because they blend in with the flock and thus are harder to detect by any marauding wolves or other predators. Another argument along this line of thinking is that the shepherd is less likely to mistake a white livestock guardian dog for a wolf at night and thereby accidentally club it to death. However, whatever the argument, the fact remains that a good number of livestock guardian dogs are white in color which fact probably owes credit to selective culling of litters by local shepherds more than anything else.

Livestock guarding dogs tend to have large litters an aspect that bears an obvious economical burden on the shepherd. Not only is it economically unviable for the shepherd to keep all the puppies, the female dog will naturally tend to be somewhat derelict in her livestock protecting duties for the simple fact that she has a large litter of puppies to attend to. Culling by shepherds tends to favor white puppies for all the above listed reasons, which process (known as postzygotic selection–refining a natural breed) ultimately leads to generations that breed pure for the desired white coat.

Another driving force motivating culling in favor of white puppies is sales to tourists and foreign breed fanciers who are more willing to pay top dollar for snow white puppies. That said, there are plenty of livestock protection canines that are not white and one interesting feature of several regional breeds is that their coat patterns often have a tendency to mirror that of the livestock they guard. Thus for example the Kangal Dog in appearance has a light dun to fawn-gray coat with a black mask head; this pattern unsurprisingly mirrors the features of the sheep found in the region. Undoubtedly the reason why the Kangal Dog breeds pure for these traits is probably because local shepherds favored those animals that displayed such features.

What Defines A Good Livestock Guardian Dog?

Generally speaking the bigger the dog the better it will be as a livestock protector. Ironically the impact of increased size is not so much to ward off predators but rather to ensure that the dog can endure the hardships often encountered by these working dogs. In those countries and regions where shepherds still embark on seasonal migratory treks with their flocks covering huge distances, the toll on the animals (both the sheep and the dogs) can be tremendous.

A bigger dog has the advantage of not only being able to cover greater distances more easily than a smaller counterpart (larger stride), the bigger dog will also be able to endure food scarcities better because it has greater fat reserves. A large dog also has an added advantage; it can endure harsh, cold weather far better because of less heat loss thanks to its lower surface-to-volume ratio.

Certain dog breeds are obviously better suited to the task of protecting livestock than others due to selective breeding for desirable traits over hundreds if not thousands of years. For this reason, innate livestock protecting canines tend to be:

Independent minded (what some describe as aloof or stubborn);

Wary of strangers:

Dog unfriendly;

Territorial; and

Very protective of their wards.

These are all desirable traits in working dogs employed in the livestock-protection profession and such genetic-based traits are what constitute the “nature” component of the “nature vs. nurture” equation. External factors that influence the behavior of prospective flock guardians (nurture component) include the timely socialization of puppies with their future wards so that they ultimately bond as the dogs primary social companions.

Dogs that make the best LGDs are those individuals that are properly socialized within the critical period (normally from 4 - 16 weeks in canines) and also possess the correct genetic makeup for the task. In other words, inherent livestock-guarding dog breeds that are timely socialized with their future livestock wards will make better guardians than timely socialized dog breeds that lack the innate LGDs genetic makeup.

Each year more than 100,000 Greyhound dogs are killed! Why? The reason is simple…a cruel sport called dog racing! It truly is hard to imagine how so exalted a dog breed could end up where it is today—slaughtered in the thousands each year! This is all the more shocking when one considers that at some point in Greyhound dog history it was a crime punishable by death to kill one (during the reign of King Canute).

Throughout history the Greyhound has been the darling dog breed of royalty and nobility. From the ancient Egyptians, who often mummified and buried favored dogs with their owners; to the English nobility who enacted a law banning so fine a beast from being owned by mere commoners. Even the Bedouin (who as devout Muslims shun dogs in general for supposedly being unclean) since time immemorial have so revered the Greyhound (or its derivative or ancestor) that not only was contact permitted, they even allowed the consumption of game caught by such dogs.

Fast forward to today and it is hard to believe that this dog breed once held such an esteemed position. Currently over 100,000 Greyhound dogs are destroyed each year worldwide, as a result of the cruel sport of dog racing!

In times long past a messenger carrying both good news and bad always supplied the good news first in order to lessen the effect of the bad news and thereby increase his chances of living to see another day (hence the expression: Don’t shoot the messenger!) So borrowing from that tactful approach, this article shall address the Greyhound’s glorious past first before covering its dismal present:

The Greyhound is a dog that stands apart from the other dog breeds not only for the fact that it happens to be the speed champion of the dog world but also because it holds an unparalleled array of records which include:

1. The fastest dog in the world across short distances: the Greyhound dog can attain speeds in excess of 40 mph (64km/h)

2. It has the longest stride of any dog breed whilst it is in full flight. One Greyhound dog is on record of having covered a distance of 30 feet (9.14m) in a single leap. The Greyhound’s sprint is described as a double flight gait which involves the dog at some point having all of its feet off the ground. When a Greyhound dog is sprinting it propels itself first with its hind legs and then momentarily lands on its front feet before cantilevering off those while reaching forward with its hind feet (at which point for an instant all four feet are off the ground).

This double-flight gait is extremely fast but also very unstable which explains the many injuries that befall racing Greyhounds. The Cheetah which is the fastest mammal on earth has a somewhat similar sprint pattern which also entails the Cheetah’s four limbs being fully off the ground at some point. The Greyhound however is no match for the Cheetah which can attain speeds of 70 mph (114 km/h) and maintain that speed for 3.5 miles!

Though the Greyhound cannot match the Cheetah’s speed, it obviously is no slow coach either and the reason why this dog breed can attain such speeds (other than its obvious aerodynamic-enhanced morphological structure and muscle mass) is because it packs so much hemoglobin in its blood. Those elevated levels of hemoglobin ensure the transfer of more oxygen to the tissues which also bestows the Greyhound dog’s blood with a sludge-like quality (thick blood). If the human heart were to attempt pumping such a thick mixture of blood it would most likely go into failure.

3. The Greyhound boasts the longest documented history of any dog breed. Ancient drawings and records place the Greyhound dog as a distinctive breed over 6000 years ago.

4. The Greyhound is the most expensive dog breed; it is not unusual for champion racing Greyhounds to command a price tag in excess of $70,000!

5. The Greyhound dog is the one breed that has been most favored by royalty and the aristocracy throughout all of dog history. In fact so much so was this dog breed viewed as the epitome of canine excellence that a law was passed in England in 1014—part of the Forest Laws—which categorically forbade commoners to own a Greyhound dog! Those persons other than nobility who were permitted to own a Greyhound, such as Freemen, could only do so, so long as the dog was deliberately maimed if they lived within 10 miles of a royal forest.

Interestingly enough, royal households used to employ select dog-mutilators whose job was to rove around the countryside ensuring that nobody not born of noble birth or titled by the king was in illegal possession of a greyhound dog that was not lamed! However, as the acreage of the great forests dwindled, and with the rising importance of agricultural and domestic livestock food sources, the function of the Greyhound dog declined correspondingly! Even so the Greyhound still remained the favorite dog of the landed gentry especially as the popularity of hare coursing grew. By the 1800s hare coursing had become a favored pastime of the upper classes in England.

Greyhound Dog: Origins & History

The Greyhound dog is evidently a breed of antiquity stretching back thousands of years. There are several references from many ancient cultures citing the Greyhound throughout history. Although many dog books note the Greyhound dog as having originated in Britain this is very unlikely. It would be more accurate to concede that the Greyhound in its modern form most closely resembles the dog that was selectively gene-trait refined according to English standards.

Historical data tends to suggest that the Greyhound evolved from early Sighthounds that existed in ancient Egypt. Paintings, decorations, and other artifacts from early Egyptian culture celebrate a dog very similar in appearance to the Greyhound. Indeed several pharaohs are known to have owned Greyhound-looking dogs. Some of the pharaohs included: Cleopatra (yes the seductive femme fatale), Tutankhamen, Queen Hatshepsut, to name but a few. The Greyhound also so happens to be the only dog breed to be mentioned by name in the Bible (Proverbs 30:29-31, King James Version). Ancient Greek and Roman mythology is rife with tales describing Greyhound-like dogs.

It is not unreasonable to speculate that the ancient Greeks attained their first Greyhound specimens (or at least its progenitor) from Egyptian merchants. In Greek mythology their gods were often portrayed with Greyhounds. The Romans in turn probably first stumbled across the Greyhound via their interaction with the Greeks. However it is equally possible the Romans got their original hounds from the Celts, seeing as the well regarded Roman authors, Ovid and Arrian often referred to the Greyhound as a Celt Hound. However, whatever the Greyhound’s origins, what is known is that since its earliest affiliation with humans, this dog breed has wowed mankind the world over with its speed and agility, most notably through the sport of coursing. Hare coursing is an old sport practiced since the time of the Romans who probably exported it to Britain when they invaded.

Strangely enough it appears that the Romans were much more sporting than their modern dog-racing counterparts, with respect to the welfare of both the dogs and hares involved in the coursing event, as amply illustrated by the following excerpt written by Roman Flavius Arrianus (Arrian) in 124 AD: “The true sportsman does not take out his dogs to destroy the hares, but for the sake of the course and the contest between the dogs and the hares, and is glad if the hare escapes…whoever courses with greyhounds should neither slip them near the hare, nor more than a brace (two) at a time.” Simply put, no more than two dogs were to be used in the chase and they were not to be released too close to the hare!

The Many-Named Dog

Across the breadth of time the Greyhound dog has been designated almost as many names as the number of years for which the breed has existed (okay…I’ll admit that’s a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point). In the English language alone, the Greyhound has had at least 50 names. Unsurprisingly there has been considerable debate concerning the meaning of the various names:

1. Grewhound; the “Grew” portion of the word meaning “Greek.” A similar but variant school of thought postulates that the “Grew” was actually “Graius” which still means Greek; again these old English names tend to lend credence that the Greyhound originated elsewhere other than Britain.

2. Greyhounds are certainly anything but grey so it is highly unlikely that the word ever reflected the breed’s color. Some believe that the “grey” in Greyhound was once “grei” which meant beautiful.

3. Great Hound; another school of thought speculates that the Greyhound was once known as the Greathound (the name evidently reflecting the dog’s exalted status in gentrified society) but as time progressed the term somehow mutated into “greyhound.”

The few examples above are a minuscule sampling of the various names the Greyhound has been called at one time or another during history in some variation of the English language.

The Harsh Unforgiving World Of Greyhound Dog Racing

It truly is hard to imagine how so exalted a dog breed could end up where it is today—slaughtered in the thousands each year. This is all the more shocking when one considers that at some point in Greyhound dog history it was a crime punishable by death to kill one (during the reign of King Canute). However currently each year thousands upon thousands of Greyhounds are destroyed, a good number before they’ve even attained the tender age of 2 years!

The reason for this mass slaughter can be defined in 3 words: Greyhound Dog Racing! Every year the Greyhound dog racing industry breeds several thousand dogs, far more than the number that get to compete. The reason for this over breeding—ambitious Greyhound dog breeders looking for that elusive but ever so lucrative champion dog racer! The dogs that don’t make the cut are typically destroyed or in some cases actually subjected to a fate worse than death!

The Greyhound dog racing industry certainly pulls no punches with respect to the maltreatment of animals. Since the inception of modern dog racing around the 1920s, the Greyhound (and affiliated industry animals that act as live bait) has suffered unimaginable cruelty; in this industry there is no reprieve or second chance and the vast majority of dogs never get to live anywhere near their expected life expectancy! Instead most dogs are befallen by anyone of the following fates:

1. Killed;

2. Experimented upon as a laboratory animal; the Greyhound’s superb physiology makes it a prime lab candidate for cardiovascular research;

3. Shipped abroad to countries such as China where animal cruelty laws are extremely lax (to say the least); and let’s not forget that dogs often end up on the dinner table there; and

4. Used as food fodder in commercial dog feed (euthanized pets are commonly recycled as commercial dog chow).

A very small percentage of lucky dogs eventually make the transition from Shelters/Rescue Home, to permanent adoption! One need only conduct a cursory search through online Greyhound Adoption centers to see just how bad the problem really is. And perhaps the most tragic aspect of this tragedy is that the Greyhound dog truly is a sweet-tempered and loving dog that some have described as the “speediest couch potato!”

Ever noticed the sniffy hauteur with which purebred dog owners appraise mixed breed dogs? You can almost see them flinch as their condescending eye roves across the form of the objectionable mutt while they grudgingly concede that perhaps their refined canine specimen and that pollutant mutt do indeed belong to the same species! In fact you need only trawl various online dog forums to experience firsthand just how contentious the issue of mutt versus purebred really is. Yet much as purebred dog owners may put down the humble mutt or mixed breed dog the strange thing is:

Purebred Dogs Are Merely Strain-Refined Mutts!

Doberman Pinscher: The Doberman Pinscher dog breed was the brainchild of door-to-door tax collector Herr Louis Doberman. Whether Herr Doberman developed this dog breed as enforcer or protector has never been truly established but one aspect that is not in contention is the fact that his was an unenviable profession! It is well documented that since biblical times the tax collector has been much reviled; even today the tax collector is the subject of scorn and disgust. If you truly want to belabor the point, the next time you are at a social gathering, casually mention that you work for the IRS and watch the little-witnessed phenomenon of how so many can disappear so quickly!

However back to Herr Doberman and his dangerous profession; tired of being pushed about and quite possibly being set upon by irate tax payers, poor Herr Doberman came up with the novel yet economic solution of developing a dog breed that would be both enforcer and protector! The “ingredients” for his new dog breed included the following: Rottweiler; German Pinscher; Greyhound and the Manchester Terrier. Though some wishful fanciers contend that the German Shepherd dog was also involved in the genetic compilation of the Doberman Pinscher, this is highly unlikely since the development of the German Shepherd occurred a little later than that of the Doberman Pinscher.

The early form of the Doberman Pinscher dog was not the sleek lean machine that epitomizes the breed today, but it was a heavier-boned dog somewhat more similar in appearance to the Rottweiler dog breed. Subsequent tweaks by later breeders eventually resulted with the sleek contemporary dog that defines the modern Doberman Pinscher. The point of note here is that the Doberman Pinscher, a well-known dog breed that is officially recognized by countless of International Kennels such as the AKC, was a crossbreed developed from various other dog breeds before it attained the holy-grail status of purebred!

Verdict: The Doberman Pinscher, like all the other so-called purebred dogs is nothing more than a strain refined mutt. Sniff! What can I say…these pesky mongrels are everywhere, most of them disguising themselves as well-established purebreds!

Designer/Hybrid Dogs

Though the Labradoodle is widely accredited as the crossbreed dog that set the whole designer-dog movement rolling along at a good clip, the truth of the matter is that other well established crossbreeds already existed. One such crossbreed or so-called designer dog is the Cockerpoo (Cockapoo), a cross between the American Cocker Spaniel and a Miniature Poodle. The Cockerpoo has been in existence since the 1960s (in contrast to the Labradoodle which was developed in the 1980s). The Cockerpoo is currently so well established in North America that there is a strong movement to consolidate a breeding standard.

These days “Oodles” or “Poos” (Poodle hybrids) are practically everywhere in North America for the simple reason they translate into mega bucks. Though the Labradoodle (perhaps the best known Poodle derivative) was developed with a utilitarian purpose in mind, most designer dogs have no other function than to propel a burgeoning and lucrative market for these hybrid dogs; as it so happens, backyard breeders very quickly recognized the enormous profits to be had from designer dogs.

To date the designer dog market is flourishing, strong evidence that people are quite willing to shell out mega bucks so as to differentiate themselves from the rest of the crowd. And perhaps you’ve noticed, nobody refers to these mutts as well…mutts, for the simple reason crossbreeds do not satisfy people’s sniff factor! (Sniff Factor defines the human tendency to snobbishness; in earlier times the upper classes were predisposed to strolling about with their noses pointed skywards as an expression of their obvious class superiority (as though reaching for air unpolluted by the masses!) Calling a mongrel a designer dog is certain to guarantee a far better price than if the animal were addressed as a crossbreed.

The unfortunate fallout of this whole designer dog issue, is that there’re now many more dogs in shelters and rescues, as well as dogs being euthanized, because of unethical breeders, who without regard to genetics, breed thousands of these dogs every year in a bid to capitalize on the public’s ignorance and insatiable appetite for “exclusive” or “limited” dogs.

So how did this designer dog brouhaha really begin?

Good Intentions Open Pandora’s Box

Sometime during the 1980s, Wally Conron, the breeding manager for the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia embarked on a quest to develop a non-allergenic guide dog for a visually impaired client whose husband happened to be allergic to common dog fur. Conron settled on the standard Poodle as the ideal cross with the already established Labradors in use at their center, for the simple fact that the Poodle,s as a highly trainable working dog with tightly curled coat, constituted a the best-fit match.

After two years of trials including 33 successive disappointment runs, Wally Conron hit pay dirt! A cross mating between one of their most prized Labradors and a Poodle specimen resulted in a litter of 3 non-allergenic puppies. Sultan the 1st ever Labradoodle destined for guide-dog greatness was introduced to his new owner amidst great fanfare. The bonding was a great success and Conron was confident that the remaining two puppies would quickly be snapped up; after all, the center at which he worked had a 6-month backlog of requests from people hoping to foster a dog. But he miscalculated; nobody it seemed wanted a dog that was associated with the dirty word crossbreed.

As eight weeks rolled by, the remaining two pups still hadn’t found homes and the critical-period window in which they needed to bond with a new owner and thus become successful guide dogs was closing fast. Out of sheer frustration Wally Conron decided to call his new dog breed the Labradoodle and thenceforth stopped referring to them as crossbreeds. That was the eureka moment he had been waiting for (evidence of the sniff factor in play again)!

Within weeks, requests for this new “miracle dog” inundated the center…the rest as the saying goes, was history! Other than the Labradoodle, few designer dogs have been developed for utilitarian purposes and in fact for the most part new breeds are introduced for purely cosmetic purposes. Having said that though, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the fact that some new dog breeds are currently being developed to address the all pervasive problem of genetic disease in the canine; especially in the more popular breeds.

Some other well-established crossbreeds are the Bull Boxer which is a cross between the Boxer and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The Bull Boxer is said to be a more affable dog, especially towards other pets, than the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and is also reputed to be less inclined to exhibit the immature behaviorisms characteristic of the Boxer. By and large though, the substantial prevalence of the designer-dog set is to be found firmly within the realm of Poodle mixes. Such Poodle mixes usually go by names, which if not exactly flattering, are to say the least, colorful:

1. Doxiepoo (Dachshund Poodle Mix)

2. Papipoo (Papillon Poodle Mix)

3. Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever Poodle Mix)

4. Jack-A-Poo (Jack Russell Terrier Poodle Mix)

5. Irish Doodle (Irish Setter Poodle Mix) to name but a few.

Verdict: Sniff! These dogs may go under the guise of designer dog…but let’s be honest, they are no more than glorified mutts!

The Humble Yet Ubiquitous Mutt

So where does the lowly mutt fit in this picture of brave new doggy world; that is to say, other than bearing the brunt of the purebred afficionado’s scorn! Well as I have amply illustrated in the paragraphs above, all dog breeds are essentially mixed breeds even the purebreds. Purebred dogs are so entitled because over several generations they have been specifically bred for selective traits. But therein lies their Achilles’ heel or weakness. Due to such selective-trait breeding, purebred dogs have an inherently high prevalence of genetic disease.

A classic example illustrating some of the problems encountered in trait-selective breeding can be found in the history of the Dalmatian. Breeding for the sharply-defined spot trait unintentionally also led to selective breeding for an abnormal uric acid gene (case of gene linkage). The result was that the Dalmatian dog breed was dogged (no pun intended) with hereditary urine stone disease. In an attempt to rectify the problem yet retain the desired spot pattern, the Dalmatian was crossbred with various Pointer breeds (Sniff! Sniff! What did I tell you…all mutts the lot of them!).

Conversely the lack of trait-selective breeding and a diverse gene pool in the mutt makes such dogs so much healthier and more robust than their purebred counterparts! Thus unless you’re going to develop your own dog breed, if all you’re looking for in a dog is a pet, do yourself, your pocket as well as the millions of dogs on death row a favor and adopt a dog from a shelter! Trust me, they make excellent pets. (Shelters cannot house dogs forever and each year more than 7,000,000 cats and dogs are euthanized!)

Verdict: Hmmm…the lowly mutt. At last! A dog without pretensions!