Why There Are So Many Breeds Of Dogs On The Planet

There are many breeds of dogs that are registered. Some world institutions have recognized more than 500. Each of them has its colors, sizes, behavior, character, shapes, and so on.

Dogs are the most diverse mammalian animals in the world. Among other things, we humans themselves have developed them in this way, favoring their specific characteristics.

The dog today has evolved from wolves. Then it has become a complete mammal with many peculiarities. Many experts say that no two dogs are alike in character. In fact, there are many details that differentiate them.

At what point do dog breeds begin to emerge?

It is said to have happened approximately more than 30,000 years ago. That was when the ancestors of modern dogs began to separate from wolves. In this way the first breeds of dogs arose.

The different theories say that the explanation could be a division between two populations of wolves. One of them may have later become domesticated dogs.

In this way, the wolves would tame themselves as they approached humans to eat the remains of their meals. Hunger and need could be the reasons.

We know that the dog and the wolf share many characteristics, but they are also very different. A current adult dog can have behaviors similar to those of wolves, but to those of young wolves. It also depends on the breed. In fact, there are dogs that have a more “childish” behavior than others.

Domestication and expansion of dog breeds

The next phase would be the domestication of these wolves and their progressive transformation into dogs by humans. With the passing of time, the dog gradually became part of the way of life of our ancient ancestors. So he was sharing his different activities from day to day.

In a subsequent expansion process, domesticated dogs spread throughout the international spectrum, until they were distributed in different parts of the world.

How the races arise

As our human ancestors were distinguishing the different abilities in dogs, the races would be differentiated, each one with its own distinctive characteristic.

Dog breeders began to exploit and even commercialize this specialization. With each of the changes and adaptations, the dogs began to adopt an increasingly different appearance and behavior.

As time went by, and due to mutations in nature itself, the climate of the regions and human needs and preferences, the races became more and more numerous. Current classifications base breed diversity on canines’ abilities. They are such as hunting, surveillance, loyalty, ability to work, etc.

Differences between dogs and breeds

How to explain the differences between the physiognomy of a Chihuahua, weighing one kilogram, and a Saint Bernard, with its immense size? This could be explained by the changes that have taken place in the genes.

Do not forget that the dog is the animal more variable in size, weight and attitudes of behavior than any other mammal. Sleep can be a difference between races.

Although dogs were domesticated around 14,000 to 17,000 years ago, most breeds of dogs have developed in recent centuries. At the time when ancient human beings raised furry, enhancing some attitudes such as a loud bark (for greater protection of its owner’s property) or a docile temperament (so it would be less likely to attack its owner) they were already selecting. But in reality, they were already playing with the selection of genes.

The first race. Evolution

Among the first breeds estimated to have been favored, due to their characters, is the greyhound. More specifically the Saluki, also called the Arabian greyhound, whose name translates as “noble”.

In the different historical stages, the number of mixed breeds of dogs has increased, in many cases recognized as such. This is the case of the labradoodle (a cross between a labrador and a poodle), the cockapoo (a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle) and the puggle (the descendant of a pug and a beagle).