« Lindisfarne Castle | Home | Pellaea rotundifolia (Button Fern) »
Paintings of Two Dogs
By peace | May 6, 2006
In the course of history, through deomestication and controlled, selective breeding, we have taken the genetic putty provided by the wolf and transformed it into breeds of dog as varied as the palm-sized miniature Yourkshire Terrier and the massive Great Dane. Just as we have altered the size and shape of dogs, we have altered their behaviour too, emphasizing certain wolf characteristics, such as respect for the leader, while diminishing others, such as fearful shyness and scent marking. By doing so, we have created a species of animal almost wholly dependent upon humans for complete care.
Dogs are an integral part of human society on every inhabited continent on Earth. They drive livestock and protect it; police property; scent and detect illicit substances; haul sled; scavenge refuse; retrieve game; guide the blind; search for and rescue the lost and injured; comfort the lonely; hear for the deaf; or simply add a sparkling natural reality to the lives of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world.
Dogs are dependent on us to provide them with healthy food. Maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet is vital, although feeding requirements vary according to the age, size, state of health, and activity of the individual.
Although physically most dogs may look unlike their wolf relatives, they still retain the anatomical and behavioural foundations they inherited from their wild ancestors.
Many breeds of dog exist today not because of survival of the fittest, but because of human whim. Canine coat lengths and densities can vary tremendously and need careful human management. Body size varies over one hundred-fold, far more than in any other living mammal species. Unfortunatedly, in the course of creating such a wide range of different breeds, we have also created structural and health problems. Dogs have more known inherited physical and medical disorders than any other domesticated species of animals in the world.
Every vet wishes he had enough time to sit down and talk with each dog owner, so that he could explain that dogs are not simply people in furry disguises, but are uniquely designed individuals with eating, grooming, training, and health needs that are different to our own and specific to their species. Practising good veterinary medicine does not mean treating problems when they occur. Prevention is invariably gentler, easier, and cheaper than cure.
Topics: All Posts | No Comments »
