Dogs BY CHLOE KOOLSBERGEN

Dogs have been domesticated for 15 000 years, but types of dog breeds were extremely limited, until our ancestors started to breed different types of wolves, and even breeds that were recently bred! We invented dogs.

Currently there is a huge variety of dog breeds, with a total of 400+ breeds! That’s a big number! Some people consider dogs, like I do, to be “man’s best friend”.

There’s an author/TV star (not an actor, a real person) I follow named Ceasar Milan. He is an expert in dog psychology, who I happen to think is a remarkable person. He has an amazing motto that I find quite funny, and quite clever. His motto is: “I rehabilitate dogs, and I train people”.

I watch Ceasar’s show pretty much every day, and I have started to read his books, so that way I can understand dogs as much as he does, and become one with dogs and make them feel happy and comfortable, and disciplined.

There is important information everyone should know if they are thinking about adopting a wonderful canine.

A Dogs Life Expectancy Unfortunately, just like humans, dogs don’t live forever, although, you can refer to the below chart to see the estimated lifespan of a dog based on size.

Equivalent in Human Years YEARS Small Breed Medium Breed Large Breed Giant Breed

1 15 13 12 10 2 24 22 21 19 3 28 26 25 23 4 32 30 29 28 5 36 34 33 34 6 40 38 38 41 7 44 42 44 48 8 48 47 50 55 9 52 52 56 62

10 56 57 62 69 11 60 62 68 12 64 67 74 13 68 72 14 72 77 15 76

16 80

The Right Dog for You Although there are more than 400 different dog breeds, you should choose the right one for you.

For example:

If you aren’t very athletic and you’re more of a lazy kind of person, try considering a companion breed, like a Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Pug, Bulldog or other non-athletic breeds. If you’re athletic, try a Blue or Red Heeler AKA Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, or a Border Collie. If you have a family, consider a Golden Retriever, or any kind of Lab, or a Beagle.

Understanding Your Dog’s Behaviour Understanding your dog can be troubling, but I have a few recommendations that may help; for example, you and your dog don’t get along, your dog is “aggressive”, fearful or dominant. Try reading books or watch the TV show of Ceasar Milan, and as you go through it, try the techniques and improve you and your dog’s relationship! So that way you can have a happy life with your dog(s).

Dog Care Feeding: Always make sure your dog has a balanced, healthy diet. If your dog is small, make sure you feed them an amount that is good for their size so they do not become overweight and big dogs and others who are easy to bloat should have two small meals daily. It is always best to follow the directions on the back of the dog food package.

Exercise: Exercise is very important for your dog, so make sure you have daily walks. But depending on breed, your dog will need more or less exercise than other breeds, let’s say you own a Husky, it will need several walks a day, when you own a Chihuahua, try one walk per day. It also prevents boredom in your dog(s).

Grooming: Depending on the breed of your dog, you may or may not need lots of grooming. If you have a long-haired breed, you are going to need daily grooming, if you have a short-haired breed, depending on how much your dog sheds, you’re probably going to need to groom every week or two. When you groom your dog, or when you come home after outdoor activity, make sure you always check for fleas and ticks to ensure your dog and your dog’s coat stay nice and healthy. (see diseases dogs can get)

Training: If you’re thinking about adopting a puppy, you will need to keep in mind that you will need to housebreak the puppy, which shouldn’t be too hard. If you have a small breed puppy try housebreaking your pup with puppy training pads, and if you have a large or medium breed, after you vaccinate your pup, take him/her outside on leash every few hours and be sure to always praise them.

Environment: Make sure before you bring your pup home that there are no poisonous plants or substances that the pup can get. Make sure you have puppy food and water ready for when he/she arrives, make sure there is a bed available for your pup. If your pup is small breed, make sure training pads are available for him/her.

The Diseases/Viruses Dogs Can Get

Unfortunately, like humans, dogs can also catch diseases that are fatal or life-threatening.

Some examples are:

Rabies: foaming at mouth, pain, fever

Heartworm: heart disease, coughing, weight loss

Lyme Disease: pain, limping, loss of appetite

Kidney Disease: lethargy, increased urination and drinking, loss of appetite

Luckily, many of the above illnesses can be prevented through proper vaccinations and care.

The Seven Groups of Dogs There are seven different dog groups, examples are:

Toys: Chihuahua, Pomeranian

Hounds: Afghan hound, Dachshund

Terriers: Yorkshire terrier, West Highland Terrier

Sporting: Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel

Working: Akita, Bernese Mountain Dog

Herding: Australian Cattle Dog, German Shepherd

Non-Sporting: Pug, Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless)

These are some fairly uncommon breeds for each group, especially the last breed I have put down, but it’s easier to pronounce name is Mexican Hairless, as you see in the example.

Can you pronounce it? J it is pronounced Show-low-eats-queent-lee

My Favourite Breed

My favourite dog breed of all time is the Samoyed. The Samoyed is in the working group. The Samoyed is a beautiful white medium breed spitz, and is not well known by a lot of people. The Samoyed is one of the 20 most expensive breeds in the world, due to its beautiful snow-like coat.

FUN FACTS Did you know the most expensive dog in the world in 2011 was a Tibetan Mastiff named Big Splash? He was sold for a whopping

1.5 MILLION DOLLARS! That is one expensive dog!

Did you know the rarest breed in the world is the Norwegian Lundehund?

Did you know that the Chihuahua is evolved from the extinct breed Techichi? The even scarier part is no one knows what happened to the Techichi, but there is a rumor that the Mayans developed a taste for Techichi, and they went extinct from being eaten, and also not having the opportunity to reproduce, but that’s just a theory.

Did you know that dogs can sense your energy before you even sense it yourself, especially nervous energy.

Did you know the oldest dog in the world was Bluey the Australian Cattle Dog, who lived to be 29 years old? That means Bluey lived from 1910 until 1939. Bravo for Bluey!

Some great dog movies you can watch

1. Togo 2. Old Yeller 3. Hatchi: A Dog’s Tale 4. A Dog’s Purpose

Conclusion This concludes my passion project on dogs, I hope you learned about dogs and everything you need to know about the canines and I just have to say thank you for reading about the loyal Canis Lupus Familiaris, which is Latin for the Domestic Dog. Don’t forget to use the tips I have provided and stay safe from COVID-19.

I have added some pictures on the below pages for your enjoyment

Pictures

Enjoy these nice photos. J

My two Chihuahuas, Coco (red) and Freddy (tri-colour)

Australian Shepherd

Blue Heeler

Boston Terrier

Chihuahua

Yorkshire Terrier

THE END! J