Dog breed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs with characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock.[1] A dog breed reproduces with young that are closely similar in appearance and other attributes to other dogs of the same breed. [2]
A dog breed is represented by a sufficient number of individuals to stably transfer its specific characteristics over generations. Purebred dogs of same breed have similar characteristics of appearance and behavior, primarily because they come from a select set of ancestors who had the same characteristics [3]. An individual dog is defined as a member of a breed through proof of ancestry, using genetic analysis or written records of ancestry. Without such proof, identification of a specific breed is not reliable.[4]
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[edit] History of Dog Breeds
Aboriginal groups or pariah dogs establish themselves near human population, and further develop and maintain themselves without further selection. Neither they carry any specialized working dog functions. Working, hunting and other functional breeds most likely appeared when there is a demand for certain traits that are prevalent to the extension of the point one can devote his time and efforts to establish and maintain the group of dogs that perfect in certain traits valuable for that individual.
Initially the selections would have centered on domestication and useful behavior such as barking at strange creatures, livestock guarding or hunting ability. Some dog breeds, such as Saluki [5]or New Guinea Singing Dogs , have been bred for specific characteristics for thousands of years. Some working dog breeds such as German Shepherds or Labrador Retriever [6] are established for hundreds years. Later, dogs were also selected for attractive and distinctive forms, resulting in a vast variety of different breeds. Similar dog breeds are classified by dog registries in Dog Breeds Groups.
At a certain point of dog breed development, group of individuals that have dogs of the same breed unite into a National Breed club, describe their dogs in a specific language by writing a breed standard[7]. They describe the most desirable breed specimen and also specify working abilities, as well as undesirable traits for purebred dogs that can belong to this group of dogs. National Breed Clubs promote dog breeds by joining a local popular dog breed registry, as well as internationally, by joining international organizations. Many traditional dog breeds are recognized by the main breed registries are said to be "purebred".
[edit] Development of dog breeds
For the history and development of the dog, see Origin of the domestic dog, Ancient dog breeds, and Dog type.
There is much speculation but little evidence about why canids came to live with or near humans, possibly as long as 100,000 years ago.[8] With the beginnings of agriculture around 12,000 years ago, humans began making use of dogs in various ways, resulting in physical differences between dogs and their wolf ancestors.[9] In earlier times, little was written about dogs, although there were known dog types or landrace dogs, which developed over time with minimal human intervention, to fit in with the environment (including human culture) in which the dogs lived or live.[10] [11] Dog breeds in the modern sense date only to the accurate documenting of pedigrees with the establishment of the English Kennel Club in 1873, in imitation of other stud book registries for cattle and horses.[12]
Many dog breeds today have names of original landrace types, such as the Border Collie. Other landrace types, such as retrievers, have been made more uniform in appearance through selective breeding, and developed into a variety of distinctive breeds.[13] Varieties of purebred dogs kept for working purposes can vary in appearance from purebred dogs of the same breed kept as showdogs and pets.[14]
New dog breeds are being continually created. They are either accidentally or purposely crossbred from existing breeds, developed for a specific style of work, or created just for marketing purposes. Recently discovered semi-feral and landrace types such as the New Guinea Singing Dog have been documented and registered as breeds for purposes of preservation. The Canadian department of agriculture has strict standards for the documenting of what it calls "emerging breeds".[15] Many registries which require minimal documentation are available for registering new and existing breeds of dog.[16] In general, a dog can only be guaranteed to be of a specific breed if it is documented in the stud book of a major dog registry or breed registry.[17]
[edit] Genetics
Dog breeds can now be analyzed through genetics. Genetic markers (microsatellite markers and single-nucleotide polymorphisms) have been analyzed and a representative sample of 85 breeds were placed into four clusters, each cluster having shared ancestors. Cluster 1 is thought to be the oldest, including African and Asian dogs. Cluster 2 is mastiff type dogs; cluster 3 is herding dogs, and cluster 4 modern hunting type dogs (mostly developed in Europe in the 1800s.)[18]
- Relationships uncovered through genetics may not match "official" breed histories.
Cluster 1: (thought to be older lineages) (Note: This is not an arbitrary grouping, but a grouping based on genetic research; it may not match preconceived ideas about how dog breeds are grouped. See references[19] (chart) and [20] (article.) ) Shiba Inu, Chow Chow, Alaskan Malamute, Basenji, Shar Pei, Siberian Husky, Afghan Hound, Saluki, Tibetan Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Samoyed, Pekingese, Shih Tzu
Cluster 2: (mastiff-type) (Note: This is not an arbitrary grouping, but a grouping based on genetic research; it may not match preconceived ideas about how dog breeds are grouped. See references[21] (chart) and [22] (article.) ) Pomeranian, Labrador Retriever, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Bullmastiff, Newfoundland, German Shepherd Dog, French Bulldog, Miniature Bull Terrier, Bulldog, Boxer, Mastiff, Bernese Mountain Dog, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Cluster 3: (herding) (Note: This is not an arbitrary grouping, but a grouping based on genetic research; it may not match preconceived ideas about how dog breeds are grouped. See references[23] (chart) and [24] (article.) ) St. Bernard, Greyhound, Belgian sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Borzoi, Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Pug
Cluster 4: (modern/hunting dogs) (Note: This is not an arbitrary grouping, but a grouping based on genetic research; it may not match preconceived ideas about how dog breeds are grouped. See references[25] (chart) and [26] (article.) ) Komondor, Whippet, Standard Poodle, Bichon Frise, Keeshond, Manchester Terrier, Norwegian Elkhound, Kuvasz, Great Dane, Welsh Springer Spaniel, Doberman Pinscher, Standard Schnauzer, Italian Greyhound, Old English Sheepdog, American Water Spaniel, Miniature Schnauzer, Australian Terrier, English Cocker Spaniel, Irish Setter, West Highland White Terrier, Pointer, Basset Hound, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Giant Schnauzer, Pharaoh Hound, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Bloodhound, Airedale Terrier, American Cocker Spaniel, American Hairless Terrier, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Cairn Terrier, Portuguese Water Dog, German Shorthaired Pointer, Border Collie, Bedlington Terrier, Clumber Spaniel, Ibizan Hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Dachshund, Australian Shepherd, Chihuahua, Kerry Blue Terrier, Irish Terrier, Flat Coated Retriever, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier [27]
[edit] Dog Breed documentation
[edit] Stud Books
Dog breeds are documented in lists of antecedents called a stud book.[28]
Dog breeds that have been documented may be accepted into one of the major registries (kennel clubs) of dog breeds, such as the FCI, KC, AKC, UKC, and other national registries such as the Japan Kennel Club. The registry places the breed into the appropriate category, called a Group. Some Groups may be further subdivided by some registries. When the breed is fully accepted, the stud book is closed and only dogs bred from dogs in the stud book will be accepted for registration.[29] These dogs are referred to as purebred.
Dog breed clubs, especially of dogs bred for a particular kind of work, may maintain an open stud book and so may not be included in major registries. The dogs are still considered a breed. An example of this would be the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America.
Some dog breeds fit the definition of breed, especially breeds that develop naturally on islands or in isolated areas, but are few in number or have not been sufficiently documented to be registered with one of the major registries. An example of this would be the Kintamani Dog and other rare or independent breeds.
Breeds of dogs can be deliberately created in a relatively short period of time. When they breed true and have been sufficiently documented, they can be accepted by major registries. An example of this is the Cesky Terrier. [30]
[edit] Standards
Each dog breed has a written Standard, a list of attributes that standardises the appearance of the breed, written by the breed's founder or breed club. Dog are judged in Conformation Dog Shows on the basis of how closely the individual dog conforms to the breed standard. Breeding working dogs for show competition may cause appearance to be emphasised to the detriment of working ability.
[edit] Groups of dogs mistaken for breeds
Groups of dogs that may be mistaken for breeds include working dogs that are categorized by working style rather than appearance, although they may be of various ancestry and may not breed true. The difference between a named group of working dogs and a breed of dogs can be unclear. Examples would be the huntaway and other livestock dogs of New Zealand, the feist dogs of the southern United States, and the Patagonian sheepdogs of Argentina, which are collies mixed with other working dogs. [31]
Landrace dogs are another grouping that often have been named but are not considered breeds.[32] "Landrace" is a term used for early types domesticated animals, including dogs, where isolated populations of dogs are selected according to human goals; developing over time rather than through modern breeding techniques.[33] An example of a landrace dog would be the dog described as 'Basset' as early as 1585.[34] The landrace Basset was developed into the modern breeds of Dachshund and Basset Hound, as well as modern day terrier breeds.[35]
Another group of dogs that may be mistaken for breeds are first-generation crossbreds, bred for hybrid vigor (heterosis) from two purebred dogs.[36] An example of this would be the Labradoodle.[37]
Mixed breed dogs may be offered a form of registration to allow them to participate in organized dog events. Often given the name All-American or AMBOR dog, the name does not signify that dogs so registered are a breed. Dogs must be spayed or neutered to be registered.[38]
Individual dogs or small groups of dogs may use an existing breed name or be given an invented breed name and listed with little or no documentation for a fee with "registry" companies with minimal verification requirements. The dogs are then bred and marketed as a "registered" breed, sometimes as a "rare" or new breed of dogs.[39]
[edit] References
- ^ [1967] Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged, The Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff (in English), Springfield, MA U.S.A.: G&C Merriam Company, 274. “A breed is a group of domestic animals related through common ancestors and visiblily similar in most characteristics, having been differentiated from others by human influence; a distinctive group of domesticated animals differentiated from the wild type under the influence of man, the sum of the progeny of a known and designated foundation stock without admixture of other blood.”
- ^ American Kennel Club. American Kennel Club Glossary. AKC.com. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008. “A domestic race of dogs (selected and maintained by humans) with a common gene pool and a characterized appearance and function.”
- ^ Donna L. Morden; Seranne, Ann; Wendell J. Sammet; Gasow, Julia (2004). The joy of breeding your own show dog. New York, N.Y: Howell Book House. ISBN 0764573020.
- ^ Lynn Marmer (1984). The New Breed Of Municipal Dog Control Laws:Are They Constitutional?. first published in the University of Cincinnati Law Review. Retrieved on 04/10, 2008. “The court found it was impossible to identify the breed of an unregistered dog.”
- ^ Allan, Ken; Allan, Diana. THE COMPLETE SALUKI (Book of the Breed). Ringpress Books. ISBN 186054195X.
- ^ Heather Wiles-Fone; H. Wiles-Fone (2003). The ultimate Labrador retriever. New York, N.Y: Howell Book House. ISBN 0764526391.
- ^ (1992) The Complete dog book: the photograph, history, and official standard of every breed admitted to AKC registration, and the selection, training, breeding, care, andfeeding of pure-bred dogs. New York, N.Y: Howell Book House. ISBN 0876054645.
- ^ Carles Vilà (et al) of the University of California, California, USA, has studied archaeological evidence (fossil bones) indicating that canids could have been living with humans 100,000 years ago.Multiple and Ancient Origins of the Domestic Dog. Science Vol. 276. no. 5319 pp. 1687 - 1689 (1997). DOI:10.1126/science.276.5319.1687. Retrieved on 04/20, 2008. “The sequence divergence within this clade suggested that dogs originated more than 100,000 years before the present.”
- ^ Christine Mlot (June 28, 1997). Stalking the Ancient Dog. Science News Online. Retrieved on 04/20, 2008. “When we became an agricultural society, what we needed dogs for changed enormously, and a further and irrevocable division [between dogs and wolves] occurred at that point.”
- ^ 1 Catherine Marley. What is a "Landrace". The Lhasa Apso Information Source. Retrieved on 04/08, 2008. “These animals developed their "type" from adaptation to a mix of function and the demands of the particular physical environment.”
- ^ Johan Gallant; Joseph Sithole (01/01/1999). Description of the AFRICANIS landrace. Breeders in Africa website. Retrieved on 04/08, 2008. “The people to whom these dogs traditionally belong do not tend to make body contact with them. However their settlements are seldom deserted from humans, other dogs and livestock, ensuring adequate socialisation and environmental adaptation.”
- ^ (1995) The International Encyclopedia of Dogs. New York: Howell Book House, 8. ISBN 0-87605-624-9. “In the strictest sense, dog breeds date back only to the last couple of decades of the nineteenth century, or to more recent decades in this (the twentieth) century but distinct types of dogs have existed centuries earlier.”
- ^ D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM. Livestock Guard Dogs: What is a Breed, and Why Does it Matter? (essay). Kangal Dogs website. Retrieved on 04/08/2004. “The level of uniformity varies from breed to breed as the breeders' associations decide what to include and what to exclude.”
- ^ Diane Jessup. "Different" breeds with the same name. Retrieved on 04/09, 2008.
- ^ Animal Pedigree Act 1985. Department of Justice, Canada. Retrieved on 04/09, 2008.
- ^ Diane Blackman. Getting a dog tips-Red Flags, Breeders you probably want to avoid (website). Dog Play. Retrieved on 04/09, 2008. “Be especially cautious of registries that complain of some imagined difficulty or expense in registering dogs through AKC.”
- ^ Purebred dog registrations. Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. Retrieved on 04/09, 2008. “Many puppy mills and backyard breeders are registering their dogs with invalid, Internet based registries.”
- ^ [Elaine A.] (September-October 2007). Genetics and the Shape of Dogs; Studying the new sequence of the canine genome shows how tiny genetic changes can create enormous variation within a single species. American Scientist (online) seven pages. www.americanscientist.org. Retrieved on 03/31, 2008.
- ^ Genetics and the Shape of Dogs (chart). American Scientist. Retrieved on 04/17, 2008.
- ^ Ostrander, Elaine A. (September-October 2007). Genetics and the Shape of Dogs; Studying the new sequence of the canine genome shows how tiny genetic changes can create enormous variation within a single species. American Scientist (online) page 2, chart page 4. www.americanscientist.org. Retrieved on 03/31, 2008.
- ^ Genetics and the Shape of Dogs (chart). American Scientist. Retrieved on 04/17, 2008.
- ^ Ostrander, Elaine A. (September-October 2007). Genetics and the Shape of Dogs; Studying the new sequence of the canine genome shows how tiny genetic changes can create enormous variation within a single species. American Scientist (online) page 2, chart page 4. www.americanscientist.org. Retrieved on 03/31, 2008.
- ^ Genetics and the Shape of Dogs (chart). American Scientist. Retrieved on 04/17, 2008.
- ^ Ostrander, Elaine A. (September-October 2007). Genetics and the Shape of Dogs; Studying the new sequence of the canine genome shows how tiny genetic changes can create enormous variation within a single species. American Scientist (online) page 2, chart page 4. www.americanscientist.org. Retrieved on 03/31, 2008.
- ^ Genetics and the Shape of Dogs (chart). American Scientist. Retrieved on 04/17, 2008.
- ^ Ostrander, Elaine A. (September-October 2007). Genetics and the Shape of Dogs; Studying the new sequence of the canine genome shows how tiny genetic changes can create enormous variation within a single species. American Scientist (online) page 2, chart page 4. www.americanscientist.org. Retrieved on 03/31, 2008.
- ^ [Elaine A.] (September-October 2007). Genetics and the Shape of Dogs; Studying the new sequence of the canine genome shows how tiny genetic changes can create enormous variation within a single species. American Scientist (online) page 2, chart page 4. www.americanscientist.org. Retrieved on 03/31, 2008.
- ^ American Kennel Club. AKC Glossary. AKC.com. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008. “A listing of dogs that have sired or produced a litter that has been registered with the AKC. With this information, a person can use Stud Book volumes to trace a dog's lineage and to produce pedigrees.”
- ^ American Kennel Club. AKC Glossary. AKC.com. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008. “A dog whose sire and dam belong to the same breed and who are themselves of unmixed descent since recognition of the breed.”
- ^ KLUB CHOVATELÙ ÈESKÝCH TERIÉRÙ (KCHCT). History of Cesky Terrier (Czech, English). Retrieved on 03/26, 2008.
- ^ Rorem, Linda. Herding Dog Breeds - Stockdog breeds. Herding on the Web. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008.
- ^ How to find a farm collie or shepherd (2001). Retrieved on 03/27/2008.
- ^ Don Bixby (2003). Types of Breeds. Retrieved on 03/27/2008.
- ^ Don Bixby (2003). History of the Basset Hound. BassetHoundRescue.com. Retrieved on 03/27/2008.
- ^ Marvin, John T. (1982). "2", The New Complete Scottish terrier, Second Edition, New York, New York: Howell Book House Inc., 18. ISBN 0-87605-306-1.
- ^ Trump, Oscar. A look at designer dog breeds (English). Helium. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008. “It should be noted that it [Hybrid vigour or heterosis] is well regarded and recognised that hybrid vigour or heterosis effect is 'strongest' or 'highest' in the first generation of progeny produced from the crossing of the two purebred breeds”
- ^ Trivedi, Bijal (February 9, 2004). What's a Labradoodle—Designer Dog or Just Another Mutt? (English). National Geographic Channel. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008.
- ^ United Kennel Club. UKC Registration, Limited Privilege. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008.
- ^ Wray, Michelle (2000). Puppy Mills : What They Are and What You Can Do About Them. DORG Magazine. Retrieved on 03/26, 2008. “The AKC has now started requiring DNA testing for breeding dogs and puppies, which increases the costs to the miller dramatically, and vastly increases the chances of them getting caught for their dirty dealings and losing AKC privileges. Does this deter the millers? Not really. They just turn to different registries, like the Continental Kennel Club (CKC), America’s Pet Registry (APR), and others. Purebred papers from these sources are not worth the paper they’re printed on. Millers don’t even have to prove they own the dogs they bred, or that they are the breed they claim. These registries will even register mixed breeds”
[edit] See also: Health Issues
Dog health as it relates to dog breeds is well documented in the following articles:
See also articles about individual breeds such as the Beagle and other breeds for more on health of individual breeds.
[edit] See also
- Ancient dog breeds
- List of dog breeds
- Breed Clubs
- List of most popular dog breeds
- Landrace
- Race (biology)
- Rare breeds
[edit] External links
- AKC Dog Registration Statistics for 2003 and 2004
- Fédération Cynologique Internationale, lists 339 dog breeds in 78 groups
- Rare Breed Network, alphabetic list of new, rare, local, and numerically smaller breeds
- Pet Encyclopedia
- Dog breed photos and facts
- The Online Dog Encyclopedia (worldwide)
- From Canada's Guide to Dogs - basic information about registered dog breeds and reputable all-breed registries as well as information about registries "not able to meet the more demanding requirements of the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club), AKC, or UKC."
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