Tag: dog

Domestic Dogs

~ joannerambling ~ 3 Comments

Ok this was suppose to be yesterdays post but I forgot to post  it, silly   me

I have written in the past about domestic cats but couldn’t find a post about domestic dogs, so here is one.

What are domestic dogs well they are a subspecies of the gray wolf, belonging to the family Canidae. They are one of the two most widespread domestic animals on Earth the other is the cat.

Dogs were the first species ever domesticated, long before livestock or crops but maybe not cats.

Domestication is thought to have begun 20,000–40,000 years ago, archaeological remains of clearly domestic dogs appear 14,000–17,500 years ago.

It is thought that early wolves likely were self‑domesticated by scavenging near human camps, and that humans favoured wolves that were less fearful, more tolerant, and better at reading human cues.

Dogs evolved a powerful ability to digest starch-rich foods thanks to extra copies of the AMY2B amylase gene — often 7× more than wolves, with some dogs having up to 30 copies. This allows them to break down carbohydrates from human food scraps.

Selective breeding created the widest range of any land mammal think Chihuahua to Great Dane, also coat types, head shapes, e

Dogs are hyper-social animals shaped to live alongside humans. They communicate by barking to signal territory, threat, boredom, or desire for attention.

We all know that they sniff other dogs’ rear ends to gather chemical information about identity, reproductive status, diet, and emotional state.

Dogs excel at interpreting human gestures, tone, and facial expressions, a skill far more developed than in wolves.

The idea that 1 human year = 7 dog years is an oversimplification as small dogs age more slowly and the really large breeds age faster. Also breed differences play a part in their aging beagles age differently from similarly sized breeds.

Puppies begin vaccinations at 6 weeks, with boosters at intervals and later every three years for core vaccines. s

Dogs evolved to do the following, seek human attention, understand human cues, form strong emotional attachments.

In think we all know that the Great Dane is the tallest dog regularly reach 71–86cm tall at the shoulder, with some individuals standing over 7 feet tall on hind legs.

The heaviest Dog Breed is the English Mastiff which typically weigh 54–104kg or 120–230lbs. Other giant breeds include Saint Bernard, Newfoundland and the Irish Wolfhound.]

The smallest dog breed is the Chihuahua weighing between 0.9 -2.7kg or 2-6lb, there are other tiny breeds such as Russian Toy, Toy Poodle and Pomeranian. 

I may write more about some of the breeds.

African Wild Dog

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments

This week we are kicking of the series about wild dogs from around the world and we will start with the African wild dog, also known as the painted dog or Cape hunting dog.

The African wild dog has a colourful, patchy coat. They have large bat-like ears and a bushy tail with a white tip, which may serve as a flag to keep the pack in contact while hunting. Their markings are as unique as a human fingerprint, making it easy to identify individuals.

This dog is native to sub-Saharan Africa

These wild dog packs have an 80% success rate when hunting, thanks to high levels of communication.

They generally live up to the age of 11 when living in the wild.

It can also run up to 70km or 44mph this is the same as a greyhound, over a long time. Of all large carnivores they are regarded as the most efficient hunters as their targeted prey rarely escapes. They hunt for a wide variety of prey, including gazelles and other antelopes, warthogs, wildebeest calves, rats, and birds.

They like to live in packs averaging from seven to 15 members and sometimes up to 40. Before the recent population decline, packs of up to 100 were recorded.  Within the pack, there is a unique social structure.

They cooperate in taking care of the wounded and sick members, there is a general lack of aggression exhibited between members of the pack, and there is little intimidation among the social hierarchy.

Every hunting pack has a dominant pair. They are usually the only pair that remains monogamous for life. Wild dogs also have a large range of vocalizations that include a short bark of alarm, a rallying howl, and a bell-like contact call that can be heard over long distances. Elaborate greeting rituals are accompanied by twittering and whining.

They are pack animals that are quick to defend themselves against any threatening animal. While they don’t prey on humans and typically approach them out of curiosity rather than aggression, it’s best not to go near them.

Introduction to wild dogs

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments

Well, I have run of big cats to write about, so I am moving onto other four-legged dangerous animals that being wild dogs. A wild dog is a member of the canine family such as the hunting dog of Africa, the dhole of India and the dingo of Australia.

A ‘wild dog’ can be any free-ranging dog without an owner. This includes domestic dogs that are homeless, dingoes, and hybrids of the two.

Domestic dogs may also behave like wild dogs when they are unsupervised or unrestrained. These are usually referred to as feral dogs often they have escaped to the wild, either through accident or neglect, and have reverted in the natural state to some of the characteristics inherent in all dogs.

There are 35 species of wild dogs are currently recognized. They belong to the dog family, Canidae, which also includes all extinct dog species. Members of the family Canidae are known as canids and may also be referred to as ‘canines’. The world’s wild dogs include animals known as wolves, foxes and jackals.

Like wolves and dogs, African wild dogs do belong to the Canidae family. However, grey wolves, coyotes, dogs and jackals are all in the Canis genus, whereas African wild dogs are the only living species of the Lycaeon genus.

Then we have the bush dog is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru; it was first described by Peter Wilhelm Lund from fossils in Brazilian caves and was believed to be extinct.

Next week I will pick a dog and write about it.