Dogs' Miscellany Hardcover - 2007 - 1st Edition

Summary

Excerpt

TEN REASONS WHY YOU HAVE
TO OWN A DOG

-Dogs like humans.
-Dogs are always glad to see you, no matter how late you are.
-Dogs are loyal to their owners.
-Dogs can be trained.
-Dogs don't care what you look like. (And they appreciate body hair.)
-Dogs make you take exercise.
-Dogs don't correct your stories.
-Dogs don't criticize your driving.
-Dogs enjoy the way you sing.
-You are always good enough for your dog.


"A house is not a home until it has a dog."
—Gerald Durrell


IN PRAISE OF DOGS

"Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really."
—Agnes Sligh Turnbull

"We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults. Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment."
—George Eliot

"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down."
—Robert Benchley

"Recollect that the Almighty, who gave the dog to be companion of our pleasures and our toils, hath invested him with a nature noble and incapable of deceit."
—Sir Walter Scott


TALE OF THE DOG

As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves are clept
All by the name of dogs: the valued file
Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
The housekeeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature
Hath in him closed, whereby he does receive
Particular addition, from the bill
That writes them all alike . . .

William Shakespeare, Macbeth


It is thought that man's long association with the dog began about 15,000 years ago. However, fossils of wolf bones found alongside human artifacts have led to speculation that the bond between man and his canine companion may stretch as far back as 100,000 years. It is probable that hungry wolves—either lone wolves or abandoned puppies—began to scavenge from villages. Separated from the pack, these animals were drawn to human tribes for food and possibly company, and a form of selection then occurred. If the wolf was aggressive or attacked, it was hunted down; if submissive, it was likely to engender sympathy and to be rewarded with food. Thus the more cunning animal learned how to beg, and eventually to sit and stay.

These animals adopted human tribes as their pack and jealously guarded them from the less sociable of their brethren. Man quickly realized that the wolf or wild dog could be useful in guarding humankind and their livestock, as well as in hunting, and even fishing. Dogs were also the first animals that man learned to harness and in some areas of the world they became essential for travel. In this way, man and dog rapidly became interdependent, and the wild wolf and the domesticated dog grew apart.

Man domesticated the dog, but he also changed it, by selectively breeding it with other dogs, perhaps to create a more aggressive guardian, a faster dog for hunting or one that was good in water to aid in duck hunting and fishing. The ancient Chinese also began to experiment with dwarfing and miniaturization to create their ideal companion dog. Indeed, until recently it was thought that the dog's domestication began in East Asia, and more specifically, China. However, advances in DNA analysis have since revealed fourteen ancient, geographically diverse breeds of dog, including dogs from Siberia, Japan, Alaska, China, Tibet and Africa. In a wider context, dogs form part of the Canidae family—which includes wolves, coyotes and foxes, which may well have interbred.

Throughout history, dog breeds have varied according to use and fashion. Indeed, some breeds have become extinct, while others have only just been saved from extinction, such as the Irish wolfhound. Today in America and Britain, the most popular dog is undoubtedly the Labrador retriever, while designer dogs such as shih-tzus, Chihuahuas and poodle crosses are also in vogue. On the other hand, many traditional breeds are becoming rare, the rarest being the Skye terrier, which the Kennel Club of Great Britain fears will become extinct in ten years' time unless the breed's popularity is revived.  

Worldwide, there are currently hundreds of breeds of dog, with 800 recognized by Kennel Clubs around the globe, covering a wide range of sizes, colors and temperaments. In fact, modern dog breeds show more variation in size, appearance and behavior than any other domestic animal, to say nothing of the mongrels and mutts that have won the hearts of so many dog owners.


SOME ANCIENT DOG BREEDS

DOG | ORIGIN

Afghan hound - Afghanistan
Akita - Japan
Alaskan malamute - Alaska
Basenji - Congo
Chow chow - China
Lhasa apso - Tibet
Pekinese - China
Saluki - Egypt
Samoyed - Siberia
Shar-pei - China
Shiba Inu - Japan
Shih-tzu - China/Tibet
Siberian husky - Siberia
Tibetan terrier - Tibet


FROM CANIS LUPUS TO CANIS
LUPUS FAMILIARIS

The Indian wolf is thought to have contributed to the development of more breeds of dog than any other subspecies. Many of today's wild dogs, such as the dingo and the pariah dog, are descended from this wolf, while interbreeding with European wolves may have led to such diverse breeds as the pug, the St. Bernard and the bloodhound. Interbreeding still occurs between dogs and wolves living in the Arctic region.


THE DOG AND THE WOLF

A gaunt wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a house-dog who was passing by.

"Ah, cousin," said the dog. "I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?"

"I would have no objection," said the wolf, "if I could only get a place."

"I will easily arrange that for you," said the dog. "Come with me to my master and you shall share my work."

So the wolf and the dog went toward the town together. On the way there, the wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had come about.

"Oh, it is nothing," said the dog. "That is only the place where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."

"Is that all?" said the wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master Dog. Better to starve free than be a fat slave."

Aesop's Fables


MAN AND DOG—1

"In the world which we know, among the different and primitive geniuses that preside over the evolution of the several species, there exists not one, excepting that of the dog, that ever gave a thought to the presence of man."
—Maurice Maeterlinck

"To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs."
—Aldous Huxley

"Man is a dog's ideal of what God should be."
—Holbrook Jackson

"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made."
—Roger Caras

"To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring—it was peace."
—Milan Kundera

"It is a truism to say that the dog is largely what his master makes of him: he can be savage and dangerous, untrustworthy, cringing and fearful; or he can be faithful and loyal, courageous and the best of companions and allies."
—Sir Ranulph Fiennes


FOUR OLD DOGS

The Saluki

Salukis were bred as hunting dogs by the ancient Egyptians and appear on Egyptian tombs dating from around 2100 bc. The saluki was—and still is—the favored dog of the Bedouins, who dubbed it El Hor, meaning "the noble one." Although Bedouin culture considered dogs unclean, an exception seems to have been made for the saluki, who was even permitted to sleep in Bedouin tents. Salukis were not allowed to be sold, but they were given away as gifts. Cross-breeding was strictly forbidden, and therefore the saluki has remained virtually unchanged through thousands of years, although there are variations in the breed itself.


The Canaan Dog

The Canaan dog is an ancient breed from the Middle East. This semi-wild dog is used to surviving in harsh conditions and was used to guard and herd the flocks of the ancient Israelites. They were also used (and still are) by Bedouin tribes as guard dogs. The Canaan dog is the national dog of Israel and is now protected.


The Maltese

The Maltese originated around 8,000 years ago, probably from a spitz-type dog bred in south-central Europe. However, the ancient Greeks and Romans believed the dog originated on the island of Malta—hence they called the breed the Melitaie Dog ("Melitaie" being the ancient name for Malta). It is possible that the dog was traded as an exotic species from the island, which was a trading center, and that this was the source of the confusion. The Maltese became a favorite of royalty and the aristocracy in Europe and also found its way to the Middle East, Tibet, China, the Philippines and Japan.


The Tibetan Mastiff

For centuries, this large, loyal and fearless dog with a massive head guarded Tibetan monasteries. However, it is believed that the mastiff originally came from China around 1000 bc. Supposedly Alexander the Great brought the Tibetan mastiff to Greece. In 1290 ad, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo described the mastiff as being "as large as a donkey."  The dog is considered to be an ancestor of the Newfoundland, the Pyrenean mountain dog, the Dogue de Bordeaux and the Great Dane, among others.


A NATIVE AMERICAN DOG LEGEND

Nagaicho, the Creator, set out to create the world, and he took along a dog. He placed four big pillars at the corners of the earth to hold up the sky. He created man from the dirt, and then he created woman. The sun became hot, the moon was cold and trees grew everywhere. Waves danced on the surface of the ocean and all the creatures of the seas swam in it and were happy.

Then Nagaicho saw that the creatures of the earth needed water. He dragged his feet deep into the earth and made rivers. He poked his fingers into the earth and created flowing springs. And the elk and the deer came to drink at the rivers and springs.

"Drink," Nagaicho said to the dog. And the dog drank from the sweet water, and Nagaicho himself lay down and drank. "It is good. They will all drink it," said Nagaicho.

Then Nagaicho piled rocks around the edge of the water and made lakes and ponds.

"Drink the good water," he said to the dog. "Drink, my dog." And the dog drank, and Nagaicho lay down and plunged his face in the water and drank. "It is good," he said. "Bears and people will drink here."

Then Nagaicho put salamanders and turtles and little eels in the creeks. He put grizzlies and deer in the mountains, and panthers and jackrabbits. "Walk behind me, my dog," said Nagaicho. "Let us look at all that is made. We made it good, my dog."

The face of the earth was covered with growing things. The creatures were multiplying upon it. And Nagaicho and his dog went back home into the north.


DOG MISCELLANIA—1

- Some of the earliest dog fossils are two crania from Russia and a mandible from Germany, dating from as far back as 13,000 to 17,000 years ago. Remains of smaller dogs in the Middle East have been dated to around 12,000 years ago.

- From their stone carvings we know that the Babylonians bred great warrior mastiffs. The Assyrian king Ashurbanipal also hunted with mastiffs.  

- The ancient Greeks and Romans developed a number of breeds, including the greyhound, mastiff and bloodhound.

- Written records from more than 4,000 years ago show that dog trainers in China were held in high esteem and that kennel masters raised and looked after large numbers of dogs. Pekinese dogs were sacred to the emperors of China for more than 2,000 years.

- The dachshund is one of the oldest dog breeds in history, dating back to ancient Egypt. Its name comes from the German, in which it literally means "badger dog," the breed having been used originally to dig badgers out of their setts.

- The Romans crafted mosaics bearing the words Cave Canem: the ancient equivalent of "Beware of the Dog" signs.

- During the excavation of Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 ad, archaeologists uncovered what they believed to be the body of a dog lying across a child, as if to protect it.


POPULAR DOG NAMES

Molly
Max
Charlie
Holly
Jack
Ben
Jake
Rosie
Buster
Meg
Oscar
Bertie
Sam
Jess
Alfie
Millie
Sophie
Harry
Oliver
Lassie
Buddy
Lady
Sadie
Lucky
Duke
Fido


FOUR FAITHFUL HOUNDS

The Dog of Montargis

In 1371, the noble knight Aubry de Montdidier, nephew of the Count of Montargis and a courtier of King Charles V of France, was murdered in a forest near Montargis. According to the story, when Montdidier failed to show up at a tournament, his friend DeNarsac went in search of him, but could not find him. Later, he heard a noise at his door and found Montdidier's greyhound standing outside in a state of great distress. DeNarsac was troubled, as the dog was never out of its master's company. The dog proceeded to lead him to Montdidier's body.

Although the dog had never behaved aggressively before, after its master's death it showed great hostility to a certain man at court named Richard Macaire. It was well known that Macaire and Montdidier had not been friends and had had more than one altercation. People began to talk and to speculate about the dog's strange actions, until the matter came to the king's attention.

The king sent for DeNarsac and told him to return with the dog. The king contrived that Macaire should be present; as soon as the dog spied him, he sprang upon him and would almost certainly have torn him to pieces, had no one interceded. As the dog could not speak and Macaire denied his guilt, the king decreed a trial by combat between the dog and Macaire. Macaire was armed with a cudgel, and the dog was given a barrel into which to run if he so needed. The dog soon had the best of the fight and Macaire begged for mercy; confessing to the murder of Montdidier, he was duly hanged.

Today, a statue of the fight stands in front of the Girodet Museum in central Montargis.


Greyfriars Bobby

John Gray, a nightwatchman with the Edinburgh Police Force in the mid-nineteenth century, adopted a Skye terrier (a breed first bred on the Isle of Skye in the fifteenth century) named Bobby to keep him company on his vigils. Watchman and watchdog soon became a familiar sight in the streets of Edinburgh. However, John developed tuberculosis, from which he died in 1858. He was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard and his distraught dog refused to leave his grave, in spite of efforts to remove him. Bobby could be found there whatever the hour or weather and, in the end, the kirkyard gardener took pity on him and built him a shelter beside the grave.