The skull, body, and limb proportions vary significantly between breeds, with dogs displaying more phenotypic diversity than can be found within the entire order of carnivores. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type and colour. Their behavioural traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, retrieving, and scent detection. Their personality traits include hypersocial behavior, boldness, and aggression, which demonstrates the functional and behavioral diversity of dogs.
They will experience subsequent estrous cycles semiannually, during which the body prepares for pregnancy. At the peak of the cycle, females will become estrous, mentally and physically receptive to copulation. Because the ova survive and can be fertilized for a week after ovulation, more than one male can sire the same litter. Some breeds of dogs are prone to specific genetic ailments such as elbow and hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, pulmonic stenosis, cleft palate, and trick knees. Two severe medical conditions significantly affecting dogs are pyometra, affecting unspayed females of all breeds and ages, and Gastric dilatation volvulus , which affects larger breeds or deep-chested dogs. Dogs are also susceptible to parasites such as fleas, ticks, mites, hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and heartworms, which is a roundworm species that lives in the hearts of dogs.
Other types of working dogs include search and rescue dogs, detection dogs trained to detect illicit drugs or chemical weapons; guard dogs; dogs who assist fishermen with the use of nets; and dogs that pull loads. In 1957, the dog Laika became the first animal to be launched into Earth orbit, aboard the Soviets’ Sputnik 2; she died during the flight. Dogs are the most variable mammal on earth with around 450 globally recognized dog breeds. In the Victorian era, directed human selection developed the modern dog breeds, which resulted in a vast range of phenotypes.
As a puppy Odie was pretty much self taught, as a grownup he was a true scholar and my very best friend. He was my protector, very smart, extremely loyal, calm, sweet and diplomatic. Lucy is trained to absorb and make good decisions in a variety of circumstances. She has been exposed to simple walks in the park, to night time urban excursions, to paths along heavy traffic, to horse travels and various water scenarios.
Quinn joined our family as a rescued greyhound racetrack dog. He was a sweet, gentle, kind soul who liked nothing better than a soft sofa with a warm human to rest his head on. Both of them were loving guys (they even loved their cats!) and we miss them every single day. Lani, somewhere between 13 and 14 years old, is a lively and active Husky mix who frequently outsmarts her owner. A devoted and spirited companion dog, she loves the beach, the snow, and stealing food from kitchen counters. Much much later that same day we were working on our “sit” in the living room.
