The dog as we know it today does not exist, nor does it seem to have ever existed, in the wild. The dog’s instincts (sociability and hierarchy of the pack, capacity for learning and cooperative hunting, …) prove that they are descended from wild canids of the wolf group. Domestication of the dog most likely took place in Eurasia at least 10,000 years ago.
The dog is a highly sociable, warm-blooded, carnivorous mammal, covered with fur in most breeds. Their bodies are the result of millions of years of evolution, but in order to obtain certain breeds, breeders have accentuated certain traits that are not always the best, so that some breeds are particularly predisposed to certain diseases or malformations.
The bark is the form of expression they use to transmit their emotions or moods, being very important for being a social animal. On the other hand, the tail also performs the function of communication and is its main organ in body language.
The dog has well-developed senses, but not equally. Most see much worse than humans, but their senses of smell, taste and hearing are especially sensitive. Dogs have much poorer color vision than we do (they mostly see in black and white and shades of gray) but have good twilight vision. Their sense of hearing is super-sensitive and they are able to perceive high-pitched or minute noises that we do not pick up. Accustomed to the particular noise of the car or the footsteps of his master/companion, long before a person perceives it, the dog knows in advance when we are approaching. Smell is their most developed sense, by means of which they relate and communicate with other dogs, so it should not surprise us that when they meet, the first thing they do is to greet each other by smelling each other, starting with the head, continuing with the back and ending between the legs.
There are currently an estimated 700 million dogs in the world and at least 350 different breeds that can be grouped into 10 categories or groups.
Some curious facts about dogs are:
-Their average lifespan is between 13 and 15 years, although smaller breeds have a longer life expectancy, easily reaching 17 years.
-They shed their hair twice a year: once in spring and once in autumn
-Dogs eliminate heat through panting, that is, by increasing the respiratory rate and evaporating water from the air coming from the lungs over the surface of the tongue. So on very hot days, finding a dog panting profusely, with its mouth open and tongue hanging out, is the most normal thing in the world.
-A female has two estrus per year and only accepts the male when they are in estrus. Pregnancy usually lasts between 58 and 62 days depending on the breed and number of offspring.
-Because of their intelligence they are able to develop different functions such as police dogs that can detect drugs or explosives, shepherd or working dogs in herds, hunting dogs, rescue dogs in natural disasters, avalanches or avalanches, assistance dogs for people with reduced mobility or vision, assistance and therapy dogs at home and in hospitals.
But undoubtedly, in our veterinary center, we believe that the best thing about a dog is to find the best friend we could never have imagined, the friend who will never fail us, the one who keeps us company in the best and worst moments, that faithful companion of adventures that makes us laugh and enjoy life.
For one and a thousand adventures together …..
