Why Are There So Many Dog ​​breeds On The Planet?

There are many registered breeds of dogs.  Some institutions of a world character recognize more than 500. Each one of them has its colors, sizes, behavior, personality, shapes, etc…

Dogs are the most diverse mammalian animals in the world. Among other things, it was we humans who contributed to this, favoring their specific characteristics.

The dog evolved from the wolves. Soon, it was becoming  a complete mammal with many peculiarities. Many experts say that no two dogs are alike in terms of their personality. As such, there are many details that set them apart.

At what point did dog breeds begin to emerge?

The common argument is that this  happened more than 30,000 years ago. That’s when the ancestors of modern dogs began to separate from the wolves. In this way, the first breeds of dogs appeared.

Different theories say that the  division between the wolf populations may have started the emergence of dogs. One of these divisions may have later become domesticated dogs.

That way, wolves would domesticate themselves  as they approached humans to eat the remains of their meals. Hunger and need could have been the reasons.

We know that the dog and the wolf share many characteristics, but they are also very different.  Today’s dog, as an adult, may behave similarly to wolves, but to young wolves. It also depends on the race. In fact, there are dogs that show more “childish” behavior than others.

Domestication and expansion of dog breeds

The next phase would be the domestication of these wolves and their progressive transformation into dogs by humans. Over time, the dog was integrated into the way of life of our ancient ancestors. Thus, they began to participate in their different daily activities.

In a process of further expansion, domesticated dogs spread across the entire international spectrum,  reaching different parts of the world.

how races arise

As our human ancestors  distinguished the different abilities of dogs, the breeds became different, each with its own unique characteristic.

Dog breeders began to explore and even market this specialization. With each of the changes and adaptations, the dogs began to adopt an increasingly distinct appearance and behavior.

Over time and due to changes in nature itself, in the climate of regions and in human needs and preferences, the races became more and more numerous.  Current rankings are based on the diversity of breeds and the abilities of the dogs. Such as hunting, surveillance, loyalty, ability to work, etc…

Differences between dogs and breeds

How to explain the differences between the physiognomy of a Chihuahua, with a kilogram of weight, and a Saint Bernard, with its immense size? It  could be explained by the changes  that were taking place in the  genes .

We cannot forget that the dog is the animal that most varies in size, weight and behavior attitudes among mammals. Even the “dream” can be a difference between races.

Even though dogs were domesticated 14,000 to 17,000 years ago, most breeds have evolved over the past few centuries.  When human beings in the past bred dogs, enhancing some attitudes, such as a strong bark (for greater protection of their owner’s property) or a docile temperament (because they would be less likely to attack), they were selecting and also playing with the selection of genes.

The First Race: Evolution

It is estimated that one of the first breeds preferred by man, due to its characteristics, was the greyhound. More specifically the Saluki, also called Arabian Greyhound, whose name translates as “noble”.

In different historical stages,  the number of crossbred dog breeds, in many cases recognized as such, has increased. This is the case of the labradoodle (a cross between a Labrador and a poodle), the cockapoo (a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle) and a puggle (the offspring of a pug and a beagle).