Doggone Etiquette —

Yesterday’s Dogs

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dogs:          

There is a lot you don’t know about yourselves and, unlike humans, you don’t spend much time worrying about it. Why you do certain things your VIPeople do not and why you react differently to things they don’t even notice are a small part of what make you dogs special. Yours is not to reason why, but it all goes back to your ancestors that teamed up with the VIPeople of their day.

A Word to All Dog Owners:

We could start at the beginning of known dog/human relationships, but that would take us back about 6,000 years. In Egypt the dog was then a hunter and companion, and was closely aligned with the religious beliefs of that era. Looking at Rufus (no doubt curled up on the sofa) makes that time frame a bit of a stretch, so we’ll stick to what we know of the origins of various breeds we are familiar with today. However, it’s pretty amazing to know that the Pharaoh hound and its cousin, the Ibizan hound, breeds that we still have today, can indeed be traced back those thousands of years!

The good and the bad features and temperaments of all known breeds of dogs began to be recorded in the late 1800s for the benefit of the breeders and of those using the dogs for specific purposes. It was the start of maintaining official dog registries. A number of dogs we are familiar with today as individual breeds were created so long ago there is no record of the actual mix, but it should be noted that the aim was solely to come up with better dogs to serve man in numerous jobs as working, herding, hunting, and guard dogs. As the dogs worked with man, they were also companions, often living as part of the family.    

The bulldog was used for baiting bulls, a “sport” that dates back to the 13th Century, but that activity ended and the breed has become known as one of the most affectionate (if somewhat awkward!) of dogs, a reliable, even-tempered companion, especially good with children. Crossed in part with the English white terrier (now extinct) we have the bull terrier, and more recently the mini bull terrier, both more agile than their bulldog ancestor.                

The origin of the Dachshund is lost in time, but a dog closely resembling it is depicted on a monument from 2000 BC, indicating that this breed is one of the least changed. The Dachshund as we know it was developed in Germany in the 17th Century as a working dog, which it still is. Another oldie is the bloodhound, which in 1489 was referred to as a “Sleuthhound.” The work of the dog hasn’t changed, although since it follows scent, not blood, perhaps “sleuth” was a better description!       

 The soft coated wheaten terrier is pure Irish, with no other known country of origin. It is an all-rounder, guarding everything from home and family to farm animals, as well as a hunter, including as one might suspect in an island of rivers and lakes, a water retriever. This breed arrived in the States in 1947 and into the AKC show ring in 1973. From a personal viewpoint, the breed is too often seen here as a beautiful overly-groomed version of what is meant to be a hard-working farm dog. The American cocker spaniel has undergone similar changes with a profuse coat, hanging to the ground, that would eliminate the dog from its primary use in hunting game birds. Both of these breeds, however, have become very popular as good pets.

The Irish terrier is another “pure Irishman” whose ancestry is lost in antiquity. The majority of the terriers we have today originated at some point in time in the British Isles. The one with “terrier” in its name that is purely American is the Boston terrier, created in the late 1800s to serve mankind simply as a companionable house dog, which it is.

One of the nicest things about looking back at dogs over the past 100 years is probably the difference in cost. A purebred pup from a top breeder went for $4 up to $12 and the charge for a matted 7 by 9 photo of a dog from one of those top breeders was all of 25 cents! We’ll have a look at more of these canine ancestors another time.

Until next time — BE GOOD!

—Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.