THEDOG
Thedogisoneofthemostpopularpetsintheworld.Itordinarilyremainsloyaltoaconsideratemaster,andbecauseofthisthedoghasbeencalledman'sbestfriend.Classdistinctionsbetweenpeoplehavenopartinadog'slife.Itcanbeafaithfulcompaniontoeitherrichorpoor.
Dogshavebeendomesticatedformostofhumanhistoryandhavethusendearedthemselvestomanyovertheyears.Storieshavebeentoldaboutbravedogsthatservedadmirablyinwarorthatriskedtheirlivestosavepersonsindanger.WhenPompeii--theRomancommunitydestroyedbyMountVesuviusinAD79--wasfinallyexcavated,searchersfoundevidenceofadoglyingacrossachild,apparentlytryingtoprotecttheyoungster.Perhapsfewofthemillionsofdogsintheworldmaybesoheroic,buttheyarestillasourceofgenuinedelighttotheirowners.
Adogfitseasilyintofamilylife.Itthrivesonpraiseandaffection.Whenamastertellsadogthatitisgood,theanimalhappilywagsitstail.Butwhenamasterscoldsadog,itskulksawaywithasheepishlookandwithitstailtuckedbetweenitslegs.
Peopleinthecityaswellasthoseinotherareascanenjoyadog.Medium-sizeorsmalldogsarebestsuitedfortheconfinesofthecity.Largedogsneedconsiderableexerciseoveralargearea.
Dogsarenotalwayswellthoughtof,however.Inrecentyearsdogsinthecityhavebeeninthecenterofcontroversy.Somepeoplehavecriticizeddogownersforallowingtheirpetstosoilsidewalksandlawns,althoughinsomecitieslawsobligeownerstowalktheirdogsalongstreetcurbs.Inturn,dogownershavearguedthattheanimalsserveasprotectionagainstvandalsandburglarsandthusprotecttheirdetractorsaswellastheirowners.
Whenapersondecidestoownadog,heshouldbepreparedtocareforitproperly.Foradogtostayhealthyitmustbecorrectlyfedandadequatelygroomed,anditsmedicalneedsmustbemet.Foradogtobewell-mannereditmustbeproperlytrained.Itshouldneverbeill-treatedormishandled.Otherwise,itwillbiteinitsowndefense.
Thewildancestorsofalldogswerehunters.Wolvesandotherwildrelativesofthedogstillhuntinpacksfortheirfood.Dogshaveretainedtheurgetobewiththepack.Thisiswhytheydonotliketobeleftaloneforlong.Somebreedsofdogsstillretainthehuntinginstinct.
Dogsexistinawiderangeofsizes,colors,andtemperaments.Some,suchastheDobermanpinscherandtheGermanshepherd,serveasalertandaggressivewatchdogs.Others,suchasthebeagleandthecockerspaniel,areplayfulfamilypets,eventhoughtheywerebredforhunting.Stillothers,suchasthecollieandtheWelshcorgi,canherdfarmorrangeanimals.Eachofthedogsjustmentionedisapurebred.Amongreldog,however--onewithmanybreedsinitsbackground--canjustaseasilyfitintofamilylife.
Dogshavebeenwithhumanssinceprehistorictimes.Overtheyearstheyhaveperformedvariousservices.Theyhavepulledsledsoversnowytracts.Theyhavedeliveredmessages,herdedsheepandcattle,andevenrescuedpersonstrappedinthesnow.Dogshaveservedasasourceoffood,too.TheancientRomansaresaidtohaveprizedcertainkindsofdogstew.TheAztecsofancientMexicoraisedtinydogs,thoughttobetheforebearsofthechihuahua,tofeedthelargecarnivoresintheprivatezoosoftheAztecrulers.Inthepastdogshaveevenbeenworshipedasgods.Recently,theyhavebeenusedindrugresearch,medic