Breeds of Dogs

There are many different breeds and types of dogs, there are small dogs, big dogs, long haired dogs, short haired dogs,  flat nosed breeds, long snout breeds, pure breeds, mixed breeds, plus many more kinds and they all fit into different dog groups, depending on their traits and what they were originally breed to do.

The different types of groups are;

* Hound Group - These dogs are bred for hunting and use their sight and sound to follow a scent trail.
An example of a breed in this group would be a Basset Hound.

* Gundog Group - These dogs were originally bred to hunt birds in many different landscapes and terrains.
An example of a breed in this group would be a German Shorthaired Pointer.

* Non Sporting - These dogs were not bred for hunting or anything specific and do not fit into the other groups, so they have their own group.
An example of a breed in this group would be a Dalamation.

* Terrier Group - These dogs were bred to hunt vermin such as rats, mice and weasels, sometimes these dogs will go down holes and chase out the prey. In latin 'Terra' means earth, referring to the Terriers going underground to hunt out the prey.
An example of a breed in this group would be a Cairn Terrier.

* Working Group - These dogs were originally bred to assist humans in some way, whether it was search and rescue or guarding and protecting.
An example of a breed in this group would be a Kangal.

* Herding Group - These dogs were bred to assist humans in the movement of livestock, they only assist in rounding up cattle and not in protecting cattle.
An example of a breed in this group would be a Border Collie.

* Toy Group - These dogs are referred to as the toy group because of their size and because of their main role as being a lap and companion dog.
An example of a breed in this group would be a Chihuahua.

These groups listed are the main groups that every breed of dogs come under, so now you will have a better understanding of which group any specific dog is a member of.

Understanding more about a Dog Brain

I bet you have often asked yourself the question how big is a dogs brain?

The average dog brain weighs around 72g, whereas our human brain weighs between 1300g-1400g. The dogs brain is bigger than that of a cat brain, which only weighs 30g.

Some dogs like Pugs have flatter heads, in these dogs the brain has moved towards the front of the head by up to 15 degrees and the area in the brain, that controls smell, has changed location, this is why flat face breeds of dogs have a reduced sense of smell and air intake, compared to those breeds with sharp pointed faces.

A dog brain does not perceive time in the same way that we do, he cannot sit and think about memories he enjoyed in the past, or sit and think about the things he will enjoy in the future, he is just set in here and now.

A dog will obviously remember commands that you teach him, such as sit, walkies, paw but he will not remember how and where he learnt that command.

Dogs have a great body clock, they know when you are due home, when they will get their walk and when dinner will be served, they look out for things that happen at that certain time of day and how their body feels at that particular time of day.

For example before you walk your dog, the church bells may ring, your dog will pick up that familiar noise and relate it to him going on a walk or maybe his body feels really hungry at a certain point of day and he knows when it feels that exact way dinner normally gets served shortly after. 

Above is a diagram of the dog brain, since the wolf was domesticated 12,000 years ago there has been a lot of variation while breeding but the main change is the skull shape, there are a large assortment of skull shapes to be found in all dogs.