Do you think you know everything about dogs? You might know a lot more after you read this report. Besides telling you how many bones dogs have, this paper will also tell you about dog biology, care, breeds, training and behavior.
Biology
The average dog skeleton has 221 bones. This, however, can differ from breed to breed. Dog's muscles connect the bones and let them move.
Is one year seven years to a dog? Not really. Dogs mature seven years in one year. For example if your dog is two years old he or she is as mature as a fourteen year old person. At 18-20 weeks when your dog's baby teeth fall out he or she is no longer a puppy. A dog can start to have puppies at the age of one to two years. A normal puppy litter has about eight pups in it.
Care
When you decide you want to own a dog, you need to pick what breed of puppy or dog you should buy. First, decide if you want to buy a puppy or a dog. If you have little time on your hands, buy a dog or you might not want to buy a dog at all. The best time to buy a dog is in the summer. The reason to buy a dog during summer vacation is that you will have more time to house train, train, and befriend your dog. Be careful when buying a dog. Make sure that your dog has bright clear eyes, clean ears and does not smell bad.
Dogs need exercise, friends and family, water, food, and shelter. It matters what food your dog eats and it helps if you are house training your dog. If you buy cheap food your dog will be harder to house train. When dogs get older they need different kinds of food that are lower in fat. Sometimes dogs can get diseases and need special care.
Breeds
Did you know that there are more than 400 breeds of dogs? So who are dogs' oldest ancestors? Wolves of course! They both show similar behaviors and are very much alike. Some breeds of dogs date extremely far back. For instance, the Saluki breed dates back to 7000BC. When it says dog in the Old Testament it probably means Saluki.
Breeds differ in size, what job they were bred for and looks they have. Some dogs are more susceptible to diseases. These dogs are an example of the differences between breeds. The Basenji does not bark. It sounds like its yodeling. Basset Hounds can't swim. Dalmatians are born white. Crossbreeds are two different breeds that mate and their offspring are a crossbreed that has characteristics of both breeds.
If you have kids around the house you should get a toy breed. They are smaller than other breeds. If you want a big dog chose a Great Dane. If you don't want that, get a St. Bernard. You can also choose one of the many other breeds that are in between like a Collie or a Sheltie.
Training
Dogs can start show training at seven months. The three types of show training are obedience, agility, and showmanship. It is also important to train a dog to behave. If you don't want your dog jumping up on other people every time your dog jumps up turn around and walk away. To train your dog not to bite, yelp loudly when it bites you so he or she will know that it hurts. If you have little patience get a girl dog she will be easier to train.
Behavior
Dogs' behavior tendencies are largely determined by their breed. Herding dogs are bred to like to chase things, while working dogs, like guard dogs, are bred to be aggressive. Some dogs are bred for looks alone.
Dogs use body language to communicate with others, like wagging their tail, to moving their face slightly. A dog's tail will tell dogs emotions. When the tail is raised and wagging he or she is happy. If the tail is low and wagging, he or she is sad or scared. A dog will bear its teeth when he is angry or protective of something. Most dogs will avoid fighting, but if they do, they will not bite where teeth can cut through the skin.
An alpha dog is the most dominant of the pack. The alpha will walk taller, eat first, and will have his tail and ears perked up. Other members of the pack will have their tail tucked under their body because they are scared of the alpha or something else.
Conclusion
So do you know more about dogs now? I learned many things writing this paper even though I already knew some because I have a dog. She is a 3 year old Sheltie named Callie that won 2 grand champions at the Anoka county fair. Owning a dog is hard but fun.
