Concept in Definition ABC

The dog is a mammal It has a very variable size, as there are small, medium and large breeds and each of them has been selected and domesticated by man for some purpose. Thus, there are bulldogs like the American Stanford, the row Brazilian or the bullmastiff. Some breeds have been trained as sheepdogs (the Australian Shepherd or the Border Colie).

Hunting is another of the functions that dogs can perform (hounds, pointiers or beagles are especially gifted for this activity). The tasks they can perform are very diverse: as guide dogs for the blind, as collaborators of the police to detect drugs, to accompany people with physical limitations, to search food, to help in rescue tasks, to detect cancer or as simple companion animals.

In any case, the dog is a very versatile animal and physiologically it has a very unique characteristic: very powerful olfactory receptors, to the point that their smell is a million times greater than that of the humans.

The dog and the humans

Humans used dogs for thousands of years. Apart from its wide capacities and versatility, the dog is an animal that adapts very well to the family environment.

In practice, it is one more member of the family, with its own personality and their traditions. It could be said that it is a humanized animal. In fact, not only does he live with man, but also has at his disposal a whole series of human aspects: veterinarians to take care of his health, specific parks for his physical activity, specialized stores, hotels that admit them as clients, beauty contests, specialized publications, trainers and a long list of possibilities.

The history of the dog has evolved at the same rate as human history

There is data that indicates that dogs were present in the main migratory movements of thousands of years ago. The dog has been a perfect ally for the activity agricultural and livestock and in the urban world it also has a prominent role. From a social point of view, he is considered a faithful friend for humans. The links between humans and dogs are evident in all kinds of circumstances.

Somehow, the dog and the man have something in common, since like humans dogs can act for very noble ends or for heinous actions (for example, dog fighting).

The dog and human language

The human dimension of the dog is revealed in everyday language. In this sense, there are many expressions that refer to them. A dog's life is a hard life. It is said that someone is a dog when he is a lazy person. On the other hand, the dog is very present in the proverb (each dog with his bone, barking dog with little biting, the same dog with a different collar and many other sayings).

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