About Dogs

The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history.

The word "dog" may also mean the male of a canine species,as opposed to the word "bitch" for the female of the species.

The dog quickly became ubiquitous across world cultures, and was extremely valuable to early human settlements. For instance, it is believed that the successful emigration across the Bering Strait might not have been possible without sled dogs. Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, protection, assisting police and military, companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals. This versatility, more than almost any other known animal, has given them the nickname "Man's best friend" in the western world. Currently, there are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.

Over the 15,000 year span that the dog had been domesticated, it diverged into only a handful of landraces, groups of similar animals whose morphology and behavior have been shaped by environmental factors and functional roles. As the modern understanding of genetics developed, humans began to intentionally breed dogs for a wide range of specific traits. Through this process, the dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds, and shows more behavioral and morphological variation than any other land mammal. For example, height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; color varies from white through grays (usually called "blue'") to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; coats can be short or long, coarse-haired to wool-like, straight, curly, or smooth. It is common for most breeds to shed this coat.

Yellow Labrador Retriever, the most registered breed of 2009 with the AKC.

Building Your Own Dog Kennel

Once you start thinking about buying a dog you will automatically start to think of all the accessories that will need to be bought for it: water and food bowls, a bed, toys and the all important dog kennel. Dog kennels are recommended by dog behaviourists as a good place to put your dog when you don’t want him under your feet or if you have visitors are nervous around him. It is important that the kennel is seen as a safe and comfortable place and is not used as a form of punishment. Of course once you have decided that you need a kennel you will be swamped with the huge variety available, from plastic portable kennels, through kennel cages to the traditional wooden dog kennel.

If you decide that you would like a wooden home for your dog then you may find building a dog kennel to be a very satisfying experience. Start by drawing out dog kennel plans which show 3D dimensions of the structure. It needs to be taller than head height, long enough to lie down in and wide enough to turn around in. One of the advantages of producing your own dog kennel design is that you can make it unique and ensure that it has all the features that your dog requires. It is important that the kennel is insulated to keep in the heat in the winter and to keep it cool in the summer and that it is made from good quality wood which won’t warp after a few seasons of rain and sunshine.

Your dog kennel design can be as elaborate as your woodworking skills will allow. Some people have kennels with 2 rooms so that the dog has somewhere to sleep and another room to rest in with a view of the outside world. A flat roof is easier to build but a pitched roof is more attractive if you want something aesthetically pleasing.