Makeup of Dogs +

Understanding The Genetic Make-Up Of The Dog

The co-evolution of dogs and humans has spanned thousands (some say 10’s of thousands of years).  Through selective breeding, wolves were morphed into what we now call “dogs.”  Yet your common house dog shares more than 98% of its DNA with the wolf.  That is a closer relative than any other animal.  Even the Chihuahua is 98% wolf.

The most important thing to remember is that ALL dogs share their DNA with the wolf, yet there is an inherent difference.  Pet dogs (canis familiaris) have been mutated through selective breeding, therefore eliminating many of the raw characteristics of the wolf.  Domestic dogs are bred for their interaction and connection with humans, something that the wolf does not share.  Therefore, because of these differences, we must understand that the dog is a dog and the wolf is a wolf.  

Domestic dogs are highly in-tuned with energy and use body language as a tool of communication.  We have taught the dog to learn verbal cues and to understand the intonations that make up words.  It is because of this skill that dogs can be taught obedience through verbal interaction with humans.  When a dog has not been taught these things, he reverts back to his instincts and uses body language as his primary tool.  

It is important to understand that, because of the dog’s use of reading and demonstrating body language as his primary tool of communication, we must be aware of it and should learn to read it and use it.  What a dog tells you through the movements and posture of his body is more important than what he is saying with his bark.  We will cover this in the section on canine body language.  

What Makes Shelter Dogs Different Than Pet Dogs?

Even though all dogs are dogs, there is an inherent difference in the dogs at the shelter and those in your home.  Shelter dogs cease to be conventional dogs when they enter the shelter.  Everything that makes them “dogs/companions” changes when the one person they believed and trusted in abandons them at the shelter.  It is, at this time, that these dogs often go back to using their instincts to protect themselves ― sort of a predatory drive.  Shelter dogs can be slow to trust or wary of strangers in an effort of self-preservation.  That is why it is important to understand that the behaviors we see at the shelter may be different from what a potential adopter will see when the dog settles into the home.  For this reason, we want to be cognizant that, when describing a dog’s personality to a potential adopter, we preface it by saying, this is what we saw here.  Also, it is important to be aware that the way the dog acts with us may not be the dog’s true nature, but rather a protective nature that he is assuming because of the stress of being at the shelter.  

The shelter environment makes up a litany of stress factors for dogs.  They are isolated from other dogs, yet see them through kennel bars, which can create barrier aggression; there are smells of fear; and sounds that stress the dog as well.  All of these factors, plus the loss of their family, create immense stress on the dog.  It is our job to help the dog lessen their stressors as much as possible and make them adoptable so they can get out of the shelter as soon as possible.

Why Do Dogs End Up In Shelters?

There are as many different reasons why dogs end up in the shelter as there are dogs in the shelter.  Some are abandoned, some end up here because they are too big, too loud, too badly behaved or just no longer loved.  

Unless we are able to get accurate intake notes from the family, chances are we never really know and we are forced to assume.  It will be more important for us to focus on the dog’s need for structure, safety, interaction and mental health so that he may become adoptable, instead of dwelling on the reason someone gave up on him.

Many behaviors that land a dog in the shelter are often human-related.  Humans, often through no fault of their own, prevent dogs from living up to their potential.  Dogs can become protective in certain types of homes, fearful in others, and destructive in others.  If placed with the correct owners, oftentimes these behaviors can be eliminated.  

If we know why a dog ended up in the shelter, it can prove a useful tool to better understand the dog and give us a starting point to understand the dog.  If we don’t know, we can use our skill as handlers to read the dog and determine what we need to know.

Understanding Various Breed Types

There are hundreds of different recognized breeds by the AKC and other kennel clubs, and an unlimited number of mixes.  Why the breeds are important in our work boils down to the simple fact of understanding behaviors, traits and drives.  We can see some physical characteristics in dogs and identify them, but basic drives that make up the genetics of certain breeds and mixes will give us life-saving information on dogs.  Spending time understanding the basics of the breeds will give you a huge advantage to understand what dogs need and what they, oftentimes, don’t need.  This is not a science, because there are dogs within each breed that don’t have all of the inherent characteristics of their breed, but the information is valuable in understanding the overall characteristic of the breed.

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