Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - All About Dog Breeds

Starting point is 00:00:00 When looking at a doxand and a Great Dane, it's hard to believe that these dogs trace back to the same ancestors. Yet, it's true. Through centuries of domestication and selective breeding, humans have transformed dogs into the most diverse mammal species known today. Yet, despite the incredible diversity in dog breeds, remarkably, they are all members of the exact same species. Learn more about the development of dog breeds and why there are so many on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Fear is the virus is trending on TikTok. Vaccines are poison. Then your yoga teacher says that sex traffic children are being sacrificed by satanic liberals.

Starting point is 00:00:53 But it's all okay. The Great Awakening is coming. What is happening? Every week on Conspiratuality Podcast, we explore the fever dreams that suck friends, family, and wellness gurus down the right-wing cult spiral in a search for salvation. To understand the creation of dog breeds, we first have to understand the domestication of dogs. In a previous episode, I covered the domestication of dogs, so if you want a more thorough explanation, I recommend listening to that. But for the sake of this episode, I'll provide a short summary. Dogs hold the distinction of being the first species humans ever domesticated and the only large carnivorous animals to undergo this process.

Starting point is 00:01:41 All dogs are descended from an ancient wolf population, and they're considered to be the same species classified under the scientific name Canus Lupus Familiaris. That means that every domesticated dog, regardless of size, shape, or color, are all the same species. You can tell the dogs are the same species because they can breed with other dogs. In scientific terms, a species is often defined as a group of living organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. While there are some exceptions to this rule, it does apply to dogs. and that means a Chihuahua and a Great Dane can technically interbreed with each other,

Starting point is 00:02:22 although in that particular case there could be some logistical issues. Scientists debate the timing of dog domestication, but most research dates it to around 12,500 to 15,000 years ago, although there are some researchers that claim it could be as early as 130,000 years ago. Dogs were the only species domesticated by hunter-gatherers, and the reasons as to why is debated, but the theories are as follows. One, people domesticated dogs to help with hunting. Two, wolves scavenged at human waste sites, making them more accustomed to people.

Starting point is 00:02:54 Or three, during the Ice Age, humans fed their surplus of lean meat to dogs, eliminating the natural competition between the two species. Regardless of how domestication occurred, the two species evolved alongside each other, and as they evolved, so did new practices, including selective breed. Selective breeding is the reproduction of different plants or animals for specific traits. For dogs, selective breeding has occurred for thousands of years across different continents, countries, and cultures. Unlike many other domesticated species, dogs were initially bred for their behavioral traits rather than their physical traits. These behavioral traits may have

Starting point is 00:03:35 initially just been tameness, with later skills such as tracking or hurting being selected. The region where these dogs were bred also played a role. in the development of different dog breeds. A good example of this is the hurting trait. Scientists hypothesized that all hurting dogs would be closely related genetically because of the trait that had been bred for, regardless of where they were selectively bred. However, they found that that was not true.

Starting point is 00:04:00 In different countries, they prioritize different strategies for hurting flocks and had slightly different genetic pools to work with. By prioritizing different hurting skills, the genetic makeup was found to differ from what was. assumed. Most of the dog breeds that we see in the world today can be traced back to Europe in the Victorian era about 150 to 200 years ago. The Darwinian theory of natural selection highly influenced dog breeding during this period. The process of selective or artificial breeding is similar to that of natural selection, except that instead of the species breeding

Starting point is 00:04:35 for survival, humans intervene to select traits they want an animal. So for dogs, if you want a specific coat color, you simply breed dogs with that coat color and try to make more of them. The Victorian expansion in dog breeds specifically saw more dogs bred for appearance than for behavioral traits. This led to drastic variation in body, skull, and limb proportions across species. As dogs are descended from ancient wolves, many of their distinct physical characteristics are linked to these ancestors. For example, traits like a dog's height can be traced specifically to a more northern species of ancient wolf. As dogs have been bred over the years,

Starting point is 00:05:15 we have seen a distinction between modern and ancient breeds. Ancient dog breeds don't mean that the breed is extinct, instead they were just not developed during the Victorian era. Studies have shown that nine dog breeds can be distinguished from other European origin breeds, and that these breeds are considered the ancient breeds. These ancient breeds can be divided into three regions, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Northern.

Starting point is 00:05:40 The Asian dog breeds include the dingo, the New Guinea singing dog, the Chow Chow, the Akita Inu, and the Sharpeh. The Middle Eastern breeds are the Afghan hound and the Saluki. And finally, the northern ancient breeds include the Alaskan Malamut and the Siberian Husky. The classification of ancient breeds is actually hotly contested. Scientists argue over which dogs fit the terminology, if any dogs should even fit into the terminology, and if the word ancient should be used. Regardless of that, the breeds that I listed are almost always included in any listing of ancient breeds, irrespective of the amount of genetic diversions within the breed. Dogs can be considered purebred or mixed breeds.

Starting point is 00:06:25 The difference is simple. Does the dog have parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., of the same breed, or did two or more different types of dogs breed in the past? A pure-bred dog is traced back through its ancestry by genetic analysis or written records. A dog is said to be purebred when both its parents are considered purebred and if it meets the, quote, standards of the breed. The breed standards are detailed descriptions of each type of dog. These standards include observable behaviors and physical characteristics, considered the most important for the breed. If the dog does not exhibit these characteristics,

Starting point is 00:07:03 it may be considered unacceptable or have faults. Many purebred dogs face health issues, and on average have a shorter lifespan. One of the best examples of this is in dog breeds with shorter noses, like the pug or bulldog. These dogs tend to struggle with breathing because they're selectively bred for short noses, which can lead to obstructed airways. A crossbreed is a dog that is the result of two different breeds mating. Crossbreeding is done artificially, and the best example of this is designer dog breeds. Designer dogs are a relatively new fat emerging in the 20th century. This trend was first seen when breeders crossed purebred poodles with other breeds. The poodle was chosen for its hypoallergenic coat.

Starting point is 00:07:48 Later, other dogs were chosen to be crossbed to inherit the desired characteristics. The puppies resulting from crossbreeding tend to take on traits of both breeds, such as the Golden Doodle, or a golden retriever poodle cross, the Pugel, a pug and a beagle, or the Sherpsky, a husky and a German shepherd, among others. Crossbreeding can help eliminate some genetic problems, but it also carries its own health risks, though these are usually more apparent when two crossbreeds are bred together. Mixed breeds, or mutts, are dogs that cannot be distinguished by one official breed and are instead a mix of two or more. Dogs can be considered mutts, even if they're the result of two purebred

Starting point is 00:08:31 dogs, if they were not bred intentionally. The term mixed breed is also somewhat misleading, as it suggest that dog breeds originated from some single source rather than being artificially created by humans themselves. There are also natural breeds of dogs that developed in isolation from humans. Many natural breeds tend to have longer lifespans than their artificially bred counterparts. Another interesting aspect of dog breeding is the ability to interbreed with other wild members of the canine species. This is possible because all the animals are fundamentally wolf-like subspecies that possess chromosomes, making them relatively indistinguishable from each other. One example of this is the wolf dog.

Starting point is 00:09:15 Wolves are slightly different from domestic dogs with longer legs, slimmer chests, and stronger jaws. When wolves and dogs breed, the ratio of dog to wolf varies from individual to individual. Typically, wolf dogs have narrow chests, long legs, and sharper teeth, and domesticated dogs due to their wolf heritage. Interbreeding can also occur between domestic dogs and coyotes and dingoes. Interbreeding between coyotes and domestic dogs is rare due to their different breeding cycles, but interbreeding between dingoes and domestic dogs is actually rather common. Dingoes have been mating with domestic dogs for years and have become so widespread that many dingoes can be

Starting point is 00:09:54 considered mixed-breed dogs. Pure wild dingoes do exist in some areas and can be considered a midpoint between wolves and dogs. The legality of owning dog hybrids varies by area. In some areas, owning hybrids is completely illegal, in others it's regulated, and in others, there are no laws whatsoever. There are many downsides to the selective breeding of dogs, the largest downside being the lack of genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is important because it helps species survive. Having more traits means the species will be better equipped to adapt to different environments and to face diseases. Losing this diversity can increase a species vulnerability to these risks tenfold.

Starting point is 00:10:38 In dogs, this is most notable in pure breeds, where it poses health problems. One of the best examples of this is with German shepherds. German shepherds have one of the lowest levels of genetic diversity of any dog breed, and this has led to numerous health problems. German shepherds were first bred in the late 1800s. The goal was to breed for hurting and guarding traits and to help protect sheep flocks. They were specifically bred for traits of intelligence and utility. Today, the breed's lack of genetic diversity has become a problem.

Starting point is 00:11:09 Common disorders found within German shepherds include elbow and hip dysplasia and neurological disorders like degenerative myelopathy, which is a progressive weakness and lack of coordination in the back legs, which can lead to paralysis. It is possible to protect purebred breeds from some of these health. health risks. The simplest solution is just to reduce in breeding. By selecting mates with the least relation to each other, the two dogs will be less likely to share genetic conditions that could cause health problems. Another tool is to just increase the number of breeding dogs. Having more male and female dogs to breed with helps prevent future generations of the species from

Starting point is 00:11:47 interbreeding, thereby maintaining genetic diversity. The total number of dog breeds in the world depends on how you define dog breed and what registry or authority that you ask. Based on the ambiguity, there's no single universally agreed upon number. That being said, the American Kennel Club currently recognizes 202 breeds of dog. Worldwide, some global or international registries estimate the total number of recognized dog breeds from major registries in clubs at roughly 4 to 500. And the amazing thing is that all of these dog breeds and many of the crosses between them all originate from a single wolf species that got friendly with humans thousands of years ago.

Starting point is 00:12:37 The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kiefer. Research and writing for this episode was provided by Olivia Ash. My big thanks go to everyone who supports a show over on Patreon. Your support helps make this podcast possible. And I also want to remind everyone about the community groups on Facebook and Discord. This is where everything happens that's outside of the show. As always, if you leave a review on any major podcast app or in the above community groups,

Starting point is 00:13:06 you two can have it read on the show.

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - All About Dog Breeds

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