Though described as the greyhound in Egyptian paleontology or the Molossus in Assyrian history, different breeds are simply varieties, types of dogs, sub-species of Canis familiaris. Dating from antiquity, the development of individual breeds is much more recent than domestication of wild dogs.
Apart from a few breeds such as the Maltese Bichon, whose bloodline was maintained in a limited territory, most dog breeds were produced through selective breeding carried out by humans. Selective breeding only became possible after dogs were domesticated and mating could be controlled.
Adaptation of the Canine Species over Time
Unlike undomesticated species such as crocodiles, which have hardly evolved in two hundred million years (twenty meters on our kilometer scale), the canine species adapted (or was adapted) in record time to a wide range of climates, civilizations, and geographic areas. The Siberian Husky, Mexican Hairless, Pekinese, Great Dane, Boxer and Dachshund, just a few of the four hundred breeds currently standardized by the Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) which, despite their diversity, all belong to the genus Canis familiaris. It is interesting to note that the shape of the head, legs and spine have evolved independently from breed to breed throughout the evolution of domestic dogs.
This diversification began as humans moved from a nomadic to sedentary lifestyle, from "consumer" to "producer", in the late Stone Age. At that time in history, dogs were most likely of medium size and looked like the "Tourbières Loulou" (similar to the modern-day Spitz type) described by von den Driesch in England.
Appearance of Different Types
Two large types appeared in the third millenium in Mesopotamia-the Molosser dogs that protected livestock against predators (bears and ironically, its own ancestor, the wolf) and the greyhound type which was adapted for running and desert regions and which became an indispensable hunting tool for man.
In addition to these two basic types, there undoubtedly were already types that correspond to the primary groups as defined by Kennel Clubs around the world.
Growing Ties between Dogs and Humans
From antiquity, dogs have filled numerous roles and have been used in a wide variety of activities, including fighting, meat production, sled pulling in polar regions, and sacrificial rites in mythology. Later in history, the Roman Empire became the pioneer in dog breeding and was proud to call itself the "fatherland of a thousand dogs", foreshadowing the diversity of dog varieties whose primary uses would be to provide companionship, to guard farms and herds, and to help with the hunt
It is easy to imagine how diversification increased over the centuries as human populations crossed paths through genetic mutation (probably the origin of chondrodystrophic dwarfism in modern Bassets), selective breeding, and natural or voluntary thinning. Some extreme results were achieved, such as the Bulldog originally bred for bull-baiting or the Pekinese that provided companionship to Chinese empresses.
Hunting Dogs and the First Standard
In the Middle Ages, different dog varieties were bred according to their aptitude for various hunting techniques. Bloodhounds and pointers were used to locate game without hunting, scent and sighthounds were used to tire deer, and bird dogs were used to flush feathered game. Barking dogs were also described as being used to pursue prey. The use of bassets for underground hunting was even mentioned. Though it is impossible to positively identify a skeleton as being that of a specific breed, some breeds are no doubt now extinct.
"Fixing" of characteristics, inextricably linked to the concept of standard, did not truly begin until the sixteenth century for hunting dogs. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, an attempt was made to establish a family tree for Buffon's breeds. In the nineteenth century, interest in breeding soared after the first dog shows in London in 1861 and in Paris in 1863.
Thereafter, fanciers strove to create new morphological types from existing breeds. Each breed club has recorded the precise date of the show that officially recognized a breed which, until that point, had been classified only as a variety.
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