Dog breeds are the result of purposeful human work. primitive dogs

Primitive (aboriginal, natural) are called such breeds of farm animals that developed spontaneously and in the creation of which natural selection was more important than in the life of factory breeds. These are the breeds of extensive forms of agriculture, the low state of its economy, the low level of breeding technology, feeding and keeping animals.

Due to the great dependence of primitive breeds on natural conditions and the much less influence of methodological selection on them, they show less variability, greater uniformity; the natural type of economy and the low level of its technology did not contribute either to the narrow specialization of primitive breeds or to the development of high productivity in them. For many centuries, primitive breeds have been bred in conditions close to natural. They are well adapted to the local conditions of existence, they are distinguished by their strength, endurance, more harmonious constitution and more often universal productivity. For example, representatives of primitive breeds of cattle equally produce both meat and dairy products, and are also used as working animals, but none of the types of productivity develops in them to the size characteristic of representatives of factory breeds. The evolution of primitive breeds, due to slow changes in natural conditions and the low level of agriculture, is extremely slow.

Differentiation of primitive breeds, their division into different groups - offspring - and the formation of a certain structure in the breed under various economic and climatic and geographical conditions occur in different ways, their intrabreed heterogeneous ™ (structure) is created spontaneously, mainly under the influence of natural conditions. Cattle and horses of the former nomads of the southeastern steppes - the Kirghiz, Kazakhs, Kalmyks, are usually cited as an example of primitive breeds. In a harsh climate, with hot, dry summers (when all the steppe vegetation burns out) and cold winters, with snowstorms and sleet, primitive Kalmyk (Fig. 113) and Kyrgyz cattle were formed, distinguished by their adaptability to local conditions, exceptional endurance, undemanding to feed , the ability to quickly build up meat and store fat reserves.

The Kirghiz breed of horses also belongs to the primitive (Fig. 113), which developed under the conditions of the primitive nomadic economy of the Kirghiz. Being an animal of universal purpose, the Kyrgyz horse gave a person both food (milk and meat), and clothes, and also served as a good means of transportation (under the top, pack and harness). This group of breeds also includes local pigs preserved in some places, which are distinguished by their small stature, late maturity, but great endurance and adaptability to local natural conditions. It should be noted that by now primitive breeds in the past have changed and improved significantly under the influence of proper feeding, maintenance and crossing of their representatives with animals of more productive factory breeds.

Thus, the characteristic features of primitive breeds include: 1) relatively small growth (the result of poor feeding and harsh living conditions); 2) universal and rather low productivity; 3) endurance, strength, resistance to many diseases and unpretentiousness to feed; 4) late maturation (under conditions of scarce feeding, only those individuals that could be content with a minimum amount of food, and in a favorable season, were distinguished by a greater ability to deposit reserves, remained in the process of evolution); 5) less variability. Due to the fact that primitive breeds have been bred for many generations in relatively little changing environmental conditions, and also due to the elimination by natural selection of animals with significant deviations, as not corresponding to the conditions of life, these breeds are characterized by a more stable heredity; among them there is not that variety of forms and hereditary wealth, which is observed among factory breeds. All these features have been developed over the centuries in the conditions of a primitive extensive economy.

Rice. 113. Above - a Kalmyk cow; bottom and bottom - a horse of the Kyrgyz breed.

Some authors single out native, or aboriginal, breeds as a special group. These are mostly primitive or transitional breeds with a relatively small range. The formation of native breeds was facilitated by the specific natural and economic conditions of isolated areas, due to which mixing with animals from other areas did not occur. Aboriginal breeds, well adapted to the conditions of their ranges, are often of considerable economic value; due to a number of unfavorable conditions (in the given area), they cannot be replaced by imported, more productive factory breeds. The nature of the unfavorable conditions preventing the introduction of more productive species is usually such that it is either impossible to change the conditions, or this requires large expenditures and a long time (for example, the poverty of soils in calcium, phosphorus and other mineral salts, unfavorable climatic conditions, the spread of specific local animal diseases). etc.).

Experiencing the action of the specific conditions of natural selection, native breeds, by their hereditary characteristics, are of great value as material for the creation of new breeds that are highly productive and adapted to local conditions.

Currently, the problem of preserving native and local breeds of domestic animals, including dogs, is recognized by the world community as one of the important areas in the preservation of the cultural and natural heritage of our planet. Since 1974 two UN agencies: the Environment Program (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), jointly run several projects in this direction.

In cases where the gene pool is preserved for a long time in a local area, it represents a natural wealth, no less valuable than the reserves of coal, oil, gold, etc. In our country, these are the gene pools of many local breeds of domestic animals, horses, cattle, birds and, of course, dogs - the most ancient companions of man.

The well-known geneticist A. S. Serebrovsky pointed out two processes that change the composition of the gene pool: selection (natural and artificial), which seeks to multiply some genes and eliminate others, and mutation, which creates new genes. The breed gene pool is usually considered as a complex of hereditary inclinations, or a set of genes and their alleles, which determine the main characteristics and qualities of the breed. In the literal sense, the gene pool of any kind of domestic animals is determined by the diversity of breeds, offspring, populations and individual animals, which generally corresponds to the concept of “genetic resources”.

Dogs have been with humans for centuries. Faithfully serves to protect the territory and property of the owner, guard livestock, participate in military battles, help in hunting, is used as a draft force, and even acts as a sacred animal. How many years have passed since the first dog approached the human fire is not known for certain. Most scientists are inclined to believe that the first dogs appeared in East Asia about sixteen thousand years ago. During this time, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, but dogs continue to faithfully serve humanity.

Dog breeds, as you know, are divided into two large subgroups: factory - bred with the direct participation of man and aboriginal or primitive - formed over many centuries under the influence of nature itself. Aboriginal dog breeds are a natural wealth, no less valuable than minerals and ancient artifacts. Their gene pool is still used to breed and improve the quality of factory breeds. The exterior of the natives is maximally adapted to the conditions of existence in a certain territory.

Domestic aborigines are rather large individuals with well-developed bones, powerful muscles, rough or strong type of constitution. The coat of dogs of native breeds can be both short and long, but there is always a thick undercoat, thanks to which the dog feels very comfortable both in frost and in heat. In addition, the undercoat, coupled with dense but elastic skin, protects the aborigine from the fangs of a predator, does not allow you to quickly get to the vital organs.

Another distinctive feature that is characteristic of aboriginal breeds is the ability to make independent decisions. At a time when dogs worked to guard the herds, for example, the shepherd practically participated in the process. His task was to drive cattle to richer pastures as needed. Everything else was done by dogs. They gathered a flock, not allowing them to scatter, protected from wolves and thieves, which were many at that time. The shepherd had only a sharp dagger as a weapon, so dogs served as the main weapon. It was on them that the life of the shepherd and the safety of the herd depended.

The shepherd did not manage the dogs in any way, they themselves decided how to carry out their service. In addition, the dogs were forced to get their own food. The owner's food supplies were extremely small and by sharing a piece of cake with the dogs, he himself risked being left hungry. Small and not very small rodents, frogs, lizards served as food for dogs. Anything that can be caught and eaten. If fruit trees could be found nearby, the dogs did not disdain to eat the fruits. But never, under any circumstances, did the working dog touch the cattle belonging to the owner.

The highest demands were placed on the dogs. Therefore, people practically did not control mating. The dogs who returned to the village themselves decided who would be the father of the offspring of this or that bitch. Often there were skirmishes between the males, the winner received the right to the "first night". Thus, only the strongest male, with the most functional exterior, could leave offspring. The female gave birth on her own, without any veterinary help. The bitch that did not cope with its task was destroyed. Puppies were also left to their own devices, naturally, only the strongest, most adapted to life individuals survived. It was from such puppies that later loyal and uncompromising working dogs grew up.

Natural selection has done its job. All aboriginal dogs have excellent health, the ability to think and make decisions independently, their exterior is as functional as possible, the psyche is iron.

These dogs are not easy to train. Under natural conditions, natives work and survive without human help. Recently, I often wonder: why do aborigines need a person? There is only one answer so far. Aborigines are the strongest empaths, they feel our attitude. Love and respect from the owner, the dogs need, like air. And just for the enthusiastic praise of a loved one, the dog is ready to move mountains. This is what the whole training process should be built on. Firstly, you need to achieve complete voluntary (!) Submission from the dog. And only then ask to perform this or that action.

The hand of a native dog trainer must be both soft and hard at the same time. Severe pressure, as well as an overly loyal attitude, will not work. In the first case, you will get forced aggression - the dog will sooner or later begin to defend itself or close in on itself, and it is extremely difficult to break through the armor, detached from the world of an aboriginal dog! In the second case, the dog will take a vacant, as it seems to her, leader position and begin to train you. Deciding who is worthy to bring food to her, and who is not, who has the right to go out into the yard in the evening, and who is under house arrest...

Aboriginal dogs are very dominant. Give up - you'll regret it. They are very well versed in the intricacies of human nature and perfectly recognize falsehood. If you really love a dog, she will answer you the same. He will love, follow your commands and protect your life, without hesitation giving his own. These are the best guards and companions. Aboriginal dogs have a reputation for not being trained, don't believe it! This statement is wrong! This has been proven by many aboriginal dog owners, myself included. Give your dog the right motivation and he will hang on to your every word, every fleeting desire.

Currently, many native breeds of dogs are taken under the wing of factory breeding. On the one hand, this is not bad, because with a competent approach, you can strengthen the desirable signs and weaken the undesirable ones. But one must act very carefully here. Aboriginal dog breeds are divided into several types. For example, mountain and steppe natives, within the same breed, are different. Laek has already been divided into three different breeds with the light hand of the cynologist E. Shereshevsky.

Now we have Russian-European, West Siberian and East Siberian Laika. But this is one breed, and by crossing the Russian-European and East Siberian huskies, for example, we could improve the exterior and working qualities of the breed ... But it’s impossible, puppies will be considered mestizos. Nevertheless, Siberian hunters have not taken into account the presence or absence of pedigrees for a long time and, without a twinge of conscience, knit three types among themselves. When hunting, papers are not important, the main thing is working qualities and a functional exterior. I have seen Siberian hunters' huskies. Despite the lack of documents, the dogs are beautifully built and would give a hundred points ahead to any show husky.

Now they are talking about the division of the Caucasian Shepherd Dog into long-haired and short-haired. With a shudder, I think about what will happen if this happens. But I hope that conversations will remain conversations.

The task of modern breeders of native breeds is to preserve the unique qualities of dogs as much as possible. Do not focus only on the exterior, psyche or working qualities, for example. All characteristics characteristic of the breed must be in the complex! The benefit of breeding material in the native habitats of native breeds is still enough ...

The native breeds of Russia and the countries of the former USSR include: Caucasian and Central Asian Shepherd Dogs, all types of sledding and hunting Laikas, Tibetan Mastiff, Mongolian Shepherd Dog, South Russian Shepherd Dog. The "import" primitive breeds include the Cirneco del Etna, the New Guinean singing dog, the Korean jindo, the Mexican hairless dog, the Vietnamese Fukuoka dog, the Peruvian Inca orchid, and many other breeds, their own for each locality. All of them have a functional exterior, good health and amazing working qualities.

If we talk about the characteristic features of primitive dogs, then first of all I would like to highlight the signs of their exterior and behavior. Primitive dogs, or aboriginal ones, are dry, fried, but not like the Whippet and all greyhounds. Man created greyhounds purposefully for fast, lightning-fast running. These are excellent runners, frisky and passionate for the most part. Their “politeness”, which P. Machevarianov characterizes as: “not observance of secular decency, but the quality when she (the dog) is obedient - obeys the whistle and the voice of the hunter, does not rush either to people, or to dogs, or to other domestic animals , despite the fact that she is reckless, greedy and spiteful for a wild beast ”(Machevarianov, 1876 (2006)), cultivated in parallel with speed qualities. Aboriginal dogs are not like that. See and interact with a Thai Ridgeback, a Mexican Hairless Dog, or a Pharaoh Hound! These are no signs of heavy conformation like the Molossian, but not with the same topline as the Greyhounds. They are aloof dogs. Cold temperament. It is better for beginners not to get such dogs. The best rule for their cultivation are: Love, Patience and Forgiveness. The so-called "socialization" with the natives is not a stupid acquaintance with everyone in different conditions, but an accurate understanding that the artificial selection of these dogs bypassed. In other words, they lived near a person with traditional views on life, nature, religion. There was a selection. But first of all, on viability, vitality, resistance to climate. These are the dogs that participated in ancient rituals, esoteric activities. Socialization is not the accumulation of a sum of knowledge, not the accumulation of experience. This is a strict correspondence of the hierarchy of instincts to stable environmental factors. The form of stability is given by breeders. If the breeder is a person from a traditional community, then from century to century cultivation, feeding, treatment, communication, ritual hoaxes take on the character of the functioning of hereditary coordinations. And as we know, only those forms of behavior, including learning, that are hereditarily modifiable are adaptive (Lorenz, 1973 (1998)).

Alertness of aboriginal dogs is their essence. Their lack of emotion, but not the same as that of Chow Chow or Japanese Akita, is the same! Primitives are low-sounding, silent, but with rich overtone colors in their voice in case of showing submission to the owner or requests for food, go for a walk, or when attacking various animals. Their sense organs are "sharpened" and "sharpened" by nature itself. Those semi-wild conditions of living next to traditional human communities created from century to century an unpretentious dog in terms of climate. Their circulatory system is especially adaptive. The immune system is quite strong. In the blood, an increased content (compared to cultural, English-derived breeds) of erythrocytes, the number of precipitated erythrocytes and the level of hemoglobin (Kimura et al., 1992). The auricle of all aborigines is like that of wild animals. It is raised high above the skull. The ear is shaped like an isosceles triangle. In early ontogenesis, there are no problems with ear elevation, i.e. with the transition of hyaline cartilage into a solid form (compared, for example, with Giant Schnauzers, or with any breeds with a type of constitution: rough, loose). The property of lop-earedness and the depigmentation associated with it (the presence of white spots) and the appearance of "jackal sycophancy" is characteristic of domesticated forms. In the process of “breaking” behavior, the morphological and physiological changes mentioned above are manifested in all mammals, from mice to foxes (Belyaev, 1981). Also, in my thesis, I showed a change in the behavior of a wild water vole (Arvicola terrestris L.) with the presence of white spots (Bragin et al., 2002). These animals were less aggressive in mating tests and more playful, and showed different types of olfactory contacts much more often than non-spotted voles. Moreover, the data were obtained both on individuals born in natural conditions and in the conditions of the vivarium of the Institute of Economics and Life of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. As I have already said, the alertness of the behavior of native forms of dogs is a basic ethological feature. What is this concern? What is its adaptive value? WHY is she to them? I will give three examples. These are observations of breed differences in natural conditions (no experiment) on a standard size Mexican hairless dog and a miniature schnauzer. Both males belong to me.

1 case. We walk in the academic city of Novosibirsk in the evening in the spring. As always, dogs are not on a leash. They walk freely. We pass by the restaurant. There is a man on his porch. The dogs run past at a trot. Suddenly, he slips and jumps sharply and almost falls, holding on to his feet with difficulty. What was the behavior of dogs of two breeds opposite in origin? One is an aborigine, the second is a cultural German breed, originating from the 19th century from a mongrel of the western lands of Germany - a standard schnauzer. Aborigine SO rebounded!!! The rebound speed is great. In a fraction of a second, he flew off 10 meters and stopped silently in a wary pose, waiting only for further changes in the external environment. And, in case of further danger, the Viking (that is the name of this native) would simply run further. The Schnauzer behaved as befits a dog classified by the FCI as a service group of breeds. He immediately growled with a gurgle in his throat. The whole tensed up and put the hair in a comb from the occiput to the base of the tail! He got up on his tiptoes. Don't run away! With all his appearance, he said: “What is happening? Hey? Do you hear what? Crazy? Now you can get it from me!"

2nd case. We go with the males through the forest of the academic campus. I am with a stroller where my 2nd son sleeps. Behind us, two people are catching up with two German shepherds and a large mongrel. I decide to skip them, so that later I can also calmly go for a walk. Xolo (Mexican) I take on a leash. He has powerful hunting instincts, but he is not at all aggressively oriented towards a person. Zwerg runs around. When the dog breeders came close I recognized them. We met them last summer. I exclaimed: “Oh, old friends!”. And we decided to let the dogs run around so that they could talk. The owner of the German dog took off his muzzle and unhooked the leash. Xolo ran up to the German and stopped 5 meters away in suspense, studying the huge black-backed male, sensing something was wrong, either by smell, or visually and acoustically. And at this time, my white zwerg was already standing under the belly of this male and, as usual, tried to dominate with all the accompanying poses and gestures and sounds, as if saying: “Hey, do you hear, where are you from? BUT? Who do you know, huh? Get out! I'm going to kick your ass now!" The German ripped him off!!! Like a rag!!! They quickly separated. Treated for a week. Seams and drainage were avoided, thank God!

3rd case. We return from the forest from a walk. You have to go through the yards. The zwerg runs alongside, and the xolo is on a noose leash. We came up to the corner of the house where we usually pass. And suddenly the Xolo, walking to the left on a noose, began to leave with force and persistently forward and to the right. The corner of the house is on the left. Xolo was so insistent that I gave in and followed him. Turning to the right, I looked, what was there on the left? There was nothing special there, only on the 3rd floor of a brick 4-storey building they changed window wooden double-glazed windows to plastic ones. This alerted the native! And the zwerg did not pay attention to the danger from above at all and bravely, like a soldier, proudly trotted home next to me.
These natural data showed that the natives are constantly in a basic state of caution. They are motivated by fear. Primitive breed dogs should not be trained as service breed dogs. That is, if a Rottweiler or Giant Schnauzer requires a clear dominant-subordinate relationship, and in case of loss and weakening of this connection and weakening of attachment to the owner, the training method will be based, among other things, on physical impact on the dog, which, with the necessary degree of impact, will not affect attachment to the owner, then the aborigines with their increased motivation of fear, as the basis for over-caution, will not be positively affected by this method. Only consistent gentleness towards an aboriginal dog will create both affection for a person and the necessary hierarchical relationships! Primitives are constantly scanning their environment. Their senses are remarkably attuned to such a scan! And it cannot be said that the natives are "stupid as greyhounds." Firstly, greyhounds are not traditionally brought up in the spirit of servicemen, L. Sabaneev and P. Machevarianov wrote about this. Service-working training can completely drown out the sweetness of the beast. Olga Bondareva in her excellent book "Life in Four Dogs" (2010) describes the behavior of the Russian greyhound as an intellectual creature with sagacity, ingenuity, a certain amount of cunning and much more with amazing clarity, detail and great love. other qualities of our native Russian breed! As for native breeds, my Viking (Mexican naked) in winter in Siberia SPECIALLY tried to show my schnauzer how to get over the board through a ditch with pipes in the ground. This video is on my social media. group "Ethology, zoopsychology in Novosibirsk" https://vk.com/videos-56579919?z. And once I witnessed how Viking, as usual, together with a schnauzer, his friend, attacked a cat at home. The cat always provokes, attacks, and runs into the bedroom, where dogs are not allowed. Taboo! And now the cat, got into two mouths and eight paws of my two dogs, started a bunch of little things, and didn’t even have time to run out of the kitchen into the bedroom, because in a split second, the Mexican simply extrapolated with lightning speed IN ADVANCE and blocked the exit from the kitchen with his body ! I repeat, it was sudden, lightning fast and impressive in its methodology! And whatever the schnauzer with its cultural selection in the genes, HE NOT blocked the cat's exit, anticipating the situation in ADVANCE. I think that in the famous model for assessing the mental abilities of animals, corr. USSR Academy of Sciences L.V. Krushinsky (Krushinsky, 1986), native breeds of dogs would take their place somewhere between the corvids and the wolf.

Spitz-like and primitive dogs are known to everyone. Sometimes they are also called native breeds. These dogs differ from the factory ones in that they were born solely due to natural selection in an evolutionary way.

Many experts are convinced that the definition of "primitive" is incorrect, but in this context it has a synonym: "natural", which is fully consistent with their origin and future lifestyle.

The variety of spitz and primitive aboriginal dogs increases from north to south, exactly in accordance with nature, just as strictly to the south the diversity of wild fauna in general increases.

Moreover, in the zone of their habitat in the polar zone, sled dogs are very similar to each other; in the tundra, their species diversity increases, because. shepherd dogs, hunting huskies, etc. live and work here. And most of all types of primitives are in the tropics.

Advantages

These are very healthy dogs that almost do not suffer from genetic diseases inherent in factory breeds. Their good health is the result of centuries of natural selection, when a puppy faces a tough choice: survive or die.

These dogs are naturally accustomed to work, which gives them food. They must periodically perform their watchdog, hunting or riding functions. Otherwise, the breed will deteriorate, and the dogs will get sick.

Spitz and primitives are not demanding on living conditions. They easily withstand severe polar frosts and do not need special food or vitamins in order not to get sick. Their body in the most severe conditions works like a clock.

Flaws

These dogs feel very independent and self-sufficient. They understand that they practically do not depend on a person, do not perceive him as their master. Therefore, they do not particularly obey a person and are difficult to train.

Spitz-shaped and primitive breeds, as a rule, have a cold temperament, they do not seek to make contact, so an inexperienced dog breeder should not get such a dog. It requires a lot of patience.

General signs

Spitz and primitive dogs are characterized by a dry and lean exterior. Moreover, it is natural, natural, and not cultivated, like greyhounds. Their body is shaped this way by millennia of struggle for survival.

Spitz and primitive dogs are usually silent. They practically do not bark, but only occasionally grumble. They have well-developed necessary sense organs: sight, hearing and smell, excellent immunity, high content of red blood cells, etc.

These dogs, as a rule, live in packs, within each pack there is its own system of subordination and leader, to which Spitz and primitive dogs strictly obey.

All spitz and primitives have high intelligence, which has developed as a result of the constant struggle for their existence, as well as the performance of certain work: hunting, moving goods in a team, protecting people, material values, etc.

Types of primitive native dogs

There are a great many of these species; an ordered scientific classification does not exist today. Here are just a few of them:

1) Sled dogs common in the tundra and polar deserts.

2) Reindeer dogs living in the tundra from Scandinavia to the Far East.

3) Spitz-shaped hunting dogs from Scandinavia, the taiga part of Siberia, China, and Japan.

4) Dogs hunting rabbits in the Mediterranean.

5) Lop-eared hunting dogs from North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

6) Dogs guarding livestock throughout Eurasia from Portugal to Mongolia.

Spitz Dog Breeds

These dogs have a strong constitution and a harmonious physique, they have tails bent to the back in the form of a spiral, sharp erect ears and a pointed muzzle. This is the traditional image of a dog.

When purchasing a dog of this breed, you should remember that it was not created for entertainment on sofa cushions. Before you is a real working dog, which needs constant physical activity, otherwise it may get sick.

Today, only in northern countries: Russia, Finland, Norway, spitz-shaped dogs are used as hunting or sled dogs. In warmer regions, most often they become companions or just decorative dogs.

canaan dog

This is the only dog ​​that was bred in Israel in the 30s of the last century. In its homeland, it still lives today in a wild or semi-wild form. This is a tall, large dog, outwardly similar to a large Spitz.

The Canaan dog has excellent health, it is capable of being a watchman, serving in the army or police, detaining criminals or searching for drugs. Due to her stable psyche, she is often used as a guide.

Finnish Lapphund

This is a representative of the Arctic spitz-shaped dogs capable of herding herds of deer. The Finnish Lapphund has absolutely no hunting instinct, and he cannot perform the functions of a watchman.

Today, these dogs are most often used as companions, they like to perform in dog sports competitions, at exhibitions, and are suitable for search and rescue services. This Lapphund is one of the most popular breeds in Finland.

Italian Volpino

This Spitz hails from Florence. It is also called the palace dog. His ancestor was a Spitz who lived in Europe in the Bronze Age. Volpino means "fox" in Italian. The history of the breed begins in 1901.

The dog has a small and harmonious physique, has a beautiful raised coat of white color. It has a cheerful character, very smart, loves to play, especially with children. An excellent companion.

Nenets Laika

This Laika has retained all the features of primitive dogs that formed in the European tundra after the Ice Age. It is widely used for deer herding and hunting. Experts consider her the closest relative of the German Spitz.

The Nenets Laika has a strong and light physique, a balanced psyche, can be a partner in polar expeditions and just a family friend. This is a very hardy and healthy dog, performing the assigned work only "excellent".

german spitz

These dogs are direct descendants of European peat dogs that lived in Europe in the Stone Age. The German Spitz is considered the oldest breed on the continent, and many other breeds of modern and extinct dogs descended from it.

Like all Spitz, this breed has an excellent physique with a developed chest. They can have a very different color of thick wool. The dog has a calm, balanced character, it can be kept in a city apartment.

chow chow

This is one of the oldest breeds of guard dogs, its name is translated from Chinese as "shaggy lion". She really looks like a lion, only a small one. Belongs to the category of Spitz-shaped dogs.

Chow chows have been known in China for at least 2,000 years. In ancient times, they were used for hunting, for guarding herds of deer, and even as sled dogs. This breed was bred in Buddhist monasteries. Today Chow Chows are popular decorative dogs.

Yamthund

This is a large Swedish husky, also related to spitz-shaped dog breeds. It is intended for deer hunting. An independent breed appeared in the middle of the 20th century; these dogs are very similar to their Norwegian counterparts, but larger than them.

In the old days, the yamthund also went to bear and lynx. He can perform the duties of a shepherd, guard or sled dog. In Sweden, the Yamthund is sometimes used in military and police service.

Siberian Husky

This native dog is one of the oldest breeds on earth and a distant relative of the Spitz. It is used as a sled dog, and also relished by the Russians as a companion.

The Siberian Husky is medium in size, it can be kept in an apartment, but be sure to walk outside the city every day. There are many Siberian Husky clubs in Russia, where sledding competitions are held between these sled dogs.

Alaskan malamute

Another powerful native sled dog, which is one of the symbols of Alaska. Malamutes, like all spitz-shaped dogs, descended from wolves. This is a working breed that still regularly performs its duties in a team.

Feature of the breed: Malamutes almost do not bark, like their ancestors, wolves. This is a very hardy dog, able to survive many hardships. It has a high level of intelligence, but you need to educate it from early childhood.

Akita Inu

This spitz-like breed originated in Japan. Hundreds of years ago, these dogs were taken to hunt large game, incl. on a bear. Archaeological excavations have shown that such dogs have existed in Japan for over 2,000 years.

Akita has a beautiful thick and fluffy fur, most often with a red color. You can keep it, both in the apartment and in the open-air cage on the street, it is unpretentious. The Japanese consider the Akita Inu to be the real treasure of Japan.

The Japanese have a proverb: "If you love a flower, then love the pot in which it grows." If we love our four-legged pets: dogs, cats, horses and all those whom we have tamed, we will constantly strive to learn as much as possible about everything connected with them in order to understand what the soul-gazing eyes that catch each one say. our movement.

Almost all native Japanese dog breeds are of Spitz type. The only exception is, which is not considered a completely native breed. As Barbara Bouyet writes in Akita, Japan's Treasure, most Japanese dog breeds are Spitz or "Northern Dogs" and have similar physical characteristics: small erect ears, tail curled into a ring on the back, and short "double" coats. (with coarse guard hair and thick undercoat) and a head in the shape of a triangle.

The differences between them are minor and relate to size, coat color, area of ​​​​their use and other additional characteristics. In Japan itself, because of such a great similarity, local dog breeds are divided into three groups:

Large -,
medium-sized - kai, quishu, ainu and shikoku,
small - shiba.

The names of most Japanese breeds go back to the specific areas and areas of Japan where they come from: Akita Prefecture on the island of Honshu, Tosa Province (the former name of Kochi Prefecture) on the island of Shikoku (former spelling in the old Russian spelling Shikoku), the islands of Hokkaido and Shikoku. The only breed that is not associated with a particular region of Japan is the Shiba Inu. In the name of Japanese dogs, the second part is "inu" (sometimes its synonym is "ken", as in the former name "hokkaido-ken", which was replaced by "hokkaido-inu" in 1937, this breed is also known as "ainu-ken". " or simply "Ainu") is a Japanese word meaning "dog". Thus, the names of Japanese breeds mean "dog from Akita", "dog from Kochi", "dog from Shikoku", etc.

Both the Akita Inu and the Tosa Inu were originally purebred Japanese native dogs, but were subsequently crossed with Western dog breeds. Strictly speaking, at present they cannot be considered purebred native Japanese breeds (especially the Tosa Inu). The Japanese Chin, Japanese Spitz and Japanese Terrier are not considered native Japanese breeds. In 1928, the Japanese Dog Preservation Organization (Nihon Ken Hozonkai, abbreviated as Nippo) was founded, recognized by the Japanese government as an official body that preserves native Japanese dogs, saving them from extinction. This organization held its first dog show in 1928. In 1931, seven out of ten Japanese breeds were declared national natural monuments in Japan.

During the Second World War, the number of dogs of native Japanese breeds declined sharply. In the post-war years, thanks to the enthusiasm of fanciers and the work of various societies for the preservation of Japanese dogs, it was possible to restore the pre-war stock. In 1948, the Japanese Kennel Club (JKC) was established, recognized by the Japanese government as the "unified association for all dog breeds", which, together with Nippo, works to preserve the native dogs of Japan. The Japanese value native dog breeds very much, as they are believed to have special qualities that are associated with the concepts of fortitude, obedience, devotion, courage, and self-respect.

The temperament of Japanese dogs is distinguished by calmness, thoughtfulness of actions and tact. Their almost triangular shaped eyes, with their outer corners turned up, are deep set, suggesting "a spirit burning within." Another distinguishing feature of most native Japanese breeds is their "silence": they bark only when "there is something to bark about." This is due to the fact that they were bred specifically as hunting dogs. At the same time, Japanese dogs are in great need of constant human society: puppies must be brought up in the house, and adult dogs cannot be kept in the "backyard", as they develop personality problems and their behavior can cause very great damage. Japanese dogs need to be in their “human family” at all times, and isolating them from their owner and family members causes them great stress, which is also due to the long history of these breeds.

The oldest dog breeds

In 2004, the article “Genetic Structure of the Purebred Domestic Dog” (Heidi G. Parker et al., “Genetic Structure of the Purebred Domestic Dog”, “Science”, May, 2004) published the results of genetic studies of 85 out of 167 breeds, registered by the American Kennel Club, which were conducted by a group of scientists led by Heidi Parker. As a result of these studies, it was found that in some breeds, although geographically distant from each other, there was no replacement of certain elements of the genetic structure characteristic of the wolf. These results confirmed the assumptions of some scientists that in ancient times the early pariah dogs, originating from Asia, along with nomadic groups of people, migrated both to southern Africa and north to the Arctic.

This group included northern breeds that phenotypically resemble the wolf, such as the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky. They showed the greatest genetic affinity to the wolf, which is the immediate ancestor of domestic dogs. "Dogs from this group can be considered the best representatives of the ancestral canine gene pool," the article says. There were 14 such breeds among those studied. This genetic group included: Basenji (Central Africa), Saluki and Afghan Hound (Middle East), Tibetan Terrier and Lhasa Apso (Tibet), Chow Chow, Pekingese, Shar Pei and Shih Tzu (China ), Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky and Samoyed dog (Arctic), Akita and Shiba Inu (Japan). Scientists also noted that there are about 400 dog breeds in the world, and only 85 have been studied, so it is possible that further research will establish that there are other ancient dog breeds.

primitive dogs

Fans of Japanese native breeds such as Akita and Shiba Inu know that they are classified as so-called primitive dog breeds.

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) classifies as primitive breeds all northern dog breeds, the European and Asian Spitz, some breeds of greyhounds and the Thai Ridgeback. The fifth section of the 5th group, which is entitled "European and Asian Spitz", lists such breeds as: Chinese Chow Chow, German Eurasian (Oirasier), Korean Jindo, seven Japanese breeds - Akita, Hokkaido, Japanese Spitz, Kai, Kishu , Shiba and Shikoku, as well as, as a "pre-adopted" Taiwanese dog (Formosan Mountain Dog or simply Formosan). Primitive or aboriginal dogs are canines that have been preserved in a form close to their original form and have evolved with little or no human intervention. They spread around the world with the most ancient people who colonized new lands, but at the same time they retained a weak connection with man. In all countries, primitive dogs have a similar, typical morphology, known as the "long-term pariah morphotype" - this is the body structure that most other forms of dogs originally possessed.

Aboriginal dogs are characterized by a similar appearance to a wolf or a fox: a wedge-shaped head with a tapering muzzle, almond-shaped eyes, erect ears for optimal sound pickup and, possibly, regulation of body temperature, and a long, curved tail. An example of this type of dog is the Australian dingo dog, which was brought to the Australian continent from Southeast Asia about five thousand years ago. Most primitive dogs share characteristics not usually found in domestic dog breeds. In primitive dogs, there is only one estrous cycle per year, occurring within a specific season. These dogs make characteristic howling sounds. When hunting, primitive dogs use the set of sensations received by all the senses given to them by nature to search for prey, just as the wolf does.

They are very alert and, if kept as pet dogs, will usually warn their owner of the approach of an outsider long before other pet dogs sense it. Despite such outstanding qualities, primitive dogs are often considered pests in their homeland and lack protection, while their census and registration, as well as the maintenance of pedigree books and registers, could protect these genetically unique breeds from destruction and assimilation into stray populations. and purebred dogs. Where humans appreciated their uniqueness and cared for them, dogs from aboriginal populations of pariah dogs served as the basis for the creation of breeds of domestic dogs, which were bred in captivity under human controlled conditions. Examples of such breeds are the Basenji or African barking dog, the Israeli Canaan dog, the Korean Jindo or Jindo dog, and some forms of native Japanese breeds such as the Akita Inu and Shiba Inu, which have been recognized by international canine organizations.

Islands inhabited by gods

Japan is often called the "Land of the Rising Sun", which is explained not only by its geographical location. The oldest written monuments of Japan - "Kojiki" (translated as "Records of the deeds of antiquity") and "Nihon Seki" (literally translated as "Annals of Japan written with a brush") were written down in the 8th century. In addition to historical chronicles telling about the events of the 3rd-8th centuries, they contain cosmogonic myths.

These myths tell about the creation of the Japanese islands, which in the chronicles are called the "country of Yamato" (translated as "great harmony, peace") - the self-name of the Japanese state during the writing of the chronicles, about Kami - spirits, spiritual essences inherent in nature and all living things, about gods-progenitors and legendary ancestors of the Japanese people. The chronicles indicate that in Japan before the Yamato era, the cult of the goddess of the Sun was widespread. In the myths about the god of creation Izanagi and the goddess of creation and death Izanami, it is told that, having entered into a divine union, they created eight islands. After the departure of the goddess Izanami to the Underworld and the quarrel of the divine spouses, the god Izanagi gave birth to new gods, the first of which is the goddess of the Sun Amaterasu Omikami (translated as "the great August deity illuminating the skies") - the legendary progenitor of the Japanese imperial family, the mother of the legendary ruler of Japan, Ninigi, great-great-grandmother of the first Japanese emperor Jimmu, who settled the Japanese islands with her descendants. This explains the origin of Japan and its people in Japanese mythology. And how did this happen according to scientific data?

The Japanese archipelago was inhabited by humans at the end of the Ice Age during the Japanese Paleolithic era, which began about 100,000 years ago and ended 16,000 years ago. During this period, the Japanese archipelago was not a chain of islands, since all the islands were connected to each other, the southern island of Kyushu was connected to the Korean Peninsula by a narrow isthmus, and the northern island of Hokkaido was connected to Siberia. As a result of warming about 6,000 years ago (IV-II millennium BC) and the melting of glaciers, the water level in the World Ocean rose by 5-6 m, and the territory of Japan became an island.

It is not yet known exactly where the first people came from to the Japanese archipelago, but it has been established that they are the ancestors of the modern Ainu people, who in ancient times inhabited the entire Japanese archipelago from Ryukyu to Hokkaido, as well as the southern half of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and the southern part of Kamchatka. The first Europeans who saw the Ainu in the 17th century were struck by the fact that outwardly the Ainu looked like themselves. Unlike most of the inhabitants of Japan, who were representatives of the Mongoloid race with yellow skin, the Mongolian fold of the eyelid and sparse facial hair, the Ainu had unusually thick hair covering their heads, wore huge beards and mustaches.

The oldest stone tools found on the territory of the Japanese archipelago date back to the 50-40th millennium BC, but the bulk of those discovered are from the 35th millennium BC, and this is considered the time of the settlement of the Japanese islands. In the XIV-X millennium BC. on the Japanese archipelago, the Jomon culture arose - the conventional name for the period in the history of the Ainu, which lasted from the 14th to the 9th century. BC. The jomon-jidai period, which is translated from Japanese as “a trace from the rope”, is the “age of the rope ornament”. It got its name from the ornament on clay vessels and figurines, which was applied with a rope wound around a wooden stick.

The Jōmon people created the world's first pottery, which was dated by radiocarbon dating to be approximately 16,000 years old, i.e. two thousand years earlier than the pottery found in Mesopotamia. Although the main occupation of the Jōmon culture was hunting and gathering, the production and consumption of clay pots used for cooking and storing food suggests a sedentary lifestyle. The appearance of pottery is considered a sign of the beginning of the Neolithic, therefore, according to the archaeological periodization of the history of Western countries, the Jomon period corresponds to the Neolithic. Despite the sedentary way of life of these tribes, they only switched to engaging in primitive forms of agriculture, lived in small tribal groups, and their settlements are mainly located in the region of the sea coast and along the banks of rivers at a great distance from each other.

At the end of the Jomon era, several pastoral and agricultural tribes from Central Asia arrived on the Japanese islands. They spoke Altaic languages ​​and became the ancestors of modern Koreans and Japanese. The Jōmon period in Japanese history was replaced by the Yayoi period (from the Japanese yayoi jidai), which, according to new research methods, dates back to the 9th century BC. BC. - III century. AD According to the archaeological periodization of the countries of Western Europe, the Yayoi period corresponds to the Bronze and Iron Ages. Conventionally named "Yayoi" after the name of the settlement near Tokyo, where in 1884 ceramics of a new style, different from the ceramics of the Jomon civilization, were discovered.

With the advent of the Yayoi culture on the archipelago, paddy rice cultivation (brought from the mouth of the Yangtze River), the use of a potter's wheel and a loom, metal processing (copper, bronze and iron) and the construction of protected settlements began to develop here. The Yayoi culture spread to the east, but the islands of Okinawa and Hokkaido did not undergo it, where the traditions of the Jomon culture were preserved, which served as the basis for the development of the social life of the Ainu. The three main symbols of the Yayoi culture are the bronze mirror of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the bronze sword, and the royal stone seal.

Dogs are believed to have arrived in the Japanese islands along with humans via two regionally distinct routes. The first group consisted of dogs that came with the ancestors of the Ainu - people of the Jomon culture from southern China and Taiwan along the Ryukyu island chain. The second group of dogs came from northeast Asia through Korea along with the people of the Yayoi era. The modern native dogs of Japan are distant descendants of the dogs of these two groups.

Zarine Lorents Arushanyan