Dog Owner's Manual › Chapter 1: Choosing a Dog › A Brief History of Dogs ›

A Brief History of Dogs, Part II

The physical differences between Canis familiaris and Canis lupus can be quite radical. While wolves adhere to one standard physical template, dogs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Every trait from coat length to hair color will vary from breed to breed—and from individual to individual.

The same, however, can’t be said of a dog’s programming. Except for a few key modifications, dogs and wolves still share the same basic operating system. For instance, a dog’s willingness to cohabit with human families springs directly from its wild progenitor’s preference for living and hunting in packs. The dog’s legendary courage in territorial and personal defense, its ability to understand and obey instructions, even its devotion to children, are all attributes of pack behavior.

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Chapter 1: Choosing a Dog

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This manual was written in a tongue-in-cheek parody of a computer or mechanical owner's manual; no where in the manual is there any language that should be construed as devaluing your dog. It is a parody, with a comic slant to very useful information. Please do not read the content to be an attack on the love we all have for our dogs, because it clearly was not meant that way. I found the entire manual to be hilarious, along with the "mechanical" illustrations.

barked by Susyn Stecchi on Apr 21, 2008 AT 4:17 pm PDT
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Quirk BooksThe Dog Owner's Manual is a basic guide to dog care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides dog owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!