Page 26 - (DK) The Dog Encyclopedia

INTRODUCTION TO DOGS | DOGS IN SPORTS AND SERVICE

Dogs in sports and service

From the dawn of their relationship, dogs and humans have worked and played
together successfully. Most dogs are natural enthusiasts for chasing and running, and
people the world over learned early on how to exploit these inclinations for hunting
and sports. Canine intelligence has also proved more than equal to the numerous
demands made on dogs as work partners. Most are eager to please and have readily
taken on duties as guardians, herders, guides, trackers, and even home helpers.

HUNTING FOR PLEASURE In later centuries, pack-hunting dogs shooting of waterfowl and game birds such as
Primitive peoples used dogs to help them developed into distinctly recognizable pheasant and grouse. Among the breeds still
catch game for food, but with the rise of breeds, such as foxhounds, staghounds, bred and trained today are pointers and setters
civilizations, hunting with dogs developed and otterhounds. Hunting of live game with that direct the guns to their targets, spaniels
into a sport as well, although usually only hounds is now illegal in some countries, but for working in undergrowth to flush out
for the wealthier members of society. As the excitement of the chase lives on in drag- game, and retrievers to bring back fallen birds.
paintings dating back nearly 3,000 years hunting, in which the pack follows a trail of
depict, the Ancient Egyptians hunted with artificial scent. Hunting dogs with highly SPORTING DOGS
dogs very similar to some of today’s big-eared specialized roles were developed when the Hunting is by no means the only way
sight hounds, such as the Pharaoh Hound (see invention of guns led to the growth of sports humans have used dogs for their own
p.32) and Ibizan Hound (see p.33) In China amusement. One of the earliest, and most
the tombs of the Han dynasty (206BCE– brutal, “entertainments” was pit fighting,
220CE), have yielded realistic figurines of in which powerful dogs, such as the mastiffs
heftily built mastiff-type hunting dogs that once seen in the arenas of Ancient Rome,
appear to be “pointing” at game. were set against bears, bulls, and sometimes
By medieval times in Europe, hunting each other. The battles were bloody, and
with dogs of various types was the passion of victory for one combatant meant death or
kings and landowning nobility. Swift-running mutilation for the other. On a smaller scale,
hounds, resembling modern greyhounds and pit fights between terriers and rats once had
harriers, were sent after smaller game; but a widespread following.
dangerous quarry such as bear and wild boar People have come up with many other
required larger hounds, hunting in varied ways of using dogs in sports, among which
Tracking and chasing
packs that included the now-extinct types Early hunters appreciated the ability of hounds to follow trials of speed have been the most enduring.
known as alaunts and lymers, which were a scent as well as their speed when chasing quarry so Coursing, in which competing pairs of fast
worked with them to increase their hunting success, as
broadly similar to mastiffs and bloodhounds. seen in this Roman relief of Hercules hunting. sight hounds such as Greyhounds, Whippets,
or Salukis are sent in pursuit of hares, was
popular for nearly 2,000 years before being
made illegal in most European countries.
Greyhound racing has attracted big crowds
for hundreds of years; and since the 20th
century some of the most challenging races
in terms of speed and endurance have
been for teams of sled dogs—tough,
cold-weather breeds such as Greenland
Dogs (see p.100) and Siberian Huskies
(see p.101)—competing over hundreds
of miles in harsh northern territories.

Afghan Hounds racing
Dog racing has been a popular means of entertainment
for centuries. Several breeds, including Afghan Hounds,
race as they chase an artificial lure around a track until
they cross the finish line.

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