HUGH Walpole, when writing the foreword for Hugh Lofting’s book Doctor Dolittle, wrote "Writing for children rather than about them is very difficult". He also said, to get down to a child's level of understanding and still retain a mature outlook is not easy.

When writing for dogs and about them, one is confronted with the same problems. Writing about their origins, their appearance, etc is not difficult but writing for them, or for their benefit, is not always so simple. It is made easier when one realises that dogs do not think as humans, but they do have a form of intelligence which enables them to socialise with each other. By using an association of ideas, dogs are able to communicate with humans and therefore owners should make use of this quality when trying to understand how dogs confront their everyday problems. Luckily, if the problems become too great, veterinary surgeons, behaviourists and nutritionists will always help; but ultimately it is from the owner with whom the dogs spend their lives that love, care and most of all understanding must come.

It is hoped therefore that in this Dogs of the World series there is something factual for those who are interested in dogs and would perhaps like to learn more; and that it may assist people with little or no knowledge of dogs to find out more about our canine friends.

Before the Second World War pet dogs were mostly fed on scraps from the table and from whatever the housewife could buy economically from the butcher. Their exercise was the occasional family walk and accompanying children and their mothers to and from school. Mostly it was jaunts on their own round the streets or in the park and, if they were lucky enough to live in the country, in the lanes, fields and woods.

Nowadays, however, owners are a lot more conscious about their pets general welfare. This has come about mainly through advertising in the press and on television, which in turn reflects extensive research into food, medicine and training methods. Psychology also plays an active part in animal welfare. To understand how dogs think and behave it is necessary to understand how they react to modern living and the characteristics of the various breeds.

Among our pets are 400 distinct breeds which originate from many countries throughout the world. To perceive how these breeds came into being it is necessary to go back millions of years.

The Jackal

Dogs belong to the Canidae family, as do the wolf and the jackal. From research carried out by zoologists on dental features, vocal expressions, on behaviour and physical attitudes, it is likely that the wolf and not the jackal is the ancestor of the domestic dog.

The Wolf

Three prehistoric species of wolf - the northern grey wolf, the Tibetan wolf and the Asian wolf - could be associated with the development of the dog. Some zoologists believe that these species are the ancestors of the dog, but others disagree with this theory. Nevertheless, canines gradually evolved, first into basic types according to their duties - guard dogs, hunting dogs and sheepdogs - and later into distinct breeds.

Although it is known from which countries different breeds originate, what is not always known is their ancestry and when they were established. The evolution of breeds which have originated in the past 100 - 150 years, such as the Yorkshire Terrier, the Airedale and the Dobermann, is not difficult to define, but we can only gain knowledge of the older breeds from historical records and various art forms - literature, sculpture and paintings.

Sight hounds or gazehounds (such as Greyhounds and Salukis, which are known today for their coursing abilities, and also Mastiffs (combatant and guard dogs) all appeared in bas-relief very early in the history of the dog. Dogs from the far north - the Norwegian Elkhound and the Eskimo Dog - may have evolved at the same time as the Greyhound and the Mastiff, well before the Christian era.

In Roman times lap dogs - known today as toy dogs - were becoming popular. Depicted originally in bas-relief and later in paintings, their popularity spread into Europe and by the time of the Renaissance these little dogs were established as pets and comforters.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries French and English authors, authorities in their time, wrote of various hunting breeds - Greyhounds, Beagles, Spaniels and Terriers (earth dogs).

By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries dogs were generally popular and were kept by people of all classes. Small dogs, which were favourites at court, were also seen in the homes of the nobility and the wealthy. The chase was popular and packs of hounds were kept by royal houses in England and in continental Europe. Hunting on a lesser scale also took place, for which smaller dogs were used, generally spaniel and terrier types. Mongrels - whose tendons were cut to prevent them hunting - were the dogs which were kept by ordinary folk.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries dogs, like people, have had to gradually change their lifestyles. Increased mechanisation and legislation to end certain sports, meant that the talents of a number of breeds were no longer required. In spite of this their instincts remained; they were still hunters, herders and guard dogs. During the twentieth century certain breeds have been re-educated to use these skills in different ways: for police and military work, rescue work at times of natural disasters and helping the disabled. Also, since 1859 when the first dog show was held in the north of England, a number of breeders have developed their dogs along different lines. Their appearances have changed and their characters softened, these moves have probably saved some breeds from extinction. As the twentieth century draws to a close most dogs now enjoy active and purposeful lives. They also benefit from behaviourists and vets who have improved the quality of their lives.

Finally it must be said that dogs enrich the lives of most of us and the world would be a poorer place without them. They share our happiness and our sadness and ask very little in return - just that they can be our constant companions and trusted friends.

Rosamund Walters.