| dc.description.abstract | Since the domestication of dogs they have undergone genetic changes. The first selection was
based on their abilities. Dogs that had strong powerful hind legs were used for races in the
desert, the obedient and herding ones for the sheep and cow herding, the great and strong ones
for war and protection, the small ones as companion for the nobility. Breeding dogs to sustain
important characteristics has always played a major role in the history of dog breeding. Since
the introduction of breeding books and registration of breeds the preservation of purification
and improvement of synthetic breeds is a major goal of the breeding organizations worldwide.
Breeding standards decide which dog has the most desirable genes to be bred and guarantees
the best offspring to preserve the breed from extinction. Today more than 500 breeds are
known. Within the last century a new trend has disturbed the purity of the synthetic breeds: the
crossbreeding among popular synthetic breeds creates hybrids, which are unpredictable in
character, appearance and genotype. | en |
