Exploring the Dog Industry

1. Exploring the Dog Industry Lesson

2. Interest Approach • Have an owner bring in their well-trained dog and show all the tricks it knows. • Have the owner talk about how much time went into training the dog. • Have students generate questions for the owner about the dog’s diet, grooming requirements, breed, and any other questions they can think of.

3. Student Learning Objectives • Explain the biology and physiology of dogs and terms used to describe dogs. • Describe classes and breeds of dogs. • List factors to consider when selecting a dog. • Discuss proper management, grooming, and training of dogs.

4. Explain biology and physiology of dogs and terms used to describe dogs. Objective #1

5. What are some terms used to describe dogs and their systems? • Companion animals - domesticated animals kept by humans for relationships on a long-term basis. • Carnivore - a meat or flesh-eating animal. • Monogastric -an animal with only one stomach compartment. • Endothermic - keeps a constant body temperature.

6. What are some terms used to describe dogs and their systems? • Bitch - mature female dog. • Stud dog or sire - mature male dog. • Whelping - process of a bitch giving birth. • Puppy - immature dog of either sex. • Litter - group of puppies born to same parents.

7. Dog Facts • Dogs have been used as companion animals for over 10,000 years. • Most dogs eat processed dog food, they are carnivores by nature. • Dogs are monogastric. • Canis familiaria is their scientific name. • Dogs are in the family of Canidae, that is why sometimes called canines.

8. Dog facts • Dogs have a skeleton of over 320 bones. • Large breeds have larger bones that the smaller breeds. • Dogs are endothermic. • Dogs can weigh from less than 6 pounds to over 200 pounds at maturity depending on the breed.

9. Describe classes and breeds of dogs. Objective #2

10. What are the classes and breeds of dogs? • Approximately 300 dog breeds. • American Kennel Club (AKC) does the classification and record keeping on dog breeds. www.akc.org • Based on use and characteristics, seven classes of dogs have been identified. • Helpful to review before selecting a breed that will suit you and your needs.

12. Herding Dogs • A dog that is easily trained to help with herding animals like sheep and cattle. • Important to give a lot of space because they need to run often. All photos were downloaded from the American Kennel Club

13. Sporting Dogs • Dogs used for sporting purposes like hunting. • Some breeds used for retrieving, finding, and scaring out game animals.

14. Working Dogs • Dogs that are used by people to help get something done like protection of property, sled pulling, and police work.

15. Hound • Dog used for tracking because it has a good ability to follow scents. • Used by hunters to locate game animals and by law officials to track lost people or people that have escaped from confinement.

16. Terriers • Dogs that dig into the ground to capture their prey. • There are 25 breeds recognized by the AKC.

17. Toy Breeds • A name describing a class of dogs that weigh between 4 and 16 pounds. • Live longer • Easier to keep in a small area because of their size.

18. Non-sporting Breeds • Dogs that were developed for purposes other than sports.

19. List factors to consider when selecting a dog. Objective #3

20. What factors should I consider when selecting a dog? Age • A puppy should be taken between 8 and 12 weeks of age. • Puppies are cute and cuddly but require more work than older dogs. • Older dogs may be less expensive in long run if already spayed or neutered.

21. What factors should I consider when selecting a dog? Purebred vs. Mixed breed • Want a dog for breeding purposes will want a purebred. • Purebred dog you will know what size dog will be at maturity. • Mixed breed will be less expensive but mature size is a guess.

22. What factors should I consider when selecting a dog? How much space do you have? • Must answer if you have enough space for dog at maturity. • Indoors or outdoors. • Do you live in areas of harsh heat or cold, you must provide proper protection.

23. What factors should I consider when selecting a dog? Length of hair • Long-haired dogs have more hair to shed and are more susceptible to diseases and parasites because of the long hair.

24. What factors should I consider when selecting a dog? Gender • Don’t want to use dog for reproduction and don’t want unexpected pregnancies be sure to spayed and neutered. • Having male dog neutered will less likely run away searching for females. • Having female dog spayed will take away heat cycles and its symptoms.

25. Discuss proper management, grooming, and training of dogs. Objective #4

27. How do I train my dog? • Training - working with your dog to get dog to get it to have desirable habits and knowledge. • Most common training is housebreaking • Getting your dog to urinate or defecate in a desirable area. • Other training includes heel, come, stay, sit or speak. • Obedience schools are organized programs to train your dog. • Most important thing in training your dog is patience, kindness, and rewards.

28. How do I groom my dog? • Grooming • Caring for the external appearance of your dog. • You should comb, trim, bathe, cut nails, clean teeth, and treat minor wounds. • Special needs of grooming will be needed if planning to show dog.

29. Review • What are some terms used to describe dogs and their systems? • What are the classes and breeds of dogs? • What factors should I consider when selecting a dog? • How do I train, manage, and groom my dog?