Exemplification Essay on Dog

There are over 340 genetically distinct dog breeds in the world, all of which have definitive characteristics. While most breeds are ideal for recreational purposes, dogs have been used in the military since 1914, as effective guards and efficient trackers with their strength, agility, and sense of smell. Dog behavior is referred to as the response of a domestic dog to both internal and external stimuli. This behavior has been shaped over thousands of years of human training and breeding, and these particular behavioral traits have also been linked to genetics.

Key attributes of a successful military dog are intelligence, aggression, strength, and sense of smell Most military dogs are large breeds like German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. They are ideally male and are oftentimes left unneutered so they maintain their natural aggression and testosterone. This aggression should be kept under control with thorough and rigorous coaching. These characteristics apply to many dog breeds, however, the question remains unrequited on the perfect dog breed for both police and military functions. The most economical dog breed is the Belgian malinois, with a keen sense of smell, immense strength, and a decent quantity of aggression. Rigorous training is also employed on these dogs so that they perform optimally in military exercises and combat. Both canine and handler have to be assessed in order for an efficient relationship to ensue between them. According to a manual from the United States Department of the Army, an effective handler must meet three criteria before being eligible to employ military dogs. They must have a good understanding of the mind of a dog and how it works, as well as be able to train and exercise the dog effectively to ensure the best possible outcomes. Military working dogs and their handlers need to have a symbiotic relationship. They both must provide security for each other, and aid each other in crime prevention patrols, emergency response, and intruder detection on RAAF Bases and in deployed locations around the world. The two main breeds of military working dogs employed by the Air Force are the sheepdog and Belgian Malinois. The dogs are typically from the Air Force's own breeding program to ensure they are of the highest quality. Members of the general public can also volunteer to foster Air Force dogs when they retire or before they are employed. Once both dog and its trainer are matched, they work together to maintain a high standard of fitness and training. This entails regular testing to ensure that they are prepared for combat or duty at any time. When they have finished their service, military working dogs will retire to their handler's home at the end of their Air Force service. Before this, a number of checks are undertaken to ensure the dog can enjoy a happy and healthy retirement after their loyal service.

Being able to predict the success of animal breeding depends on one important issue that we still need to discuss: why does performance in offspring resemble that of the parents? Selective breeding can solely be successful if the attribute under selection is hereditary. As a result, only a fraction of the dogs are designated for breeding. These dogs are allowed to produce offspring, and since the attribute is heritable, the performance of the offspring will resemble that of their parents. To ensure the best qualities of a dog are inherited, only the best parents are used for breeding and the average of subsequent generation are going to be higher than that of the present. A trait is inheritable if the performance of that trait, at least in part, depends on the genetic makeup (DNA) of an animal. Variations in performance between animals will (partly) be explained by genetic differences between animals. Animal breeding relates to intentional choice by humans based on animal performance in a particular surrounding for predefined and transmissible traits. In most practical animal breeding schemes, selection focuses on more than one attribute at the same time.

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The animals that are superior in this combination of traits are categorized as breeding animals. In general, this pairing of traits comprises traits associated with performance (e.g. milk production, the amount of offspring, growth, sport, and performance), health, and reproduction. The speculation behind the selection for a mix of traits easily becomes extremely intricate. Developments in animal breeding overall have gone hand in hand with developments in society. Dogs were a loose relation to wolves until approximately 15000 years ago. DNA sequences that were extracted from the ancient dog remains from Latin America and Alaska showed that Native American dogs were speculated to have originated from multiple previous world lineages of dogs. These dogs had been speculated to have accompanied late Epoch humans across the Bering Strait. A certain biological group of dog sequences was distinctive to the new world, meaning that it is consistent with a period of geographic isolation. This unique monophyletic (a group of organisms consisting of one ancestor) group was absent from a substantial sample of modern dogs. This means that European colonists systematically discouraged the breeding of Native American dogs. The origin of the common dog from wolves has been established, however, the number of founding events, as well as where and when these occurred, is unknown. To review these queries, the mitochondrial polymer sequence variation was examined within 654 domestic dogs that were representing all major dog populations worldwide. Although these statistics indicate many maternal origins from wolves, less than 95% of all sequences belonged to 3 phylogenetic (evolutionary development) groups universally delineated at similar frequencies, suggesting a typical origin from one gene pool for all dog populations. A larger genetic variation in East Asia than in alternative regions and the pattern of evolutionary variation concludes that the domestic dog is of approximate East Asian origin.

Studies in the past have shown that dog genes have paired genes to their resulting phenotype. An example of a dog breed therewith would be the short legs of Dachshunds. However, these studies started with the physical attribute and searched for the corresponding gene or genes that coded for it. One specific study instead compared gene regions that showed signs of modification between breeds and searched for physical traits which may correspond to those changes.

Various dog breeds with varied types of specific behavior serve as genetic isolates and are ultimately suited for use in studies of advanced characteristics such as behavior. The central nervous system as well as its neurotransmitters are an integral component in the study of behavioral biology. Serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters within the brain and have a crucial function in the management of behavior, as they are both mood enhancers. Several of the medicines that are used for the treatment of psychological disorders have an impact on these neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitter systems have many alternative receptors and enzymes that regulate the assembly and breakdown of psychotropic substances. All stages of these reactions are controlled by genes and might be potential sources of behavioral changes. The study concluded that there was a variation in genes associated with the levels of serotonin and dopamine in canines. These variations are used as markers within the study and discovered connections between genes and hostility in dogs. This also conjointly covers studies of genetic activity (expression studies) in several areas of the brain in hostile and docile dogs respectively

Dogs in warfare have an extensive history stemming from ancient times. Their uses and characteristics have evolved over the span of thousands of years, ultimately used as companions or for military purposes. The characteristics of these dogs are very specific rigorous training and handling are required in order for them to attain military status. Numerous studies have evidence that these traits are genetic, along with many years of human contact and evolution. We have evolved the wolf into a docile and domesticated animal that comes in hundreds of variations and breeds. We have refined these traits and have used them to protect and serve our country through the military. Our technology is advancing, and so are the animals we train.