What Is a Dog?

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I love dogs. My favourite job was working as a desk editor for a firm that described itself, rather endearingly, as a “pet publishing company” and I have edited books about a wide variety of dog breeds. I do not own a dog myself. I am ever hopeful but, so far, Hubby won’t buy me a bow-wow. As I was walking across the park behind our house today, I saw a guy with three dogs. One was a pointer, one a small terrier of some type, and the other a complete mix-up. (I think the guy is a professional dog walker, as I have seen him with other dogs.) He had let them all off the lead, and was trying to get them back again but, as soon as one came back, the other one ran off! It was really funny to see them playing together and, to all appearances, a leggy pointer being pursued by a tiny terrier! It made me wonder, though, how dogs recognise each other as dogs. As part of my above-mentioned job I had to go to Crufts (the UK version of Westminster) each year in support of any of my authors who had book signings. When I’d finished my duties, I’d go to the Discover Dogs section and make friends with the giant breeds: mastiffs, bullmastiffs, great Danes, Irish wolfhounds and so on. Although I knew I could never manage one of my own, these were the dogs that attracted me. In the last couple of years, however, I’ve fallen completely under the spell of Cookie, a minute “teacup” chihuahua belonging to my daughter’s ex. She measures about 14in from her black, retroussé nose to the tip of her inkbrush tail. I certainly couldn’t say that she’s every inch a lady, but she’s every inch a dog! Unfortunately, she’s not very good at measuring dog sizes and has nearly become a snack more than once by swearing at a German shepherd. So, Cookie’s undeniably a dog – as is the magnificent Newfoundland I met on the park one evening. How can two creatures so disparate in size belong to the same species? And how much should we meddle with the natural breeding process of a species? Although my work over several years involved pedigree dogs, I have to admit a predilection for mongrels (mutts), mainly because of health concerns. What are your views?