Dog’s Body
Despite difference in their appearance, all dogs share the same body plan. Each animal has the same number of bones, and 42 sharp teeth for tearing meat. A dog walks on toes tipped with blunt claws. It’s outer coat keeps it dry and it’s undercoat keeps it warm – an overheated dog cools itself by panting because unlike us, it cannot sweat.
The important features that characterize a breed are the dog’s shape, its size and colour, type of ears and tail, and type of coat. Colours include blue (bluish grey), brindle (mixed dark and light hairs), merle (blue-grey streaked with black), roan (mixed white and coloured hairs), tan (warm pale brown), tricolour (patches of black, tan and white hairs) and wheaten (pale fawn).
From Chihuahua to Labrador, the parts of the dog are the same. Slim, long legged dogs are described as racy; compact, short bodied dogs as cobby. Heights are measured from the shoulder. There are six different types of ear; button, pricked, bat, semi-pricked, rose and pendant, the cutting off or cropping of ear flaps has been made illegal in Britain. Tail docking was recently common in certain breeds of dogs, there are five other types of tail, set high, carried upright, set low, feathered and curled.
Kennel Clubs in Europe classify dogs into particular groups. In Britain these are hound, Gundog, Terrier, Utility, Working and Toy.