By the beginning of the 19th-century dogs had established themselves as a prominent part of human society. During the early part of the century, dogs were selectively bred for certain tasks and these tasks often gave the breeds their names. Dogs that were bred for herding were referred to in terms of the livestock they herded, such as sheep dogs or cattle dogs. Unfortunately, breeding dogs for dog fights was also popular during this time; Breeders made money from supplying dogs for fights. But, with the outlawing of dog fights in 1835, they had to find new customers for their breeding businesses. Their opportunity and a new direction in the journey of Canis familiaris, finally came with the growing popularity of dog beauty contests or dog shows.
As the idea of dog shows began to evolve, so did the breeds that were shown in them. The first shows to take place were competitions that involved “sporting breeds.” This included setter and pointer dogs and other breeds that assisted humans in hunting. It changed in 1859 when the first National Dog Show was held in Birmingham and included 30 different breeds1. After the National Show, the popularity of both dog shows and dog breeding began to expand rapidly.
In 1873 a man named Sewallis Evelyn Shirley established the Kennel Club in order to regulate dog shows. Shirley is often credited with universalizing the idea of dog pedigrees. Pedigrees are family trees of animals and their descendants, and dog shows popularized them by using them to verify “purebred” dogs. Purebred means that the breed has remained stable throughout the family lineage and no outside breeds have been mixed into the bloodline.
As the industry grew, so did the overall popularity of dogs in general. This widespread interest in dogs resulted in “luxury breeds,” like beagles or collies, which became popular among the wealthy elite and royalty. Dogs began to appear in more and more homes, as well as in other places of modern-day life.
The 1900s became an incredibly crucial century for the growth of dogs as companions, often due to their portrayal in the media. Books like, “Call of the Wild,” movies like, “The Wizard of Oz,” and T.V. Shows such as “Lassie,” all contributed to the popularity of certain breeds. Dogs started to enter the White House, assist in military missions, join police forces and even venture into space. A dog named Laika beat humans into space. Presently, about half of United States households are home to at least one dog.
Dogs now play a bigger role in human society than ever before. There are currently over 400 recognized breeds worldwide, all of whom exhibit significant differences in appearance, behavior and biology despite being part of the same species, Canis familiaris. Dogs today are not only household companions, they also assist us in hundreds of ways. Therapy, law enforcement, military and service dog industries are just a few of the ways that dogs have totally altered the part they play in modern human societies. Within less than 200 years, dogs revolutionized the roles they played in our everyday life and there is no telling how much their impact will continue to evolve.
