Dogs have aided mankind throughout their shared history, but as dogs became more valuable as workers, and more jobs were found for our canine partners, people began breeding their dogs with the goal of producing better workers. Perhaps one farmer had a female dog who was gentle with sheep yet tough enough to handle cattle. He wanted to perpetuate her abilities, so he found a neighboring farmer who had a male with the same abilities. They bred their dogs in the hopes of passing on those valuable traits.
The same happened within most of the occupations dogs filled: big game hunters, vermin hunters, livestock guardians, and more. The dog’s ability was much more important than any other traits at the time. But at various times during our shared history—from early Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations through today—the dog’s appearance was also important. People bred to accentuate certain characteristics, such as size, body type or shape, head and muzzle shape, coat color, type, and length, and more. In this way, breeds were developed.
The definition of a dog breed varies, depending on the expert being questioned. However, a breed has several unique characteristics
