Etymology and related terminology
The English word dog can be traced back to the Old English docga, a "powerful breed of canine".[5] The term may derive from Proto-Germanic *dukkōn, represented in Old English finger-docce ("finger-muscle").[6] Due to the linguistically archaic structure of the word, the term dog may ultimately derive from the earliest layer of Proto-Indo-European vocabulary, reflecting the role of the dog as the earliest domesticated animal.[7]
The English word hound is cognate to other Germanic terms, including German Hund, Dutch hond, common Scandinavian hund, Icelandic hundur which, though referring to a specific breed group in English, means "dog" in general in the other Germanic languages. Hound itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European *kwon-, which is also the direct root of the Greek κυων (kuōn) and the indirect root of the Latin canis through the variant form *kani-.[8]
In breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a dog, while a female canine is called a bitch. The father of a litter is called the sire, and the mother of a litter is called the dam. Offspring are generally called pups or puppies until they are about a year old. A group of offspring is a litter. The process of birth is whelping. Many terms are used for dogs that are not purebred.[9]
Taxonomy
The English word dog, in common usage, refers to the domestic pet dog, Canis lupus familiaris. The species was originally classified as Canis familiaris and Canis familiarus domesticus by Linnaeus in 1758.[10][11] In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists. "Dog" is sometimes used to refer collectively to any mammal belonging to the family Canidae (as in "the dog family"), such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Some members of the family have "dog" in their common names, such as the Raccoon Dog and the African Wild Dog. A few animals have "dog" in their common names but are not canids, such as the prairie dog.
A family dog
A helper Dog
Horand fathered many pups. However, his most celebrated was Hektor von Schwaben, who later produced Heinz von Starkenburg, Beowolf, and Pilot. These three wolfdogs were used in later breeding programs, eventually producing all German Shepherds today.
The National Socialists embraced animal welfare as a central theme. Presenting Hitler as an animal lover was an important aspect of Nazi propaganda, and his close relationship with Blondi became well known, marketed in books and postcards. In 19th century Germany, various Tierschutz (animal protection) organizations had won high level celebrity support, from Richard Wagner for example, who famously remarked that he would not want to live in a world in which "no dog would wish to live any longer."[4] [5].
German shepherds like Blondi[6] were coveted as "germanischer Urhund", being close to the wolf, and grew very fashionable during the Third Reich.
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