The 40 Million Year Old Dog

The ancestry of dogs dates back around 40 million years to an animal with five toes like a weasel known as the Miacis, a tree-climbing carnivore. When a dog gets old, if other dogs around it begin to snap and push it away, this means the time has probably come for death. If the dog is suffering, your veterinarian will know when your pet should be euthanized.

The ancestry of dogs dates back around 40 million years to the tree-climbing Miacis. An animal with five toes like a weasel this carnivore was a forebear of the cat, raccoon, bear, hyena, civet, and dog.

Small or medium-size dogs usually live to be around 15 years of age, and large dogs live to be about ten years old. A fertile dog can produce about two litters a year with an average of six to ten puppies. Puppies grow in their mother's womb until they are born, also known as whelped. They drink milk from their mother until they are weaned, at which point they are able to eat food. Weaning can happen as early as week three, but pups should not be weaned any time after the seventh week.

A pup's baby teeth are also known as milk teeth that come in between weeks three and six and are mostly incisors and canines. By month three, the first of the permanent teeth come in by the third month and the puppy should have all its teeth by month seven.

A ten-month-old dog is sexually mature. Smaller female dogs go into their first heat and can mate at a younger age than big dogs. Dogs are sexually mature beforehand; a dog ordinarily does not attain full growth until it's one year old, and sometimes even later. A puppy becomes a mature dog by the time it is one year old. Female dogs usually go into heat about every six months and will mate within the three-week time period the heat.

When a dog meets another dog, its ear position will indicate whether or not it is interested in the other dog. If a dog's ears are erect it means that it's probably focused on the other dog and happy, but if the ears point forward, it means that the dog is on alert. If a dog wags its tail, holding it high, this means that the dog is happy and confident. If a dog drops its tail and it remains still, it means the dog is apprehensive. A tail between its legs means that the dog is fearful.

If a dog growls or pulls its lips back to expose teeth when meeting someone, even another dog, it is making a threat. If it bares teeth with no growling then the dog may be ready to bite or attack. Male dogs establish territories by marking areas with urine and a scent that comes from their anal glands. A dog will defend its territory against intruders.

When a dog gets old, the first sign is that the eyes begin to weaken whereby they cloud and cataracts may form in the eye's lenses. Its hair begins to slowly turn gray, and it's evident that older dogs are suffering from various aches and pains. Uncomfortable older dogs might become agitated and even snap at members of the family. As the dog's systems break down with old age, it is readying itself for death.

When a dog has had a stroke, its kidneys fail and it stops eating, or other dogs around it begin to snap and push it away. This means the time has probably come for death, and if the dog is suffering, your veterinarian will know if your pet should be euthanized.

Pets are an integral part of our lives today so losing them can be very painful. As difficult as the death of a pet can be there are ways that a dog's life can be celebrated.

There are special websites for virtual online pet memorial products such as cremation pet urns and grave markers so that people have the opportunity to honor their pets, which helps us through our grieving just a little bit more.