Why are the many kinds of dogs all considered the same species?

Answer 1

Yes, all domestic dogs belong to the same Species, which is Canines, Latin name being Canis familiaris. However dogs spread off into different breeds.

All domestic dogs are canines, but not all canines are dogs: for example, wolves, dingo's, jackals. All of these animals are Canines, which means they all belong to the same genus Canisbut not all of them are considered domestic dogs.

The subdivisions of dogs are called BREEDS again all pitbulls are dogs, but not all dogs are pitbulls. Think of it that way and you'll never go wrong with species!

Answer 2

There are many varieties of dogs because of how they bred. For example, lets say the first two domestic dogs were a pointer and a sheepdog. They would make puppies that look similar to a Afghanastan dog. So different breeds of dogs bred to make many of the dogs we have now. I'm not completely sure if this is correct but it just seems more accurate.

Answer 3

It is a well-conversed subject as many people view dogs and wolves as the same.

However many hybrid dogs are often mixed with wolves and are treated like dogs this however is not the case as they must be treated completely different to domesticated dogs, many scientists believe that dogs and wolves are not related but share a common ancestor. The truth about whether dogs evolved from wolves is still under question and it is for that reason why they cannot yet be dubbed different species.

Another Answer

The strictest definition of "species" is that animals are considered the same species if they can interbreed and produce fertile offspring that can produce fertile offspring. Yes, I did say that twice, and there's a reason. A horse and a donkey can interbreed and produce an offspring called a mule, right? Generally, mules are infertile--they can't produce any offspring at all. Occasionally, though, about every 25 years or so, there is a female mule that is able to produce offspring. But it ends there. But no way, ever, can you breed mule to mule and start your own line of purebred mules with all their ancestors being mules, right? OK, so horses and donkeys are not the same species.

Different breeds of dogs, however, can interbreed completely freely. In fact, if you read breed histories, a lot of our present breeds--dobermans, golden retrievers, Parson Russell terriers, and others, were deliberately bred from other breeds of dogs, mixed together until the guy who was breeding them got exactly what he wanted. This does not take into account physical difficulties like a chihuahua who falls in love with a Great Dane; the point is that genetically they could interbreed, and not only that, but except for purebred show dogs, they often do. The genetic material still flows freely throughout the canine population. Just check out all the "mixed breeds," "mutts," and "crossbreeds" in your local animal shelter. Also keep in mind that when we're talking about species and breeds, we're always talking about whole populations--an isolated individual who can't have babies, or an occasional mule who can, is not enough to affect the whole population.

Wolves are also able to interbreed freely with dogs. However, back when Charles Linnaeus was first developing the system of scientific names, he gave different species names to dogs and wolves because they seldom do interbreed--they seldom meet. Their different habitats are a barrier to breeding. There are millions of dogs in Africa, for instance, where there have never been wild wolves. But where there are dogs that run loose and wolves in the same area, they can and sometimes do interbreed.

Answer 4

It seems odd to think that animals as different as a Great Dane, a toy poodle, and a Chinese chow-chow are all members of the same species, but indeed they are. That is because humans developed all the various breeds of dogs; they do not occur in nature. To get an idea of what a dog would look like without interference from people, consider the pariah dogs of India: medium-sized canines with upright ears, a lean build and a curly tail. If dogs were allowed to select their own mates, their descendants would look like pariah dogs after only three or four generations.

Answer 5

Dogs are unusual as a species. They vary in size, colour, hair type and behavioural tendencies. What make a species a species is that they can mate and produce healthy young. For instance, you couldn't breed a sparrow with a dolphin - thats why we know they are different species. We have made dogs very different through selectively breeding characteristics we want.

Answer 6

Dog differences are superficial. They are all still the same species, and indeed the same species as wolves, because they are still cross fertile.

Answer 7

They all have varying amounts of fur

they can reproduce white each other

they all live in t same conditions