Dogs come in all sizes, colors, shapes and hair types. Herding dogs will herd, predator dogs will protect, pointers will point, setters will set and setter pointer crosses will drop. Rat terriers will shed, Jack Russell’s will wear out old folks and Poodles will lap sit. Hounds will trail, Sight Hounds (Grey Hounds, Whippets, Afghan’s, etc) will run, Dachshunds will eat. Most dogs have a use or special characteristics.
The American Kennel Club recognizes over 100 breeds. New breeds are added each year. Some crosses like a Labradoodle are good because they combine the best qualities of both breeds. Especially good is the lack of shedding. Some breeds have genetic defects that are bred to perpetuate the same. Screw tails in Bostons and English Bulldogs. Bug eyes and pushed in faces in Pugs, Bostons, St. Charles Spaniels and Boxers.
I have seen some wonderful dogs in my many years of practice. A favorite was Gretchen, a very intelligent and obedient German Shepherd. Two wonderful Irish Setters that wandered up to two different homes, Rust and Big Red. Some say Irish Setters are not smart dogs but these were smart, beautiful and loving.
Years ago canine distemper was a horrible disease that killed and maimed many dogs. There was no effective treatment (being a virus like polio), the vaccine was not effective and in some cases, caused the disease. In the last several years, Parvo has come on the scene. It was thought to be a variant of the cat distemper virus. Being new has caused the death of millions of dogs. Certain breeds are more susceptible to it than others. Dark colored dogs seem to get sick more and die more often that others. Labs, Beagles, Rotts and other black dogs are most commonly affected and die more often. I have raised Pyrenees for 35 years and have never seen one with Parvo.
Puppies are given shots at 7-8 weeks and every three weeks until four months of age. Two weeks after the last shot is when effective immunity is developed. The problem is that most puppies get sick before this time. They die from dehydration since vomiting and diarrhea cause severe fluid loss. The organism is everywhere so it is impossible to evade exposure. For some reason, it runs in cycles. As dogs get older, they are less likely to have the disease and are more likely to have a lighter case and thus recover quicker.
The immune strength of the animal is thought to be a factor. Dogs with a poor immune system have died and stronger ones have survived. At any rate it is not nearly as bad as it was the first few years.