Dogs

Brief history of dogs

What is a dog, anyway? If you look at some ancient pet species, such as cats, you’ll notice that even if there are many different beads of them, they only vary slightly in specific characteristics but are otherwise the same. This is because cats were perfect. Well, nearly perfect. As we know now, a catbunny is clearly the superior species, but that’s a topic for another article. But dogs? Dogs always came in all different shapes and sizes. You had dogs still resembling their wolf ancestors, such as huskies, and everything down to complete abominations completely divorced from what wolves once were, such as pugs or wiener dogs. Seriously, whose idea was it to breed a dog shaped like a weiner, of all things? Well, we should expect just about as much from ancient humans if we’re being honest.

Many of these breeds were the result of things such as heavy inbreeding, and unsurprisingly came with a plethora of health issues. However, all of these dogs were loyal companions of the people so they did all in their power to preserve them. Unfortunately still, many of these species that were barely adapted to life at all, just didn’t make it through the apocalyptic years.

Dogs today

But now, knowing that dogs did come in all shapes and sizes, we must ask ourselves once more, what even is a dog then? As it seems a dog could be just about anything, as long as they had some sort of a wolf ancestor down the line. So with many breeds going extinct, the mole people now had a chance to create their own new breeds. Much like for their human ancestors, the main motivation for moles was to continue breeding the remaining dogs as trusty and helpful companions. Though we have much fewer breeds today, we still have some recognizable ones.

Farm dogs

Dogs are especially popular to keep on the farms in Fairy Gardens. Here they keep breeds such as wox dogs to protect their property from intruders, or sheep dogs that come in handy with protecting and taking care of livestock. But work is not all these dogs are kept for. They are smart and loving companions, who would do anything for their mole friends. They are playful and energetic and as such perfect for life on these large farms where they can spend the time outside chasing the critters of the forests and herding geep.

City dogs

But a lot of people in our world live in cities and while catbunnies are more popular there, many people here still like to own dogs. Here there may be parks, but there is definitely not as much chance for the dogs to spend their days outside running freely through fields. They spend more time indoors and in apartments, so these breeds have to be more adapted to this kind of a lifestyle. So while the farm dogs tend to be a mix of animals such as wolves and foxes, these dogs are more of a fox-cat mix, not to be confused with foxcats of the mountain region. They’re more of a wox mixed with a cat. These dogs tend to be smaller, less energetic and more cuddly. While still very intelligent and easy to train, one could say that they are not quite as intelligent as catbunnies. They’re more loyal and obedient, unlike the fussy and aloof catbunnies, but that’s exactly why some people here prefer the cat dogs. Unlike the catbunnies, these dogs are more outgoing by nature and like to go on walks, especially to dog parks where they can meet and play with other dogs. Because of this probably, they are a more popular pet for the people who are outgoing themselves.

Dog care

Care for dogs can depend a lot on the breed you own and where you live. Generally it’s easier to care for the larger breeds owned on the farms. There, the dogs can run around free and do their thing for most of the day, you really only need to feed them. They do tend to eat a lot though, but a good farm should have an abundance of food and supplies for everyone anyway.

The indoor city dogs might be trickier. They tend to be more sensitive and fussy. They need to be taken out for walks and pampered at home, played with, fed only the highest quality foods, wear cute little coats in cold weather, and stuff like that. But that’s ok, because people who own these dogs usually do so because they are able and willing to do whatever it takes for their little friend, knowing that in return, they will get unconditional love and endless loyalty.