[Closed] Why are dogs all different sizes...

My cat is much smaller than a tiger.

I reckon humans have genetically interfered less with (domestic) cats than dogs.

I think I could guess the length of any domestic cat. That's my USP.

why are there no small elephants?

I can't help thinking that life would be somehow better if I owned a Great Dane (cat). Hell, you even get giant domestic rabbitz...

Maine Coons are pretty large as cats go.

How big we talking here? St Bernard big or slightly over average?

It wouldn't be good if all cats were within a whisker of being the same size.

It'd be a catastrophe...

I reckon humans have genetically interfered less with (domestic) cats than dogs.

probably - but the genetic range available to meddle with seems to be huge I don't think theres any species capable of anywhere near as big a range of sizes (and also the variation in proportion) as dogs.

How many pugs would fit inside a St Bernard? Now that's a Wednesday question.

My guess? 6

Unless the St Bernard is sitting down.

People also come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

But tories are all ****s.

probably - but the genetic range available to meddle with seems to be huge I don't think theres any species capable of anywhere near as big a range of sizes (and also the variation in proportion) as dogs.

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Different dog breeds do different jobs.

The only job for domestic cats is catching rodents, so there's no sense in breeding a hard to train animal any larger than it needs to be.

probably - but the genetic range available to meddle with seems to be huge I don't think theres any species capable of anywhere near as big a range of sizes (and also the variation in proportion) as dogs.

Dunno...we haven't really messed with any other animal as much have we? Maybe the horse...if you look at the difference between say, a Shetland pony and a Clydesdale, you're not far off a Great Dane v Pug. But horses have always been used for a smaller variation of tasks. Whereas dogs, have had lots of different uses hence the selection of different physical characteristics and sizes. I'm not sure where humans stepped in of course, but they may have had different types of dogs to start with rather than everything descending from a wolf type thing.

Hey that's a really good and sensible answer dude.

Apart from cats?

not the same species as your household moggie though - you couldn't interbreed munchkins and bengal tigers, you can interbreed a Chihuahua with a Mastif

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Be honest, who noticed the tiger?

Be honest, who noticed the tiger?

I did... I think it's stuffed - and that image is well 'shopped!

If cats were any bigger they'd kill us all.

Dunno...we haven't really messed with any other animal as much have we? Maybe the horse...if you look at the difference between say, a Shetland pony and a Clydesdale, you're not far off a Great Dane v Pug.

Actually in a sense the range with horses and dogs is pretty similar depending on how you measure size (the biggest breed is about 30 times the volume of the smallest breeds) - but theres a much wider range of form factor for dogs - horses are all pretty much horse shaped, give or take. Theres a much wider range is shape and proportion with dogs - so the perceptible size difference is greater (a Great Dane is the tallest breed of dog but Mastiffs are 'bigger' in that theres more dog rather than more height / length)

I'm not sure where humans stepped in of course, but they may have had different types of dogs to start with rather than everything descending from a wolf type thing.

There's a school of thought our evolution goes hand in hand - that modern human's evolutionary advantage over other early humans (who were bigger, rougher and tougher than us) is our ability to form working relationships with other animals, and in particular dogs.

I did... I think it's stuffed - and that image is well 'shopped!

Be honest, who noticed the tiger?

I know - that lawn is dreadful

There's a lawn?

why are there no small elephants?

There were on Cyprus before man arrived there. 1M tall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_dwarf_elephant

Why are dogs different sizes. "Selective breeding". It's been done for thousands of years with dogs for different characteristics

IIIRC it's not been worked out as a cat is pretty much a cat, where as dogs vary massively. Both have been bred to be domesticated but the variation in dogs is remarkable.

Sorry, but I still can't get over how hot Michael Jackson's got.

7 copies of some genes in their DNA, allowing for greater variability.

but theres a much wider range of form factor for dogs - horses are all pretty much horse shaped, give or take. Theres a much wider range is shape and proportion with dogs

Aye, but I was trying to say that horses were used for three main tasks weren't they? Riding, pulling or carrying. Hence we've bred with the for those three things. Ostensibly, they're also more trainable and intelligent than other beasts of burden so within the realms of riding, pulling or carrying, we could breed a bit more. But at the end of the day, they were for riding or pulling or carrying. Hence horses still all look much the same.

Dogs had a multitude of other uses - hunting (and within that: killing, pointing, fetching, chasing), carrying, pulling sleds, rescue, shepherding and companionship (and plenty more I'm sure). So we bred for all the characteristics we needed, constantly refining and refining, often to the detriment of certain "breeds" of course. Who knows? If horses had the same variation of usage, we may have messed about with them to the same end result in terms of variation in physical characteristics.

EDIT: Also, as mcc said above, dogs have almost evolved with us - we've been messing with them for millennia whereas "domestic" cats have bred amongst themselves, choosing their own mates hence being slightly more homogenous. AFAIK, we've only been arsing around with cat characteristics for a few centuries.

Some dogs are close...some are far away

There were on Cyprus before man arrived there. 1M tall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_dwarf_elephant

Thats an island evolution thing - see also small reindeer on Svalbard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism

[quote=househusband ] and that image is well 'shopped!

that or implants

why are there no small elephants

[url= https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneo_elephant ]pygmy elephant[/url]

It's Tim Westwoods fault. If all dogs were the same size he would have to refer to himself as the Ordinary Sized Dawg. Yo!

Are Chihuahua's less 'intelligent' - and do other dogs know it?

Even Dinosaurs on remote islands had pygmy varieties. Tiny Wee Brontosaur types scooped up by flying dinosaurs.

Is it anything to do with them licking their dangleberries?

Would a warm sack at conception grow bigger offspring?

Dogs of different sizes allow us to pedal fast up hill and pedal down the other side too.

I'm not really convinced by the premise. Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest cats are enormous compared to some other breeds.

Norwegian Forest cats

beautiful plumage

Because they only make cat doors in one size.

Fair enough, but your basic cat is generically the same size - fancy ass breeds aside. Are all basic cats the same breed, just different colours?

May be cat obsessed. I suspect one's been lurking in our shed for days, maybe trapped after the gales. Little blighter won't come out.

I'm not really convinced by the premise. Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest cats are enormous compared to some other breeds.

They're about twice the size of normal breeds, maybe 3 times the size of the smallest breeds. Dogs have 10 times the range. Its actually going small thats the limitation rather than big - the smallest breeds of cats aren't really very much smaller than average.

deadlydarcy - Member

I reckon humans have genetically interfered less with (domestic) cats than dogs.

Careful now, if you start talking about selective breeding and using words like genetics you'll have the super foods, GMO fearmongers all over you.

Is it anything to do with them licking their dangleberries?

Would a warm sack at conception grow bigger offspring?

How can licking whinnets warm a scrotum?

Spend some time in Wales...

deadlydarcy - Member
I reckon humans have genetically interfered less with (domestic) cats than dogs.

Careful now, if you start talking about selective breeding and using words like genetics you'll have the super foods, GMO fearmongers all over you.

Thats the thing - theres no new genetic information the whole range of sizes and shapes come from the genes dogs had to start with. Our only interference has been choosing favourites.

[quote=maccruiskeen ]Thats the thing - theres no new genetic information the whole range of sizes and shapes come from the genes dogs had to start with.

If genes didn't mutate. We share 84% of our genes with dogs.

We share 84% of our genes with dogs.

Its because we're both made out meat

Of course we share a large proportion of our DNA with things that are made out of the same stuff. The differences in size and shape and behaviour of the stuff is a fairly superficial compared to the similarities of what the stuff (meat, bones, teeth, hair) is made of

Junkyard - lazarus

why are there no small elephants?

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Ah ha - Dassies.

Very good - I'd forgotten about them.....

[i]Are Chihuahua's less 'intelligent'...[/i]

They're not on this list, but it might be of interest: [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs ]CLICK[/url]

bearnecessities - Member
Sorry, but I still can't get over how hot Michael Jackson's got.