Man's Best Friend
The descendants of the European Wolf, dogs all over the world have changed our lives as humans, bringing happiness and joy to both kids and adults, earning the nickname of man's best friend. It is estimated that the families of dogs are about 20,000 thousand years old. Over time we have been able to use dogs to not only make people happier but to guide them through every day life. For example, some dogs are specifically trained to help blind people maneuver around the world, despite their disability.
Some Run, Some Sprint
The canine skeleton is comprised of three main areas: appendicular, axial, and visceral. The appendicular skeleton makes up the bones of the legs and feet, the axial portion of the skeleton is the main axis of support, the head, neck, spine, ribs, and breast bone (sternum). The visceral bones are the small bony parts of such organs as the inner ear. The long bones have growth plates that produce cartilage, which is converted to bone as the dog grows. At puberty, this bone growth slows, and the growth plates close when the dog reaches physical maturity, allowing no further growth. A dog's skeleton has an average of 319 bones, which is about 100 more bones than humans. Dogs have the greatest variety in the size and configuration of their skeletons of any species of animal. Even though the tiny Chihuahua has the same number and type of bones as the Great Dane, the size and shape of their bones are very different.