Carnivora Dogs

Dog’s come in all shapes and sizes, but the basic design of the dog equips it for being a carnivorous animal. A dog is designed to chase, capture, kill and eat its prey. It has the hallmark of the carnivore – the carnassial teeth. Dogs have retained few molar teeth for chewing and grinding. Although the teeth are specially modified, the general skeleton of a carnivore is fairly primitive. Carnivores have not imitated herbivores in evolving their paws to a hoof. A dog needs to be agile, capable of rapid changes of direction and able to use its claws as weapons. Wild herbivores may be quick on their feet but they are not as skillful at recovering from falls sustained while running at speed. The dogs’ basic design allows for bursts of speed as a pack hunter. In addition the wild dog is well muscled for endurance and long-distance foraging. Over the years of domestication, humans have selected various characteristics in the dog to fulfill particular requirements. However, one thing is certain – the domestic dog's digestive system has not been altered by the process of evolution. Despite obvious changes in physical appearance they are perfectly capable of eating natural raw foods.