Unlike cats which have remained almost uniform in shape throughout their history, dogs have developed into a myriad of different breeds, ranging from the diminutative Chihuahua to the massive Irish Wolfhound. This book traces the origins of the domestic dog from its first beginnings as a wolf and then explores how the many varieties came about. The most complete information on the origins of breeds comes from Egypt and the Middle East, which saw the birth of the earliest urban civilisations. The direct successors to the rulers of the Middle East and Egypt were the Greeks and the Romans, who were responsible for the spread of so many breeds into such as wide area.