The Dogs of Caelereth

Throughout the ages, Dogs have been a part of life in many parts of Caelereth. They have been put to various jobs such as guarding, watching, herding, hunting, and even in some cases comforting. For the most part, these animals are selected because they in some way provide a service to their owner. Those that have money have been known to buy Dogs as companions for themselves or their children, while those that don't sometimes attempt to find mutts and train them to guard their dwelling, though the upside would be a companion for an expensive price.

Dogs have become a part of the lives of almost everyone even if they don't own one. There are enough strays running the streets of cities and towns for everyone to be affected, even if that is by way of a stolen pastry or unsuspected playfulness from the local hound. In smaller villages, there have been known to be 'village dogs' that wander through and stick around because of the scraps they can gain from the villagers or just an animal owned by one family that has pretty much been 'adopted' by the village.

Whether some like it or not, Dogs are apart of the world as much as the humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, hobbits, Brownies, and other races that lived upon it. While there are many good things that these animals do for us, there are also issues with them form time to time. Those mistreated and neglected beasts that live on the streets or live with people that don't treat them right have been known to give these animals a bad name and mark them as dangerous, though they are no more dangerous than people who live under the same conditions. On the upside, rarely do these animals just decide to be 'evil'.

Types/Breeds. There are a few different types of dogs, classified by the purpose of each breed within the sections. This section outlines the different types and breeds of dogs:

	CATTREL, THE The Cattrel was bred to be a herding dog, and this breed has become a favourite with sheep and cow farmers throughout Mid-Southern Sarvonia. Other dogs can be trained to do this task, but the Cattrel is the best choice. They have a natural knack for this type of work and it fits their energetic personality. Even though the Cattrel would make a fine house pet, they tend to be better at herding than other breeds and generally enjoy the open fields. There are a few different types of Cattrel, allowing people to select one to their liking. These are the Chrondran Cattrel, the Long-haired Cattrel, Silky Cattrel, and the Short-haired Cattrel. Pure breeds of this group of dog are hard to find and highly prized by wealthy landowners. Aside from working these animals are sometimes bred as pets and 'show dogs'. Some choose some of the more showy forms of this dog to increase their popularity by attempting to have the 'most perfect hound'.
	KODAEL, THE ("CAEL HOUND") The Kodael is one of the most popular hounds of Caelereth. They are bred and can be bought almost anywhere; because of this they are sometimes called the "Cael Hound". It isn't their beauty or rarity that makes this breed of dog prized, but rather their usefulness. This common dog can do many things and they are wanted in high quantity among the city guards of some Santharian cities. For the most part they are best used as guard dogs, but they can be trained to do an array of little tasks with time, training and patience. If raised right these dogs are a common choice for a family pet in most places. As pups these animals need a lot of attention and contact with people. This breed loves being around people and other animals and needs that contact as a pup to prevent loneliness that will lead to rebellion and end with aggressive behavior. If treated right and if properly handled as a pup, the Kodael is one of the most loyal hounds to be found.
	ICELAND ICEMUT, THE ("MUNMUT", "ANKMUT") The Icemuts are large, strong canines of Northern Sarvonia, used by most of the Ice Tribes people for transportation and as scout or rescue dogs. They are known variously among different tribes as the "Munmut", the "Ankmut", the "Ankmar" and other similar names[1]. The northern Kuglimz people call them the "Mari'fal" (the "People's Wolf"). However, the most familiar name to southerners is the "Icemut " so we have chosen to use this designation.
	VOLDON, THE This working breed of canine originated in the Santharian town of Voldar as a popular watchdog. The Voldon came about after years of intentional breeding of large dogs. The first group was trained as watchdogs to protect the castle. While having these dogs around the castle, breeders and nobles alike learned what great animals these were. Despite their size and intimidating looks they are actually gentle giants and fiercely loyal to their owners. After a decade the breeder at the castle allowed pedigree Voldon pups to be sold to the wealthy nobles and merchants of the city. From there the dogs spread quickly and they became a very popular watchdog and family pet in the Vardýnn province. These animals are very loyal and kind to their family, even more so than some lap dogs, and would do anything to protect them. Voldons are one of the tallest dogs, with long legs and a slim build. While the population of these dogs has risen, this is only within one province. Males of this breed can be bought at a high price. Females, however, are not sold, because the breeders of Vardýnn province wish to keep the number of full-blooded Voldons within one area. They also do this so the breeders of Vardýnn can keep purebred males of this hound rare and charge a high price for them. The Voldon is claimed to be the best watchdog ever bred, and anyone that owns one of these magnificent animals agrees. Due to the size, diet, attention, and price required to own one of their animals, they are mostly owned by the wealthy and nobility.

	EOPHYRHIM HUNTING HOUND, THE The Eophyrhim Hunting Hound is the domesticated wolf-assistant to the dark elves of the Paelelon. High-strung and yet very trainable, these dogs are sought out by nobles all over Santharia. These animals are like the people that breed them, a bony, slender form with thin, strong muscles. The breeding and selling of these animals is a large part of Eophyrhim society due to the fact that nobles will pay a hefty sum for them. The Eophyrhim drow try to separate the pups and mother at latest a year and the drow look down upon inbreeding. They keep extensive tables of which dog was mated to whom and monitored at all times.
	JHOMCHOLAN DIVER, THE ("CHOLIAN WATERDOG") The Jhomcholan Diver, nicknamed the "Cholian Waterdog" by outsiders, is a highly social, water loving canine known for both its diving and hunting skills. It is most commonly found in Aeruillin, though it has spread to southern Sarvonia as well. The dog’s high intelligence and fun-loving demeanor make it optimal as a house pet for any society even if it is far from its beloved oceans.
	KAAL BLOODHOUND, THE The Murmillion people have hunted the wargs since they defined their territory. While their time-perfected skill and fine-crafted bladeaxes kill swiftly, the beastly wargs challenged everything they had, and so this breed of bloodhound was bred to be used in combination with their spears and arrows. Kaal Bloodhounds are well suited to a cold alpine climate, with their large build and thick coat, and have acute senses of sight, smell, and hearing. They are tenacious and vicious creatures, whose loyalty is hard to gain, and unpredictable once gained. These hounds have also been used in warfare by the Murmillions.
	KARDIÓN HOUND, THE The Kardión Hound is one of the canine animals of Caelereth. They are mainly found in the Lands of the Kanapa in Northern Sarvonia. They are domesticated and are kept usually by humans. The word Kardión (Kardión) is the Styrásh word for "arrow", which is also a very fitting description of the Kardión Hound because they are incredibly fast, speedy like arrows. Kardións are very active dogs and enjoy many activities, often running around in open fields as well as swimming.
	RUSTHOUND, THE Named for its rust coloured coat, the Rusthound, found predominantly in the Xaramon province of Santharia, is said to be half warg as it emerged while the red wargs, that roamed the Kruswik, and surrounding area, were still widely used as hunting/scouting animals. They are popular hunting hounds that are known for their sense of smell and treeing abilities. Other hounds have been found to have trouble when a climbing animal takes to the trees since they are mostly trained to chase down animals on the run or corner and dig out those that go into their homes. These hounds seem to have a knack for keeping the animals scent while others would circle the tree in confusion. They were first used to hunt various animals, but one animal and show of skill caught the hunter’s eyes. Once these hounds catch the mimsy’s scent they take off in pursuit, letting out a unique baying meaning they are on the trail. They chase the creature until they can overtake it, with their ground gobbling sprint, or tree the animal. Once the animal is up in a tree they will change the tone of their bark, making it a shorter, but deeper baying that means that the animal has been treed. At this point it is up to the hunter to spot the creature and shoot it with a bow or cut down the tree. Sometimes both hunter and hound are fooled though, as the hunted creature has been known to find away into another tree and away from the danger before the hunters can catch up with the hounds.
	THRISYRÓR, THE ("AUTURIAN HOUND") The Auturian Hound is a small dog which can be found in the Auturian Woods, as its name implies. They live in packs of ten to twenty and make up for their diminutive size with numbers and stealth. The Tethinrhim elves have become great friends of theirs and they are also commonly used by low class hunters. The Styrásh name "Thrisyrór" (translated short for "friend-beast") also relfects this close relation between elf and hound. The Tethinrhim use them as pets as well as hunting hounds and tracking dogs. Humans have bad relationships with them, especially when they live next to the forest and the sound of growling and biting is common in their taenish coops.
	ZEIPHYRIAN HUNTING HOUND, THE Quaelhoirhim elves are one of the few wood elven tribes to keep "domestic" dogs, although they tend to roam around in packs much of the time, so perhaps may only be counted as semi-domesticated. The hounds seem to have their origins in the alliance with the dark elves in the First Sarvonian War (see the Eophyrhim elves). It is believed that the Quaelhoirhim elves manage to aquire several of these sought after animals. The Zeiphyrian animal is a slightly glossy, slightly shorter and stockier version of the original and is often used as an all purpose working, hunting or guarding dog by many many tribes, as the Quaelhoirhim love to trade, and these dogs have found usages in many different communities.

	HOB-HOUND, THE ("KODA") Hob-Hounds, also known as the Little Koda or Koda (so named after the Kodael), arose out of the hobbits' desire to have a dog as useful as any human Cael Hound, but on their scale. As such they greatly resemble miniature versions of the common dogs of Santharia and Caelereth. Used as working dogs as well as pets in their native shires, they have acted as sheepdogs, guard dogs, hunting dogs and more for centuries. There has recently been a great deal of human interest in these friendly, obedient animals, who have taken to keeping them as lap-dogs.
	KOYOT CANINE ("JACKAL", "BOAR-FACED COYOTE"), THE The Koyot, also known as a "Jackal" or "Boar-Faced Coyote", is a sooty-coloured canine native to the mountains and deserts around the Norong’sorno volcano in the Truban province of Santharia. They are scavenging hunters in the wild, but known more commonly as a domestic dog in the household of Stratanians. Koyots are occasionally known as "Pig-Dogs" or "Pidogs", a derogatory term for their pig-like appearance and behaviour, and one that is commonly applied to their owners or anyone who has a mutty, dirty appearance or attitude. Despite the allusion to filth, one that might be accurate for the wild Koyots, domesticated ones tend to be exceedingly clean, with little of the mannerisms that plague their wild brethren.
	RIMRUNNER, THE ("RIMMER", "RUTTER") A small canine very popular in the southern areas of Santharia, the Rimrunner (short "Rimmer", also "Ratter") is an attractive, playful animal. It is primarily used as either a household pet or vermin-killer. As the name suggests, this dog originates from the Rimmerins Ring area in northern Manthria, though it has become more widely known in recent times.

Diet. The main source of food for all canines is meat. Dogs that live with people depend on their masters to feed them, while Street Dogs have to develop some survival instincts and either steal or beg for food. Some of the more wild or mistreated Dogs will kill for food is they are starving, though this is somewhat rare. Dogs will also eat vegetables and grains and food from their masters, but some of these foods can be harmful to the animals. Various vegetables, fruits, and animals with small bones could easily kill a Dog, though most vegetables and fruits are safe. Raw bones are fine for all Dogs, though cooked bones should be watched as they can splinter and kill a dog.

The amount of food one of these animals will consume depends on their size. Dogs that use little energy should eat less than a Dog that lives outdoors and runs around all day. Diets and amount of food is based on the individual Dog and the life it leads, though also depends on the owner's ability to supply them with food.

Mating. Maturity for most Dogs is reached at about two years of age for both males and females, though it sometimes differs depending on the breeds. For the most part, mating seasons, mating rituals, and number of pups is different for different breeds. Signs of the approach of the birth of puppies is generally the same in most and include a reluctance to be around anyone (and any animal as well) and sudden loss of appetite. After the puppies are born the mother tends to them and for the first hour or so will fuss over the pups before allowing others near them.

For the first two weeks the puppies' eyes and ears are closed but their sense of touch is very keen. By the third week pups are beginning to walk almost steadily, respond to sounds, and will tussle with their littermates. At two weeks old the pups' teeth will start coming in and at three weeks they should be lapping from a bowl. By one month the puppies should be eating well, and are ready to leave their mother and are fit to be sold around eight weeks.

Most male dogs don't have the parental instincts and sense of familial obligation like wolves. They have grown accustomed to counting on the assistance of humans to help raise the pups and little by little it has lost the pack instinct. They do respect the pups and will most likely not attack them, and there is a possibility that the father will protect them from external attacks. Females on the other hand are full of tenderness and for the entire time that she has the puppies, she will defend them, clean them, nurse them, and educate them until they are able to live on their own. However once her pups have grown she becomes rather uncaring. Special breeds may have different behavioural patters or courtship methods.