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The Scottish Deerhound

By Michael Russell

Known for its prowess in the field and its intense skill at the chase and known equally as well for its sensitivity and its love of people, the Scottish Deerhound is a unique breed that is highly cherished by the people who have had the pleasure to own one. The Scottish Deerhound is exactly what the name implies, a dog that was bred in the rough lands of Scotland to chase and bring down the deer. For many centuries this was a game dog that served both the peasantry and the landed gentry very well in its pursuit of the deer and doubled as a family dog that held a special place by the fireside of its master. It very nearly died out by the eighteenth century…as there was less demand for deer meat and the times were changing. It is still a scarce breed and ranks quite low on the “popularity list” of the American Kennel Club.

The Scottish Deerhound is a tall breed, from 28-32 inches at the withers. The dog carries a great deal of strength in the neck and shoulders and a powerful jaw, for it is a dog that is built to hunt and bring down wild game that is as big or bigger than himself. The color ranges from dark gray or steel blue to sandy red or fawn . White is strongly discouraged. The dog has a wire coat except that the muzzle itself is not bearded. The outline of the Scottish Deerhound is similar to that of the Greyhound although the form is bulkier and much more muscled. He is a dog that should have the appearance of strength and speed. His temperament is quite gentle and mannerly, although he is a fiery and passionate hunting hound, he is also a sweet and docile companion who loves to be a part of the family.

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The Irish Wolfhound: King of Dogs and Dog of Kings

By Michael Russell

The Irish Wolfhound is known as the King of Dogs. It’s stately grace and long easy loping strides are deceiving, for it has sufficient strength and power to hunt and kill a wolf. The jaws of the dog are large and punishing, the massive shoulders and rear should have good musculature, a dog that is in condition is an impressive sight.

Illustrations portraying the ancient Irish Wolfhound have been found in Greece and Cyprus, where the continental Celts had their home. It is said that they took their dogs with them when they went to Ireland around 1500 B.C. They were as prized as valuable possessions. It is said that King John gave a gift of an Irish wolfhound to the Prince of Wales in the thirteenth century. This dog–Gelert–was immortalized in the poem by William Robert Spencer. Hence the phrase: “King of Dogs and Dog of Kings”, which is a popular slogan of the Irish Wolfhound fancier. These dogs were used by the Irish to hunt wolves, wild boar and deer. It is a historical fact that for over 100 years Ireland has had no wild wolves and this has been attributed to the hunting skill of the Irish Wolfhound.

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The Border Collie

By Michael Russell

The Border Collie is a sheep-herding dog of exceptional qualities. For many years the Border Collie has excelled at sheepdog trials as a dog with uncanny instinctive abilities to herd sheep. The dog performs this function often without any direction from the herder. When direction is given it is through low whistles or hand signals on the part of the human Master. The Border Collie will lie down with uncanny timing and precision, will dart in or out at just the right moment to guide the sheep, all the while maintaining an intense eye contact or “staring” at the sheep; this eye contact is a well known characteristic of the breed. Anyone who has seen this dog perform at herding trials cannot help but be fascinated by the outstanding talents of the breed.

The Border Collie originated as the name implies, from the border territories of England and Scotland. The first Sheepdog Trials were held in North Wales in 1873, where a dog named “Tweed” won the trial and also a prize for being “the most handsome dog”. It is said that this dog became the foundation of the Border Collie breed.

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The Spanish Mastiff

By Michael Russell

The Spanish Mastiff (also called the Mastin de Espanol) is recognized by the F.C.I. and the Kennel Club of Great Britain. At the present time there is an active parent club in the United States which is working towards recognition of the breed in the Foundation Stud Service. The Foundation Stud Service has several requirements for membership and this breed does not yet qualify. He is being promoted as a guard dog and companion of exceptional gentleness and strong working ability. He is popular at European dog shows but is not often found as a pet except in his native country.

As the name would imply, the dog is a native of Spain and is of the Mastiff origin. He is used extensively still in many parts of Spain as a guard of cattle and sheep and protector of both farmsteads and urban properties. He is noted for his gentle manner and even temper with children in particular and is loyal and affectionate towards his human family and strangers who are welcomed by his master. He will not tolerate visitors who are not invited and is prone to aggression with other dogs. He is very good with livestock and farm animals, treating them in a protective manner and being highly aggressive towards predators. He should be socialized early with his human family. He is quite happy as an outdoor dog and if kept inside he should have access to a large fenced in yard or long walks with his master daily.

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The Chihuahua Are Bred To Be A Companion Dog

By Sandra Oberreuter

Chihuahuas are the oldest dog in North America and the smallest breed in the toy group. They only weigh 2-6 pounds and are only 6-9 inches tall.

These dogs are quite intelligent, alert but easily spoiled. They are not a meek dog as they will fight a larger dog. They are a wonderful dog guard and will take on human intruders as if they were bigger than they are.

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Characteristics Of The Rottweiler

By Racheal Stacknick

The Rottweiler

Origin: Rottweil Germany

Colors: Black with clearly defined tan or mahogany markings

Bred for: Guard and cattle drover’s dog

Coat: Coarse, short coat

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The English Cocker Spaniel: Game Bird Dog

By Michael Russell

The traditional sport of hunting the “gamecock” is the foundation of the word “Cocker”. The term “Cocker” denotes those spaniels which were used for hunting this bird. Many years ago hunting dogs were classified according to size. Those over 25 pounds were classified as Field Spaniels and those under 25 pounds were classified generally as Cocker Spaniels. Selective breeding of Spaniels and other hunting breeds in the nineteenth century began to distinguish and discriminate between the different types of Spaniels.

The Cocker spaniel was classified as a separate breed by the English Kennel club in 1892 and by 1946 in the United States two different “Cockers” were classified, the American Cocker spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel. The two breeds diverged in several ways. the English Cocker is notably the dog which retains a strong hunting instinct. The muzzle of the English Cocker is longer with less stop than that of the American Cocker Spaniel. The body is square, in contrast to the American Cocker which presents a sloping back and exaggerated rear angulation.

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The Alaskan Malamute, Dog of the North

By Michael Russell

When Jack London wrote the novel “Call Of The Wild”, the main canine character “Buck” was more than likely a dog which had at least some Alaskan Malamute in his bloodline. This dog is a native of Alaska, tracing his roots back to the Mahlemut tribe , an ancient Indian culture which is seldom mentioned without a mention also of their faithful dogs. These dogs helped them with almost every aspect of their daily living, from fishing and hunting to hauling in the hunt. The Alaskan Malamute is just one representative of the many different breeds which were used in the settling of the great territory of Alaska, a region whose vast reaches of inhospitable climate required a beast of burden who could live off the land, who had great speed and who could pull heavy loads. The fact that there were already large numbers of dogs being used for these purposes made it natural that the cold reaches of the northern territory would be mostly explored and populated with the help of the dogs.

There is a historical possibility that the Alaskan Malamute, one of the largest of the sledge dogs, owes some of his size and strength to the Arctic Wolf, a very large white animal nearly twice the size of the Alaska Malamute. This may be true or not. Crosses are routinely engineered today in captivity, but no one really knows whether such a cross would occur in the wild. If it is true that he descended from a cross with the wolves, this may account for his strong acceptance of being a “pack dog” in the sled dog teams and his willingness to be within such a group. There are few “societies” of animals which are as similar in their interactions to human society than the “society” of a team of sled dogs. In the animal kingdom, the society of wolves is very similar. Despite his “pack” mentality, the Alaskan Malamute possess an affinity to humans, loving not only to work for man, but loving humankind altogether and without reserve.

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Toy Poodle, About the Breed

By Agust Hauksson

A toy poodle is a type of dog, one that is small, lively and that will become part of the family when welcomed into your home. The toy poodle is one that can be black, white or brown, and true toy poodles are not going to be multi colored or mixed breeds. The hair on the toy poodle is one that is curly, very curly and often times shaved over the body to keep the hair from becoming messy. This is a dog that has long and floppy ears, sometimes they look a little too long for the small head that this dog has. Many toy poodles are bred for show, and with the right help can win all types of awards and prizes for their owners.

The toy poodle is one that is known for being smart, and intelligent. They are highly responsive to their owners, listening to commands, and listening to demands. The toy poodle that is neglected will seek out love and companionship of another dog, another person, or another person with more authority in the home. Giving this type of dog a lot of attention and interaction with children while they are puppies will help groom the dog for a family life that will be happy and social with the entire family.

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Dachshund - The “Weiner Dog” Breed Description

By Josh Emsley

Dachshunds originated in Germany and are known to have existed as far back as the 16th century. Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, wild boar and other types of small animals. In German, Dachs means badger and Hund means dog, showing the emphasis the breeding pattern had on the hunting of the badger.

Dachshunds have a fearless kind of attitude about them handed down from their ancestry of hunting. The original breed was quite large compared to the CKC/AKC standards of today, averaging 30 to 40 pounds. Eventually this size was branched off into smaller categories for individual hunting of smaller prey such as a fox or rabbit.

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