Tag archives: Breed of the Week

Herding dog, guard dog, police dog. The giant schnauzer has served man in many different roles for more than 300 years. Originally developed in the Bavaria and Württemberg states of Germany during the 17^th Century, giant schnauzers worked with German shepherds to guard and drive livestock en route to market. As the all-purpose farm dog was brought into cities, their duties shifted from guarding livestock and farmhouses to serving as watchdog in factories, breweries and stockyards, among other places.

The giant schnauzer remained a relatively local dog, being employed in the two German states most notably, until just before World War I. At that point in time, the intelligent and physical breed was then called upon for use as a military and police dog. In the United States, giant schnauzers were first imported in the 1930s by enthusiasts, but didn’t begin to rise in popularity until the 1960s and peaked in the 1980s.

The name “giant schnauzer” doesn’t refer to its size in comparison to other giant breeds of dogs like the great Dane or St. Bernard, but rather its size in relation to the other two types of schnauzer – the standard and miniature. Compared to the standard ...

Better known as a blue or red heeler, the Australian cattle dog originated in the Land Down Under and was used to drive cattle over the continent’s rough terrain. Interestingly, it was developed by crossing cattle-driving dogs of the day with tame dingoes.

According to the AKC, “Australians began crossing Dingo-blue merle Collies to Dalmatians and Black and Tan Kelpies. The result was a dog identical in type and build to the Dingo, only with a thicker set and peculiar markings - and also an excellent worker.”

The mix of dogs is also responsible for the color variation seen in today’s breed, which can either be shades and patterns of merle blue or tawny-red.

The ACD is an active medium-sized, short-coated dog that possesses a high intelligence and which forms strong bonds with its owners. As cattle-driving dogs, ACD’s would nip the heels (hence the moniker) of stubborn cows to keep them moving. Because of their strong herding instincts and close relationship formed with cattlemen moving throughout the countryside, the breed retains a few of those necessary attributes. Namely, they’re prone to nipping, especially at the heels of running children (which should not be taken as biting or aggression), and ...

Sometimes politics and patriotism combine to influence the development of a canine breed. Such is the case with the American Eskimo dog, which originated in Germany (where it was known as the German spitz) and was brought to America in the early 1900s as a companion and watchdog. However, with the rise of World War I and anti-German sentiment, the name was changed from German spitz to American Eskimo dog (and nicknamed the “Eskie”).

The name wasn’t the only thing that changed. The American version of the breed, separated from the German, and perhaps mixed at some point with the Japanese spitz, developed into its own, primarily white, breed.

Eskies were originally used as watchdogs, and as such still retain a tendency to bark at strangers that approach or encroach upon their territory. In America, they became popular as performing animals in circuses, walking on balls, tightropes and performing other tricks. Marketing gurus of the day sold puppies after the show and, as such, many families went home with their very own Eskie.

Because they evolved as alert watchdogs and performing animals, Eskies are intelligent, affectionate, playful and biddable – they love to please. These personality traits make them perfect ...

The Cavalier King Charles spaniel, a toy breed best suited as a companion pet, has a very interesting history that perfectly – one that exemplifies how humans have manipulated canine genes through selective breeding.

The ancestry of toy spaniels, from which the Cavalier and closely related King Charles spaniel descend, can be traced to the Far East (likely Japan, which suggests a common ancestry with the Pekingese). It’s believed that these toy spaniels were given to European royalty as gifts.

History shows that the earliest recorded appearance of a toy spaniel in England was in a painting of Queen Mary I and King Philip in the early 1500s. However, it was during the reign of King Charles II (1649-1685) that the small spaniel breeds exploded in popularity – and from when they were first identified with the monarchy by name. So enamored with them was Charles, that the dogs reported had complete freedom within Whitehall Palace – and that Charles had a tendency to pay more mind to the dogs than visitors and state business.

The toy spaniels of Charles’ day were said to possess a flatter skull and short noses, which is the biggest distinction between the two breeds ...

When someone refers to a "collie," many people think of the iconic image of Lassie – the dog made popular by Eric Knight’s novel and the MGM television production. However, the term collie more broadly refers to a collective of dogs with similar traits – including the border collie, Australian collie, bearded collie and Shetland sheepdog.

The image of Lassie-type collie is actually what’s known as a "rough" collie or long-haired collie. They were originally bred for herding and driving livestock during the 1700s in Scotland and Wales. The dogs from the two areas had distinctly different characteristics – the Scottish version was large, strong and aggressive in order to herd highland sheep, while the Welsh variety was smaller, more nimble and was used to herd goats. The two were crossed and then likely mixed with Borzoi (which resulted in the long tapered head) to produce the foundation of today’s breed.

While a working dog in ancestry, the shift toward the conformation ring and companion pet exploded after Queen Victoria acquired one in the 1800s. The continued breeding for these purposes has reduced the herding instinct in many lines; the result being that today the instinct is very hit or miss ...

As entertaining, happy and hard-working dogs, golden retrievers have become one of the most popular breeds in the world. They consistently rank among the most-registered breeds in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, and serve many roles with an unrivaled eagerness to please.

Developed in Scotland in the 1800s as a water dog used to retrieve shot fowl, golden retrievers descend from a non-descript “yellow-colored” retriever, two extinct breeds (the St. Johns water dog and the Tweed water spaniel), Irish setters, the bloodhound and wavy-coated black retrievers. This combination of dogs set the stage for the modern golden’s characteristics: love of water, superb scenting ability, trainability, biddable disposition, desire to retrieve, soft mouth and intelligence. A well-balanced dog, golden retrievers possess soundness of body, character and intelligence (author Stanley Coren ranks them as the fourth most-intelligent dog).

While they were originally bred to retrieve waterfowl for hunters, and they still perform this duty today, golden retrievers have successfully crossed into all roles of canine athlete and assistance dog. Owners of golden retrievers compete in field trial and hunt tests, agility, flyball, obedience trials and the conformation ring. They are also used extensively in search and rescue, detection (from ...

One of the most easily recognized breeds throughout the world, German shepherd dogs have packed plenty of accomplishments, while garnering a storied reputation, into a very short history.

The modern German shepherd dog (GSD) dates to 1899 and descends from that country’s herding and guarding dogs. Through a strict breeding program grounded in working ability, the standardized GSD developed quickly; and while it continued to be used for herding and guarding sheep, the breed’s outstanding characteristics suited it for a wide array of working roles.

German shepherd dogs serve in military and police roles to track and detain criminals, as patrol and personal guard dogs and in scent detection – everything from tracking and narcotics work to mine, explosive and accelerant discovery. GSDs are also used in search and rescue operations and as guide dogs for the blind.

The GSD’s diversity of use stems from their inherent working abilities that include intelligence, courage, trainability, strength, a sensitive nose, obedience and loyalty. In fact, in the book The Intelligence of Dogs, author and psychologist Stanley Coren ranks GSDs as the third-most intelligent dog (behind the border collie and poodle).

German shepherds are intelligent and hard-working dogs who need daily stimulation and ...

Small and as full of energy as they are character, Jack Russell terriers possess intelligence and prey drive that allow them to serve in varied roles – from companion pet to tenacious hunter. The mostly white dog with brown and black markings comes in a trio of coat types – smooth, rough or broken-coated – and sizes, which leads to some confusion.

The standard Jack Russell remains much the same as the original breed that was established in the early 1800s. The Parson Russell terrier, closely related, is more of a conformation dog and has a more defined height of 12-14 inches at the withers (as compared to Jacks that range from 10-15 inches). Another closely related terrier, the Russell terrier or English Jack Russell terrier, is a smaller version, reaching only 8-12 inches in height.

The Jack Russell terrier was originally bred to hunt foxes. Its job was to flush or corner the animal in its den, giving the hunter a chance to kill it. They were later adapted to hunt badger, which required the dog to possess the courage to square-off with a dangerous foe in the confined space of its burrow and tunnels. This tight-spaced hunting helped necessitate the shorter-legged ...