Category archives: Breed of the Week

Breed of the Week: Rottweiler

Breed of the Week: Rottweiler

Descended from Roman drover dogs, which were used to drive and protect the cattle herds of Roman soldiers on the warpath, the Rottweiler maintains its herding and guarding instincts to this day, while also using its intelligence, size and athleticism to perform duties as varied as police dog, guide dog and search-and-rescue dog.

The Rottweiler was developed in the German town of Rottweil, where its continued use was as guardian and protector of cattle being pushed to market. They were also used by butchers as guard dogs, which earned them the nickname ‘butcher dogs.’

Two historic events played a huge role in the Rottweiler’s popularity. Technological advancements, specifically the railroad, nearly led the breed to extinction. As railroads could move goods to market faster, cattlemen began using the iron horses instead of driving them with dogs. Throughout history, many breeds have gone extinct when their primary purpose was supplanted by technological advances or social changes.

The two great World Wars also nearly led to the extinction of several breeds, but for the Rottweiler, it was a saving grace. The demand for police dogs grew exponentially with the wars, and that renewed interest in Rotties, which were used as draught ...

Breed of the Week: Bull Terrier

Breed of the Week: Bull Terrier

Descended from the extinct old English bulldog and Manchester terrier, the bull terrier was originally bred to help control vermin and to fight in the blood sports of bull and bear baiting. Today’s iteration looks as different as it behaves. With its distinctive egg-shaped head due to the lack of stop, the area between the eyes and across the bridge of the nose that typically leads to frontal facial features of the dog, the bull terrier is very recognizable.

The original cross was brought about to increase fighting prowess – the lighter, more agile terrier build combined with the tenacity of the bulldog made it a formidable foe. Various combinations of bulldogs and terriers also created other pit-fighting dogs such as the pit bull and Staffordshire terrier. However, the bull terrier eventually was crossed with Dalmatian, greyhound, Spanish pointer, foxhound, whippet, borzoi and collie. The first modern version of the bull terrier, one that lacked any stop at all, is credited as Lord Gladiator and is dated 1917.

While their history resides in the blood sports, the originator of the breed, James Hinks, sought a more refined companion. To this day, the bull terrier carries a cavalier attitude – not ...

Breed of the Week: The Doberman

Breed of the Week: The Doberman

One of the most intimidating dogs, the Doberman is also one of the most intelligent. Created in the 1890s as a guard dog, the Doberman has a storied history as protector but is now considered a great family and companion dog in addition to being one of the best guard dogs.

Developed by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann in Germany, Dobermans were created to protect their owner. Dobermann himself was a tax collector who also ran the town’s dog pound. His access to dogs allowed him to mix and match various breeds to create a dog that was intimidating and aggressive enough to fight off bandits and others that would seek to harm the money-carrying tax man. It’s believed that he used German shepherd, Weimaraner, German shorthaired pointer, Manchester terrier, Great Dane, German pinscher and greyhound, among others. 

The result was an intelligent dog with enough trainability to keep it under control, yet a dog that would aggressively protect its owner on command. It maintained these traits, as well as being athletic, strong, fast, loyal and ferocious, and has been employed as a war dog, police dog and personal protection dog. 

Like many breeds, the war and post-war eras ...

Breed of the Week: Vizsla

Breed of the Week: Vizsla

A medium-sized hunting dog that originated in Hungary, the vizsla has a devoted following of both hunters and conformation enthusiasts. While they are essentially pointers – locking up on game and indicating its location by pointing with their nose – they do have an inherent desire to retrieve as well. If introduced to water and encouraged to work in it, they can make passably retrieve waterfowl in many settings.

Perhaps the most recognizable feature of the vizsla is its coloring; shading of solid rust gives it a very distinctive look. The coat is short, flat and dense without an undercoat. They are medium in size, standing a strict 21 to 24 inches in height at the shoulder and run 40 to 65 pounds, with females being slightly smaller. While they are lightly built to withstand the rigors of the hunt, vizslas are robust and well muscled – even sinewy. Agile and energetic, they were bred to hunt the fields, forests and waters of Hungary with power, drive and endurance. That being said, they are “people” dogs and make one of the best family companions of all the pointing breeds.

According to the AKC, the vizsla's ancestors were hunters and ...

Breed of the Week: Greyhound

Breed of the Week: Greyhound

Another of the ancient breeds, the greyhound has long been associated with nobility and depicted hunting with them in artwork, as well as described in official records. The greyhound, with its long, lean body and legs, has the ability to accelerate quickly and maintain some of the fastest sprinting speeds of any land mammal on the planet. While their original use was for hunting, in more modern times they’ve been used for lure chasing and other forms of racing. With the rise of adoption centers, many retired racing greyhounds are now finding popularity as pets in the home.

Records of greyhounds date to the Celtics in Europe, although some contend that they originated in ancient Egypt, with modern lines tracing first to private 18th Century studbooks and then public kennel club records in the 19th Century. They arrived in America with Spanish explorers in the 1500s.

With incredible sprinting speeds, strength and acceleration, greyhounds can chase down just about anything that runs. Throughout history they’ve been used to hunt a wide variety of game, from deer, foxes, rabbits and hares to antelope, gazelles and wolves. In America today, they’re still used for small-game hunting of rabbits, as well as coyote ...

Breed of the Week: Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Breed of the Week: Cardigan Welsh Corgi

An old breed, with records of the Celtics using them dating to 1200 BC, which makes it one of the earliest-known herding dogs, the Cardigan Welsh corgi is one of two corgi breeds – the other being the Pembroke Welsh corgi. The short legs and long, low-slung body of the corgi, along with ample energy, drive and endurance, has served it well in roles as a farm-guard dog, cattle driver and herder, and now commonly as companion animal.

Its small size allowed it to nip the heels of cattle and to drive them further out to pasture, while also keeping it out of harm’s way of kicking bovine. Today, their small size still serves them if employed for farm work, but it also makes them good candidates to live in apartments or houses with small yards. They readily bark at approaching strangers, so make good guard dogs; training can help reduce the barking in apartments where strange noises and passing people are regular occurrences. Because of their working background, they do require daily exercise, and many owners enter their dogs in trials that include sheepdog, agility, obedience and rally obedience, as well as herding events, flyball, tracking and, of course ...

Breed of the Week: Boxer

Breed of the Week: Boxer

Athletic and intelligent, the boxer has perhaps one of the most malleable of personalities and range of inherent traits, allowing it to perform in a wide array of roles. From companion and competitor to guard and war dog, the boxer is as fierce and intimidating as he is lovable and laughable.

Good with children, being both affectionate and patient, boxers do best when companions are near – be them human or canine. They enjoy a group setting, and will engage in cuddling, playing or working. They have a protective streak, which in combination with their affectionate nature makes them a popular choice among families. The breed holds strong in the top ten of breeds registered with the AKC, typically averaging as the seventh-most registered dog.

The boxer can trace its origin to 1890s Germany and the now extinct Bullenbeisser dog – a mixture of mastiff and bulldog. Directly descended from these dogs, which were used for fighting and hunting, the boxer was at first employed in a similar manner but performed the duties with more athleticism. While at first used as catch dogs on the hunt, boxers were later used as military dogs during World War I – performing as ...

Breed of the Week: Mastiff

Breed of the Week: Mastiff

Large and imposing, the mastiff is a docile giant, despite its use throughout history in warfare, bear baiting and utilization as a guard dog. It’s also an ancient breed that has been a part of the foundation for several breeds of dog.

One of the largest dogs registered by the AKC, the mastiff should stand at least 30-inches tall at the shoulder (females at least 27-½ inches) and can weigh up to 250 pounds without being overweight. The one-time world record for heaviest dog belonged to a mastiff named Zorba, who weighed a massive 343 pounds and stood 35-inches tall.

Large mastiff-like dogs appear in artwork dating to 6th Century BC (and perhaps even earlier), and throughout history the large dogs have been used for fighting and guarding. From lions, tigers, bears and gladiators to use in war by the Britons and Romans, mastiffs fought ferociously. However, as vicious as they were in battle, they were just as gentle with and protective of their owners. It’s been noted that in battle, mastiffs would fight the enemy, but seemingly knew for which side they fought – and when the battle was over, they would return to a docile state. If ...

Breed of the Week: Siberian Husky

Breed of the Week: Siberian Husky

An iconic breed, the Siberian husky is often associated with Alaska, sled dogging and arctic temperature. Indeed, the husky dog is well suited to the arctic with an extremely thick double coat (said to be able to withstand temperatures as cold as -76 degrees Fahrenheit) and thick, fluffy sickle tail that aids in keeping it warm when at rest. It originated in northeastern Siberia (and was subsequently imported to Alaska), and was bred by the Chukchi people of northeast Asia. With their medium to large, well-muscled frame, the dogs have been used by indigenous people, explorers, miners and homesteaders to settle the coldest regions on the planet.

A member of the spitz group, the husky is just one of many sled-type dogs, which includes the Samoyed, Alaskan malamute, Alaskan husky and the Japanese Sakhalin husky, to name just a few. Members of the family all share the weather-resistant coat, as well as powerful and athletic bodies and high-energy levels. They were first used by the Inuit to pull sleds full of supplies and people, therefore aiding in the settling and inland exploration of Alaska, Canada and other places. European explorers then began using dog teams to pull sleds in their ...

Breed of the Week: Pomeranian

Breed of the Week: Pomeranian

Descended from larger herding dogs, the Pomeranian is a spitz-type dog that is now a companion and show dog in the toy group. Its small size makes it a great choice for apartments or houses with small yards as it doesn’t need much exercise, but the small dog is very energetic and requires attention from its owners. The Pomeranian’s popularity began in the late 1800s with British royalty and continues to this day.

The modern breed is believed to have developed in a region of northern Germany and Poland that is known as Pomerania, and that it was used as a herding dog. In this working form, the breed was approximately 30 pounds (and perhaps weighed as much as 50). The early iteration of the breed, which came from the German spitz, worked in harsh northern climates (even earlier versions were used in the arctic) and gives the current breed its thick double coat, which protects it from the cold, wet, windy elements.

Pomeranian popularity soared in 1891 when Queen Victoria showed a small, 12-pound dog named Windor’s Marco. The smaller size immediately became all the rage and breeders began selectively choosing mates based upon their miniature dimensions. It is ...