The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (NSDTR) originated in Nova Scotia and was bred to attract ducks until they were in range for the hunter, and to collect them once they were down. They are thought to be a mixture of the Labrador, Irish Setter, Flat Coated Retriever, Cocker Spaniel and Chesapeake Bay retriever! The … Read more
The Miniature Schnauzer originated in Germany and was bred to be a ratter in barns but is more commonly used as a companion breed. They are a mixture of the miniature poodle and the Standard Schnauzer, giving them the small size of a poodle and identical appearance of a Schnauzer. These little dogs are very … Read more
The Red and White Setter isn't too well known outside of it's native Ireland. There is two known Irish Setter breeds and it has been documented that the Red and White is the older of the two breeds. There has always been a slight confusion about the Irish Setter's proper color because they were often … Read more
The Toy Fox Terrier originated in the United States and was bred to be a ratter and to hunt small vermin. Their ancestor is the Smooth Fox Terrier but these dogs were bred to be much smaller which was done by mixing in the Italian Greyhound, English Toy Terrier and the Chihuahua. Today these dogs … Read more
The Swedish Vallhund is known as 'the little cattle dog of the vikings'. The dog breed closely resembles the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, but it is currently unknown whether there is any relation between the two breeds. The Vallhund is a canine that can take the role of a watchdog, a cattle herder or even a … Read more
The Havanese originated in Cuba and was bred to be a companion to people. They are a dog that is part of the Bichon breed, which explains why they look so similar to the Bichon Frise. The Havanese was created by the mixture of German Poodles with a now extinct breed called the Blanquito de … Read more
The German Shepherd, also known as the Alsatian, was developed in the late 1800's. It was originally bred to help herd and guard sheep flocks, and characteristics thought best for its line of work were preferred, such as intelligence and keen sense of smell. One breeder, Max von Stephanitz, established a registry that espoused this … Read more
The German Pinscher comes from a mix of the Miniature Pinscher and the Schnauzer. That's why, at the beginning, it had both smooth and wirehaired puppies. The German Pinscher was used as a vermin hunter, a family pet, a herder and a watchdog. The breed was officially recognized in 1879. The Pinscher-Schnauzer Club was then … Read more
Back to 2200 B.C., drawings of a dog similar to the Canaan Dog were found on graves, but this dog was first bred in the 1930's in Israel from wild dogs. The Canaan dog is well-adapted to the rough conditions of the deserts. This breed is still used by Bedouins to guard and herd sheep, … Read more
There are three different varieties of Collie based primarily on coat appearance: Collie (Smooth and Rough), Border Collie and Bearded Collie. The Smooth and Rough Collie are considered by the AKC as varieties of the same breed and therefore are judged by the same standard with the exception of the coat. Considered to be one … Read more
