The Shetland Sheepdog is probably a descendant from the Rough Collies brought to Shetland (a Scottish island) and mixed with the Icelandic Yakkin, a small dog that is no longer recognized. By 1700, the breed was totally developed and was used to herd and guard sheep. The Sheltie was first recognized in 1909 in England … 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 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
The Golden Retriever was first developed in the British Islands. The breed comes from crosses between the Flat-Coated Retriever, Spaniel breeds, Setters, the Newfoundland and possibly the Bloodhound. This breed was first shown as the Golden Flat-Coat. Highly obedient, the Golden Retriever as been used for many tasks like hunting and tracking, but also for … Read more
The English Springer Spaniel is the first of all the English hunting spaniels. During the Renaissance, it was considered as the ideal companion for the European hunter, but it?s only in the 1700?s that the breed began to be popular in America. This breed hunts on land and water and makes a fine retriever. It … Read more
The Dachshund is a long bodied dog with undersized limbs. Originally bred in Germany, this breed's name translates to 'badger dog'. Despite their small size, the Dachshund is a tough little fighter! Their body is the perfect size to chase their prey into small underground burrows. This breed comes in 3 varieties which are standard, … 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
Two thousand years ago the Chinese trading ships picked up these dogs from Africa and renamed the dogs 'Chinese Crested'. The Crested dogs originated in Africa where they were called 'African Hairless Terriers' are today more often found in Central and South America. The Chinese Crested Dog is the most popular of the hairless breed, … Read more
The Cairn Terrier originated in Scotland and was bred to hunt small animals and chase them into stone structures called cairns. This breed has helped create a few of the very common breeds known today such as the Skye Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier. These dogs became very popular in the 1940's because … Read more
