Have you ever wondered why the United Kingdom has been the breeding ground for so many dog breeds and their subsequent prominence? Whether it's terriers, herding dogs, foxhounds, or bird dogs, the UK has contributed significantly to the world of dog breeds by developing over 75 dog breeds, which i will show you in this video in alphabethical order. The answer to this phenomenon lies in the historical context of the country, particularly the impact of the Enclosure Movement. But before that, lets mention other factors, that helped United Kingdom to be home to so many dog breeds.
United Kingdom is old and isolated country, where landrace dogs were traditionally used for all kinds of purposes, from hunting, to herding, guarding, as drover dogs or as companions.
The UK, historically, also avoided all the bad stuff, that would destroy cultural artifacts, like dog breeds. They avoided big land wars, they were never colonised and they maintained their identity for centuries.
All these factors meant, that the United Kingdom always was a good place for various and diverse dog breed development. The United Kingdom was also the first country to create a breed kennel club with breeding rules, which prevented excessive inter-breeding, which could destroy a dog breed as fast as any war or other major catastrophe.
Now lets talk about the enclosure movement i mentioned in the beginning of the video. The Enclosure Movement, which began in the 12th Century with the enclosure of royal lands, gained significant momentum in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During this period, rural England underwent a transformation, with a substantial shift away from subsistence agriculture. Large forests were cleared, and the land was repurposed for sheep farming, surrounded by stone walls and dense hedges.
This movement was a seismic shift in the economic and social fabric of the UK. Approximately one-quarter of cultivated acreage, or around 6 million acres, was enclosed through direct acts of Parliament, and an additional 4 to 7 million acres were privately enclosed by the wealthy. This "rich man's land grab" forced millions of poor tenant farmers and squatters off the land, pushing them into overcrowded cities and towns.
The Enclosure Movement had both detrimental and beneficial consequences. While it led to immense suffering for people, it provided opportunities for dogs, especially foxhounds, collies, and terriers. Before the movement, squatters and inholders on common land made fox hunting with hounds challenging. However, after people were removed from the land and replaced by sheep and cattle, the number of free-ranging mounted hunts expanded rapidly.
Additionally, the Enclosure Movement facilitated the rapid improvement of farm stock. In the 18th century, livestock breeding was largely random. Still, by the late 1700s, farmers like Robert Bakewell realized that by separating males from females, which was made easier by enclosed fields, they could selectively breed and improve the quality of their animals. This deliberate inbreeding of livestock and selection for desirable traits led to the creation of new and "improved" breeds of sheep and eventually extended to other farm animals and dogs.
In 1859, the first formal dog show was held at Newcastle upon Tyne, sponsored by two shotgun makers, featuring Pointers and Setters exclusively. John Henry Walsh, the editor of The Field magazine and one of the judges at the show, later founded the Kennel Club. With the advent of dog shows, the creation of dog breeds proliferated. In 1800, there were only 15 designated dog breeds, but by 1865, that number had exceeded 50 and continued to grow, reaching triple digits after the establishment of the Kennel Club in 1873.
The Kennel Club imposed stricter standards, segregating and cataloging breeds into specific categories. Dog shows became social events, attracting middle-class individuals seeking "purebred" puppies to enhance their social status. The differentiation between show dogs and working dogs became more pronounced over time. Dogs were judged on various criteria, including tail set, coat markings, eye color, and even their facial expression.
The legacy of the Enclosure Movement continues to shape the world of dogs. In 2002, the Countryside Alliance organized a massive march in London, with 500,000 participants supporting hunting with dogs. Tony Blair used the Parliament Act to ban fox and hare hunting with dogs, despite opposition in the House of Lords. Political and economic forces that set British dogs on different paths two centuries ago still influence the dog world today, with debates over hunting and dog breeding regulations continuing.
In conclusion, the history of dog breeds in the UK is intricately linked to the Enclosure Movement, the development of agriculture, and the emergence of dog shows. These historical events have left a lasting impact on the diversity and function of dog breeds, raising questions about the future of working dogs and the role of dogs in modern society. Thank you for watching, see you in the next video!

 We all want our dogs to be as healthy as possible and two main factors that affects the dogs health are food and exercise. In this video we will focus on the dog food. Most people want the best food for their dogs, but the market is filled with so many companies producing all kinds of dog food and many of them using shady and false marketing to promote their brand, so it might be very hard to recognize good and bad dog food apart. The package of dog food and even the commercials are often times a, which is why you should always look directly on the ingredient label and nutritions before purchasing dog food. In this video, i will show you 23 harmful ingerdients in dog food to avoid feeding your dog. Lets jump into it!

​1) Gluten (Wheat, corn)
People avoid gluten to improve their digestion or for loosing weight, but the reason for avoiding gluten for dogs is more compelling. Gluten is found in grain such as wheat or corn and it is used as binders to form the kibble. Gluten is not natural food for dogs and many many dogs develop allergies on gluten an suffer from digestive distress due to the unnecessarily high quantities of gluten in dog food. This can also cause other issues such as ear infections, hot spots or itching.

2) BHA/BHT
If your dog food contains BHA or BHT food preservative, throw it away immediatelly. It is banned in many countries, but it can still be used in dog food even in some developed countries. BHA is considered as human carcinogen and it is linked with many health issues in dogs as well, such as cancer, liver damage or kidney damage. There are plenty of healthy preservatives, but BHA is just too cheap, so the producers use it a lot.

3) Ethoxyquin
This is a dog food preservative, which prevents the oxidation of fats and oils. On one hand, the Ethoxyquin is considered as safe by regulatory agencies, on the other hand, many owners report bad effects of this preservative, such as liver and kidney damage, skin problems and other allergic reactions.

4) Corn syrup
Corn syrup is used as a cheap sweetener in many kibble dog food and dog treats as well. Unfortunatelly, corn syrup, just like refined sugar, leads to weight gain and obesity, but it can also develop diabetes.

5) Artificial Colors
This is a no-brainer. Dogs do not care about the color of the food. Artificial colors are added to dog food only to make the food look better for the dog owner. Artificial colors have zero nutritional value and it can cause allergies. There are literally no benefits of artificial colors, because dogs will prefer taste and smell and they do not care about the color and some artificial colors, such as Red 40 or Yellow 5 can be dangerous for pets.

6) Meat Meal
Meat meal sounds as a good source of protein right? The problem is, that when you will see just meat, meat meal or meat and bone meal on the food label, you never know what this actually is. But i can tell you, that your dog will be fed with the worst source of leftover meat. It can even be meat from diseased or dead animals, from expired meat sections. If you are buying dog food from good brand, they will always specify the origin of the meat, such as turkey, chicken, salmon, etc.

7) Meat by-products
Meat by-products refer to any part of the animal that is not considered as a meat. It can be kidneys, lungs, liver or intestines. And these parts are actually very good for dogs as they are rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Problem is, that again, we do not know what exactly was used as by-products, because it could also be hooves or hair and similar by-products, which is again, why i should advise you to avoid dog food with meat by-products.

8) Animal by-products
Animal by-products are similar to meat by-products and the main issue with them is that they are nutritionally inconsistent when used in dry dog food. Unnamed animal by-products can be so heavily processed that little to no nutrition is left for the pet.

9) Animal Digest
Animal digest is another non-specific protein source, basically, a mixed meat broth that is heavily processed and that is often times used in dog food to give the pet food a flavour. It is sprayed onto dog food to make up for a lack of actual meat flavour from meat.

10) Soy
Soy is a source of protein, but it is a very bad and cheap source of protein. For dogs, you should also try to give them meat based protein. The soy protein is less usable for energy and body processes from immune response to muscle maintenance to metabolism. It can also be difficult for dogs to digest soy, causing bloating and gas.

11) Rendered fat
Rendered fat is typically low quality fat of unknown origin. Fats in general are healthy in moderation, but again, the problem is, that rendered fat can be from any animal, even sick animal. You should always choose food, which has fats from named sources. Rendered fats can be a source of toxins and harmful microorganisms and can promote the growth of harmful bacteria and mold.

12) Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is used in anti-freeze, but it is also used in dog food to keep moisture in semi-moist canine foods. The problem is, that propylene glycol can be toxic in large amounts.

13) Cellulose
The cellulose is rather new additive to dog food and it is used as a cheap binder, stabilizer and emulsifier. The problem with cellulose is that it is indigestible.

14) Artificial flavours
There are plenty of natural delicious flavours, so why choosing a dog food with artificial flavours? The reason why producers are using artificial flavours is, that they do not use enough of the real flavour. Be skeptical about the quality of dog food ingredients when flavour needs to be added to anything because it's often a way to hide subpar ingredients.

15) Melamine
Melamine is actually a plastic, that is used as a filler ingredient to reach the required protein content. It is a chemical compound and you can also find it in fertilizers or flame retardants. Melamine can be toxic to dogs and in large amounts it might cause kidney failure.

16) Nitrates
Nitrates can be typically found in meat products such as sausages and they are used as preservatives to prolong the shelf life of food. Nitrates can be toxic and they can cause blood disorder called methemoglobin which might cause a death of a young puppy or senior dog. You should definitely avoid any dog food with nitrates or sodium nitrite in it.

17) White flour
This is another filler with no nutrition value. It is a carbohydrate that can cause spike and then a drop in blood sugar, causing your pup to be hungry again soon after consuming it and it can cause obesity or diabetes.

18) Xylitol
This is a suger substitute, but even though it has no calories, it can still be problematic to your dog. Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia, liver failure, seizures or cancer.

20) Rice
Rice, or even worse, Brewers rice, is a low-quality carbohydrate source with almost no nutrients and it is used by dog food producers to save costs. Brewers rice are left overs after white rice has been processed. Rather than rice, look for whole vegetable or whole grain sources in dog food.

21) Sodium
Sodium is often times used in dental care dog food as it may help reducing tartar. But it is also believed, that it can cause cancer and it can cause problems with digestion. You can always just brush your dogs teeth, rather than using sodium dental care treats.

22) Vegetable Oils
Most vegetable are healthy for dogs, but we can not say it about vegetable oils. Vegetable oils typically contains high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which are responsible for inflammation.

23) Salt
There should be enough salt from the ingredients in the dog food already and i would be very cautious, if the producer would add extra salt into the dog food. Balanced diet can contain less than 1% of salt, so there really is not any need to add it in dog food.

History
The Griffon Astur Cantabro was developed in north-western Spain, mainly in the regions of Cantabria, Asturia and Galicia to help hunters hunt wild boar and other prey in mountainous and rough landscape.
For a long time, the main hunting breed used by hunters all over the Spain was Sabueso Espanol, also known as Spanish Bloodhound, but hunters in Cantabria region needed all-weather and all-season dog breed that will be better suited for their environment.
That is why they crossbred the Sabueso Espanol with various imported, mainly French, hunting dog breeds, such as Griffon Vendéen, Griffon Nivernais, Bleu de Gascogne or with the Jura Hounds. The exact ancestry is unknown, but it is certain that French Griffons and Sabueso Espanol are the main ancestors of the Griffon Astur Cantabro.
The Griffon Astur Cantabro is well known among the spanish hunters since the second half of the 20th century, but it remains virtually unknown outside Spain and it is not recognized by any kennel club around the world.

​Appearance
Big nose, long ears, strong and athletic body. On the first sight, you can see that this is a hunting dog breed. Their average height is between 50-55 cm, which is 19-21 inch. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.
This dog breed has the typical unkept like coat of a Griffon, which is medium long and hard, thick and shiny. The most common color is a combination of white and orange.
The Griffon Astur Cantabro has strong neck, thick tail that is slightly curved upwards, thin and elastic skin, hazel eyes with intelligent expression, rounded and drooping lips and overall straight profile.

Temperament
The temperament of the Griffon Astur Cantabro is influenced by its utilization as a hunter. They have extremely good sense of smell capable of detecting its prey from long distance, they are pretty fast and endurant, able to hunt all day long in any kind of weather and terrain, they have higher prey drive and they are very passionate about the hunt. They typically hunt wild boar, but they can adapt to other prey as well.
But this is not only a hunter. The Griffon Astur Cantabro is very social animal that has a potential to make wonderful family companion. It is important to say, that it is very active family companion for people who like outdoors. It is quite energetic dog that is always ready for any kind of adventure and you should provide them with daily walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions, so they can stay healthy and happy.
Overall, the Griffon Astur Cantabro is outgoing and happy dog breed, that is very attached to its family and they thrive for human companionship. They can also live with other dogs or children, but you should always monitor the situation between any dog breed and a very young child. Of course, they might not be good fit for families with other household pets, due to their high prey drive.

Health and grooming
The maintenance and grooming of the Griffon Astur Cantabro is relatively easy. This is a light shedder with minimum grooming needs. You should regularly brush their coat to keep it in best possible condition, no other grooming is required.
There is not much information about the breeds health, but it should be a healthy breed of dog with average lifespan around 12 years. Of course, just like any other dog breed, they can suffer from some health issues, such as hip dysplasia, some eye problems, different allergies and infections or bloating. But none of these ilnesses should be very common in this breed and it should be pretty healthy and hardy dog breed.

So you decided, that you would like to adopt a dog, but there is a lot of things to consider and since the shelters in most countries are absolutely full, there are almost endless options when it comes to adopting, so it might be little bit challenging to make the right decision and to choose the right dog for you and your family.

​You should be very very picky when choosing the dog, because choosing the right dog will be the best decision, but choosing wrong dog, a dog that does not fit your lifestyle will be absolutely devastating and it is one of the main reasons why dogs are putting back to the shelter.

Because of that i would suggest you to make a list of pros and cons of what you would like from the dog. Of course, you can include appearance traits on the list such as curled tail or pricked ears, but these things should be at the end of your list.

The most important factor to consider is definitely your lifestyle. You should especially consider following factors: size of your apartment or house, your work and the time you spend working, your previous experiences with dogs, how active you are, do you have kids, do you have other pets, what is your financial situation, do you have dog allergies? These are the main things you should consider when thinking about adopting, but also buying a new dog. Ask yourself these questions and from your answers create a list of desirable traits of your future dog.

To give you an example, if i would consider a new dog, my desirable characteristics would be an active dog that is good with little kids, that is calm indoors but always ready for outdoor walk or hike, that is small to medium sized, i would prefer adult dog around the age of 3 or 4, that is friendly with strangers and i would prefer a dog that is loyal to the owner and stay close to me on walks and last but not least i would prefer a dog that requires minimum grooming.

This is a list of traits i would write down and take it with me to the shelter, and i would strongly advice you to do the same thing!

You should also research some breeds, you can do it on the AKC or FCI website, but you can also watch videos about almost all the known dog breeds on our Rocadog channel. This way, you can find many information about various dog breeds and what to expect from a dog. It can be little bit time-consuming to study so many information about so many dog breeds, but it is well worth it since you can make much better decision afterwards.

Another important factor to consider is the age of the dog. You can shape puppies by yourself by proper training and socialization, but puppies are extremely time consuming and expensive. There are plenty of already trained adult dogs in shelters. Of course, not all dogs in shelter are trained, some do not have any training and you should ask about it directly in the shelter. But getting a already trained dog from shelter will make it so much easier from the day one.

Bring the list you created with yourself to the shelter and ask a lot of question to the shelter personnel. Do not rush choosing the dog. Ask questions about the dogs past and where was this dog kept, about its behaviour and especially about behavioural issues, about its medical needs and about its exercise needs. Ask them if the dog has history of escaping, if it is okay with strangers, if he has history of barking, biting or growling if the dog has history with any other problematic behaviour. By now, you should have a very specific picture of your future dog and it might take some time before finding such a specific dog, but again, do not rush it! Take your time. Visit as many shelters as needed and talk to as many people as needed. There is nothing to hurry about, the most important thing is to get yourself the best possible doggy companion.

Also, do not judge the dogs in shelter by first impressions. If the shelter workers will recommend you some dog, but you will not like its behaviour at first, try to spend some time with it. Many dog in shelter environment will be shy, nervous and scary, but once you take them on few walks, they will start acting completely different. This is another extremely important factor. Try to spend as much time as possible with the dog before adopting it.

But if it does not feel right, just wait, there will be more dogs. Patience is a key when getting a dreamed dog, and it will also be a key when training a dog. Best dog owner is very often the most patient one. And being picky when choosing the dog from shelter is the best way how to reduce returns back to the shelter. So do not feel bad if it seems like you’re walking away from dozens of dogs.

So now you know everything you should consider when choosing a dog. But what to do, when you actually adopt your dreamy dog. First of all, you should set up your home to be dog friendly. You will definitely need a comfy pet bed, a lots of toys, food, bowl, collar and leash and many many treats. You should also create a new set of rules for your household and your dog. Again, this is very very individual and you should ask yourself following questions:

Where will the dog sleep? Is the dog allowed on the furniture? What will the dog do while you’re at work (can he be inside or will he be roaming outside)? What do you want your dog to do while you’re eating? When will you feed and walk the dog?

Just set up rules and expectations for the dog and stick to them. The dog will quickly adapt to your rules if you will provide him with happy life.

It is also important to hide anything potentionally dangerous for the dog. Think about stuff like electrical wires, cleaners and chemicals that aren’t locked away, children’s toys that could be swallowed, and plants that might be nibbled. Also, it is wise to keep humans food out of reach, because most dogs would eventually eat it if possible.

When you bring your dog home, take it easy and give the dog some time to look around. It is advised to be as calm and relaxed as possible in the first few days, since your new dog is still exploring its new home and adapting to new rules. . Let your new pup sniff around your house, but don’t let them do anything and everything they want. Stick to your rules! You must be relaxed and calm around the dog, but the dog must respect you as well! Remember, that the first few days (or even weeks) might not be smooth sailing. Every dog reacts to being in a shelter differently. It typically takes about a month for a dog to fully relax and start to adapt to new routines. Most dogs will adapt to new environment in matter of few weeks. After that, you can really start creating a strong bond with you and your new dog. You will have to create routine of feeding, walking and training, but that would be a topic for another day.

History
There is not much documentation and information about the Small Medimurje Dogs history, origin and ancestry, but it is generally accepted, that the breed evolved more than 100 years ago in northwestern Croatia, especially in the region of Medimurje, where the breed also got its name. It is important to say, that some Croatian books mention dogs similar to Small Medimurje Dog since the 16th century.
Traditionally, the Medi was used in Croatia as a vermin hunter and farm watchdog and it was quite populat not only among farmers, but also among millers.
Over the time, the breed gained a popularity as a good companion pet, especially due to its smaller size and friendly and playful nature.
For most of its history, the breed was virtually unknown outside Balkans, but lately it gained a lot of popularity in Finland and you can find some Medi breeders in this nordic country as well.
To this day, the Medi is officially recognized in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Finland.

Appearance
The Medimurje Dog looks like a small wolf-dog. It has similar appearance to Swedish Vallhund or to Welsh Corgi, but i would say it looks more country-like. It has the typical prolonged body, with the length being one third greater than the height. Speaking of height, the Medi typically stands between 28-33 cm, which is 11-13 inch and there are no extreme size differences between males and females.
In the past, the breed was mainly bred for its working characteristics, rather than for appearance, which is a reason, why the appearance of Medi is not completely unified and it can vary a bit. But in general, the Medi has a powerful body, tail that curves upwards, upright ears, wedge shaped head, almond shaped and dark colored eyes, straight back and wide chest.
The Medi has a pretty short, thick, coarse and straight coat. The hair on the head, ears and limbs are short and very soft, on contrary, the fur on the neck and below the tail is longer and denser.
Typical colors are black, various shades of brown, yellow and gray. The Medi can be in any of these colors or combinations of these colors, either bicolor or tricolor. Medi can also be brindle and they might have white spots on the body.

Temperament
Medi is a very intelligent, curious, cheerful, hearty and good-natured dog with a lively character and good social skills with dogs and even though it was used in the past as a vermin hunter, they can be trained to live with other household pets like cats or other dogs.
This is highly adaptable dog and it can happily live on farms, but also in apartments. Most Medimurje dogs in Finland live in apartments and they make wonderful loyal, playful and spirited companions. Medi can also make good active companion for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervise.
Since the Medi was used as a farm watchdog in the past, it should not be surprising that this is quite cautious and suspicious breed towards strangers. But they should never be agressive and once you show them that the stranger is your friend, they will accept it.
The Medi is definitely not a coach potatoe. They might be small, but they need daily proper exercise to stay healthy and happy. Daily longer walks, jogs, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions are must with this breed.
Thanks to its speed, intelligence and trainability, the Medi can also be a good fit for various dog sports, such as agility or flyball. This dog will always be ready for any kind of adventure and you should be prepared for it when considering the Medimurje dog as a pet.

Health and grooming
The grooming and overall maintenance of Medimurje dog is pretty easy. They do shed some deal of fur all year long and it is a good idea to brush their coat regularly to remove all the dead and loose hair and minimize the shedding. No other grooming is required and the Medi will keep its coat in good condition by itself.
There are no studies about the breeds health but it should be rather healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 or 14 years. Because of their long body, sometimes they might suffer from spine and bone problems, but it is nothing extremely common. Other typical doggy health issues can also occur, such as various eye problems, allergies or infections, but again, this is rather healthy dog breed.