1) Origin
The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is an ancient French breed with Pyrenean origins. The breed is most likely offspring of medium sized Bleu de Gascogne with the Griffon Nivernais and possibly even with the Grand Griffon Vendéen. All three are another French hounds. 2) Hunting The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is a hunter. Hunting was extremely popular in France and this breed was used for hunting by royalty, but also by commoners. They most often hunted hare and other smaller game, but when needed, they were able to go hunt for example wild boar or deer as well. The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne can hunt in large packs, but thanks to their independence, they are also able to hunt alone. It is extremely versatile hunter. Their extraordinary sense of smell and very high prey drive are their biggest weapons on the hunt, next to their endurance and loud voice. 3) Rare breed The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is a rare breed, rarely seen outside France and northwest Spain, but in the past, they were quite popular over the Europe, but their numbers were declining for many decades as the hunting dogs were not needed that much anymore and they almost went extinct. But lately, the breed is experiencing a revival and luckily, they are not on the verge of extinction anymore. Today the breed is officially recognized by some of the largest kennel clubs around the world, like FCI or UKC. 4) Companion Of course, this is not only a hunter, but, just like all the dogs, loyal companion. The breed standard describes this dog as highly excitable, but affectionate. It is also extremely loyal breed with independent mind, but overall friendly demeanor towards its own family. They are pretty alert towards strangers and they can be trained to be okay watchdogs, but they should never be agressive without a reason. They can happily live in a pack with other dogs, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood, but because of their hunting instincts, it might be challenging to socialize them with other household pets. They are also good playful partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. 5) Exercise This is definitely not a city dweller. The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is highly energetic dog breed with high exercise needs. They need a lot of daily exercise, physical and mental, just as they need a lot of human interaction. Without these things, they will be unhappy and potentionally develop some unwanted behaviour, like excessive barking. You can take them on long walks to the woods, hikes, jogs or simply play with them. They will love it all. 6) Size This is medium to large sized dog breed with well built muscular body. The average height is between 50-57 cm, which is 19-23 inch and weight is typically between 35-60 lbs, which is 16-27 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Coat and color This breed has a very descriptive name, which will tell you all you need to know about the dogs coat. Griffon is describing wiry coated hounds from France and Bleu is describing the blue like coat color. De Gascogne is describing geographical region, where these dogs originated. So the breeds name can be literally translated as blue colored and wiry coated hunting breed of Gascogne region. And indeed, the coat of this breed is rough and shaggy and the coats color is white mottled with black, giving a slate blue overall appearance. 8) Bleu de Gascogne The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is one of the four breeds that are part of the Bleu de Gascogne family, next to the Petit Bleu de Gascogne, Grand Bleu de Gascogne and Basset Bleu de Gascogne. All four share the same coat pattern, but the Griffon is the only one with longer and rough coat. 9) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming and maintenance as well. The breed has quite unkept appearance, but it will still benefit from regular brushing and combing, which will remove all the dead hair. No other grooming is required and the grooming routine is quite simple. Just like with any other breed, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health There is not much documentation about the breeds health, but it should be generally healthy and hardy breed with average lifespan around 12 or 13 years. The breed is not linked with any serious health issues, but they can ocassionally suffer from ear infections, hip and elbow dysplasia and different allergies.
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1) Designer dog breed
The Chowski is a so called designer dog breed, which is just another term for a crossbreed. In this case a cross of the Siberian Husky and Chow Chow. The Chow Chow is an ancient dog breed from Northern China that was used for hunting and protection, while the Siberian Husky comes from Northeast Asia where it was used by Chukchi people for sled pulling. 2) Spitz The Chowski is not officially registered under any dog group, but we can easily say, that it would belong into the Spitz dog category. Both of its parents are Spitz dogs and the Chowski has all the Spitz like characteristics, from which some of them are very dense doublecoat, erect ears, very often curled tail, independent, alert, courageous and lively personality. 3) Appearance First of all, it is important to say, that the appearance, and even the temperament, of Chowski is not very well predictable. Some of the Chowskies will look more like Huskies, while others more like Chow Chows. There is no official breed standard that would specify ideal size, coat type, color, body type of the Chowski. But on average, the the Chowski looks like a very very fluffy Siberian Husky and you can expect them to be pretty strong dogs with deep chest, long and muscular body, wide head and broad muzzle, almond shaped eyes in various colors, such as brown or blue. Of course, some Chowskies can inherit the typical Chow Chow wrinkles as well. 4) Size The Chowski is medium to large sized dog breed with average height between 17-23 inch, which is 43-58 cm and weight between 40-65 lbs, which is 18-30 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 5) Coat and color This crossbreed always posses extremely dense doublecoat which is protecting the dog from harsh and cold climate. The main colors of Chuskies are brown, black, cream, red, and white. Sometimes their coats are solid, and sometimes they have a mix of colors. 6) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming and maintenance as well. And sadly, the Chowski is a heavy shedder which sheds all year long, more heavily during shedding seasons. Daily brushing is recommended to minimize the shedding by removing all the dead and loose hair and it will also help to redistribute natural oils all over the coat. By doing this, you can minimize the shedding, but it is impossible to stop it. Other than that, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 7) Cold lovers Both of the Chuskies parent breeds evolved in very cold areas and even the Chowski will prefer to live in colder area. This does not mean, that they can not live in warm regions, but they should always have access to some shady shelter or cool zone, to water all day long and you should not take them on long walks and hikes during extremely hot days. It is also extremely important to not shave their coat during hot summer. It would not help them to cool down. Their doublecoat is helping them to withstand freezing temperatures, but it is also helping them to insulate from the heat and it is much much better for them if you keep their coat natural. 8) Personality Just like the appearance, even the temperament of Chowski, and any other first generational cross, is rather unpredictable. Most often, the Chowski is intelligent, but stubborn and independent breed, which means they can understand the commands you teach them, but they will not always obey them. They are suited for experienced owners who know how to properly train and socialize independent dog breed. This dog is typically protective and territorial, especially if it inherit more personality traits from the Chow Chow, which makes them good protectors. In the right hands, they will make very loyal companion pets, they can live with other dogs in a pack and they can be good playful partners for kids as well, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a young child unsupervised. Many Chowskies also have higher prey drive, which means they might try to chase down other household pets, but not all of them do it. Again, you never know what you will get when you buy a Chowski, so you must be prepared for it. 9) Exercise These dogs have high energy and they are better suited for active owners and families. Both parent breeds are workers and even the Chowski must have some kind of a job in their life. It can be daily long walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime, regular fun training sessions.. Just anything that will occupy them physically, but also mentally. Without enough exercise, they might develop some problematic behaviour, such as excessive barking or destruction. 10) Health The Chowski is predisposed to the same health issues as its parent breeds. The life expectany of this breed is around 12 or 13 years and they can ocassionally suffer from health issues such as hip dysplasia, entropion, cataracts and different allergies and infections. 1) Ancestry
The Hangin Tree Cowdog was developed by Gary Ericsson and his son Choc. It was developed by crossing four breeds together – the Border Collie (3/8), Catahoula Leopard dog (1/8), Australian Kelpie (¼) and Australian Shepherd (¼). It is important to say, that only dogs that can be traced to the original stock of Gary Ericsson can be registered as pure Hangin Tree Cowdogs. So even if you own a mixture of the four original breeds, you should not call it as Hangin Tree Cowdog if it can not trace its ancestry back to the original dogs. 2) Name The breed has unique and very unusual name. But the origin of the name is simple. They are named after the Hangin Tree Ranch in Texas USA, a ranch of Gary Ericsson. 3) Cattle dog The idea behind creating the Hangin Tree Cowdog was to make the best possible cattle dog and indeed, this is extremely skilled working ranch dog. This breed is known for their courageous and tenacious nature which helps them to handle any kind of cattle. They are good at gathering, retrieving and herding. It is said, that the Hangin Tree Cowdog is ultimate cowboy’s dog. And all the dogs used in the breeding process were used for a good reason. The Border Collie for its intelligence and herding instincts. Catahoula for its power and ability to tail and find the cattle. The Kelpie was added for similar reasons. And lastly, only one Australian Shepherd was used. It was named Black Bear and it was extremely skilled herding dog that could manage any cattle. And the Hangin Tree Cowdog should ideally be a perfect combination of all four dogs. 4) Companion But the Hangin Tree Cowdog was not only created to be a cattle dog, but also tobe a perfect family pet. And indeed, it is wonderful pet, but they are definitely not for everyone! It is mostly because of their desire to work and very high energy level. As a companion pet, this dog is only suitable for active people and families. Other than the high energy, this is absolutely loyal, obedient, easy to train dog with high intelligence, always playful and curious. Overall, this is very good companion dog. 5) Exercise And it is absolutely crucial to provide these dogs with enough exercise. It can be long walks, hikes, jogs, vigorous playtime. They are very intelligent so they need some mental stimulation as well. You can train them new tricks or prepare some puzzle toys. These dogs are also great adepts for various dog sports, such as herding trials, agility, obedience or rally. They will definitely prefer to live in a house with big yard and they are not the best choice for apartment living. Proper exercise is just essential with this breed, without it, they can develop some problematic behaviour, such as excessive barking or destruction. 6) Size This is medium sized dog with very strong and powerful body and with heavy bone structure. The average height is somewhere around 22 inch, which is 55 cm and weight between 40-55 lbs, which is 18-25 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Eyes Just like its ancestors, the Border Collie, Catahoula dog and Aussie, even the Hangin Tree dog can have eyes in different colors. It is not uncommon for them to show heterochromia, which means they have each eye in different color. The typical colors are blue, brown, hazel and golden. 8) Coat and color The Hangin Tree Cowdog has a short and slick hair, perfect for working all day long even in heat without any problems. The coat can have feathering around its chest and hind legs. And what about the color? Well, there is no limitation to it. These dogs can truly have almost any color you can think of. Merle and brindle colors are quite common. Black, brown and red colors, with or without tan markings are also very common. 9) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming and maintenance as well. And luckily, it is extremely simple. Even without any grooming at all, these dogs will keep its coat in good condition. They do shed some deal of fur, but it is nothing terrible. You can brush their coat from time to time to remove any dead and loose hair and also to redistribute natural oils all over the coat. No other grooming is not needed. Just like with all dogs, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health The Hangin Tree Cowdog is a hardy and usually extremely healthy dog breed. They are not linked with any serious genetic health issues, but of course, they can still suffer from time to time with some typical doggy issues, such as allergies, infections, some eye problems or joint problems. But typically, they remain healthy and active for a long time. And they usually have a long lifespan, which is typically around 15 years. 1) Origin
Despite being named English Shepherd, the origins of these dogs are in North America. They are descendants of various dog breeds brought to North America with early settlers from Great Britain and Ireland. Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Scotch Collie or Rough Collie are very likely some of the ancestors of the English Shepherd. The English Shepherd was valuable helper of early settlers in America and they were used as all around farm dogs, for herding, guarding and also for hunting. The breed was known under some other general names in the past, such as Shepherd dog or Farm Shepherd. 2) Herding Even though very versatile, the main utilization of the English Shepherd is herding. This breed has a loose upright style of herding, they have extremely strong herding instinct and they are natural low heelers, which means they are managing the stock from behind, often times nipping their ankles. The English Shepherd is very loyal to the stock, they create a strong bond with it. It is also said, that they are not forceful when working with the cattle and they are relatively gentle and they are not using more force than needed to get the job done. Overall, the English Shepherd is considered to be one of the most capable herding breeds. 3) Guarding Many herding dogs are also used to guard their livestock. And as i mentioned earlier, the English Shepherd creates a strong bond with the cattle, so it is not surprising, that they have natural tendencies to guard them and that they are naturally nurturing towards them. This is very alert and pretty brave breed that will try to deter any intruders and predators, such as foxes or racoons. But of course, if you live in area with strong predators, such as wolves, coyotes or bears, the English Shepherd will not be strong enough to deter them. In this case, you should look for a big and strong livestock guardian dog that will be better at this purpose. The English Shepherd was also used to guard property, to be a watchdog, and because of their territorial personality, they are quite good at this as well. 4) Hunting The English Shepherd is a dog of many talents, and one of the talents is hunting. They are especially good at treeing squirrels and raccoons. They naturally have higher prey drive and they will try to tree almost any smaller animal, including cats. And it is not uncommon for them to try to climb the trees as well! The English Shepherd has good sense of smell, which makes it good at tracking the game as well. Some hunters also use them for retrieving birds. As you can see, this dog breed can be trained to do almost anything and it will be good at it! 5) Companions Of course, even though this is multitalented and versatile worker, it is also a loving, loyal and playful family companion. This is an intelligent and sensitive companion dog that bonds strongly to its owner, but will be friendly and affectionate with the whole family. It is true that they are only suitable for active people, as they are highly energetic, playful and they need a lot of mental stimulation as well, but if provided with enough exercise, than they are pretty relaxed and calm dogs that will be always by your side. Literally. This is extremely devoted dog that will want to spend all day next to its favourite person. They can live with kids or other dogs as well, but of course you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. 6) Dog sports A lot of daily exercise, both mental and physical, is absolutely essential to have well behaved and relaxed English Shepherd. Without enough exercise, they will become bored and possibly develop some unwanted behaviour, such as excessive barking or destruction. Long walks, hikes, vigorous playtime, regular training sessions, different puzzle toys… The English Shepherd will love it all. But thanks to their high energy level and intelligence they are also amazing adepts for various dog sports, like agility, disc, rally, obedience, dock diving.. You name it. The English Shepherd will do great in any dog sport. And it is a fun way how to bond with your dog, how to learn him new things and how to exercise him properly! 7) Size The English Shepherd has a similar appearance as the Australian Shepherd. It is a dog breed with well proportionate body that exudes stamina and strength. The average height is between 19-22 inch, which is 48-56 cm and weight between 40-60 lbs, which is 18-27 kg. 8) Coat and color The coat of English Shepherd is designed to protect them from bad weather and other nature elements and it allows them to work all day long outside without problems. It is a weather and dirt resistant doublecoat of medium length. The coat is pretty smooth. Ears and back of forelegs typically have feathering. And what about the color? There are four predominant patterns, which are black and tan, tricolor, black and white and sable and white. 9) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention maintenance and grooming as well. The dense doublecoat sheds quite a lot all year long. Regular brushing is definitely beneficial to remove the dead and loose hair and to minimize the shedding, but it is impossible to stop it. Regular brushing will also keep the coat mat and tangle free and it will redistribute natural oils all over it. You should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed. 10) Health The English Shepherd is fairly healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 14 years. They can suffer from the same health issues as most of other herding breeds, but the problems can be prevented by health testing and breeding responsibility. Some of the issues that can occur in the English Shepherd are associated with the MDR1 gene, which is causing sensitivity to certain drugs and medication. Other health problems can be hip and elbow dysplasia and some eye problems like Collie eye anomaly. But overall, this is pretty healthy and hardy breed. 1) Origin
The modern day Smithfield is considered as Australian or Tasmanian breed, but its origins are in England. The original English Smithfield dogs were used to drove cattle and sheep to the market and they were especially famous in the Smithfield Market in London. The ancestry of this breed is unknown, but they were most likely a mixing pot of different types of collie dogs. These English Smithfield dogs were solely working dogs, they were bred for their utilization and not so much for their appearance, nor for companionship. 2) In Australia So how does these dogs ended up in Australia? They were brought to this country with the first settlers during colonial times. They lived in largest numbers around the Sydney, where they were used for the same purpose as they were in England, to drove cattle to the market. Some theories say, that Smithfields were further crossbred in Australia with some local dogs, with other European breeds and with Dingoes. But as i mentioned earlier, the exact ancestry of this breed is a mystery. 3) Almost extinct The Smithfield dog was not perfect for the hard work in Australian hot climate. They had trouble to work on warm days, which is why ranchers started using other Australian herding breeds instead of Smithfield. This include dogs like Australian Cattle dog or Stumpy Tail Cattle dog. This brought the Smithfield dog nearly to extinction on mainland Australia, but they survived in larger numbers in Tasmania, an Australian Island in southern Australia, where they are still sometimes used for working with cattle and other livestock. 4) Herding The Smithfield is quite good herding dog breed. It is a loose eyed dog and they are using mainly their barking and biting to move the livestock. They are described as fast and forceful, when they are working with the stock. Just like other herding breeds, even the Smithfield is very agile, intelligent, alert, they are good problem solvers and they simply just love to work. And just like most of other herding dogs,they are also excellent at various dog sports, like agility or flyball. 5) Companions Of course, the Smithfield dog is not only a worker, they also make amazing companion dogs. They are much better suited for active people and families, as they need proper exercise to stay healthy and happy. They can happily live with other dogs or other pets, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood and they are good playful partners for kids. Of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. The Smithfield is a very friendly and patient dog, which are amazing qualities for living with kids. They enjoy being around the family and this is very affectionate and loyal dog breed. 6) Size The Smithfield is a medium sized dog breed. The average height is between 18-21 inch, which is 45-54 cm and weight between 35-55 lbs, which is 15-25 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Tail The Smithfields appearance is pretty unified. It is a shaggy coated, medium sized dog with floppy ears. The only exception is the tail. There are two varieties of the Smithfield dog, one having a natural bobtail and the second having a longer tail. Both types are acceptable and both types can exist within the same litter. 8) Coat and color The Smithfield has similar coat as the Bearded Collie. It is a pretty long, coarse and shaggy coat. There are some shorther coated types as well, but vast majority of Smithfields have rather longer coat. They come in variety of colors, most commonly in combinations of black, grey, red and white. 9) Maintenance The Smithfield dog does shed some deal of fur, but the shedding is not extreme. You should regularly brush their coat to keep it tangle and mat free and to remove all the dirt and loose hair. No other grooming is required. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health There are no scientific studies about the health of this rare breed, but this should be usually healthy and hardy dog breed with lifespan around 14 years. Of course, they still might suffer from the typical doggy health issues, such as some joint and bone problems, problems with ears, some allergies or infections. 1) Origin
The Kunming Wolfdog is relatively young dog breed, developed only in 1950s in China, to meet the needs of military and police in the Chinese province Kunming. The breed was developed from several dogs. The main ancestor is German Shepherd, which was crossed with wolfdogs that were already used in military and with some local dogs as well. The Kunming Wolfdog was not created by directly breeding wolves with dogs, but already existing wolfdogs were used in the breeding process. 2) Utilization As i already mentioned, the Kunming Wolfdog is mainly used by Chinese military and police. It is used for various purposes, either as guard dogs, patrol dogs, but also for maintaining the peace and order. This dog is extremely good for search and rescue jobs, which is mostly thanks to their extremely good sense of smell. The breed was also used to locating bombs and narcotics and they were also used to locate and detect landmines. It is truly extremely good working breed, they love to work and they should have some kind of a job in their life. 3) Companions Even though these dogs were bred to be workers, just like all the dog breeds around the world, they can make good companion dogs as well. The breed is also slowly gaining reputation as a good family protection dog. But it is definitely not a companion for everyone! These dogs are very intelligent, but in order to be good companions, early proper socialization and training is a must. The breed is little bit more demanding than your average dog. These dogs are energetic, powerful, focused and alert. If the Kunming Wolfdog is raised with kids, other dogs or even other pets, they can typically live with them without any problems. And most of the time, they will be protective over them. But of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. 4) Size The breed is remarkably similar to the German Shepherd, which is not surpising, since the GSD is one of its main ancestors. They are slightly taller than the average German Shepherd and it is athleticly built breed. The average height is between 25-27 inch, which is 63-68 cm and weight between 66-84 lbs, which is 30-38 kg. 5) Appearance Most of the Kunming Wolfdogs have skin that hangs loose, triangular ears that are always erect, round eyes with alert expression and black muzzle. They have relatively big head and thick neck and overall formidable appearance. The breed has well boned legs, with pretty small cat-like feet. The tail is very bushy and dense. 6) Coat and color The Kunming Wolfdog has slightly shorter coat then the German Shepherd, but it is still very dense and thick doublecoat. The coat is much thicker and denser during winter months. The most typical color combination is the one, where the body has light to dark tan coloring and a black saddle. As i already mentioned earlier, the muzzle should also be in black color. 7) Exercise As a working dog breed, the Kunming Wolfdog must have high endurance and energy level. And indeed, they do need quite a lot of exercise to stay healthy and happy. They will be always ready for any outdoor adventure, it can be walks, hikes, jogs, many of them enjoy water and swimming as well. They will love to live in a house with big yard, rather than in apartment. It is important to mentally stimulate these dogs as well, otherwise they might become bored and potentionally develop some unwanted behaviour. This is a dog for active owners, it is definitely not a coach potatoe. 8) Recognition The Kunming Wolfdog was officially recognized in China in 1988 as a purebred dog and since then it is continuously gaining recognition all around the world. It is still not recognized by AKC or FCI, but it is recognized for example by Continental Kennel Club or by Dog Registry of America. The Kunming Wolfdog is still a rare breed, but its population is slowly raising. 9) Maintenance The Kunming Wolfdog does shed, and they shed quite a lot, especially during the shedding seasons in spring and fall. You can minimize the shedding by regular brushing, which will remove all the loose and dead hair and it will keep the coat in best possible condition. No other grooming is required. Of course, just like with any other breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health There are no scientific studies about the breeds health, but it is believed, that the Kunming Wolfdog is usually very healthy dog breed, free from serious genetic health issues and with lifespan around 13 years, which is quite good for dog of this size. But of course, just like all dogs, even the Kunming Wolfdog can suffer from some health issues, similar to the ones of German Shepherd, which are joint problems like hip dysplasia, bloating or declining vision. |