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1) Two types
There are two varieties of the Istrian Hound, and main difference between them is the coat length and structure. There are other slight differences as well, for example the size and slight differences in temperament, but overall, both varieties are extremely similar. The older type is the Istrian Shorthaired Hound and the second type is the Istrian Coarse-haired Hound. 2) Istrian Shorthaired Hound It is believed that the Istrian Shorthaired Hound has a long history, dating back hundreds of years. Sadly, there is not much documentation about the history of this breed, but dogs similar to Istrian Hound are depicted on various paintings and frescoes at least since the 15th century. The ancestor of this breed is most likely an old type of the “East Adriatic white hound with markings”. One of the first written descriptions of Istrian Hound are from the beginning of the 18th century from the manuscript of the Bishop Peter Bakic, where he among other things mentions, that breeding of Istrian Hounds was already known before the 14th century, so it really is very old dog breed, which is used for centuries for hunting purposes. This breed is also known as Istarski Kratkodlaki Gonič. 3) Istrian Coarse-haired Hound The younger of the two breed types is the Istrian Coarse-haired Hound, which was actually developed from the Shorthaired Hound, which is its main ancestor. In the mid 19th century, the Istrian Shorthaired Hound was crossed with the rough haired French Griffon Vendeen, from which it inherited the shaggy, wiry and rough coat, but it inherited most of other appearance and temperamental traits from the Istrian Shorthaired Hound.. This breed is also known as Istarski Ostrodlaki Gonič. The main difference between the Istrian Hounds lies in the type of the hair, but the Coarsehaired Hound is also slightly larger dog with more robust appearance. 4) Utilization So as you already know, the main utilization of the Istrian Hound is hunting. These dogs are typically hunting by scent in pack of dogs and they show amazing endurance and power on the hunt. They have high prey drive and Istrian Hounds are absolutely enthusiastic into this purpose. They just love it. They can hunt all kinds of game, for example hare, fox or even wild boar. They are also known to use their deep booming voice on the hunt to alert the hunters, so they know where they has found the prey. And even today, these dogs are still very often used and kept for hunting, rather than typical companion pets. 5) Companionship But that does not mean that they are not good companions! Of course they make wonderful loyal and playful companion dogs. They are generally pretty calm and balanced dogs with loyal, pretty obedient and docile temperament. These dogs are known to be pretty alert and wary of strangers and it typically take a while before they accept a stranger as a friend. They are also not good for families with other household pets, since they might chase and hunt them. The Istrian Hound is known to create extremely strong bond to its owner, which makes it truly very devoted and faithful companion dog. 6) Size As i already mentioned earlier in this video, the coarse-haired Istrian Hound is slightly larger than the shorthaired Istrian Hound. The difference is not extremely large and on average, these dogs have height around 50 cm, which is 20 inch and weight is usually around 19 or 20 kg, which is approximately 43 lbs. Females tends to be slightly smaller than males. 7) Exercise For a hunting dog, the exercise needs of the Istrian Hound are not extremely large, but it is still a hunting dog, which means, especially if not used for actual hunting, they need several daily longer walks accompanied with some playtime, jogs or fun training sessions to stay healthy and happy. Once they are provided with enough exercise, they tend to be pretty calm at home. So even though they do not require tons of daily exercise, they are definitely not coach potatoes and the Istrian Hound is much better suited for active owners. 8) Color Both Istrian Hound breeds has the same coloration, which is one the main distinquishing mark of this breed. The Istrian Hound comes in great looking combination of the white coat with bright orange or lemon patches and markings. 9) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the maintenance as well and of course, it slightly differs according to the coat type. While the shorthaired Istrian Hound is considered very low maintenance breed, which only needs brushing from time to time to keep the coat in excellent condition. The Istrian Coarse-haired Hound needs little bit more brushing, to keep the coat mat and tangle free. Both types do shed some deal of fur all year long, more heavily seasonally and regular brushing is also very beneficial to minimize the shedding. 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 Great fact is, that the Istrian Hound is generally very healthy dog breed with average lifespan somewhere around 13 or 14 years. There is not much information about the dogs health, but most owners say that they are not predisposed to serious health issues. Of course they can ocassionally still suffer from the same health issues as similar breeds, such as some joint problems, ear infections or bloating, but it is nothing very common in this breed.
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1) Basenji
Africa has some very rare breeds, but that is definitely not the case of Basenji, which is quite popular all over the world. It is believed, that the Basenji is extremely old dog breed, that predates most of the modern breeds, but they were first described only in 1895 in Congo. Basenji is highly valued hunting dog with high prey drive, known for its courage, independence and intelligence, speed and agility. Another thing Basenji is known is the fact, that they do not bark. They are not completely silent, since they are known for specific sound resembling yodeling, but they truly are barkless dogs. The Basenji is strongly attached to its owner and they are loyal to its whole family. On the other hand they are typically quite reserved with strangers. It is a curious, alert, energetic and playful dog breed. 2) Rhodesian Ridgeback One of the easiest dog to recognize from Africa is definitely the Rhodesian Ridgeback, also known as African Lion Dog. It is a large sized dog breed with distinquishing feature, the ridge of hair running on the back in the opposite direction from the rest of the coat. The breed is native to southern parts of Africa and the first breed standard was written in 1922 in todays Zimbabwe. They can trace its history to semi wild ridged hunting dogs of the Khoikhoi people, who used these dogs for hunting large and dangerous prey and also for guarding. Later, these dogs were crossed with some european breeds, most likely with dogs such as Great Danes, Bloodhounds or some Terriers, but they preserved their excellent hunting skills. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is known as very loyal and balanced dog breed with very athletic and muscular body. 3) Coton de Tulear Most African dog breeds are hunters, but there are some exceptions. And Coton de Tulear is definitely one of the expcetions. This small, fluffy white dog is just incredible companion dog, hailing from Madagascar. The ancestors of Coton de Tulear were probably brought to Madagascar in 16th and 17th century on pirate ships. Later, these dogs were most likely crossed with Tenerife dog. The Coton de Tulear is Bichon type of a dog, with very cottony coat texture. Great fact is that it is non shedding breed, which can be excellent for allergy suffereres. On the other hand, grooming can be quite challenging. The Coton is very loving, smart, affectionate and pretty playful breed. They love being around people and they are very friendly towards almost everyone. They are also pretty intelligent and easy to train dogs. 4) Azawakh The Azawakh is one of the most elegant and athletic of all African dogs. It is an ancient sighthound from West Africa and it is named after Azawagh Valley. The Azawakh is very slim dog with very long legs and with muscles visible through the skin. The slim body and long strong legs are enabling the dog to be very fast and it is said that they can run up to 40 mph, which is 65 kmh, which is making them one of the fastest of all dogs. It is no wonder that they were used to hunt all kinds of fast prey, such as gazelles. The Azawakh was also used as a guard and protector, as it is a very alert dog breed and when they sense the danger, they will automatically start barking to alert other members of the pack. But when they are around its own people, the Azawakh tends to be extremely gentle and affectionate companion. 5) Aidi One of the rarer African breed is Aidi. It is a livestock guardian breed from North Africa. They are also named as Atlas Mountain dog, as they can be found in largest numbers in Atlas mountain range. The Aidi is very protective breed, which is mostly used as livestock guardian, but also as personal protector. They also posses good hunting abilities. 6) Armant There is not many information about the Armant dog and it is definitely one of the rarest of all African breeds. It is a sheepdog, most likely related to Briards, which were brought to Egypt with Napoleons army. The breed is named after the town of Armant. 7) Sloughi Another African sighthound, very similar to Azawakh, is Sloughi. This breed comes from North Africa, from countries such as Libya, Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco. The Sloughi is another excellent fast and agile hunting dog breed, known for its extreme endurance over long distances. This is very old breed, that is creating very strong bond with its owner and its own family. It is also pretty sensitive breed and hard handling is not very effective for training this breed. They need kind, patient and consistent trainer to achieve the best results. 8) Africanis The Africanis is a landrace dog that developed naturally, by natural selection and survival of the fittest in South Africa. It is not a standardized breed and thus, there is a big variety in the breed. But on average, this is medum sized and strong dog with friendly, but alert temperament. It is usually extremely healthy and hardy dog breed, which is very independent and can survive on its own. But of course, they love being around people and they will prefer to live in a pack with its owner. 9) Boerboel One of the most powerful African breeds is the Boerboel, a large mastiff type of a dog from South Africa. It is a strong dog with natural guarding instincts. They are excellent for protecting, as they will not let any intruders into your property. On the other hand, they are very gentle and playful with its own family and with kids. They are very tolerant with kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. They are absolutely loyal and faithful to its owners and they would do anything to protect them. But back in the past, this dog was not only used for guarding. It is believed, that they were also excellent hunters and they were the best dogs for hunting leopards. The name Boerboel derives from two Afrikaans words. Boer, which means farmer and boel, which is a shortening for boelhond, which means Bulldog. So the name can be literally translated as Farmers Bulldog. 10) Abyssinian sand terrier The Abyssinian sand terrier, also known as African hairless dog is extremely rare dog breed. It is possible, that they are already extinct, as it is unknown if any of them still exist. The breed is almost completely hairless, with the exception of few hairs on the head and on the tail. But they can also be completely hairless. 11) African Village Dogs The African Village dog is not a dog breed, but it is a group of native and indigenous dogs living in various parts of Africa, spreading from the north to the south. African Village dogs are common companions of African people and they are thousands years old. But they are not standardized at all. This is a list of different African Village dogs. They have different sizes, coat types and colors and utilizations. 12) African Wild Dog Another not so typical canine from Africa is African Wild dog. It is a wild animal native to sub saharan africa. It is a highly social animal living and hunting in pack. They hunt in pack with great endurance and they very often hunt animals like antelopes by chasing them to exhaustion. It is quite big and strong dog, with average height between 60-75 cm, which is 24-30 inch and weight is usually between 18-36 kg, which is 40-80 lbs. Female tends to be smaller than males. 13) Chinese Crested Dog China is not in Africa right? Of course not. But latest research say, that the breeds origin is not in Asia, but most likely in Africa or in Mexico. And various British, Portuguese and French explorers really discovered similar dogs to Chinese crested dogs across the African continent in 18th and 19th century. But if the dogs truly has ancestry and origin in Africa or not will probably never be discovered on 100%. 1) Origin
The Harlequin Pinscher is the merle, piebald or brindle variety of the classic Miniature Pinscher and it is not a new variety. Actually, the first mentions about Harlequin Pinschers are from 1800s. We do not know how this coloration was achieved, but it was most likely achieved by crossing Miniature Pinschers with some kind of merle hound or merle herding dog. But we will never know this for sure, because the original strain of Harlequin Pinscher is already extinct. 2) Breeding One of the reasons, why the original strain of Harlequin Pinscher is non existing today is merle to merle breeding. When you breed two merle dogs of any breed together, they always have a higher chance to suffer from some serious health issues, mainly to blindness and deafness. And when breeders bred two merle Harlequin Pinschers together, they had much higher chance to suffer from serious and even lethal defects, which caused them to fall out of favor and dwindle away. 3) Recreation Since the 1950s, there were no new officially registered Harlequin Pinschers. That changed at the beginning of the 21st century. Nancy Anderson wanted to re-develop the Harlequin Pinscher by crossing Min Pins with Rat Terriers. And she succeded in 2006 when her first Harlequin Pinscher was born. The merle to merle breeding is out of the table today in order to remain the Harlequin Pinscher healthy and they must only be bred back to classic Miniature Pinschers or to non-merle Harlequin Pinschers. 4) Color and patterns The Harlequin Pinschers come in variety of colors and patterns. Officially there are seven color combinations and you can see all of them on the screen right now. There are also several patterns, namely there is the merle, brindle and piebald pattern and combinations of those. There are also other forms of those colorations, such as tricolor, tweed or tuxedo. 5) Companions The temperament and personality of Harlequin Pinscher is pretty much the same as the temperament of Miniature Pinscher. The Min Pin is sometimes nicknamed as the King of Toys and indeed, even the Harlequin Pinscher is very lively, active and playful dog. This is also very alert dog with great loyalty towards its own people. They can make great playful partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Overall, the Harlequin Pinscher makes amazing companion pet that will be always ready for any playtime or outdoor adventure. 6) Exercise But even though the Harlequin Pinscher will definitely love daily walks, jogs, hikes, playtime and fun training sessions, it is not extremely hard to deal with their energy. It is true that you must exercise these dogs daily, so they stay healthy and happy, but few daily walks accompanied with some playtime is normally enough. When their exercise needs are met, they are typically pretty calm indoors. 7) Recognition Today, the Harlequin Pinscher is not recognized by any major kennel club and the color is not accepted as official color of Miniature Pinscher. But, you can still register this breed in several organizations, such as Dog Registry of America or American Canine Association. There are also some Harlequin Pinscher clubs and associations, such as American Harlequin Pinscher Club or Harlequin Pinscher Association. 8) Coat You already know what the pattern and color of Harlequin Pinscher is. Now lets talk about the structure of the coat. The coat is pretty short, lying close to the body and it is very smooth and the coat structure is the same as the coat structure of Miniature Pinscher. 9) Maintenance Speaking of the coat it is important to mention the maintenance and grooming as well and luckily it is very easy with this dog. They do shed some deal of fur, which is why regular brushing is beneficial to remove any dirt and loose hair from the coat. But no other grooming is required, that is all you need to do with the coat. Just like with any other dog breed, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health The Harlequin Pinscher is relatively healthy dog breed with average lifespan of 15 years. Of course, just like any other breed in the world, even the Harlequin Pinscher can suffer from some health issues, which includes patellar luxation, hypoglycemia, degenerative myelopathy or some allergies and infections. 1) Chihuahua
Lets start the video with the most famous Mexican dog breed, the Chihuahua, which is also, the smallest dog in the world. But dont be fooled by their tiny size, these little pups have big dog personalities. They are very alert, active and they love to bark. A lot. The Chihuahua is probably very old and ancient dog breed, that evolved from already extinct Techichi dog. But the history of Chihuahua is surrounded by mystery, as there are not many records from Aztects and from the pre-colonial era. Chihuahuas are named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where they were found in high numbers by Spanish conquistadores in 16th century. What is interesting about Chihuahua is the variety of colors, coat types, and head types. You can truly say, that each Chihuahua is unique, as they come in almost any color possible, there are apple head, deer head and pear head Chihuahuas and each one of them can have either smooth or long coat. If you would be interested to learn more about Chihuahua types, i am giving you link in description to my another video about this topic! 2) Calupoh From one of the most popular breeds, to one of the rarest! The Calupoh is also known as Mexican wolfdog and indeed they are crosses between Mexican Gray Wolf and common dog. Again, its history is not very well documented, but it is believed that they are part of Mexican culture for hundreads of years and thanks to that they are considered as cultural mexican symbol. Later, the Calupoh almost went extinct and it is almost impossible to find the original Calupoh these days. But in 1990s, a genetic project has been developed with the aim of recreating the wolfdog and save it from extinction. 3) Xoloitzcuintli The dog with one of the hardest names to pronounce is definitely the Xoloitzcuintli, also known as Mexican Hairles dog. The name is derived from the gods name Xolotl and Itzcuintli means dog in the language of Aztecs, so it is literally a gods dog. Again, we dont know much about their history, but ceramic sculptures of hairless dogs were found in large numbers in burial sites in ancient West Mexico. It is believed, that ancient Xolos were sacrificies to gods and buried with their owner to guide their souls to the underworld. Just like Chihuahua, even the Xoloitzcuintli has several varieties. They come in three sizes, toy, miniature and standard and they can either be completely hairless, but also coated. 4) Chamuco (Mexican Pittbul) The Chamuco, also known as Mexican Pitbull, is the only Mexican breed with relatively short history. It was developed in 1970s by crossing the already extinct Mexican Bulldog, probably some Mexican street dogs and Staffordshire and Pit Bull Terriers. These dogs are also known as „Devils“ and they posses very tenacious and intense personality, and very big strength and agility. Because of that, they are often times used for illegal underground dog fights.. But when they are raised with normal owner, they make great gentle, loving and absolutely faithful family companions. 5) Mexican street dog The number five in this video is actually not a breed, but Mexican stray dogs. The problem with abandoned street dogs in Mexico is enormous. There are millions of stray dog all over the country, which are very often killed by country authorities. Very often these dogs are treated absolutely inhumanely and cruelly. But they are still dogs capable of being the same great companions just as any other purebred dog. They deserve a chance from us, from people. If you are from Mexico, you can always consider adopting one of the stray dogs instead of purchasing a purebred dog. And if you are not, you can consider supproting one of the rescue stations in the Mexico, for example Barb's Dog Rescue or Compassion without borders. 1) Brussels Griffon
As i mentioned in the beginning of the video, the Petit Brabancon is one of the three breeds of Brussels Griffon. The other two are Griffon Belge and Griffon Bruxellois. The FCI recognizes each one of them as a separate breed, but for example the American AKC recognizes them as one breed with three varieties. What separates the three Brussels Griffon apart is only one thing – the coat and coloration. 2) Coat So what is the coat of Petit Brabancon, that separates it from the other Brussels Griffon? Well, it is the only Brussels Griffon with smooth and short coat. The other two has wiry coat. The Petit Brabancon hair is harsh, flat and gleaming and the length is up to two cm. The Petit Brabancon comes in different colors, which are red, black or black and tan. 3) Outcasts For some time, the Petit Brabancon was viewed as the outcast of the Brussels Griffons. The word griffon means wiry, thus, the smooth coats were viewed as fault in the past. Smooth coated and wiry coated Griffons are born in the same litter and for example in 1800s, the smooth coated pups were very often eliminated. Luckily, that changed over the time and some breeders started to keep them, as they found some qualities in the smooth coat, such as lower grooming demands and today, the Petit Brabancon is not viewed as outcast anymore and they are valued highly as loving companions, just like the other Griffons. 4) Ancestry When you look at the Petit Brabancon, you can see some clear similarities with the Pug, right? Well that is no coincidence, as the Pug plays a role in the Petit Brabancon development. The Petit Brabrancons main ancestor is a small rough-coated dog known as „Smousje“ which has been found in the Brussels area for centuries. The Smousje dog was similar to todays Dutch Smoushond. The breed that evolved from the „Smousje“ was known as Griffon d’Ecurie. In 19th century, these dogs were crossed with imported toy dogs, such as King Charles Spaniel and Pug, which is how the modern breed was created. 5) Utilization The Petit Brabancon looks like a typical toy dog and companion pet right? Well, in the past, they were used for a real hard work. They were very good ratters and they were used as theft deterrent and a discourager of vermin. And you can definitely see why they were good for this purpose, because these dogs are quite courageous, lively, adventurous and fearless. But today, they are almost exclusively living the life of spoiled companion pets. 6) Companions And they make perfect companions! Petit Brabancon is known as a so called velcro dog. And indeed, they will be by your side all the time. They create very strong bond with its owners and they want to be with them everywhere. It is a very playful, fun to be around dog with loyal, affectionate and adaptable personality. It truly is amazing companion dog and it is impossible to be bored with this dog. 7) Face The first thing you will most likely notice about the Petit Brabancon is their expressive face and expression. It kind of resemble the human like or baby like face, which is one of the reasons of the rising popularity of these dogs – they are just cute. The large and round brown eyes are set well apart, the muzzle is rather short and these dogs have small ears set high on the head. 8) Size The Petit in the breeds name means small or tiny and it is exactly what this dog is like. The average height is between 9-12 inches, which is 23-30 cm and weight is usually between 8-13 lbs, which is 3,5-6 kg. There are no big differences in size between males and females. 9) Maintenance Unlike the wiry Brussels Griffons, the grooming and maintenance of Petit Brabancon is very simple. Even without any brushing and grooming at all, they will keep the coat in good condition. But it is recommended to brush their coat from time to time, to remove any dirt and loose hair and to redistribute the natural oils all over the coat. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health The Petit Brabancon is usually pretty healthy dog breed with lifespan around 13 or 14 years. Of course, just like any other dog breed in the world, even the Petit Brabancon can suffer from some health issues. They sometimes have some eye problems, such as lens luxation or cataracts. Other health issues include some allergies, infections and heart problems, but they are not extremely common in this breed. It is easy to confuse Jack Russell, Parson Russell and Russell Terrier. These three distinct breeds share similar origin and ancestry and they are extremely similar in their appearance and temperament. But still, they are not identical.
There are definitely more similarities in these three breeds as they all share the same background. The roots of all three breeds can be traced to the first half of 19th century to avid hunter reverend John Jack Russell, who was also known as Parson Russell. Reverend Russell bought small white and tan terrier female named Trump from a local milkman. Trump was used to bolt foxes out of their burrows and she was just amazing at it! Because Trumps character and personality was just incredible for hunting, mr. Russell decided to start a breeding program around her and indeed, Reverend Russell created exceptional hunting dog for the terrain and environment of his home region, Devonshire, England, which was very confident, fiesty and strong dog with slightly longer legs. When Mr. Russell passed on, other breeders continued developing the breed. But different lines were developed in different parts of the world with different terrain, which caused slight differences between each lines. These dogs were bred for hunting purpose and thus, somedogs had shorter legs and stockier body than the original Reverend Russells dogs. The official FCI breed standard states, that over the time, two varieties of this breed evolved with almost identical breed standards with only subtle differences. One variety was recognized as Parson Russell and the second as Jack Russell. But for example the AKC only recognizes the Parson Russell Terrier, as the Jack Russell club of America preferred to remain their own entity and refuse to join the AKC. So now you know the common origins of the Jack Russell, Parson Russell and Russell Terrier, but what are the actual differences between them? Lets start with the Parson Russell and JRT differences, as those two dogs are extremely similar. The main differences are size and body type. According to the breed standard, the Parson Russell Terrier height is between 12-14 inch, which is 31-36 cm, while the Jack Russell height is between 10-15 inches, which is 25-38 cm. So according to the breed standard, the Jack Russell could be larger than the Parson, but on average, the Parson Russell Terrier is slightly taller dog, with longer legs and it should have more squarely built body. On the other hand the JRT is on average slightly smaller and its body is more rectangular. The Parson Russell can also have slightly larger head, but the difference is very small. The coat types, color, eyes, ears, tail and virtually every other appearance aspect of those two breeds is the same, so as you can see the difference is not really that huge. When it comes to temperament, it is also very similar. Both dogs are energetic hunters with higher prey drive, which are very bold, courageous, alert and confident. They are very friendly with its own family, but they are pretty watchful around strangers. Some people claim, that Parson Russell Terriers are better suited for hunting purposes, while the Jack Russell Terrier is better as companion dog, while other people say that the temperament of those two breeds is almost identical. Overall, even if there would be some differences in temperament, they would be very small. To make it even more confusing, there is also the third breed, the Russell Terrier, but luckily, in this case the difference is very clear. The Russell Terrier, in some parts of the world also known as Irish Russell Terrier or English Russell Terrier is just a smaller version of the two breeds mentioned before with shorter legs. This physical difference exists mostly because the Russell Terrier was further developed in Australia to dive straight into fox dens where the original breeds could not go that easily. The Russell Terrier height is only between 10-12 inches, which is 25-30 cm. Other than that, there are no big differences from the other two breeds. All three breeds share the same, predominantly white color, three different coat types, the smooth, rough and broken, and the same purpose – to be excellent fox hunters. The differences between them are not huge and if you are looking for smaller, but active companion with boundless energy that is always ready for outdoor adventure, then these breeds might be excellent for you. But make sure it is really a right dog for you! They are hunters and they are not best suited for families with other smaller household pets, because they might try to chase them down. You also must provide them with enough daily physical and mental stimulation, otherwise they might develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction. They need constant interaction with the world around them – sniffing, listening, chewing, playing, running. They are just big dogs, in small package and i can guarantee you, that you will never be bored with neither of these three breeds! |