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English Bulldogs are known as gentle, fun to be around and friendly companion dogs. Sadly, they are also known to suffer a lot from different serious health issues, mostly breathing issues, but also skin, dental and joint problems. But it was not always like that! When you look at photos of English Bulldogs that were taken 100 or more years ago, the breed looked very differently, and most importantly, the Bulldogs back than vere much healthier.
And it is no coincidence, because in the past, Bulldogs were used for working purposes. They were used to catch cattle or horses and to help butchers control their livestock. Later they were also used for a bloody so called dog sport bull baiting. But over the time, the bull baiting was banned and there was no other utilization for them, which is why, they started to be bred to be smaller sized dogs which would be good for companionship. But this breeding also destroyed their health. That is a reason why over the time, several breeders tried to recreate the original English Bulldog. Basically they wanted to keep their amazing temperament, but to increase their health. The most famous recreations are probably Leavitt and Olde English Bulldogges, but those are not the only one, because there is also, for example, the Victorian Bulldog, which this video will be all about! The Victorian Bulldog started to be developed in 1985 by a breeder Ken Mollett. He wanted to recreate the healthier Bulldog type, similar to those of Victorian era. He found the best English Bulldogs he could find and crossed them with other bull-breeds that could have been found in Great Britain, which includes Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Bullmastiffs. He wanted to change the appearance of modern Bulldog to the Victorian Bulldog mainly by prolonging the muzzle, give them more athletic build, longer legs and smaller head. And today we can say that he was succesfull, at least partially. The Victorian Bulldog is not the exact copy of Bulldogs from Victorian era, but it is definitely healthier breed than the English Bulldog, and is more athletic and fit. It also remained similar temperament of the English Bulldog, which is why it is beloved and favourite companion dog of many many owners. One of the main difference between the English Bulldog and Victorian Bulldog is the size, because the Victorian Bulldog is visibly larger. The average height of the Victorian Bulldog is between 16-19 inch, which is 40-50 cm and weight between 55-75 lbs, which is 25-35 kg. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males. Victorian Bulldogs typicaly also do not have that deep wrinkles, which are causing skin irritations and thanks to the slightly longer nose, they should not have that much breathing issues neither. But still, even though different than the English Bulldog, you can still see that these two dogs are closely related. They share many appearance and temperament traits. Speaking of temperament, what is the Victorian Bulldog like? They do posses gentle, friendly, trustful and tolerant personality. Thanks to that, they also make perfect dog partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Victorian Bulldog can also share its home with other dogs or other pets, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. Even though more athletic than the English Bulldog, they do not have some extreme exercise needs. Few daily walks accompanied with some playtime are enough to keep this dog happy and healthy. But they are capable of going for longer hikes and walks without any problems. Of course, daily walks are essential for their health and to prevent obesity, which these dogs are prone to. The Victorian Bulldog might be very friendly towards its family, but they are definitely not pushovers to train. It is not because they are not smart, but they are kind of stubborn. They will learn all the basic obedience commands quickly, but sometimes, they just dont feel like to obey them. It is important to train your Victorian Bulldog patiently, kindly, consistently, but also firmly. When it comes to the health of Victorian Bulldog, they can still be prone to similar health issues as the English Bulldog, but they are much less common and the breed truly is much healthier. But they can still suffer from some breathing difficulties, even though they are pretty rare. The main health issues are associated with skin conditions and obesity, which can be easily prevented by regular exercise and healthy diet. The breed has a good lifespan around 13 years. The maintenance and grooming of Victorian Bulldog is also quite easy. If you want to keep the coat in best possible condition, you can brush it from time to time, but even without any grooming, the coat will stay in good condition. Special attention should be paid to the dental hygiene of dogs with undershot jaws such as the Victorian Bulldog. It is also important to clean and dry the skin around the wrinkles, so you prevent any possible infections. 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.
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The P generation is where all the crossing starts. It is the purebred generation and those dogs are accepted and registered as pure dogs in different kennel clubs. This group includes all the breeds such German Shepherd, French Bulldog, Pug, Golden Retriever or Chihuahua.
When someone decides to create a new type of a dog, he will cross two purebred dogs together in order to create a new crossbreed, thus, he will be creating the first generation cross, also known as F1 cross. Sometimes, crossbreeds are also called as designer dog breeds, but it means the exact same thing → an offspring of two purebred dogs. The F1 crossbreeds inherit 50% of genes from breed A and 50% of genes from breed B. The appearance and temperament of the F1 crosses is the most unpredictable as they can inherit traits from both parents equally. But the breeders want to achieve some kind of dreamed appearance and temperament, for which they started the crossing. And because of that, they are breeding further the offsprings with the desired appearance and temperament. And when they breed two F1 crosses together, they are creating second generation crosses, or F2 crosses. And when you breed two F2 crosses, you are creating third generation crosses, also known as F3 crosses. I am sure you got this. You can also have F4, F5, F6 crosses and so on. But to make it simplier, any generation that is higher than F3 is typically called as multi generation. It is important to say, that F3 cross does not need to be offspring of two F2 dogs, but also an offspring of two F1b crosses. But what does that mean? What is the F1b and F2b? Well, the little b stands for „back cross“. It is a result of mating F1 cross back to the purebred parent. I can show you an example on one of the most popular crossbreed, the Goldendoodle. One of the most desired characteristic of Goldendoodle is their almost non shedding coat. It is a trait inherited from the Poodle parent. And to make it more likely that the Goldendoodle will truly have the low shedding coat, it is better to increase the percentage of the Poodle in the cross. That can be easily done by outcrossing the first generation Goldendoodle back to the Poodle. The result is F1b Goldendoodle which is 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever. F2b generation is also a back cross, but in this case, it is a result of mating second generation cross with the purebred parent. So as you can see, understanding the generations is not that hard as it might seem. It is also important to say, that it is not essential to understand the generations. More important than that is to choose a breeder with good reputation. This breeder should answer you all the questions and help you to get you a dog with the temperament, appearance, size and coat you want. But remember, all the crosses, no matter what generation it is, are still quite unpredictable in terms of appearance and temperament, much more than purebred dogs. 1) Designer dog breed
The Shorkie is not a purebred dog, but a so called designer dog breed. Designer dog breed is basically just another fancy term for a crossbreed or a mixed breed, which is a cross of two purebred dogs, in this case, of the loving Shih Tzu and lively and brave Yorkshire Terrier. 2) Origin Most of the designer dog breeds are new creations and the Shorkie is no exception. Of course, unintentional crosses of these two breeds could have existed for a long time, but it was not until probably 2000s, when these two dogs were first intentionally crossed together in order to create a new dog breed. But there is not much information about it. As a crossbreed, the Shorkie is not registered in any major kennel club, but it can be registered with the International Designer Canine Registry. 3) Parent breeds The parent breeds have very different history. The Shih Tzu evolved from Tibetan small watchdogs such as Lhasa Apso and most likely Pekingese. It was beloved companion of Chinese royalty and it lived in Chinese palaces. Because of that they are pretty calm, loving, cuddly and affectionate. On the other hand, the Yorkshire Terrier utilization is very different. These dogs were developed in 1800s in Great Britain as a ratter, to hunt, chase and kill rats and other vermin. They are typical hunting dogs with brave and courageous, lively and kind of mischevious temperament. 4) Temperament So as you can see, the temperament and history of both parent breeds is quite different, so what is the temperament of Shorkie. Well, you will never know. They can inherit more Shih Tzu or more Yorkie like personality, but on average, they are somewhere in the middle. Most owners say, that their Shorkie is loving and affectionate dog, but that they are pretty lively, playful and energetic and that they do enjoy daily walks and fun playtime. But since they are small, they are very good for apartment living, as it is not hard to fullfill their exercise needs. They can live with other dogs or kids in the family, but it is always better if they are socialized from the puppyhood. And of course, you should never leave young child with any dog breed unsupervised. 5) Appearance Just like the temperament of these two dogs, the appearance can also differ quite a lot from one Shorkie to another, depending if they inherit more genes from Yorkie or from Shih Tzu. But typically, the Shorkie is a small dog with sturdy body. The head is most often round with shorter muzzle. The height of Shorkie is typically between 6-12 inch, which is 15-30 cm and weight is usually between 5-14 lbs, which is 2,5-6 kg. There are no extreme size differences between males and females. 6) Coat and color As you can see in this video and, well, just like with everything in crossbreeds, even the coat and color can differ quite a lot, but typically, the coat is medium to long, most often straight and silky. The main colors of Shorkies are black, brown, red, blue, fawn and white and any combinations of these colors. 7) Low shedding Great fact is, that most Shorkies are very low shedding dogs, which is definitely a great benefit. Not only that you will not have your apartment full of dog fur, they can also be good choice for allergy suffereres. But it is important to say, that no dog is 100% hypoallergenic as they all produce some dander and saliva and even the Shorkie does shed a little bit, so it is always better to spend some time with the Shorkie to see if they will trigger the allergies or not. 8) Maintenance Even though the Shorkie is low shedding dog, the maintenance and grooming is not the easiest. At least regular, ideally daily brushing is needed to keep the coat tangle and mat free. Some owners choose to get their Shorkies groomed and trimmed by a professional, which will definitely save some time, but it can be expensive. Just like with any other dog, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. Take especially good care about the teeth, which can be prone to some dental issues. 9) Exercise These dogs are pretty active, lively, playful and energetic, but thanks to their smaller size, it is not hard to deal with this energy. Most of them will love to go outside almost anytime and it is important to provide them with enough outdoor walks or hikes. You should also provide them with plenty of playtime or fun training sessions so they stay healthy and happy. 10) Health The Shorkie has a good lifespan around 14 or 15 years. They can suffer from the same health issues as their parent breeds, which include already mentioned dental issues, some breathing issues especially if they inherit short brachycaphelic muzzle of the Shih Tzu, glaucoma, lens luxation or hypoglycemia. But generally the Shorkie is pretty healthy dog breed that stays active even at older age. 1) Rajapalayam
If you are not from India, you will probably not know most of the dogs in this video. I will try to start with the better known breeds and gradually I will continue to the very rare ones. And i would personally say, that the Rajapalayam is probably the most famous of all Tamil Nadu breeds. The Rajapalayam is a strong breed with stunning appearance. In the past, it was highly valued as a hunter and as a guard. They were most often used to hunt wild boars and other dangerous and big prey. Just like majority of Indian dogs, the Rajapalayam is a sighthound, but it is more heavily build and muscular than a typical slender sighthounds. The Rajapalayam is definitely very strong dog with amazing high speed, showing great athleticism. 2) Chippiparai As i said, most of the Tamil Nadu breeds are sighthounds, and the Chippiparai is not an expcetion. And even though it is much leaner dog than the Rajapalayam, it is still a very strong hunter, most often hare hunter. The Chippiparai is just built for speed with their slender body and long legs. They are not only hunters and thanks to their high intelligence and obedient nature they were also sucesfully trained to be okay police dogs. 3) Kanni Some people say, that Kanni and Chippiparai are the same dogs, but many experts and most online sources claim, that both dogs are distinct breeds. And even though they are very similar, some will say identical, there is one major difference and that is the coat color as the Kanni refers to black and tan and black and sable dogs. 4) Kombai And again, another sighthound from Tamil Nadu, which is again amazing at hunting, but very often also used for guarding and protection purposes. The Kombai is very strong dog, whose character is most often described as absolutely loyal, tolerant and affectionate towards its own people, but alert and watchful towards strangers. 5) Kattakal The first four dogs in this video were relatively popular dogs. Now you will see several dogs that are virtually unknown outside Tamil Nadu and some of them are even close to extinction. The first one is Kattakal dog, also known as Kattai, which can be translated into english as short, and that is exactly what this dog is like! Short. It is multipurpose dog, which is great alert watchdog, talented small game hunter and also friendly family companion. 6) Alunku The Alunku is probably the most unique dog of this video, as it is a hairless breed. It is on the verge of extinction and the last dogs are believed to live along the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border. The Alunku is excellent alert and courageous guardian. 7) Ramanathapuram Mandai Dog The Mandai dog is another sighthound, but they are not hunting only by sight, as they also have excellent sense of smell. Again, this is absolutely versatile breed, that was used for hunting, guarding, herding and of course, as loving family companion. 8) Malayeri Dog The Malayeri, also known as Malaipatti, is extremely rare dog. Its name literally means mountain climber and indeed this is very athletic and agile dog capable of easily living in mountains. And just like all dogs in this video, even this dog is versatile worker, used for herding, hunting and livestock protection. 9) Sengottai Dog This is one of the strongest Indian dogs, which has similar appearance as Rhodesian Ridgeback. And they need to be strong, as they were traditionally used to hunt down tigres! 10) Bully Kutta Today, the Bully Kutta can be found all across the India, for example in Punjab, Delhi or Haryana, but it is believed, that they have their roots in Tamil Nadu, to be more specific, in Thanjavur and Tiruchi districts. The Bully Kuttas name literally translates as heavily wrinkled dog and they are also known as Alangu Mastiffs. It is very strong, alert and confident dog, that absolutely love its people and is devoted to them, but that is quite suspicious towards strangers, which makes it amazing strong guardian breed. 1) Origin
The Potcake has a long history in Caribbean, mostly in Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, but also on St. Lucia or for example Dominican Republic. They evolved from feral Caribbean dogs and over the time they naturally crossed with various dogs of different types, such as terriers, bully breeds or with Carolina dog. Because of that, the Potcake dog is not unified in appearance or temperament and it is more of a crossbreed or dog type rather than purebred dog. 2) Name The Potcake has a very unique name. These dogs were very often fed with the leftovers of humans food. And in the past, people in Caribbean most often ate locally sourced food, such as maize or beans, that were transformed into soups and stews, coocked in large pots. When the cooking was finished, at the bottom of the pot was left layer of congealed food, which was given to the dogs. 3) Utilization Most likely, the main ancestors of todays Potcakes were dogs brought to Caribbean islands on the ships of settlers and sailors, who brought them as pets and as dogs for pest control. And indeed, it is believed that the terrier influence in Potcake is huge and thus, many of them can be extremely good at hunting and chasing vermin. But again, these dogs are not unified and most of them are not used for any specific utilization, but they are rather typical companion pets. Many of them also live as feral dogs who take care about themselves and it is normal to meet packs of feral Potcakes on many Caribbean places such as the islands of Turks and Caicos. 4) Companionship Are these dogs good companions? Well, of course they are. They are even rescued by many people outside Caribbean, mostly in Northern America and they make wonderful companions for them. The Potcake dog is best known for its absolute loyalty and devotion to its own pack, to its own family and owners. These dogs also show great intelligence, but many of them are also pretty independent. They are typically calm, but also always ready for any outdoor adventure. Potcakes can be great partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. 5) Appearance Each Potcake looks different, but there are some typical characteristics for them. Most of them look like some kind of shepherd mixed breed with longer face, pointed ears, smooth coat and balanced athletic body. But that does not mean they can not look differently. Many of them have wavy or shaggy coat and many of them does not resemble shepherds that much, but rather terriers or retrievers. 6) Size Speaking about appearance, it is important to mention the size of these dogs as well. Again, the size can wary a bit, but you will most often find these dog with height ranging between 20-24 inch, which is 50-60 cm and weight between 30-70 lbs, which is 14-32 kg. But again, there will be big differences between individual dogs and some Potcakes will be much smaller than that and some will be bigger. 7) Adaptability Potckake dogs are survivors. They are able to survive on their own without any help. To be like that, adaptability is a key temperamental characteristic. And indeed, they are able to adapt to different environemnt, weather or food. Many Potckakes were rescued from warm Caribbean to cold Canada and they do not have problems living in this area. Most Potcakes also have extremely hardy stomach and they are able to eat food that would upset other dogs. It is truly extremely hardy and adaptable breed. 8) Rescue Potcake dogs on the Caribbean islands are overpopulated and many of them are living in poor conditions. That is a reason why there are big rescue efforts to save many of these dogs and to lower the population by spay and neuter programs. If you would be interested in rescuing a Potcake, there are many organizations, such as Potcakeplace.com, SavePotcake.com, scallywagsanimalrescue.org and many others! 9) Maintenance Great fact is, that the Potcake dog is easy to care of dog. Even without any grooming, they will keep their coat in good condition bythemselves. Of course, if your Potcake has the rarer longer coat, you can brush it more often to prevent tangling and matting. And even the short and smooth coat will benefit from regular brushing since it will remove any dirt and loose hair and it will redistribute natural oils all over the coat. But no other grooming is required. 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) Famous Potcakes According to Wikipedia, there are three famous Potcake dogs. The first one is Amigo and he was the mascor of Human Society of Grand Bahama and Ambassador of Hope for homeless animals until his death in 2007. The other two are Dusty and Daisy, two Potcakes trained to find and locate fish through scent on the water and distant cries of feeding sea birds. On the first sight, Dobermans and Beaucerons are pretty similar dogs, sharing similar size, body type, color and markings. But they are definitely not identical dogs as they have different history, utilization and temperament.
A person who owned or lived with Beauceron or Doberman would probably never confuse these breeds. But it is understandable, that a person, who does not normally encounter these breeds can confuse them. Probably the number one reason for this confusion is the color. Both breeds have black coat with rust markings on similar places. They are also similarly sized, they have similar body type and they can both have either natural or cropped ears. But their appearance is definitely not identical. The Dobeman tends to be leaner, taller and it has sleek single coat. The Beaucerons coat is much thicker and it is a doublecoat, which can easily withstand harsh weather. Their fur is kind of more messy, than the perfectly elegant Dobermans coat. Beaucerons are also stockier dogs, they do not look that athletic and agile as Dobies, but it is still very quick and athletic breed. The tail of Doberman is very often docked, but Beauceron tail should always be naturally long. Another important apperance trait of Beauceron is double dewclaws on reer feet. Some Doberman can have them too, but for Beauceron it is an important trait that vast majority of them have. It is also important to say, that both dogs are not only in black and tan color, even though it is by far the most common color combination in both breeds. Beaucerons are occasionally in blue mottled with tan markings and Dobermans, depending on the breed standard, can be red and rust, blue and rust, fawn and rust or all black. But the real difference between these two dogs is not in their appearance, but in their personality. And to understand their personality, it is important to know their purpose, the utilization they were bred for. Lets start with the Doberman. The Doberman was developed at the end of 19th century by German tax collector Louis Doberman as ideal breed for personal protection, which is their main purpose even today. Great emphasis were placed on the dogs courage, alertness, determination and confidence. On the other hand, the Beaucerons main utilization is not personal protection, but working with livestock. They are excellent at both – herding it and guarding it. This is breed is much older than Doberman and its history probably dates back to 1500s France, where it was used as all around farm dog. So the Doberman was bred to primarily work with people, while the Beauceron primarily worked with animals. Interesting fact is, that it is very likely that Beaucerons played a role in the Dobermans development. We are not 100% sure what exact breeds were used in Doberman creation, but most experts believe that it were Rottweilers, German Pinschers, Weimeraners and Beaucerons, which would explain the similarities between these dogs. So now you know that both breeds are used for different tasks. Both are very succesful at their jobs, but to be good at different jobs, they must have slightly different temperament. Both dogs are absolutely loyal and devoted to its people and family and they create strong bond with them. The Doberman, especially the European type of a Doberman, is high performance dog, with very alert and sharp temperament. If they are not in their home, they are constantly scanning their surroundings for potential danger and they would definitely protect its owners if needed. On the other hand, the Beauceron is little bit calmer and gentler dog. But they also have natural guarding instinct, but i would say that they are not as sharp as Dobermans. But of course, all these traits are also vastly influenced by early socialization, which is absolutely essential for both breeds. The Doberman is also more active breed. Dont get me wrong, the Beauceron definitely needs daily longer walks to stay healthy and happy, but after that, they will be absolutely happy to lay by your side and chill. The Doberman will also cuddle with you, but they will be always ready for any kind of action. If you want to do virtually any kind of activity, Doberman will gladly do it with you anytime. They just seems tireless. But again, this does not mean that Beaucerons are coach potatoes, not at all, but they are definitely calmer than the Doberman. Neither of those two dogs have high prey drive, as they were never used for hunting and thus, they can both happily live with other household pets, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. Beauceron can sometimes try to herd other animals, as it is their instinct, but again, they should never harm them. The maintenance and grooming of both breeds is not hard, but the Beauceron sheds more than Doberman. Dobermans coat should be brushed from time to time and it is enough to keep it in excellent condition. The Beaucerons doublecoat should be brushed regularly in order to minimize the shedding and to remove any loose hair and dirt from it. The Beaucerons really sheds quite a lot, much more than Doberman and you should be prepared for it. In worldwide perspective, the Doberman is much more popular and common breed. Which is probably a reason why i never heard a Doberman owner says, that someone mistaken his dog with Beauceron, but i heard several Beauceron breeders say, that people confuse their dogs quite often with Dobies. |