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1) Maryland – Chesapeake Bay Retriever - 1964
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers trace their history to two pups who were rescued from a foundering ship in Maryland in 1807. It was a male and a female Lesser Newfoundlands or St. Johns water dogs. We are not sure if they were bred together, but it is more likely, that they were bred with different local dog breeds, which is how the today Chesapeake Bay Retriever was created. Maryland named the Chesapeake Bay Retriever as a state symbol in 1964. 2) Pennsylvania – Great Dane - 1965 Only one year later, in 1965, Pennsylvania designated the Great Dane as their state dog. Of course, the Great Dane does not have its origin in Pennsylvania, but it was one of the first dog in this state introduced by early settlers and used as a great hunter. 3) Virginia – American Foxhound - 1966 And again, one year later a new state dog was introduced. This time it was the American Foxhound which became the state dog of Virginia. The American Foxhound is known to have originated in Maryland and Virginia, which is a reason why they were choosed as the state dog. 4) Louisiana – Catahoula Leopard dog - 1979 There was two new state dogs in the 1979. The first one is a dog breed with one of the most beautiful coat color, the Catahoula Leopard dog. Actually, the UKC recognize this breed under the name Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dog. It is believed that the first Lousiana settlers used Catahoula Leopard dogs to hunt feral pigs in the swamps of Louisiana. 5) Massachusetts – Boston Terrier - 1979 The second state dog designated in 1979 is the American Gentleman, the Boston Terrier. Again, this is a dog indigenous to its state. BTW, the Boston Terrier was the first non-sporting dog breed in the US and in the past it was one of the most popular dog breed in the whole United States. 6) South Carolina – Boykin Spaniel - 1985 6 years later another two dog breeds were designated as state dogs. The first one is from South Carolina and it is the Boykin Spaniel. The first precursor of todays Boykin Spaniel was found in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It gained a lot of popularity in this area and it was used for hunting wild turkeys and ducks in swamps of Sout Carolina. 7) Wisconsin – American Water Spaniel - 1985 In the same year, the American Water Spaniel became the state dog of Wisconsin. It is pretty similarly looking dog to the Boykin Spaniel and it is possible, that they were involved in the development of Boykins. The American Water Spaniel originated in the Wisconsin where it served as a skilled and versatile hunter, that could work on both, land and water. 8) North Carolina – Plott Hound - 1989 The only indigenous dog breed of North Carolina is the Plott Hound, so its no wonder that it was chosen as the state dog. The breed is named after Johannes Plott, a German immigrant who brought few wild boarhounds with himself to the North Carolina. These were the first ancestors of todays Plott Hounds. 9) Texas – Blue Lacy - 2005 For a long time, that was not any new state dog, but that changed in 2005, when Texas designated Blue Lacy as its own official state dog. It is a hard working breed originated in Texas in 19th century and even today, the vast majority of Lacy dogs are found in Texas. 10) New Hampshire – Chinook - 2009 A fairly young breed, the Chinook was developed in the New Hampshire in 20th century and in 2009 it became the official state dog. It is a very strong dog breed which can trace its history to the explorer Arthur Walden and its dog, which was named Chinook. The ancestors of this dog was the Greenland dog and Mastiff/St. Bernard cross. 11) Alaska – Alaskan Malamute - 2010 In 2010 the Alaskan Malamute became the official state dog of Alaska. It was after a succesfull campaing of kindergarten student Paige Hill, which started in 2007. This is an affectionate and friendly, but very strong and active dog breed, which is often used for dog sports like mushing, skijoring, carting or canicross. 12) Delaware – Golden Retriever – 2016 Delaware designated the golden retriever as the official state dog August 03, 2016; expired after one year, giving other breeds a chance for the spotlight. The adoption of an official state dog for Delaware began when 4th-grade students wrote letters to their legislators. The Golden Retriever easily won the class „election“. 13) Tennessee – Bluetick Coonhound – 2019 The last official state dog is the Bluetick Coonhound. It was designated in 2019 and it is the state dog of Tennessee. One Bluetick Coonhound, named Smokey, is also a mascot of University of Tennessee.
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This is a small, well balanced, compact and sturdy dog breed with average height between 25-32 cm which is 10-12 inches and weight is typically between 3-5 kgs, which is 7-11 pounds. The ears are erect and set high, they have alert expression in their oval shaped dark eyes, strong muzzle and tight lips. Very often the ears are cropped and tail docked, but it is not necessary. The Min Pin is known for its high stepping gait. The coat is short and smooth and the dog comes in three color variatons. The most famous is the black and tan, but you can find them in clear red and black tipped red as well. TEMPERAMENT The Miniature Pinscher is known as the King of Toys. So as you can probably imagine it is a very playful breed. And believe me, they can play for all day long, this is a highly active dog which is forever on move and needs a good exercise every day. Thanks to their small size they can burn off the energy inside by vigorous playtime, but they will always love to go outside for any kind of an adventure. If you are an active person and family, than this might be an amazing companion for you, because the Miniature Pinscher can be characterized as spirited, lively, self assured, intelligent and affectionate dog. They are also pretty independent and you should never forget about their vermin hunting heritage. Their prey drive is not extremely strong, but they still might have tendencies to follow smaller animals, so it is recommended to keep them on leash in unknown or unfenced areas if you are unsure about their recall ability. I would not recommend the Miniature Pinscher to a total novice and unexperienced owner, because even though they are easily portable and managable thanks to their small size, they have, lets say, strong pack leader mentality. They just love to be the boss, which is a reason why they need firm and patient trainer. They can also be scrappy with other dogs and they might not enjoy company of other animals, especially, if they are not raised together from the puppyhood. INTERESTING FACT The Miniature Pinscher is very similar to some other breeds, especially to Doberman Pinscher and German Pinscher. But those are not varieties of the same breed. All three are completely separate breeds. If you are interested what are the main differences between them, i am giving you link in description to another Rocadog video about this topic. HISTORY It is believed that the first Miniature Pinscher ancestors are Italian Greyhounds, Dachshunds and German Pinschers. We are not sure when they were first bred, it is believed that this is fairly old dog breed, but factual documentation begins less than 200 years ago. The Miniature Pinscher comes from Germany. Miniature Pinschers were first shown at the Stuttgart Dog Show in Germany in 1900 and since this time, their popularity rapidly grew in Germany. After the First World War they were imported in other European Countries and the USA as well and in the 1929, they were finally recognized by the AKC. HEALTH AND GROOMING As i already mentioned in the video this is a highly active breed and if you want to have a healthy and happy Min Pin in your home, regular daily exercise is a must. Other than that, the maintenance is not extremely hard, the coat is short and smooth and requieres only light brushing once a week. Other than that you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them if needed. Even though, they are acting like big dogs, you should never forget how fragile they are. They can get easily injured, for example by rough handling from small children who do not know yet how to act with dogs with respect. Normally, this is a healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 15 years. Of course, just like all dogs they can suffer from some health issues, for example patellar luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, cataracts, corneal dystrophy or skeletal deformities. 1) Origin
It is almost impossible to track down the Bulldogs history precisely. It is believed that Bulldog like dogs were used for centuries to drive cattle to market and for a so called bloody dog sport bullbaiting. The first mention of the breed was in 1500 in a description of a man "with two Bolddogges at his tayle…". It is believed that they are descendants of ancient mastiff dogs and that they were entirely developed in England. 2) Appearance The Bulldogs appearance changed a lot over the time. Early Bulldogs used for Bullbaiting and as drover dogs were much more athletic, muscular, taller, heavier and they had much longer faces. Just look at this photo of the early English Bulldog, the difference is just enormous. 3) Family companion In 1835 the Bullbaiting was finally outlawed, which caused that most of the Bulldogs did not have a purpose anymore, because back than, the Bulldog was not an affectionate companion we know today, it was quite an agressive breed. But luckily, many breeders love Bulldogs and they started to bred only the dogs with docile and affectionate temperament, which is exactly the traits we admire on todays Bulldogs. And indeed, The Bulldog we know today is amazing friendly, gentle and tolerant companion. 4) Stubborness On the other hand, the English Bulldog is definitely not a pushover to train. They are not stupid, definitely not, but they are known to be pretty stubborn. This is why they need patient and firm trainer to become obedient. 5) Watchdog The Bulldog is also quite courageous and alert breed, they will not back up against even much larger opponent, which is a reason why they can be trained to be good watchdogs. Although, they are pretty lazy, so do not expect them to patrol around a large property. 6) Living with English Bulldogs are great apartment pets, because they do not need a lot of exercise. Or better to say, compared to other dogs, because you will still need to go on a longer walks every day, even with a Bulldog, to keep him healthy and happy. The Bulldog will also love regular playtimes. It is important to not overdoit with the exercise, especially in hot temperatures, because Bulldogs can have difficulties with breathing. 7) Size The Bulldog has short legs, medium sized compact body, wide head. The average height should be between around 16 inches, which is 40 cm, and weight is typically between 18-25 kg, which is 40-55 pounds. The females are slightly smaller and lighter than males. 8) Head The most distinctive part of the Bulldogs appearance is definitely its head. The head is just massive for a medium sized dog. The muzzle is extremely short and they have wrinkled face. BTW it is important to clean the wrinkles, because they can develop skin infections. The jaws are also massive and lips are fleshy and pendulous. 9) Maintenance This is very easy to maintain breed. They have short hair, but they still do shed, so brushing from time to time will remove the dead hair and minimize the shedding. Be prepared for drooling and snoring. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them if needed. 10) Health Overall, the Bulldog can suffer from a lot of health issues, it is definitely not the healthiest breed. The list includes brachycaphelic syndrome, head tremors, patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, demodectic mange, entropion, problems with breathing, heat stroke and obesity. The average lifespan is between 8-10 years, which is one of the shortest in their size category. 1) Ancestry
The Eurasier is a fairly young dog breed originated in 1960s. The breeder Julius Wipfel decided to make a new dog breed by crossing the Chow Chow and Wolfspitz. Or Keeshond if you wish. The first crosses were named as Wolf-Chow, but 12 years later the Wolf-Chow was also crossed with Samoyed. The result was the Eurasier we know today. 2) Purpose Unlike most of the breeds, the Eurasier was not developed to be a hunter, protector or a sheepdog. The goal of the breeding was to develop an even tempered, medium sized dog, that will create the best family companion. And i would say, that the goal was accomplished. 3) Popularity The breed was officially recognized by the FCI in 1973 as a part of a part of the Spitz or Primitive Group. Their popularity is still raising, but it is pretty hard to find them outside the Germany and Switzerland. But they are more and more common in the USA and UK as well. It is estimated, that there is around 8 500 purebred Eurasiers around the world these days. 4) Not a worker On the first sight, the Eurasier looks like a typical worker right. You might think that it is a sled dog, maybe a protector or drover dog. Well, that is not quite true, as i already mentioned earlier, they were bred to become the best family companion and because of that, they were never used for a hard work. On the other hand, they can be trained to become great empathetic therapy dogs! 5) Family member Eurasier are creating extremely strong bonds with the family. They will not be happy, if they will live in a kennel by themselves without enough social contact. They want to be part of the pack, part of the family. This is a sensitive, loyal, calm and affectionate breed. They are typically okay with other dogs and kids in the family, but you should not leave any dog with a small child unsupervised. 6) Name Have you ever wondered why this breed is called Eurasier? What is the name meaning? The name symbolize the dogs combined heritage of Asian and European breed. The Chow Chow is its Asian part, while the Wolfspitz/Keeshond is its European part. 7) Size This is a well balanced, medium sized Spitz like dog with pricked ears. The average Eurasier height is between 48-60 cm, which is 19-24 inch and weight should be between 18-32 kg, which is 40-70 pounds. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males. 8) Watchdogs This is an alert and watchful breed that is reserved with strangers. And indeed, they do make quite good watchdogs, because they will most likely alert you by barking when something suspicious is going on around your property. On the other hand, they make only poor guards, because the Eurasier is not an agressive breed. 9) Maintenance When you see the Eurasier dense doublecoat, you probably think that this is a high maintenance breed. Well, it is realtelive easy to groom dog. They do shed, so brushing one or two times a week is neede to remove the dead hair and minimize the shedding, but that is quite, it, no much other grooming is needed. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them if needed. This is also not extremely active dog breed and many owners even describe them as lazy dogs. But of course, just like all dogs, they do need daily longer walks or good playtime to be happy. 10) Health The Eurasier is typically very healthy dog breed with average lifespan between 12-14 years. They can suffer from similar health issues as its ancestors, which is hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation or hypothyroidism. 1) Origin
It is impossible to track down certain origin of the Maremma Sheepdog, because there were livestock protectors in Italy since the ancient Roman Times. But it is believed that this is a native breed to Maremma and Abruzzo regions of Tuscany and Lazio and that they share similar ancestry with other European Sheepdogs, like Polish Tatra Sheepdog, Great Pyrenees or Cuvac. It is very likely that the common ancestor of all those breeds is the Turkish Akbash dog. 2) Guardian Traditionally, the Maremma Sheepdog was used as a livestock guardian. They were especially needed to guard the flock against wolves. The Maremma Sheepdogs work in group of approximatelly three dogs, which is enough to repel the wolf. They are only rarely agressive, most often they just stay between the flock and the predator and start their deep bark to discourage the predator. The physical attacks are very rare. 3) Penguins Most commonly the Maremma Sheepdog is guarding sheeps, but they can guard almost anything, starting, for example cows or goats. The most interesting animal they ever guarded is definitely a group of penguins off the coast of Western Australia. They helped to protect the penguin population against foxes. 4) Independent dog Maremmas are often left to guard flocks by themselves without the need of a shepherd being present. That is why they just have to be self-reliant, intelligent and independent. BTW, even though they are very intelligent, because of their independent and strong willed temperament, they are not pushovers to train and they do need firm and patient trainer. 5) Family companions The Maremma Sheepdog is not only a great worker, but also loving, sweet, totally devoted and affectionate family companion. They are not the typical apartment dog and they definitely prefer to live in rural areas where they can exhaust their energy. Overall, they are better suited for active families. Great fact is, that this breed does not have almost any prey drive, which is why they can live easily with other pets in the household. 6) Coat The Maremma Sheepdog can only be in solid white color. Shades of ivory, pale orange or lemon is tolerated. There is a reason why they are white. It is because all white dog are easily recognizable from larger distances, which helped the shepherds to recognize their dogs apart from other animals, for example wolves. The coat is very thick, long and rough to touch. 7) Size This is a giant dog breed and according to the official FCI breed standard, their height should be between 60-73 cm, which is 23-29 inch and weight between 30-45 kg, which is 66-100 pounds. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males. 8) Name The full Italian name of the Maremma Sheepdog is Cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese and the literal translation is The dog of the shepherds of the Maremma and Abruzzese region. Sometimes they are reffered to the Abruzzese Sheepdog or just simply as the Maremmano. 9) Energy level This breed was walking with the sheeps all day long, so you should not be surprised that they do have quite a lot of energy and higher exercise needs. They definitely need daily longer walks, hikes or long playtime is needed to keep your dog healthy and happy. If you will not meet your dogs exercise needs, they might develop unwanted behaviour, like destruction. 10) Health This is a hardy and healthy dog breed with average lifespan between 11-13 years, which is very good for dog of this size. Of course, just like all dogs, they can suffer from some health issues, like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia or bloating. |