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1) Lucas Terrier
The Sporting Lucas Terriers main ancestor is the Lucas Terrier, a breed developed by Sealyham Terrier breeder Mr. Jocelyn Lucas in the 20th century. He felt, that the Lucas Terrier was too cumbersome, heavy and big to work and hunt efficiently, which is why he crossed few smaller Sealyhams with Norfolk Terrier dogs, which was the start of a new breed, Lucas Terrier, an excellent small game hunter which would go under the ground without any problems and that is hardy, determined and resilient hunter. 2) Origin Over the years, Lucas Terrier lost some of its main characteristics, which was a reason, why mr. Brian Plummer, a famous terrier expert, started to crossing Lucas Terriers with one of his own Plummer Terriers. The new cross was named as a Sporting Lucas Terrier and it is both, amazing working terrier, but also loving family companion pet. 3) Hunting As you already know, the main utilization of the Sporting Lucas Terrier is hunting vermin, and they have amazing qualities for a hunting dog and they are a real asset for any hunter. They have higher prey drive and chasing instinct and most of them are always ready and eager to hunt. They are not only vermin hunters and ratters, as they can also hunt other small game if needed. Their main speciality is going under the ground into the dens, but they can also be teached to for example retrieve and they can make very good versatile hunters. The Sporting Lucas Terrier is also confident, determined, alert and sharp eyed, spirited and fearless, independent and lively, all very important characteristics for a hunter. 4) Companion Of course, this is not only a hunter, but also loyal and loving companion dog. The Sporting Lucas Terrier is absolutely friendly towards its own family and they create a very strong bond with its owners, but also with kids. They can make good patient and playful companions for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. On the other hand, they might be alert and reserved towards strangers, towards people they do not know and it can take a while before they accept a complete stranger as a friend. They can also live with other dogs in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood, but other smaller household pets might be little bit problematic, due to their higher prey drive and chasing instinct. 5) Appearance The Sporting Lucas Terrier has a typical anatomy of a small working terrier with sturdy legs, strong and athletic body, flexible spine and strong jaws. In comparsion with their ancestor, the Lucas Terrier, the Sporting Lucas Terrier has slightly longer legs and narrower head. These dogs were developed to be small and flexible, so they can easily go under the ground. 6) Size So what is the actual height and weight of the Sporting Lucas Terrier. The height is most often around 12 inch, which is 30 cm and weight around 15 lbs, which is 7 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males, but the difference is not extremely big. 7) Coat The Sporting Lucas Terrier has a very practical coat, which helps the dog withstand even harsh weather for longer time. The coat is harsh and stiff, with a thick and dense undercoat. The coat is lying close to the body and it can be found in several colors and color combinations. Most common is white with dark patches, or various combinations of brown, black and tan or grizzle and tan. 8) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming and maintenance as well. In order to keep the coat in good condition, it is recommended to regularly, lets say weekly, brush the coat. A pin brush or slicker brush is great choice for brushing these dogs. This is rather low shedding breed, but they do shed some deal of fur all year long, more heavily seasonally and the brushing will also 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. 9) Recognition This is rather rare dog breed that is not recognized by many big kennel clubs. It is recognized by number of smaller specialty dog clubs and minor registries, but from the major kennel clubs only the United Kennel Club recognizes the Sporting Lucas Terrier. 10) Health This is usually very healthy dog breed with amazing average lifespan around 15 years. They are not extremely prone to any genetic health issues, but of course, just like any other breed in the world, they may suffer from some problems from time to time, for example from patellar luxation, some eye problems, allergies or ear infections, but overall, this is definitely very healthy dog.
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1) Origin
The Turkish Kangal is an ancient breed with very long, thousands years old history and it is impossible to trace the exact date of origin or exact ancestry of this dog, but there are several theories about it. The most accurate theory claims, that Turkish Kangals most likely originates from ancient livestock protection dogs, that migrated with turkish nomadic people from Central Asia to Anatolia many thousands years ago. The Kangal Shepherd as we know it today was developed in the area of today Turkey, more specificaly in the Sivas province. 2) Çoban Köpeği The Turkish Kangal is one of the regional variant Çoban Köpeği dogs, which basically means livestok protection dog and it is describing all the Turkish Shepherd dogs. Next to Turkish Kangal, there are several other, similar dogs with the same purpose and similar ancestry, which are for example Boz Shepherd, Akbash, Malaklisi, Anadolu or Kars Shepherd. 3) Utilization Throughout the history, the Turkish Kangal always was used for one main purpose, which was working with the livestock. They are not herding the livestock, but protecting it. They are absolutely loyal to its owners and to its flock, they are living close to it, actively monitoring its surroundings for possible predators, which they deter. The Turksih Kangal is capable of protecting the livestock even from the most dangerous predators, such as wolves or bears. These dogs were even exported to some African countries, where they are protecting the animals against big cat predators, like lions. These dogs are truly one of the best livestock protectors you can find, with courageous, confident, alert and loyal temperament and extremely strong, but athletic and agile body. 4) Companions Of course, the Turkish Kangal is not only a worker and protector, but also loyal, intelligent and devoted companion. For a livestock protector breed, this dog is quite people oriented and he definitely enjoys company of its owner and family and creates quite a strong bond with them. They might not be overly affectionte like some other breeds, but they definitely truly love its family. On the other hand, they are reserved and alert around strangers and it can take a while before they accept a complete stranger, but they should never be agressive without a reason. 5) Not for novices It should be completely clear, that this is not a dog for novices or unexperienced dog owners. The Kangal Shepherd needs early proper socialization and proper training to become obedient and not overly protective, They need patient and firm, consisten and kind trainer who knows what is he doing. Without proper training and socialization, dog of this size, strength, independent and territorial nature can become almost unmanageable. 6) Size The Kangal Shepherd is definitely one of the largest dogs you can find, but it should not be overly massive, but rather muscular and athletic. The average height is between 65-78 cm, which is 25-31 inch and weight is usually between 40-60 kg, which is 88-133 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Bite force There are some claims, that say, that the Kangal is the strongest dog in the world with the highest average bite force which is 743 PSI, which refers to pounds per square inch. And they definitely have incredible bite force, but it is impossible to say, if it is the highest, as not all dogs in the world have their bite force meassured and for example other Turkish livestock protector breeds might have bite force as powerful as the Turkish Kangal. But as i said, this is definitely incredibly strong dog breed. 8) Coat The Kangal Shepherd is used to work all day long in mountanious climate, which is why they have a very dense and thick coat that enables this kind of outdoor work and makes the dog withstand lower, but also higher temperatures without problems. The doublecoat is 3-7 cm long with dense undercoat and harsh outercoat. The coat is slightly longer around the neck, shoulder and thighs. The color of the coat ranges from fawn to wolf sable, with or without some white markings. 9) Maintenance The Turkish Kangal is an easy keeper, as they do not need almost any grooming and maintenance. Of course, they do shed some deal of fur all year long, more heavily seasonally and regular brushing is only beneficial for the coat. But even without any grooming at all, they will keep their coats in very good condition by themselves. Of course, just like any other breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed. 10) Health Not only that this is one of the strongest dogs, it is also one of the healthiest dogs, especially in comparsion to other giant breeds. Of course, they sometimes may suffer from the typical health problems common for large dogs, such as hip dysplasia and other joint problems, but it is not extremely common with this breed. The average lifespan is also very good and it is typically between 13-14 years. Lets start the breed comparsion with the appearance. Both breeds are small dogs, but Lhasa Apso is bigger, especially in terms of weight. The Lhasa Apso weighs approximatelly 14 lbs, which is 6 kg, while the Maltese only weighs arounds 6 lbs, which is 3 kg. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males. The difference in height is not so big and the average Lhasa Apso height is 25 cm and Maltese height is around 22 cm, which is 10 and 9 inches.
The size is not the only appearance difference. The most important is probably the coat and color. The Maltese has a silky and most importantly, pure white coat. The Lhasa Apso on the other hand has long and hard coat, which can be in many different colors, such as black, brownish, grizzle, golden, sandy, smoke or white. Both breeds have very attractive and besides the color and size similar appearance. The main difference between them is in the temperament and to understand the temperament, we need to look at their history. The Maltese dog always was a very popular companion and lap dog, beloved by very old civilizations like Greeks or Romans. It was never used for any other purpose than companionship. One of the well-known duty of the Maltese was as a “comforter” to the sick people of Egypt and later, the Europeans, because people believed, that they have healing powers. On the other hand, the Lhasa Apso is not only a companion dog. While the Maltese comes from Mediterranean Basin, the Lhasa Apso is a dog from Tibet, where it was developed by the Buddhist monks in the mountains of Tibet to be a watchdog, which will be very alert and keen and that will let the monks know by barking, if they see or hear any intruders. Even though today the Lhasa Apso is only rarely, almost never, for their original purpose as a watchdog, they still have it in them, which is creating quite a big difference in comparsion to completely affectionate and cuddly Maltese. The Maltese is just the definition of an amazing companion and lap dog, with their fun loving, sociable, people oriented, intelligent, trainable and devoted personality. The Lhasa Apso on the other hand is perfect for people who are looking for a small dog with big dog personality. They are typically friendly with their people, around its family, but alert and suspicious towards strangers. They are alert, courageous and fearless, independent and sometimes quite bossy. On the other hand also clownish, loving, loyal and devoted. I am not going to say, which dog is better, that is impossible, because it really depends on what you expect from a dog. Both breeds need daily exercise, but they are okay with few daily longer walks, accompanied with some playtime and fun training sessions. The exercise is not very challanging with these dogs, but what can be a little challenge is the grooming. The continuously growing coat needs to be brushed daily to keep mats and tangles under control. Some owners choose to keep Maltese's and Lhasa Apso's hair short for easier maintenance and many owners choose services of professional groomers. If you choose one of these dogs prepare for extensive grooming. But good fact is, that both dogs are low shedding. Just like with any other breeds, you must also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 1) Origin
This is still relatively young dog breed, developed in 1950s in Czechoslovakia. The main breeder who developed this breed is Mr. Koloman Slimak, who also developed another Slovak breed, the Slovak Kopov. Mr. Slimak wanted to create excellent hunting dog which will be able to track, point and retrieve all kinds of game, and today, we can say, that he was definitely succesfull, because the Slovak Rough haired Pointer is just amazingly versatile hunting breed. 2) Ancestry The breed was developed from several other hunting breeds. The main ancestors are German Wirehaired Pointer, Cesky Fousek, also known as Bohemian Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and Weimaraner. Pudelpointer might also played a smaller role in the breeds development. The breed was finally officially recognized by the FCI in 1982. 3) Hunting As you probably already know, the main purpose and utilization of this breed is hunting. Throughout their all short history, they were always used for this purpose. A versatile dog like the SRHP is a real asset to any hunter, as they are capable of doing almost any kind of hunting work, either on land or in the water and they are capable of hunting all kinds of game, from birds and hares to large game, such as deer. They are naturally good trackers with excellent sense of smell, amazing stamina, thick coat that is protecting them from harsh weather and from heavy undegrowth and soft mouth, amazing for retrieving the game. As you can see, this is truly just incredibly good hunting breed. 4) Companion Of course, these dogs are not only hunters and workers, but also very good lively and loyal companion dogs. It is important to say, that these dogs are definitely not for everyone, as they have rather higher energy level and they just need to have some kind of job in their life. If its not hunting, than you must také your dog on several daily longer walks a day accompanied with some task oriented puzzle games, fun training sessions, dog sport or just anything that will occupy them not only physically, but also mentally. If you can provide them with enough physical and mental exercise, than you will have very good playful, affectionate, curious and fun loving companion, that is always ready for any outdoor adventure with you. 5) Size The Slovak Rough Haired Pointer has similar body and size to the breeds, from which it was developed, which are Cesky Fousek, Weimaraner and German Wirehaired Pointer. It is a pretty big dog, with average height between 57-68 cm, which is 22-27 inch and weight is usually between 55-76 lbs, which is 25-35 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 6) Coat The Slovak Rough Haired Pointers coat is a dense doublecoat, which is enabling the dog working and hunting even in harsh climate for all day long. The coat is wire, or broken, and typical sign of this breed is beard and moustache on its face. The color of the coat is ranging from silver to gray. 7) Maintenance Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the maintenance and grooming as well. These dogs do require some brushing to keep the lovely coat in best condition, but it is nothing terrible. Other than the brushing, they do not need any grooming. Frequent bathing is not necessary as well. Just like with any other breed, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed. 8) Living with You already know, that if you want to live with this breed, you will need to provide them with enough exercise. It is also important to say, that they are not the best partners for other smaller household pets, as they will most likely try to chase them and hunt them, especially if not socialized together from the puppyhood. On the other hand, they can happily live with other dogs in the household. These dogs are also good playful partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed, with a very young child unsupervised. 9) Name The Slovak Rough haired Pointer is sometimes named as Slovak Wirehaired Pointer, Slovak Pointing Griffon, Slovak Wirehaired Pointing Dog or as Slovak Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, but all these names are describing the same breed. In its home country, Slovakia, the breed is known as Slovensky Hrubosrsty Stavač. 10) Health There are not many information or studies about the Slovak Rough Haired Pointer health, but it seems that it is rather healthy dog breed, that is not suffering much from any genetic health issues. The one problem, that is common for almost all the larger breeds, is hip dysplasia and joint problems in general. Just like any other breed, they may also suffer from eye problems, allergies or infections. The average lifespan is quite good, and it is around 14 years. 1) Origin
The Mucuchíes is a native Venezuelan dog that was developed from dogs of Spanish conquistadors, that reached the land of toadys Venezuela in the end of 15th century. They brought different dog breeds with them, such as Spanish Mastiff, Great Pyrenees and Pyrenean Mastiff. Over the time, all these dogs crossed together, probably even with some local dog native to South America and this blending of breeds is believed to be the beginnings of the Mucuchies dog. 2) Name This dog breed has one of the cutest names and it is actually named after a small Venezuelan town Mucuchíes in the state of Merida. They are sometimes also named as Perros de los Peramos, which refers to the Páramo ecosystem. 3) Nevado Even though this is quite rare breed, one Mucuchíes is celebrated in Venezuelan and South American history as a dog of Simon Bolívar. Simon Bolívar is known as a liberator, who gained independence from the Spanish empire for Venezuela. It is believed, that when he and his men stopped at the gate of the town Mucuchíes, a puppy blocked his way and bravely barked at them. Bolívar was impressed by the dogs courage and he decided to take him. He named this puppy as Nevado, which means Snowy, and Nevado accompanied Bolívar on his journey for independence and it is believed, that he even saved his life several times. 4) Utilization For centuries, Mucuchíes dogs are mostly used to protect and guard livestock from dangerous predators. They typically go around the livestock in circles and calmly but carefully monitor the situation around them. These dogs love to work and they are excellent for this purpose. They have great qualities for it, such as big courage, strong and endurant body, independent mind, loyalty to its owner and to its flock and of course naturally protective instinct. 5) Companions But the Mucuchíes is not only a great worker, but also loyal, intelligent and pretty sensitive dog breed, that quickly creates a strong bond with its owner and family. They are typically also good and gentle with kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Even though very intelligent, the Mucuchí is also independent dog that needs experienced owner who will properly train and socialize the dog, so it is not overly protective. But overall, with the proper and active owner, this can be amazing companion dog. 6) Size The Mucuchíes has the typical look of a mountain dog with strong constitution that exudes great power. The average height of this dog is typically between 22-28 inch, which is 55-71 cm and weight between 66-100 lbs, which is 30-45 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Coat The coat of this dog is very dense and thick and it is protecting the dog from mountainous climate so they can work outside for long hours. The coat is in short to medium length and the thick coat is either straight or slightly wavy. The Mucuchíes comes in white color with or without patches of apricot, brindle, black, grey, honey and some other colors. 8) Maintenance Great fact is, that the maintenance and grooming needs of Mucuchíes are minimal. Of course, regular brushing is always beneficial as it will remove any loose and dead hair and minimize the shedding and it will also remove any dirt from the coat and keep it as clean as possible, but no other grooming need are necessary. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed. 9) National dog A group of breeders who loved Mucuchíes created a breed club in 1961 to ensure proper uniformity in the breed and already in 1964 the Mucuchíes was designated as Venezuelas national dog. And even though they have high status in Venezuela, these dogs were once close to extinction. Luckily, the breed survived, but it is still very rare and it is very hard to find them outside Venezuela. 10) Health There are no scientific studies about the breeds health, but it seems that this is very hardy and usually healthy dog breed with no breed related health issues. The average lifespan is around 11 years, which is average for dog of this size. Of course, they may suffer from time to time from some health issues that are common for large dogs, such as joint problems, bloating, some allergies or infections, but none of these problems is extremely common with this breed. |