0 Comments
Poodles are one of the most popular dog breeds of all, mainly thanks to their high intelligence, non-shedding coat, elegance and active character. But did you know that there are three different Poodle types? The Standard, Toy and Miniature.
First of all, lets explain why we have three different recognized Poodle breeds. The largest – Standard – Poodle is the original one. It is very old breed with its ancestry in Middle Ages and the exact origin is rather unknown. This dog was used mostly in Germany and France as a water retriever. Later, french circuses discovered the talent and intelligence of Poodles and started using them for the circus shows. They needed slightly smaller dogs and they selectively bred down the Poodle in size to create what is now known as the Miniature Poodle. The Toy Poodle is the latest variety, developed only in the 20th century. People loved Poodles, but they wanted them in smaller size so they can keep them as home companions. That is why breeders once again selectively bred Miniature and Standard Poodles down in size in order to achieve that. At first, many bad breeders were doing this, which led to unhealthy Toy Poodle dogs with unpropriate temperaments, but later, responsible breeders started breeding Toy Poodles and the Toy Poodle truly became a small replica of the Standard Poodle. According to official breed standards, all three varieties are basically identical, except for the size. And indeed, the size is definitely the most important difference. You can see the size comparison on the screen right now and as you can see, the difference is very big. All three Poodle breeds have the same almost non-shedding curly coat that comes in various colors, including white, black, brown, blue, gray, silver, cream or apricot. You can easily find Standard Poodles in all color varieties, but the smaller versions are most often found in white or cream. But all three breeds can be in all the mentioned colors. Speaking of coat, lets mention grooming as well. As you probably know, Poodles need quite extensive grooming. It is recommended that you have your Poodle professionally groomed at least once every six weeks. But since the smaller Poodle breeds have less coat, their grooming is easier and cheaper. On contrary, grooming of Standard Poodle by professional services can be quite expensive. BTW, interesting fact about Poodles is, that in the past, it was quite common to find Poodles with corded coats, but this variety is unfortunatelly extremely rare these days. Now lets compare the temperaments of all three Poodle breeds. In theory, all three breeds should have identical temperament, which can be characterized as intelligent, sociable, energetic, faithful, alert and instinctual. But after speaking to relatively large number of Poodle owners, there were some repetitive answers which imply žý. The Standard Poodles should in general be the most active and energetic and they are most often used as service dogs. The Miniature Poodle is still very active breed, but not to the extent of Standard Poodle. And logically, the Toy Poodle is the most laid back of these three breeds. So if you are looking for a very active companion, i would choose the Standard or perhaps the Miniature Poodle. If you are looking for a dog, that will be more suited as a typical household companion, i would choose the Toy Poodle. This can not be said about barking. All three breeds are known to like barking, but it seems the smaller the Poodle is, the bigger barker it is. This can be said about separation anxiety as well. All three Poodle breeds are known as total velcro dogs. They want to be everywhere with their owners. Sadly, they are also known to have separation anxiety. But this condition is quite rare in Standard Poodle, but you will find it very very often in Toy Poodles. Last, but not least, lets talk about the health. As you can see on the screen, the Standard Poodle, like most large dogs, tending to be more short-lived in comparison to the smaller Miniature and Toy Poodle. But all three varieties tend to be pretty healthy. All of them can suffer from progressive retinal atrophy, catarats or Addison Disease. Especially the larger dogs can have problems with hip dysplasia or bloating. On the other hand, the Toy Poodles are known to suffer a lot from dental issues. I would also love to mention, that there is a so called Teacup Poodle variety. This refers to extremely small Poodles, even smaller than Toy Poodles. But i would advice you to stay away from any breed that is called as teacup. Teacup breeding practices prioritize creating the smallest possible dog instead of a healthy dog. This can produce health issues ranging from fragile bones to dental problems to organ failure. Teacup dogs are extremely often unhealthy and by buying teacup dog you are most likely supporting unethical breeder. Amstaffs and Pitbulls – two extremely similar, i would say almost identical dog breeds. But are they really the same? And if not, what is the difference?
Before we start, i would like to clarify, that by Amstaff i mean American Staffordshire Terrier and by Pitbull i mean American Pit Bull Terrier. I think it is important clarification, because the term Pitbull can be used to basically any dog breed that was developed from dogs previously known as „bull and terriers“ and this category would include even the Amstaff, American Bully or Staffordshire Bull Terrier. To make it even more confusing, both breeds are purebred as one can be registered by the AKC and second by the UKC and the confusing thing is, that the breed standards are basically identical. And to make it even more confusing, the American Staffordshire Terrier officially registered in AKC can be dual registered with UKC registry for show purposes. So officially, these two dogs truly are the same. But in reality, there might be some slight differences. To understand the little differences, it is important to understand the breeds history. Both dogs can trace their origin to dogs that are known as bull and terriers. These dogs fond their way into America in the middle of the 19th century and most often they were used for the cruel dog fighting. The Pit Bull was officially recognized by the UKC in 1898 and the AmStaff was recognized by the AKC in 1936, but even then, these two dogs were still identical. The real change happened, when the AKC opened a stud book for the AmStaff, which was in 1960s or 1970s. So today, it is more than 60 years since when the AmStaff breeding is completely separated from American Pit Bull Terrier and that is more than enough time to make a slight difference. Simply put, the American Pit Bull Terrier remained similar to the original dogs, they are typically slightly smaller in terms of weight, but more agile and explosive. They tend to have stronger drive, they are slightly more agressive and energetic. On the other hand the AmStaff is for decades bred for the show ring. This makes the dog more calm and less drivey. The selective breeding also makes them bigger and stockier, with thicker legs. American Staffordshire Terriers typically possess a broader head with well-defined cheek muscles, giving them a distinctive appearance. In contrast, Pitbulls often have a more streamlined head shape and a narrower muzzle. You can see that the Pit bull looks more like a working dog while the Amstaff more like a show dog. The AmStaff is focused more on meeting a specific idealized aesthetics and the APBT should be more focused on functionality and drive. It is also important to say, that while the Amstaffs are bred strictly to the breed standard and it is not easy to officially register an Amstaff, this is not the case with Pit Bulls. This is causing a big variety in Pit Bulls in their appearance and temperament and clearly a lot of mixed breeds are registered as pure American Pit Bull Terriers in the UKC nowadays. But in general, both dogs should be confident, intelligent, watchful, alert, self-composed, courageous, and hopelessly devoted to their families. They should NOT be agressive without a reason, contrary to popular belief that all bully breeds are agressive. For decades, pure Amstaffs and Pitbulls are not bred for agression anymore. This said, it is still extremely important to proper socialize and train them from the puppyhood as these dogs are extremely strong and with the wrong guide, they might become problematic. And you dont want to have misbehaved dog with the power of American Staffordshire Terrier or American Pit Bull Terrier. This is a reason why i would never recommend neither of these two dogs to unexperienced owners. So in conclusion, the American Staffordshire Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers are not completely identical, but they are extremely similar and for un-trained eye they are basically the same. 1) Origin
This is one of the oldest of all French dogs, with its history dating back to 13th century. In the past, these dogs were used by both, French nobility and peasants for various purposes, mainly for hunting wild boar. The ancestry of this breed is disputed. One theory claims, that they are descendants of Balkan Hounds, most notably of the Barak Hound, which is extremely similar. The Balkan Hounds were brought back to France by the Crusaders. The other theory claims that they might be descendants of the Gallic Hound, which existed during the ancient roman empire and that was brought to France by the Romans. The Griffon Nivernais was the favourite dog of the King Louis IX and it was very popular back in the days, especially in the Nivernais region. 2) Extinction Sadly, after the French Revolution at the end of 18th century, the Griffon Nivernais disappearaed. But only a century later, the Griffon Nivernais was re-created. The breed reconstruction was done based on the Grand Griffon Vendéen and later these dogs received blood of a Fox Hound and Otterhound. The breed club was formed in 1925 and the breed is slowly gaining its popularity back. The Griffon Nivernais we have today is very similar to the original Griffon Nivernais, but it is important to notice, that the original dog was bigger. 3) Hunter The Griffon Nivernais is a bold hunting breed, who is best known for its courage, excellent sense of smell and adaptability, which enables them to hunt in difficult terrains and in bad weather all day long. Its courage and initiative allow it to be used successfully in small packs for hunting wild boar. It is also intelligent and independent dog, another two extremely important traits for a hunting dog. So it is no wonder that even today, these dogs are very often used for this purpose. And most importatntly, they truly enjoy it and they love the hunt. 4) Companion But of course, the Griffon Nivernais is not only a hunter, but also excellent active companion dog. It is a happy and friendly dog, that is okay around other dogs, kids and it typically does not have big problems with strangers. Of course, all of this vastly depends on early socialization. As i already mentioned, this is independent thinker and willful dog, which is a reason why they are not for everyone. They will not always obey all the commands, but they are intelligent and they will learn all the basic commands very fast. 5) Exercise It is important to say, that this is rather active dog breed and they need plenty and plenty of exercise to stay healthy and happy. Daily long walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime and fun training sessions are absolutely essential for Griffon Nivernais. You can also try some dog sport with Griffon Nivernais, which will not only exhaust them physically but also mentally. For example tracking should be a perfect sport for this breed. Without enough exercise, they might become very noisy or destructive. 6) Size This is a medium sized dog breed with average height between 55-60 cm, which is 21-23 inch and weight between 46-52 lbs, which is 19-24 kg. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males. 7) Coat and color The Griffon Nivernais has a long, shaggy coat that is rough in texture and the coat should never be wooly or curly. These dogs are known to have expressive eyebrows and slight moustache, which gives them, lets say, wise expression. They always look kind of unkept, it is they natural appearance. Their coat color is always grey, from light grey to boar grey and each hair is darker at the base than the tip. 8) Other Griffons The Griffon Nivernais is not the only Griffon breed. The word griffon is describing all the wiry coated hunting dogs of France, but it is also used in some other countries, such as Spain. There are many other Griffons, such as Griffon Vendéen, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, Griffon Bleu de Gascogne, Brussels Griffon or Griffon Astur Cantabro. 9) Maintenance The Griffon Nivernais always has the unique unkept like appearance. Even if you brush the coat, they will keep this kind of appearance, but you should still brush their coat regularly, lets say weekly, in order to keep it in good condition. Regular brushing will remove dead and loose hair. The coat itself is dirt repelling and it is not prone to tangling or matting, so the maintenance is not extremely hard. 10) Health And what about the health? Well, this is usually very healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 years. Of course, just like any other dog breed, they can suffer from some health issues, such as hip dysplasia, some eye problems, different allergies and infections or bloating. But none of these ilnesses should be very common in this breed and it should be pretty healthy and hardy dog breed. |