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You can tell on the first sight that this is a Spaniel. The most distinctive feature are definitely the large, floppy and feathered ears. The Russian Spaniel does resemble the famous English Cocker Spaniel and indeed, the English Cocker and the English Springer Spaniel were used in the breeds development. Usually, the Russian Spaniel has height between 15-18 inch which is 38-46 cm and the weight is typically between 20-35 pounds, which is 9-16 kg. As you can see this is small to medium sized dog breed. There are no extreme differences between the size of males and females. The Russian Spaniel is quite a sturdy dog breed with strong built, slightly elongated and straight back, round arched paws, straight tail, that is often times docked. The head has oval shape and the muzzle is broad. The Russian Spaniel has very expressive oval eyes and very long floppy ears that hang down close to the cheek. The coat is soft and tight fitting. The dog typically has longer fur on the ears and on the back of the legs. Colors can vary greatly, commonly you can find them white with coloured spots and other markings. Common color variations include tri color, white and brown, white and black, white and red, solid black, brown, or tan. The head and ears is normally in darker color than the rest of the body. Personality Even though, the Russian Spaniel was originally developed as a skilled gun dog, today they are most often living the spoiled life of family companions. And they are truly great fit for both – for hunting and for companionship. Most people describe the Russian Spaniel as lively, spirited, energetic, cheerful, devoted and playful breed. All the Spaniels must have higher prey drive and indeed, when the Russian Spaniel is hunting, it is very skilled and hard working flushing and retrieving dog. This breed also has very strong nose. This dog is not recommended for households with smaller pets, like hamsters or guinea pigs, because they will most likely try to chase them. But they normally do okay with other dogs and even with cats, especially if they are raised together from the puppyhood. The Rusian Spaniel is known for being pretty gentle and playful breed, which is why they make good companions for kids. But you should always monitor the situation between a dog and a very young child who does not know how to treat dog gently and with respect. Great fact is, that the Russian Spaniel is smart and eager to please breed, which makes it quite trainable. But, just like for example the Cocker Spaniel, they know how to be stubborn from time to time, so patient and firm training is needed. The Russian Spaniel can be easily trained to be a good watchdog, because they are naturally alert and suspicious around strangers. But do not worry, once you show them, that the stranger is your friend, they will accept him or her. And they should never be agressive without a reason. History As i already mentioned earlier in the video, the most important ancestors of the Russian Spaniel is the English Cocker Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel. Some other Spaniel type of a dogs were most likely also included in the breeds development. The breed development started in the early 20th century. The goal was to develop a dog similar to English Cocker Spaniel, but that will have longer legs and that will be more suitable to the russian weather and terrain. Just before the second world war, there was a variety of different Spaniels in the Russia, but no breed standard was written for them yet. The war was devastating, not only for the people of Russia, but also for the dog population in this area and many of the breeds were on the verge of extinction. But Russians started to purposelly breed the Russian Spaniel and in 1951 the first breed standard was written. The breeds popularity raised a lot in the 1990s, but it is still quite a rare breed outside Russia. Health and grooming The typical lifespan of the Russian Spaniel is around 14 years and it is quite a hardy and healthy breed, which does not suffer much from any hereditary health issues. Because of their long floppy ears, they can be prone to ear infections. It is also common for the dog to suffer from food allergies, with the most common allergens being chicken and carrots. It is not extremely hard to maintain Russian Spaniels coat in top condition. The medium-length coat naturally repels both dirt and water, making it fairly easy to care for. This breed does shed, so brushing the coat regularly will minimize the shedding. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check their ears, eyes and nails and clip them or clean them if needed. And you should také proper care about the ears and keep them clean and dry.
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Appearance
The Majorca Shepherd is well proportioned, athletic and pretty tall dog breed. According to the official breed standard, the Ca de Bestiar height at wither should be between 22-24 inches, which is 55-61 cm and weight should be between 77-88 pounds, which is 35-40 kg. But this is only a breed standard and you can find even larger dogs, with height up to 73 cm, which is 29 inch. The Ca de Bestiar has medium sized muzzle, triangular ears that are set on high and hangs down to the sides of the head. The eyes are small, round and set wide apart. This breed also has deep chest, muscular loins, straight and strong back and ribs that are well strung. The Majorca Shepherd should always has a solid black coat. There are actually two coat varieties, a short haired and long haired, which is quite rare. Most dogs have the short, fine and thick coat. The long coat is slightly wavy on the back and can reach over 7 cm in length. Temperament This dog was originally developed to work on farms as a skilled livestock protector and indeed, they are great herders with highly protective and territorial temperament. The Ca de Bestiar is quite suspicious around strangers, which is why they can be trained to be good guards. On the other hand, when they are with its family, than they are very affectionate, loyal and playful breed. This is a social dog who tends to create a very strong bond with its owner. But it is definitely not a dog for everyone, because of its independent and protective personality, they need good early socialization to not become overprotective and overall, they are not good dogs for unexperienced dog owners. The Ca de Bestiar needs a patient, firm and experienced trainer. Just like majority of dog breeds that were bred for work on farms, even the Ca de Bestiar is pretty active dog breed who needs plenty of exercise to stay healthy and happy. This breed will always be ready for any kind of an adventure or playtime. You will have to také them on daily longer walks and ideally you should let them run freely if possible. The Ca de Bestiar is not a hunter and they can live with other pets or dogs in the family, especially if they are raised together from the puppyhood. They can be also good playful partners for older kids, but you should always monitor the situation between the dog and the child. Interesting fact This breed is often times mistaken with the Black Labrador Retriever and many people think that it is a Labrador cross. But that is not a true, the Majorca Shepherd is a separate breed, that has nothing to do with Labs. History The exact origin or ancestry of the Ca de Bestiar is unknown but it is believed that this is pretty old dog breed. One theory suggest, that the breeds ancestors came to the Balearic islands shortly after the conquest of King James of Aragon in the 13th century. During the 16th and 17th centuries these courageous dogs were already used to guard livestock, homes and farms all over the Balearic Islands. A selective and controlled breeding program started in the 1970s and in 1982 the breed was accepted by the FCI. Health and grooming It is not hard to maintain Ca de Bestiars coat in top condition, because the coat is kinda self cleaning and it does not require almost any bathing. But it does shed, so if you want to minimize the shedding, regular brushing is needed. This is quite hardy and healthy dog with average lifespan around 13 years. Just like majority of larger breeds, the Majorca Shepherd can suffer from hip dysplasia, patellar luxation or gastric torsion. 1) Origin
Very often, it is almost impossible to trace breeds history and ancestry, but that is not true with the Saarloos Wolfdog, whose origin is well documented. In the official FCI breed standard, we can find out, that the breeds development started in the first half of 20th century. The father of this breed, mr. Leendert Saarloos felt, that the German Shepherd is too domesticated and he wanted to breed back the more natural properties in order to derive a better working dog. That is why he decided to cross a male German Shepherd with a female Eurasian gray wolf. 2) Purpose The offsprings were bred with German Shepherds to create a dog with one quarter of dog blood. Some of those dogs showed a good skills to become good working and service dogs, which was the goal of the breeding. But these abilities were gradually lost and it became obvious that the breed was neither well suited to being a working nor a guide dog. Today, the Saarloos Wolfdog is not used as a worker, but it is an amazing companion that is close to nature. 3) Companion And indeed, the Saarloos Wolfdog is amazing companion for active people who likes outdoor adventures in nature. This is a highly active dog, that will love to go on any hike or walk with you. It is also pretty curious breed that loves exploring. The Saarloos Wolfdog is known to be very devoted to its owner and family. 4) Around strangers It is very hard to see a wolf in a nature on your own eyes. It is because they are avoiding any confrontation with people. And this is similar with the Saarloos Wolfdog. They are not trusting around strangers, but they are almost never agressive towards them. They will rather avoid any confrontation or unknown situation. Which is very wolf like. Of course, this can be vastly influenced by early socialization. 5) Other pets As you can probably expect from a wolf dog, this is a dog with higher prey drive and they will chase smaller animals, if you allow it. Because of that, they are not the best companions for other smaller household pets. But again, this can be vastly influenced by early socialization and there are some examples of Saarloos Wolfhounds happily living with other pets, especially if they are raised together from the puppyhood. 6) High energy If you buy or adopt a Saarloos Wolfdog, you should be prepared for a highly energetic companion. They definitely need daily longer walks to stay healthy and happy and because of their higher intelligence, you must occupy their mind as well. You can try some task oriented playtime, making them solving some problems or just simple longer training sessions are great way how to spend some time with your Saarloos Wolfdog. 7) Not for novices Because of the higher prey drive, high activity level, independent temperament and aversion towards strangers, this is not the best dog for novices. Acutally, no real wolfdog, is good for novices, because all of them need proper early socialization and patient and firm trainer. 8) Crossbreeding The Dutch kennel club find out, that the population of Saarloos-wolfdogs was very closely related to a degree, that further interbreeding could damage the breeds health and that it is needed to increase the genetic diversity. The scientists advised a controlled and extensive outcross program, to increase the breed's vitality. Today, in 2020, Saarloos Wolfdogs are crossed with Siberian Huskies, White Swiss Shepherds, Ibizan Hounds, Northern Inuit dogs and Norwegian Elk Hounds. 9) Size This is a strong, athletic and tall dog breed with average height between 60-75 cm which is 24-30 inch and with weight up to 45 kg, which is 100 pounds. The females tend to be little bit smaller than males. 10) Health The average lifespan of the Saarloos Wolfdog is around 11 or 12 years, which is pretty normal for dog of this size. This is generally quite healthy dog breed, but they can suffer from hip dysplasia, eye problems, dawrfism or Degenerative Myelopathy 1) Origin
The Spitz Dog group is considered to be one of the oldest in the world and it is believed that the Danish Spitz has been a part of Denmarks history for a very long time and based on excavations the National Museum of Denmark has suggested that the breed may have origins with the Vikings. 2) Nanny dog We have real records and evidences about the breed in Denmark since the 18th century, when the Danish Spitz appeared in Danish art and some books. Since than, this breed was used as a good little watchdog and especially as an amazing companion. The breed was most popular during the 1930s when the Danish Spitz was commonly found on Danish farms and they were especially known for hanging around with kids, which is why they were known as Nanny or Childrens dogs. Their job was to take care about the kids. 3) Ancestry We do not know for sure what is the breed ancestry, but it is believed that the Danish Spitz is somehow related to German Spitz, Samoyed or Icelandic Sheepdog. The Icelandic Sheepdog is a dog that was brought by Vikings to the iceland and Germany is a neighboring country of Denmark, so it is very likely, that those breeds are related together. Some people even believe, that the Danish Spitz is only a variety of the German Spitz, but other, especially the members of Danish Spitz Club say, that this is unique and separate breed. 4) Names Over the time, the Danish Spitz was known under many names, such as Wolf Spitz, White Spitz, Greenland Spitz, Samoyed Spitz, but today, they are officialy known as the Danish Spitz. 5) Appearance The Danish Spitz has the typical Spitz like appearance. The main characteristics are definitely the small prick ears, fluffy coat and tail that curls over their back. The Danish Spitz has very friendly expression in their face and a lot of times it looks like they are smiling. Overall, they do resemble small Samoyed. 6) Coat One of the breeds hallmark is definitely the coat. The Danish Spitzes coat color ranges from white to buscuit. This is a doublecoated dog and the coat protects the dog in all kind of a weather. It is keeps the dog warm in the winter and it helps them to stay cool in the summer. You should never shave the coat in a hot summer, it will definitely NOT help the dog and the dog will be more prone to sunburn. 7) Size This is small to medium sized dog with average height between 38-48 cm which is 15-19 inch and weight is typically between 12-18 kg, which is 26-40 pounds. Females are naturally little bit smaller than males. 8) Grooming Just look at the fluffy coat, of course that the Danish Spitz requires regular grooming. They do shed continuosly during the whole year, especially heavily during the shedding season twice a year. You should regularly brush their coat to remove the dead hair and minimize the shedding. 9) Temperament In the past, the Danish Spitz was used as guard, versatile worker and as a great companion. And they do have great temperamental traits for being amazing family companions. It is curious and friendly little dog, that is always ready for a good playtime or any kind of an adventure. They seem to be always in a good mood. This is also pretty tolerant and social dog, who is devoted to its family and pack. Because of their guarding instincts, they can be little bit reserved with strangers, but this can be vastly influenced by early socialization. 10) Health This is typically a healthy and hardy dog breed with average lifespan around 15 years. There are no scientific studies about the breeds health and they are not known to have any genetic disorders or any other diseases. All the retrievers were originally bred to retrieve prey, most often birds and return it to the hunter without damage. That is why all of them have soft and gentle mouth. Because they were often retrieving birds, such as ducks, they must be great swimmers and indeed, all of them love water. Great fact about all the retrievers is, that they are intelligent and most importantly, extremely eager to please, which makes them highly trainable companions. They are definitely not as stubborn as other hunting breeds, for example spaniels or pointers. And now lets jump into the list of all Retriever dog breeds.
1) Labrador Retriever I will rank the Retrievers based on their popularity. And the most popular retriever and well most popular dog breed in the world is the famous Labrador Retriever. I will be honest, it is my favourite dog breed as well, i love their friendly, playful, yet eager to please and highly trainable personality. The Labrador is very empathetic and adaptable. They are better suited for more active people, especially when they are younger, they will be always ready for any kind of an adventure. Labradors are also the number one service dog breed for blind people, which proves their high trainability and eagerness to please. If you are looking for a larger breed, but you do not have much experiences with dogs, Labrador might be a perfect choice for you. 2) Golden Retriever The second Retriever which is very well known worldwide and in most countries they are in TOP 10 most popular breeds. And it is no wonder, they are, just like labs very intelligent, eager to please and playful. I would say they are little bit more laid back than Labs, but the difference is definitely not extreme. If you are interested what are the main differences between Labs and Goldens, i am giving you link to my another video which is just about this topic. 3) Chesapeake Bay Retriever This breed was developed from two pups who were rescued from a foundering ship in Maryland in the beggining of the 19th century. Those two dogs were most likely St. Johns Water dogs or Lesser Newfoundlands. The two were not bred to each other but were interbred with other dogs in the area and their offsprings were the first Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Chesapeake is easy to recognize from other Retrievers thanks to its wavy coat that is oily to the touch. 4) Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is the smallest of all retrievers, but they still have very high energy and they act like big dogs. You should not underestimate it, they really have high energy and need daily proper exercise to stay healthy and happy, which includes longer walks, hikes, swims, vigorous playtime or longer training sessions. The Duck Toller looks kinda fox like and they have wavy coat that varies from a golden color to a darker copper. 5) Flat Coated Retriever The Flat Coated Retriever is very similar to the Labrador Retriever, but they have longer coat, and its body is leaner and i would say more elegant. They also have longer head than other retrievers. Just like all retrievers, this is energetic, playful, social, friendly and outgoing dog breed. 6) Curly Coated Retriever Probably the oldest of all retrievers, the Curly Coater retriever is also the oldest one. It is believed that they are descendants of 16th-century English Water Spaniel, the St. John’s Newfoundland, the retrieving setter, and, in the late 19th century, the Poodle. It is easy to recognize them thanks to the small tight curls on their body. Great fact is, that they are not shedding as much as other retrievers, because most of them sheds like crazy. It is important to say, that almost any breed can be trained to retrieve, but a true retrieving dog usually has a natural obsession with birds that manifests itself from puppyhood. There are some other breeds, that are not marked as retrievers, but that has great retrieving skills. I can definitely mention a Spanish Water dog, Welsh Springer Spaniel, Poodle, Newfoundland, Vizsla, Gordon Setter, German Pointer, English Pointer, Brittany, Boykin Spaniel or American Water Spaniel. All these dogs can be trained to be great retrieving dogs, but they are naturally not built for this kind of a job. |