1) APBT vs Pit Bull
A lot of people think, that when someone is talking about Pit Bulls, they are automaticly talking about the American Pit Bull Terrier, or shortly APBT, which might be true in some countries, but in the USA the APBT is a purebred dog breed recognized by the UKC, and the term Pit Bull can refer to a dog type, that was developed from Old English Bulldog and various Terriers. The term Pit Bull can refers to APBT, but also to Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier or American Bully.

2) Bull and Terrier
The main ancestor of all Pit Bulls is already extinct breed called Bull and Terrier which was developed in the United Kingdom by crossing Old English Bulldog with various Terriers. These dogs were developed in the beginning of the 19th century for a bloody show called bull baiting. Later, these dogs were also used for dog fights, but also for hunting.

3) In the USA
When Brittish immigrants brought their Bull and Terriers with them to the USA, local farmers and ranchers quickly recognized the skills and talents of these dogs and they started using them as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions. Sadly, even in the USA, these dogs were used for dog fighting and even today. The first Bull and Terriers arrived to the America around 1850s and already in the 1898 the breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club as American Pit Bull Terrier.

4) Bad reputation
The American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the misunderstood dogs with bad reputation, which is mostly because of their history as fight dogs. It is true, that they are capable of being tenacious and dangerous, but they must be trained to be like that. But naturally, these dogs are very friendly, social, affectionate and they are known for being absolutely great around children, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised.

5) Dog sports
So as you can see, this is very versatile and eager to please dog. They are very adaptable and they can be train to be great farm dogs, therapy dogs, police dogs or simply superb companions. And thanks to their amazing versatility, intelligence and willingness to work, they are great adepts for various dog sports and you can see American Pit Bull Terriers competing in Dock Jumping, Weight Pulling, but also in agility or obedience trials.

6) Other dogs
American Pit Bull Terriers are extremely people oriented and people friendly, but some of them might exhibit agression towards other dogs. This, combined with their enormous strength is a reason why they need experience dog owner who will properly socialize them from the puppyhood.

7) Escape Artists
American Pit Bull Terriers are very athletic dogs and they are one of the best jumpers and climbers in the dog world. That is why you will need a high fence around your area, if you will leave your dog alone for some time, because they are known as an escape artists.

8) Size

According to the official breed standard, the American Pit Bull Terriers height should be between 43-53 cm, which is 17-21 inches and weight is typically between 14-28 kg, which is 30-60 pounds. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males.

9) Easy maintenance
The maintenance and grooming of American Pit Bull Terrier is very very simple. They dont need almost any grooming and brushing and they will keep their coat in great condition. Bathing should also be done only when it is really necessary. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes and nails and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
The American Pit Bull Terrier has an average lifespan between 12-14 years and they tend to be quite healthy and hardy. But they do suffer from hip dysplasia and skin allergies, ocassionaly from patellar luxation, thyroid disease or congenital heart defects.

Appearance
This is medium sized dog with relatively long body, higher in the rear. The body should be muscular, agile and athletic. The average height is between 17-20 inch, which is 44-52 cm and weight is typically between 20-25 kg, which is 44-55 pounds. Females are slightly smalelr than males.

The Bavarian Mountain dog has a close fitting and dense coat which is moderately harsh, which protects the dog from rough terrain. The hair on the head are shorter and finer. You can find this breed in all shades of fawn, tan, reddish brown or brindle.

This breed has pretty broad head and muzzle with solid jaws, black nose and medium long ears that are set high. They have well developed chest, solid back and tail in medium length and set high.


Temperament
According to the official FCI breed standard, the Bavarian Mountain Dog should be a calm and balanced dog that is totally devoted to its owner, but on the other hand, reserved with strangers.

This dog creates a very strong bond with the one person he choose, but its affectionate towards the whole family. This is a very smart dog and next to physical exercise, they need plenty of mental exercise. They love exploring and sniffing, so you can try some nose work with this dog. They will enjoy most of the interactive dog toys.

This dog was originally bred to hunt and even today, they are still used for hunting and when they do hunt, they are very brave, persistent, agile, fast and spirited. They have high prey drive, extremely good sense of smell and they are adaptable to all kinds of terrain. Overall, this is a great hunting dog breed.

If you are not using this breed for hunting, but it is your family companion, than you will need to properly exercise them every day. They are very athletic and have higher energy, so long daily walks are must. They will mostly love a free off leash runs in areas, where they can sniff and explore. But because of their high prey drive, you should let them off leash only in areas you know very well or in fenced areas.

I said that these dogs are reserved with strangers, which is true, but they should never be agressive without a reason. They will most likely start barking when they will see a stranger or something suspicious around their territory. But they are not used for guarding and protecting the property.


Interesting fact
The Bavarian Mountain Dog has a so called cold nose, which means it can track an old scent. Their nose is so sensitive, that they can distinguish between the injured game he is hunting and other animals of the same species. This dog truly has one of the best noses in the dog world.


History
The origin of the Bavarian Mountain Dog can be traced back to German Bracken dogs, which were excellent hunters with the best nose for following ground scent and trail. Only the most reliable and perseverant Bracken were chosen from the pack to be used and those were the ancestors of today Bavarian Mountain Dog.

But it was not until the second half of the 19th century, when todays Bavarian Mountain dog was developed. In those days, Hanoverian Scenthounds were very popular hunting dogs, but hunters needed ligher and more agile breed, which is why the Baron Karg-Bebenburg crossed them with a red Mountain Scenthound and developed a new breed, which is today known as the bavarian mountain dog.


Health and grooming
This is usually a very healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 years. Of course, just like all dog breeds they can suffer from some health issues, especially at older age. Ocassionally they can suffer from muscoloskeletal issues like hip and elbow dysplasia or eye problems such as progressive retina atrophy or entropion.

The maintenance and grooming is not very hard. They do not shed very much and almost no brushing or other grooming is needed. They dont need baths very often, only if they are very dirty and it is absolutely necessary. You should also také proper care about their ears and clean it if needed, because they can be prone to ear infections.

1) History
The Cirneco dell Etna is one of the oldest breeds we know today and they have been present in Sicily since the ancient times. Approximately 2000 years ago, 150 coins depicting the Cirneco were minted in Sicily, but the breed will be even older. One theory says, that they are related to ancient Egyptian dogs from the time of Egyptian pharaos and that these dogs were introduced to Sicily by Phoenician traders.
2) Natural selection
Unlike most of the breeds we know today, who were bred by human intervention, for example by crossbreeding, the Cirneco dell Etna evolved naturally. It is one of the few breeds that acquired its modern characteristics through natural selection.

3) Name
For a long time, this dog was only named as Cirneco and the dell Etna was added in 1939. The Cirneco refers to either greek word “kyrenaikos,” or to latin word cyrenaicus. That can be translated as “of Cyrene” which is an ancient Greek city in todays Libya. Dell Etna relates to the area of the famous Etna volcano in Sicily. So both parts of the name are describing two different regions, related to the breed. By the way, the plural form of Cirneco is not Cirnecos, but Cirnechi.

4) Modern times
Until the 1930s, these dogs were almost unknown outside Sicily and even there it was quite a rare breed. That changed in 1932 when veterinarian Maurizio Migneco published an article about this breed denouncing the state of oblivion into which this ancient Italian breed had fallen. After the article, a rich Italian aristocrat, baroness Agata Paternó Castello was moved and she decided to revive the breed. She started breeding them in 1934 and the breed was officially recognized in 1939 by Italian Kennel club and in 1956 by FCI. Even though the breed was revived, it is still a very rare dog breed and there are only around 150 new purebred Cirneco registration in Italy every year.

5) Elegant hunters
The Cirneco is amazing hunter, they especially excell at hunting rabbits. They use both, their excellent sight and great hearing to locate and hunt the prey. They are also very fast and even druing the hunt they are elegant. According to the FCI The ideal hunting ground is among the nooks and crannies of rock faces and in particular the terrain formed by volcanic lava on the slopes of Mount Etna where the Cirneco leaps from one rock to another, surefooted and elegant.

6) Companion
Of course, the Cirneco dell Etna is not only an amazing hunter, today, majority of them are companion dogs and they are actually very good companions. It is true that they are independent dogs by nature and they can be stubborn, but they are also very smart, bright, playful, curious, affectionate and creates a strong bond with its family. They are also good playful partners for older kids and they can live with other dogs in the family as well.

7) Escape artists
The Cirneco dell Etna is known as an expert escape artist. They can easily escape especially thanks to their great jumping, they can really jump very very high, so you should have a high fence around your property, that is also burried several inches bellow the ground.

8) Adranos legend
There is a very old legend saying, that thousands of Cirneco dell Etna dogs are guarding the temple of the god Adranos on the slope of mount Etna. The dogs had a divine ability to find and attack any thieves or nonbelievers who approached the temple.

9) Size

This is medium sized, slim and athletic dog breed with average height between 44-50 cm which is 17-20 inch and weight is typically between 8-13 kg, which is 18-29 pounds. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males.

10) Coat
The cirneco coat is sleek and lie close to the body. Fawn, sable and fawn sable are the most desirable colors in the Cirneco Dell’etna. Some of them can have some white patches, most often on the chest. The short and glossy coat that is also very easy to care for, the grooming needs are minimal.

1) Origin
This is a very old dog breed and we can find similar dogs to Peruvian Inca Orchid depicted in pre-Incan art and pottery. So even though they are named Inca, it is very likely, that they were kept as pets in pre-Inca cultures in the region of today northern Peru. We can not be sure about the breeds date of origin or exact ancestry, but their history might be dating back to the 7th or 8th century and maybe it is even older.

2) Three sizes
When the Peru was conquered by Spanish conquistadores, they were interbred with many foreign dogs. Originally, this was pretty small companion dog, but because of the interbreeding three distinct sizes were developed. The height can vary from 25-65 cm which is 10-26 inches and weight can range from 4-25 kg, which is 9-55 pounds.

3) National dog
The Peruvian Inca Orchid was accepted as a separate breed by Kennel Club of Peru in 1985. This breed is a cultural heritage of Peru so it is no wonder that they were accepted as its national dog breed in 2001. Peruvian Kennel Club also requested to change a breeds name to Peruvian Hairless dog.

4) Coat
Most of the time, Peruvian Inca Orchids are completely hairless, or they can have short hair on top of its head, on its feet, and on the tip of its tail. But some of them, so called powderpuff dogs, are completely coated. The coated variety will be black, white, grey, brown or tan. The

5) Temperament
This is an indoor companion dog, that is very affectionate, intelligent and friendly towards its family, but often times alert and wary of strangers. They tend to create strong bond with its owners and dont like to be left alone. They are also quick learners, but just like many other intelligent breeds, they get bored quite easily.

6) Hunters
This is not only a great companion dog. The Peruvian Inca Orchid is also a great hunter and they hunt similarly to greyhounds or whippets by coursing and using their sight. They are also very fast and they enjoy hunting smaller animals, which is why, if you have other smaller household pets, you should never leave them alone together.

7) Sunburn
Just like all the hairless dogs, even the Peruvian Inca Orchid need proper skin care, which includes regular moisturizing and sunscreen when outside in the sunlight. Another typical problem of the hairless type is missing teeth. Some only retain a few teeth, where others may only lose a few teeth. On the other hand, most powderpuff coated dogs have all the teeth and of course, they do not have the skin problems.

8) Rarity
If you never seen a Peruvian Inca Orchid on your own eyes, dont be surprised, this is extremely rare dog breed. There are no official data about the breeds numbers, but it is estimated that it is only few thousands in the whole world. You have much better chance to see other hairless dogs, for example the Xoloitzcuintli.

9) Bed warmer
Sometimes, the Peruvian Inca Orchid is used as bed warmer. Thanks to the lack of hair, they can generate a lot of warmth and sometimes they are used to warm up bed or even to snuggle with their owners and warm up.

10) Other names
The Peruvian Inca Orchid is also known under some other names, like Peruvian Hairless dog, perro flora, which means flower dog, Inca hairless dog, Calato or Viringo.

1) Origin
The Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, or shortly just GBGV, is a dog breed with its origin in France. They were most likely developed from some larger breeds, that were common in the French region Vendee, most likely from the Grand Griffon. The GBGV breed became standardized in the second half of 19th century and the two men who are creditet for developing the breed are Comte d’Elva and Paul Dezamy who wrote the breed standard as it is known today.
2) Grand and Petit
For a long time there was only a breed standard for Basset Griffon Vendeen, but that changed after the second world war, when huntsman and breeders had to revive the breed and it became clear that there should be two breed standards, one for Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen and one for the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. The main difference is of course the height, the GBGV is taller, but the Petit version should also have more squared body and shorter muzzle, ears and tail. From the 1950s the Grand and Petits are considered as separated breeds, although interbreeding between the Grand and Petit was not banned until 1977.
3) Name
The Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen has very descriptive name. The word grand can be translated as large, which means it is the bigger version of the two Basset Griffon Vendeen breeds. The Basset means low and i used to describe all the basset breeds. Griffon is a word describing the wiry coat and vendeen describing the place of origin. So it can be literally translated as a Large Basset with wiry coat from Vendee region.

4) Hunters
The breeds temperament fits well to their hunting ancestry. This is a passionate hunter with well developed senses, which is courageous and little bit stubborn, which is needed when they are on the hunt, dogs like this must be independent. Those dogs are used to hunt in packs and most commonly they hunt rabbits, hares, deer and boars.

5) Companion
Of course, today, the Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen is commonly kept as companion dog. And they are great companions. These dogs are very outgoing and happy and you can be sure that you will never be bored with them. Even though, they know how to be stubborn, they are intelligent, trainable and obedient, but they do need patient trainer. They thrive for human companionship and creates a strong bond with its owners. They can also live with other dogs or children, but you should always monitor the situation between any dog breed and a very young child.

6) Energy
The GBGV is a very energetic dog breed, they were developed to hunt for long time and even today, they love long outdoor walks and exploring. They love playing different games, sniffing and running. Because they are intelligent, they also need plenty of mental stimulation, which can be some interactive playtime, nosework or regular training sessions.

7) Coat
All the french griffon dog breeds have similar hard and rough semi long coat. The GBGV coat should have fringing on his tail, legs and neck. The coat should never be silky or wooly. They coat is protecting them from the bushes and from all kinds of terrain. You can find this breed in many different colors and color combinations, including black and white, black and tan, fawn with spotting or white with lemon, orange, sable, grizzle.

8) Size

This is strongly built and well balanced dog with average height between 39-44 cm which is 15-17 inch and weight is typically between 40-45 pounds, which is 18-21 kg. The females are slightly smaller than males.

9) Health

The Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen has an average lifespan between 12-14 years. Just like all dogs, they can suffer from some health issues, mostly in older age. The health concerns include epilepsy, dermatitis or Leishmaniasis. The specific concerns include craniomandibular osteopathy, cushings disease or hypothyroidism.

10) Mantrailing
The Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen is one of the breeds that is trained for mantrailing in the Europe and in the US. Mantrailing is a scent pursuit of one’s individual scent wherever skin cells are dispersed and the GBGV is excellent at it!