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Swedish Lapphund - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1/11/2021

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1) Origin
It is believed, that the Swedish Lapphund is one of the oldest of all dogs we know today. These dogs originated in Northern Scandinavia in region called Lappland where Sami people lived. Because the breeds history is so old it is impossible to say what is the exact date of origin or what are the breeds ancestors, but it is believed that this is a result of a female wolf-male dog hybridization that occurred post-domestication and it is believed tha they share this ancestry with other Sami-related breeds, such as Finnish Lapphund, Norwegian Elkhound, Lapponian Herder or Swedish Elkhound.

2) Utilization
This is very versatile breed and Sami people used this dog for variety of purposes. Initially for hunting and guarding, but later these dogs were used for herding reindeer. And even the Swedish Lapphunds today still have strong herding instinct and some of them are still used for this purpose. Today, this breed is also used in army and as a rescue dog.

3) Companion
Of course, the Swedish Lapphund is not only a working dog, because today they are more and more popular as companion dogs. They are not for everyone, but if you are an active person who like outdoors, than this might be a perfect dog for you. This is quite active breed who needs proper daily outdoor exercise. The Swedish Lapphund is always ready for a long walk, hike or good playtime. This is definitely very faithful, affectionate and friendly dog that loves it family. These dogs also gets well with other pets and children.

4) Coat
This dog just must have a thick double coat that protects it from cold and harsh climate of Northern Scandinavia. Amazing fact about its coat is, that it does not have much of the typical doggy odor. You can find this breed in black or bear brown colors. This dark color makes it much easier to spot them in snow. Some Swedish Lapphunds can have white spots on the chest, feet and tail.

5) Spitz
On the first sight, you can say that the Swedish Lapphund is a Spitz. They have all the typical Spitz characteristics, such as erect pointy ears and very dense furry coat, long foxy like muzzle and often times curly tail.

6) Size
The Swedish Lapphund is a medium sized dog breed with average height between 16-20 inches, which is 40-50 cm and weight should be between 30-45 pounds which is 13-20 kg. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.

7) Rarity
The Swedish Lapphund is a very rare dog breed and it is very hard to find them outside Scandinavia. It is believed that there are only something above 1 000 purebred Swedish Lapphunds these days, most of them in Sweden. But their popularity, as well as their numbers are slightly raising and this breed is not on the verge of extinction.

8) Barking
The Swedish Lapphund has a specific, very high pitched bark. They achieve this kind of a barking by rapidly pushing air through their diaphragms while restricting their vocal cords. The result is high pitched squeeky bark. This kind of a barking was popular among sami people, because it deter predators, but it didnt scare the reindeer.

9) Maintenance
Even though the Swedish Lapphund has a very thick and dense coat, the grooming and maintenance is not very hard. They can keep themselves clean and even without any grooming they will keep the coat in good shape. As you can probably imagine, this dog does shed, so if you want to minimize the shedding, you should brush their coat regularly to remove the dead hair. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, teeth and nails and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
This is usually pretty healthy dog breed with average lifespan between 12-13 years. Of course, just like all dogs, they can suffer from some health issues, which includes progressive retinal atrophy, diabetes and some allergies.
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Bohemian Spotted Dog - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1/9/2021

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1) Origin
The Bohemian Spotted dog is still relatively young dog breed, that was developed in 1950s in Czechoslovakia by František Horák. Mr. Horák is also known for developing another czech dog breed, the Cesky Terrier. The Bohemian Spotted dog was developed in Physiology institute as the ideal laboratory dog. The breeding started by crossing two mutts, one similar to fox terrier and second to german shepherd. Later, the breed was also crossed with German Shorthaired Pointer.​

2) Laboratory dog
The Bohemian Spotted dog was never meant to be companion dog as it is today. It was bred for purposes of the Physiological institute and it was a laboratory dog. As the laboratory dog, the Bohemian Spotted dog was bred to have suitable size, high fertility, low consuption of food, non agressive and good personality and smooth coat. Today, many of these characteristics are reason, why the Bohemian Spotted dog is more and more popular companion dog.

3) Research
The Bohemian Spotted dog was mostly an object of medical and genetical research. It is believed, that it was the first animal in Czechoslovakia with successful transplantation of kidney. The Bohemian Spotted dog was also studdied for epilepsy, heredity of missing teeth and heredity of the spotted coloration.

4) Companion dog
Up until the 1980s, this breed was almost among the ordinary people. That changed in 1981, when this dog some of the dogs in the institute were given to breeders and they started to bred them as companion dogs. And it is an excellent companion, because the Bohemian Spotted dog is known for its kind and outgoin temperament, friendly nature towards both, people and other animals, great loyalty, patience and empathy. These dogs can be great partners for kids, but you should always supervise any dog breed with very young child. Overall, this is a good choice for unexperienced dog owners, because these dogs have amazing temperament.

5) Size
This is a medium sized dog breed with athletic body. The average height is between 43-53 cm, which is 17-21 inch and weight is typically between 15-22 kg, which is 33-48 pounds.

6) Coat
The Bohemian Spotted dog comes in two different coat types and two colorations. The color is always tricolor and it is a spotted combination of either black, tan and white or brown tan and white. And you can also choose either short haired or long haired Bohemian Spotted dogs.

7) Utilization
The Bohemian Spotted dog is normally not used for the typical dog jobs, such as hunting, herding or guarding, but they can make great adepts for therapy dogs. The Bohemian Spotted dog also excells at various dog sports, such as agility, dogtrekking, frisbee or obedience trials.

8) Name
Since the 1981, the breed is known as Česky strakatý pes, or translated to english, as Bohemian Spotted dog or Czech Spotted dog. But before that, this breed was named after its founder, mr. Horak and it was named as Horaks laboratory dog.

9) Exercise
The Bohemian Spotted dog is excellent companion for active people, because they will always be ready for any outdoor adventure. They love long walks and hikes and they also make great jogging partners. With enough exercise, this dog is pretty calm and laid back indoors. Especially younger Bohemian Spotted dogs need regular daily exercise that will satisfy them physically but also mentally.

10) Recognition
Today, in January of 2021, the Bohemian Spotted dog is still not recognized by any major kennel club, but there is a drafted breed standard and the breeding organized under the authorities of the Association of Czech Spotted Dog and the Kennel Club for Rare Breeds. 
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Australian Koolie - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1/7/2021

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1) Origin
The Australian Koolie is a descendant of herding dogs brought to Australia by European immigrants in 1700s and 1800s. The breeds ancestors are most likely smooth coated blue merle Collies, Black and Tan Collies from the Highlands of Scotland and possibly even a German herding breed called German Tiger. ​

2) German Coolie
Today, the breed is known as Australian Koolie, but before that, they were also known under some other name, the German Coolie. We are not completely sure, why they were called German and why Coolie instead of Collie, but the most probably theory is, that this was favourite dog of German immigrants in South Australia. Those Germans were unable to correctly pronounce "collie" and referred to the dogs as "coolies“.

3) Herding
Australian grazers needed a dog that would help them with the cattle and sheeps and for a long time, the Koolie was bred for versatility and as all around station dogs. And the breeding was succesfull, because the Australian Koolie has natural herding instinct, high working ethic, high intelligence and they are known for a natural instinct to circle widely round sheep and bring them back to their owner.

4) Companion
Today, the Australian Koolie still work as a herding breed, but they are becoming more and more popular companion dogs as well. Of course, they are not for everyone, because they need a lot of exercise, but this is amazing companion for active people. They are known for their loyalty to its owners and high patience, which is why they can be good partners for older kids. Of course, you should always supervise any breed with a very young child.

5) Color
The Koolie can come in variety of colors, ranging from solid colors such as all black, brown and red to bi color, which includes black and white and red and white to tri color and merle colors. The Koolie can also have different nose and eye colors. Darker coats have darker nose and eyes and lighter coats have lighter nose and eyes. The Koolie can have blue eyes, but they should not be bred for blue eyes, because blue eyes in the Koolie are associated with deafness.

6) Dog sports
You already know, that the Koolie is extraordinary herding breed, but they also excell at various dog sports, such as agility, obedience trials, herding trials or flyball. And they can also find purpose in other jobs, for example, they can be trained to be good therapy dogs, rescue dogs or detection dogs. And of course, they also make amazing companion dogs.

7) Size
The Koolie is an athletic dog breed with average height between 18-24 inches which is 46-60 cm and weight should be between 30-55 pounds, which is 14-25 kg.

8) Backing
The Australian Koolie is known for one interesting herding technique, which is backing. That means, that they literally jump onto the backs of their charges to herd them if necessary. But of course, they are also good at heading, driving, heeling and casting the stock.

9) Maintenance
If we will not talk about the exercise, than the maintance of Koolie is fairly simple. They will keep their coat in great condition even without any grooming and they only need bathing when it is really necessary. This breed does shed and if you want to minimize the shedding than you should brush their coat regularly to remove the dead hair. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.

10) Health
The Koolie has an amazing lifespan around 15 years. Of course, just like all dogs, they can suffer from some health issues. Those are including deafness, congenital eye defects, hip dysplasia or skin allergies.
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Cardigan Welsh Corgi - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1/5/2021

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1) Origin
As the name suggest, this breed was developed in Wales. And the breeds history is very old and it is believed that this is one of the oldest dogs of the British Isles. The breeds ancestors were most likely brought to wales by migrating Celtic tribes 3000 years ago. Because their history is so old, we can not be sure about the exact breeds ancestry.
2) Herders
Even though these dogs look like cute lap dogs, they are actually very lively working dogs and their main purpose in the past was herding. It is documented that they were serving as herding dogs as early as the 10th century. Their low to the ground body was their advantage, since they were able to easily acces livestock ankles and nip their legs to herd them.​

3) Companions
Today, most of the Cardigan Welsh Corgis are companion dogs. This breed is known for being very devoted to its family and owner and create a very strong bond. They are also quite lively and intelligent, they are working dogs afterall so they will love to have some job in their life. It can also be some daily interactive playtime, regular training sesion or some dog sport, for example agility, rally or obedience trials. The Corgi is very adaptable and can live in big house, but also in tiny apartment. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi also do great with kids, but you should always supervise any dog breed with young children.

4) Two Corgis
There is not only the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, but also the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Even though, those two breeds are very similar, those are two distinct and separate breeds. The main differences are the tail, ears and face. Cardigans have always long tail, but Pembroke can be born with long tail, but also with naturally bobbed tail and the tail is often times docked. The Cardigan ears are larger and rounder, while Pembrokes are more pointed. And the Pembrokes face is lets say foxier, but the difference is not that big. Cardigans are also slightly larger. The last difference is the coat, because Cardigan has litthe harsher coat texture, but again, the difference is not very big.

5) Name
The name Corgi has an interesting meaning. There are actually two possible explanations and the first one is from Celtic, where the word Corgi means dog. Or it can be a combination of Welsh word Cor and Gi. Cor means dwarf and gi means dog. So Corgi most likely means dwarf dog, which fits perfectly.

6) Ears
One of the most distinctive Cardigan Welsh Corgi feature is the upright ears. But the pups are not born with upright ears, but rather with drop ears that lie flat and as they mature, the ears may slowly begin to rise. It is not uncommon for Corgi puppies to have one upright ear and one dropped ears. BTW, originally it was common for adult Cardigans to have floppy ears but after some selective breeding the more erect ears came to be part of the Cardigan breed.

7) Size
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is a long and low to the ground dog breed with average height between 10-13 inch which is 25-33 cm and weight is typically between 25-38 pounds, which is 11-17 kg. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

8) Coat
The Cardigan has a weather resistant double coat which helped them to withstand harsh weather of Wales. The coat comes in all shades of red, sable, and brindle. Other accepted colors are black, with or without tan and blue merle. Red merle can also occur in this breed, but this color is not accepted yet.

9) Maintenance
As i just said, this is doublecoated dog and just like majority of doublecoated dogs, the Cardigan does shed. And often times, they shed quite heavily, which is why you should be prepared for a lot of brushing to remove the dead hair and minimize the shedding. But other than regular brushing, there are no additional grooming needs. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, teeth and nails and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
Great fact is, that the Cardigan Welsh corgi is usually a very healthy dog breed with average lifespan is between 13-15 years. Of course, they can ocassionally suffer from some health issues, for example from progressive retianal atrophy and intervertebral disc disease.
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Russkiy Toy - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1/3/2021

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1) History
The Russian Toy is a descendant of the English Toy Terrier, which was first brought to Russia in 18th century. These little dogs quickly became popular among the Russian royalty and even Peter the Great owned some of them. The popularity of English Toy Terriers grew rapidly in the end of 19th and beginning of 20th century and they were very popular for their small size and lively and friendly temperament. These dogs became symbol of presitge and in the beginning of the 20th century, those dogs were no longer referred to as the English Toy Terrier but to as the Russian or Russkiy Toy Terrier.
2) Almost extinct
Sadly, in 1917, bad times began for these dogs in Russia. With the Russian Revolution and new communist regime, everything associated with royalty was unpopular and small companion dogs were not needed anymore, which is why the breeding of these dogs stopped. In the mid 50s, Russian dog breeders begin the revival of the breed, but during this time, there were no remaining dogs with pedigree and many of the dogs used for the breeding were not pure blood. The new dogs were slightly different from the original English Toy Terrier and that is how a completely new breed, the Russkiy Terrier, was developed.
3) Two coats
Up until the 1958, only smooth haired Russian Toys existed, but on the 12th of October 1958, two smooth haired dogs gave a birth to a puppy, that had long fringes on ears and limbs. Breeders decided to keep this feautre and that is why today, we have two varieties of the Russian Toy – smooth and long coated. BTW, originally, the long coated Russian Toy was called as Moscow Longhaired Toy Terrier.
4) Size
This is one of the smallest, if not the smallest of all dog breeds. The average height is between 20-28 cm which is 8-11 inch and weight is anywhere between 1 to 3 kgs, which is 2-7 pounds. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.
5) Temperament
Originally, the Russian Toy was bred as a ratter and watchdog, but today, these dogs are solely use as companion dogs, even though, they still have their watchful temperament. These dogs creates great lively and cheerful companions, that creates a strong bond with its owner and family. The Russian Toy is normally very reserved with strangers and it takes some time before they accept a total stranger. The Russian Toy is okay with kids in the family, but this is very small and fragile dog, so you should never leave them alone with a young child, because they can hurt the dog quite easily.
6) Rarity
Because of the isolation of Soviet Union, this breed remained almost unknown in other parts of the world until the 1990s. Even today, it is a very rare breed outside easter europe, but their popularity is slowly growing and they can Russian Toy kennels can be found in other countries as well. For example in Czech Republic, Scandinava, Estonia, Japan and USA.​

7) Color
The Russkiy Toy comes in four main colors, which are black and tan, blue and tan, brown and tan, and solid red of various shades. They can also have different nose color, and the nose should match the color of the coat, meaning that darker coats should have darker nose and lighter coats should have lighter nose.
8) Maintenance
Since there are two coat varieties, there are two different grooming levels that are needed to keep the coat in top condition. Unsurprisingly, the long-haired variety takes a bit more work, as they need brushing more often. Hindquaters needed to be trimmed, other parts of the coat grows to manageable lengths. The smooth haired variety do not need that much brushing. You should also closely monitor the dogs teeth and brush it often.

9) Name
In the past, the breed was reffered to as Russian Toy Terrier, or Russkiy Toy Terrier. But later, the word terrier was dropped when the breed was added in 2006 to the official list of breeds registered with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Other names associated with this breed are Toychik, Moscow Toy Terrier, Russian Terrier or Moscovian Miniature Terrier.

10) Health
The Russian Toy is relatively healthy dog breed with average lifespan between 12-14 years. The one problem associated with this breed are dental issues, which is why you should brush the Russian Toys teeth regularly. A Russian Toy will often require the help of a veterinarian to remove any retained puppy teeth that fail to fall out and make way for the permanent teeth. Other health issues include patellar luxation and some bone fractures due to their fragile body.
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