A dog's coat consists of coat and undercoat. It is an important characteristic that derives from the place of origin of a specific breed: dogs bred in cold regions have a very heavy coat; hunting dogs tend to have it smooth and short; Terriers, on the other hand, tend to have it hard and rough, so as to provide them with the protection they need to infiltrate the undergrowth and underground. The coat can be divided into short and long according to its size, while the hard one depends on the texture. Some breeds, such as the Dachshund, have all 3 types; but in the vast majority of cases it is always only one typology that prevails.
Size is perhaps the most obvious characteristic that differentiates individual breeds. They have been divided into three groups and the height is measured from the withers - the highest point on a dog's back. Large is over 61 cm; medium is 46 to 61cm and small under 46cm. However, it is not the size that defines a dog's behavior, even if a large dog will have a higher maintenance cost and more space problems.
Head is a less obvious feature than height, but it provides an indication of the breed's ancestors. Round head breeds tend to have short snouts; those with an elongated head have a long muzzle and the races with a squared head have short jaws. Hounds have for example a long snout; the dogs selected for combat instead have a short and rather squared muzzle.
The shape and length of the ears vary greatly between species. Pricked ears pick up sound waves with great efficiency; while for the hounds that rely on the sense of smell to hunt, the ears are dropped to protect the eardrum while chasing prey. The cocked ears, typical for example of Terriers, allow these dogs to go to burrows more easily.
Tails have different shapes and lengths but is not essential for the identification of the breed as it can be altered by partial or total amputation. The long tail is used by the dog to communicate its presence especially in the undergrowth; typical of many hounds. The plume tail is formed by longer hairs in the undertail. Typical in hunting dogs. The docked tail - often applied to terriers - ensures that the stump is not only short but also erect. The curled tail, on the other hand, is a prerogative of all Spitz breeds.
]]>
Origins: native to the homony northern region of Mexico, it was "discovered" by Cortez during the march towards Tenochtitlán. At the end of the Nineteenth Century it was brought to the United States, from where it spread throughout the world.
Characteristics: harmonious and balanced, it is the smallest dog in the world. Cheerful and extremely dynamic, it is an excellent companion dog but the distrust towards strangers and the propensity to bark also make it a “sui generis” guard dog or, better, a warning dog.
Myth: it seems to have given the appearance to Xolotl, the god-dog adored by the Toltecs, and that it was the favorite of the Aztec princesses.
Attitudes: it believes itself to be a lion, so it should not be treated like a stuffed animal so as not to offend its intelligence. Jealous of his master, it is rather quarrelsome with other dogs, regardless of their size. It obviously has to live indoors, but It likes spend many hours outdoors.
Origins: the breed was selected in 1880 by Max Von Stephanitz, a German cavalry officer, to save the shepherd dogs that were disappearing due to the fast industrialization of the country. The German shepherd derives from the mix of Württemberg and Thuringian shepherds.
Myth: it is one of the most widespread and loved breeds in the world also thanks to the immense popularity of Rin Tin Tin, the famous star of many Warner Bros films during the 1920s and 1930s. Rinty gave birth to a real "dynasty" which, keeping the name, continued its film career until it landed on TV with the saga of The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.
Characteristics: beautiful and eclectic, it is a real "dog for all seasons". Very easy to train, suitable for children; always eager to please the master.
Attitudes: game lover, cheerful, can carry out any task with zeal. In Italy and Germany it is widely used as a dog for the blind, but it is also easy to find it as a rescue, defense or guard dog and, often, a policeman.
Origins: can be traced back to England of 1800 and specifically in Devonshire, where the Reverend John "Jake" Russell selected a Terrier for fox-hunting. It had to be small enough to fit into the horse's saddlebags and to go into the burrows. The white coat was basic to avoid it wasn’t being mistaken for prey.
Myth: since the 19th Century the Marseillaise Tarot Cards have a Jack Russell depicted between the legs on the Fool's card because both, it seems, are indifferent to any consequence of their actions.
Characteristics: lively, alert, daring, it is a "little devil", a clown, a gremlin. Quiet and fearless, it is friendly with the whole family. It can also effectively control the perimeter of the house as a warning dog and it will not avoid lashing out at any intruders.
Attitudes: it likes to hunt independently, dig and, it seems, has a strong sense of humor. It tends to be aggressive with other dogs of the same or of other breeds. It needs to stay indoor but it needs a lot of exercise.
Origins: are quite controversial; many claim Dalmatians come from the Far East. This breed were figured on shards of ancient Egypt and were used in India for the brutal hare hunting. Others believe they arrived in Europe during the Barbarian invasions on the South-Eastern coasts of the Roman Empire. Their so called "citizenship" today is Croatian.
Myth: legend told that Joan of Aza, mother of San Domenico, had a dream in which she gave birth to a dog with black and white spots that set the world on fire with a torch. The vision foreshadowed the birth of the preacher who would inflame the hearts of the faithful; so the Domenican Order not only will take black and white for the dress, but also the name itself "domini canes". The dog with the torch in the mouth is painted into the coat of arms. The breed was later made legendary by Pongo and his brothers in Walt Disney's 101 Dalmatians.
Characteristics: intelligent, sensitive and a bit moody, it is a really dog "for all seasons". Versatile, has successfully played various roles: from hunting rats to shepherd dog, retriever; from beater for carriages to sentry and, even, dog-carrying-orders during the Balkan Wars of 1912 - 1913; or even as a circus dog and mascot. Full of energy, it must often be taken to run or it will do it at home!
Attitudes: Dalmatians are intelligent enough to pretend to be dumbs when they don't want to obey. Independents, sometimes stubborns, they want an equal relationship with the "boss". Proud, they are an excellent companion dogs and a good watch dogs. They love following their owner while he is on a bicycle or horse; an ancient legacy of when they were "carriage dogs". They should have a garden on their disposal.
USA / SIZE [46-56cm] /WEIGHT [23-46kg]
Origins: It was re-selected in America from the Bull&Terrier, a breed raised in Great Britain for fighting in the infamous and bloody "pit".
Myth: it is an unstoppable war machine, born for “dancing in the ring”. It has an indestructible physique. There have been specimens hit by cars and get up as if nothing had happened.
Characteristics: despite of its fame it is not a brawler dog but, on the contrary, very sociable. If well trained it becomes friendly with strangers and patient with children; in fact, it needs an expert owner.
Attitudes: It must live at home close to the people it loves, because it suffers from loneliness. It has a strong personality and tends to become dominant if the owner is too uncertain.
UK / SIZE [38-41cm] / WEIGHT [12-15kg]
Origins: only its remote origin is “Spanish”; the breed was selected starting in 1879 but in the early XVII Century the British already used it for hunting in Wales and south-west England. Traces of it can be found in ancient books dating back to the ‘400.
Myth: its name derives from Woodcock because it is a real specialist in hunting this kind of bird. It is said that La Fontaine had this dog in mind when he wrote one of his most famous fairy tales - The Donkey and the Dog - and this breed is portrayed in paintings by Titian, van Dyck, Rubens and Rembrandt. Some of its owners are also famous: Virginia Woolf wrote a sort of "autobiography" written by her cocker - Flush - and Richard Nixon was also inseparable from his Checkers who, however, never put a paw inside the White House. Children should remember that Walt Disney's Lady Lilli is a Spaniel who falls in love with a vagabond half-caste.
Characteristics: it is sweet and playful but it always remains a hunting and retriever dog with a very strong character, specialized in making "raise" the woodcock. It loves family madly and needs a peaceful environment and regular habits.
Attitudes: It is an excellent companion animal as long as it respects its needs: a lot of motion and the open-air life; otherwise it can become fat and neurotic. Its favorite habitat is, of course, the countryside.
FRANCE-BELGIUM / SIZE [22-28 cm] / WEIGHT [3-6 kg]
Origins: it is almost unknown, it should derive from the Bolognese breed. The “Havanais” selection, as the name clearly indicates, derives from some Bichons that Canaries sailors brought to Cuba, where it crossed with other water dogs.
Myth: This breed was literally a fixed guest of all European courts during the Renaissance.
Characteristics: cheerful and graceful, it is an excellent companion dog, the result of a long selection aimed at obtaining lively specimens: always in a good mood, never aggressive. Polite and clean, it is also a perfect "warning dog" because it is able to distinguish "normal" sounds from alarm signals. Its coat is hypoallergenic and water repellent.
Attitudes: affectionate and a bit of a fool, loves to be a clown and to learn endless series of exercises to please the master. It loves children but not large dogs; while with his peers, it often gets along well. It must stay indoors and never let alone.
UK /SIZE [51-61cm] / WEIGHT [25-32 kg]
Origins: the best-known story tells of Lord Tweedmouth's purchase of a pair of white-coated Caucasian shepherd dogs seen in a Russian circus. Another theory would have it descended from a cross between a sand-colored bloodhound and a now extinct water spaniel. Its origins, however, date back to the 18th century, when it was selected as a retriever for prey on land and especially in water.
Myth: "golden" does not indicate the color of the coat - in fact sometimes they are cream color - but metaphorically "golden dog" because it is intelligent, obedient and with an innate willingness to work.
Characteristics: it is a dog with an exceptional character, sweet with children and the elderly; ultra-friendly. Very skilled in the water, it is a great "retriever". It has a water-repellent coat, it should be dried at the base of the tail to avoid the so-called “broken tail”.
Attitudes: the family is an integral part of its "pack". It must always be in the company of their members, making itself useful. It has a natural predisposition to help people in need. It can stay indifferently in the garden or in the house.
GERMANY /SIZE [18-25cm] / WEIGHT [7-9kg]
Origins: it is impossible to trace a single ancestor of this breed. The usefulness of the dachshund for hunting in burrows has been appreciated since the dawn of civilization. Teckel is the old German name. The first modern farms arose in Bavaria and, later, in England.
Myth: Walt Disney made a film called “The ugly dachshund”, where the protagonist was a Great Dane who believed itself to be a dachshund, causing repeated disasters. Many painters have adored the dachshund such as Picasso and his Lump which he portrayed in the first study of the famous painting Las Meninas which, later, reappeared at least 15 times. Andy Warhol also immortalized a dachshund named Maurice and Giacomo Balla chose this breed to interpret “Dynamism of a dog on a leash”. Finally, the monument dedicated to Chekhov in his home of Melikhovo is also famous where, instead of the author, only his hat between his beloved dachshunds Brom and Khina appears.
Characteristics: graceful and stubborn, this dog is very attached to its master. Today it is seen as a companion dog, but it maintains the character of the past, when it went hunting for foxes, raccoons, badgers, possums and squirrels. Rather quarrelsome with other dogs, regardless of size, it is only suitable for well-behaved children.
Attitudes: nice and very intelligent, it has an elephant memory. In the hands of too permissive people, it can turn into a tiny tyrant. To be happy it needs to go to the countryside often and not to climb too many stairs. Extremely determined, it is a tireless digger.
Myth: It is the "dog that never gets old" because it always looks like a puppy in both appearance and character; highly appreciated in English-speaking countries.
Characteristics: it combines the merits of the two breeds. Curious, cheerful and intelligent like a Poodle from which it also inherits hair and color, while its appearance and faithful nature descend from the Maltese. The coat and color may vary depending on the parent. It is very long-lived.
Attitudes: it is a perfect apartment dog. It does everything to please his master and clearly does not like loneliness. If it isn’t trained as a puppy, it may bark a lot and tend to hyperactivity but, thanks to its cleverness, to be disciplined is not tough.
USA / SIZE [42-48cm] / WEIGHT [28-40kg]
Origins: its ancestors are the Bull Terrier and the Blue Paul Terrier, breeds now extinct. Bred in the British colonies in America with the aim of creating an aesthetically more graceful Pit Bull but with a more patient temperament, this breed is the result of the selection made to refine its aggression.
Myth: Stubby, the most decorated dog in US military history, is an American Staffordshire Terrier. Employed on the western front during the First World War, he took part in 4 offensives in 17 battles. Wounded multiple times, he saved his comrades from gas attacks and even captured a spy, receiving sergeant degrees and returning home as a hero. In 2018 they made an animated film of it.
Characteristics: it is a sociable and friendly dog and must essentially remain a companion dog. It can also be a valid guardian and defender, but it does not need to be trained because in case of danger it will go into action by itself.
Attitudes: Due to his past as a fighter it can be aggressive with other dogs. For this reason, it’s better the owner is already experienced to make him socialize with other dogs from an early age to avoid a character imbalance in adulthood. It needs a lot of movement but also constant company, so it is necessary to keep it exclusively at home but not alone.
SCOTLAND / SIZE [52-64cm] / WEIGHT [21-24kg]
Origins: its ancestors are the primal Spaniel breed, massively widespread in the Scotland of seventeenth century. These dogs were later crossed first with English and Irish Setters and, then, with Pointer and well-known Border Collie.
The myth: it owes its name to that of the dukes of Richmond Gordon who first selected it.
Characteristics: peaceful, quiet and faithful, his habit is meek. A tireless runner, it needs a lot of exercise and, occasionally, even a few swims. Its excellent physical skills make it perfect for agility competitions. Long-lived, it has the hunting instinct in his veins.
The attitude: it is much more inclined to learn than his English "cousin" and cannot bear to be on the sidelines. It needs to socialize from the young age so that it does not become fearful and shy around people and dogs. It can also live indoors as long as he has a garden or park nearby where It can let off steam.
UK / SIZE [27-30cm] / WEIGHT [11-15kg]
Origins: it is derived from fighting dogs used during Medieval times. They were selected to become real and terrific "war machines". This exasperated selection brought the breed almost to extinction. In 1800, many English artisans in the Lace industry moved to Normandy taking the Bulldog with them; the modest sized were sold to the French. Based on this original selection emerges the French Bulldog.
The Myth: There are tons of stories about this pain-insensitive, rat-killing dog. As early as the 13th century, Earl Warren wrote that he saw some specimens chasing a bull through the streets of Stamford. In more recent times, the legend of a solitary bulldog terrorizing people on the streets of Westminster.
Characteristics: These dogs became brave with a powerful bite as a result of the selection. Bulldogs were used in fights against bulls - hence the name - until 1835, when the English parliament outlawed battles. Since then the breeders have eliminated all traces of aggressiveness, turning them into excellent companion dogs. But just remember, they are very sensitive to heat!
The Attitude: today a Bulldog is a very caring and playful dog. It barks and snorts when excited and rediscovers the ancient aggression only when the owner or, even more so, children are threatened. It must stay at home, particularly suitable for the company of sedentary people, but it doesn’t despise long walks next to the owner.
JAPAN / SIZE [36-40cm] / WEIGHT [9-14kg]
Origins: The name Shiba derives from mountainous region of Chiba located in the middle of Honshu island, but according to another version, the meaning comes from the Naguro dialectal word “shiba”, signifying small size.
The myth: there was a time that emperor Yuryaku (457 – 479 A.D.) during a voyage has seen a palace just identic as his, and there, he gave the order to his soldiers to destroy it. The grand owner then gave him as a present, a little Akita, a way to save his home. There are sayings that it might have been an Akita or Shiba, but this still stays a mystery… From then on Shibas and Akitas became in all effect members of the royal court with its own special vocabulary to communicate with them. The Japanese government states Shibas as a “national monument” in 1936.
]]>