American Kennel
Bullmastiff
The bullmastiff dog breed appeared as a result of experiments by breeders with mastiff and bulldog breeds. This happened because for the functions of tracking and hunting people (yes, you heard right) the mastiff, by itself, was good, but it lacked aggression and a dead grip. And the bulldog, despite the fact that he could very well grasp his victim, is not large enough and powerful, and therefore it is problematic for him to stop a person on the run.
Gamekeepers in England acted as breeders, who needed a dog that could catch and stop poachers in the forest. At the same time, the dog had to combine strength, speed, courage, large size and at the same time be silent enough not to scare the victim from afar with his bark, but, on the contrary, sneak up to it as close as possible, and then catch and tumble down with a quick jerk to the ground. Further work was already done by the rangers themselves, who usually followed the dog. Continue reading
Dandy dinmont terrier
Dandy Dinmont Terrier is a unique breed, not only due to its unusual appearance, but also due to the name of the breed. Perhaps this is the only case in the history of dog breeding when dogs were named after a fictional character from a book by a famous author. What kind of author is this? – you ask. And we will answer – Walter Scott. What kind of work? – There will probably be the next question. And here we will give the answer – “Guy Mannering, or an astrologer.”
The main character named Dandy Dinmont had six dogs, which he distinguished mainly by their shades, and there were only two shades – salt and pepper, and mustard. That is what the protagonist called the shades of his dogs, and that’s what they are called to this particular breed.
There are many options for the stories of the origin of these dogs, but there is no consensus. Some believe Continue reading
German Shepherd
Traditionally, it is believed that the German shepherd breed appeared in 1899. In fact, this is only a clearly defined reference point, although similar dogs existed before. Moreover, a professional military man named Max von Stefanitz, who is credited with this merit, simply bought his first pet at the exhibition. Subsequently, he standardized the breed and succeeded in creating a successful breeding program.
Moreover, the first individual was a cross between a wolf and a dog, and von Stefanitz was crossing his male, bought at the show, named Hector Linsrain with the best local shepherd dogs. A little later, he renamed the purchased dog, giving him the nickname Horand von Grafet. Stefanitz traveled throughout Germany in search of the best dogs, examining in detail their character and appearance. Continue reading