Kayye Nynne

The Weimaraner dog like the Greyhound dog was a breed that was once restricted to nobility alone on the penalty of punishment. The Weimaraner dog breed's very distinct color and appearance was the result of a very careful and secretive developmental breeding program. Ownership of one of these dogs was so jealously guarded that on the rare occasion that a single specimen had to leave the hands of a revered few, that dog was sterilized.

The Boerboel dog breed hails from South Africa and is indeed an integral part of the country's history. From the size and shape of its head the Boerboel has very obvious Mastiff ancestry. Indeed the Boerboel dog breed was the result of many 1700 European dog breed mixes. Most of those dogs were sizable canines, having been transported by the European settlers who need reassurance in a foreign land. Ultimately the Boerboel was crossed with local African dogs in order to withsatnd the conditions.

Did you know that puppy training starts well before you got your dog; and no I am not talking about the breeder training the pups. I'm talking about the lessons learned from mommy dog and interaction with its litter mates. Ever wonder why a puppy should not be taken form its mother before 8 weeks? Ever wonder why the environment in which the puppy grows up plays a huge role in its character as an adult dog? Why is it some puppy training is easy with some pups but not others? Find out here...

The Dalmatian dog breed is hard to miss due to the very distinct and spotted nature of its coat. Interestingly enough it was on account of a concerted effort by breeders to produce a better defined and delineated spotted coat on the dog that the Dalmatian dog breed inherited a predisposition to acquire uric acid stones. In an effort to correct the problem the Dalmatian dog breed was subsequently crossbred with various pointer breeds.

In 2009 the Portuguese Water Dog is slated to become a member of the First Family in the White House thereby converting it into the First Dog Breed as it were. This is a remarkable comeback for a dog breed that not once but rather twice was on the verge of extinction in the 20th century when only 50 dogs remained in existence by the 1960s. Though no longer a fisherman's service dog the Portuguese Water Dog's excellent disposition and medium size makes it the ideal pet and companion.

The Afghan Hound for all intents and purposes looks like the supermodel of doggie world but that aside this dog breed is supererbly adapted as a high speed, exceptional hunter in the rough and rocky terrain of its native country, Afghanistan.

The English Setter dog breed of today is the result of the consolidation and conformation of the many strains of setter dogs that existed in early 19th century England. Two individuals standout for having played the most significant role in the creation of the modern English Setter dog and they are Edward Laverack (the founding father of the English Setter breed) and Purcell Llewellin. As testament to their contribution the two types of setter dog strains of today are named after them.

The history of the Field Spaniel Dog Breed is the classic cautionary tale of how modifying a field dog breed for the show ground could so easily turn into disaster! In the case of the Field Spaniel the extremes to which breeders genetically modified the morphology of the dog through selective breeding literally almost doomed the dog breed to extinction!

As the pack of braying dogs chased the raccoon towards the flock of sheep the solitary large dog calmly stood its ground and barked warningly. The pack ignored the warning from the large dog and continued their pursuit in earnest. After all they were many and the other dog was alone. If necessary they would set upon the other dog if it proved to be a nuisance! When it was all over the entire pack lay dead at the feet of the large Anatolian Shepherd Dog which calmly returned to its sheep.

Most dog breeds have existed for hundreds of years and in some cases for thousands of years. It is widely believed that all dogs originated from the same genetic pool and along time ago pretty much looked the same. Comparing the giant Great Dane to the minuscule Chihuahua it is understandably difficult to comprehend how these two dogs are linked. It all boils down to selective breeding over multiple generations for desired traits which unfortunately have been achieved at a high cost for the dog.