dog breeds

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E13

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Just a fun thread really, I thought everyone could post which breed/s they have and give a little background as to what they were originally meant for! I think it's really interesting to hear about the breed 'uses', like flushing, guard dogs, etc... It's interesting when 'pet' dogs display their instinctual traits too.

Me, I have cavaliers, and they are technically toy dogs, but I almost swear they have other spaniel in them - I guess it's just that the cavvie only split off from the general spaniel line relatively recently? They definitely have the pheasant instinct! :D I swear one of them's a springer underneath.

Now you go :)
 
Japanese shiba inu...used in Japan for hunting small game. They can and will kill if they get the chance.
My friend had a shiba that would jump vertical and take squirrels and pheasants from the air.
 
I have a pug. Toy breed, and very into people, but he is quite dog distracted and has a strong chase instinct - he likes to chase anything that moves, including cars, cyclists, running kids and birds! The other day in the park he clocked a tractor in the distance and tried to chase after it!

And people say they're quite low energy dogs but mine is very active!
 
Samoyeds - sled dog from Russia, originally used for hauling the families (the samoyede tribes) belongings when they traveled with the reindeer herds. Also used for herding the deer, scaring off wolves, and keeping the family warm at night.

Alaskan Malamutes - long distance sled dog from Alaska. The shire horse of the sled dog world was used for hauling heavy loads of supplies across the frozen wastes from settlement to settlement.
 
GSD, flock guardian, not a sheep-herd like a collie but a 'moving fence' bred to keep sheep in/away from other crops and predators away, to hold the line and protect the border. In later years the breed selection tool of Schutzhund was created by the breed founder, with tracking, obedience/agility and protection phases, which still continues as a sport today.
The original and best utility/general purpose working dog IMO.
 
Bullmastiffs - were bred from a combination of the mastiff and bulldog to bring down poachers in the Victorian age.

They wanted a combination of size and stealth from the mastiff together with the tenacity of a bulldog. Ideal to creep up and bring down a grown man.
 
Weimaraners who are bred as hunting dogs who lived in with the family and were particularly loyal.

Mine spend their time following me everywhere and chasing tennis balls instead but the bitch has killed ducks, squirrels and pigeons in our local park, so has the hunting instinct!
 
Rottweiler -

One of the oldest herding breeds, originally used for herding and guarding livestock as well as pulling butchers carts. Extremely versatile and used in the first and second world wars for a variety of jobs.

Fantastic dogs when in the right hands and definately need a firm consistent owner to bring out the best. IMO they are like no other and I have fallen in love with the breed.
 
Lakeland Terrier. Heaven only knows why. Someone made a mistake. Trouble through and through. I believe someone made up a story about foxes in the Lake District once, but I think they were probably just bred to be a thorn in my side and to show me up in public at every possible opportunity. :)

I had a Pointer until recently as well (ancient and helped on her way a few months ago now,bless her). Totally pointless. I'm not known for being good at picking dogs........
 
Alaskan Malamute - freighting breed, bred to pull weight, can easily pull 4-5 times their own body weight for six to eight hours a day. The original 4x4 of the sled dog world compared to the Siberian Ferrari counterparts (don't ever tell a malamute they are slow ;-))
Also used by the Malamut tribe who bred them to keep the children warm in their tents at night.
 
I have a boxer she is a complete clown, I think she should of gone to the circus

I have 2 staffies, 1 has a very quiet demean about her and is extremely well behaved, hangs off your every word

The other one who I just rescued a few weeks ago is as mad as a bag of frogs, she is 6 and we started puppy classes last week lol

Both staffies are rescues and had a pretty rough start in life

All 3 dogs are loving and loyal and I feel privileged to own them even though at times I could strangle them - ESP the boxer :D
 
I have always had GSDs, their original use was as perfectly described by CC above.:)
Although I don't compete with mine anymore I have always made sure they have
the opportunity to use their brains, obedience, bit of tracking, agility etc. They are a breed that needs to keep occupied.
 
Miniature schnauzer - exists to be waited on hand and paw according to mine ;)

Labradors - retrieving game, which is exactly what we use ours for!

Lab x Rottweiler - see lab above and previous post
 
I have a Rottweiler, see above :) although mine is 9 now and a tri-pawd, so mainly chills on the sofa and bumbles about at the yard. He did do some agility in his youth!
I also have a 12 week old Portuguese Water Dog. They were bred to work with the fishermen off the coast of Portugal, to swim out and bring in the nets, and also to take messages from boat to boat :)
Not one person has yet guessed his breed correctly, and most have not known what I was talking about when I told them!
Shame really, as they can do everything a labradoodle was originally created to do, but without the lottery of what you are going to get when cross two different breeds!
 
I have two Pembroke Corgis. Originally cattle hearding/general small holding dogs for herding and ratting. The herding instict has been bred out of them as they got a repuation for being nippy.

They are stubborn (you have to be to herd cows) and they can walk all day. Mine are mainly sofa decoration and horse poo disposal units ;)
 
I have 3 Chinese Cresteds. 2 Hairless and a Powder Puff. One of the Hairless has just marked her 18th Birthday. Toy dogs that were very revered and only allowed out at night because of their skin but then sadly became a food delicacy :(:mad: Thought originally to come from Mexico but we're used as trade. They are the only Hairless breed to carry the gene for long hair, hence the Powder Puff. The Hairless are like 'My Little Ponies' and such a joy to watch going round a ring. They are very much a Marmite breed but don't be fooled by their appearance. They were always up for hunting with my Whippets and are remarkably fleet of foot and great little watchdogs. I love them, as you can tell :) I do feel for the owner of the Lakeland. Terriers for me, never again!! I used to breed and show Parsons but a very volatile strain that put me off Ferreira for life.
 
American Bulldog: bred as an all purpose farm dog in the southern states of America- used to guard the farm stock from wild dogs/other predators, and to guard the homestead.

They were (and still are in some states) used as hunting dogs primarily wild boar- the AB works with other dogs, who track the boar and bay for the hunter. The AB's job is to grab hold of the boar until the hunter arrives to dispatch it. A very dangerous and tough job. These dogs are known as "catch dogs" or "hog dogs".

(this is all to my knowledge, and stand corrected if anyone else has any more info on the breed)
 
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Boxers - bred for clearing a room of all life in 10 seconds (with one all encompassing FART).

Mine have this instinct in abundance.
 
Standard Wire Daschund - bred to hunt badgers hence their design, tenacious, alert, quick, great little hunters; Norman thinks because he is vertically challenged that makes him a suitable lap dog esp when Im sporting my dressing gown!

Labrador - great working dog for retrieving game, good swimmers, good stamina level (supposedly), a true family favourite; Shadow lives up to his name and litterally will be one step behind me, happy to retrieve any form of food for keeps lol and I have to say I have never known a dog that moults soooo much, it drives me crazy!
 
Siberian huskies - the ferrari counterpart to the Alaskan malamute. They can't haul as much weight but they'll get you there twice as fast. ;) Bred to sprint in harness over long distances in harsh conditions. Gregarious, hardy, self-sufficient hunters and very poor guard dogs. The independent nature, poor recall and high prey drive makes them unsuitable as pets.
 
Border Terrier. Bred to follow the hunt all day and then down the fox holes at the end of it, very affectionate friendly and loving dog, very clever and easy to train but prone to bouts of total and utter ‘deafness’. Surprisingly low maintenance exercise wise and easier to tire him out mentally rather than with exercise, happy to walk for miles if we need to :D
 
Three English springer spaniels, 2 of whom are littermates. They're bred for flushing and retrieving game, they're affectionate and excitable, very loyal, very people orientated. They will keep going all day. They are widely used as sniffer dogs for drugs and money and are trained to signal to their handlers if they detect something. There are show and working types. One of mine is a working bred type, the others are pet bred and currently gun dog training.
 
Greyhound .. Bred to run, and run fast! Can see the tiniest movement from miles away and can sniff out food no matter how well hidden it is. The 100 mph dustbin :rolleyes:
 
I have 7 dogs altogether. All of mine are bitches and they are all superb dogs.

3 Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs); 2 Akbash and 1 Maremma. The Maremma is the Italian version of the much older and primitive Turkish Akbash dogs. They are very big dogs, used to protect whatever livestock you have and to ward off large predators. LGDs are very independent dogs and definitely not for everyone (actually probably not for most people tbh).

2 shepherd dogs; one is a black German Shepherd Dog with Czech bloodlines from the Kennel Z Pohranicni Straze which were originally purely bred for border patrol. They are incredibly sharp dogs and very focused. Many compete Shutzhund, are police K9 dogs and they are often called for in high risk situations. The other shepherd is a black Malinois, similar type of dog to the Czech GSD.

2 Border Collies, a breed which needs no introduction I'm sure :)
 
SF would you be able to post pics of your black Mali? Never seen one in the flesh, just the bog standard colours!!
I train with a Czech dog sometimes, he dwarves my little German/Netherlands/Belgian bred dog (I like my petite fun-sized one :p)
 
Staffords. Three of them. I do know that back in the 19th century, Dalmatians were introduced into the breed which is why a lot of staffords have spots on the stomachs (all mine do!)..
 
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