Facts about the Dogo Argentino

• The Argentine Dogo is a large, white, muscular dog that was developed in Argentina for hunting.
• The Dogo Argentino is a relatively young breed of dog.
• The breed is also known as Argentinian Mastiff and Argentine Dogo.
• The Argentinian Mastiff is tough and brave, possessing great stamina.
• The Dogo Argentino was first bred in the 1920s from the Cordoban Fighting Dog.
• Size: 23 1/2 - 27 1/2 inches (60-70 cm)
• Weight: From 88.2 to 99.2 pounds (40-45 Kg).
• Color: white
• Eyes: brown, set well apart
• Female dogs may be somewhat longer in body than male dogs.
• The Dogo Argentino lives 9 to 13 years.
• The Argentinian Mastiff is better suited to a house with a yard than an apartment. 
• In the United Kingdom it is illegal to own Argentinian Mastiffs.

American Pit Bull Terrier facts

• The American Pit Bull Terrier early ancestors came from England, Scotland and Ireland.
• Nicknames Pit Bull
• Country of origin United States
• Weight: Male 14 to 32 kg (30 to 70 lb) - Female 14 to 32 kg (30 to 70 lb)
• Height: Male 36 to 61 cm (14 to 24 in) - Female 36 to 61 cm (14 to 24 in)
• Life span 12 to 14 years
• The American Pit Bull Terrier is a member of the molosser breed group.
• The Pit Bull Terrier was bred first to bait bulls and bears.
• In the United States, farmers and ranchers used their American Pit Bull Terriers for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, and to drive livestock.
• The American Pit Bull Terrier is a breed that is loyal to friends and family.
• This dog breed is generally friendly towards strangers.
• The American Temperament Testing Society shows a pass percentage of 86 percent for American Pit Bull Terriers as opposed to the Golden Retriever with a temperament of 84.9 percent
• The American Pitt Bull Terrier, just like any other breed of dogs, is susceptible to cataracts, hip dysplasia and some tumors.

Fox terrier

wirehaired fox terrier

   The fox terrier is a small frisky dog originally bred to chase foxes out of burrows after hounds had driven the foxes inside. Today, fox terriers are popular as pet and show dogs. There are two breeds of fox terrier: the English and the American, which was developed from the English. The English fox terrier stands about 15 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs about 17 pounds. It has straight front legs and a long head with a tubular appearance. The ears are V-shaped and are folded downward toward the cheeks. Its upright tail is shortened soon after birth so that it will be 4½ inches long when the dog is fully grown.
   There are two varieties of English fox terriers: the  smooth-aired and the wirehaired. Both types have a hard wiry coat, which is primarily white with tan or black and tan markings. However, the coat of the smooth-aired fox terrier is shorter and flatter than that of the wirehaired. English fox terriers cannot be raised in packs but must have separate kennels because they fight with one another.
   American fox terriers are among  the most popular of purebred dogs, particularly in the midwester United States, where they are the most familiar house dog. They range in weight from 3 to 20 pounds. Their coat is shorter and smoother than that of the English fox terrier, and they have a dainty appearence. They also tend to be more affectionate and less inclined to fight than the English breed.

Dachshund dog

   The dachshund is a short-legged long-bodied dog bred for hunting badgers and other wild animals that live in burrows and underbrush. The standard dachshund is about 9 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs about 20 pounds. It has a long, tapered head and drooping ears. The miniature dachshund weighs about 5 pounds.
   Dachshunds are usually red, tan, or black and tan, and their coats vary in length and texture. The short-haired, or smooth-coated, dachshund is the most common variety. Other varieties include the long-haired dachshund, which has long, silky, usually wavy hair, and the wirehaired dachshund, which has a short, rough coat of wavy hair.
   Although the breed is commonly believed to have originated in Germany, and its name is a compound of the German words Dachs ("badger") and Hund ("dog"), the dachshund was probably developed in France from terriers and French basset hounds. Because it is an alert, affectionate dog, the dachshund has become one of the ten most popular pet dogs in the United States.

What is coursing?

   Coursing is a hunting sport in which pairs of dogs are used in the pursuit of game. Coursing, an ancient pastime, is today most commonly practiced with fast-running dogs, such as greyhounds, which hunt by sight, rather than scent. In India and other countries the cheetah is used for coursing gazelles and other antelope. Dogs have been used to course a great variety of animals, but the most popular game is the rabbit or hare. Although coursing hares is still practiced as a form of hunting, it has largely become a formalized contest won by the scoring of points.
   The contest may be held in open countryside or in a fenced enclosure 450 yards long and 150 yards wide, with escape ports for the hares. Dogs are matched against each other in the pursuit of a hare, which is given a lead of at least 60 yards. Points are scored for causing the hare to turn, for speed, and for other maneuvers. Protests against the killing of animals for sport led to development of the mechanical hare as object of pursuit.

Collie (dog)

   The collie is a large, handsome dog originally bred to herd sheep and cattle. The collie stands about 24 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs between 50 and 75 pounds. It has a strong, slender body and a deep chest. Its head is long and narrow, and its ears are erect, but curl slightly forward at the tips. The collie's long coat is rough and heavy and forms a thick mane on the shoulders, neck, and chest. The tail is bushy, and the legs are feathered. A collie's coat is usually golden-brown with white markings, but may also be black, tan and white, or blue merle.
   The collie's ancestors were brought to the British Isles in the 1st century B.C. by invading Romans and were bred with dogs native to Britain. As sheep and cattle raising became important, collies were specially developed for herding. They were brought to America during the early colonial period. The most commonly known collie, the narrow-headed streamlined variety, is bred for its showy appearance. The American farm shepherd and the English border collie have more compact bodies and broader heads.

Rottweiler dog

   The Rottweiler is a stocky dog with short, coarse black hair. The dog has tan or mahogany marks on its head, chest, and legs. Rottweilers resemble Doberman pinschers. When full-grown, they stand about 27 inches high. Rottweilers were developed in one of the valleys of southern Germany, near the village of Rottweil. They are descended from the camp dogs that followed Roman armies in their conquest of southern Germany about 1,900 years ago. The Romans used these dogs to herd the cattle and sheep that provided meat for the armies.

Brussels Griffon

   The Brussels Griffon is a compactly built toy dog, descended from the Belgian Street dog and Affenpinscher. This alert and unusually intelligent dog has a wiry red-brown coat, fringed around the eyes, nose, chin, and cheeks. Its turned-up nose, dark eyes, and prominent chin are characteristic of the breed. Small size dogs usually weigh no more than 7 pounds and large size dogs do not exceed 11 or 12.

Flat-coated retriever dog

   The Flat-coated retriever is a swift sporting dog with small drooping ears, a straight tail, and a shiny flat coat. The flat-coated retriever stands about 23 inches tall at the shoulders and weighs about 65 pounds. Its coat is usually solid black, but may also be liver-colored.
   The ancestors of the flat-coated retriever are though to be the Irish setter, the Gordon setter, and the St. John's Newfoundland, a large shorthaired type of Newfoundland dog that is said to be the ancestor of the Labrador retriever. The flat-coated retriever was developed in England in the mid-1800's. Raised chiefly for hunting, this dog is an excellent retriever for both land and water birds.

Flat-coated retriever

Water Dog

   The Water Dog is a variety of the dog having a curly coat, long ears, a rounded head, and webbed toes. It is allied to the poodle but differs in its firmer set, stouter body and larger size. The water dog is highly intelligent, but less so than the retriever. It is usually of a greyish-white varied with black and brown.

Water dog

Hound dogs

   Hound is the name of a group of dogs. Hounds are of two types: those that hunt by following the scent of their quarry, and those that hunt by sight. Scent hounds include the foxhound, coonhound, beagle, bloodhound, basset hound, and dachshund. Among sight hounds are the greyhound, afghan, borzoi, Scottish deerhound, saluki, and Irish wolfhound. The typical hound has long ears, strong legs, and a long tail. Hounds are alert, love the outdoors, and have great endurance. They are among the oldest known dogs.

Facts about dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)

   The dog was the first wild animal to be tamed. Cave men had tame dogs many thousands of years ago.
Dogs and wolves are very close relatives. In fact, scientists believe that the wild ancestors of dogs were wolves.
   Probably the taming of dogs began when some cave man brought home a wolf cub he had found. The cub grew up in the cave and was friendly. It was helpful, too. The wolf dog could drive away cave bears and other wild animals. This story, of course, is only a guess.
   In dog shows today dogs of more than a hundred kinds, or breeds, are shown. A cave man would certainly be surprised if he could see them. Some still show their relationship to the wolf. Siberian huskies and German shepherds, for instance, do. But many of our dogs of today do not look at all like wolves. If a cave man could see a poodle or a Skye terrier or a Chihuahua, he might not even guess that it was a dog.

Harrier (dog)

Harrier is a breed of hunting dog that looks like a small English foxhound. It has been used to hunt hares in North America since colonial times. The strong and active harrier has heavy-boned straight legs and cat-like feet. It stands about 20 inches high and weighs about 45 pounds. Some experts believe it descends from a cross between the Southern hound and the Greyhound.

A tricolor Harrier

Field spaniel facts

• The field spaniel is a medium-sized sporting dog that looks very much like the cocker spaniel.
• The field spaniel stands about 18 inches (46 cm) tall at the shoulder and weighs about 45 pounds (20,4 kg).
• Field spaniels were originally developed to be all black show dogs in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
• The field spaniel has long drooping ears, and its tail is often docked, or cropped short.
• Its silky coat is either flat or slightly wavy and is usually solid black.
• It is believed that field spaniels originated in England from crosses between black cocker spaniels and Sussex spaniels.
• Although they are scarce in the United States, field spaniels are popular in England, where they are raised chiefly as bird dogs.
• Their fur is lighter than other spaniels and have no undercoat.
• The field spaniel is commonly solid black.
• The Field Spaniel can be a good family dog while it has a job to do.
• The median lifespan for the field spaniel breed was found to be 11 years and 8 months.

Japanese spaniel

   The Japanese spaniel is a frisky little dog. It weighs about 7 pounds. It has a broad, rounded head, large, dark eyes, and a very short nose. Its coat is silky, and it has a collar of long hairs around its neck. The coat is white, with patches of black, red, or lemon yellow. The Japanese spaniel was brought to the Western world from Japan in the 1850's. The breed probably originated in China.

Greyhound breed

greyhound

• The greyhound is a breed of racing and hunting dog, noted for its speed and endurance. 
• It is long limbed, slender, with short hair and narrow pointed nose. 
• The greyhound breed has been in existence since ancient times, but has achieved recent popularity in the United States because of the present interest in dog racing.

Japanese Spaniel breed

   The Japanese spaniel is a breed of toy dog raised primarily as a pet. The Japanese spaniel (also known as the Japanese Chin) stands about 9 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs about 8 pounds. It has a broad head, small ears, and a long coat of straight silky hair. The coat is usually white with black or reddish-brown markings. The fluffy tail is carried over the back and twists to the side.
The Japanese Chin was bred in the orient several centuries ago. It was brought to the Western Hemisphere in the 1850's by the American naval officer Matthew C. Perry.

Japanese Spaniel

Lakeland terrier

   The Lakeland terrier is one of the bravest dogs that ever dug a fox out of the ground. It comes from the Lake District of northern England. It was first raised to hunt marauding foxes and to protect sheep. It has a narrow body and a long head, with a beard around its chin. It may be black or blue with tan markings, red, or mustard color. The lakeland terrier weighs from 15 to 17 pounds (7 to 8 kg).
The Lakeland terrier is similar in appearance to the slightly larger Welsh Terrier. 
The Lakeland dogs are friendly, bold, and confident.

Lakeland terrier

Clumber spaniel dog

   The clumber spaniel is a medium-sized sporting dog used for hunting game birds. The clum­ber spaniel usually stands about 17 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs about 50 pounds. It has a long heavy-boned body, short legs, and a docked, or trimmed tail carried on a level with its back. Its long wide ears are set low on the head, which is very large and flat on top. The thick coat of silky straight hair forms long fringes over the legs and chest. It may be white and lemon-colored or white and orange. Clumber spaniels are slow-moving, but they are very reliable and can be trained to retrieve dead or wounded game. This breed of spaniel was started in France and was later perfected at an English estáte, called Clumber Park.

German shepherd, the great dog guardian

   The German shepherd, also called German police dog, is famous for leading the blind, sheep-herding, and military and police work. The German shepherd is one of the most popular breeds, courageous, loyal, intelligent, and handsome. As developed in the last 100 years, the shepherd stands about 25 inches high at the shoulders, and weighs about 75 lbs. It has a dense straight outercoat and protective undercoat, in all colors. Its head should be clean-cut with strong jaws and teeth. Ears are erect and moderately pointed, the tail carried low and undocked. Bred for trotting, the German shepherd has a level underside and strong back and hindquarters.