Dogs

Top 10 of my favorite dogs

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Coonhound

A Coonhound is a type of scent hound and a member of the hound group. Coonhounds are an American style of hunting dog developed for the quarry and working conditions found in the United States. Coondogs are highly valued,[1] and the locus of competition [2], although there is no recognized breed dedicated to the task. [3] In the colonial period, foxhounds were imported for the popular sport of foxhunting. Various breeds of foxhounds and other hunting hounds were imported from England, Ireland, and France, making up the initial composition of the dogs that were later known as Virginia Hounds. Foxhounds were found to be inadequate for hunting animals that didn't hide near the ground, but instead took to the treetops to escape, such as raccoons, opossums, bobcats and even larger prey like cougars and bears. The dogs were often confused or unable to hold the scent when this occurred, and would mill about. Treeing dogs were developed, chosen for a keen sense of smell, the ability to track, chase and corner any manner of animal independent of human commands, and, most importantly, to follow an animal both on the ground and when it takes to the trees. A good coonhound will bark and keep its prey treed until the hunters arrive. Bloodhounds specifically were added to many coonhound lines to enhance the ability to track. Some dogs have webbed toes to deal with the rivers and swamps so common in their hunting grounds. Coonhounds can hunt individually or as a pack. Generally, hunters don't chase their quarry along with the hounds, unlike organized foxhunting, but wait and listen to the distinctive baying to determine if a raccoon or other animal has been treed. Besides raccoons, coonhounds are excellent at handing all manner of prey if trained properly.

Terrier

A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to weighing over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function. There are five different groups with each group having several different breeds. Most terrier breeds were developed in Great Britain and Ireland. They were used to control rats, rabbits, and foxes both over and under the ground. Some larger terriers were also used to hunt badgers. In fact, the word terrier comes from the Middle French terrier, derived from the Latin terra, meaning earth. The Kerry Blue Terrier and Airedale, however, are particularly noted for tackling river rats and otters in deep water. Different localities raised terriers suited to their hunting or vermin control needs. Terriers were crossed with hunting dogs, fighting dogs, and other terriers. In the mid-19th century, with the advent of dog shows, various breeds were refined from the older purpose-bred dogs. All of today's terrier breeds are bred primarily as pets. The gameness of the early hunting terriers was exploited by using them in sporting contests. Initially, terriers competed in events such as clearing a pit of rats. The dog that was fastest in killing all the rats won. In the 18th century some terriers were crossed with hounds to improve their hunting, and some with fighting dog breeds to "intensify tenacity and increase courage".[1] Some of the crosses with fighting dogs, Bull and Terrier crosses, were used in the blood sport of dog fighting. Modern pet breeds developed from the Bull and Terrier, such as the Miniature Bull Terrier, are listed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) under Bull type terriers.[2]

Pitbull

Pit bull is a term commonly used to describe several breeds of dog in the molosser breedgroup. Most jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada,[1] and Denver, Colorado,[2] use the term "pit bull" to refer to the modern American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, or any other dog that has the substantial physical characteristics and appearance of those breeds. However, a few jurisdictions, such as Singapore[3] and Franklin County, Ohio,[4] also classify the modern American Bulldog as a "pit bull-type dog", while in the United Kingdom the term applies only to the American pit bull terrier.[5] All three breeds share a similar history, with origins rooted from the bulldog and a variety of terriers. The term can also refer to dogs that were known as "bull terriers" prior to the development of the modern Bull terrier in the early 20th century.

boxer

The Boxer's body is compact and powerful. The head is in proportion with the body. The muzzle is short and blunt with a distinct stop. The nose is large and black with very open nostrils. The jaw has an under bite. The eyes are dark brown. The ears are set high, either cropped or kept natural. When cropped they are trained to stand up on the head, tapering to a point. When left natural the ears are thin, falling forward, laying close to the head. The neck should be round, strong, and muscular, a without dewlap. The muscular, front legs are straight and parallel when viewed from the front. The back legs are well muscled. The tail is set high and usually docked. The AKC severely penalizes a natural tail, while most of Europe has outlawed this practice. Dewclaws are usually removed. The short, smooth, close-fitting coat comes in, fawn, brindle, tan, mahogany, black often with white markings. Boxers also come in a white coat that cannot be registered with some clubs. The Boxer is happy, high-spirited, playful, curious and energetic. Highly intelligent, eager and quick to learn. The Boxer is a good dog for competitive obedience. Constantly on the move, bonding very closely with the family. Loyal and affectionate, Boxers are known for the way they get along so well with children. A well brought-up and properly socialized Boxer will also get along with his own kind and other household pets such as cats. Animals such as rodents, ducks, chickens and other farm birds may be too tempting, however, they can be taught to, "leave it" but it is still not reccomended they be left alone with them. It has been said that the name Boxer came from the way the Boxer likes to use is front paws for just about everything. If you have ever watched a Boxer go about his business you may have noticed the way he paws at his toys, food bowl and you for that matter, in a very playful cat-like way.

German Shepherd

The German Shepherd Dog is well proportioned and very strong. The GSD has a sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light, solid bone structure. The head should be in proportion to its body, and the forehead a little rounded. The nose is most often black however, blue or liver still do sometimes occur, but is considered a fault and can not be shown. The teeth meet in a strong scissors bite. The dark eyes are almond-shaped, and never protruding. The ears are wide at the base, pointed, upright, and turned forward. The ears of puppies under six months may droop slightly. The bushy tail reaches almost to its hocks and hangs down when the dog is at rest. The front legs and shoulders are muscular and the thighs are thick and sturdy. The round feet have very hard soles. There are three varieties of the German Shepherd: rough-coated, long rough-coated, and the long-haired. The coat most often comes in black with tan, sable or all black, but also can come in blue, liver and white, but those colors are considered a fault according to most standards. White is not an acceptable color for the German Shepherd, however they are now being recognized as a separate breed, called the American White Shepherd. A piebald color has also occured in a single GSD bloodline which are now being called Panda Shepherds. A Panda is 35% white, the remainder of color is black and tan, and has no white German Shepherds in its ancestry. Often used as working dogs, German Shepherds are courageous, keen, alert and fearless. Cheerful, obedient and eager to learn. Tranquil, confident, serious and clever. GSDs are extremely faithful, and brave. They will not think twice about giving their lives for their human pack. They have a high learning ability. German Shepherds love to be close to their families, but can be wary of strangers. This breed needs his people and should not be left isolated for long periods of time. They only bark when they feel it is necessary. Often used as police dogs, the German Shepherd has a very strong protective instinct, and are extremely loyal to their handler. Socialized this breed well starting at puppyhood. Aggression and attacks on people are due to poor handling and training. Problems arise when an owner allows the dog to believe he is pack leader over humans and or does not give the dog the mental and physical daily exercise they need to be stable. This breed needs owners who are naturally authoritative over the dog in a calm, but firm, confident and consistent way.

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a sturdy, medium-large sized dog. The skull is broad and the muzzle is straight, tapering slightly with a well defined stop. The nose is black or a brownish black. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The medium to large eyes are dark brown. The relatively short ears hang down close to the cheeks. When pulled forward the tip of the ear should just cover the eye. The tail is thick at the base with feathering along the underside. Dewclaws may be removed. The water-resistant coat is dense with a firm, straight, or wavy outer coat. There is an untrimmed feathering on the underbelly, back of the legs, front of the neck and underside of the tail. Coat color comes in cream to a rich golden.

Perro de Presa Canario/Presa Canarin

The Perro de Presa Canario is a large Molosser-type dog breed originally bred for working livestock. The name of the breed is Spanish, means "Canarian catch dog," and is often shortened to "Presa Canario", or simply "Presa." The breed is also called Dogo Canario, meaning Canarian Molosser.

rottweiler

The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" (German: Rottweiler Metzgerhund) because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market.[1] Some records indicate that earlier Rottweilers may have also been used for hunting, although the modern Rottweiler has a relatively low hunting instinct. It is a hardy and very intelligent breed. The Rottweiler was employed in its traditional roles until the mid-19th century when railroads replaced droving for getting livestock to market. While still used in herding, Rottweilers are now also used in search and rescue, as guide dogs for the blind, as guard or police dogs, and in other roles.[2]

American Bulldog

The very muscular, sturdy and powerful, yet compact frame of the American Bulldog remains higher on the leg, more agile and swifter than its English counterpart. Some individuals are reportedly able to leap six or more feet into the air. Males are characteristically stockier and heavier boned than in the more refined females. The head is large with strong jaws. Agile and light on his feet. The chest is wide and moderately deep giving the sense of athletic ability and power. The neck is muscular tapering from the shoulders to the head and may have a slight dewlap. The head is square, large and broad with muscular cheeks relatively in proportion to the size and overall structure of the dog. There is a defined furrow between the rounded eyes, with a distinct, sharply defined , deep stop. The strong muzzle is broad and square. The preferred bite is reverse scissors, but a moderate underbite, scissors or even bite is acceptable. A variety of ear types are acceptable including cropped, rose, half-pricked, and forward flap. Uncropped ears are preferred in the American Bulldog Breeders Association Standard. Eyes can come in any color. Black eye rims are preferred on white dogs. Pink eye rims are considered a fault according to the written standard. The nose is black red, brown or grizzle. Black is the preferred color according to the standard. In black-nosed dogs, the preferred lip color is black, though some pink is permitted. The lips should be full but not too loose. The front legs are heavy-boned, strong and straight. The hindquarters should be very broad and thick with well-defined muscles. The tail is low-set, begins thick at the base, and tapers to a point. The coat is smooth and short, and comes in all shades of brindle including red brindle, varying degrees of white, red, brown, tan, fawn, and piebald.

Labrador retriever

There are two types of Labradors, the English Labrador and the American Labrador. The English bred lab comes from English bred stock. Their general appearance is different. The English bred labs are heavier, thicker and blockier. The American bred Lab comes from American bred stock and is tall and lanky. The double coat is smooth and does not have any waves. Coat colors come in solid black, yellow, or chocolate. There is also said to be a rare silver or gray color that is referred to by the AKC as a shade of chocolate. This color is controversial and some claim it is a Weimaraner cross, while others say it is a true mutation. The head of the labrador is broad with a moderate stop. The nose is thick, black on black and yellow dogs and brown on chocolate dogs. The nose color often fades and is not considered a fault in the show ring. The teeth should meet in a scissors or level bite. The muzzle is fairly wide. The neck is proportionately wide and powerful. The body is slightly longer than tall. The short, hard coat is easy to care for and water-resistant. The medium sized eyes are set well apart. Eye color should be brown in yellow and black dogs and hazel or brown in chocolate dogs. Some labs can also have green or greenish yellow eyes. In silver dogs the eye color is usually gray. The eye rims are black in yellow and black dogs and brown in chocolate dogs. The ears are medium in size, hanging down and pendant in shape. The otter tail is thick at the base, gradually tapering towards the tip. It is completely covered with short hair, with no feathering. The feet are strong and compact with webbed feet which aid the dog in swimming.