Though I sincerely like a good number of dog breeds that is not to say that I am entirely satisfied with what is out there. Put simply I want to create my own dog breed or more realistically my own first generation of standardized mutts. And why not when one comes to think about it? After all most dog breeds we know today were developed off the whim of somebody’s need or plain flight of fancy!

I am sure there will be those who argue who am I to dare think of creating my own dog breed; what qualifications after all do I have to such an end? Well, even if I say so myself, I honestly believe that I am more than qualified enough to develop my own breed of dog. Not only do I know the a lot about dogs I have over 20 books about them. Several of those canine books are bona fide tomes that are steeped deep in the scientific aspects concerning our furry four-legged friends covering such topics like hereditary disease, genetics and breed etiology.

Okay now that we have established that I am more than qualified to design and develop my own dog breed let’s go ahead and etch out the criteria for this new breed. Perhaps if you are the observant type you would have certainly taken note of the title of this post, the Causian Dane Mastiff. Well let me clue you in if you hadn’t made some sort of double take over the header; at one point the header was going to be “ The Causian Wolfhound.”

Anyway as mentioned earlier let me spell out the criteria of this would-be breed:

Characteristics of the Causian Dane Mastiff

The first criterion for this dog breed is that the specimens have to be, if not massive, then large. And when I say large I mean LARGE! The male dogs must have a minimum weight of 150 lbs and the females no less than 130 lbs. Height-wise males should be a minimum of 32 inches at the shoulder while females should be no less than 30 inches. Let me put those stat requirements in a table for easier assimilation:

MALES                                          FEMALES

Weight:  150lbs – 190 lbs                       130lbs – 170lbs

Height:   32 inches – 36 inches +         30 inches – 34 inches +

Okay by now it is pretty obvious that we are talking about sizable dogs here. So let’s get to the next step which is what is the function of the Causian Dane Mastiff?

Function of The Causian Dane Mastiff

The size of this dog breed should give some clue as to its primary purpose. The Causian Dane Mastiff is primarily a protector and guardian and that is where it’s formidable size and power comes into play! Okay as we well know most purebred dog breeds of today were developed from a hodge-podge mix of already existent breeds and the Causian Dane Mastiff dog breed is going to be no different.

My original choice of dog breeds to cross to form this formidable new breed were the Caucasian Mountain dog and the Irish Wolfhound. Why?  Well firstly because I like both breeds and they more than satisfy the criterion of huge size. The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest dog breed in the world and in fact I was  perusing a litter of pups for sale whose father stands and impressive 37 inches at the shoulder while mama is no shortie herself at almost 33 inches!

I’m guessing by now you can see how I coined the name the Causian Dane Mastiff. If the cross was to involve the Irish Wolfhound then my new breed would be called the Causian Wolfhound.

Caucasian Mountain Dog vs. Irish Wolf Hound

Now why did I consider these two breeds other than the fact they are both massive breeds. Well the two dog breeds could not have more different characters and temperaments. The Caucasian Mountain dog is a livestock protection dog and is a very formidable predator deterrent. In this case strangers fall under the label of predator and this dog breed treats anything it considers a threat with unbridled violence and impressive fury! In fact according to the description on Wikipedia the Caucasian Mountain dogs “are truly second to none in their bellicosity towards strangers.”

Although this Toy Dog breed goes by the name Japanese Chin many believe that it actually originated in China and was taken to Japan by Buddhist monks as far back as the 6^th century. The Japanese Chin has variably been known at some time or other as either:

• Japanese Spaniel
• Japanese Pug
• Japanese Chin

With respect to the history of this dog breed the following theories have been proposed as to its origins:

1.       It was taken to Japan by Buddhist monks in 6^th century AD

2.       It originated in Korea as a breed called the Ssuchan Pai and was taken to the Japanese court as a gift from a Korean prince.

3.       It was bequeathed as a gift to the Japanese Emperor by Chinese rulers

In the beginning the Japanese Chin was exclusively relegated to nobility. In fact the punishment for stealing or illegally breeding one of these noble dogs was death. Much revered by the nobility the Japanese Chin was bred, developed and modified to be a dog breed apart. Whereas other dogs in Japan were considered purely utilitarian in purpose and function the Chin was developed solely for pleasurable companionship.

Originally the Japanese Chin was bred to cater to the whims of the various noble houses and as a consequence individual dogs could weigh anywhere from 4lbs to 20lbs in contrast to the typical dog of today that is largely confined to a weight of 4lbs – 11lbs. In fact it was the preference of western tastes for the smaller variety of dog following its introduction to the region that cemented their overwhelming prevalence today.

As usual with most dog breeds there is a little controversy and confusion about how the Japanese Chin made it to the west. Some contend that the dog breed was taken to Europe in the 17^th century by Portuguese sailors who presented it to Queen Catherine of Braganza, Consort to King Charles II of England. Another theory has it however that the breed was actually a gift to an American naval officer, Matthew Calbraith Perry during his visit to the Orient in 1853 to cement trading routes between east and west. Although unverified it is speculated that Perry then presented the only surviving pair of dogs (he was given seven dogs) to Queen Victoria.

The Japanese Chin quickly gained a foothold of strong popularity in the west and was first exhibited in England in 1873 at the Birmingham show. After its arrival in America in 1882 it quickly gained recognition by the AKC and was registered as early on as 1888. Originally referred to in the Americas as the Japanese Spaniel, a club under that name was created and founded in 1912; the name of the club was changed to the Japanese Chin Club in 1977.

Following World War II bloodstock of this dog breed was understandably severely depleted that new stock had to be replenished from England and other parts of the world.

Japanese Chin Temperament and Character

Unlike many small dog breeds the Japanese Chin is not yappy and indeed rarely barks, only doing so to alert its owner of impending danger or the approach of a stranger. Another fairly unique feature of the Chin is that of its cat-like qualities. These include its habit of washing and wiping its face with its paws, a surprising agility in climbing and its tendency to perch and rest in elevated regions like the top of chair and sofas. In fact speculation has it that the Japanese intention was to create a blend of dog and cat resulting with the somewhat feline-dog characteristics found in the breed.

This dog breed is friend to all be it four-legged creature or two. It does very well in relatively small spaces, making it ideal for apartment dwelling and as noted before is a dog that rarely barks at all! Personality-wise the Japanese Chin has been described as dignified yet playful and some go as far as to describe it as the perfect companion.

Like cats the Chin is fastidious in nature and its characteristic playfulness and gentle nature make it the ideal pet for reserved children.

Care and Upkeep

This dog breed makes the ideal pet for apartment dwelling requiring little exercise, little space to exist happily and typically making little if any noise. Although lively in nature the Japanese Chin thrives perfectly well with a short walk or romp. This dog however was never designed to live outside and its long coat also means that it does not do well in hot humid climates.

The long coat requires combing at least twice a week and it should be noted that the breed’s flattened face appearance sometimes leads to respiratory and heart problems in some individuals. Also one should be aware that their rather oversized eyes are prone to easy injury.

Article on Japanese Chin written by Kayye Nynne

Choosing Your Most Compatible Puppy

So what do I mean when I say choosing your most compatible puppy? This simply means picking the puppy that best matches you, your personality and your lifestyle. Now it is well known and understood that the different dog breeds were bred to carry out different tasks and to that end they exhibit very different genetic or hereditary characteristics.

Thus taking the retriever dog breeds for example, as their name suggests they were bred for, among other things, to retrieve. This trait was honed and sharpened through selective breeding over time; this explains why dogs from this breed are ever so happy and willing to play catch.

Taking another dog breed group as an example, let us consider livestock herding dogs. As the name of the group obviously suggests, such dogs were selectively bred to herd livestock. In other words those individuals that excelled at herding livestock were bred amongst themselves (as well as outsiders to minimize the inherent problems with inbreeding) to accentuate the desired traits.

Thus it is not uncommon for such selectively bred herders in today’s urban environment to express their natural tendency to herd by rounding up the kids of their family in place of the livestock they were originally bred to herd. Right those are enough examples methinks.

Now back to the most compatible puppy issue. The thing that most people don’t take into account is that puppies from the same litter (just like kids from the same family) have widely different personalities and characters. And typically most people pick the puppy that rushes up to them first before its siblings under the presumption that it has chosen them and must be the one. Truth be told that puppy is simply the most boisterous, dominant and aggressive one. This may not be an issue when the puppy is small, but trust me, it will certainly blossom into one when the puppy matures (especially if it is from a large dog breed).

By Seven Weeks Old A Puppy Has Attained Its Adult Dog Personality & Character

But here’s the really great news. There’s a scientifically proven method to determine the personality and character of a puppy at just 7 weeks old. Yup! It is now well understood and accepted that by seven weeks old a puppy has already attained its adult dog character.

So in simple language what does this mean to you? Well it means that if you’re looking for a laidback dog from a particular breed you can choose that dog when it is still a puppy. I’m not going to go into details behind the procedure of puppy selection but suffice it to say it is very straightforward.

If you truly wish to learn all about this procedure and how to use it to select the puppy that most compliments you go ahead and download my free guide covering the topic and entitled: The Secret To Choosing The Perfect Puppy.

When Should You Pick Up Your Puppy?

Although you should pick out your puppy at seven weeks after carefully assessing the one that is most compatible with your personality a good breeder would recommend that you pick up your puppy when it is at least 8 weeks old. How come?

Well, the reason why a puppy should not be prematurely separated from its mother and litter mates is because before then it would not have learned sufficient social skills and language comprehension from both its mother and interaction with its litter mates that would allow it to function as a wholesome well rounded canine individual later on.

One of the consequences of premature separation from mum and litter mates is that when that puppy matures into a grown dog he/she will be incapable of playing with both humans and fellow dogs without inflicting damage! Why? Because as a puppy he/she never learned how to interact with his siblings in play where he would have mastered the skill of bite pressure and force restraint, thus preventing serious injury during play as an adult dog.

So You Want To Get A Puppy

Before I continue I am going to make a number of assumptions here, the main one being that you already know the type of dog breed that you wish to get. This article is about choosing the right puppy so I really won’t delve into depth about the various dog breeds.

However suffice it to say that out of all the hundreds of dog breeds, there most certainly is one that is just right for you. Finding that right puppy though requires an honest assessment and evaluation on your part such as…

…you already have in mind the role your dog will play; a role which will most likely fall under any of the following:

• Playmate for the kids
• Companion
• Protector
• Show performer
• Herder
• Hunter

Furthermore I am going to conclude that since you have already mentally designated a role to your dog then you have already settled on a breed.

This part shouldn’t be hard at all because the various dog breeds were bred and developed to carry out these functions. Some of the dog breeds are more capable than others at performing the various tasks (indeed some dog breeds are able to perform all of them [the so-called muti-taskers of the canine world; e.g., the German Shepherd] ).

Now all you have to do is decide which dog breed covers your needs.

Oh…one other thing, your homework also requires an honest unbiased assessment on how you and your furry friend are going to co-exist. In other words you need to ensure that:

• Your lifestyle and personality complement your dog’s genetic heritage
• You can devote enough time to your dog
• Your living arrangement is suitable for both you and your dog
• The climatic conditions will not make your dog’s life a misery

Okay now that we have ascertained that you have carefully decided on the type of dog breed you wish to get and also that you have covered other important parameters such as living arrangements, climate etc., let’s tackle the topic at hand.

How To Choose Your Best Fit Puppy

Just like siblings in a given family tend to have widely different characters so do puppies from the same litter.  So in the same litter of puppies it is not uncommon to find a boisterous, rowdy outgoing puppy as well as a timid, shy puppy that is literally scared of its own shadow!

So why is it important to be able to tell which puppy is which? Well consider the following:

• By 7 weeks of age a puppy has attained its adult dog character!
• Most abandoned dogs become so because their owners are at their wits end and can’t cope with them any longer; a situation they could have avoided had they chosen the right puppy!
• Puppies from the same litter have different dispositions; some are sweet and some will become overly dominant menaces!
• Some puppies are easy to train while others are downright difficult!
• Some puppies love human companionship while others are outright anti-social!
• Some puppies will mature into dogs that are way too difficult to handle by the 1st time dog owner!

Those are some very good reasons to be determine the character and nature of your dog while it is still a puppy.

At 7 Weeks Of Age You Can Tell How Your Puppy Will Behave As An Adult Dog!

Did you know that as far as puppies go what you see is what you get by the time the puppy is seven weeks old. In other words if you know what you are doing you can tell precisely how your puppy will behave as a mature dog!

It is important to remember that though your puppy is now an adorable, cute bundle of joy, in the not so distant future he/she will become a lot bigger and a lot less manageable; unless of course he/she is amenable and compliant to your instructions.

Having a great relationship with your dog means having a well trained dog but unfortunately this is not possible with some dogs for the simple fact that they are either too anti-social or are either downright stubborn.

There’s no doubt that the different dog breeds are characterized by specialized behavioral traits, but the truth of the matter is that within each and every litter of puppies from a given dog breed, those puppies are going to exhibit very different personalities.

If You Wish To Have A Great Relationship With Your Dog…

Then you’ll most likely want to choose a puppy that:

• Matures into a dog that is easily trainable
• Is sociable and loves being around people
• Will follow your lead and obey your instructions
• Won’t become a overly dominant alpha male that is a menace to everybody
• Becomes a dog with a sweet disposition that is a delight to everyone

Remember earlier on I said that by seven weeks of age your puppy has already developed its adult personality? Well not only has the puppy developed its adult personality by then but it is also exhibiting it!

All you need to be able to do is interpret the signs that puppy is exhibiting at 7 weeks and in effect you can choose the precise dog personality that you desire!

There’s actually a simple and straight-forward procedure to establish the future personality of a dog by testing it when it is a puppy; anybody can perform this simple test.

If you wish to learn how to determine the personality and character of any dog while it is still a puppy please ensure you get your very own free copy of my Guide entitled The Secret To Choosing The Perfect Puppy.

Those early molossian dogs eventually passed on from the ancient Greeks to the Romans when the Romans conquered Greece. Further Roman expansion introduced the Romans as far north as Britain and wherever their conquests led, right by their sides were their loya, ever faithul and ferocious molossian fighting dogs. Huge and powerful as the Roman molossian dogs were, the massive English Mastiff trumped them in physique and power if not ferocity.

The Romans were duly impressed and took it upon themselves to cross their breed of dog with the massive, powerful English mastiff dog breed. The results were outstanding! The cross produced a dog unsurpassed by any in ferocity and power. These dogs, which were referred to as “mastini” (mastini in Italian means mastiff), took on anything, anyone, went to war wearing armor and guarded everything and anything asked of them.

The Mastini were so ferocious and formidable they even took on lions in the coliseum as well as the occasional Christian!  In time as weaponry became more sophisticated the role of the Neapolitan Mastiff diminished and resultingly their numbers began to dwindle rapidly with time.

However not all was lost for this ferocious and formidable dog breed. Just because the rules of engagement in warfare had radically changed and somewhat eclipsed the Neapolitan Mastiff that didn’t mean the dog breed couldn’t find a new vocation. Thus in the southern Neapolitan region of Italy covering the span of several centuries the Neapolitan Mastiff was genetically refined to become the dog of choice to guard and oversee security for large estates, properties and country homes.

Until the Italian artist Piero Scanziani, who is largely regarded as the patron of the modern Neapolitan Mastiff dog breed, took it upon himself to stabilize and conform the breed standard, the Neapolitan Mastiff lacked uniformity of type. This in itself wasn’t particularly surprising considering that prior to that time the Neapolitan Mastiff had been bred fore mostly for fighting prowess and little else.

In fact it is that fighting heritage that gave rise to the Neapolitan Mastiff dog breed’s fearsome appearance and size. The loose skin, multiple folds and ample dewlap proved highly advantageous during fights and protected the dog from injuries that would otherwise have been devastating if not fatal!

Neapolitan Mastiff

The Pointer dog’s hunting method is unique in style and fascinating to observe. The pointing position characteristic of the hunting Pointer came about because the 17^th and 18^th century flintlock action guns were extremely slow loading. Thus in order not to scare off the quarry once it was detected by further advance (and while the hunter was still busy reloading) the Pointer would freeze in mid-step, head held high, body rigid and its tail held out stiffly behind!

The Pointer would maintain its frozen position until that time that it was so instructed by the hunter. Such is the degree of the Pointer dog breed’s poise and self-discipline that some refer to it as the Zen-Master of dogdom!

During the 18^th century significant improvement in the performance of sporting guns meant a significant decline in large game which meant that the hunters now had to go after smaller swifter game. This also meant that the hunter needed smaller swifter Pointer dog specimens that could readily embrace the new style of hunting. Thus new blood was introduced to that early stock of Pointer dog which resulted in the smaller, swifter Pointer of today!

These days there are two types of Pointer dog:

1. The so-called specialist Pointers that only point and do nothing else.

2. The all-purpose Pointer dog breeds that not only point but hunt and retrieve as well; this latter type of Pointer are commonly referred to as HPR breeds (hunter, pointer retriever).

Pointer Dog Breed Development

There is considerable controversy over when and where and by whom the Pointer dog breed was developed. Although the English Pointer is perhaps the most recognized Pointer dog breed these nowadays (thanks in no small part to the numerous dog encyclopedias in which it is featured) this by no means ranks it as the progenitor of all things Pointers!

Controversy, dispute and the such-like notwithstanding, the more widely embraced view is that the modern Pointers forebears were from Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. It is believed that after the War of Spanish Succession (1713) returning British army officers took with them the heavy-boned Spanish Pointer.

In England those slower cumbersome and larger dogs were crossed with the more streamlined and lithe Foxhounds and to a lesser extent, the Greyhound. Still there are those who readily contend that such line of thinking is absolute poppycock and that in fact the English Pointer was already a well-established dog breed which was only later on influenced by the genetic infusion of the larger Spanish dog!

Pointer Dog Temperament

The Pointer is truly the quintessential gundog and as a wide-ranging hunter possesses the stamina and endurance to run for hours. So it comes as no surprise that this dog breed requires a lot of exercise. In strict accordance to its genetic heritage Pointers are always on the lookout for birds, a habit that makes for a dog that is easily distracted from other chores.

However once it is on point the exact opposite is true in that it is almost impossible to distract from its mission. Personality-wise the English Pointer is a sweet, sensitive, intelligent dog that makes for a great companion just so long as it gets enough exercise.

Pointer Dog Upkeep

As mentioned previously this dog breed needs plenty of exercise and evidently is not the best choice of dog breed for apartment dwelling. In lieu of an actual hunting experience a long jaunt across the wilds of nature will delight this dog and it is quite happy to live outdoors in temperate to warm climates just so long as there is a comfy shelter to retire to.

As with most dog breeds though the Pointer does best with both human and other canine contact.

Pointer Dog courtesy of Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

• Thibet Dog
• Tibetan Dog
• Tibetaanse Mastiff
• Thibet Mastiff

The Tibetan Mastiff has traditionally been used by Tibetans as sentry dogs to protect their villages and more famously by Tibetan monks to protect their legendary monasteries.

There are many who believe that the bloodline of the modern mastiffs started with the Tibetan Mastiff and perhaps one unique characteristic of the Tibetan Mastiff dog breed that lends weight to such belief is the fact that unlike other dog breeds it only has one breeding season annually; like it’s not too distant cousin the wolf.

Other factors also support the theory that the Tibetan Mastiff is the progenitor of the modern mastiff line; one such important factor is the region where the Tibetan Mastiff hails from, The Himalayas. The Himalayan region is a harsh environment located at high altitudes which tends to run the extreme as far as weather is concerned, very, very cold winters and hottish summers.

Thus this region favored the natural development of a big, hardy dog breed as defined by the Tibetan Mastiff.

The Tibetan Mastiff In History

This dog breed was largely unknown outside its home range until 1828 when a specimen was presented to the London Zoo by King George IV. Later in 1847 the Viceroy of India sent a Tibetan Mastiff to Queen Victoria as a gift and later still the Prince of Wales of the time returned with two dogs in 1874.

Following the end of World War II, the Dalai Lama presented a pair to the American President, Dwight Eisenhower.

When China annexed Tibet during its brutal expansion, the communist authorities decreed that all dogs had to be bludgeoned to death by their owners otherwise the owners themselves would be beaten to death. It was during that bloody and tragic period that the Tibetan Mastiff almost became extinct. Luckily by then enough specimens of the breed had been exported to Europe and Asia to perpetuate the existence of this wonderful dog breed.

Interestingly enough during the 1970s Nepalese drug smugglers found a novel way to get their drugs into the United States without detection. They shipped their drugs into the country hidden in false bottoms of dog crates transporting Tibetan Mastiffs. Custom officials were naturally intimated by these large dogs and thereby never searched the crates thoroughly!

Folklore has it that the Tibetan Mastiff of yesteryear was a massively powerful dog that characteristically was as big as a donkey. In fact legend has it that a Tibetan Mastiff that stood four feet at the shoulder (124 cm) was presented to the Emperor of China (which would indeed have made the dog the size of a large donkey and probably the biggest dog that ever lived).

Donkey-sized dogs notwithstanding, it is certainly true that the Tibetan Mastiff was once bigger than its modern counterpart, many dogs characteristically attaining a body weight of 200 lbs. Perhaps the loss in body bulk could be explained by the fact that the dogs found in Europe and America no longer have a physiological reason to maintain such bulk as they are no longer exposed to such high altitudes and the extreme cold that accompanies such heights!

Article on Tibetan Mastiff written by kayye Nynne

Origins of Spinone Italiano

The exact origins of this dog breed are uncertain. One theory contends that its ancestors were early French dogs such as the Barbet and the Griffon that were cross-bred to develop the Spinone Italiano.

Others postulate that the Spinone Italiano arose from Celtic wirehaired hounds, other theories yet hypothesize that this dog breed came about as a result of Greek canine imports via Greek Traders.

And last but not least (and entirely believable) there is the school of thought that says that the Spinone Italiano is a purely indigenous Italian dog descended from the ancient Italian hound—the Segugio Italiano—and that the Spinone so happens to be the founding father of all those other dog breeds it supposedly was developed from!

The Spinone Italiano in the Field

The Spinone Italiano is a big ultra-friendly dog. So accepting is this dog of people including strangers that one author was moved to quoting that “nobody has ever been bitten by a Spinone!” High praise indeed; that said this dog is very playful bordering on the rowdy and does unsurprisingly fantastically with kids.

Though it is slower than the english Pointer in the field it is still an excellent field dog outranking all other Italian gundogs in efficiency as a hunter. Due to its rugged, wiry coat and tough skin, the Spinone Italiano will venture into forbidding regions that other hunting dogs would never dare!

In fact this dog breed owes its name to the fact that it will venture into a particularly formidable thorny Italian bush called the pino that no other dog will! Be it field, swamp, forest or mountainous region the Spinone Italiano will venture forth without hesitation.

On account of its affable nature towards people, dog and other animals, the Spinone Italiano makes an excellent pet who will catch your dinner if and when the occasion arises.

Temperament of the Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano is a gentle dog breed that desires nothing more than to please its owners. As mentioned before because of its playful nature and acceptance of all and sundry this dog gets on famously with kids and makes for an excellent home companion.

The Spinone Italiano is very affectionate and does not make for the best guard dog or protection hound (not surprising considering its ready acceptance of strangers).

Upkeep of the Spinone Italiano.

Like any other sporting dog breed the Spinone needs a fair amount of daily exercise if the dog is to remain in a happily balanced state. Exercise can be in the form of a long walk or a boisterous run off its leash. Thanks to its rugged covering this dog breed is perfectly suited to living outdoors in temperate and cool regions.

Coat care optimally requires weekly brushing and the occasional trim to remove excess fur insuch regions as the face and feet where it can quickly become somewhat extensive.

Health, Form & Function of the Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano is a relatively long lived dog breed that has a life span that averages out between 12 – 14 years. This breed of hound is dogged (yes…pun intended) by only one major affliction which is CHD (canine hip dysplasia).

Thus obviously hip testing is recommended and to a lesser degree so is testing of the eyes because ectropion is a predominant minor health concern.

Article on Spinone Italiano by Kayye Nynne

The Norwegian Elkhound is a naturally hardy and resilient dog breed which isn’t surprising since this dog resides in the harsh, rugged region that was often knee deep with snow common to its habitat. Thus to accommodate such inhospitable environs the Norwegian Elkhound developed an exceptionally heavy outer coat with a plush, woolly undercoat offset with a luxurious neck-ruff for extra warmth and padding.

During its heyday years of moose hunting, the Norwegian Elkhound was employed in two forms of hunting. The first form known as the loshund (loose dog) was allowed to roam freely to track the scent of the game, run it down then corner it until the hunter arrived to dispatch the quarry.

The loshund  would generally hunt quietly until the quarry was cornered but if it tried to get away the dog wouldk furiously raising an alarm that would tell the hunter of its whereabouts.

The other form of hunting Norwegian Elkhound was known as the bandhund. The bandhund was kept on a leash at all times and used only to track the quarry but not to corner it. This form of hunting was favored in more open country whereas the loshund hunting form was best utilized in the heavy forest typical of the region.

Norwegian Elkhound Temperament

Combining traits from both the Spitz and Hound group of dogs the Norwegian Elkhound is naturally adventurous, independent, playful and energetic bordering to the boisterous. This dog loves the outdoors and is well equipped for even the harshest of cold weather.

Understandably in keeping with its bold and adventurous nature, this dog needs plenty of exercise on a daily basis otherwise it is prone to destructive behavior. The Norwegian Elkhound has an effortless trot which though not speedy can be sustained for hours in keeping with the manner for which this dog breed was developed; endurance not speed!

Norwegian Elkhound Health

The Norwegian Elkhound is a dog of average lifespan, 10 – 12 years and overall is a healthy dog breed. The one major health concern is CHD (canine hip dysplasia) and a number of minor health concerns such as sebaceous cysts, hot spots, renal dysplasia (kidney disease) and the very occasionally and rarely seen Fanconi syndrome.

Norwegian Elkhound Form

The Norwegian Elkhound is typically square in proportion and has pricked ears, a broad head, substantial bone structure and a tightly curled tail. It has been hypothesized that the curly tail type was selected and bred for by hunters because thus were they able to distinguish their dogs from their untamed cousins, the wolves, even from afar!

Article on Norwegian Elkhound written by Kayye Nynne

Hooper’s Judge was a mix between an English Bulldog and an English White Terrier which means that this dog started life as an English dog and ended his life as an American one. By the present day standards of the modern Boston Terrier dog breed Hooper’s Judge did not conform to the standard because at 30 pounds he was apparently overweight. He was later bred with a smaller female dog known as Burnett’s Gpy and the resultant litter became the founding stock of the modern Boston Terrier breed.

Hooper’s Judge inherited brindle markings from his bulldog parent and white markings from the respective Terrier half. Ever since then brindle and white has been the staple coloration of the Boston Terrier dog breed.

Somewhere along the line it is believed that the French Bulldog was introduced into the genetic stew of the Boston Terrier and such introduction further reduced the size of this dog breed to its present day limit of 25 pounds.

Some dog historians are of the opinion that the Bull Terrier and even the Boxer played some part in the genetic makeup of the Boston Terrier but alas as is so often the case with canine history this cannot be substantiated.