As a rule, dog people aren’t crazy about dog books. Most of them are justifiably considered rehashed content written by people who know less than we do. Therefore, I’m going out on a limb with this recommendation, but in this case, you gotta have it.
The pack has expanded! The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today that the Spanish Water Dog, Cirneco dell’Etna, Bergamasco, and Boerboel gained full AKC recognition. This brings AKC’s roster of recognized breeds to 184.
“The AKC is thrilled to recognize these four very unique breeds,” said AKC Spokesperson Gina DiNardo. “While each of these loveable dogs differs in temperament, exercise, and grooming needs, they make wonderful companions to a variety of people. We’re glad to give dog lovers more breed options to fit their lifestyle.”
The Bearded Collie is a member of the growing and diverse herding group that includes dogs of many sizes, shapes, coats, and colors depending on where they were developed and the type of herding job they were bred for. The Beardie hales from Scotland and was known earlier by other names, such as the Highland Collie. Its background includes other European working breeds such as Polish Sheepdogs and Komondor.
Recent additions to the AKC studbook are collectively regarded as “new” breeds. From the perspective of American fanciers, that’s true. Among the latest arrivals, the Finnish Lapphund debuted in 2011. The Icelandic Sheepdog entered the ranks in 2010 and the Norwegian Buhund in 2009. Although they qualify as newcomers to the Herding Group, it’s been a long strange trip for all three of these ancient Nordic breeds.
A glance at the monthly statistics confirms that plenty of Herding breeds rise to the top of the game. However, this only reflects their accomplishments since the formation of the Herding Group in 1983. Countless Herding breed superstars launched their careers from the Working Group, and even earlier. Before AKC implemented group divisions in 1924, Herding breeds competed from Non-Sporting.
Theories abound about how humans and dogs became such an integral part of each other’s lives. According to the experts, Canis familiaris was domesticated somewhere between 33,000 and 15,000 years ago. DNA evidence supports the belief that our vast array of modern breeds of dogs are all descended from the grey wolf, and additionally, that it is highly likely that “domestication” took place more or less spontaneously in multiple locations in the world. Just how that happened, we may never know for sure. Some have surmised that dogs basically “self-domesticated”.
From the end of the ninth century, the early inhabitants of Hungary – the Magyars – kept their sheepdogs in the lowlands of the Carpathian Mountains. Only in the second half of the 19th century was the breeding of pedigree dogs begun, on the initiative of Count István Széchenyi (1791-1860), politician, theorist, writer and the founder of the Hungarian Academy of Science.
Sometime in the next few days, an eight-week-old Chesapeake pup will move into my house. Named Bo, for Pro Bono, because if there is ever a project undertaken voluntarily and without charge, it’s a puppy. Whether he’ll be welcome or not in my canine society depends upon whether the two dogs already in residence think it’s nice to have someone to boss around. Although they are litter sisters, they can’t stand the sight of each other and thus have never settled the issue of who is boss and who is bossee.
MRS. JANE FORSYTH HEADS THE
MORRIS & ESSEX 2015 PANEL AS BEST IN SHOW JUDGE
Question:
What Do Some Kennel Clubs and the United States Government Have In Common?
Answer:
Neither of them knows how to work together for the benefit of their constituents.
