Dogs of the world

Dec 9, 2009 2:01:15 AM

DanA
Lonely Planet Author

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‘When you point out something to a dog, he looks at your finger.’ - J Bryan, III

Dogs are like children, small and hairy. And just like children they’re loud, adorable/ugly and they’re everywhere.

You cannot swing a cat on this planet without hitting a dog: loping Red Setters in Dublin, stretchy sausage dogs in Hamburg, cheeky Chihuahuas in Oaxaca – here’s a frisky list to help you bone up on which dog comes from where:

Scottish Terriers come from Scotland. Go figure. They like to dig, have tiny legs and look a little like very old, (very tiny) bearded men. Also known as Scotties.
German Shepherds come from Germany. Wolfish, solid, popular with police and military. Not the dog you want to meet while breaking into a warehouse. See Rin Tin Tin.
American Water Spaniels come from – yes you guessed it America. A gundog used for flushing out feather or fur, the Water Spaniel is a curly haired friendly animal with enormous floppy ears that keep it snug in the snow.
Great Dane. Nope. Wrong. They’re from Germany. Fearless hunters. Said to have a lovely loping stride. Harlequin is one of its official colours. Oh and big to very big.
Pug. The dog with probably the best name of all comes from China. One of the oldest breeds, it looks like a survivor – squat, muscled, wrinkled – a little shop-worn. Said to have carried messages smuggled from an imprisoned Josephine to hubby Napoleon.
St Bernard. Switzerland. Rotund, furry snow dog, found mainly in children’s books. Not sure if they carry booze in tiny barrels around their necks so much anymore?
Samoyed. Fluffy Russian dog tending white or cream in colour. Sheds hair twice a year. Known as the smiling dog. Sledding dog. Barks plenty. Very huggable.
Argentine Dogo from … ok you guessed it already. Large, muscular dog bred for big game hunting (think boars and cougars). Short haired. Often hard of hearing.
Australian cattle dog. From Australia. Known also as a Red or Blue Heeler. Brindled coat, tough, working dog with course, oily coat. Dingo bloodlines. See Mad Max’s dog.
Rhodesian Ridgeback. An athletic, alliterative type from South Africa. Protective, loyal, not so good with kids. Likes the occasional full-body shampoo with a strong bristled brush.
Border Collie. Hitch-hiking in Ireland in the pouring rain, I squeezed into a tiny blue car with a bearded man and his soaking wet Border Collie. Each time I turned to answer a question the dog licked my face. He was a very earnest licker. Border Collies come from Northumberland though.

Research suggests that an improper proportion of hounds come from Germany (Boxers, Dachshunds, Dobermen, Schnausers to name a few) and very few from Wales (the Welsh Corgi must feel quite lonely).

Where does your dog come from? Feel free to add to the list or suggest improvements below.

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Comments

21 December 2009 4:24PM sandpiper37 Report this comment
Belgian Shepherds, also known as Malinois. Similar to German shepherd but a lighter build (and fewer health problems). Increasingly popular with police and security forces. My own Belgian was a reject from a police dog training centre - too friendly!!
21 December 2009 9:21PM bretta Report this comment
Bouvier des Flandres. Imagine a Rottweiler in a bearskin coat. From the Flanders area of Belgium, these big dogs were used as general drovers' dogs: herding cattle, pulling milk wagons, turning mill wheels, protecting the property. Nowadays they're more often seen on police forces. A numerically small breed (thanks to a near wipe-out by snipers during WWI, during which they were put to work as messengers across enemy lines), Bouviers are reserved by nature, stubborn, smart, and have hilarious senses of humour (no, really!).
1 January 2010 1:09PM chocolattewizard Report this comment
Belgian Shepherds sound cool.
5 January 2010 5:33AM gbunk Report this comment
Vizsla. This Hungarian dog is the most versatile dog bred. It's red coat makes them an instant hit. Smarter and more loyal than any human, this dog wants your constant companionship and has great energy for a 55-65 pound dog. I am truly blessed to have two of them.
3 February 2010 10:24AM emilyjune_83 Report this comment
Australian Cattle dogs are extremely loyal to their owners. They are highly energetic and very intelligent.
17 April 2012 1:36AM jmitchem Report this comment
And Australian Shepherds - are actually from the United States. As I understand it, they're the only AKC breed from the USA. They got their name from being bred to herd Australian sheep brought to the west coast, and up through Montana. (we have two Aussies - and they're awesome)
23 April 2012 9:36AM louisetm Report this comment
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are actually great with children! They are non-agressive and very gentle, and as your piece says, loyal and protective.