Fun Facts About Dogs

Dogs: Fun Facts and Cool Links
	Used with permission from Allsorts' Dog Pictures

Dog History:

The dog was one of the first animals domesticated by humans.
Mosaics meaning "Beware the Dog" would be found on doorsteps in ancient Roman cities.
The world's first dog show was held in Britain in 1859.
People in ancient China stayed warm by carrying toy breeds in their sleeves.
The smallest mature dog was a Yorkshire Terrier that was 2 1/2 inches high at its shoulder.
The heaviest dog ever weighed 319 pounds.
The oldest dog ever died at age 29.
The tallest dog ever was a Great Dane who stood 41 inches high.
The first living creature sent into space was a female dog named Laika launched by the former USSR on November 3, 1957 (Whitehead et al. 1999).

Dog Breeds:

As of 1977 the American Kennel Club recognized 121 breeds of dog.
Breeds classified as hounds are not meant to hunt birds (Johnson 1977).
There are six types of Dachshund.
The British bred Basset Hounds to have short legs so hunters could keep up with them.
The Basenji is also known as the African Barkless dog because it yodels instead of barking.
The Basenji licks itself clean, like a cat.
The Springer Spaniel was named for its ability to "spring", or startle, game.
The Bedlington Terrier was a favorite of poachers and was known as the gypsy's dog.
Bull Terriers were bred by crossing Bulldogs with terriers.
Chow-Chows have blue-black tongues.
Japanese Akitas declared champions of the breed have been declared national treasures in Japan since 1931.
Schipperke means "Little Captain" in Flemish.
There are four types of Belgian Shepherd Dogs that are identical except for their coat type and color.
The Great Dane is the national dog of Germany.
The coats of the Kopmondor and Pulli consist of cords formed when the outer and inner coats cling together.
The Chihuahua is the smallest breed in the world.
Commoners in Imperial China were forbidden to own Pekingese.

Jobs Dogs Have Had:

Labrador Retrievers were originally bred to retrieve fishing nets.
In the 19th century Dalmations defended carriages against highwaymen and kept away animals that could scare the horses.
Monks used the Lhasa Apso as a guard dog in temples.
Siberian Huskies have been used to herd reindeer in Siberia for 3000 years.
Louis Doberman, a German tax-collector, created the Doberman breed in the late 1860s to protect him while he worked (Whitehead 1999).

Cool Links:

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