Perhaps, one of the most mysterious dog breeds around the world is the Shetland Sheepdog or simply known as the Sheltie, because of its undistinguished origin and reasons behind its intriguing temperament. This breed is a tiny creature that formerly strived on the rocky terrains of Shetland Island in Scotland. Its appearance resembles that of a Collie only it was never intentionally bred to look as such.

It is concluded that the main contributors for the development of the Sheltie are the Scottish Rough Collie, Pomeranian, Greenland Yakki (now extinct), and the King Charles Spaniel. During it’s prominence in Shetland Island, this little breed was believed to do herding tasks just like any other Collies. It was discovered though that while its larger look-alike herded stocks, this breed did the chasing and herding of smaller creatures such as ducks, squirrels and vermin.

Today, the Sheltie is a well-known family pet and companion and it excels in this field outstandingly. Moreover, additional likeable disposition of the Sheltie is its eagerness to please the master, obedience and extreme loyalty. With proper and correct training, the Sheltie is a potential skillful dog and reliable household companion.

It is natural for the Sheltie to shy away from strangers but through proper exposure during its pupppyhood, this aloof temperament can be altered to become sociable and accepting. Moreover, the Sheltie can become a potential buddy to children and so constant exposure and guidance on both sides are essential, for them to be able to treat each other safely and properly. This breed makes an excellent watchdog for it warns the household of an incoming person in the doorway or a car in the driveway.

Even though the Sheltie has never been bred to become herders, it still possesses a natural herding instinct and this brings puzzlement to a lot of breeders. This herding energy should be released through various activities such as running and chasing in a wide area. Doing this will also help the Sheltie become healthy and fit mentally and physically.

Generally, the Sheltie stands 13 to 16 inches in height and weighs 14 to 27 pounds. Its long and thick coat consists of an upper coat that serves as a guard hair and an undercoat that serves as comfort against hot or cold temperatures. The outer coat is thick, long and coarse and is water-repellant while the undercoat is soft and shorter.

The general colors of the Sheltie are sable, tri-colour and blue merle. The sable is either golden or mahogany and the tri-colour is white, black and tan. The blue merle is composed of grey, white, black and tan.

In 1909, the English Kennel Club first registered the Sheltie. In 1911, the first Sheltie was registered in the American Kennel Club named Lord Scott. The Sheltie is an adorable and fascinating little breed and because of these and its many positive features, it became a favorite of many families around the world.

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The black, sturdy and massive breed of the Rottweiler has been the center of some malicious hysteria for years in forms of negative media publicities such as antagonist and fearful roles in movies. News leaking the supposedly lethal human attacks of this breed also has forced some people to reconsider their plans in adopting a Rottweiler. Truth be told, these negativities, just like man’s abusive exploit of nature, have been brought about by the breeder’s mishandling and mistreatment of this useful and family-friendly breed.

Known also as the Rottweil Metzgerhund which means Butchers Dog, the Rottweiler is a gifted creature in terms of herding and guarding. Regarded as one of the oldest or preferably the oldest herding breed in the world, it possesses a powerful and enduring stamina that makes it an outstanding breed for herding and guarding stocks and properties. The Rottweiler is so powerful and strong that stubborn stocks the Border Collies couldnt handle, it can handle thoroughly.

This creatures body is composed of an outer coat and inner coat wherein the outer one is medium in length, coarse and dense. The inner coat is not visible and has a longer hair on its hind legs. This breed’s color only comes in black with tan or orange markings on the muzzle, cheeks, throat, chest and legs.

This breed came from the town of Rottweil in Germany and there it is a dependable, fierce looking and strong type of dog that unabashedly and docilely carry stock meats to the market. The ancestors of this breed were said to be the Roman droving dog breed, Molosser of England and The Netherlands, and local dogs brought in by soldiers from different places. This breed flourished in this town until the introduction of the railroad which affected heavily its breeding.

The Rottweiler flourished as a herder and meat carrier but when the railroad replaced the dog as means of stock transport, people ignored this breed to the point where only one female Rottweiler was left in the town of Rottweil. However, when World War I broke out, the great need for police dogs revived the interest of breeders to the Rottweiler. This time, the breed once again flourished and its uses extended to the battle field and other military services and presently, it is used as a guide dog for the blind and in search and rescue operations.

Like any other dog breeds, the Rottweiler too needs correct training and proper supervision in order to bring out its best asset. In nature, this dog is good-hearted, affectionate, docile and sociable. It is calm and firm and has an innate need to protect and defend its master and his property.

This breed possesses a self-assured, calm and fearless appearance that some view it as fearsome. However, the Rottweiler is just another misinterpreted creature and this outwardly appearance is just a clear manifestation that it is a courageous dog and protective companion. It is also never discriminating towards possible acquaintances and in fact, is open to meeting new people and animals unlike other breeds that jump and growl at the site of strangers.

No matter how much bad publicity this great herding dog gets, the fact still remains that it is one of the best breeds out there. The difference comes with the upbringing it gets from its owners. If every Rottweiler owner makes the time to understand fully the needs and capacity of this breed, then it is likely that every Rottweiler will only achieve its greatest potential and receive positive reviews from everyone.

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A lion, once angered and provoked, unleashes a frightening and inescapable anger that only those experienced and well-versed hunters can escape. Humans and animals alike don’t dare to cross the path of this angry creature, however, one animal, and a dog at that, fearlessly faces and challenges a lion’s havoc. This breed is no less than the world-famous Rhodesian Ridgeback or also known as the African Lion Hound or the Lion Dog.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large, majestic, and strongly-built type of hound that is native to the safari lands of South Africa. For centuries, the native tribes kept with them a ridgebacked dog breed that had been used as hunting companions and watchdogs. The modern day Rhodesian Ridgeback is said to be the result of the Boer natives’ cross- breeding of the said indigenous ridgebacked dog, Khoikhoi dog, Mastiff and Deerhound.

In 1877, a Reverend Helm brought two of these new breed to Bulawayo, Rhodesia- today’s Zimbabwe, and it was there that more people discovered this dog’s ferocity towards lions and excellent hunting skills. In 1922, the first standard of the Rhodesian Ridgeback was created and the breed was remarked as a game hunting breed. There had been a debated conundrum regarding this dog’s classification in terms of hunting as it is both excellent in hunting big games as the ferocious and large as a lion and hunting small games as tiny as a squirrel.

This breed is called Ridgeback because of the distinct symmetrical ridge formation along its back. This ridge is a hair growth growing towards the opposite direction of its natural coat growth. This breed’s coat looks sleek and glossy with colors of either red or light wheat.

This breed is inarguably fierce in hunting but inside the home it is steadfast, soft-hearted and obedient. It is naturally good-natured, playful with children and protective of its master. In fact, this breed is a superb watchdog as it would intently and vigilantly look after its household and properties against suspicious people.

Its excellent and natural hunting ability is paired with good intelligence, independence and sharpness and the result may be some difficult training sessions at some point. Handling this situation effectively needs the owner to be firm, consistent and patient as this breed tends to be stubborn also. At first this breed may seem indifferent towards strangers but proper socialization will cure this dilemma.

An apartment dwelling is fine with the Ridgeback as long as it gets its daily exercise of long brisk walking and jogging. Inside the house they are inactive but once outside, they pour out all their energies thats why you must bring them to a wide space outdoors to jaunt and run around in. Bring them to open- spaced yards or parks for example.

Because this dog originally came from the south of Africa, it is adept in living with harsh conditions such as flaring temperatures and scarce food and water resources. Left outside during hot or cold weather conditions, this dog will undoubtedly survive. It can withstand insect bites and in fact is unfeeling to them and can go on for over 24 hours without food and water.

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All of us had been exposed to the presence of this one particular breed in almost every historical event in the world. From historic battles and rescue operations to lively entertainments, this dog is just everywhere showing off a natural ferocity and aristocratic posture. The instant someone sees this dog, he or she can exclaim the name Doberman.

Gone are the days when this animal is considered as a fearless and intimidating watchdog, guard dog and police dog. Modern breeding of ardent Doberman fanciers managed to transform its ferocity in to a lively and active disposition that suits the lifestyle of modern families and human companions. Being the calmer and loving version of its self today, many approve that it does make a wonderful job being a pet for many families and companion for different kinds of people.

In the process of selective breeding, alteration or minimization of the fierceness of the Doberman was made possible. Moreover, there were studies that proved that Dobermans in North America are far tamer than the Dobermans in Europe as evidence of the different breeding strategies used. All in all, the modern Doberman should be highly active, fairly fearless and curious, and poorly aggressive.

The Doberman has an innate self-assured and fearless stature that’s why people mistake them as barbaric. The truth is, this dog is loyal, intelligent and watchful and you can depend on it at any situation given the proper training. This is a breed not to be scared of but to be proud of instead, for they only want harmony and love from the family that owns them.

The Doberman is a medium- size and squarely built dog with a short coat to boast. Its body is compact, sinewy and muscular with a body hugging, short- haired coat wrapping. The coat comes in different colors such as black, black & tan, blue-gray, red, fawn and white.

The Doberman breed is said to have started in Apolda, Germany in 1890. A local tax collector and dog catcher named Karl Freidrich Dobermann bred the first Doberman in a desperate need to have a companion that is fearless and loyal that will accompany him to his routines on the dangerous German areas. Having access to the dog pound, he had a plethora of dog breeds to choose from.

Dobermann had several varieties of dog breeds that he believed possessed the needed qualities for his new breed and they were the now extinct old German Shepherd, Pinscher, Beauceron, Rottweiler, Thuringian Sylvan Dog, black Greyhound, Great Dane, Weimaraner, German Shorthaired Pointer and Manchester Terrier. It isn’t clear as to how the Dobermann managed to mix or rationalize the exact proportion of dog breeds in able to conceive the Doberman. According to experts, however, there are at least four of these breeds that majorly contributed to its inception.

When Karl Dobermann passed away, it was Otto Goeller and Philip Gruening who continued to develop the Doberman until such time it became the Doberman that we know today. From a fearless and ferocious tax collector companion, the Doberman is now the well-loved loyal and sociable family pet. The development and perfection for this breed still strives to this day and because of these efforts, it is but definite that the Doberman will become better and more popular in the future.

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The Maltese is probably among the earliest breeds that have been considered by the upper class as a permissible and in fact, trendy household pet. Dating back as early as 500 B.C. Greece, evidence indicate that the Maltese existed, enjoying the favor of people in high ranks and of noble blood. Early historical evidence prove of this circumstance.

Maltese, being so overly welcomed and loved, has been the subject of many poems and paintings by many well-criticized artists at that time; all these works of art depict the same thing- a lavishly pampered and indulged Maltese. Later at the era of Queen Elizabeth I, this breed has been famed as, that squirrel-sized creature always in the arms of trendy, upper-crust ladies. Because of this treatment, the Maltese has been endowed the title- “the aristocrats of dogs”.

This breed is a clear embodiment of everything upper-class: finicky, loyal, absolutely clean and blue-blooded looking. Its little body sashays in floor-length long and shiny hair which definitely adds to its patrician frame. And for a bit more information, the Maltese, during the 16th century are priced for $2000, now that’s a hefty sum of money considering the value of dollars then.

The origin of the Maltese is, up to this day, arguable since parties suggest that the breed either hailed from Malta or a Sicilian town called Melita. Both theories have historical evidence to back them up, additionally; these evidences suggest the existence of the Maltese in both places at the same era! The adjective Maltese, too, is a Semantic word which means “malat”, the root name of both Malta and Melita.

The standard color of Maltese is pure white, however, there appears to be a cream-colored and lemon-colored Maltese; these colors are permissible but not in the competition field. Its average weight ranges from 3 to 7 lbs and its coat is generally long and silky; Maltese doesn’t have a second layer of coat. The Maltese’s hair is also not prone to excessive hair fall and so those who have allergies are safe to adopt this breed.

Maltese is everything aristocrat starting from its imposing frame and appearance to its time and money consuming hair and body grooming. Their lovely white fur, in able to preserve their sparkle, must be constantly cleaned from tear stains. As often as every three days, the hairs around their eyes must be combed with a warm and moist metal comb in order to be able to remove the tear stains.

This breed, all throughout the centuries, had been known by different names including Melitaie Dog, Ye Ancient Dogge of Malta, Majestic Creature, Maltese Lion Dog, Maltese Terrier, Spaniel Gentle, and so much more! The things that never changed, however, are this dog’s ferocity, extreme liveliness, playfulness, and tireless energy. These levels of life and spirit of Maltese are known to remain as is even as they become older.

Like a true blue-blooded pet, the Maltese enjoys frolicking and chasing around a bounded space, example: small backyards. Unlike other breeds larger than them, they do not have to be exercised as vigorously; they do have to have a dose of daily walks, however, in able to avoid behavioral problems. Being what it is, the Maltese is now and again proven suitable for an urban kind of lifestyle, read: apartments and townhouses.

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Originating from the harsh- weathered and mountainous region of Tibet, diminutive Lhasa Apsos had been the prized watchdogs and pets of the Tibetan culture for more than 2000 years. With height of only at 10 to 11 inches, this dog is all draped and heavy with long, dense pelts. They cutely come in hues of smoke, dark-grizzle, slate, beige, red, grey and an array of brown, white, and black.

Lhasa Apsos may look tinybut they are triumphant survivors of the crude and harsh winters and summers of the Tibetan mountain ranges. Their tiny frames are nature-created to possess a compact insulator of a body, a draping, thick and coarse set of hair, and agile little legs that are excellent climbers and movers of the rocky terrain. One of the helpful temperature shields, too, is their long and thick coats which are harder on top and softer underneath.

This charming breed is innately distrustful to strangers but is nonetheless pleasantly placid, chirpy, and independent. However, you cannot expect them to carry out entertaining tricks for Lhasa Apsos are not suited for these kinds of training, although you can reward them with every favorable accomplishment. They are smart enough, however, to carry out and abide by your rules but abstain from using hurtful language for Lhasa Apsos will take these in to heart and may cause them to be withdrawn and disconcerted.

In Tibet 2000 years ago, this breed is a loyal and dependable companion of monks and is an excellent watchdog of sacred monasteries. Their sense of hearing is extremely sensitive and their natural instinct for knowing friends from strangers is superb! Their little forms are in no case suited for guarding tasks but they can watch and bark ferociously and so being a watchdog is an appropriate job for them.

Because of incorrect training and maltreatment, Lhasa Apsos frequently fall into the Small Dog Syndrome, a human induced negative behavior prompting the dogs to act as the leader of humans. This syndrome exhibits inordinate and fierce barking, a short temper towards children and other animals, impatience, and unguided distrust towards humans. Lhasa Apsos are generally none of these misbehaviors and will be saved from such negativity if given the proper mental and physical exercise everyday.

Lhasa Apsos are abundant in heavy, thick, and hard pelts and so caring for them should take an extra effort and require a regular lather of shampoos and lotions and weekly hair brushing and combing. Their hairs are also prone to tangles and these might be hard to deal with once left unattended for days. Having a Lhasa Apso for a pet undoubtedly requires much time and effort and so prepare an accepting disposition for this.

They may look angelic and innocent but don’t merely believe what your eyes can see for this breed is remarkable for their hard-headedness and unyielding disposition which, sometimes, may cause quite a stir. But these are only some of the things that make them unique for most of the time, they are cheery, amiable, and faithful little pets. One more thing, they are not earth bound creatures and so you will never see them chasing rodents unto their pits and they are not so fond of the outdoors that much, too, and so a romp inside the house is sufficient for them already.

Lhasa Apsos lived for centuries in the compounds of Tibetan mountain range. But in 1901, Mrs. A. Mclaren of England introduced the breed to an entire new world and quickly gained popularity. In the year 1930′s, the breed first came to the US and had been a favored companion of millions ever since.

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