The Smaland Hound (Swedish: Smålandsstövare) is a breed of dog that originated in Sweden in the 16th century. Thought to be the oldest scent hound breed native to Sweden, it was first recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1921. They are the smallest of the Swedish hound breeds, and have black and tan markings similar to the Rottweiler. Internationally, it is recognized by a number of kennel clubs and registries including the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and United Kennel Club. It is considered rare, even in its native Sweden where only around sixty puppies are registered each year.

History

The breed has existed in Sweden since the 16th century. The name originated from the breed's links with Småland in southern Sweden. During the time of the Swedish Empire a number of wars were fought, with soldiers returning to their native country bringing a variety of hound breeds with them. These hounds were bred with local spitz type dogs, and the offspring became the foundation stock of the modern Smålandsstövare.

Farmers in Sweden preferred an all around hunting dog as they could often only afford to feed a single hunting dog, and so the breed became adept at hunting a number of quarry including hares, squirrels and foxes as well as birds and larger game such as moose. During this initial period the Smålandsstövare came in a variety of colors, sizes and lengths of tail with selective breeding not being put into practice until the 19th century. At the first dog show held in Sweden, in 1889, 444 dogs were entered, of which 189 were hound type dogs, including a number of Smålandsstövares. In the early 20th century, breeders worked to restore the breed to the old type, with a naturally occurring short tail.

The breed was first recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club in 1921, the same year that the first breed standard was drawn up. The first of the breed to be registered was Skoj av Myren 789 V, owned by Mary Stephens from the Torne valley. At the time of the first standard, both long and short tails were allowed under the regulations. Baron Frederik von Essen is responsible for breeding short tailed Smålandsstövares, which was to become a trait of the entire breed after they were initially developed in Jönköping County. The most recent standard was drawn up in 1952, around the same time as other dogs of a similar type were used to inject new blood into the breed. This was the most recent time that dogs with an unknown background were allowed to be registered as a Smålandsstövare. Currently on average around sixty puppies a year are registered with the Swedish Kennel Club, and the breed is therefore considered rare. They are not normally seen outside of Sweden.

Outside of Sweden, it is recognized by the American Rare Breed Association, Continental Kennel Club, and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The United Kennel Club recognized the breed as the Smaland Hound in 2006.

Health

The Swedish breed club for the Smålandsstövare commissioned genetic tests on a number of dogs between 1994 and 2008. The tests showed that there were no specific health issues unique to the breed, nor any major generic issues. They recommended that where rare health issues present themselves, that the dog involved should not be bred from in order to prevent that health issue from spreading through the breed. They have an average life expectancy of twelve to fifteen years.

The Small Greek Domestic Dog is the modern name used for the ancient Greek dog breed known as Meliteo Kinidio or Kokoni (Κοκόνι). They are widely found in Greece, have traditionally been more common in urban areas and were a popular companion of Greek aristocracy for centuries. Quite fearless for their size, they are quite territorial and possessive of their owners. The Small Greek Domestic dogs are ideal companions, extremely expressive, highly perceptive and they sigh and use their eyes like humans. They insist in sleeping in bed with the owners. They are adept hunters of small game and birds. This lovely breed still retains some of its working abilities and can be a good farm watchdog, livestock herder and impressive vermin killer.At one time the Alopekis and Small Greek Domestic Dog were considered to be different types of the same breed. A large number of images on ancient friezes, pottery, and amphorae show this breed as a companion to women and children.

History and etymology

The dog originates from Malta, hence the Ancient Greek name Melitaion Kunidion (Μελιταῖον Κυνίδιον); "Melita" was the ancient Greek name for Malta and Melitaion (Μελιταῖον) is the neuter form of Melitaios (Μελιταῖος), meaning "of or from Melita (Malta)", while kunidion (κυνίδιον) and kunarion (κυνάριον) are diminutives of kuōn (κύων), "dog". "Melitaion Kunidion" is translated as "little dog from Malta" and the dog is attested amongst others in Theophrastus and Strabo.

The Small Munsterlander (also SM or Kleiner Münsterländer) is a versatile hunting-pointing-retrieving dog breed that reached its current form in the area around Münster, Germany. The Large Munsterlander is from the same area, but was developed from different breeding stock and is not related as the names would suggest. Small Munsterlanders bear a resemblance to both spaniels and setters but are more versatile while hunting on land and water. The Small Munsterlander is recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale under Group 7, Section 1.2, Continental Pointing Dogs of Spaniel type, by the American Kennel Club as a Foundation Breed, and by The Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club as a gun dog. It is related to the Epagneul Français and the Drentsche Patrijshond.

Health

Due to the breed organizations, responsible kennels, and owners having a strong commitment to the health of the breed, breed programs are overwhelmingly very selective in breeding dogs that are OFA/Penn Hip, CERF, and temperament clear. As a result, instances of congenital diseases and conditions are extremely low and any dog clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified from the breeding program. The breed is robustly healthy with rare issues save dry skin in colder climates and water in its ears after swimming.

History

Originally a dog bred exclusively for noble families and to work with their families' falconers before guns were used in bird and small game hunting, ancestors of the Small Munsterlander (formerly the Kleiner Munsterlander Vorstehhund) had to work in upland areas to flush prey for the falcon, then allow the falcon to keep the prey until the falconer could retrieve it while the dog pointed at the catch. To this day the Small Munsterlander has excellent close searching and pointing drive. All privileges and immunities of the German nobility as a legally defined class were abolished on August 11, 1919 with the promulgation of the Weimar Constitution, recognising all Germans as equal before the laws of their country. With wider availability of guns and land use for commoners, hunting became more popular, and the breed was further developed as a retriever that worked equally well in the field and water. The breed is considered to be uniquely effective in working as a team with the huntsman in all phases of the hunt, akin to the close cooperation between a sheep herder and Border Collie. It is an elite hunter within the versatile hunting dog arena and is trained to retrieve, hunt, and track the following: Woodcock, Rails, Grouse, Dove, Partridge, Chukar, Quail, Pheasant, Ducks, Geese, Rabbit, Deer, and Fox. The Small Munsterlander is not a far ranging dog usually hunting close in heavier cover and ranging 100-150 yards in light cover all in an effort to maintain the hunting partnership with its owner.

The Small Munsterlander is one of the 4 oldest versatile breeds and the long haired versatile hunting dogs evolved from the Small Munsterlander and flat coated retriever. The Small Munsterlander is thought to be well over 500 years old, originating from the Munster region of Germany but not related to the Large Munsterlander, and documentation of ancestors around the 13th and 14th centuries. By the 1800s the breed had fallen into obscurity. Small Munsterlanders were little known, kept by a few families on farms around Munster. For a half century the few dogs that were bred were primarily companions, and used when hunting to feed the family rather than for sport. It developed a local reputation as the dog to have when a hunter's success or failure determined whether his family would have enough to eat. At the end of the 19th century, a concerted effort was made to re-establish the breed from the remaining lines in the Munster region. The fortunate outcome of the companion phase in the Small Munsterlander history was its excellent in-home personality. Cultural and wildlife use changes slowly put an end to the "bread hunting" and was replaced by recreational hunting. With the advance in firearms, falconry too became outmoded. At the turn of the century, Edmund Lons, brother of the famous hunting and nature poet Hermann Lons, discovered Small Munsterlanders in two towns in Lower Saxony. Lons obtained dogs from two lines. One line consisted of fine boned, agile, lively and intelligent dogs, well known for their "track sound" on the trail. Dogs of the other line were slow in search, of strong build, and excellent in their use of nose. The background and breeding of these dogs could be traced for several generations.

International popularity

The Small Munsterlander is a rare breed in the United States, numbering around 2000, and demand from hunters outstrips the number of available dogs, so breeders typically give preference to hunters. They're especially hard to come by for non-hunters there and regardless are required to have their dog tested in the field and adhere to maintaining an updated health profile. They are more numerous in Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic and are bred, trained, and tested to high standards to maintain the superior versatility.

Due to very low prevalence and high standards of the breed organizations, kennels, and owners having a strong commitment to the health of the breed, breed programs are overwhelmingly very selective in breeding dogs and are required to maintain OFA/Penn Hip, CERF, and temperament clear. As a result, instances of congenital diseases and conditions are extremely low.

In the United Kingdom, the breed is rarer still. Recognized by The Kennel Club as an imported breed in 2006, they are still to be established in the hunting community.

The Smooth Collie is a breed of dog developed originally for herding. It is a short-coated version of the Rough Collie of Lassie fame. Some breed organisations consider the smooth-coat and rough-coat dogs to be variations of the same breed.

History

The early history of the Smooth Collie, like that of many dog breeds, is largely a matter of speculation. The most common view of the breed is that they are descended from a population of shepherds' dogs brought to Scotland by the Romans around the 5th century. Even the origin of the breed's name is unclear, variously claimed to describe the early shepherd dog's dark colour ("coaly"), or derived from the name of a breed of sheep with black faces once commonly kept in Scotland ("Colley"), or derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "useful." The word could also trace to Gaelic or/and Irish - in which the words for "doggie" are, respectively, càilean and cóilean. This would be more consistent with the breed's origin in the Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlands than an Anglo-Saxon term.

The modern history of both the Smooth and Rough Collie began in the reign of Queen Victoria, who became interested in the shepherds' dogs while at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. In 1860, she purchased some of the dogs for her own kennel. With the Queen's interest, it became fashionable to own Smooth Collies. Thus began the breed's transformation from working farm dog, similar to the modern Border collie, to the dog bred as a pet and for the sport of conformation showing that we know today.

The Smooth Collie today is considered a variety of the same breed as the Rough Collie in the United States, meaning that they can interbreed and some statistics are kept only for "Collie" rather than for both varieties individually. The smooth and rough are classified as separate breeds in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The latter is a fairly recent development, however, with the Kennel Club (UK) allowing the interbreeding of the two varieties until 1993.

Health

The Smooth Collie is a long-lived breed for its size, usually living 12 to 14 years. Like all dog breeds, they are susceptible to certain inherited or partially inherited health problems. Those problems currently include:

• Collie eye anomaly (CEA): A collection of eye problems ranging from minor blood vessel abnormalities to blind spots to severely deformed or detached retinas. This problem is so widespread in collies that completely unaffected dogs (called "normal eyed") are uncommon, although conscientious breeders have been able to gradually increase the normal population. The problem and its extent can be determined through an eye exam conducted before six weeks of age, and does not get worse over time. Mildly affected dogs suffer no impairments, and are fine pets or working dogs.
• Progressive retinal atrophy: Gradual degeneration of the retinas of the eyes, eventually leading to blindness. This disease is less common than CEA in Collies, but more difficult to breed away from, as symptoms are not usually detectable until the affected dog is middle-aged or older.
• Multidrug sensitivity: Sometimes fatal reactions to a class of common drugs, particularly ivermectin, used as a heartworm preventative and treatment for mites. The gene that causes this sensitivity has recently been identified, and a dog's susceptibility can now be determined through a simple blood test.
• Gastric torsion ("Bloat"): A painful and often fatal twisting of the stomach occurring in large or deep-chested breeds. Bloat can usually be prevented by feeding small meals and not allowing vigorous exercise immediately before or after eating.
• Epilepsy: Seizures of unknown origin. Frequency of the seizures can often be significantly reduced through medication, but there is no cure for this disease.

The Snowshoe is a rare breed of cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. Snowshoes were first produced in Philadelphia when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet. The breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, then began a breeding program to produce what were originally called "Silver Laces", crossing the strangely marked Siamese cats with bi-color American Shorthair cats and other breeds. When Hinds-Daugherty left the program, Vikki Olander began working with the cats and recruited new breeders, as well as worked towards full recognition within cat associations. Despite having existed for 45 years, Snowshoes are rare due to the difficulty of reproducing the correct coat markings. The marks are based on recessive genes for color points and on the co-dominant but variably-expressed piebald pattern gene, making it difficult to predict the appearance of offspring.

The coat coloration recognized by registries and associations is point coloration, and it comes in a variety of colors, though some organizations do not recognize certain colors. Snowshoe cats have an affectionate and docile disposition. Due to this, they do not do well under circumstances where they are left alone for long periods of time. Snowshoes are also very vocal, though their voices are not as loud as the Siamese, a cat found in their breed heritage. They are noted as being very intelligent and have the ability to learn tricks and open doors. These cats also enjoy water, and may swim.

History

In the 1960s, a cat, owned by Siamese cat breeder Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, produced a litter of Siamese kittens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Three of the kittens had unique markings, consisting of white points and feet. Intrigued by their looks, she began working to breed cats like them, using seal point Siamese with bicolor American Shorthairs. The offspring of those cats lacked the Siamese points, but by breeding the offspring to Siamese cats, the desired look was accomplished. Hinds-Daugherty named the breed "Snowshoe" because of their white feet. Hinds-Daugherty promoted the Snowshoe at local cats shows, though they were not recognized at the time. Hinds-Daughtery eventually abandoned the Snowshoe breeding program, and it was taken up by Vikki Olander.

Olander wrote the first breed standard for the Snowshoe, and succeeded in obtaining the Cat Fanciers Federation (CFF) and the American Cat Association's (ACA) "experimental breed" status for the Snowshoe in 1974. However, by 1977, Olander was the last breeder of the Snowshoe in the United States. After struggling to keep the breed alive, Olander was contacted by Jim Hoffman and Georgia Kuhnell, who were interested in the breed. Other breeders joined Olander, Hoffman, and Kuhnell, and they obtained the champion status from the CFF in 1983. In 1989, Olander left the program, as her fiancé was allergic to cats. However, by then the Snowshoe had a strong following, and the breed attained champion status with the American Cat Fanciers Association in 1990 and was recognized by The International Cat Association in 1993. Currently, breeders work to attain acceptance with the Cat Fanciers Association, but struggle with the lack of cats and breeders needed for the association's requirements.

In the UK a breeding programme was started in 1986. By 1998, Mollie Southall of Coldenufforsnow Cattery joined the programme, there was only one breeder left, Maureen Shackell. Between them, they had five cats to save the breed. Mollie's senior male, Ferry Vom Friedewald, is an import from Germany and gave us a completely new bloodline. Concerned with progressing the breed and widening the gene pool even further Kelly Cruse of Destrier Cats got involved in 2006, introducing new colours and patterns. Destrier Dodge Viper son of the famous Southpole JFK (face of the Snowshoe Cat Club) was the first Apricot Snowshoe known worldwide. Ultimately with team effort and dedicated breeders all over the UK bringing the Snowshoe Cat to full breed Status with the GCCF elected during the council meeting on 26 June 2013. Snowshoe Cats from 26 October 2013 will be officially be allowed to be shown at Championship level with the GCCF.

The Snowshoe Cat Association was the first Snowshoe club to establish in the UK, now called The Snowshoe Cat Club. In April 2005 the Snowshoe Cat Society was born.

Snowshoes are also fully recognized by the Fédération Internationale Féline^, the American Association of Cat Enthusiastsand the Cat Fanciers Federation.

Popularity and breeding

The Snowshoe is a rare breed, partly due to the difficulty of breeding cats with markings and patterns that conform well to breed standards. The Snowshoe's pattern relies on recessive genes and other factors to produce desired results. One gene, which causes the "V" facial pattern is an example of incomplete dominance. If the offspring produced has two dominant genes for the marking, then the feature will be larger than a cat with one dominant gene. However, other factors may influence the feature, which makes it difficult to predict the outcome. Another issue is the white boots, which can be caused by a piebalding gene or a gloving gene. The genes are difficult to control, and many cats' boots extend too far up the leg, do not reach far enough up the leg, or the cat completely lacks white. As such, pet-quality Snowshoes usually have too much white, too little white, or white features are mismarked. The cats' body type further complicates breeding, as the breeder must achieve the correct head shape and ear set, while still maintaining the American Shorthair's body structure and the length of the Siamese.

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The Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is a pure bred dog originating from Ireland. The four coat varieties are: Traditional Irish, Heavy Irish, English, and American. These dogs have a single coat which sheds very little hair, so they can be more easily tolerated by people allergic to other breeds.

History

The Wheaten was bred in Ireland for over 200 years to be an all-purpose farm dog whose duties included herding, watching and guarding livestock, and vermin hunting and killing. They share a common ancestry with the Kerry Blue Terrier and the Irish Terrier but were not owned by gentry. Today, Wheaten terriers compete in obedience, agility, and tracking and are occasionally used in animal-assisted therapy as well. In Ireland, they were commonly referred to as the "Poor Man's Wolfhound." Their tails used to be docked to avoid taxes and were often kept to a specific size.

Despite its long history, the Wheaten was not recognised as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. In 1943, the British Kennel Club recognised the breed in the UK as well. The first Wheatens were exported to Lydia Vogel in the United States in the 1940s, but serious interest in the breed took another ten years to develop. Finally, in 1973, they were recognised by the American Kennel Club. In the 1970s, the first Wheatens were imported into Australia by Anubis Kennels. Since then, many more have been imported. Recent importation of Irish-style dogs have improved and broadened the gene pool.

Health

Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers are generally a long-lived breed. They are susceptible to various heritable diseases, although are most known for two protein wasting conditions: protein-losing nephropathy (PLN), where the dogs lose protein via the kidneys; and protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), where the dogs fail to fully absorb protein in their digestive tracts, causing it to pass in their stool. Both PLN and PLE are potentially fatal, but if caught early enough, can sometimes be managed with strict dietary changes and pharmaceuticals. Laboratory tests can aid in diagnosing PLN and PLE; Wheaten owners should check their country's advised testing protocols. These conditions have an unknown mode of inheritance, but research programs, mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom, are looking for answers.

Other Wheaten health issues are renal dysplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison's disease, and cancer. Some Wheatens can suffer from food and environmental allergies. Potential owners of Wheaten Terriers should discuss health issues with the breeder before deciding to get a puppy. The Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers are prone to developing the skin disease atopic dermatitis.

The Sokoke is a more recently developed natural breed of felid hybrid domestic cats, recognized by two major Cat registry as a Cat breed. It is named after the Arabuko Sokoke, the environment of the Kenyan Khadzonzo landrace it was developed from.

The first Somali cats appeared in the litters of Abyssinians as long-haired kittens. In the 1940s a British breeder named Janet Robertson exported some Abyssinian kittens to Australia, New Zealand and North America. Descendants of these cats occasionally produced kittens with long or fuzzy coats. In 1963, Mary Mailing, a breeder from Canada, entered one into a local pet show. Ken McGill, the show's judge, asked for one for breeding purposes.

An American Abyssinian breeder Evelyn Mague, also received longhairs from her cats, which she named "Somalis". Don Richings, another Canadian breeder, used kittens from McGill, and began to work with Mague. The first Somali recognized as such by a fancier organization was Mayling Tutsuta, one of McGill's cats. As of the late 1970s, the Somali was fully accepted in North America. The new breed was accepted in Europe in the 1980s. By 1991, the breed was broadly (though not universally) accepted internationally.

A South Russian Ovcharka, also known as a Ukrainian Ovcharka or South Russian Sheepdog, is a large, long-haired (12 centimeters), white Livestock guardian dog.
Breeders have not yet developed a precise theory of the dog's origins. However, it is agreed that its ancestors lived in the Crimea region between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.Standing about 36 inches tall it has a long head, with dangling, small, triangular ears. Its coat consists of long, usually white (although sometimes white with yellow or with shades of grey), thick coarse hair, that is bushy and slightly wavy.An undemanding dog, it can adapt to most weather conditions.

The Southern Hound was a breed of dog that existed in Britain probably until sometime in the 19th century. The exact date of its extinction is not known; it is likely that it was gradually interbred with other breeds until the genuine Southern Hound bloodline ceased to exist.The origins of the Southern Hound are equally unclear. Most writers suggest that it is derived from the Talbot, which was a predominantly white, slow, deep-throated, scent hound, also of uncertain origin, though it is sometimes claimed that it came from Normandy. It is suggested that at some point the Talbot was crossed with Greyhounds to give them an extra turn of speed. However, in The Dog published in 1852, William Youatt states that the Southern Hound may have existed in Britain since ancient times rather than being brought from France by the Normans.The Southern Hound was a tall, heavy dog with a square head, and long ears. It had a deep chest, a long bony body and a deep melodious voice. It was a slow dog, but with excellent scenting abilities and was employed to follow the trail of the quarry during a hunt. Because of its lack of speed and deliberate nature, it was considered best used for hunting game such as hare or deer, which would eventually be exhausted by its relentless pursuit but, unlike a fox or rabbit, could not escape to the safety of a den or burrow. It was still common south of the River Trent in the 18th century. Further north the North Country Beagle or Northern Hound was favoured. This was a faster dog but probably lacked the delicate nose of the Southern Hound. In his The Dog, in Health and Disease in 1859, "Stonehenge" (the pen name of John Henry Walsh, editor of The Field (magazine)) says the two breeds could be differentiated by the large dewlap present in the Southern Hound, but the illustration of the Southern Hound in the same book lacks this detail. How far the Talbot, Northern Hound and Southern Hound were intermixed is impossible to ascertain: authors writing in the mid-19th century were already having difficulty distinguishing between the three breeds.The Southern Hound seems to have fallen out of favour during the 18th century as the fashion for shorter hunts led to the development of the faster Foxhound. Youatt wrote that there were still packs in use in Devon in the 19th century and that the Southern Hound was sometimes used in conjunction with Foxhound packs to help pick up the cold trail when the pack lost the scent. The famous bloodhound breeder Edwin Brough reported that in 1881 he used a pure bred Southern Hound, 'Clara', (pictured in this article) as a cross to his bloodhounds, and this outcross was bred on from into the modern population of bloodhounds.Many of the modern hound breeds are believed to have Southern Hound blood: Beagles, Harrier, Foxhounds, Coonhounds and Bloodhounds among others.