It is honestly baffling to us that many of these breeds have been around for ages, others have frequently appear in movi...
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The Noble Snobs
A certain expression required in both the Chow Chow and Chinese Shar-Pei standards wasn’t cosmetic but functional; Bot...
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The Tail of the “Royal Dog of Scotland”
iI you are a regular reader of these pages, you know to ask yourself why a breed standard – or any part of it – is w...
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Nine Characteristics Shared by all Sighthounds
We share a list that is still quoted and discussed by breed experts......
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The Pleading Hound Eye
Away from the show ring, a judge reading the standards of certain hound breeds gets an instant mental picture of the big...
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A Liquid Look
Two species have a signature clear, liquid, and soulful "I'm yours" gaze......
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No Scarves Allowed
It is uncommon for breed-standard phrasing to emphasize appearance rather than function, but maintaining uniform colorat...
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Working the Graze
From a distance, this might look like the dog is meandering, but make no mistake, that dog is constantly redefining that...
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Katharine: A Modern Diana
One theory hints at the choice of breed for a dynamic, active woman, while the other is symbolic of freedom, speed, and ...
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Curl to Ear: Huh?
You won't find the phrase in any breed standard; it's an informal, descriptive expression that fanciers might use to des...
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At Risk: India’s Whistled Names & Breeds
As we write, perhaps no breeds are more vulnerable than the Haofa (Tangkhul Hui), Bakharwal, and the Jonangi, but a 2024...
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The Beagle’s Neck: More Than a Head Pedestal
A show judge mindful of the standard honors it by rewarding a structurally sound Beagle with "good" neck....
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The Ovelheiro Gaúcho: A State Icon
Dogs working on the Pampas had to be able to adapt to periods of scarcity, shifting pastures, and the stress of constant...
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Ears That Soar: Decoding the Gull Wing
Despite their name, ‘gull wing’ ears have nothing to do with actual seagulls – but they do in Whippets......
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Hock? Meet Hock
We should always ask ourselves, "why?" when learning about a breed. Rhe answer is usually found in the breed's original ...
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A “Proud Carriage” – Just the Beginning…..
We happen to think there's more going on with a particular line in the Malamute's breed standard, and it has to do with ...
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Decoding a Chessie Color: the Elusive Sedge
Everyone can understand that Chessies had to be the color of their environment in which they hunted to better blend with...
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Social Lubricants: Lady Ottoline Morrell’s Pugs
Far from being hidden away to keep from being underfoot, the Pugs were often noted by visitors and biographers as being ...
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Those Mystery Holes
Sediment analysis and drone mapping has offered a new theory about the "Band of Holes." Now, if they could just figure ...
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The “Tobacco” Havanese
At the end of the day, the color isn't excluded because it's unacceptable; it's excluded because a finite palette was ch...
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