What do the Sasquatch Outpost, Ape Canyon near Mount St. Helens, the Nepali mountains,  Toba Inlet in British Columbia, and Marble Mountain Wilderness in California have in common?  We’ll just leave that there for a moment.

Got it yet?

Silly reader! These are just a few of the locations where Bigfoot has been sighted.

Legends of huge, hairy ape-like creatures come from all over the world, some even “documented” with grainy photos and videos proving that “Sasquatch” is real. The FBI has even had a file on Bigfoot since 1976. Some say the whole legend of the mysterious creature originated with a trail of oversized footprints found in Northern California in the late 50s, others attribute the phenomenon to North American settlers who reported sightings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Salish Sasquit tribe of the Pacific Northwest had a name for it: “Sasquatch.” The Algonquin tribe of the north-central region of the continent referred to it as Witiko or Wendigo, and even Asians reported a creature they called the “Yeti,” while in Australia, its name was the Yowie.

Most of the sightings are said to be the work of pranksters.

We think they’re wrong.

We think Bigfoot is real. Here now, we can report that Bigfoot is not only real, but it is a dog – and we have an AKC breed standard to back us up.

Mind you, “big” and “feet” are words that appear in the same AKC standards of so many breeds that it’s hardly worth mentioning – but as of this writing, only one standard put “big” and “feet” together, and that is the official AKC standard of an Italian sporting breed.

Yes, it’s true. The Spinone Italiano is Bigfoot.

From its AKC standard: “The Spinone has a robust build…big feet and a two-piece topline give the dog stability on rough ground.”

While you roll your eyes, we’ll admit that you’ve caught us in a mischievous mood, but we’re not entirely wrong even as we’ve had a bit of fun with you. The Spinone is dog tailored to work in the rough, uneven topography of Northwest Italy’s Piedmont region where 43% of the region is mountainous, and 30% is hilly. Huge, well arched and thickly padded feet (even in a puppy) provide sure-footedness and stability to the dog when she is tramping upon heavy brambles and bush on lumpy footing. Encountering water is also part of the breed’s “job description,” and big feet help the Spinone swim through muddy waters with minimal splashing – just one more functional attribute of a breed bred to work in diverse and challenging terrain. Not for nothing is the breed known as Italy’s all-purpose hunting dog.

Image appears with the consent of LA Shepherd
www.facebook.com/L.A.ShepardArt
https://fineartamerica.com
www.etsy.com/shop/TheDogLover