THE SPECIALISTS

The more I see of humans, The more I love Dogs


Most of the breeds have been developed by man to cater to specific needs. here are some of the unusual specialists.

BULLDOGS :


Bulldogs and similar breeds were used to bait bulls - not merely for the sake of sports but also because butchers believed that the practice tenderised the beef.

CHINESE IMPERIAL CH'IN :


This is a breed that spent most of its day in meditation. It used to be very much a court dog; in one ancient Chinese court about a hundred of the dogs would stand up on their hind legs at the entrance of the Empress and would remain upright until she was seated.

COONHOUNDS:


Coonhounds were bred in America specifically as raccoon hunters but they also used for bear, stag, fox and wildcat. The 'treeing' breeds literally clamber into the trees in pursuit of their prey. The dogs now take part in rough and tough trails, by day and by night, which involves swimming in fast streams and climbing trees.


EASTERN GREYHOUNDS(AFGHAN AND BORZOI)


These hounds were trained to hunt as a brace. The bitch attacked the prey's hindquarters, attempting to hamstring it, and the dog went for the throat. Borzois were supposed to pin a wolf rather than kill it.


ELK HOUND:


Elk hounds were bred for pursuit of elk and bear. They have special hunting methods: they slither over the snow, cut off the prey's line of retreat and drive it into gun range.


FILA BRASILEIRO:

Fila Brasileiro hounds were originally trained to kill Indians in battle and later to capture runaway slaves!!


HEELER:

Heeler is a type of cattle dog which bites the heels of its charges and quickly drops flat to avoid being kicked!


KELPIES:

Kelpies are superb Australian sheepdogs which can do the work of six men and cover more than forty miles a day. They separate the sheep for drinking at the water-hole, and have perfected the art of walking(and running) on the backs of enclosed sheep. They also practise the unique skill of Tinning the Chicken, when they herd a chick into a tin can.




Raj Prateek Verma

BIG GAME HUNTERS

The more I see of humans, The more I love Dogs


BIG GAME HUNTERS


Dogs have been used as hunting aids from earliest times.All over the world dogs were trained to find, flush, pursue or attack different prey. For example, the Patagonians hunted with the help of horses and dogs. The dogs were trained to seize the prey. In India a number of breeds such as Alangu Mastiff, Caravan Hound, Rampur Hound were extensively used by the nobility in the Mughal period to track down big games.
Gran Chako dogs, which lived on offal and scraps and inhabited the dens which they scrapped in the ground, were used in hunting Jaguars and peccary : they were noisy and persistent in nature which so aggravated the fleeing jaguar that it paused to deal with them, giving an opportunity to the hunters to catch up!
Eskimo dogs, apart from drawing sledges, were trained in detecting and hunting of seals. They could detect the seal's breathing holes in the ice, and also attack a bear from behind so that the hunter could easily harpoon it.
In Tierra del Fuego fox like dogs herded shoals of fish into their master's net and also stole edible birds' nest for their master.
In Samoa they trained very courageous dogs to check the progress of a fleeing pig by catching it by the ears, tail and shoulders so that the hunters could finish it off. 
The early Muslim invaders in India knew that elephants dreaded small, noisy animals, especially dogs, which they to divert a charge.


Here are some of more specialists :


AFGHAN HOUND : wolf, gazelle, leopard, jackal, fox.


AIREDALE          : bear, wolf, wild boar, stag, otter.


AKITA               : bear, deer.


BEAGLE             :(oversize ones in Ceylon and Venezuela) jaguar,leopard


BORZOI             : wolf coursing and throwing


BRAZILIAN TRACKER : jaguar tracking


BULL MASTIFF     : poachers (trained to throw down but not maul)


COONHOUNDS    : raccoon,stag,bear,op[ossum,cougar,wildcat


COURSING HOUND: coyote (American Great Plains)


FINNISH SPITZ    : polar bear,elk


GREAT DANE       : wild boar  


GREYHOUND       : stag,gazelle,wild boar, fox,hare( not to mention domestic                                              
                           cats and geese!)


HARRIER            : leopard (Ceylon), large cats (south america)


HOKKAIDOKEN    : bear (Japan)


IRISH WOLF HOUND : stag, wolf,coyote,wild boar


KANGAROO HOUND  :kangaroo


ALANGU MASTIFF   : (India ) bear,wolf,deer,leopards 




Raj Prateek Verma

THE GREAT INDIAN MASTIFF: ALANGU MASTIFF

The more I see of humans, The more I love Dogs

Alangu Mastiff :

History:

This very impressive dog is from INDIA, generally found in the regions of Thanjavur and Tiruchin (South).
The dog has an ancient history. Similar type of breed was used by the Persians as war dogs. The breed probably originated in the Punjab region of India and became a favorite of the Mughal nobility as a war and hunting dog. It received huge patronage from the nobility as a result of which the breed was in great demand in medieval India. However, it lost some of its importance when cheetah was replaced for hunting purposes.

Later on, it was used and is still used primarily as a guard dog. A very similar breed is found in Pakistan by the name 'BULLI KUTTA'. This is also a very good hunting dog and can be easily found in rural areas where village folks use them for 'DOG FIGHTS. Although this sort of entertainment is totally illegal in both the countries, yet it is a common practice among the rural folks to participate in dog fights with their prized mastiffs for the sake of entertainment and for earning money through betting.

Description :

Indian Alangu mastiffs are red or tan with a very prominent black muzzle. It has a massive head with very small ears. The chest is deep and the limbs are well muscled.

Height:

Male : upto 30 - 33 inches
Female: upto 27 -  30 inches

Coat:
Very short and needs  very little maintenance.

Temperament :
This breed is quite sharp and very alert. It is inappropriate to keep this breed in a confined space as it needs wide open space for exercise. This breed is quite ferocious and requires careful handling. It is a very hardy and a robust breed and can survive without much care.


Raj Prateek Verma

SHIPWRECKED DOGS

The more I see of humans, The more I love Dogs
 

Chesapeake Bay Retriever :


In 1807 an English ship was wrecked off Maryland and two Newfoundland puppies were rescued, one red and one black. They were eventually mated with local retrievers, water dogs or Coon hounds, and the new breed became a superb water dog, working in rough seas and protected by its coarse, oily coat. It is a very independent, courageous and determined dog.

Kerry Blue Terrier  :


Apart from a claim that the Kerry Blue was in NOAH'S ARK, it is also claimed that the only survivor of a ship wreck off the Kerry coast was a fierce terrier which killed every dog it met and thus established the right to found its own breed.





  
In 1588 the Spanish Armada lost most of its ships off the west coast of Scotland. it is said that some white
Spanish dogs from the wrecks landed on the Isle of SKYE, and Lady MacDonald of Armadale Castle crossed them with local dogs to create the Skye Terrier. The Skye, in due course of time, grew long coats to adapt to the climate. Their double coat consists of a very long outer coat insulated with an inner one of short wool.

Skye Terrier

Labrador Retrievers :


Not so much ship wrecked as shipped, labradors first came to England by boat, landing at Poole in the 1830s. They had long been used as fishermen's dog in Labrador.


Raj Prateek Verma