just wondered what the orignal use of your breed was?
my is a leo and used for carting and water rescue as far as im aware.
what is your breed and the orginal use they were bred for????????

Original and primary use in their country of origin for the Norwegian Elkhound is hunting the European Elg or Moose.

Ooh, original when? Dalmatians have been used for many purposes, but their most famous role is that of 'carriage dog' - originally a guard dog for coaches and carriages, and later as a decorative accessory. As such they are required to have 'great stamina, and a fair turn of speed'.

Well my American Cockers were originally gundogs (for picking up quail, would you believe?) and Pugs were and are lap dogs, and came from royal palaces in china.  The way some of mine behave you would think they had only left this status a couple of days ago ;)
bye
Gwen

Gwen,
Would you like to groom Beano after a full days shooting with full coat :O
mmmmmm, think I would stick to the shorter coats for that!!!!!!!!!!
Lea :)
Who owns a American cocker and a Rotty croos, I believe the rotty is used for guarding,m and by god does she do that when needed, bless her :D
(picking them up tommorow after not seeing them for a week because of holidays, cant wait :D :D )

No thanks Lea, if it is all the same to you ;)  Actually, I dont think he would take to the gun very well, if he still takes after his Daddy.  None of that side of the family have much in the way of a working instinct, from what I can tell.  Very good at "fetch" and infallible at retrieving dirty washing from the wash basket, of course!
bye
Gwen

The orginal use of my breed was to fight in the ring with their owners and spectators betting on the outcome.
Karen

Mine was huntings Foxes and vermin :D

Mine was, pointing, hunting, retrieving and flushing and yes, they are all doing the job they were originally bred to do :-D

Helen

Herding sheep and cattle

Helping fishermen by retrieving ropes from the sea.

BC's working sheep in the Borders lands of England & Scotland, GSDs shepherding sheep in Germany, Cavaliers flushing & retrieving Woodcock & also Royal & Nobility companion dogs of England, Beardies collecting & driving stock to market(sheep, cattle, geese etc)

Rough Collies were used in the Highlands as a type of Huntaway/Hill dog(hence the barking), Shetland Sheepdogs for working with sheep in the Shetland Isles Often being left like the GSD alone with the sheep on small islands, OES the English multi purpose stock dog, driving, herding , geese, cattle & sheep

u beat me to it gwen lol ed hates all the playing games thing hettie loves it but they are both real hunters up the fields i have never seen ed run so fast when once he nearly got a rabbit were does that come from gwen hmmmmm afterglow ah no it wouldnt be coz there isant alot there its choice hmmmm maby its jackies
fiona

Hi Marie

Same as you carting and water rescue. Newfie

Mine's the same as Cava, a Beardie, originally used for droving sheep long distances, and herding.
With regards to an earlier point about the Rottie being a guard dog, my understanding is that they were originally used for droving and guarding cattle, which is why they should really be in the Pastoral group, not working??

Kay

Briards were originally bred for herding and guarding sheep - this is where they get their independent nature from - they often worked alone.  They are still worked alot in some countries.

Fiona

SWD's - like Lab's bringing in the ropes for the fisherman, also retrieving and fish by diving under the water for ones that had got out of the nets (it's to be seen to be believed!!).  Herding mainly cattle but sheep etc.  Rough shooting retrieving.  They are now used in all of the above, fisherman's dog less so.  They are also used by the army, police and search and rescue teams in their country of origin.

Me with my dogs, not as much as a I should do!!  Take them swimming quite often.  They are always retrieving, Anton has just started to retrieve items from trees.  I'm going to start agility, but I'm just starting going jogging to try and get fit.  Will also try and do some gundog work as and when time allows :d   There just aren't enough hours in a day :d

Siberian huskies were bred to pull a moderate weight over long distances at a moderate speed. They are also bred to be team dogs. Working on a team with as many as 14 dogs on one team, they have to get along with each other. So naturally, unless it's male to male territory guarding or bitch to bitch nit-picks, the Siberian husky will generally get along quite well with other dogs. They are also a pack dog and so enjoy very much the company of a companion dog.

When Siberian huskies were first developed, they were also a family dog as well as a working dog. The tribes of people they lived and worked for often allowed their beloved Siberians to sleep in their beds with them. Their people loved them dearly and treated them as family, just as we today do. This family loving breeding resulted in the Siberian husky being an excellent family pet with small children. A true husky would do anything to have an hour's play with a child. What a wonderful, wonderful friend a Siberian husky can be.

-Tara

Briards also herd cattle, especially in France, and they were used to keep wolves away from their herd/flock.

Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers were breed because the government in Ireland banned peasants from owning hunting dogs. So they decide that they would need to breed a new type of dog that the government thought wasnt good at anything cause it looked like a scruffy mongrel and thats when wheatens were born!:) And the reason people who breed wheaten and make them look too neat and tidy take away all the history of the breed.

sarah xxxxx

Mine are just straight forward bringing home the supper!

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Got elkies the same as Brainless...used for hunting Elk...still do in Norway.
Also got a Shiba Inu...believe they were originally for vermin control in Japan.
Archer

Mini Schnauzer, To keep vermin down, a Ratter.

Although from its name, people might think that the Australian Shepherd came from "down under", the Aussie developed completely within the United States. In the late 1800's and early 1900's the forerunners of today's Aussies appeared in Californi and n-western states as stock-dogs for the Basque shepherds that accompanied the vast numbers of sheep then being imported from Australia. These "little blue dogs" impressed the American ranchers and farmers, who began using them as well. Breeding was done for working ability rather than appearance, and occasionally dogs of other herding breeds were bred into the lines. However, today's Aussie still resembles the dogs that came from Europe via Australia, and great numbers of Aussies are still working stock on ranches in the western states.

The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) was formed in 1957 to promote the breed, and several clubs kept breed registries. ASCA promoted the breed with conformation, stock-dog (herding), and obedience programs, and in 1992 the American Kennel Club (AKC) granted recognition to the Australian Shepherd, although ASCA did not become the affiliate parent club. The United States Australian Shepherd Association was formed to be the AKC parent breed club.

Aussies excel not only at herding, but also Obedience, Dog Agility, and Fly-ball, not to mention Tracking, Pet Therapy, and other dog activities, including being a companion animal and aspiring Pedigree Tripe Hounds :D.

Most (but not all) Aussies are not content to be couch potatoes, and they are quite capable of out-thinking their owners if they aren't kept fully occupied :D  They are wonderful, trainable, versatile, super-smart dogs that will work and play until forever - excellent at herding up labradors, cats, kittens and grandchildren - then guarding them and ensuring that nothing or no-one goes outside by sleeping in the doorway (try opening a door with a large recumbant Aussie on the other side :D  )

Margot (who suspects that Thor lies here watching me on the computer, just working out how to log on by himself ;) )

Non sporting...The original use for Boston Terriers was for dog fighting :( But they now make lovely lil house pets who look like they are always wearing a Tuxedo :)

I don't think Margot missed anything about the aussies, you got the whole story...lol

One of my breeds is the Chihuahua, the history of which I find very fascinating....a very ancient breed.  There are a few theories and speculation about their beginnings. 

Archeologists and paleontologists think that this breed's ancestors date back to at least the 5th century A.D. Natives of Mexico, known as Toltecs, were known to have conquered the southern and central parts of Mexico by 1100 A.D. They had a dog of small stature, but at the same time it was heavy-boned and long-coated.  This dog was known as a Techichi.  It is described as being long-legged, with a thin body, almost fawn-like, and a humped back. The Techichi was kept by the Toltecs as a pet, and this dog was used as part of the religious rites as well. There is a question as to whether or not the Toltecs crossed the Techichi with a dog that inhabited the mountains of Chihuahua, called the Perro Chihuahueno. When the Aztecs conquered the Toltecs and became the ruling class, they also used the dog as pets and in a religious function. From remains found at pyramids and in graves, it is believed that these people thought that the dog would function as guides for the human soul.  Another 'disgusting' ritual that was practiced was the burning of a dog with a human corpse.  This was done in the belief that the deceased human's wrong-doings would be transferred to the dog.

Basically though, it has been used mostly as a pet and in circuses (I think) in more modern times.

Another breed I have is the Labrador which has been described already.

The other breed I have and love is the Doberman Pinscher which was as many people know bred to be a personal protection dog by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector who apparently, by the nature of his job met up with some pretty irate people. LOL. So, he developed a very aggressive dog, quite different looking than today's and much, much "sharper." Even the records of the development of the Doberman were apparently lost and so there's a lot of speculation as to what all transpired. But after Louis, another guy came along and improved the breed and ever since, IMO, it has been improved in looks and in temperament.

They say that some of the breeds that went into making Dobes were; Rottweiler, Greyhound, Manchester Terrier, possibly Weimeranar. There are other speculative breeds mentioned in some of the literature I've seen. In those days (not that long ago) it was said that to keep the dog working the way it was suppose to, no one, but the owner was to ever touch the dog. This kept them sharp. They've come a long way since that time. They can still protect and be civilized at the same time. LOL.

They, of course, as working dogs have many more uses these days and make great family companions.

Carrie


   

Well......

since mine aint pedigrees (and sorry folks, but long may THAT continue) they ARE doing what they were bred TO do!

Hunting by sight, and generally being discreet efficient killers of rabbit/hare  (except i dont hunt hare cos there aint many round here)

:D

Ill go away quietly now.... hee hee.

Erm, Marie, i thought Leo's were basically bred to look like a lion and be a general all round farm dog..... i realise they are capable of carting and water rescue, but surely that came along AFTER they were bred purely for their appearance.

Em

My Border Terriers were bred to control Foxes, and other vermin, and mine still do! :D
Dawn.

Weimaraners were originally bred to track down wounded stag/boar, rid the owner of vermin (foxes and cats) and protect the owner.

They belong to the hunt, point and retrieve sub group of gundogs and are used successfully in both competition and shoots.  We have had only one FT Ch though.  They are also extremely successful in Working Trials with one WT Ch.  There are a lot in agility and a few competing in obedience.  They are very popular in the showring and as pets.

Yes Theemx you're right, I think they were first bred for their looks, Heinrich Essig I think was his name (breeder).

Actually, Sarah, wheatens were bred to be general all round farm dogs, and did everything - vermin control, herding and hunting to avoid the tax on hunting dogs in Ireland. And wheatens now are kept neat and tidy becease they look better that way.

I don't mean the nicely combed knot free coat that does make the dog look better. I mean the heavy, fluffy, English type coat that is combed and combed until all the wave and the shine is took out of it. The breed standard says:

' Soft and silky. Neither woolly nor wiry. Loosely waved or curly, but if curly, curls large, light and loose. The coat should not stand off but flow and fall naturally.'

' Over trimming or stylizing should be penalised.'

And that is what I mean by people making them to neat and tidy.   

sarah.

Yes you were right missie, they were bred for there looks, by Herr Essig in the 1800,s He wanted to breed a dog that resembled a lion like the one on the towns crest. In the early days they were owned by the aristocracy and wealthy and even in this day and age I can understand why!!!!! lol :D :D

lol :D yes you have to be wealthy to feed one!

:D :D :D And the rest!!!!!

sorry i meant the orignal use,as in how they were worked etc.i know leo's were bred to look like the lion on the town crest of leonberg.
but i have also read that: The "Essig "Legend is the popular myth regarding the creation of the Leonberger as a breed. Essig bred St Bernards with Newfoundlands and Pyreneans to create a large dog. These were mainly white or silver with black heads and ears, although some had brown heads and ears and were yellow. In 1865 Essig showed a dog that was yellow and brown with black shades which resembled a lion.
The breed declined but the Klub von Leonberger Hunden was founded in the1890's near Heidleberg and Albert Xull wrote the first Breed Standard in 1895.
which is from the leo club of gb.

Sarah, a correct coat, whether Irish, English or American, is not fluffy (apart from in some cases at the puppy stage), the waves and curls cannot be combed out, and combing should enhance the shine.  It is, however, possible for either coat to be blow dried straight. The heavy coat is NOT incorrect and is wavy or curly and shiny. It is misleading to suggest that an "English (or "heavy") coat is not within the breed standard - I have seen incorrect Irish coats and heavy coats. Heavy coated wheatens become champions in Ireland just the same as Irish coated become champions in other countries. There are too many myths that "Irish coat is correct coat" - you quoted the breed standard and it applies to both coat types. As a general observation, from what I have seen, coats are trimmed more in other countries (including Ireland) than in the UK.

That what I mean about over trimming I did say that specifically say that ENGLISH people over trim the coat, in fact, I meant more the people from the countries where they do breed dogs to be fluffy and over styled. Again it comes back to the old debate of which coat is best. I personally like them both, we have had an Irish coated wheaten and an English one, and in 6 weeks we will be getting another Irish coated wheaten. I didn't say that the English coat was wrong or that's not what I meant. I meant that personally I don't like it as much as the Irish coat. Now im not going to get into an argument over it because one, it doesn't represent the breed very well and two I just haven't got time.

Sarah xxxx