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Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever (simply Labrador, or Lab for short) is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. Even-tempered and well-behaved around young children and the elderly, Labradors are athletic and playful, and are the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  A favorite assistance dog breed in these and other countries, Labradors are frequently trained to aid blind and autistic people, act as therapy dogs, and perform screening and detection work for law enforcement and other official agencies. The modern Labrador's ancestors originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The founding breed of the Labrador was the St. John's water dog, a breed that emerged through ad-hoc breedings by early settlers of the island in the 16th century. The forebears of the St. John's Dog are not known but were likely a random-...

German Shepherd

German Shepherds are large sized dogs. The breed standard height at the withers is 60–65 cm for males and 55–60 cm for females.  The weight standard is 30–40 kilograms for males and 22–32 kilograms for females.  They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle and a black nose. The jaws are strong, with a scissor-like bite.  The eyes are medium-sized and brown with a lively, intelligent and self-assured look.  The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. They have a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace. The tail is bushy and reaches to the hock. German Shepherds can be a variety of colors, the most common of which are tan/black and red/black. Most color varieties have black masks and black body markings which can range from a classic "saddle" to an over-all "blanket." Rarer colour variations include the sable, all-black, all-white, ...

French Bulldog

The French Bulldog is a small breed of domestic dog. "Frenchies" were bred in the 1800s by lace makers first in England then in France when displaced by the Industrial Revolution. Frenchies are playful and affectionate. Their loyal, loving nature makes them a wonderful companion dog. French Bulldogs are an intelligent breed, however their willful, stubborn nature can make them more challenging to train. They require patience, repetition and early socialization. The French Bulldog should have the appearance of an active, intelligent, muscular dog, of heavy bone, smooth coat, compactly built, and of medium or small structure. The points should be well distributed and bear good relation one to the other, no feature being in such prominence from either excess or lack of quality that the animal appears deformed or poorly proportioned. In comparison to specimens of different gender, due allowance should be made in favor of the female dogs, which do not bear the character...

Pomeranian

The Pomeranian (often known as a Pom or Pom Pom) is a breed of dog of the Spitz type, named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe. Classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from the larger Spitz type dogs, specifically the German Spitz. It has been determined by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale to be part of the German Spitz breed, and in many countries, they are known as the Zwergspitz (Dwarf Spitz). The breed has been made popular by a number of royal owners since the 17th century. Queen Victoria owned a particularly small Pomeranian and consequently the smaller variety became universally popular. During Queen Victoria's lifetime alone, the size of the breed decreased by 50%. Overall, the Pomeranian is a sturdy, healthy dog. The most common health issue is Luxating patella.  Tracheal collapse can also be an issue. More rarely, the breed can suffer from a skin condition colloquially known as "black skin disease...

American Cocker Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel is a medium sized, sturdy dog. The head is rounded with a pronounced stop. The muzzle is broad and deep with square, even jaws. The teeth meet in a scissors bite.  The eyeballs are dark, very round with slight almond shaped eye rims.  The hairs are medium length on the body but short and fine on the head. There is feathering on the ears, chest, abdomen and legs. The coat comes in any solid color, black with tan points, merle, solid color with tan points and parti-color.  Examples of parti color combinations are white with buff or red, white with black, b or white with black and tan points.  Bold and keen to work, the American Cocker Spaniel is equally suited to life as a gundog or as a household pet. Cheerful, gentle and sweet, this breed is of average intelligence and is respectful of its master's authority. Amusing, trustworthy and charming with an ever-wagging tail, it is active, playful and devoted, but should be sociali...

Labradoodle

A Labradoodle is a crossbred dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and the Standard, Miniature or Toy Poodle. The term first appeared in 1955, but was not popularized until 1988, when the mix began to be used as an allergen-free guide dog. Currently, they are not considered a breed by any major fancier and breeder organization. Not all Labradoodles are hypoallergenic, but it is a quality that many look for and appreciate in this breed of dog. Since there is no real hypoallergenic dog, the term is often used loosely. Because the Labradoodle is a hybrid and not a breed, puppies do not have consistently predictable characteristics. While most Labradoodles have some common traits, their appearance and behavioral characteristics remain, to some extent, unpredictable.  As such, Labradoodles' hair can be anywhere from wiry to soft, and may be straight, wavy, or curly.Straight-coated Labradoodles are said to have "hair" coats, wavy-coated dogs have "fleec...

Rottweiler

The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market. The Rottweiler was employed in its traditional roles until the mid-19th century when railways replaced droving for herding livestock to market. While still used in herding, Rottweilers are now also used as search and rescue dogs, as guide dogs for the blind, as guard dogs or police dogs, and in other roles. Rottweiler is good-natured, placid in basic disposition, very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work. Their appearance is natural and rustic, their behaviour self-assured, steady and fearless. They react to their surroundings with great alertness. The American Kennel Club says it is basically a calm, confident and courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. A ...