The Curious Compendium 2023 Tour Finale: Herding breeds!

Neapolitan and misc. no breed mastiffs!
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Neos, as they are often called, date back as far as 3000 BC in Rome! They have their beginnings from an extinct breed, the Molossus of ancient Greece. This history indicates that they were used as war and gaurdian dogs, Alexander the Great is credited with refining the breed by taking these large mastiffs and crossing them to short haired dogs from India. At this stage, they began to be used in Colloseum blood sport against both Gladiators and wild game. After this, they slowly lost popularity as time went on, nearly going extinct around the WWII era. Luckily, a journalist reintroduced them to the public and with modern refinement they again became the pride of Italy and were recognized by the AKC in 2004.

The other 3 mastiffs (below) I can't confidently assign a breed (the tan is most likely a neo also) but I thought I'd ask- any other suggestions?

Beautieful dogs

Thank you Andreas. :)

Checkered giant and Netherland dwarf rabbits!
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Checkered giants (or giant papillion) date back to France's 19th century and were developes by crossing spotted rabbits with the Flemish giant rabbits. They are quite large, getting up to 11 or 12 pounds and are considered a "running rabbit" breed and it is reccomended to have lots of space for them to excercise. They closely bond with owners and make great pets.

Netherland dwarfs are the smallest breed coming in at 1.1-2.5 lbs on average. They have thick and dense coats that come in solid colors like sable, white, brown, etc. They were developed from Polish rabbits being bred in the Netherlands; because of their small size they are often shy initially, but will open up and bond with owners. They tend to get overgrown molars and enamel spurs- they need lots of roughage to chew on and regular checks on their teeth. Lastly, to keep the breed "breeding true" there are some difficulties; 25% of offspring will not survive, 25% are false dwarfs (longer face, ears, and body), and 50% will be true dwarfs (showing the flat face and small ears and the "cobby body" specified for the breed).

Lovely selection of Mastiffs and rabbits!
Paige,I would agree with you with regards to the fawn dog being a Neo.A guess for the white model,possibly a Kuvasz?

Thank you Taylor!

Golden retrievers!
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Developed during the mid 19th century in Scotland to be game bird retrievers. Early on, darker coated dogs were preferred and the golden color was viewed as undesirable. The modern breed is often one of the most popular around, and considered some of the smartest. They are also easy to train due to their drive to please their owners- this also makes them easily adapted to become therapy or service dogs. There is a golden in Australia that holds the world record for the loudest bark; at 113.1 decibels it is louder than a chainsaw!

Great collection of such a popular breed.

Thank you both!

Bull terrier and miniature bull terrier!
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Developed in the 19th century they were originally used for blood sport (dog fighting) and vermin control. The old English bulldog and the Manchester terrier were the primary source to create the breed;  between the muscle of the bulldog and the energy of the terrier they quickly became known as "canine gladiators". When dog fighting was banned in 1835, the breed then switched to a primarily ratting dog role. Today, this breed is the only one registered with a egg shaped head (a heavy convex shaped Roman nose) and triangular shaped eyes. They are often white, but can have colored coats. They are described as being very similar to a 2 year old- energetic, stubborn, loyal, and playful. They benefit more from a positive and affectionate training style. Unfortunately, the breed has a series of maladies that plague it including deafness (affecting 10% of bull terriers), numerous allergies and skin conditions (one is even lethal), breathing and heart conditions, and even OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

There is a smaller version of this breed as well that became known in the early 1900s. They share a common history with the bull terrier as they were created by simply breeding the smaller individuals. Unfortunately, the health of the breed has improved on the original.

I admit, this is a breed that I find attractive and I would love to own one someday- however, I abhor the health concerns breeders ignore and hope to see a movement to the older type and improved health conditions first.

Two iconic breeds, the famous Golden retriever which is everywhere now and the Bull terrier

I like a lot the latest, I discovered this breed in the late 70's with "Meatball" the Baa Baa Black sheep mascot. To bad these animals can have so much diseases in real life

Which model is the n°1 for you ?

Thank you Andreas and Kiki! If I were to pick a bull terriee model, I think the Papo is my favorite. It not only presents the look of the breed but the face captures some of the personality too.

Its just such a shame- the breed 100 years ago was an attractive dog, and now its one of the big examples of exaggeration in look and the decline in overall health. Just look at the body type and the skull shape over time.
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And I learned something new and unfortunate last night when I was brushing up on the breed. They suffer from a condition called Lethal Acrodermatitis; its a condition that affects the skin of white skinned/furres bull terriers (both standard and miniature) and kills the animal by 2 years of age. The animal will suffer from skin lesions, skin infections, nail disease, hyperkeratosis, delayed growth in puppies, and other health issues like diarrhea, eating disorders, and others. I just don't understand the ethics of breeding any animal that may suffer from these issues. Its a terrible thing, but I digress.

But for anyone interested, I would reccomend looking up different pet breeds (particularly dogs) from 100 years ago compared to today. Even the less drastic changes are telling for a breed.

Lovely selection of Bull Terriers,or as we call them in the UK English Bull terriers!Yes, it's a shame what has happened to this breed and many others.Sadly the ancestor of the breed,he English White Terrier is extinct.Another problem encountered in the breed is that some bitches become over stimulated by the noise made by puppies and end up killing them!

I didn't read about that Taylor, goodness! I mean really this kind of breeding needs to stop.

Birman, Ragdoll, and Norwegian Forest cats!
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Birman cats were originally companion animals for Burmese temple priests and were considered sacred. They are born white and develop their colors and blue eyes as they grow up to age 2. They are a rather rare breed in the West still and often confused for ragdolls and longhaired Siamese. They can have some compulsive behaviors such as sucking/licking, and even chewing on and swallowing things they shouldn't.

Ragdolls are so named for their tendency to go limp like a "ragdoll" when picked up. They too are born white and develop colors as they age. Their eyes can be blue, gold, or green! They are popular for being amiable, intelligent, easy to train and easy to groom, and many people who are allergic to cats can tolerate ragdolls.

The official cat of Norway since the 1950s, the Norwegian Forest cat is included in the region's Norse mythology (specifically being related to the goddess Freya). They are quite lynx like; they have thick water resistant fur and extra floof on their feet and ears to tolerate the cold. They are the ancestor of the Maine Coon, are quite affable to other animals, but are slow to grow and mature (often taking about 5 years). This is one breed I would like to own someday!

Thank you Andreas!

Shiba Inus!
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As one of the oldest recorded breeds (dating back for at least 2,000 years) they were origiginally bred to be hunting dogs. They have a prey drive, boundless energy, and an excellent sense of smell and hearing; all designed to track, flush, and chase wild birds and game like boar. They nearly went extinct due to WWII with bomb raids and distemper outbreaks. They are often long lived- getting up to 15 years but the oldest ever was 26! They have a dense coat and they shed a ton; be prepared for intense grooming.

Thank you both!

Brittany and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!

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The brittany is a spaniel type dog that was developed in the 17th century as a hunting companion. It may be evem older though, as similar looking dogs are a common European tapestry detail during the medieval times. The breed is small (only about 30-50 lbs) and is an energetic hunter. They come from the Brittany region in France, and while popular with hunters of the time, they also were also essential for poachers of this time/era as well. Today, they excell at sports such as agility, diving, and hunting trials.

The Cavalier King Charles spaniel was developed in the 1600s from asian lap dog breeds. They get their name from King Charles II, said to be so fond of his dogs that he neglected his royal duties and thus became known as the "cavalier King". They do keep some of their spaniel heritage in their enjoyment to chase small animals but these are companion dogs, not hunting dogs. They are often known as the "comforter spaniel" and used as emotional support/therapy dogs. They are a shortened muzzle dog (brachycephalic) and thus have some breathing concerns with some lines. They can have eye issues as well, but most importantly they suffer from syringomyelia- a condition where the spinal cord develops lesions and thus neurological effects.

Shiba Inu Great pic! With the Papo Terrier, it is the only domestic dog I have in my collection. If I didn't own the fabulous Kitan Club, I'd grab Safari Ltd.
By the way, it seems you have more Shiba Inu than TAW, a few pics please

What a contrast between the two breeds, once again aesthetic ambitions take precedence over health and well-being in the Cavalier King Charles, it's really sad. I much prefer the Epagneuls Bretons, which are very popular in France, because their morphology seems less altered and they have far fewer health problems. The Papo is really realistic, I like very much the pose.

The same than Shiba Inu for TAW please

Great selection again.
However there is slight confusion over the Cavalier.The older version is the King Charles spaniel which has been around since the 1600s and today is a much rarer breed.It was crossed with the Pug to give it the flat faced look.Today its a much rarer breed and in the US its called the English Toy Spaniel.The Cavalier is descended from these animals.The story goes that a reward was offered to breed back to the older longer nosed spaniel and the Cavalier was created.Of your models the New Ray is the only King Charles Spaniel.Cavaliers are very popular in the UK,far more than the King Charles,and sadly they are notorious for problems with the mitral valve in their heart and therefore for small dogs they have shortened lives

Thank you everyone! Kiki, I will endeavor to take some photos for the wiki- I truly do want to supply anything that is missing, but I will have to work around a tight schedule with very little free time. So be patient with me, but I will get it done!

@Taylor, y'know, that explains a whole awful lot that I have been confused about with these breeds for a long time. And as you said, one of them very rare and at least in my personal experience I don't have a lot of personal experience with the other breed gaining popularity. I will have to research this more; is it a case of the names be confused?

As for the models, I usually go off of what TAW has things listed as given that *usually* they address some sort of advertisement name for X model. That's why I have them grouped this way. So I guess there needs to be some adjustment there.

Guinea pigs and ferrets!
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Ferrets were domesticated (probably) from European polecats some 2,000 years ago. They have been depicted in Egyptian art circa 1,400 BCE, have been written in Roman texts as being used for both vermin control (often of rabbits) and for Roman soldiers to use as hunting companions (also to obtain rabbits) as far back as 6 BCE. Nowadays they are used as pets; they sleep up to 20 hours a day, are very playful, energetic, and can even be litter box trained. While they have not been developed as far as to have distinct breeds, there are a fair number of color morphs available.

Guinea pigs were domesticated from their wild ancestors around 5,000 years ago. They are very social and prefer to live in groups of 5-10 (in the wild these would be family members); as pets, they really should never kept alone, they require having at least one partner for company. With Western popularity, this South American livestock animal has become diversified in the pet trade with about 10 distinct breeds known and many more colors/patterns.

Really goodies