The Curious Compendium 2023 Tour Finale: Shih-tzu, maltese, pekingese!

So many dogs, i think your are sa

Thanks you two!

Basset hounds!
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The name basset is French for "low", just like in corgis and dachshunds this breed carries a gene for dwarfism. This breed has been around since the 7th century and were originally used for hunting game like birds, deer, and small mammals. Being a hound, they have the second best scenting traits of all dogs, love to be in social packs vs. being alone, and have a loud, distance traveling baying bark. This breed is high maintenance as they need regular bathing/grooming to maintain their skin and coat, are susceptible to a variety of health concerns including obesity (not the least of their worries!). But they are very friendly, easy going, family loving dogs.

Roger-Paige is correct about the origins of the Kelpies as they were originally imported from Scotland by Scottish settlers in Australia.There were a number of dogs called Kelpie and they were told apart by the owners names.Most of the original Kelpies were dark brown or black and tan but a black dog appeared and he was name Barb after a famous racehorse and sometimes all black Kelpies are called Barbs.

Nice too

Ah thank you Taylor! And Andreas of course!

Kurilian bobtails, Japanese bobtails, Manx, and American curls!
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Kurilian bobcats are from a chain if volcanic islands that span between Hokkaido, Japan and Kamchatka, Russia; called the Kuril Islands. The breed is thought to be a mixture of the Japanese bobtail and Siberian cats brought together by sailors. These cats caught the attention of explorers who brought the short tailed cats home to Russia in the 1900s; today they are rare in the West, but are more commonly found in Eastern regions such as Russia and Japan. They are a fairly large breed but are gentle and outgoing.

The Japanese bobtail is thought to have originated in China and was brought to Japan in the 7th century as a gift between Emperors. In the 1600s the breed is creditex with saving the silk industry from a threatening rodent population! Still a rare breed in general, they can be seen in the good luck charms that depict Maneki-Neko. They are social, sweet, and vocal.

The manx has a murkier history- its earliest recording is in 1750 and it may have come from the Isle of Man or it may have been a tailless cat that was brought there. In either case, their unique look of having no tail is caused by a mutation that quickly spread throughout the isolated island population. Some may be completely tailless, others might have some length and each degree has its own designation.

The American Curl began when a family discovered a cat outside their home with the unique trait- when bred she passed the trait to her kittens and so breed development began circa 1981 in California. The trait is a dominant gene, meaning kittens only need one copy to express the uniquely curled back ears. Unlike Scottish folds, this trait has no negative associates health risks! The gene pool was kept very wide so the cats can be just about any color or coat type; they have very kitten like behavior their entire lives and are very friendly. They can be more prone to ear infections given their unique ear shape (a functional condition rather than a genetic one) and their love of water. If I were to ever get a purebred cat this is one of my favorites!

Dobermans!
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Developed during the 1800s in Germany by Louis Dobermann, they were originally used as gaurd dogs when he went to collect taxes (his profession). They are believed to be the result of mixing German pinscher, great dane, German shepherd, Manchester terrier, and greyhounds. Today they have been adapted to search and rescue dogs, therapy dogs, and for military/police work; they also excel at sports such as agility, dock diving, fly ball, obedience, and others. These energetic dogs need lots of excercise but are considered to be very sweet, intelligent, perceptive, and as having a great sense of humor. As a larger breed they have several common health concerns like hip dysplasia, but also have some other tendencies for diseases like von Willebrand's disease.

Beware the dog

I like the large doberman..

landrover wrote:

I like the large doberman..

Me too! That's a AAA model.

Thank you both!

Thanks Taylor!

Shih-tzu, Maltese, Pekingese!
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The Shih-tzu gets its name from the phrase's meaning in Mandarin Chinese- "little lion". They came from Tibet  and were gifted to Chinese royalty. These dogs were refined to have a long double coat, to be friendly, social, and affectionate. They do suffer from a number of health concerns including respiratory, dental, eye, and joint conditions. 

The maltese was developed in Malta some 2,500 years ago! They have been featured in Greek art and mentioned in works of Aristotle. Despite their small size they are small athletes and benefit from plenty of play and walks as well as enjoy sports such as agility. These dogs are well known family pets given their affectionate, intelligent,, and obedient  traits. 

The pekingnese was bred to resemble the Chinese "Foo dog". Althought small, they were bred to be fierce gaurdians of their owners family and property (originally only royalty could own them). They too bond closely to family, are great alert dogs, and require little excercise but need lots of grooming. They too have some health issues including dry eye, dental disease, and respiratory concerns.