GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

The German Shepherd Dog is a large-sized breed of dog and as its name suggests it originates from Germany. Although The German Shepherd dog was developed for herding sheep, it is well known for its assistance in the police (K9 units), army and as a guide for blind people.

Characteristics


The German Shepherd Dog is a strong breed of dog, muscular, active and always cautious. It has harmonic and well balanced appearance and maybe that's why most of the people when talking about dogs have German Shepherds appearance in their mind. Intelligent, courageous, obedient, knows how to be aggressive when needed, a good guardian these are some of the qualities of this breed. It can weigh  22 kg - 40 kg ( 49 lb and 88 lb) and height is usually 55 to 65 centimeters ( 22 to 26 inches). The German Shepherd Dog head is proportional to their body and holds on a strong neck. Its chest is wide and its waist thin. Its back is strong and so are their proportional legs. Its coat is double and the hair medium or long. The German Shepherd Dog can be found in many colors, but most common are black, dark grey and light grey. Life span around 10 - 13 years.

History and fun facts


It was the German Captain - Max Von Stephanitz who begun to standardize this breed. Until then this type of dog was just a regular shepherd dog. UK Kennel Club recognized this breed in 1919. Starting from 1919 The German Shepherd Dog became one of the most popular dogs and had many public appearances in movies and TV shows like: Rin Tin Tin, K9, I Am Legend, The Hills Have Eyes and the popular Austrian TV show Kommissar Rex.

Video clip of my Pekingese dog Leo

Although the title of the video clip sounds frightening and scary it's actually a joke! On this clip that I've made you can see Leo fake biting hands and circling around, the form of play he likes the most. The Pekingese dogs are on the highest level when it comes to loyalty to their owners.

LABRADOR RETRIEVER

The Labrador Retriever is a medium-seized breed of dog originating from Canada (Labrador is a geographic region in Canada). It is one of the types of the Labrador breed. The Labrador Retriever is a hunting dog. It is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world if not the most popular.

Characteristics 


The Labrador Retriever is strongly built, athletic in its appearance and very agile. Their size varies from 21.5 - 24.5 inches ( 55 - 62 cm) and their weigh is around 25 - 36 kilograms. Their head is wide and it has very strong jaw. The Labrador Retriever has short and dense hair, it is usual for this breed of dog to shed hair twice a year but the ones living in moderate climate areas shed hair regularly throughout the year. There are three colors of Labrador Retrievers: black, yellow and chocolate brown. Very intelligent, reliable, cautious, friendly and obedient are few of its mental characteristics that makes it so popular among families.Their life span is 10 - 13 years.


History


It was 1887 when the Earl of Malmesbury first used the term Labrador Retriever in a letter. They were known simply as St.John`s dogs before they grew up to be distinguished breed. The territory of Labrador is northwest of Newfoundland. In 1903 it was recognized as a dog breed by the Kennel club of England. 

PEKINGESE

                                                              
The Pekingese is a small sized breed of dog originating in China ( Beijing the capital of China formerly known as Peking). It is considered to be one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, its origins are dating back some 2000 years ago.

Characteristics

Leonine in appearance, it can weigh from 7 to 14 lb (3.2 to 6.4 kg) and stand about 6–9 inches (15–23 cm). The Pekingese are fearless, loyal and sometimes stubborn dogs. Their loyalty and urge to protect their owner gives them reputation of aggressive dogs but aggressiveness is not in their nature. They have large head and wide between their eyes. The Pekingese body is short and heavier in front than rear. Their legs are short, thick and heavily boned. The Pekingese walking is slow and dignified. They have double coat, the hair is long and all colors and markings are represented but most common are gold, sable and red. The pekingese life span is 13-15 years, although sometimes they can live up to 18 years.


Legends and history


According to the legend this dog breed came as a result of the love between a lion and a monkey. The strength of their love softened the hearts of the Gods and they have allowed them to live together and as a product of that love a new breed of dog came - The Pekingese - dog with a heart of a lion and a face of a monkey. In china this breed is considered to be one of the representations of the legendary Foo dogs, dogs that used to chase away evil spirits. During the Second Opium War, French and British soldiers ransacked the Summer Palace. Although the royal guards were ordered to kill all the pekingese dogs, five of them survived and were brought to the English Queen Victoria. That's where the modern Pekingese dog breed also known as Peke has its origins.