George, the Gentle Giant

OK, these look photo-shopped to me, but Hoax-Slayer says it’s true, so I’m going to pass along this story.

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Trends from the 2009 list of AKC top breeds

In addition to the national list of breed popularity, the AKC also publishes lists of the most popular dog breeds in 50 of the largest cities in the United States.  According to their press release, some trends they noticed include:

• The ever-popular Lab is slowly losing ground in some towns – more U.S. cities featured a breed other than the Labrador Retriever in its top spot this year than in 2008. The breeds responsible for ousting the 19 year national favorite? The German Shepherd ranked first in Columbus, Detroit, Honolulu, Memphis, Miami Providence and West Palm Beach; the Yorkshire Terrier triumphed in Oakland, Tampa, NYC, and Philadelphia; the Bulldog rose to the top in L.A.; and the Bull Terrier was a favorite in Newark, NJ.
• The Bulldog is a favorite in California, perhaps due to celeb owners such as Adam Sandler, Kelly Osborne and John Legend. The breed reached the top spot in Los Angeles, the only city where it currently reigns as number one. The wrinkled pooch nearly reached the top in San Diego as well, coming in at the 2nd spot.
• South Florida loves its German Shepherd Dog. The breed ranks first in West Palm Beach as well as Miami, where it has held the top spot since 2002, the first year the American Kennel Club started tracking city registration statistics.
• Providence is the only U.S. city where the Labrador Retriever does not factor into the Top 5. Despite ranking second in 2008, the breed dropped off the list, making room for the German Shepherd in first place, along with the Yorkshire Terrier, Golden Retriever, Boxer and Poodle.
• Unusual breeds on local top five lists include the Bull Terrier (1st in Newark), the Mastiff (4th in Des Moines), the Miniature Pinscher and Shetland Sheepdog (3rd and 5th, respectively, in Richmond) and the Chihuahua (3rd in Honolulu).

What breed do you see the most of where you live?

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Tuesday’s Top Ten: AKC-Registered Dog Breeds in 2009

The American Kennel Club has recently released its list of the breeds most registered with them in 2009. Although purebred guardians are under no obligation to register their dogs, and mixed-breed families aren’t allowed to register, this list is used as one indication of the popularity of the various breeds.

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Countdown to 2010 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

The doggies are coming!  The doggies are coming!  The 134th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show will be held in just two weeks at Madison Square Gardens in NYC.

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Australian Shepherd Intelligence

A long time ago, I wrote about the smartest dogs, and just yesterday, this comment appeared on that post. I thought it was too cute of a story not to share with everyone. Thanks to Elena for writing.

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Newt’s Nook for Pit Bulls

Found this interesting story from Rachel Maddow when I was looking for something else.  It seems Newt Gingrich gave an award to Dawn Rizos for her entrepreneurial spirit (although she was required to send him a $5,000 contribution in return). 

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Flying Chihuahuas????

We posted a few weeks ago about the good work Katherine Heigl did in providing funding for a project to transport Chihuahuas from a California shelter to Nahua for adoption.  (See the original post here.)  Chihuahuas have recently surged as a status symbol in southern California, but many of the dogs are ending up in shelters when they don’t meet their owners’ expectations.

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German Shepherds Carrying on Princess Diana’s Landmine Work

Shortly after Princess Diana’s untimely death, do you remember seeing all of the pictures of her with children who had been injured after encountering landmines?  I hadn’t realized it while she was alive, but apparently, Diana had a big interest in helping prevent such injuries by finding buried landmines and safely removing them.  The pictures were quite heart-breaking.

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New Breeds Added to AKC Stud Book

If you paid careful attention during the broadcast of the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day, you may have noticed that the American Kennel Club has approved three new breeds, bringing the total number of recognized breeds to 162.

 The three new breeds are the Irish Red and White Setter, the Norwegian Buhund and the Pyrenean Shepherd. 

 The Irish Red and White is part of the Sporting Group.  This breed looks very similar to the conventional Irish Setter, except for the coloring.  However, the breed is sufficiently different to warrant recognition as a separate breed, rather than a variety of the Irish Setter.  Originally bred in 17^th century Ireland as a hunting dog, the Irish Red and White was nearly extinct by 1900, but careful breeding efforts revived the breed by the 1940’s.  These dogs were eventually exported to the United States, where they have now been added to the official ranks of AKC breeds.  For more information, click here. 

 The Norwegian Buhund started its history as a farm dog companion of the Vikings.  The breed is capable of herding, guarding, and hunting, but is classified as a member of the Herding Group.  This dog is medium-sized and descends from the Spitz family, which also gives us the Chow-Chow, the Husky, and the Akita.  Like other Spitzes, the Buhund carries his beautifully plumed tail curled over his back.  For more information, click here. 

 The Pyrenean Shepherd is also a member of the Herding Group.  This dog may also be known as Berger des Pyrenees or Pyr. Shep.  Smaller than the Great Pyrenees, the two breeds often work together to help shepherds in their everyday tasks.  The long, lean body of this breed shows off the dog’s natural athleticism.  For more information, click here.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Gibson’s Successor Named as World’s Tallest Dog

Titan, a four-year old Great Dane from San Diego, has been named as the world’s tallest dog, succeeding Gibson who passed away earlier this year after a brave struggle against bone cancer. 

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