The Curious Compendium 2023-2024: Australian shepherds!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

And now to compare another breed associated with livestock- rottweilers!


They too descend from Roman stock dogs used for moving sheep and gaurding outposts- they get their name from Rotweil Germany. These Roman dogs were mastiff like and were referred to as "drover dogs". They share a lot of personality traits with border collies such as being great family dogs, confident, wary of strangers, and generally calm- as long as they have been properly trained and socialized. Their muscular build makes them apt for a number of jobs such as service dogs, police dogs, and gaurd dogs. They still do well in herding trials even today! Generally healthy, they do suffer from common large breed diseases like hip dysplasia and heart conditions- more notable would be Addison's disease and several cancers.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Domesticated mice, rats, and hamsters!



Mice have been domesticated for a lot longer than many may think- the earliest evidence of such dates back to Egypt! Circa 1500 BC they were used as pets and potentially for pest control (I know I know... but think smaller pests like insects). China and Japan had developed many varieties by the 1700s and some of these were imported to Europe around that time. By 1895 the National Mouse club was founded in England for those who enjoyed their "fancy" mice.

Similar to their smaller brethren, rats have origins from Japan as early as the 16th century. Largely used as companions, they too were imported to Europe circa the 18th century where they grew in popularity. There are a few key players in the development of this hobby you can search more info on if you wish: Jack Black a ratcatcher under Queen Victoria, Mary Douglas who won Best in Show at the Aylesbury Town Show in England.

The Syrian hamster was first discovered by naturalists in the late 1700s. In 1930 Israel Aharoni caught a pair of sibling hamsters from Aleppo, Syria and brought them back to the University of Jerusalem where he successfully bred them as a captive strain. Later in the 1930s were they introduced as both laboratory subjects and for the pet trade in both Europe and the US. And today they are some of the world's most popular small animal pets!

[sbell]

Domesticated mice, rats, and hamsters!

The Syrian hamster was first discovered by naturalists in the late 1700s. In 1930 Israel Aharoni caught a pair of sibling hamsters from Aleppo, Syria and brought them back to the University of Jerusalem where he successfully bred them as a captive strain. Later in the 1930s were they introduced as both laboratory subjects and for the pet trade in both Europe and the US. And today they are some of the world's most popular small animal pets!

It was so, so much worse than that.

Long story short--every domestic hamster (or at least it was for a very long time) is the product of a single male and a couple females that didn't die or escape from the original collection in the field (a mom and 11 babies)

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Yeah, the dark side of domestication is the extent of "line" breeding AKA inbreeding. This happened a lot in dogs also where siblingXsibling, parentXoffspring, and granparentXgrandoffspring were bred together to achieve a certain trait (like a corkscrew tail in pugs). IMO, extremely unethical but also just downright icky...

[bmathison1972]

of these, I have the Papo grey mouse and Schleich brown rat. They are nice representative of their respective species. For the hamsters, I have most of one of the Kaiyodo Hamster's lunch sets (that includes at least 5 species).

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I do know of the Japanese "lunch" figures- really should track some down sometime...

Sorry for missing Friday- I had to check out from the forum as my Mom had a slight health scare. I will be back to daily posts next week! In the meantime, I got some photos updated (new figures, slightly wrong groupings on my part etc.).

[Saarlooswolfhound]

And now back to it! French Bulldogs!


These dogs actually originate from Nottingham, England and were called the Old Bulldog. They were crossed with French terriers, and thus the name changed as well. These relatively small dogs are well known for their appearance- a stocky and compact body, erect ears, scrunched in face, and heaps of attitude and personality! They are very affectionate and playful dogs who love children. They are so popular in the US, they dethroned the 31 year running labrador's reign on America's favorite breed. One unique feature of note- it is generally accepted that they cannot swim! And thus should not be left alone near bodies of water. In fact, a champion frenchie was aboard the Titanic (named Gamin de Pycombe); his owner Robert Williams Daniel survived, but the dog did not.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

English pointers!


Used for hunting since the 1600s, Europeans traditionally used them for hare hunting but are adapted for a variety of game; they have the nickname of being "the cadillac of bird dogs". The breed was further refined by incorporating the Old Spanish Pointer circa the 18th century. Other breeds such as foxhounds, bloodhounds, greyhounds, and bull terrier were thrown in. Working as a team, they initially pointed out hares for greyhounds or hawks (as part of falconry) to run down. They were effective even before firearms were invented! The hunter could just throw a net over any game and the dog to catch it. They are very active dogs and quite intelligent; to the point where they make trouble! But since they are easy to train and love to please, they can be made to be wonderful obedience dogs. Adept at a variety of canine sports; field trials, lure coursing, agility, rally, to name only a few.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Goldfish and carp!


Goldfish were originally domesticated in China about 1,000 years ago from wild Crucian carp, they were considered a symbol of good luck and good fortune during the Song dynasty. They later spread to Japan during the Muromachi period and became popular; the first English mention was in 1711 via a drawing by botanist James Petiver; they weren't introduced to the US until about the 1800s and were first mentioned in Webster's dictionary in 1817. The oldest ever in captivity got to be 48! Most stay small but they can grow to be over 18 inches long! They have a great memory, can be taught tricks, and even recognize people.

I struggled to find information on domestic carp but here goes...Romans are suspected of the first "captive carp"; farming spread to Europe between the 13th and 16th centuries. They are still widely farmed today both for food and "colored" carp as pets. Japanese "nishikigoi" can go for INSANE prices at auction (think along the lines of race horses). In 2018, S Legend (a Kohaku variety koi) sold for $1.8 BILLION dollars!

[sbell]

It turns out there are multiple species of carp identified now.

The European carp Cyprinus carpio is now considered separate from Crypinus rubofuscus, the Amur carp, which is probably the origin of domestic koi.

And since most carp figures are koi or Japanese/Chinese in origin, most figures are probably the Amur carp.

The Bullyland and some French ones are probably the exception if only by geographic origin

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Thank you for the info! I didn't get to do my post until it was quite late at night for me and this was moreso the information I was looking for but didn't find.

[sbell]

Thank you for the info! I didn't get to do my post until it was quite late at night for me and this was moreso the information I was looking for but didn't find.

I learned it when I revised my Yujin fish posts for the blog.

There seems to be a lot of cryptic species buried within what were always thought of as cosmopolitan ones.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Indeed, interesting to think about and make mental note of! I really enjoy fish as a topic but have a lot left to learn still!

Boxers!


Another ancient breed believed to be descended from the extinct Molossian dogs of Rome- in ancient times boxers and their Molossian cousins were used for war by the Assyrians. The breed as we know it in modern times was refined in Germany in the 1800s.  At this time, just like other "bully type" dogs they were used as an aide to help in controlling cattle (i.e. in city environments such as at the butchers) and for the bull baiting sport. It wasn't until 1951 when Bang Away won best in show at Westminster that they gained popularity. The breed is generally considered intelligent, playful, energetic, and family loving depsite their sometimes intimidating appearance. They need lots of opportunities to excercise! The modern breed does suffer from a littany of health concerns- hopefully someday this breed too can benefit from breed renovation to move away from these issues.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Akita inu, Kai Ken, and Shikoku dog!


Akitas date back to more than 3,000 years old in Japan and were originally used for gaurding and hunting. They habe webbed toes that help them walk on the snow, acting like snowshoes. The Japanese consider them to represent good luck, success, and good health. The breed is generally considered courageous and protective, but they are also known to have a bit of a hair trigger when it comes to potential threats.

The Kai Ken hails from the Kai province in Japan, near Mount Fuji. Also a hunting dog, they may have pursued Japanese deer, black bears, serow, and wild boar. They are prized for their intense hunting drive, agility, and stamina; this is a protected breed.

The Shikoku comes from the Japanese island of the same name; developed by hunters known as the Matagi. This breed was originally known as the Tosa Ken- but the name was changed to avoid confusing it with the Tosa Fighting Dog. This dog is known for its urajiro (the lighter markings on the face). The breed is intelligent, independent, fairly aloof, but docile and obedient. This is another nationally protected breed.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Some more rabbits! Angora, black and tans, Dutch, and lionheads!


Angoras are generally thought to have been developed in Turkey in the 1700s but there is some evidence they may be as old as 100 BC. They produce wool that may be less allergen heavy than other animal fibers. They have been developed into roughly 11 varieties and come in lots of colors!

Black and tan rabbits hail from England and came onto the scene in the 1880s. Originally black, they now come in 4 colors with the tan markings; black, blue, lilac, and chocolate.

Dutch rabbits descend from the Petit Brabancon (a breed from Belgium); the Dutch developed in the 1830s in England. They all retain the distinctive pattern but can be other colors- black is the most common. Female rabbits if this breed do seem to have a higher risk of uterine cancers and thus breeding issues.

Lionheads came from crossing Swiss fox rabbits with Belgian dwarf rabbits- this caused a genetic mutation for the fluffy head. Their home of Belgium these dwarf sized and lion maned rabbits became very popular; they do easily become stressed so they aren't reccomended for families with young children.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Thanks everyone!

Australian shepherds!

The earliest evidence for these guys indicates an origin from the Basque region of Spain, later brought to Australia, and then making it to the early colonial US where the breed was made into what it is today. They are perhaps most well known for their lush coats and flashy coat colors and patterns. They often have striking eyes and may even have an eye of each color. As a herding breed they are highly intelligent and easy to train but benefit from being physically and mentally active and may be wary of strangers. They excel at police work, search and rescue, agility sports, therapy work, as service dogs, and seeing-eye dogs.

[Gwangi]

Australian Shepherds and Australian cattle dogs are my favorite dog breeds that I'll never own. And it has nothing to do with having Australian in the name, it's just coincidence. I worked on a beef cattle farm for over a decade where I got to work with both breeds, I just adore them, but they are not compatible with my lifestyle.

[bmathison1972]

When I started my career at the Arizona Public Health Lab, I had a co-worker that bred Aussies!

Gotta admit, not crazy about any of these figures shown here, however.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Australian Shepherds and Australian cattle dogs are my favorite dog breeds that I'll never own. And it has nothing to do with having Australian in the name, it's just coincidence. I worked on a beef cattle farm for over a decade where I got to work with both breeds, I just adore them, but they are not compatible with my lifestyle.

And this is what all too many animal lovers get mistaken- that just because you enjoy or approve of a pet/breed does NOT mean you should own one! Do the research and just get animals you can actual care for and will fit your lifestyle.

I really like both the breeds you mention too. But for myself as well, they're too much dog for my current lifestyle. I will appreciate them from afar.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

When I started my career at the Arizona Public Health Lab, I had a co-worker that bred Aussies!

Gotta admit, not crazy about any of these figures shown here, however.

That's neat! The breed has gotten to be very popular of late. I personally prefer the working dog lines to the show dog/pet strains. And I do agree, there isn't a superb example of this breed made yet. I do quite like the papo but the color is lacking IMO.