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8 Facts About Chow Chows

8 Facts About Chow Chows

• Chow Chows originated as a breed in China.

• The Chinese name for the breed translates as “Puffy Lion”.

• The Chow Chow is the dog most affected by elbow dysplasia.

• The Chow Chow was introduced to Europe and the Middle East by invaders from Mongolia.

• To this day it is not uncommon for some farms in China to raise Chow Chows for both meat and hides.

• It is believed that the Chow Chow was used as the model for the traditional stone guards outside of Budhist temples and palaces.

• Most every Chow Chow has a black-blue, or purple, colored tongue.

• The Chow Club, recognized by the AKC as the parent organization of the Chow Chow breed, was started in 1906.

8 Facts About Pit Bulls

8 Facts About Pit Bulls

One of the most famous pit bulls was Pete The Pup from the Our Gang (Little Rascals) films in the early 1900s.

Ontario was the first state or province to place regulations on the breeding or ownership of pit bulls.

During World War I, the breed was so popular that it appeared on American patriotic posters encouraging involvement in the war or the buying of war bonds.

Pit bulls are one of a few other breeds (including mastiffs, german shepherds, and rottweilers) that have been reported to continue with an attack after having received a non-fatal gunshot.

Famous owners of pit bulls: Jessica Alba, Jon Stewart, Michael J. Fox, Jessica Biel, Adam Brody, Cesar Milan (the dog whisperer), Alicia Silverstone, Jesse G. James (owner of West Coast Choppers) and Rachael Ray. NFL quarterback Michael Vick at one time owned dozens of pit bulls but they were confiscated relating to his imprisonment regarding animal cruelty because of his involvement in dog fighting.

The pit bull is the only breed of dog to have appeared three times on the cover of Life Magazine.

The idea that a pit bull’s jaws perform a locking action that they are unable to release is an urban myth. Anatomical studies of the pit bull’s jaws show they are similar to most other breeds of dog.

Some insurance companies will not issue homeowner’s policies to owners of pit bulls.

Weird Al Yankovic poses with a pit bull on the cover of his “Straight Out Of Lynwood” Album.

8 Facts About The Chow Chow

8 Facts About Chow Chows

• Chow Chows originated as a breed in China.

• The Chinese name for the breed translates as “Puffy Lion”.

• The Chow Chow is the dog most affected by elbow dysplasia.

• The Chow Chow was introduced to Europe and the Middle East by invaders from Mongolia.

• To this day it is not uncommon for some farms in China to raise Chow Chows for both meat and hides.

• It is believed that the Chow Chow was used as the model for the traditional stone guards outside of Budhist temples and palaces.

• Most every Chow Chow has a black-blue, or purple, colored tongue.

• The Chow Club, recognized by the AKC as the parent organization of the Chow Chow breed, was started in 1906.

View more “8 Facts” articles about other dog breeds

8 Facts About The Newfoundland

8 Facts About The Newfoundland

• Newfoundlands are popularly referred to as “Newfs” or “Newfies”.
• The Newfoundland breed originated in Newfoundland from an indigenous island breed that later became known as the St. John’s Dog.
• Newfoundlands are historically linked to many rescues of shipwrecked sailors.
• Napoleon Bonaparte was reportedly saved by a Newfoundland after he went overboard while escaping from exile on the island of Elba.
• Lord Byron wrote the famous poem ‘Epitaph To A Dog’ about his own dog, a Newfoundland name Boatswain.
• Famous owners of Newfoundlands: President Ulysses S. Grant, Robert F. Kennedy, Emily Dickinson, President Rutherford B. Hayes, President James Buchanan, and Meriwether Lewis.
• Newfoundlands were bred with the Retriever to create the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
• In Jane Eyre, Edward Fairfax Rochester’s dog Pilot was a Newfoundland.

8 Facts About Dachsunds

8 Facts About Dachsunds

• Dachsund in German means “Badger Dog”.
• Due to their excessively long spine, Dachsunds are prone to back and spine injuries.
• Famous owners of Dachsunds: Pablo Picasso, Kaiser Wilhelm II, David Hockney, and General Claire Lee Chennault.
• Legend has it that the American Hot Dog may have been inspired by the Dachsund.
• The first written references to the Dachsund occur in books from the early 1700’s.
• The Dachsund was the first official mascot (named Waldi) of the 1972 Olympic Games in Germany.
• When used for hunting wild boars, Dachsunds were trained to allow themselves to be chased and then lay down and attack the boar from underneath (in the throat or genitalia).
• Famous fictional Dachsunds: Schotzie in That 70’s Show, Slinky in the Toy Story movies, Itchy in All Dogs Go To Heaven, Wiener Dog on The Norm Show, Fetch Armstrong (Stretch Armstrong’s pet), Odie from the Garfield comic strip and movies, Hundley in Curious George, and Mr. Weenie in Open Season.

8 Facts About Greyhounds

8 Facts About Greyhounds

• Most Greyhounds are able to reach a speed of 45 miles per hour in less than one and a half seconds (usually within three strides).
• Greyhounds originated in Egypt where signs of them have been found in pyramids.
• Greyhound racing was first introduced to both the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1920’s, before that Greyhounds were primarily used in hunting.
• When running at full speed, a Greyhound has all four feet off the ground twice during each stride.
• Greyhounds have a difficult time sleeping on hard surfaces because of their lean body makeup.
• Greyhounds have higher levels of red blood cells than most other breeds; this is one of many reasons for their superior speed.
• Due to having no undercoat, Greyhounds generally don’t affect people’s allergies to dog hair.
• The “grey” in Greyhound does not refer to the color, but is from another root word origin meaning “fair”.

8 Facts About Bloodhounds

8 Facts About Bloodhounds

• Bloodhounds were bred specifically for the tracking of humans.
• Bloodhounds are known to have tracked using scents that are days old.
• Due to their large skeletal structure, most of a Bloodhound’s weight is concentrated in its bones.
• On average the Bloodhound is one of the shortest living of all the recognized pure bred dogs, most usually pass away when they are between six and seven years old.
• Bloodhounds were first bred in about 1000 AD.
• The leading cause of death in Bloodhounds is Gastric Dilatation Volvulus, commonly referred to as “bloat”.
• Famous fictional Bloodhounds: Disney’s Pluto, Augie Doggy and Doggie Daddy, Chuck E. Cheese’s Jasper T. Jowls, Duke from the Beverly Hillbillies, Ladybird from King of the Hill, Huckleberry Hound, Copper in The Fox and the Hound, McGruff the Crime Dog, Bruno from Cinderella, and Trusty from Lady and the Tramp.
• Under the best conditions, a Bloodhound can detect as few as one or two skin cells.

8 Facts About American Cocker Spaniels

8 Facts About The American Cocker Spaniel

• The American Cocker Spaniel was originated in the United Kingdom and brought to Canada and the United States in the 1880’s.
• The most common cause of death in Cocker Spaniels is cancer and followed closely by that is old age.
• Famous owners of American Cocker Spaniels: Richard Nixon, Oprah Winfrey, and Albert Staehl.
• American Cocker Spaniels are the smallest of all the recognized Spaniel breeds.
• The only fatality in the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse was an American Cocker Spaniel named Tubby.
• American Cocker Spaniels and English Cocker Spaniels are the only Spaniel breeds allowed to compete together in authorized Cocker Field Trials in the United States.
• Until the creation of the English Cocker Spaniel designation in the 1930’s, the American Cocker Spaniel was referred to as just “Cocker Spaniel”, it was changed to emphasize the differences between the two breeding lines.
• American Cocker Spaniels on the screen: Lucky Bundy from Married… With Children, Lady from Lady and the Tramp, and the dog from the original Coppertone commercial.

8 Facts About Chinese Crested Terriers

8 Facts About Chinese Crested Terriers

• Though when seen some people think they are entirely different breeds, both the hairless and powderpuff varieties of Chinese Crested Terriers can be born in the same litter.
• A number of Chinese Crested Terriers have won the title of World’s Ugliest Dog, despite this there is quite a following of them among dog lovers.
• Most of a Chinese Crested Terrier’s teeth are pointy, similar to their canines.
• Chinese Crested Terriers have been associated with China since the 13th century, but appear to have their origins in Africa.
• Early Chinese Crested Terriers were used as rat catchers, especially on ships.
• The Chinese Crested Terrier was first recognized by the UK Kennel Club in 1981 and by the American Kennel Club in 1991.
• Famous burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee owned a great number of Chinese Crested Terriers and is partly responsible for increasing awareness of the breed.
• Famous fictional Chinese Crested Terriers: Halston in Ugly Betty, Fluffy in 102 Dalmatians, Renaldo in the movie New York Minute, and Krull in the movie How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days.

8 Facts About Poodles

8 Facts About Poodles

• The country of origin of the poodle breed is France.
• Poodles are classified as a retriever.
• The Labradoodle, a result of Labrador Retriever and Poodle cross breeding, was first bred purposefully in Australia in 1989.
• The name Poodle comes from a German word that loosely translates to mean “splashing dog”.
• The most common disease reported to the Poodle Health Registry: Addison’s Disease.
• Famous Poodle owners: “Weird Al” Yankovic, Elvira “Mistress of the Dark”, John Steinbeck, Gertrude Stein, and Winston Churchill.
• Poodles come in three classifications: Standard, Miniature, and Toy. A fourth classification, “Tea Cup”, is not officially recognized.
• Poodles on the screen: Cleo from Clifford The Red Dog, Daphne from Look Who’s Talking (3rd movie), Fifi from the Rugrats, Foo-Foo from The Muppet Show, Georgette from Oliver and Company, Puff from The Proud Family, and Butch from Best In Show.