Tag: dog breeds

Erin Go Bark: The Most Popular Irish Dog Breeds and Names

In celebration of St. Pawtrick’s — er, Patrick’s — Day, here are the most popular Irish dog breeds and names in the United States.

No matter what breed or mix of breeds your dog happens to be, have a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day. And let’s hope every homeless dog has the luck of the Irish and finds a forever family!

Top 5 Irish Dog Breeds

According to the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2022, these are the Irish breeds that made the list:

  1. Irish Setter (71 on the list)
  2. Irish Wolfhound (89; 85 in 2021)
  3. Irish Terrier (131; 124 in 2021)
  4. Irish Red and White Setter (168; 154 in 2021)
  5. Irish Water Spaniel (183; 165 in 2021)

Top 5 St. Patrick’s Day-Inspired Dog Names

Back in 2015, the pet insurance provider VPI (now Nationwide) listed the most popular Irish-inspired pet names, based on its database of more than 525,000 insured pets.

These were the top 5 names:

  1. Lucky
  2. Seamus
  3. Clover
  4. Patrick
  5. Shamrock

The most popular name for Irish Wolfhounds was Finnegan, VPI noted. Dublin, after the capital of Ireland, and Jameson, a famous Irish whiskey, were also popular names.

And if you want to give your new four-legged family member an Irish name, the AKC offers these suggestions, among others:

  • Patrick
  • Clover or Shamrock
  • Madigan (Gaelic for “little dog”)
  • Shandy (which is beer mixed with a soft drink, ick)
  • Finn or Finnegan (Gaelic for “fair one,” aww)

Top 5 Irish Beer-Inspired Dog Names

These were the most popular beer-inspired names, according to VPI:

  1. Murphy
  2. Guinness
  3. Harp
  4. Smithwick
  5. O’Hara

Although it’s not on the list, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bailey, after the famous cream liqueur, is also a very popular name, sure and begorrah.

Photos: peggycadigan; frame.fusion; Kathleen Tyler Conklin; Pleple2000

Study Proves the Breed Doesn’t Really Affect Dog Behavior

“Blame the deed, not the breed!” For years, this has been the mantra of those of us who oppose breed-specific legislation (BSL) — unfair laws that single out dogs based solely on their breeds or looks.

A new study published in the journal Science now confirms what we knew all along: A dog’s breed is not helpful in determining how that particular dog will behave. (Told ya!)

To come to this conclusion, researchers sequenced the DNA of 2,155 dogs and also surveyed 18,385 dog owners through Darwin’s Ark, the world’s largest pet citizen science project. The study was diverse, including mixed breeds as well as purebreds.

The purpose of the study was to find out if dog breeds have certain behaviors and personalities. “The answer: not really – it turns out that breed really is, for the most part, just ‘skin deep,'” writes one of the researchers, Elinor Karlsson, director of the Vertebrate Genomics Group at the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. “There is so much variation in behavior and personality in every single dog breed, it’s impossible to accurately predict the behavior of any individual dog from its breed alone.”

None of a dog’s 11 genome regions that affect their behavior — such as whether they’re social or if they like to howl — were associated with a specific breed.

In fact, a dog’s breed has only a 9% effect on their behavior, according to the study. One example of the minor behavioral differences among breeds is that herding breeds are more likely to want to play with toys. “These differences can (sometimes) be traced back to the types of dogs used to start the breed, suggesting the behaviors are much older than the breeds,” Karlsson notes.

Unsurprisingly, the researchers also found zero evidence that dog breeds like Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous. Genetics do not impact a dog’s aggressiveness or the extent to which they can be provoked by stressful situations.

These findings provide even more evidence that BSL is ineffective and unfair. Fortunately, many cities, like Denver, have seen the light and no longer ban certain dogs.

To help Darwin’s Ark continue its efforts to improve the lives of dogs, you can participate and/or make a donation via its website.

Photo: ericaribeiro

Labrador Retrievers Yet Again Break AKC Top 10 Breed Record

Do you love Labs? You’re certainly not alone. Just as it has for the past 25 years, the Labrador Retriever once again topped the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) 2016 list of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Its 26-year run at No. 1 is the longest of any breed in the AKC’s 123-year history.

“The Lab is such a versatile dog that it’s no wonder it makes a great companion for a variety of lifestyles,” said AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo. “Keep your eye on the Rottweiler, though. It’s been quietly winning hearts over the past decade.”

The Rottweiler was the eighth most popular breed in 2016, moving up one notch from 2015. This was its highest ranking on the list since 1997, when it was the second most popular dog breed.

The Poodle also rose one spot in the top 10, from No. 8 to No. 7.

Other breeds growing in popularity are various terriers, especially the Russell Terrier, which climbed from 104th place in 2015 to 90th place in 2016. The Rat Terrier jumped from 101st to 96th place, the Parson Russell Terrier from 111th to 109th place, and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier from 172nd to 167th place.

The only top 10 breed to drop a couple of notches was the Yorkshire Terrier, which fell from No. 7 to No. 9.

Here’s the top 10 list, with the 2015 rankings in parentheses. I’ve also included helpful links to national rescue organizations for these breeds. Adopt, don’t shop!

  1. Labrador Retriever (1)
  2. German Shepherd (2)
  3. Golden Retriever (3)
  4. Bulldog (4)
  5. Beagle (5)
  6. French Bulldog (6)
  7. Poodle (8)
  8. Rottweiler (9)
  9. Yorkshire Terrier (7)
  10. Boxer (10)

Here’s the complete 2016 AKC breed popularity list.

Photo credit: Jonathan Jordan

3 New Breeds to Watch for at the 2017 Westminster Dog Show

 

Making their debuts this year at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are three breeds: the American Hairless Terrier, Pumi and Sloughi.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is being held Feb. 13 and 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. You can watch streaming coverage of the breed judging for free on the WKC website. The competition will be broadcast live on FS1 from 8 to 11 p.m. EST Feb. 13 (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding breeds) and Feb. 14 (Sporting, Working and Terrier breeds, and Best in Show).

Here’s the 4 (paws)-1-1 on each of the breeds competing for the first time this year. If you’re interested in adding one of these or any of the other breeds you see in the WKC Dog Show to your family, I urge you to adopt, not shop. A rescue organization or animal shelter probably has just the dog you’re looking for.

American Hairless Terrier

If this dog reminds you of what a shaved Rat Terrier might look like, you’d be right — the American Hairless Terrier (AHT) is derived from that breed. It began with a hairless puppy who was born into a litter of Rat Terriers in the early 1970s, according to the American Hairless Terrier Club of America.

These dogs are completely hairless, although some have eyebrows and whiskers. Just like Ratties, AHTs are alert, smart and friendly. Their smooth muscles make them excellent contenders for agility sports. Despite their athleticism, AHTs are couch potatoes who enjoy spending time indoors. And although no dog is truly “hypoallergenic,” AHTs would make good pets for allergy sufferers.

Check AdoptAPet.com for rescue information. Look for the American Hairless Terrier in the Terrier group on Feb. 14.

Pumi

Is that a little lamb/dog hybrid? Nope, it’s a Pumi, which may be new to the WKC Dog Show but is an ancient Hungarian hunting breed. They were bred by shepherds (of the human variety) who needed dogs to help herd cattle, sheep and pigs.

These dogs are intelligent and quick to learn. They need regular physical activity and mental stimulation, so they’re best for an active owner. Fun fact: The plural of Pumi is Pumik.

Check the Hungarian Pumi Club of America website for rescue information. Look for the Pumi in the Herding group on Feb. 13.

Sloughi

Like the Pumi, the Sloughi (pronounced “SLOO-ghee”) has been around for thousands of years. They were bred by the Berbers and Bedouins to hunt prey like gazelles, jackals and wild boar. These rare Arabian sighthounds can be found nowadays in the North African countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.

Here in the United States, they are mainly companion dogs who can show off their hunting skills in lure coursing competitions, according to the American Sloughi Association (ASLA).

Check the ASLA website for rescue information. Look for the Sloughi in the Hound group on Feb. 13.

Photo credits: Rpping (American Hairless Terrier); Inger-A. Karlsen (Pumi); Dr. Sabine Schlenkrich (Sloughi)

 

New ‘Fetch’ App Identifies the Breed of Your Dog — and You

If you’ve ever wondered what’s the main breed of your lovable mutt, but don’t want to spend lots of cash on a DNA test with dubious results, Microsoft has just launched Fetch!, a new, free app that may answer your question.

And if you’ve always wondered what breed of dog you happen to look like, the app does that for you, too.

Fetch!, released to coincide with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show next week, uses artificial intelligence to determine the breed based on a photograph. It also provides information about dog breeds.

“We wanted to bring artificial intelligence to the canine world. We wanted to show that object recognition is something anyone could understand and interact with,” said Mitch Goldberg, a development director at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, U.K., where his team created Fetch!.

“There was an interest in creating a framework that would allow you to take a domain – in our case, dogs – and recognize numerous classes, such as breeds. We were interested in enabling an app to allow you to make object recognition extraordinary, fun and surprising.”

It’s surprising, for sure. It identified my Pit Bull mix Ella as an Italian Greyhound in one photo, and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier in another.

And it identified my former dog Ginger (R.I.P.) as an Old English Sheepdog when she was, in fact, a 10-pound Maltipoo — although, okay, I can see a slight resemblance in her facial features.

Fetch! did a slightly better job with my dog Leroy, which it identified as an American Staffordshire Terrier. He’s more of an American Bulldog/Mastiff combo, but at least the app didn’t say he was a Pug.

If the dog’s breed is unknown, Fetch! displays a percentage of the closest breed, and you can tap it to display the top five breeds that could be in the dog.

Should you use a photo of, say, a cat or an inanimate object, the app will respond with the message “No dogs found!” and will even try to identify the non-dog with a question such as, “Hmm … this looks more like … flower?”

But if you take or upload a photo of a person, the app “will kick in to its hidden fun mode,” Goldberg said. “And in a playful way, it’ll communicate to you not only what type of dog it thinks you are, but also why. It’s fun to see if the app knows it’s not a dog. A lot of the time, it’ll tell you what that image is. When there’s not a dog, you still want to use it.”

I tried using a selfie, and apparently Fetch! thinks I’m a Chihuahua: “Quick-witted, loving, wary of strangers & other dogs.” Except for the “wary of other dogs” part, I guess this is pretty spot on.

Fetch! features the same artificial intelligence used by other Microsoft Project Oxford-powered apps, including How-Old.net, which guessed my age as 39. These apps really are amazing!

The free Fetch! app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, you can try Fetch! online at What-dog.net.

Exit mobile version