Standard Schnauzer

Standard schnauzer puppies become independent quite early, their trademark whiskers develop late.

This breed, the original of the three schnauzer varieties, was long used to catch rats and guard farmyard in its place of origin, but no information about it predates the 14^th century. Standard schnauzer also have a good reputation as waterfowl hounds, and their talent as sheepdog is highly valued.

These dogs are intelligent, excellent in judgment, and highly trainable, enjoying both physical and mental exercise, although one breeder says, “This bred seems to display their good nature better when they are raised indoors rather than outdoors.” One owner comments, “As they grow older, they become wiser. They seem to accumulate knowledge.” They’re undaunted by height and have excellent spring to their leaps.

Daily combing, especially of the feathering on the legs and abdomen, and quarterly trimming are required, and stripping is important.

Origin: Germany
Size: (male) Height 18-20 inches; weight 27-40 pounds
(female) Height 17-19 inches; weight 22-33 pounds
Coat: Short and wiry; colors include salt-and-pepper, and black.

Siberian Husky

Facial markings are more distinct on puppies, but, by about 4-5 months, they are reduced to eyeglass-type rims and disappear at about 1 year.

These dogs, less powerful but faster than the Alaskan Malamute, were developed from the sled dogs of the Chukchi peoples of northeast Asia. Their name comes from the same word that became Eskimo, though it’s alternatively said to derive from their throty howling. Dense hair between their toes gives them traction, so they are able to grab snowy and icy surface.

Though these modestly friendly dogs are less popular than they used to be, they make good pets for active people. One owner says, “They don’t become too close to you. They are rather cool and blunt, but they love people and are caring.”

Because of their artic origin, huskies are nearly impervious to cold and sensitive to heat. They require lots of exercise; because they tend to wander, run them on a leash, and, if possible, occasionally let them pull a sled or a cart. A smaller, pointy-faced variety has appeared, but, due to careless breeding, it tends to have character problems.

Their thick, soft coat requires frequent brushing and combing, especially during the shedding period, when they lose a lot of hair.

Origin: Russia
Size: (male) Height 21-24 inches ; weight 44-60 pounds
(female) Height 20-22 inches ; weight 35-51 pounds
Coat: Rich and straight; undercoat is soft and fluffy. As long as white is mixed, any colors are accepted; distinctive markings appear on head and face.

Samoyed

These dogs, long used by the aboriginal Samoyeds on the tundras of Siberia as watchdogs and sled dogs, were employed on the Scott and Amundsen Antarctic expeditions.

Dogs of this breed (first registered as the Samoyede, though the name was later revised to Samoyed), are considered to be gifts from the angels, and the upturned corners of their mouths give these friendly dogs, nicknamed Sammy or Sam, an infectiously happy look.

One owner says, “They try to be babied and loved even by someone they’ve just met for the first time. They may follow anyone.” Another owner comments, “These dogs don’t care about little things. They are really carefree.”

Sable or black-and-white coats, which look especially beautiful against a snowy background, were popular once, but once they were introduced to England, their coat colors were restricted to pure white, biscuit, and cream.

The hairy, padded toes of these snow-loving dogs spread so they can grip snowy ground, and they protect their muzzles with their bushy tails to protect them from the cold air when they sleep. They also like to play in water year-round, but they are sensitive to heat.

Frequent brushing and combing are necessary, especially during the shedding seasons.

Origin: Russia
Size: (male) Height 21-28 inches ; weight 56-71 pounds
(female) Height 19-21 inches ; weight 40-56 pounds
Coat: Long and straight; undercoat is soft and dense. Colors include pure white, cream, and biscuit.

Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard, the national dog of Switzerland and the companion dog of old Alm-Uncle in Johanna Spyri’s classic children’s novel, Heidi, is said to be the descended partially from the Tibetan mastiff.

For about 300 years, these dogs, at the time smaller and leaner and with shorter hair, lived in the monastery of Saint Bernard on the Italian-Swiss border. Trained as rescue dogs, they used their acute sense of smell to find people lost in the mountains and their strength to pull these weak or injured travelers on sleds in the snow; during this period, they were credited with saving more 2000 people.

This breed, although it takes a backseat to the Irish wolfhound as far as height is concerned (despite one specimen that stood 53 inches), is the heaviest in the world. Their large paws and feet are equipped with strong toes that bend upward to help keep them from slipping on snow and ice. Bred for alpine conditions (they are said to be able to sense approaching avalanches and storms), they are sensitive to heat.

Saint Bernard must be trained carefully from puppyhood so that they can be controlled easily despite their size. As one breeder says, “From the first day you take them out for a walk, it is important not to let them walk ahead of you.

Frequent brushing is required, as well as cleaning of their pendant ears, and their muzzles need to be wiped occasionally.

Origin: Switzerland
Size: (male) Height at least 28 inches; weight about 167 pounds
(female) Height at least 26 inches; weight about 147 pounds
Coat: Long and short varieties. Colors include red with white, white with red, variations of red, and brindle, white markings on mask, blaze, collar, chest, and legs.

Rottweiler

Large bone rottweiler puppies look like adult dogs that have been down-sized and wadded up. Also, contrary to their innocent looks, these puppies can be a handful.

The rottweiler’s ancestor are dogs that herded cows to feed Roman soldier and supported the legion in their expeditions through Europe. The breed was later developed to handle heavy physical labor by butcher and cattle merchants in Rottweil, Germany, which was then thriving as a border market town.

As donkeys took over their cargo-handling work, these dogs lost their value and became almost extinct. However, their talent and undaunted courage were recognized, and they made a comeback as a police dogs. Even now, they are tough and tenacious hard workers that can survive on a frugal diet, but they have become popular as household pets.

Reliable, hardworking rottweilers nevertheless require training to enhance their natural qualities. They have strong self-protective instincts and are wary around other dogs, so they must be socialized. Female tend to be more obedient and less independent and therefore easier to handle.

Owners must be physically strong to control the large, powerful males, and it is best to have only one dog in a household. Also they need daily vigorous exercise.

Origin: Germany
Size: (male) Height 24-28 inches; weight about 116 pounds
(female) Height 22-26 inches; weight about 100 pounds
Coat: Hard, dense, short. Colors are black and tan, with tan markings above eyes and on muzzle and cheeks, as well as on chest and at fixed places on legs.

Newfoundland

Newborn Newfoundland puppies, docile and teddy-bearish, weigh as much as 21-29 ounces, and their weight exceeds 22 pounds by about 2 months. Later, however, they grow slowly, taking about 2 years to fully mature.

Although the origin and lineage of these dogs is uncertain, they long helped fishermen and pulled freight carts on the namesake Canadian island, and they are also renowned as rescue dogs for disasters at sea.

These excellent swimmers, bred to work in and around cold ocean waters, are unfazed by cold water or weather. They have a waterproof double coat and especially large paws and feet for producing strong strokes, and the thick skin between their toes functions as a web.

Just like literature’s best-known Newfoundland, Nana, from J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, these dogs make good playmates for children, but when they frolic too much, they can be a handful. Another artistic contribution to their popularity is a portrait of a Newfoundland with a black-and-white coat by 19^th-century artist Sir Henry Edwin Landseer; this coat, named after the painter, has since then became popular.

These fast, powerful dogs are nevertheless sensitive to heat and prone to droll and snore.

Newfoundlands shed a lot, and their thick coat must be brushed often. After water play, it should be dried.

Origin: Canada
Size: (male) Height about 28 inches; weight 131-151 pounds
(female) Height about 26 inches; weight 100-120 pounds
Coat: Flat, dense. Colors include black, brown, and landseer (black and white).

Leonberger

These fluffy Newfoundland-like puppies start out very small but grow swiftly.

Nineteenth-century Leonberg, Germany, town councilor Heinrich Essig, a devoted dog breeder, wished to develop a breed resembling the lion depicted in the town emblem. Ultimately, the breed was created by mating a Newfoundland and a Saint Bernard kept in the namesake monastery, and then a dog from that litter was bred to a Great Pyrenees.

These leonine dogs were sold to world leaders such as Napoleon III and Otto von Bismark, and eventually they spread out, albeit thinly, all over the world. After World War I, however, only five Leonbergers were alive, but they were treasured, and effort were made to multiply the breed. World War II deal another blow to the number of these dogs, however, and only 8 survived. It took another 25 years to revive the breed.

These tranquil, obedient dogs seldom bark, love to be around people, and are good with children. Nonetheless, they can become too powerful to control, so good training is essential. They need lots of exercise.

Their gorgeous, water-repellent coat (they have webbed toes and are excellent swimmers) requires daily brushing, especially during the shedding season, when dead hair should be carefully removed.

Origin: Germany
Size: (male) Height 30-32 inches; weight about 89 pounds
(female) same
Coat: Long and flat; undercoat is dense. Rich feathering on tail. Colors include lion gold, red, reddish brown, sand (fawn cream), and combination of these colors; mask is black.