Selkirk Rex

Selkirk Rex is a breed of curly-haired cat with either short or long hair. Hair length is determined by mutations (changes in breed characteristics) that occur naturally rather than through a selective process by cat breeders.

The first Selkirk rex kittens were born near Wyoming’s Selkirk Mountains in 1987 to a straight-haired mother and an unknown father. Only one of the six kittens in the litter had a wavy coat. That cat was crossed later with a black Persian cat, and the resulting litter of six produced three wavy-haired kittens. This indicated a dominant gene for curly hair—one parent must carry that gene to produce curly-coated kittens. This trait distinguishes the Selkirk rex from Cornish rex and Devon rex cats, which also have wavy hair but require two parents with the wavy-haired gene to produce wavy-haired kittens. The Selkirk rex is one of the newest cat breeds, and breeders continue to develop it through selective crossing with other breeds. Because the breed is still young, few Selkirk rex cats are available as pets.

The Selkirk rex has a medium- to large-sized, large-boned body with back legs that are longer than the front legs. Other than its legs, its body structure is similar to that of the British shorthair cat. The Selkirk rex comes in many different colors and patterns, including colorpoint (characteristic large spots of darker fur on the face, ears, legs, and tail, contrasting with a lighter body coloring), with a thick coat of either short or long hair. Each hair is loosely curled, as are the whiskers, eyebrows, and tufts of fur in the ears. The hair curls tightest around the neck and on the stomach. A longhaired Selkirk rex appears curlier than a shorthaired cat of this breed. Unlike some curly-haired cats, Selkirk Rex fur feels soft.

 

American Shorthair

American Shorthair is a breed of common shorthaired cat. The American shorthair descended from domestic cats brought to North America by European settlers, including the pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620.

The American shorthair has a medium to large, powerfully built body, with a muscular chest and shoulders. The head is broad and rounded, with a squared muzzle. Well-developed cheeks characterize the male. The medium- to large-sized, round eyes are set wide apart, and are slightly higher at the outer corners. The ears are medium-sized, and the broad tail tapers to a blunt tip.

This cat comes in many colors, including black, blue-gray, brown, cream, orange, and ivory, which appear in solid, bi-colored, and tabby patterns. The silver tabby, with silver fur, black stripes, and a distinctive black M shape on its forehead, is a well-recognized example of the American shorthair. Its short, even-textured coat protects the cat from cold and wet weather. Eye coloring ranges from blue or green to gold, depending on the color of the coat. Known for its hunting skills, the American shorthair has good stamina and generally is resistant to disease.

Champion Belle of Bradford, a male orange tabby born in Britain in 1900, was the first of this breed registered in the United States. Originally called the shorthair and then the domestic shorthair, the American shorthair received its current name in 1966—one year after a male silver tabby became the first of this breed to win the Cat Fancier’s Association Best Cat of the Year award.

Pug

Pug is a breed of toy dog, believed to have originated in China, from which it may have been imported into England in the 16th century. The modern pug is descended from dogs subsequently developed by English breeders. The dog has a short, compact body; a large, round, and massive head with profuse wrinkles; a short, square, and blunt muzzle; large, bold, dark eyes; straight legs; and a tightly curled tail. The coat is close-haired, soft, and glossy. The color of the pug is silver or apricot-fawn with a black mask, in either case with a black trace from the middle of the skull to the tail; or it is solid black. The animal is about 30 cm (about 12 in) high at the shoulder and weighs about 6 to 8 kg (14 to 18 lb). Because of its alertness, tractability, and friendliness, the pug is a popular pet.

 

Puli

Puli (pl. pulik) is a breed of herding dog, used as a sheepdog in Hungary for more than 1000 years. Brought in by the Magyars, it may have originated from the Tibetan terrier. This small, dark-haired dog worked sheep during the day, while the lighter colored, larger komondor and kuvasz were used to guard the sheep at night. The puli’s coat is its distinctive feature and acts as a natural protector. It is dull black with tinges of bronze or gray or gray and white. The dense, woolly undercoat tangles with the profuse topcoat to form long matted cords over the length of the body and the head when not groomed. Intelligent and vigorous, the puli makes an ideal watchdog and companion. The Puli averages 43 cm (17 in) in height and about 14 kg (about 30 lb) in weight.

 

Rottweiler

Rottweiler is a breed of working dog, probably descended from a herding dog used by the Roman armies to drive their cattle and to guard their camps. From the early Middle Ages until the mid-19th century, drover dogs of this type were used in southern Germany. They were especially connected with the market town of Rottweil, hence their name. The breed, revived early in the 20th century and used for police work, was recognized in the U.S. in 1931. Rottweilers are fairly large, strongly built, and intelligent, making excellent guard dogs. The short, coarse, flat hair is black, with tan to dark brown markings. The tail is short and carried horizontally. Males stand about 61 to 69 cm (about 24 to 27 in), females about 56 to 66 cm (about 22 to 26 in) for an average Rottweiler.

 

Retriever

Retriever is any one of several breeds of sporting dogs, highly obedient and trained to discover and fetch killed or wounded game, principally aquatic birds such as the duck, and land birds such as the pheasant. Unlike hounds, who detect ground scents, retrievers hunt by air scent. Excellent swimmers, retrievers have uniquely water-resistant coats; their mouths, which do not damage the game, are characterized as “soft.”

The American Kennel Club recognizes the following breeds: Chesapeake Bay retriever, golden retriever, and Labrador retriever, as well as the curly-coated and flat-coated retrievers. The latter two breeds originated in England. The curly-coated dates from the 16th century and is one of the oldest of the retriever breeds.

 

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Rhodesian Ridgeback is a breed of large hunting dog, characterized by a ridge of hair growing along the spine in a direction opposite to that of the rest of the coat. The ridgeback was bred in South Africa by Afrikaner farmers as a big-game hunter and guard dog. It represents a combination of several imported breeds, including the Great Dane, mastiff, greyhound, and bloodhound, with Rhodesian varieties capable of withstanding extremes of heat and cold. Introduced into the United States in 1950, the Rhodesian ridgeback was recognized as a standard breed in 1955. The dog has a strong, muscular body and a broad head with high-set ears and a long muzzle. The short, sleek coat varies in color from light to red wheaten. The adult Rhodesian ridgeback weighs from 29 to 34 kg (65 to 75 lb) and averages about 66 cm (about 26 in) high at the shoulder.

 

Pointer (dog)

Pointer (dog) is a breed of large sporting dog that hunts by scent; it is trained in locating game to indicate the place of concealment of the quarry by standing rigid with its nose pointing in the direction of the spot. It was once believed that the breed originated in Spain several centuries ago and then spread into various other countries. It is now known, however, that pointers came into general use in Spain, Portugal, eastern Europe, and the British Isles at about the same time. The first pointers of which reliable records exist date from the middle of the 17th century in England. It is believed that the breed, sometimes specified as the English pointer, was established by crossing the foxhound, greyhound, bloodhound, and probably the spaniel. The English pointer was crossed with the Spanish pointer at the beginning of the 18th century in order to improve the former’s pointing instinct, and during the 19th century with various breeds of setters in order to make it more tractable. The modern pointer is an ideal hunting dog, lean and lithe, with a smooth, shorthaired coat that is white with patches or spots of either liver, orange, black, or lemon. The dog weighs from 20 to 34 kg (45 to 75 lb) and stands from 58 to 71 cm (23 to 28 in). It has a long, moderately wide skull; a long, square muzzle; wide nostrils; long, silky ears that lie flat to the cheeks; medium-sized eyes that are either black or various shades of brown; a deep chest; a strong back; and a moderately long, tapering tail. The German shorthaired and German wirehaired pointers are related breeds.

Otter Hound

Otter Hound is a breed of web-footed hound, known in England since the 12th century. Hunting with packs of otter hounds was especially popular there in the 19th century, but the breed has never been widely favored in the U.S. A large animal, the otter hound weighs from 29 to 52 kg (65 to 115 lb) and stands 56 to 69 cm (22 to 27 in). The coarse, crisp, oily coat—blue and white to black and tan in color—enables the dog to withstand water; also endowed with webbed feet, the Otter Hound is adept at swimming.

 

Pudelpointer

Pudelpointer is a breed of dog, developed in Germany in the 19th century for use in hunting. The dog, which somewhat resembles a German wirehaired pointer, stands about 61 cm (about 24 in) at the shoulder and weighs about 27 kg (about 60 lb). It has a thick, wiry outer coat and a softer inner coat, with bushy growths on the forehead and chin. The color is usually brownish. The Pudelpointer ears hang and the tail is docked to a length of about 18 cm (about 7 in).