Breed Spotlight

Last week the Breed Spotlight looked at the very unique Xolo and this week Best Bully Sticks looks at another very unique breed, the Norwegian Lundehund.  Just keep reading to find about this surprising breed!

History & Background: The Norwegian Lundehund was used as a Puffin hunter in arctic Norway and has gained many interesting physical traits over time because of this. This dog wrestled and retrieved the birds from the crevices of steep vertical cliffs. When the Puffin bird became a protected species in the 1800s, the dogs were no longer of use to the farmers and breed number dwindled. During WWII two concerned Norwegians saved the breed yet numbers are still limited today.

Height: 13-15 inches (male), 12-14  inches (female)

Weight: 13-20 pounds

Coat: The Norwegian Lundehund has a double coat with a hard outer coat and a dense, soft undercoat. This dogs fur is short on the head and the front of the legs and longer and thicker around the neck and the back of the thighs. Hair on the tail is plentiful and is feathered. The males have even more fur around their neck.

Color: Sandy brown (fallow) to reddish brown to tan with black tips and white markings, or white with red or dark markings. More black comes out in this breeds hair the older this dog gets. Read more

It's Thursday and that means Best Bully Stick's Breed Spotlight. This week we continue with our six part series of the newly registered AKC breeds.  So far we've look at the Cesky Terrier, the American English Coonhound and the Xoloitzcuintli. This week we look at the short and strong Entlebucher Mountain Dog.

History & Background: The Entlebucher Mountain Dog is a part of larger breed of dogs called the Sennenhund breed.  Coming from a Swiss background, this dog is used to move cows from pasture to pasture. As the name suggest, this breed originated in Entlebuch.

Height: 17 -21 inches (male), 16-20 inches (female)

Weight: 45-65 pounds

Coat: The Entlebucher Mountain Dog has a double coat. The topcoat is short, close fitting, hard and shiny.  The undercoat tends to be thick with varying colors.

Color: This breed is tri-colored with the basic color being black.  Tan markings are usually above the eyes, on cheeks, muzzle, sides of the chest, under the tail and on the legs. White accents usually appear on the forehead, bridge of the nose, on the feet and tail.

Appearance: The Entlebucher is medium-sized, compact, and well muscled.  This dog has small triangular ears and small brown eyes.

Temperament: Because this dog is a working dog, this breed should be socialized early in life with other dogs and people.  The Entlebucher is neither shy nor vicious, is very active and requires lots of exercise. This dog is very loyal to its owners, highly intelligent and makes a great companion.

Health: Inbreeding was common for the Entlebucher because of a small foundation stock number, which led to health problems such as hip dysplasia.  Retinal Atrophy can be present in this breed as well.

Product Suggestions: The Entlebucher is going to love our Elk Antlers.  They are extremely durable chews that this tenacious breed will spend hours on.  West Paw Design Dog Toys offers nearly indestructible toys that even the Entlebucher will have a hard time getting though.

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Would your dog like to be in the spotlight?

If you would like your dog spotlighted or want to recommend a dog breed you love for our next Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed entry please send us an email with the subject “Spotlight My Dog”. If you are submitting your very own dog don’t forget to send over a photogenic pic and a short 2-3 sentence bio about your canine buddy.

The Super Bowl is over. We know the winner and the season has ended, but if your a dog lover, your big competition to watch hasn't begun. The "Super Bowl" of dog shows is coming your way next week! The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show be televised on USA Network and CNBC Monday, Feb. 13 and Tuesday, Feb. 14. from Madison Square Garden in New York.

This year marks the 136th Westminster Dog Show and continues the yearly tradition of America's oldest organization dedicated to purebred dogs.  This year, over 2,000 dogs are competing for Best In Show title.  What's great about this years competition is that six new breeds will be gracing the stage at Westminster. BBS has been covering these breeds in our Breed Spotlights every week. They include the Cesky Terrier, the American English Coonhound, the Xoloitzcuintli, the Entlebucher Mountain Dog, the Norwegian Lundehund and the Finnish Lapphund.

Monday night's competition will showcase the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups airing on USA starting at 8 ET on USA Network and continue at 9 on CNBC. Tuesday night audiences will see the Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups as well as Best In Show starting at 8 ET on USA Network.  So, curl up with you pup and some treats and watch the Westminster Dog Show this Monday and Tuesday.

Fun Facts About Westminster

-First held in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is America's second-longest continuously held sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby.

-Westminster pre-dates the invention of the light bulb and the automobile, the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Washington Monument, the invention of basketball and the establishment of the World Series.

-A portion of the proceeds from Westminster's first show in 1877 was donated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to establish a home for stray and disabled animals.

-There have been a total of 301,650 dogs entered in Westminster's 134 shows through 2011

-Westminster was established in 1877, pre-dating the founding of the governing body of the sport, the American Kennel Club, which was established in 1884.

This week Best Bully Sticks continues it's breed spotlight with a truly unique dog.  The Xoloitzcuintli, called the "show-low" (Xolo) is the proper name for what many call a Mexican Hairless.  Although this dog is one of the six breeds just recognized by the AKC, this dog is one of the world's oldest and rarest breeds.

History & Background: The Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-eats-queen-tlee) is an ancient, natural breed from Mexico.  It is sometimes called the "First Dog of the Americas" and from archaeological evidence accompanied man on his first migrations across the Bering Straits.  The name is derived from the Aztec Indian god Xolotl and the Aztec word for dog, Itzcuintli.  These dogs had a reputation as healers and were put to use in Mexican and Central American villages to treat ailments like arthritis, asthma, toothaches and insomnia.  Xolos were also believed to guard the home from evil spirits and intruders.

Height: 10-14 inches (Toy), 14-18 inches (Miniature), 18-23 inches (Standard)

Weight: 10-50 pounds depending on breed size.

Coat: Obviously, the Xoloitzcuintli being a "Mexican Hairless" correctly characterizes the state of the dogs appearance.  However, some Xolos have a short amount of short course hair on the top of their head, feet and tip of the tail.  The Xolo's skin is tough, protective, smooth and close fitting.  In a Xolo litter, there are hairless and coated puppies, yet the lack of hair is the more common trait.

Color: This coloring of this breed is most commonly uniformly black or bluish-gray. However, red, liver and bronze colors exist as well.  Splashes or spots of white are common as well.

Appearance: The Xolo has a graceful outline because of this breed's strength and agility.  The body proportions are rectangular and muscular.  This dog has dark, almond shaped eyes and upright bat-like ears.

Temperament: This breed is very calm, attentive and highly intelligent.  They are very loyal dogs and have a guard dog type temperament. In other words, they won't back down from a fight, but if trained well are well-behaved and very affectionate.

Health: Xolos originated in tropical climates and are not suited for cold outdoor temperatures.  Because of their hairless nature, this dog can have skin problems if bathed too often.  Light grooming is recommended.  A Xolo should have soft and hardy skin. These dogs anywhere from 15 to 20 years.

Product Suggestions: The Xolo would most likely enjoy any of BBS's lamb products that range from ears to lungs, to filets and bones.  They're healthy, all-natural and dogs think they are tasty!  Because this breed is very intelligent, BBS carries toys that will truly demonstrate this dog's genius.  The Nina Ottosson Dog Toys challenge your dog to find the treat hidden within the toy.  These toys will keep your pooch entertained for hours.

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Would your dog like to be in the spotlight?

If you would like your dog spotlighted or want to recommend a dog breed you love for our next Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed entry please send us an email with the subject “Spotlight My Dog”. If you are submitting your very own dog don’t forget to send over a photogenic pic and a short 2-3 sentence bio about your canine buddy.

Best Bully Sticks loves dogs. It's undeniable. In fact, we love them so much we talk about them all day. Our weekly breed spotlights are especially made for that.  Last week we talked about the Cesky Terrier as a part of the new batch of AKC registered dogs.  This week we continue our New AKC Breeds Series by talking about the American English Coonhound.

Height: 24-27 inches (male), 23-25 inches (female)

Weight: 50-75 pounds

Coat: This coonhound has medium-length coarse, hard hair.

Color: The American English Coonhound's coloring has several color and ticking combinations.  Ticking refers a pattern of small spots found in the white part of a dog's coat.  Color and ticking combinations include red and white ticked, blue and white ticked, tri-colored with ticking, red and white and white and black.

Appearance: This hound has a strong and lean body with a deep chest. Other features include a strong back, well-defined muscles, a broad head and low-set soft ears.  All these features make for a graceful and athletic dog.

Temperament: Pleasant, alert and sociable are all strong behaviors for this hound breed.  Although this breed can be somewhat meek at times, they are avid hunters.  They are known for being great companions and are fiercely loyal to their owners as well as easily trainable. They aren't quiet dogs and tend to bark or "bawl" at people or prey.

Health: The American English Coonhound needs lots of exercise because of their working dog background.  There are some cases of hip dysplasia, but this breed usually lives 12-15 years.

History & Background: This specific breed of coonhound evolved from English Foxhounds, which were brought to the New World and called Virginia Hounds.  As a hunting dog, this breed was used to hunt fox during the day and raccoons at night.

Product Suggestions: This Coonhound is strong and loves a work out. We would give this breed something tough to tackle, like our 12 inch Monster Bully Stick.  This stick truly is a monster and will keep this hound, and hounds like him, occupied.  For a toy, this breed would enjoy the Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Glow for Good Ball.  This ball not only is extremely durable, but allows playtime to last all night and day.

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Would your dog like to be in the spotlight?

If you would like your dog spotlighted or want to recommend a dog breed you love for our next Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed entry please send us an email with the subject “Spotlight My Dog”. If you are submitting your very own dog don’t forget to send over a photogenic pic and a short 2-3 sentence bio about your canine buddy.