The dachshund was bred in Germany hundreds of years ago to hunt badgers. "Dach" means badger and "hund" means dog. There are three varieties of dachshund, smooth-haired, wired, and long-haired. They all originated at different times.
The Border Collie
The Border Collie is a British breed of herding dog. It originates in the region of the Anglo-Scottish border and descends from the traditional sheepdogs once found all over the British Isles. It is kept mostly as a working sheep-herding dog or as a companion animal.
The Labrador
The Labrador retriever is one of four remaining Canadian dog breeds. Its history begins at the turn of the 16th century on the island of Newfoundland. Here, its ancestors were retrievers of fish and game. The breed was further developed in England in the 19th century to assist in hunting.
The French Bulldog
The French Bulldog is a French breed of companion dog. It appeared in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, The result of cross-breeding of Toy Bulldogs imported from England and local Parisian.
The Chihuahua
The Chihuahua dog is the smallest recognized dog breed in the world. It was named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where it was first noted in the mid-19th century. The Chihuahua is thought to have been derived from the Techichi, a small mute dog kept by the Toltec people of Mexico as long ago as the 9th century.
The Corgi
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi lineage has been traced back as far as AD 1107. It is said that Flemish weavers brought the dogs with them as they travelled to reside in Wales. Some popular stories give Corgis a creation myth connected to fairies.
The Rottweiler
Rottweilers rank as one of the most ancient breeds. They accompanied the Romans through Germany, driving their cattle and guarding outposts. Many were left behind in the town of Rottweil in southern Germany, they became the breed we know today.
The Staffy
Staffies originated in Staffordshire, England, in the 1800s. The breed is a mix of Bulldogs and the now-extinct White Terrier. Bred first as fighting dogs, Staffies, despite their relatively small stature, were pitted against bears and bulls.
The Pug
In ancient times, Pugs were bred to be companions for ruling families in China. Pet Pugs were highly valued by Chinese emperors, and the royal dogs were kept in luxury and guarded by soldiers. Pugs later spread to other parts of Asia. In Tibet, Buddhist monks kept Pugs as pets in their monasteries.
The Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever was developed in Scotland in the nineteenth century by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks (later to become Baron Tweedmouth) from Flat-coated Retrievers judiciously crossed with Tweed Water Spaniels and some other British dog breeds.
