The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. This “American Gentleman” was accepted in 1893 by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. Colour and markings are important when distinguishing this breed to the AKC standard. They should be either black, brindle or seal with white markings. Bostons are small and compact with a short tail and erect ears. They are intelligent and friendly and can be stubborn at times. The average life span of a Boston is 13 years.

Appearance

The Boston Terrier is a lively and highly intelligent breed. Typical physical traits include a smooth coat, and both a short head and tail resulting in a balanced compact build. Colouring is primarily brindle, seal or black in colour and evenly marked with white. The head is in proportion to the size of the dog and the expression indicates a high degree of intelligence.

The body is rather short and well knit, the limbs strong and neatly turned, the tail is short and no feature is so prominent that the dog appears badly proportioned. The dog conveys an impression of determination, strength and activity, with style of a high order; carriage easy and graceful. A proportionate combination of “Colour and White Markings” is a particularly distinctive feature of a representative specimen.

“Balance, Expression, Colour and White Markings” should be given particular consideration in determining the relative value of general appearance to other points.

Size

Boston Terriers are typically small, compactly built, well proportioned dogs with erect ears, short tails, and a short muzzle that should be free of wrinkles. They usually have a square sort of face. According to international breed standard, the dog should weigh no less than 10 pounds and no more than 25 pounds. Boston Terriers usually stand 15-17 inches at the withers.

Coat and colour

The Boston Terrier is characteristically marked with white in proportion to either black, brindle, seal, or a combination of the three. Seal is a colour specifically used to describe Boston Terriers and is defined as a black colour with red highlights when viewed in the sun or bright light. Black, Brindle, and Seal (all on white) are the only colours recognised by the AKC. There are also liver, brown, cream or red and white Boston Terriers, however these marking are more rare than the others listed above, and are disqualified from AKC events. If all other qualities are identical, brindle is the preferred colour according to most breed standards.

Ideally, white should cover its chest, muzzle, band around the neck, half way up the forelegs, up to the hocks on the rear legs, and a white blaze between but not touching the eyes. For conformation showing, symmetrical markings are preferred. Due to the Boston Terrier’s markings resembling formal wear, in addition to its refined and pleasant personality, the breed is commonly referred to as the “American Gentleman.”

Temperament

Boston Terriers have strong, friendly personalities. Bostons can range in temperaments from those that are eager to please their master to those that are more stubborn. Both can be easily trained given a patient and assertive owner.

While originally bred for fighting, they were later down bred for companionship. The modern Boston Terrier can be gentle, alert, expressive, and well-mannered. It must be noted however, that they are not considered terriers by the American Kennel Club, but are part of the non-sporting group. Boston Terrier is something of a misnomer. They were originally a cross-breed between the Old English Bulldog and the English White Terrier.

Some Bostons enjoy having another one for companionship. Both females and males generally bark only when necessary. Having been bred as a companion dog, they enjoy being around people, and, if properly socialised, get along well with children, the elderly, other canines, and non-canine pets. Some Boston Terriers are very cuddly, while others are more independent.

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The Borzoi is a breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) also called the Russian Wolfhound and brought to Russia from Middle-Asian countries. Having medium-length and slightly curly hair, it is similar in shape to Greyhounds, and is a member of the sighthound family.

The system by which Russians over the ages named their sighthounds was a series of descriptive terms, not actual names. Thus the word borzoi on its own just stands for “fast” in old Russian. “Borzaya” is a female grammatic form of the word borzoi. “Psovaya” means “longhaired”, just as “Hortaya” (as in Hortaya Borzaya) means shorthaired. Other Russian sighthound breeds are e.g. “Stepnaya Borzaya” (from the steppe), called “Stepnoi” or “Krimskaya Borzaya” (from the Crimea), called “Krimskoi”.

The plural Borzois may be found in dictionaries. However, the Borzoi Club of America asserts Borzoi is the preferred form for both singular and plural. At least one manual of grammatical style rules that the breed name should not be capitalised except at the beginning of a sentence; again, breed fanciers usually differ, and capitalise it wherever found.

Appearance

Borzoi can come in almost any colour or colour combination. As a general approximation, “long-haired greyhound” is a useful description. The long top-coat is silky and quite flat, with varying degrees of waviness or curling. The soft undercoat thickens in winter or cold climates, but is shed in hot weather to prevent overheating. In its texture and distribution over the body, the Borzoi coat is unique.

The Borzoi is a large dog within the variety of sighthound, with males frequently reaching in excess of 100 pounds (45 kg) ~120 POUNDS. Males should stand at least 30 INCHES (about 80 centimetres) ~35 INCHES at the shoulder, while females shouldn’t be less than 26 inches (about 66 centimetres). Despite their size, the overall impression is of streamlining and grace, with a curvy shapeliness and compact strength.

Temperament

The Borzoi is a quiet but athletic and independent dog. Most Borzoi are almost silent, barking only very rarely. They do not have strong territorial drives and cannot be relied on to raise the alarm upon sighting a human intruder. They are gentle and highly sensitive dogs with a natural respect for humans, and as adults they are decorative couch potatoes with remarkably gracious house-manners. Borzois should never display dominance or aggression towards people. Typically however, they are rather reserved and sensitive to invasion of their personal space; this can make them nervous around children unless they are brought up with them from an early age. Despite their size they adapt very well to suburban living, provided they have a spacious yard and regular opportunities for free exercise.

The Borzoi ranks 75th out of 78 in Stanley Coren’s The Intelligence of Dogs, being of the lowest breeds in degree of working/obedience intelligence. It took Borzois at least 80-100 repetitions to understand a new command, obeying the first command less than 25% of the time.

These dogs are used to pursue, or “course”, game and have a powerful instinct to chase things that run from them. Built for speed and endurance, they can cover long distances in a very short time. A fully-fenced yard is an absolute necessity for keeping any sighthound. They are highly independent and will range far and wide without containment, and have no regard at all for road traffic. For off-lead exercise, a Borzoi needs a very large field or park, either fully fenced or well away from any roads, to ensure its safety.

Generally, Borzoi should not be territorially aggressive to other domestic dogs. Against wolves and other wild canids, they are born with specialised skills, but these are quite different from the dog-fighting instincts seen in some breeds. It is quite common for Borzoi at play to course (run down) another dog, seize it by the neck and hold it immobile. Young pups do this with their littermates, trading off as to who is the prey. It is a specific hunting behaviour, not a fighting or territorial domination behaviour.

Borzoi can be raised very successfully to live with cats and other small animals provided they are introduced to them at a young age. Some, however, will possess the hunting instinct to such a degree that they find it impossible not to chase a cat that is moving quickly. The hunting instinct is triggered by movement and much depends on how the cat behaves.

Some Borzoi do well in competitive obedience and agility trials with the right kind of training, but it is not an activity that comes naturally to them. They are selective learners who quickly become bored with repetitive, apparently pointless, activity, and they can be very stubborn when they are not properly motivated. Like other sighthounds they cannot understand or tolerate harsh treatment or training based on punishment, and will be extremely unhappy if raised voices and threats are a part of their daily life.

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A Border Terrier is a small, rough-coated breed of dog of the terrier group. Originally bred as fox and vermin hunters, Border Terriers share ancestry with Dandie Dinmont Terriers and Bedlington Terriers.

Though the breed is much older, the Border Terrier was officially recognised by the The Kennel Club in Great Britain in 1920, and by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1930.

In 2006, the Border Terrier ranked 81st in number of registrations by the AKC, while it ranked 10th in the United Kingdom.

In 2008, the Border Terrier ranked 8th in number of registrations by the UK Kennel Club.

Appearance

Identifiable by their otter-shaped heads, Border Terriers have a broad skull and short, strong muzzle with a scissors bite. The V-shaped ears are on the sides of the head and fall towards the cheeks. Common coat colours are grizzle-and-tan, blue-and-tan, red, or wheaten. Whiskers are few and short. The tail is naturally moderately short, thick at the base and tapering.

Narrow-bodied and well-proportioned, males stand 13 to 16 in (33 to 41 cm) at the shoulder, and weigh 13 to 15.5 lb (5.9 to 7.0 kg); females 11 to 14 in (28 to 36 cm) and 11.5 to 14 pounds (5.2 to 6.4 kg).

The Border Terrier has a double coat consisting of a short, dense, soft undercoat and harsh, wiry weather and dirt resistant, close-lying outer coat with no curl or wave. This coat usually requires hand-stripping twice a year to remove dead hair. It then takes about eight weeks for the top coat to come back in. For some dogs, weekly brushing will suffice.

Temperament

They are highly intelligent, even tempered but somewhat confrontational, stubborn, & occasionally aggressive.

Border Terriers generally get along well with other dogs.

Borders do well in task-oriented activities and have a surprising ability to jump high and run fast given the size of their legs. The breed has excelled in agility training, but they are quicker to learn jumps and see-saws than weaving poles. They take training for tasks very well, but appear less tractable if being taught mere tricks.

They are intelligent and eager to please, but they retain the capacity for independent thinking and initiative that were bred into them for working rats and fox underground. Their love of people and even temperament make them fine therapy dogs, especially for children and the elderly, and they are occasionally used to aid the blind or deaf. From a young age they should be trained on command.

Borders can adapt to different environments and situations well, and are able to deal with temporary change well.

They will get along well with cats that they have been raised with, but may chase other cats and small animals such as mice, rabbits, squirrels, rats, and guinea pigs.

Borders love to sit and watch what is going on. Walks with Borders will often involve them sitting and lying in the grass to observe the environment around them. They can be stubborn when they are tired and often require short breaks to sit and observe during long walks; it can be difficult to get them moving again.

Borders have a high pain threshold.

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The Border Collie is a dog breed, often cited as the most intelligent of all dogs. Highly energetic, they are used on farms to assist with the herding of livestock and are also companion animals. Border Collies are #1 in the Top 10 Smartest Dog Breeds.

Appearance
In general, Border Collies are medium-sized dogs without extreme physical characteristics and a moderate amount of coat, which means not much hair will be shed. Their double coats can be anywhere from slick to lush, and can come in many colours, although black and white is by far the most common. Black tricolour (black/tan/white or sable and white), red (chocolate) and white, and red tricolour (red/tan/white) also occur regularly, with other colours such as blue, lilac, red merle, blue merle, brindle and “Australian red”/gold seen less frequently. Border Collies may also have single-colour coats.

Eye colour varies from deep brown to amber or blue with occasionally one eye of each colour, usually seen with merles. The ears of the Border Collie are also highly variable — some have fully erect ears, some fully dropped ears, and others semi-erect ears (similar to that of the Rough Collie or sighthounds). Although working Border Collie handlers sometimes have superstitions about the appearance of their dogs (handlers may avoid mostly white dogs due to the unfounded idea that sheep will not respect a white or almost all white dog), in general a dog’s appearance is considered to be irrelevant. It is considered much more useful to identify a working Border Collie by its attitude and ability than by its looks.

Those dogs bred for the conformation ring are more homogeneous in appearance than working Border Collies, since to win in conformation showing they must conform closely to breed club standards that are specific on many points of the structure, coat and colour. Kennel clubs specify, for example, that the Border Collie must have a “keen and intelligent” expression, and that the preferred eye colour is dark brown. In deference to the dog’s working origin, scars and broken teeth received in the line of duty are not to be counted against a Border Collie in the show ring.

Height at withers: Males from 19 to 22 in (48 to 56 cm), females from 18 to 21 in (46 to 53 cm). (See various breed standards for details.)

Temperament
Border Collies require considerable daily physical exercise and mental stimulation.

Border Collies are an intelligent breed. The breed has an instinctive desire to work closely and intensely with a human handler. Although the primary role of the Border Collie is that of the working stock dog, dogs of this breed are becoming increasingly popular as pets.

True to their working heritage, Border Collies make very demanding, energetic pets that are better off in households that can provide them with plenty of play and exercise with humans or other dogs.

Border collies are happiest with a job to do. However, a job to a border collie isn’t necessarily working livestock. An activity such as Frisbee, chasing and retrieving a ball, or just simply playing chase will suffice.

As long as the border collie is in the herding/working position (crouched down, tail tucked between legs, eyes firmly fixed on the matter in hand) it considers it work.

Border Collies are now also being used in showing, especially agility, where their speed and agility comes to good use.

Though they can be a wonderful choice for some households, Border Collies are not perfect pets for all people. For example, as with many working breeds, Border Collies can be motion-sensitive and may attempt to control the movements of family members, cats, bicycles, cars or anything else that moves if not given enough mental and physical stimulation. These dogs are also generally not suitable for households with small children. Many Border Collies that end up in shelters or rescue groups are there because owners, who may have been attracted by their appearance and intelligence, were not prepared to meet their dog’s daily activity needs.

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A bloodhound (also known as the St. Hubert hound and Sleuth Hound) is a large breed of dog that was bred originally to hunt deer and wild boar, later specifically to track human beings by scent. It is famed for its ability to follow scents hours or even days old over great distances. Its extraordinarily keen nose is combined with a strong and tenacious tracking instinct, producing the ideal scenthound, and it is used by police and law enforcement the world over to track escaped prisoners, missing persons, and even missing animals.

Appearance

Bloodhounds weigh from 33 to 50 kg (80 to 110 lb), although some individuals can weigh as much as 72 kg (160 lb). They stand 58 to 69 cm (23 to 27 inches) high at the withers. According to the AKC standard of the breed, larger dogs are to be preferred by conformation judges. The acceptable colours for bloodhounds are black and tan, liver and tan, or red. Bloodhounds possess an unusually large skeletal structure with most of their weight concentrated in their bones, which are very thick for their length. The coat is typical for a scenthound: hard and composed of fur alone, with no admixture of hair.

Temperament

This breed is a gentle dog which is nonetheless tireless in following a scent. Because of its strong tracking instinct, it can be wilful and somewhat difficult to obedience train. Bloodhounds have an affectionate, gentle, and even-tempered nature, so they make excellent family pets. However, like any large breed, they require supervision when around small children.

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