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Choosing the perfect dog for you and your family is no easy decision. With so many breeds with varying personalities to choose from, it's hard to know which dog would be the best addition to your home. If you're wanting a small dog with a big personality, look no further than the Chihuahua. Often referred to as "purse dogs," Chihuahuas are one of the oldest breeds in the Americas.

The Chihuahua's Temperament

This tiny dog has no shortage of personality. Chihuahua's are a sassy yet charming breed. A member of the toy group, this breed is confident, graceful, and adaptable. The Chihuahua would be happy in a variety of homes and make an especially ideal pet for city dwellers.

Physical Traits and Grooming Needs

The Chihuahua is known for its rounded "apple" head (the breed's hallmark), erect ears, and bright, expressive eyes. Chihuahua's coats come in a variety of colors and are long or short. Chihuahuas have different grooming needs depending on their coat type.

Chihuahuas with smooth coats require occasional brushing and regular baths to keep them looking their best. Chihuahuas with long coats should be brushed once a week to avoid tangles or mats. Chihuahua's ears should be checked and cleaned regularly.

How Much Training Does a Chihuahua Need?

Chihuahuas are eager to please their owners, making them an easier breed to train. They are alert and intelligent, and respond well to positive training techniques. Chihuahuas can even excel in canine sports like obedience and agility.

It's important to be gentle yet firm with Chihuahuas while training. They seem to know that their cuteness can allow them to get their way. Like all dogs, it is crucial to begin training early. Puppy training courses may be beneficial to ensure your Chihuahua grows into a well-behaved adult.

Are Chihuahuas Good For Families?

Chihuahuas can make good family pets, but aren't recommended for homes with children. Chihuahuas are too small for roughhousing, and overly-excited children could be dangerous for them. Overall, Chihuahuas' affectionate, attentive nature make them a good candidate for loyal companion to have at home. They require minimal exercise and are happy to curl up in their owner's lap.

Chihuahuas are a very vocal breed. They may be inclined to bark at strangers or unexpected noise. Some training can aid excessive barking, but prospective owners should expect the Chihuahua to bark frequently regardless.

How Social Are Chihuahuas?

Chihuahuas are somewhat social. Early socialization and training can help make a Chihuahua more open to people and other pets.

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Is the Chihuahua the Right Breed for Your Lifestyle?

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Thinking of adding a small dog with a big personality to your life? Learn if the Chihuahua is a good breed for you and your lifestyle.

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By now the lean, chiseled body of Rin Tin Tin is engraved in most people's minds. A faithful companion, best friend, and super sleuth alongside his partners, Rin Tin Tin brought the emblematic German Shepherd Dog into our lives and living rooms throughout the years, gaining popularity for this intelligent dog breed that waned only when anything related to Germany was taboo following the World War I and II. The German Shepherd Dog has gone through many changes throughout the more than 100 years it has been in existence, most notably the recent trend toward straight-back shepherds. Which begs the question: what was the German Shepherd Dog bred for those many decades ago?

In 1889, a medium-size yellow and black dog caught the eye of Capt. Max von Stephanitz due to this particular dog's herding tendencies, intelligence, and especially its ability to take direction quickly and efficiently, with minimal to no training. Von Stephanitz found beauty and attractiveness within the German Shepherd Dog to be a secondary trait, as opposed to all the working and mental traits, which he deemed most important. Hoping to create a perfect working dog, von Stephanitz valued mental stability, intelligence, and temperament above aesthetics. The German Shepherd Dog was bred extremely specifically with regard to the exact function of every element of the dog, from gait to attitude.

During World War I, the German army made use of the breed as a war dog. American soldiers brought many of these dogs back with them from Germany, reinvigorating the breed in the U.S. While the German Shepherd Dog was considered a great police and war dog, loyal, somber, and fast, the rise of Rin Tin Tin in TV shows and movies brought about the theme of a "boy and his dog" for many Americans - a motif that has followed dogs in the movies and in real life, as any dog owner can attest.

Following the war, many German Shepherds were beginning to be trained as seeing eye dogs for blinded veterans in the United States and Europe, furthering the German Shepherd Dog's utility as a breed. However once World War II began, the German Shepherd Dog had to go back to work for both the Allied and Axis forces alike, who employed them as mine detectors and guard dogs.

Prior to World War II, there was a more distinct separation between the American and German lines of German Shepherd Dogs; however, due to the war, many German lines died. As the two bloodlines were crossed, the resulting dogs displayed the lines and signature looks of the modern day German Shepherd Dog. The dog slowly developed into a more distinct and beautiful breed, with many specific virtues, such as intelligence, versatility and self-confidence. Over the years, the German Shepherd Dog has performed with the military and police doing bomb and drug detection, K-9 partner work, and messenger work. In addition to police and military work, the intelligence and calmness of the German Shepherd Dog has allowed the breed to be trained as seeing eye dogs, medical assistance dogs, and therapy dogs. Stephanitz wanted to create a breed that would be utilitarian and intelligent while also being fiercely loyal, all traits that are well-known to anyone lucky enough to own these amazing dogs.

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What Was the German Shepherd Bred to Do? - American Kennel Club

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By now the lean, chiseled body of Rin Tin Tin is engraved in most people's minds. A faithful companion, best friend, and super sleuth alongside his p

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Group Member 4

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The turning of wolves into dogs may have occurred twice

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The process of turning wolves into dogs, called domestication, may have occurred twice — in the East and the West — ancient DNA suggest.

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Group Member 2

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Gray Wolf Biology & Behavior - Western Wildlife Outreach

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Wolf Biology, Ecology, Social and Pack size and structure, Dens, Habitat, Territory size, Pups, Dispersal Diet, Pacific Northwest US and Washington State

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Group Member 2

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Is the Siberian Husky the Right Fit for Your Lifestyle?

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Siberian Huskies are an ideal fit for active households seeking a loyal, loving, and intelligent companion. Learn about this outgoing and mischievous breed.

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Group Member 3

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German Shepherd Dog History: Where the Breed Originated

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The existence of the German Shepherd Dog hinged on one chance meeting. Here are the history and origins behind the German Shepherd Dog.

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Group Member 3

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Brief History of Wolves in the Wild — Mission:Wolf

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Few wild animals have captivated the human imagination like the wolf (Canis lupus), considered to be North America’s dominant carnivore. Other than the great apes, there are few animals that are as similar to humans in terms of their social organization and family structure. The indigenous peoples of the Americas understood this, frequently depicting the wolf in their art and oral histories. Their paintings and stories often displayed wolf and human joined as one powerful creature. In some legends, the wolf is given healing powers, and in others, the wolf saves people from a great flood. Ray Pierotti and Brandy R. Fogg detail how The Blackfoot, Lakota and Cheyenne claim to have learned to hunt from wolves, and believed that “wolves live lives that parallel those of humans, and thus represent another people that must be respected.”

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When you mention the " Siberian Husky," many envision sled dogs racing across vast ice fields. Although the Siberian Husky and the Alaskan Malamute pull sleds and originate from Arctic regions, they're distinct breeds with different origins, physical traits, and temperaments.

The medium-sized Siberian Husky is often affectionately referred to as the "Sibe." They're renowned for their alertness, energy, and adaptability. While affectionate on its terms, this breed possesses a thick double coat that reflects its Arctic heritage, helping keep the dog warm and dry in snowy conditions, which are essential for its survival.

The Siberian's intelligence, inquisitiveness, and sense of humor, combined with a strong desire to run, make this medium-sized working dog an ideal companion for many performance events.

The Siberian Husky's Early Northern Origin

The Siberian Husky originated as a primitive breed in Siberia, the northernmost region of Asia, located west of the Ural Mountains, which serve as the dividing line between Europe and Asia. It's bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the south by the countries bordering the Russian Federation, and on the east by the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

For approximately 30,000 years, the Chukchi people have lived in Siberia's far northern and eastern regions. This desolate land mass, closest to Alaska, connects to the frozen Bering Strait, has limited vegetation, and is characterized by harsh winds blowing in from the water, mountains, and tundra.

Harnessed in teams for transportation, the ancestors of the modern Siberian Huskies provided crucial support to the semi-nomadic Chukchis, providing transportation as they completed hunting, fishing, and trapping tasks. The Siberian's speed and endurance enabled the Chukchis to travel long distances over treacherous terrain and to develop the breed further. The sled dogs enabled the Chukchis to encounter other Asian people and trade with neighbors in Alaska. Russians soon settled in the Alaskan territory due to its proximity to Siberia.

"When Russian officers in the Alaskan territory came on horseback to take over the Chukchis, the tribe harnessed their Siberian Huskies and pulled their sleds to escape," says George Cook, President of the Siberian Husky Club of America. "The dogs were so fast the Russians could never catch up with them."

The First Sled Dog Races

The United States purchased Alaska in 1867 and later made it a U.S. territory. In 1896, gold was discovered in Canada's Yukon territory. The gold rush prompted the need for dog teams to transport prospectors to the area. "The dogs proved an invaluable part of moving around the gold fields," Cook says. During the winter months, gold mining halted. Miners sat around bragging, 'My dog team is faster than your dog team.' "This was the birth of sled dog racing," Cook says.

In 1909, the All-Alaska Sweepstakes, a 408-mile race in the Nome, Alaska area, offered a $10,000 first prize. William Goosak, a Russian fur trader, brought his team of Siberians to enter the All-Alaska Sweepstakes.

The following year, Fox Maule Ramsay acquired 60 Siberians and entered three teams in the competition. Ramsay was a young Scotsman and also competed in the 1909 race. One of these teams was driven by John "Iron Man" Johnson. He won first place with a time of 74 hours, 14 minutes, and 37 seconds. Goosak's team established a trend of importing northern sled dog breeds, which became known as the Siberian Husky.

Life-Saving Siberian Teams

When a spreading diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome in January 1925, the closest serum was over 600 miles away. A team of Siberians ran a relay to deliver the serum. Leonhard Seppala had trained Siberians for an expedition to the North Pole in 1914. They'd won three Sweepstakes races in 1915, 1916, and 1917 before World War I cancelled future races. Seppala and his team of 20 Siberians ran to meet the serum 300 miles away on the Yukon River. During a blizzard, Seppala and his leader, "Togo," and another team, driven by Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog, "Balto," ran the last leg of the relay.

Following the heroic serum relay, Seppala and 40 Siberian Huskies, including Togo, toured U.S. cities from Nome to New York City in 1926. In New England, Seppala won a prestigious New England Point to Point 3-day race. He later established a kennel with Elizabeth Ricker, a New England musher, at Poland Spring, Maine, as other mushers wanted to acquire Siberians. Seppala returned to Alaska for the last time in 1932 and left his remaining Siberians with Harry Wheeler in Quebec. Many Siberians today trace their ancestry to the Seppala-Ricker kennel or Wheeler's kennel, which is still in operation today.

Flights of Fancy

In April 1930, the American Kennel Club recognized the breed. The Siberian Husky Club of America was established in 1938, and it received recognition from the AKC in 1946.

Stories about the serum relay and the breed's fortitude as a tireless sled dog first attracted Cook and his wife, Ann Mariah Cook, to the breed when the couple were in college.

"We started with a three-dog team in Connecticut and later realized that five dogs can run faster," Cook says. "We moved to New Hampshire for more land and began breeding Siberians."

The Cooks later moved to Alaska with their daughter and Siberian Huskies to run the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest. "It was tough," Cook recalls. "The race was 16 days in 30 to minus 60-degree weather, but I was determined to be the first person from the lower 48 states to finish this race."

The rules require mushers to start with 12 dogs and finish with nine without substituting any dogs. Cook finished with all 12, including his lead dog Keewatini's Mighty Mishka "Minnie."

The Siberian Performance Dog

"The Siberian is mischievous, engaging, and highly intelligent," says Deb Kreider, Public Education Chair of the Siberian Husky Club of America. "They began as a primitive breed, [which] allowed them to survive the harsh conditions in an unfriendly environment. It's this stamina that makes them a great performance dog."

Kreider's first Siberian, Ch. Innisfree Rondevous "Pal," earned Canine Good Citizen and AKC Rally Novice titles. "I quickly became addicted to sledding and how versatile the breed is. Pal accompanied me on therapy visits to schools," Kreider says. "A great listener, he loved the kids and was easy around other dogs. When my friend's mother, Kathleen Kantzler, invited me to go sledding, I was hooked."

Owners need to train their Siberians not to run off when they're off leash, Kreider says. "The AKC Family Dog program with AKC Fetch, AKC FIT DOG, AKC Fast CAT, AKC Rally, and the AKC Canine Good Citizen program is fantastic for training Siberians and building their confidence before going off lead, but it takes training and consistency," Kreider says. "The breed is so versatile and appreciates positive feedback and engagement with you. Otherwise, they will find better things to do."

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Siberian Husky History: From Arctic Protector to Active Companion

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When you mention the "Siberian Husky," many envision sled dogs racing across vast ice fields, but they've grown to be great pets and performance event dogs.

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Group Member 4

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The turning of wolves into dogs may have occurred twice

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The process of turning wolves into dogs, called domestication, may have occurred twice — in the East and the West — ancient DNA suggest.

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Group Member 4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The turning of wolves into dogs may have occurred twice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The process of turning wolves into dogs, called domestication, may have occurred twice — in the East and the West — ancient DNA suggest.

# data[].attributes.body
Group Member 4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The turning of wolves into dogs may have occurred twice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The process of turning wolves into dogs, called domestication, may have occurred twice — in the East and the West — ancient DNA suggest.