Rare breeds of dogs
Dogs are such a huge part of many families' lives, but here are some breeds that you might not see at the park.
Catalburun
The Turkish pointer can easily be identified by its "split-nose". These dogs are virtually unknown outside of Turkey. They are however considered as prized possessions in their home country and are revered for their hunting skills.
Mudi
The Mudi is a Hungarian dog and is renowned for its herding skills. They have a soft, curly coat and a smooth face. They are midsized dogs and are starting to make a name for themselves outside of their native Hungary for their supreme agility and herding abilities.
Thai Ridgeback
It is a distant relative of the Rhodesian ridgeback and shares many of its qualities and characteristics. These are some of the most beautiful and sought after dogs in the world because they are such a powerful breed.
Norwegian Lundehund
The "Puffin Dog" - as it is sometimes called - used to be kept by Vikings and used as hunting dogs. These dogs are amazingly flexible and have double dewclaws on all four of its paws. They do however have a major digestive condition that doesn't allow them to absorb all the nutrients they need from food and this severely shortens their life span.
Carolina Dog
The "American Dingo" has genetic links to the Australian Dingo and the New Guinea Singing Dog and is considered a very versatile dog. It only has one (where normal domestic dogs have two) oestrus cycle a year, the same as wild dogs. In America they are also affectionately known as "Ol Yellar."
Tibetan Mastiff
A direct descendent from ancient Mastiffs, these giant woolly dogs are still used as guard dogs in their native Himalayas. They can grow to weigh more than 160 pounds.
Azawakh
It is very rare indeed to see one of these dogs outside of Africa and the Sighthound simply looks like a stretched out Greyhound, but it is more pack orientated than other domestic dogs. They are still used in Africa to help hunt gazelles in the deserts.
Otterhounds
One of the oldest dog breeds the Otterhound can be traced back to the 1100's. They were favourites among hunters, but after otter hunting was banned here in the late 1970's, these huge hounds became pets.
Stabyhoun
In the Netherlands if you do own a Stabyhoun you would definitely raise some eyebrows. It is considered a national treasure as it is both pointer and a retriever, and today is used as a gundog. The Dutch Dog Registry monitors the breeding of these dogs very carefully.
Chinook
Named after a famous sled dog, the Chinook nearly became extinct in 1963, but a group of dog lovers found 11 breedable dogs in 1981 and they saved the Chinook from extinction.
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