🐕 Caged Dog is Finally Free 🪽

🪽 Caged Dog is Finally Free

🐶 Understanding Cat & Dog Breeds

🎁 Bonus Cuteness Factor!

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^Heartwarmers
Caged Dog is Finally Free
 

• This beautiful girl was living in a puppy mill, rarely feeling warmth or affection from anyone for her whole life.

• As you’ll see, Noni is an excited and resilient girl with a lot of love to give.

• It’s a shame that she spent so much time in a cage, but she is making up for lost time by zooming out in nature with her loved ones and enjoying the companionship of a loving family.

Understanding The World of Dog & Cat Breeds
^{by Neil Cummins}

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer variety of breeds when considering whether to bring home a new cat or dog. Each breed has its own distinct personality, physical traits, average lifespan and health vulnerabilities.

Yet to an untrained eye, the visible difference between two related yet separate breeds can be insignificant compared to their actual personality differences.

Humans have bred many species of animal to suit our own needs and preferences, from guard dogs to retrievers. Throughout the centuries, breeds have died away, been imported, or been created – either purposefully or by accident.

To understand how new breeds are created, we first need to consider how many are already in existence…

How Many Pure Dog Breeds are There?

The American Kennel Club identifies 201 pedigree breeds, though it acknowledges there are a further 140 internationally. Our domestic list includes native species (the American foxhound and Teddy Roosevelt terrier) as well as imported breeds.

Many of these originated in the UK – Welsh corgis, English setters, Scottish terriers and so forth. However, the AKC is global in its outlook, so other recognized breeds include the Slovakian wirehaired pointer, the Portuguese sheepdog and the Canadian labrador.

Crossbreed dogs

These may be popular – such as cockerpoos, a blend of poodle and cocker spaniel – but they aren’t officially recognized. That’s because their parents are of two different breeds – mixed breeds incorporate three or more different breeds, such as a pure breed mating with a crossbreed.

Crossbreeds and mixed breeds aren’t pedigree animals, but they’re often bred to comparable standards by responsible breeders. However, because they have more mixed DNA, there’s less predictability in terms of physical, behavioral and health traits.

Pure cat breeds

Cats can be harder to mate than dogs, and the higher prevalence of indoor-only cats means natural opportunities to mix and match are less widely available. There are only 42 pedigree breeds of cat acknowledged by the Cat Fanciers Association. As with dogs, the CFA’s list includes domestic breeds (bobtails, ragdolls) and imports (Russian blue, Burmese).

Once again, looking overseas reveals dozens of additional breeds; The International Cat Association (TICA) recognize 71 cat breeds, some of which might be recognized in America in the coming years.

Crossbreed cats

An unrecognized cat is often referred to simply as a domestic shorthair or longhair, and the vast majority of American cats are categorized in this way. It’s rare for a new cat breed to be created by crossbreeding parents of different types, though the recent rise of Burmillas (half Burmese, half Chinchilla) and RagaMuffins (part ragdoll, part Persian or Himalayan) are glorious exceptions.

So how are breeds defined?

This is where things get interesting. In essence, a defined breed is one where two parents of a specific breed will automatically create puppies or kittens with the same breed characteristics. Two Rottweiler dogs can only create Rottweiler puppies – something the AKC refer to as ‘breeding true’.

To be officially recognized, a dog breed requires a national pool of 300 dogs with three-generation pedigrees, alongside a written standard of physical traits, temperament and movement. This is generated by a parent club – organizations dedicated to a particular breed, such as the Border Collie Society of America.

Once an association or body is approved by either the AKC or CFA, its written standard becomes a template of authenticity for all future animals of that breed; it’s also a way of judging the qualities of individual animals at shows or events.

Can new breeds be created?

They certainly can, but there are onerous requirements involved. Taking cats as an example, the CFA require ten active breeders to provide extensive details of breed classification and characteristics, with at least 50 cats from registered litters with ancestry data; the CFA board will then vote on whether to approve this new breed.

Even then, there are three tiers of approval, with Championship standard imposing far more onerous criteria in terms of acceptable coat colors and definitive physical standards.

Realistically, it takes decades for any new breed to meet with regulatory approval. RagaMuffins were created in the 1990s after a schism in the ragdoll community, yet it was 2011 before they were awarded Championship status by the CFA.

Meanwhile, the AKC only approved one new dog breed in 2024 – the Lancashire Heeler is the Club’s 201st recognized breed, and the latest in a long line of UK breeds being officially recognized here. 

Should I be wary of buying a cat or dog which isn’t officially registered as a breed?

The simple answer is ‘no’. The more detailed answer is ‘absolutely no’. It’s far more important to investigate the caliber of individual breeder – or the nature of the animal itself if you’re adopting from a rescue center – than simply trusting the written definitions of a breed.

The CFA claim Burmillas have “easy-going, laid-back personalities”, yet I owned a Burmilla who would have cheerfully killed every other cat in our house if we hadn’t perpetually kept them separated. Watching her repeatedly throwing herself at glass doors, claws extended and teeth bared at two terrified Singapuras on the other side, was certainly not what you’d expect from the generic breed description.

Remember that every new breed has to start somewhere. We wouldn’t recommend anyone other than a hugely experienced breeder should even consider trying to splice two different breeds together, but if a happy union does create an unknown outcome, it could be the beginning of a brand-new breed!

-Neil 🐾

^{Front Page Pets}
A Look Inside The Leaves

• Bella and Maple have been a favorite of ours for a few years. We share their videos each fall, or whenever there’s another opportunity to do so.

• This news piece covers their family story and the great lengths their dad goes to maintain their massive piles of leaves each fall.

• Their dad thinks these dogs offer something that people need to see — simple joy.

• These dogs and their absolute love of Fall are a reminder for us all to enjoy the little things, and to help our pets do the same.

^{Bonus Cuteness Factor!}
Martha Loves Squirrels (But Not Dogs)

• Martha had a hard time getting along with other dogs.

• She had a hard time with most humans, too.

• That’s why her owner was so surprised when Martha went to the park and patiently looked at squirrels until they came up to her.

• Interestingly, the squirrels are fascinated by Martha as well.

• There’s no explanation for their mutual love, but it sure is something to see!

^{_{The Tail Wag Tribune}}
This Week’s Key Pet News

Study Finds Kittens are Quicker Learners Than Babies

A new study found that kittens can associate words with objects sooner than human babies can. Herbie claims he was able to read at age 1, while there is no evidence to support this claim.

Still, it’s interesting to learn how clever our feline friends are at such a young age!

In Memory of a Beloved Football Dog

Ben, the service dog of football announcer Kirk Herbstreit, has passed at the age of 10. Ben managed to bring smiles to a great many people in his lifetime, though.

He’ll be remembered for the many times that he interrupted broadcasts and jumped into the scene to give his owner some love. Here’s a video of Ben gleefully rolling around in the center of a stadium. Rest in Peace, Ben!

Guide Pups in Training Get Familiar with Sea Monsters

A pack of pups are visited an aquarium in the U.K for an extended stay to get familiar with unusual environments, different creatures, and unusual building layouts. Guide dogs have to be laser focused on the task at hand, and unusual places can make that difficult.

This makes aquariums and exhibits perfect training grounds because the ceiling might be made of glass with giant sharks swimming overhead, the smells might be extremely unusual, and the layouts of these buildings are full of uncommon twists and turns.

Learn more about these young guide dogs and their journey toward helping the lives of people who truly need them.