Meet 6 breeds making their debut at Westminster
A reindeer herder, a puffin hunter and the national dog of Mexico join the 179 other breeds competing for Best in Show at the 2012 event.
NEW DOG: The Finnish lapphund is one of six new breeds at Westminster. (Photo: Rixatrix/Flickr) 
The American English coonhound, which evolved from Virginia hounds, which in turn were descended from English foxhounds. Originally used to hunt fox and raccoon, this breed is still prized as a hunter. According to the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC), the breed is "pleasant, alert, confident and sociable with both humans and dogs."
The Cesky terrier, a short-legged hunting dog that is longer than it is tall and was bred to work in packs. They are "reserved toward strangers," but "loyal to their owners," according to the WKC, and keen and alert during hunts.
The Entlebucher mountain dog, the smallest of the four canine breeds native to Switzerland and the one most prized for its work ethic. Not intended for the casual owner, the mountain dog "can transform from a high-spirited playmate to a serious, self-assured dog of commanding presence," according to the WKC.
The reindeer-herding Finnish lapphund from northern Scandinavia, which may have existed for thousands of years as an aid to native tribes and which remains popular with Finnish families.
The small Norwegian Lundehund or "puffin dog," which is well-adapted to the rocky cliffs of arctic Norway, where its six-toed feet helped it navigate nearly vertical climbs to hunt puffins. Although puffins are now protected and no longer hunted, the puffin dog remains popular as what the WKC calls "an alert, cheerful and somewhat mischievous companion."
And finally, the Xoloitzcuintli or "show-low," which was formerly known as the Mexican hairless. The national dog of Mexico, this breed comes in three sizes and one version with a coat — despite its name. Descended from hairless dogs owned by the Aztecs centuries ago, these dogs remain valued for their intelligence, trainability and cleanliness.Comments
PS: my Lil' Rat Terrier is looking for a good home to adopt him, He's about 2 years old. You can reach me at saintroch@rocketmail.com. Must be in south LA or gulf coast.
Yes, we need a show for non-AKC registered dogs. Where dogs will compete in other categories such as : Rescued pure-bred, Rescued Mixed-breed, Overall Good Looks, Overall Good Temperament, etc.. I would enter such shows with any of my rescued dogs in a second. I have 2 rescued Catahoulas (State dog of Louisiana, no chance those will ever be AKC), a rescued Great Pyr,2 rescued mini-dachshunds (wire-haired and long haired no less), and a rescued Rat Terrier.. One should NEVER buy a dog from a.... More
I would like to see the golden
doodles reconized as a breed
its not a breed, its a mix
As a dog groomer...I'd like to see that breed disappear altogether..they are a nightmare to groom...95% of the people that own them do not take care of them properly...they will never be recognized akc because they are made so many different ways via all the different colors and sizes of poodles. Very bad idea!!!!
None of these dogs are "new" as in recently designed.
They are newly accepted into the AKC - which does not accept a breed until there is a combination of a sufficiently diverse bloodlines and other stuff documented on the AKC website.
That being said - I am all for rescuing dogs and cats whether they are purebred or "mutt". I have done my darnedest to educate friends who ask me what kind of dog they should get, mentioned a 'cute puppy at the pet store' and the like.
I'm all about adopting dogs instead of buying from breeders. With that said I own 2 purebred dogs and both were adopted from rescuses associated with that breed. So if you want a pure bred dog look for an adult dog from a breed rescue.
Also a most all of those dogs have been around for many, many years. Just because they are "new" to Westminster doesn't make them a new breed of dog. It's just the AKC is now recognizing them and they are allowed to be shown and pedigreed in the US..... More
Think about this - if you do not buy dogs from REPUTABLE breeders, then REPUTABLE breeders don't breed - because we only breed when we know we have quality homes. If REPUTABLE breeders are not breeding - the only dogs being born are from puppy mills. People can buy dogs from puppy mill sources but if something changes in their life or they decide they don't want a dog - there is no REPUTABLE breeder to take them back - they dump into shelters so the Puppy mills can continue.... More
Just because they were recently accepted to the Westminster Kennel Club doesn't mean they're new dogs. There are numerous breeds that have been around for a very long time that are not a recognized breed. For example...the Xolo has been around for thousands of years just never recognized
I think the Westminster show is pathetic! Yes, lets keep breeding dogs and making new breeds while millions (the best dogs, I might add) are euthanized in shelters every year. Why don't we have a show in America to promote these wonderful dogs in our shelters? All these new breeds "created" by man have more problems and issues than most dogs you see every day on rescue sites - they just want someone to love and be loved - that's what dogs are all about. An example - how many former.... More
You are misplacing the blame. Responsible reputable breeders are not the problem. The breeders of dogs you see at Westminster are part of the solution, not the problem. Most of the national breed parent clubs have their own rescue group for dogs either pure or mixed with the breed of the club. The problem is backyard breeders and puppymills, along with irresponsible owners. Your next-door neighbor selling his dog's puppies for $100 and not spaying/neutering them first? THAT is.... More
"Hybrid vigor" is a myth. The difference is, with a full bred dog you KNOW the problems that tend to afflict the breed. With a "mutt" it's a crap shoot. That's NOT to say that a "mutt" is any less of a dog or loyal family member.
oh my goodness youre kidding me right? have you never heard of the importance of genetic diversity? have you never heard of inbreeding? the vulnerability of a population to disease can and usually does increase with a reduction in genetic diversity....and the inverse is also true
The Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet did just that! The show 'showcases' shelter dogs that can be found through Petfinder.com. All were mixed breed puppies that were available for adoption.
All of my animal family members have come from shelters and I couldn't be happier with them!
I 100% agree with you Les! All these man-made (new) dogs is just too much! There are so many dogs just waiting to be loved and cared about. So many need a home. It makes me so sad and mad, all at the same time! Ya know.
As someone who has a purebred dog, I don't disagree with what you are saying; however, I do tire of being criticized because I chose to "shop instead of adopt." Why don't we worry about spaying and neutering all dogs, and work together to keep dogs of all kinds out of shelters.
I understand where you're coming from, and different people have different reasons for choosing the dogs they do. However, your last sentence would eliminate your dog and there would be no dogs left in the world in a few years. I'm not out to criticize you for owning a purebread, my mother in fact did own one, but it was a matter of her being adopted by him, and no amount of searching for the owner was ever productive. His tattoo was checked, clubs were checked, ads and photos posted.... More
Well put. I too am quite tired of being constantly criticized for buying a Yorkie. The fact that the other 3 animals in our household include one rescued dog and 2 rescued cats, or that we opened our home for years being fosters for the Animal Rescue Foundation doesn’t seem to matter to these fanatics!
Fortunately for the little fur ball that stole my heart on Saturday (those big soulful eyes yanked so hard on my heartstrings I could barely breathe), our family status is about.... More
Are these dog breeds natural or man made? man needs to stop messing with nature:-(
Seriously? Do you think say, Dachshunds and Bulldogs naturally roam the wilds, their evolution completely untouched by the hand of man??
But you have a point - I was reading not so long ago that the Cesky terrier for one actually has many genetic problems as they have been bred from a very small gene pool. Inbreeding has led to this in many breeds.
Oh, yes, I agree with that. While we're at it let's destroy all the "man-made" vegetables and fruits and become hunter-gatherers again. Definitely need to spend all my time gathering acorns and grass seed and knocking over the occasional bunny.
It just acceleration and direction of the natural process of evolution, and is done not only with dogs, cats, and cows, but also with wheat, corn, and rice, without which there would be a lot less food in the world for a lot of creatures.
I'm thinking that all dogs are man made coming from the native coyotes, hyenas, dingos, etc.
