The Indian Pariah Dog (also pye dog, pie dog or pi dog) is the aboriginal landrace or naturally selected “breed” of the Indian sub-continent. It is also called the Indian Native Dog and is nowadays referred to as the INDog by experts and enthusiasts. The term “pariah dog” is not derogatory in the domestic dog context and refers to a class of primitive dogs of a specific appearance known as the “long-term pariah morph.”India’s Pariah Dog, the dominant village and street breed, is thought to be a descendant of an early Chinese immigrant according to Peter Savolainen, a professor of evolutionary genetics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. However the place of origin has not been determined so far.

The Indian Spitz is a spitz-type dog breed belonging to the utility dog. It is very similar to the German Spitz in appearance but is roughly 1.5-2.5 inches shorter at the withers and weighs around 10-15 Lbs less.The Indian Spitz was one of the most popular dogs in India in the 1980s and the 1990s when India’s import rules made it very difficult to import dogs of other breeds. Today, despite being overshadowed by other breeds like Pugs and Lhasa Apso, they dominate and thrive as one of the most economical and yet pleasant pets.The Indian Spitz is often called Pomeranian though the two breeds are much different and the Indian Spitz belongs to the Spitz family along with the Elk-Hound, German Spitz, Samoyed and Finnish Spitz to name a few.

The Irish Red and White Setter is a breed of dog, more specifically a setter. As with all the setters and the Pointer, it is classified as a Gun dog in the UK and is included in the sporting group in America and Canada. It is virtually identical in use and temperament to the related Irish Setter and its other setter cousins, the Gordon Setter and English Setter setters, but is more often found as a working gun dog. The original purpose of the breed was to hunt gamebirds. In the UK, their quarry can be partridge or grouse, pheasant, Rock Ptarmigan, blackgame, snipe or woodcock as all these birds try to avoid predators by hiding rather than flying away. Overseas bird dogs are used to hunt quail, Willow_Ptarmigan, sand grouse, guinea fowl, Centrocercus, francolin.Despite the breed’s early origins, it almost became Extinction until dedicated breeders managed to revive interest and restore the Irish Red and White setter to a viable position. It is still in a vulnerable position but has gained recognition from all major kennel clubs.

History

Origins

‘Setting dogges’ – an ancient term for setters, were developed to indicate the whereabouts of game birds and a dog would have been used for this in Roman times. The dog would find the location of the game birds by scenting the air; either freeze in a position standing or crouching down then slowly creep forward on command to disturb the birds into flight. Once the birds were in flight the hunter who had been following the dog would release hawks to capture the birds in the air. When netting superseded the use of hawks, setting dogs would still be used to indicate the whereabouts of the birds but the hunter would come up behind the dog and throw a net over the birds. In the mid-1600s, guns became more readily available and shooting game birds became a popular pastime of the landed gentry. The basic work of setters was still to find and point to the location of game birds but it also had to be steady to shot.By the 17th century ‘setting dogges’ had become established and the breeds as seen in the present day could be identified as Setters. Interbreeding of the different colours was still be taking place during this period but it gradually changed and sportsman (breeders) started to segregate matings to dogs adapted to the terrain it was required to work on.Originally, setters in Ireland were mostly red or the parti-colour red and white or even nearly all white dogs. All were accepted as Irish Setters and were mated to each other.As late as 1875 at a conformation show in Dublin, there were 66 entries in the Irish Setter classes; 23 of this entry were red and white. At a show in Cork the next year, in an entry of 96, there were 36 red and whites. This was when the fashion for solid coloured red setters began and the decline in red and white setter numbers continued. The popularity of the solid red Irish Setter in both America and Ireland gained strength as they attracted very high prices, all adding to the demise of the red and white almost to the point of extinction. A handful of breeders in remote parts of Ireland kept the breed alive.A small number of breeders were active from 1775 to the end of the 19th century. The Rossmore family of County Monaghan in Ireland, had a strain of red and whites dating back to the mid 18th century and this line was preserved into the 20th century. The family still own many paintings of these dogs. During the breed’s history, red and white setters were sometimes referred to as Rossmore Setters. Other owners recorded at this time included Reverend Mahon of Castlegar, County Galway, Yelverton O’Keefe, Maurice Nugent O’Connor and Miss Lidwell whose name was sometimes mis-spelt as Ledwich. The dogs from these strains were all particularly known for their working abilities.

Revival

Thanks to the efforts of an early 20th-century Northern Ireland clergyman, Noble Huston, the breed survived, but only in small numbers in the island of Ireland. From around 1970, a revival of the breed was planned, and the numbers began to increase slowly. The Irish Kennel Club approached the Irish Red Setter Club during 1976 to ask if it was willing to help oversee the revival of the Irish Red and White Setter.Partly through the endeavours of the Irish Red & White Setter Field & Show Society, which was formed in 1981, the breed became well established and received national and international recognition. Irish Red and White setters successfully compete in conformation shows and field trials attaining champions in both disciplines.Many individuals contributed to the breed’s successful revival. Rev Huston kept a note of his litters in the parish register. He did not have official Pedigree but did engage in lengthy correspondence with Maureen Cuddy (then Clarke), whose kennel name was ‘Knockalla”. In a letter to Cuddy, Rev Huston wrote: “…the present Red and Whites are not a new breed nor a revived breed (like the Irish Wolfhound) but a continued breed…” It was through Cuddy’s meticulous record keeping and research that in 1974 the Irish Kennel Club finally accepted that the pedigrees of the few remaining red and whites were accurate.It is likely that the revived generations of Irish Red and White Setters descend from a puppy bitch Cuddy nursed to health in 1940. This bitch was named ‘Judith Cunningham of Knockalla’.By the 1980s, red and white setters were being imported into Great Britain, where the breed was developed more as a show dog. Interest in Great Britain had particularly been revived after Alan and Ann Gormley from Dublin exhibited an Irish Red and White at Crufts in 1980. This was ‘Harlequin of Knockalla’ who was bred by Cuddy in 1977. Harlequin had qualified for Crufts due to his success at shows in Ireland, but the Gormleys were more interested in showing their dogs than in working them. Harlequin did prove he could work while young, but an error with the paperwork meant his qualifying test at a field trial was never correctly recorded.The breed was little known in Britain and the Kennel Club had inadvertently listed Harlequin’s Crufts entry among the Irish Setters. This was the trigger for great interest in the breed, as it proved the breed was not extinct as was believed.Irish Red and White setters bred by the Gormleys under their kennel name of ‘Meudon’ proved influential worldwide as their red and whites were exported to Italy, America and Holland as well as to the UK.In contrast to these British dogs, the breed has continued to be primarily a working and field trial dog in Ireland.From 1 January 2009, the Irish Red and White Setter was fully recognised by the American Kennel Club (AKC), and was eligible to compete in conformation and all other competitive fields. The breed had previously been listed on the AKC Foundation Stock Service Program, which is the first step towards a purebred breed gaining recognition in America. The breed was given recognition by the Canadian Kennel Club in May 1999.The breed is recognised by most other national Kennel Clubs. All registered Irish Red and White Setters are the descendants of the dogs accepted by the Irish Kennel Club at the time of the revival of the breed in the 1970s.It is listed by the Kennel Club in the UK as a Vulnerable Native Breeds. This is because registrations are less than 300 per year.

The Irish Setter (Irish: sotar rua, literally “red setter”), is a setter, a breed of gundog and family dog. The term Irish Setter is commonly used to encompass the show-bred dog recognised by the American Kennel Club as well as the field-bred Red Setter recognised by the Field Dog Stud Book.

History

One of the first references to the ‘Setter,’ or setting dog, in literature can be found in Caius’s De Canibus Britannicus, which was published in 1570 (with a revised version published in 1576). Translated from the original Latin, the text reads:

The Dogge called the Setter, in Latine, Index: Another sort of Dogges be there, serviceable for fowling, making no noise either with foote or with tongue, whiles they follow the game. They attend diligently upon their Master and frame their condition to such beckes, motions and gestures, as it shall please him to exhibite and make, either going forward, drawing backeward, inclinding to the right hand, or yealding toward the left. When he hath founde the byrde, he keepeth sure and fast silence, he stayeth his steppes and will proceede no further, and weth a close, covert watching eye, layeth his belly to the grounde and so creepth forward like a worme. When he approaches neere to the place where the byrde is, he layes him downe, and with a marcke of his pawes, betrayeth the place of the byrdes last abode, whereby it is supposed that this kind of dogge is calles in Index, Setter, being in deede a name most consonant and agreeable to his quality.”

It would be incorrect to assume the dog described above in any way resembles the Irish Setter (or any Setter) as we know the breed today. Caius was referring to a type of setting spaniel, most likely now extinct. The description of the work undertaken by this early pillar of the breed resembles the working behaviour of modern Irish Setters. Of this early dog, Caius went on to write: “The most part of theyre skinnes are white, and if they are marcked with any spottes, they are commonly red, and somewhat great therewithall.” If this is the case, it is safe to assume the solid red colouring of today’s Irish Setter came about by selective breeding practices.

Further reference to Setters in early literature can be found in The Country Farme by Surflet and Markham, published in 1616. They wrote: “There is also another sort of land spannyels which are called Setters.”

It is clear that, by the early 18th Century, the type of dog known as the ‘Setter’ had come into its own right. It is also clear the Irish had begun actively breeding their own type. For example, the de Freyne family of French Park began keeping detailed stud records in 1793. Other prominent landed Irish gentry also known to have been breeding setter lines at the same time include Lord Clancarty, Lord Dillon, and the Marquis of Waterford.

It was noted as early as 1845 that Setters in Ireland were predominantly either red, or, according to Youatt, “…very red, or red and white, or lemon coloured, or white patched with deep chestnut.” Clearly, the preference for a solidly-coloured dog was having an effect on the appearance of the typical Irish-bred setter.

The Breed Standard for the modern Irish Setter was first drawn up by the Irish Red Setter Club in Dublin and approved on 29 March 1886. It consisted of a 100-point scale, with a given number of points awarded for each of the dog’s physical attributes. The points system was later dropped; however, aside from some minor changes, the Standard remains largely unchanged today in most countries where the breed is formally recognised.

Health

Irish Setters tend to be a very healthy breed. Problems that have been noted in Irish Setters include: Hip dysplasia, cancer, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), epilepsy, entropion, hypothyroidism, hyperosteodystrophy, bloat (a.k.a. gastric torsion), osteosarcoma, Von Willebrand’s disease, patent ductus arteriosus, canine Leukocyte adhesion deficiency (CLAD) and celiac disease. It should be noted that Irish Setters are now one of the few breeds for which genetic tests have been developed to detect the presence of both CLAD and PRA (RCD-1).

The Irish Terrier is a dog breed from Ireland, one of many breeds of terrier. The Irish Terrier is considered one of the oldest terrier breeds. The Dublin dog show in 1873 was the first to provide a separate class for Irish Terriers. By the 1880s, Irish Terriers were the fourth most popular breed in Ireland and Britain.The Irish Terrier is an active and compactly sized dog that is suited for life in both rural and city environments. Its harsh red coat protects it from all kinds of weather.

History

The breed’s origin is not known. It is believed to have descended from the black and tan terrier-type dogs of Britain and Ireland, just like the Kerry Blue and Irish Soft-haired Wheaten Terriers in Ireland or the Welsh, Lakeland and Scottish Terriers in Great Britain.F. M. Jowett writes in The Irish Terrier, ‘Our Dogs’ Publishing Co. Ltd., Manchester, England 1947 – 7th Edition:
They are described by an old Irish writer as being the poor man’s sentinel, the farmer’s friend, and the gentleman’s favourite…These dogs were originally bred not so much for their looks as for their working qualities and gameness, the Irish Terrier being by instinct a thorough vermin killer. They were formerly of all types and of all colours – black-and-tan, grey-and-brindle, wheaten of all shades, and red being the predominant colours. Colour or size evidently did not matter if they were hardy and game.”The proper selection process of the breed began only in the latter 19th century. They were shown now and then, sometimes in one class, sometimes in separate classes for dogs under and over 9 pounds.The first breed club was set up in Dublin in 1879. Irish Terriers were the first members of the terrier group to be recognised by the English Kennel Club as a native Irish Breed – this happened just before the end of the 19th century. The first Irish Terriers were taken to the US in the late 19th century and quickly became somewhat popular.There used to be big influential kennels in Ireland, the Great Britain and US up to the 1960s. The breed is increasingly “fashionable” as a family pet because of its fondness for children. There is ambitious breeding in many continents, including Africa (South Africa), North America, (Northern) Europe and Australia.

Health

Irish Terrier is a generally healthy breed. The life expectancy is around 13 – 14 years.The proportions are not over-exaggerated in any way and thus eye or breathing problems are rare. Most Irish Terriers do not show signs of allergies towards foods. As they are small dogs, the breed has a very low incidence of hip dysplasia (canine).In the 1960s and 1970s there were problems with hyperkeratosis, a disease causing corny pads and severe pain. Today it is widely known which dogs carried the disease and respectable breeders do not use those bloodlines any more. A health study conducted by the Irish Terrier Club of America showed a greater-than-expected incidence of hypothyroidism and cataracts. There are not enough eye-checked individuals to draw any conclusions.

The Irish Water Spaniel is a breed of dog that is the largest and one of the oldest of spaniels. The Irish Water Spaniel is one of the rarer breeds with the AKC in terms of registrations.

History

Although the current breed stock is Irish, the origin of the breed, The Irish Water Spaniel is a native Irish breed for over 1000 years. It is believed in Irish folklore to be the descendant of the Dobhar-chú. It is probable that more than one ancient breed of spaniel has gone into its makeup. It is not known from which other breeds Irish Water Spaniels were developed. The acknowledged father of the breed, Justin McCarthy from Dublin, left no breeding records. All manner of dogs have been suggested including: the Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, Barbet, generic old water dog, the now-extinct English Water Spaniel as well as the Northern and Southern Water Spaniels, but whether Irish Water Spaniels are antecedents, descendants or mixtures of these other breeds is a matter of some speculation. What is clear is that the breed has ancient roots. The modern breed as we know it was developed in Ireland in the 1830s.

The Irish Wolfhound is a breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), specifically a sighthound. The name originates from its purpose (wolf hunting with dogs) rather than from its appearance. The breed was originally developed from Dogs in warfare to one used for hunting and Guard dog. Irish Wolfhounds can be an imposing sight due to their formidable size; they are the tallest of all dog breeds.

History

The breed is very old; there are suggestions it may have been brought to Ireland as early as 7000 BC. These dogs are mentioned, as cú (variously translated as hound, Irish hound, war dog, wolf dog, etc.) in Irish laws and in Irish literature which dates from the 5th century or, in the case of the Early Irish literature, from the old Irish period – AD 600-900. The word “Cu” often became an added respected prefix on the names of warriors as well as kings denoting that they were worthy of the respect and loyalty of a Cu.

Pre-19th century

Ancient wood cuts and writings have placed them in existence as a breed by 273 BC. However there is indication that huge dogs existed even as early as 600 BC when the Tectosages and Tolistobogii Celts Gallic invasion of the Balkans#Attack on Delphi. Survivors left accounts of the fierce Celts and the huge dogs who fought with them and at their side. They were mentioned by Julius Caesar in his treatise, Commentarii de Bello Gallico, and by 391 AD, they were written about by Roman Consul, Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, who received seven of them, “canes Scotici”, as a gift to be used for fighting lions, bears, that in his words, “all Rome viewed with wonder”.Wolfhounds were bred as hunting dogs by the ancients, who called them Cú Faoil. The Gael (Ancient people) continued to breed them for this purpose, as well as to guard their homes and protect their stock. Cúchulain, a name which translates literally as “hound of Culain”, gained his name when as a child, known then as Setanta, he slew the ferocious guard dog of Culain forcing him to offer himself as a replacement.References to the Irish wolfhound in the 18th century tell of its great size, strength and greyhound shape as well as its scarcity. Writing in 1790, Bewick described it as the largest and most beautiful of the dog kind; about 36 inches high, generally of a white or cinammon colour, somewhat like the Greyhound but more robust. He said that their aspect was mild, disposition peaceful, and strength so great that in combat the Mastiff or Bulldog was far from being an equal to them. The last wolf in Ireland is thought to have been killed at Myshall, Co Carlow in 1786 by a pack of wolfdogs kept by a Mr Watson of Ballydarton. The remaining hounds in the hands of a few families who were mainly descendants of the old Irish chieftains, were now symbols of status rather than hunters, they were said to be the last of their race.

Modern wolfhound

Englishman Captain George Augustus Graham is responsible with a few other breeders for reaffirming the dogs’ existence. In 1879 he wrote: “It has been ascertained beyond all question that there are few specimens of the breed still left in Ireland and England to be considered Irish wolfhounds, though falling short of the requisite dimensions. This blood is now in my possession.” Captain Graham devoted his life to ensuring the survival of the Irish wolfhound. Owing to the small numbers of surviving specimens outcrossing was used in the breeding programme. It is believed that
Borzoi, Great Dane, Scottish Deerhound and English Mastiff dogs all played their part in Graham’s creation of the dog we currently know. The famous English Mastiff Garnier’s Lion was bred to the Deerhound Lufra, and their offspring Marquis enters Wolfhound pedigrees through his granddaughter Young Donagh. Graham included “a single outcross of Tibetan Wolf Dog”. This was long assumed to have been a Tibetan Mastiff. However, a photograph of “Wolf” shows a bearded, long-coated dog – what would now be called a “Kinnaur Sheepdog” or “dokhyi apso”. In 1885 Captain Graham with other breeders founded the Irish Wolfhound Club, and the Breed Standard of Points to establish and agree the ideal to which breeders should aspire.The Irish Wolfhound is sometimes regarded as the national dog breed of Ireland but in fact no breed has ever been officially adopted as such. The Wolfhound was historically a dog that only nobles could own and was taken up by the British during their rule in Ireland. This made it unpopular as a national symbol and the Kerry Blue Terrier was adopted by Republicans such as Michael Collins (Irish leader). However, in recent years, the Wolfhound has been adopted as a symbol by both rugby football, which are organised on an All-Ireland basis. The Ireland national rugby league team are nicknamed the wolfhounds, and the Irish Rugby Football Union, which governs rugby union, changed the name of the country’s A (second-level) national team in that code to the Ireland Wolfhounds in 2010.

Health

Like many large dog breeds, Irish Wolfhounds have a relatively short lifespan. Published lifespan estimations vary between 6 and 10 years with 7 years being the average. Dilated cardiomyopathy#Dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs and cats and osteosarcoma are the leading cause of death and like all deep-chested dogs, gastric torsion (bloat) is common; the breed is affected by hereditary intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.In a privately funded study conducted under the auspices of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America and based on an owner survey, Irish Wolfhounds in the United States from 1966 to 1986 lived to a mean age of 6.47 and died most frequently of bone cancer. A more recent study by the UK Kennel Club puts the average age of death at 7 years.Irish wolfhounds should not receive additional supplements when a good dog food is used. It is generally accepted that they should be fed a low protein adult dog food (19 to 21% protein) from puppyhood onward. Most breeders today recommend that they not be supplemented to slow their rapid growth.Irish wolfhounds are the tallest of all dog breeds, sometimes reaching 7 feet tall on their hind legs. They are well suited to rural life, but their medium energy profile allows them to adjust fairly well to suburban and urban life as well, provided they receive appropriate exercise.Genetically, the Irish wolfhound as a breed is threatened by a Population bottleneck related to the over-use of a Popular sire effect.

The Istrian Coarse-haired Hound is a dog breed from Croatia, developed in the mid-19th century for hunting fox and rabbit. It is a rough-coated scent hound still kept primarily as a hunting dog rather than as a pet.

History

Croats and Slovenes breeders created the Istrian Coarse-haired Hound in the mid-19th century by crossing the French Griffon Vendeén with the Istrian Shorthaired Hound, a smooth-haired hound developed from both sight hounds and scent hounds. The breed first took part in a conformation show in Vienna in 1866.The dog is still used for hunting fox, rabbits, hare, and wild boar.

The Istrian Shorthaired Hound (FCI No. 151 original name is Istarski Kratkodlaki Goni?) is a dog breed from Istria in Croatia, descended from a very old dog type of scenthound. The Istrian Shorthaired Hound is the slightly smaller counterpart to the longer coated Istrian Coarse-haired Hound from the same region.

The Italian Greyhound is a small breed of the sight hound Dog type, sometimes called an “I.G.”. The true breed origins are unknown.

History

The grace of the breed has prompted several artists to include the dogs in paintings, among others Diego Velázquez, Pisanello and Giotto di Bondone.The name of the breed is a reference to the breed’s popularity in Renaissance Italy. Mummy dogs very similar to the Italian Greyhound (or small Greyhounds) have been found in Egypt, and pictorials of small Greyhounds have been found in Pompeii, and they were probably the only accepted companion-dog there. Dogs similar to Italian Greyhounds are recorded as having been seen around Emperor Nero’s court in Rome in the first century AD.Although the small dogs are mainly companionship dogs they have in fact been used for hunting rats or mice, often in combination with hunting. It is believed that this was the reason they were bred in the first place by the Greeks.The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the family of gazehounds (dogs that hunt by sight). The breed is an old one and is believed to have originated more than 2,000 years ago in the countries now known as Greece and Turkey. This belief is based on the depiction of miniature greyhounds in the early decorative arts of these countries and on the archaeological discovery of small greyhound skeletons. By the Middle Ages, the breed had become distributed throughout Southern Europe and was later a favorite of the Italians of the sixteenth century, among whom miniature dogs were in great demand. Sadly, though, ‘designer’ breeders tried, and failed, to make the breed even smaller by crossbreeding it with other breeds of dogs. This only led to mutations with deformed skulls, bulging eyes and dental problems. The original Italian Greyhound had almost disappeared when groups of breeders got together and managed to return the breed to normal. From this period onward the history of the breed can be fairly well traced as it spread through Europe, arriving in England in the seventeenth century.

Health

The Italian Greyhound has a median lifespan of 13.5 in a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey. A 1993 US breed club survey gives an average lifespan of 9 years but more than a quarter of the dogs had “accidents” recorded as cause of death.Health problems that can be found in the breed:

• Epilepsy
• Legg-Perthes disease (degeneration of the hip)
• Patellar Luxation (slipped stifles)
• von Willebrand disease (vWD) (Bleeding disorder)
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
• Color dilution alopecia (hair loss in dilute pigmented dogs, i.e.: blues, blue fawns, etc.)
• Leg Breaks (most common under the age of 2)
• Cataracts
• Vitreous degeneration
• Liver shunts
• Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• Periodontal disease, gum recession, early tooth loss, bad tooth enamel
• Hypothyroidism, Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (Hashimoto’s disease)

Responsible breeders will routinely check their dogs for the onset of various inherited disorders, these commonly include (but are not limited to): examinations on eyes, patellar examinations, thyroid function panels, von Willebrand’s factor, hip and Legg-Perthes disease x-rays, and others. In research by the Ortheopedic Foundation for Animals, the Italian Greyhound was found to be the least affected by Hip dysplasia (canine) out of 157 breeds. Tests were conducted on 169 individual Italian Greyhounds, of which none were found to have hip dysplasia and 59.2% scored excellent on their hip evaluations.