Meet the Icelandic sheepdog, Cane Corso and Leonberger
Three exotic strains of pooches that put the “wow” into bow-wow are being recognized by the American Kennel Club — allowing them to strut their stuff at AKC-sanctioned breed competitions in the U.S., including next February’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The AKC announced exclusively to TODAYshow.com that the Icelandic sheepdog, the Cane Corso and the Leonberger will be added Wednesday to the list of 164 breeds already registered with the organization.
“It’s great: We’re adding three new dogs to our registry,” AKC spokeswoman Christina Duffney told TODAYshow.com. “As of Wednesday, they’re able to compete in shows and take part in any AKC activity.”
Old dogs, new recognition Though new to the AKC, the three breeds have been around for centuries.
The Icelandic sheepdog, for example, arrived on that island nation with the Vikings, who settled there more than 1,000 years ago. The breed — part of the spitz family, which includes chow chows and the American Eskimo — was used to herd sheep, cattle and horses. Revered in their homeland, Icelandic sheepdogs are regarded as one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, but are only now getting formal AKC recognition.
The lion-maned Leonberger, named after the town of Leonberg, Germany, from which it hails, has been part of that country’s culture since the 1800s. Its exquisite long fur made it popular with German artists, who often used Leonbergers as models. Despite their large size, they’re considered cuddly and get along well with children and other family members.
But the Leonberger is more than just a pretty, friendly face — they’re athletic and have been used as water rescue dogs and been trained to jump out of helicopters.
The third newly recognized breed is also the rarest. In fact, the Cane Corso was nearly extinct until a small group of breeders brought it back in the 1980s. It’s a member of the mastiff family, and as such, it’s a muscle-bound dog that was highly prized in its native Italy for hunting difficult prey such as boar and fighting alongside soldiers in ancient battles.
But these days, the Cane Corso isn’t overly fierce. They’re known to be very attached to their owners and families, and they’re intelligent and easily trained.
Just being a distinct type of dog is not enough to be called an official AKC breed, Duffney said.
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6 comments:
I ADORE Cane Corso dogs! I never heard of them until someone I knew got one a couple of yrs ago from a dog rescue group for big breeds.They are very large fearsome looking animals but they are actually very friendly dogs.Great breed but they are big so they need lots of room.As long as they arent misused by humans like other large breeds(Rotties,pits) you will start to see alot more of them.
wasn't a young professional women mauled to death in san francisco a few years ago by two cane corso that were owned by two wacky lawyers?
Very big fan of the Cane Corso. Gorgeous mutt right there.
12:58 I'm rather certain you are talking about the story I saw not long ago on T.V. The lawyers became good friends with a prison inmate who gave them these 2 dogs as gifts. They were bred to be agressive to safe guard drug dealers, crack houses, etc. for drug king pins---- because of their massive strength! ( More so then the "Rot" or "Pit" ) That was quite a story. Those 2 lawyers were absolutely out of their minds!! These dogs are massive!!!! So sad what man does to animals. EW
Anon 12:58
No,it is not the same breed,the dogs responsible for Diane Whipples grisly death in San Francisco were Presa Canarios,another rare large dog breed originating in the Canary Islands and Spain.Both breeds are similar in outward appearance,which causes some confusion,but they are two completely different dog breeds.
I read the book that Aphrodite Jones authored on the SF dog mauling murder(Red Zone)and the owners were found to be legally at fault for her death because it was proven by numerous witnesses that they KNEW the dogs were poorly trained,aggressive and out of control.The two attorneys,Margie Knoller and Robert Noel,ADOPTED an adult client,a AB gang member convict and agreed to raise the dogs for him by proxy so he could sell them to meth labrats for security and make money for the Aryans in California prisons.
It is a unfortunate that the Leonberger has been tagged as the "Nanny Dog" by the AKC. This is not a term that the breed club in the US has ever used and is not in the breed standard under temperament. This is just AKC propaganda and needs to be taken as such. Anyone who might be interested in this breed needs to do their homework. Contact the breed club to be put in touch with a local breeder or owner willing to show off their Leos. Go visit these dogs in person to get not only a sense of their size and presence, but their true temperament. They are not the next Golden Retriever or Lab and are far from the perfect dog. Nanny dog they are not. They are not born happy to meet everyone and anyone...it takes a LOT of training and socialization to get them that way!!! Visit the breed club website at: www.leonbergerclubofamerica.com
Thank you!
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