As March arrives, this means St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. On this one day, “everyone is Irish”. Is this true for dogs too? Some dogs, such as the Irish Wolfhound and the Irish Setter, clearly have an Irish background. Other dogs clearly don’t, such as the Belgian Malinois, Portuguese Water Dog, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, English Springer Spaniel or English Cocker Spaniel. So where do the top 10 dogs in the United States (as noted by the AKC) come from? Labrador Retriever: The modern lab likely originated in Canada, in Newfoundland and Labrador. They were transported back to England, and were used by fisherman to help swim ropes ashore. German Shepherd Dog: As the name suggests, German Shepherds originate in Germany. Originally GSDs were bred to herd sheep, but their intelligence and trainability have lead to other roles in military and police work as well as assistance type jobs. Golden Retriever: The golden retriever can trace it’s roots back to Scotland. They may have some ties to Russian herding dogs, but have mainly been bred to be gun dogs. However, they too are easily trainable and have found jobs as assistance pets, drug and bomb sniffing dogs, and as search and rescue dogs. Bulldog: Bulldogs originate in England. They […]
Providing the best possible veterinary care for your pet.
Heritage Animal Hospital is a full-service veterinarian clinic that provides examinations, diagnostic services, dental care, surgical services, medicine, grooming and boarding services in Maple Grove, Minnesota. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of pet care possible and facilitating an environment where client communication and education are at the forefront of our practice.
