AKA: Lajka Ruissisch Europaisch, Karelean Bear Laika, Russko-Evropeïskaïa Laïka, Laika, Russko-European Laika, Russian-European Laika

Description: The Russo-European Laika is wolf-like in appearance and generally has a white-marked black coat that is short and rough. It has a triangular head with an elongated muzzle, with dark eyes, large erect ears, and black nose. Its jaws form a scissors bite. The neck is short but strong, and the body is hardy with a deep oval chest. Its legs are powerful, and the tail is carried curled up. There are come Russo-European Laika that are born tailless.

Dynamics: The Russo-European Laika is an affectionate and devoted dog. When it reaches the age of eight months or older, it becomes attached to its owner and never forgets him or her. This breed can get aggressive and suspiciously reserved with strangers, and is not for the weak of heart. It does not bite though, fortunately. It usually avoids being petted or touched. To remedy this attitude, it is strongly recommended that the Russo-European Laika be socialized and handled and petted more often beginning at puppyhood. It will also get along well with children through socialization.

The Russo-European Laika is a territorial dog and usually show heavy dislike when its domain is intruded by other pets or another dog. This dog is a hunter, and its hunting instincts and attitude can be discriminating against predators and small game and prey. The Russo-European Laika should be taught as a puppy to leave domesticated animals and other household pets alone.

Breed Group: Northern

Weight: 40-50 pounds

Height: 20-24 inches

Color: The Russo-European Laika has a black coat that has white patches. There are dogs of this breed with a gray or red coat, and black is not really the standard color. However, black with white markings is the most common and is therefore the one generally accepted by the majority.

Country of Origin: The Russo-European Laika was bred in Russia and Finland in the 1700s.

Activities: Like all dogs, the Russo-European Laika needs to be walked daily and be given time to romp around and exercise itself. It is a natural hunter, and is an expert in treeing small game like squirrels and raccoons and baying moose, wild boar, and bears. The Russo-European Laika also makes a great guard dog because it gets easily alerted by other dogs, animals, and intruders.

Grooming: The coat of the Russo-European Laika is short, and so wiping it over with a damp cloth or an occasional brushing is enough to groom the dog. Bathe only when necessary.

Other Info: This is generally a healthy dog. The Russo-European Laika is not a city dog and may not do well living in an enclosed home or apartment.

Photo: Konrad Loesch

AKA: Ridgeback, African Lion Dog, African Lion Hound

Description: The Rhodesian Ridegback is large and well-muscled dog. It has a flat broad head with a long and deep muzzle and a defined stop. Its nose can be black, brown, or liver, and its eyes are usually brown. Its ears are set high and dropping down and tapering. It has a deep chest, and strong straight front legs. The body ends with a long and tapering tail that curves upward a little. The Rhodesian Ridgeback’s most distinctive feature is its clearly defined symmetrical ridge of hair growing in the opposite direction running down the middle of the back.

Dynamics: The Rhodesian Ridgeback is known to be a ferocious and sophisticated hunter, but it is also a calm and gentle dog to its master or family. It has a good nature and is obedient and even-tempered. It can play roughly though and may not do well with small children. This is an intelligent and serious dog, straightforward and confident. It is brave and and can have an imposing presence. Towards strangers, this dog is reserved and quiet. But it can socialize well when trained.

When training the Rhodesian Ridgeback, it is important that the training be consistent and firm. This breed does not respond well to meek or passive owners, and might refuse to take us seriously. Without the proper training and socialization, the Rhodesian Ridgeback may develop destructive behavior and may become combatant with other dogs or pets. It might also become stubborn and may refuse to follow you. But once you have established that you are the leader and the dog is the follower, then the Rhodesian Ridgeback will prove that is is a loyal and protective companion.

Breed Group: Southern, Hound

Weight: males 80-90 pounds (36-41kg), females 65-75 pounds (29-34kg)

Height: males 25-27 inches (63-69cm), females 24-26 inches (61-66cm)

Color: The color of the Rhodesian Ridgeback’s coat range from light wheaten to shades of red. Sometimes there are little white patches on the chest and toes.

Country of Origin: The Rhodesian Ridgeback came from Zimbabwe, South Africa, where it is known as a hunting dog and retriever. It also took care of children and guarded property. When hunting in packs, this breed is excellent in hunting lions, which earned them the name of African Lion Hound.

Activities: The Rhodesian Ridgeback has great stamina and energy. It needs a lot of exercise and a lot of opportunities to run around. It should be walked everyday and allowed to run free in a safe and secure area.

Grooming: Grooming the Rhodesian Ridgeback is easy because it has a short and smooth coat. Brush occasionally with a bristle brush. Dry shampoo only when necessary. It is an average shedder.

Other Info: The Rhodesian Ridgeback has a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. It is a generally healthy breed but can also be prone to the usual ailments like hip dysplasia and dermoid sinus. The Rhodesian Ridgeback will be all right living in an apartment as long as it is getting enough exercise.

Photo: Sannse

AKA: Alentejo Mastiff, Portuguese Mastiff, Mutt of Alentejo

Description: The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a large dog, with a bear-like broad head and strong robust body. Its eyes are dark and its ears are small to medium sized and folding downwards. Its neck is strong and has the regular dewlap, and its chest is broad and deep. Its legs are strong and upright, and its body ends with a long and curving tail. The Rafeiro do Alentejo’s coat is of medium length and thick and straight.

Dynamics: The Rafeiro do Alentejo is an excellent and confident guard dog. It is calm, courageous, but not aggressive. It is also an independent and intelligent dog, and very watchful. It gets suspicious of strangers, especially after dark, which makes it a very valuable guard for our homes. It is more for defense rather than for attacking, and gives out a low, deep bark.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is affectionate with its family despite its reserved nature with strangers. It can get sensitive to reprimands and is also eager to please. Training and socializing this dog has to be done at puppyhood. It is also important that the training is consistent. This is a serious dog that does its job seriously. The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a very noble breed this way. This breed may be reserved with strangers but gets along nicely with children.

Breed Group: Guard

Weight: males 110-132 pounds (50-60 kg), females 100-121 pounds (45-55 kg)

Height: males 27-28 inches (66-75 cm), females 25-28 inches (64 – 70 cm)

Color: The Rafeiro do Alentejo has a coat of the colors black, wolf-like, tawny, or yellowish, draped in either a fair, striped, or white-spotted paterrn.

Country of Origin: The Rafeiro do Alentejo comes from Portugal, but it is often claimed that the breed was descended from huge dogs on the Tibetan highlands ages ago.

Activities: The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a serious dog made for real work. It does not usually exert energy on unnecessary tasks and instead focuses on getting serious with its real job of guarding herds and properties. This dog may not need any heavy exercise but it still needs to be walked everyday.

Grooming: The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a low-maintenance dog. Brushing its coat daily is enough. Bathe only when necessary.

Other Info: The Rafeiro do Alentejo has a life expectancy of 12 years. This dog is not made for life in an apartment. It likes having an open and large yard, and owners should take care to put a secure fence around because it is very suspicious of strangers.

AKA: Mutt, Mixed Breed, Cross Breed, Mix Breed
Description: Mongrel comes in various size and shapes. They come in different breeds. So their appearance also varies.

Temperament: Their traits and characteristics will also depend as to what their parents do possess. It may be guard dog, herders, hunters or any combination of traits. As long as you know how to train them and deal with every traits they possess and what is important is you also know how to deal with them like in socialization trainings and teach them good manners and let them understand that you are their owner and leader.

Activity: Required to have daily exercise, walking, or jog to be more healthy and not develop bad behaviors.

Health: This varies depending on the breeds they came from. But usually they are more healthy compared to pure breed dogs.

Grooming: Also depends on their appearance and breed. But generally occasional brushing of hair and bathe when only necessary.

Breed Group: n/a
Color: this will depend on the breed they came from.
Height: also varies
Weight: varies on the breed of their parents.
Country Of Origin: dogs first originated in Eurasia

Dynamics: This Mixed breed dogs known as vira-lata in Brazil and Dominican Republic. There are some of them who doesn’t have an owner and only feeds in streets, or on trashcans. But they also have talent when it comes to sports like flyball, frisbee and many others.

Photo by Aaandy

AKA: Mastino Napoletano, Italian Mastiff, Mastino, Italian Bulldog, Neo Mastiff

Description: The Neapolitan Mastiff is a powerful dog that looks intimidating and serious. It has a rectangularly proportional body, with a wrinkled face, a massive head, and a muscular limbs. Its wrinkles usually go from the face to the chin and continues to go down the neck, forming a prominent dewlap. The skull is broad, somehow emphasizing its intimidating look. Add to that that the Neapolitan Mastiff walks with a loose and cat-like gait.

The nose is black, and the jaws form a scissors bite. The ears can be cropped, and the Neapolitan Mastiff’s tail can be docked. But these are painful for the dog, and so many prefer the natural look of the breed. The eyes of the Neapolitan Mastiff is blue at first, at puppyhood, but as it grows darker as it grows up. They usually vary with the dog’s coat color.

Dynamics: It may have a vicious and intimidating appearance but the Neapolitan Mastiff is actually a calm and peaceful dog. When provoked or threatened, however, they become fearless and overprotective. It is a highly intelligent breed that is loyal and devoted of its owner or family. It is serious and quiet, but suspicious of strangers.

In owning the Neapoiltan Mastiff, one has to be dominant and show some leadership skills. The Neapolitan Mastiff is not for the meek people. It should be trained consistently and confidently, with you as a leader and the dog as an obedient companion. Socialization is also important for this breed, beginning at puppyhood. This breed gets along well with non-canine pets if socialized with them early on. It also does well with children but the children also has to know how to be dominant over the dog.

The Neapolitan Mastiff was once used for fighting, and so the breed has grown tolerant of pain. It is also a natural guard dog even without the necessary training. Excessive barking will not be a problem with the Neapolitan Mastiff as it is usually a calm animal.

Breed Group: Mastiff

Weight: Up to 165 pounds (74 kg), but there have been cases where a male Neapolitan Mastiff went up to nearly 200 pounds (90 kg)

Height: males 26-30 inches (65-75 cm), females 24-28 inches (60-70 cm)

Color: The coat of the Neapolitan Mastiff can either be solid or brindle, and blue is the most common color. Black is also very common among the breed. A chocolate Neapolitan Mastiff is rare. There are dogs with a little white on the chest and toes and this is acceptable. However, there should be no white markings on the face.

Country of Origin: The Neapolitan Mastiff comes from directly from the line of the Roman Molossus, but it is commonly acknowledged that all European mastiffs descended from the Tibetan Mastiff. The first Asian mastiffs were said to have been brought to Greece by Alexander the Great, and then the Greeks introduced the dogs to the Romans. The Romans then trained and used the dogs in combat and fighting, and from the first of these dogs descended the Neapolitan Mastiff. It became a prominent breed of Italy in 1946.

Activities: The Neapolitan Mastiff, as a pup and in its growing up years, should be limited in its exercises and play sessions. This is to reserve their energy for healthy bones and muscles. When it becomes old enough, it will need a great deal of exercise and long walks.

Grooming: The coat of the Neapolitan Mastiff is short, and therefore easy to groom. Bathe only when necessary, and groom regularly with a rubber brush.

Other Info: The Neapolitan Mastiff has a life expectancy of up to 10 years. Its massive body make sit prone to physical ailments like hip dysplasia and pano-ostiosis (growing pains). It is also prone to the “cherry eye,” where the eye tissue protrudes too much and becomes irritated and inflamed. The Neapolitan Mastiff can live in an apartment as long as it is exercised everyday.

Photo: Lisa M. Herndon