Gomestic > Pets

Unique Dog Breeds

There are hundreds of dog breeds, and they are very unique, so it was hard to pick eight of the most unique dog breeds, but here they are.

There are hundreds of dog breeds, each slightly different than the others, but these breeds have very interesting features worth checking out.

Shar Pei


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The face only a mother could love? I think not, this is a breed of dog, known for its' excessively wrinkled skin, and black tongues. The folds require special care to make sure fungus does not grow in the cracks. Puppies are far more wrinkled than adults. Their coat is very coarse to the touch. The dog in the photo is from Wikimedia.

Bloodhound


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These dogs are famous for tracking humans. Their loose skin, long ears, and slobbery mouths, are all traits that actually help them to pick up a scent trail. They can even pick up a scent that is days old. As with many purebred dogs they are prone to some health issues, most noticeably stomach and intestinal problems, as well as eye and ear problems. The lovely dog in the photograph is from Wikimedia.

Rhodesian Ridgeback


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These handsome dogs are often used for hunting as they are fearless. Their unusual trait is an odd parting of their hair along their backbone, creating a ridge. A clever photo, from Wikimedia, the dog is looking at a calender with another ridgeback dog on the photo.

Chinese Crested


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Both these are the same breed, the first is the Powderpuff variety, the second is the hairless variety, who actually do have hair on their heads, tails and legs. Whereas some dog breeds have long haired, and short haired varieties, with these dogs, they are the same variety. Genetically some have hair and some don't and you must breed the two together to maintain breeding soundness, as breeding of two hairless dogs together will result in a 25% death rate in the pups. So most breeders breed a hairless with a powderpuff and get a litter that is half of each. These dogs are prone to teeth problems and often need their first set of teeth pulled out to make room for their permanent teeth.
Photos from Wikimedia

Puli


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These are medium sized dogs who are often used for herding. Like most herding breeds, they are very smart so need to be kept mentally active if they are not going to be used for this purpose. Agility is a great option for people who are not using the dogs for their intended purpose. This is a very old breed. Picture from Wikimedia.

Dachshund


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This dog is not only noted because of its' unusual appearance, but its' name is often misspelled or mispronounced. Often called "Doxies", or more correctly "Daxies",  they may have short coats, long coats, or wire haired coats. They were bred for hunting rabbits, badgers, and other vermin, as such they must be properly handled or may be rough on other small pets and children. Due to their odd shape they are prone to leg and back problems. This photograph is by Igor Bredikhin and is from Wikimedia.

Norwegian Lundehund


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The photo looks normal enough but there are a few special traits in this dog, to start off, they have six working toes on their foot, instead of the normal four. You can see the extra toes on the dogs hind paws in the photo. They can tilt their head backwards along their spine, and can even shut their ears, by bending them forward. If that isn't enough, their front legs are able to rotate 90 degrees. You will note, they are not "hounds" the word "hund" means "dog". This photo is from Wikimedia.

Basenji


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What makes this dog unique is that it is considered a "barkless" dog. They tend to "sing" rather than bark, or may simply be silent. They also have less smell than most dogs. Many people consider these two points to be great advantages, however it should be noted that these are sight hounds, dogs bred to hunt moving things. They may not be safe in homes with cats, rabbits, or even small active children. The picture is from Wikimedia.

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Comments (25)
#1 by Denice, Sep 27, 2008
That is probably the longest Dachshund I have ever seen!
#2 by Darla Smith, Sep 27, 2008
My favorite of them all is the bloodhound. They look so sad, but they are so cute.
#3 by nobert soloria bermosa, Sep 27, 2008
nice breeds,i'd to have aby of them
#4 by GurneyHalleck, Sep 27, 2008
purebreds...what a weakhearted, bad-backed, poor eyesighted drooling bunch of hounds! Only the last two are healthy breeds.
#5 by Ruby Hawk, Sep 27, 2008
I like the hotdog one best. My youngest son had one of those when he was a youngster.
#6 by PR Mace, Sep 27, 2008
Good article, I enjoyed it. The puli needs a haircut so he can see where he is going.
#7 by Lady d 71, Sep 27, 2008
RASTA dog!! LOL!! They are all uniquely ADORABLE!!
#8 by eddiego65, Sep 27, 2008
Very unique and lovable dogs!
#9 by ChrisK, Sep 27, 2008
I own a catahoula leopard dog. Most people have never heard of this type of dog. Very smart. Here's some pictures: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/catahoulaphotos.htm
#10 by acecampillo, Sep 28, 2008
wow, they are really unique, thanks for sharing it. :)
#11 by RJ Chamberlain, Sep 28, 2008
Great article B Nelson. I have a Siberan Husky which could go on your next list of awesome dog breeds.
#12 by Tigresa Woodberry, Sep 28, 2008
I was thinking the same thing Lady d was thinking LOL. Very nice article B Nelson!
#13 by amy everett, Sep 28, 2008
This is a beautiful article
#14 by Denny Lyon, Sep 29, 2008
As a 10 year old kid I had happily memorized every dog breed in the book! Wasn't familiar with the Lundehund - a new one to me. As to catahoulas - they were developed here in Louisiana and only recently recognized as a breed. Beautiful dogs too!
all the dog lovers enjoyed this posting for sure! thanks again, ~ d
#15 by Lost in Arizona, Sep 29, 2008
I love the Rhodesians. They are fiercely protective of their owners. Unfortunately, they don't live very long, and are apt to some expensive vet bills, but beautiful dogs nevertheless. Wonderful article.
#16 by C. Jordan, Sep 29, 2008
Once again I've enjoyed reading one of your articles.This one touched home because we have 13yr old Old English Sheepdog (with a tail). We keep his coat quite short and they do look quite a bit different that way.
#17 by Kat, Sep 29, 2008
Aww, I liked the Norwegian one. I have a Sheltie, and I had another one, but she died, which was a very difficult day for me. Great article!
#18 by Judy Sheldon, Sep 30, 2008
Great article. Dogs are great! Thanks for sharing.
#19 by Allison Jae, Oct 1, 2008
I just loved all your puppy pix. But that Puli was just plain weird, but that's cool.
#20 by deve807, Nov 4, 2008
Dachshund aka daxies not doxies which means a kind of hooker ! and they were bred for killing badgers nor rabbits ! they are a german breed
#21 by rihanaa, Jan 8, 2009
they're so cute...
#22 by Lindz, Feb 9, 2009
I had a Basenji. They are very active dogs. Mine would jump over our 6 foot fence then back again over and over. He never left though, guess he just liked to jump.
#23 by Wendy L., Mar 21, 2009
i loved all of the dogs. they are all pretty cool! i would have to say that my favorite was the Puli and the Basenji. i would have to say that the long haired Chinese Crested was cute, but i dont really like the short haired one !! and the Norwegian Lundehund, well lets just say he is extremely flexible.

LOL at the Dachshunds! they are too cute .

Wendy L.
#24 by  bfruechte, Jun 12, 2009
Very nice pictures. Interesting since my mother grooms dogs and I saw a lot of different dogs growing up. My mom does a better job grooming them though. Nice pictures.
#25 by Betty C, Jun 15, 2009
While My son was walking on a jogging path he passed two men with very large, great dane size, short haired dogs. One was black, the other a mixture of gray and brown. He thinks their breed is Pecodorian, or similar spelling. Can you identify with
this short description? Thanks
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