The American Staffordshire Terrier, known to their fans as AmStaffs, are smart, confident, good-natured companions. Their courage is proverbial. A responsibly bred, well-socialized AmStaff is a loyal, trustworthy friend to the end.
Big, powerful, and built for hard work, the Bernese Mountain Dog is also strikingly beautiful and blessed with a sweet, affectionate nature. Berners are generally placid but are always up for a romp with the owner, whom they live to please.
Loyalty, affection, intelligence, work ethic, and good looks: Boxers are the whole doggy package. Bright and alert, sometimes silly, but always courageous, the Boxer has been among America’s most popular dog breeds for a very long time.
Fearless at work, docile at home, the Bullmastiff is a large, muscular guarder who pursued and held poachers in Merry Old England—merry, we suppose, for everyone but poachers. Bullmastiffs are the result of Bulldog and Mastiff crosses.
A dignified and mellow hunting companion of kings, the Clumber Spaniel is the largest of the AKC flushing spaniels. For those who can handle some shedding and drooling, the amiable Clumber is an amusing best friend and a gentlemanly housemate.
Sleek and powerful, possessing both a magnificent physique and keen intelligence, the Doberman Pinscher is one of dogkind's noblemen. This incomparably fearless and vigilant breed stands proudly among the world's finest protection dogs.
The easygoing Great Dane, the mighty “Apollo of Dogs,” is a total joy to live with—but owning a dog of such imposing size, weight, and strength is a commitment not to be entered into lightly. This breed is indeed great, but not a Dane.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a large, immensely strong worker famous for a dense coat of striking black, red, and white markings. Dependable and faithful Swissies earned their feed as herders, drafters, and all-around pasture dogs.
A purebred dog (or money dog) typically refers to a dog of a modern dog breed with a documented pedigree in a stud book and may be registered with a breed club that may also be part of a national kennel club.
Quick to learn, dogs of the Working Group are intelligent, strong, watchful, and alert. Bred to assist man, they excel at jobs such as guarding property, pulling sleds and performing water rescues. Doberman Pinschers, Siberian Huskies and Great Danes are part of this Group, to name just a few. They make wonderful companions but because they are large, and naturally protective, prospective owners need to know how to properly train and socialize a dog. Some breeds in the Working Group may not be for the first-time dog owner.
It’s rarely a bad decision to get yourself a dog, but sometimes you’ll need to be picky about the exact type of companion that will inhabit your private space. If you live in a condo and dogs just seem too noisy, this long list of the most quiet dog breeds is bound to change your mind and assist you with choosing the perfect dog roommate.
As much as every dog can be taught not to make noise, there are quite a few dog breeds with innately silent behavior. These dogs require little to no attention in order to keep silent. Keep in mind that every single dog can give a protesting bark from time to time.
If you plan on getting yourself a furry friend, make sure you have enough time and resources to give him a comfortable life. Without the proper dog care and attention, you can expect incessant barking from any and all of these breeds anyway.
Dogs with double coats boast and undercoat and an outer coat. In short, their coats are made up of long, guard hairs under which there is a denser, woollier and usually much softer undercoat. The denser the undercoat happens to be, the fluffier a dog's coat tends to be and the more grooming they need to prevent tangles and mats from forming.
The outer guard hairs serve to repel any moisture and they help get rid of any dirt whereas the softer undercoat acts more as an insulation that keeps dogs warm during the colder winter months and cooler when the weather is hot in the summertime. As such, a double coat should never be shaved because it takes away the barrier that protects dogs from the damaging UV rays of the sun.
If you like to rough it in freezing temperatures and wet snow, your dog should too. "In general, a dog that thrives in a snowy climate has a dense coat that insulates them from the elements," says Bernadine Cruz, who has worked with arctic dogs as a trail veterinarian for the Iditarod, Yukon Quest, and John Beargrease sled-dog races. "Often, northern dog breeds will have a good foundation by virtue of stout furry paws that allow them to traverse icy terrain."
If you live in the mountains or are looking for a furry friend to keep you warm on those single-digit winter camping trips, these are the best dog breeds for cold-weather climates.
With hearts as big as their bodies, extra-large dog breeds have been used as guard dogs, working animals and trusted companions of humans for centuries across the world. Here are the ten largest breeds, along with a few tips for bringing home and caring for one of these gentle giants.