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Welcome to Our !RARE! Breed of the Month Feature!
Previous !RARE! Breeds of the Month
January's !RARE! Breed of the Month
February's !RARE! Breed of the Month
2011 !RARE! Breed of the Month Recap
Featuring March’s !RARE! Breed of the Month
the Porcelaine / Chien de Franche-Comté
What is a Porcelaine?The Porcelaine is a very old breed of dog originating from France, believed to be the oldest of the French scenthounds; its alternate name is Chien de Franche Comté, named after a French region bordering Switzerland. The breed is believed to have descended from Montaimboeuf (now extinct), English Harrier and some of the smaller Laufhounds of Switzerland. Porcelaines are energetic and friendly dogs usually used to hunt hare, roe deer, and in the north wild boar, and hunt in packs. Being a scent hound, it has a very good sense of smell with which it hunts. The Porcelaine is a fierce hunting dog that has been bred to hunt independently without many orders from the owner. The Porcelaine is also being bred in small numbers in Italy and used to hunt wild boar, however Italian indigenous hounds continue to be the preferred choice of local hunters. The breed gets its name from its shiny coat, said to make it resemble a porcelain statuette.
History & OriginAfter the French Revolution, Porcelaine breed dogs became almost extinct. Only a few specimens of the breed were found at the region bordering France and Switzerland. This, however, invoked a debate over the origin of Porcelaine dog breed. Finally, the breed was recreated and classified as a French breed.
Porcelaine is also known as Chien de Franche-Comté, derived from the name of a former French region bordering Switzerland. Efforts by the Porcelaine Club, that was founded in 1971 helped a great deal in reviving this breed of dogs from near extinction.
AppearanceAs the name suggests, these dogs are characterized by a smooth and shiny hair coat. Their skin is white and has black mottling that is often visible through the hair coat. Head is finely chiseled with flat forehead. Ears are long, thin, and droopy and pointed at the tip.
Eyes are dark in color and bear a sweet expression. Nose is black in color and consists of broad nostrils. Neck is fairly long and chest is moderately wide. Earlier, these dogs were comparatively larger in size as compared to the present day Porcelaines.
The average height of these dogs is generally 22 to 23 inches. Bitches tend to be a bit smaller, that is 21 to 22 inches. The ideal weight of both male as well as female Porcelaines ranges between 55 to 62 pounds.
TemperamentPorcelaine temperament is cheerful, enthusiastic, quick, courageous and sociable. These vigorous dogs are fierce while hunting but calm at home. Hence, they are relatively easy to handle and make good family dogs.
These dogs have a pleasant disposition and a melodious bark.
They are usually good with people, even strangers. Moreover, they can co exist peacefully with other dogs because they were initially meant for pack hunting. However, as these dogs were originally bred to hunt independently without taking commands from their owners, training a Porcelaine can be quite a challenge.
March's !RARE! BotM ~ the Porcelaine ~ artwork by brooke-n
See more @ the !RARE! Breed of the Month Artwork Folder
Featuring March’s Targeted Breed of the Month
the American Bulldog / Old Country Bulldog
The American Bulldog is a breed often subject to breed-specific legislation and other forms of discrimination, the breed is banned in Bermuda, Denmark, Lithuania, Malaysia, Singapore, and is either restricted or banned in several cities across the United States. The American Bulldog is often referred to as a "pit bull" type dog by legislators, and falls under the "pit bull" category when included in a dangerous dog law or breed ban.
The American Bulldog is a breed of working dog that was developed in the United States. There are generally considered to be three types of American Bulldog: the Bully or Classic type (sometimes called the Johnson type ), the Standard or Performance type (also called the Scott type), and the Hybrid type (a cross between the Johnson & Scott types). The different types of the American Bulldog can be better understood by reading the America Bulldog's History in the United States @ wikipedia.com
This dog look familiar? You may recognize this breed as being featured in the 1993 Disney film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey & its 1996 sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco as the character Chance!
In the 1994 film The Little Rascals, an American Bulldog played the role of Petey; not to be confused with the Pete the Pup character in Hal Roach’s Our Gang who was played by various American Pit Bull Terriers but most notably, a UKC registered APBT named Lucenay's Peter. An American Bulldog was also featured in the films Cheaper by the Dozen and The Number 23.
• Country of Origin: United States
• Functionality: Family guardian & farm utility dog
• Coat Colors: Solid or varying degrees of white, all shades of brindle, brown, red, or tan are acceptable. Solid black, black and tan, and/or any degree of merle is unacceptable. A full black mask is not preferred.
• Height: Dogs – 22 to 28 inches & Bitches – 20 to 26 inches