Spittin' bout da Spitz

Haha, what a tittle, sounds like some type of rap album. Bone thugs, "Dawg" related lol, definitely not canine related but the next image is:

What exactly is this group of Spitz-types doing? Run you little hedgehogish fella! Gary has one of those haha...

Mollie, one of The Fort's many Spitz pups.

My mom, Nancy, was researching Spitz Breeds (some of her favorites) over the weekend and I learned many things from her about them. I had no idea there were so many breeds that fell into this category. We have a number of Spitz-types at Fort Fido including; Huskies, Malamutes, American Eskimos, Akitas, Samoyeds, Pomeranians and Basenjis, just to name a few. The defining characteristics of the canines in this group are, a very fox or wolf-like appearance, with pointy ears and tails that curl up onto the back.

Now, to the best part of Nancy's research. After thumbing through our dog books and visiting numerous websites, she stumbled upon this day-making gem.

Performing Japanese Spitz



Wow! This had me cracking up... If only I could find a half-dozen more American Eskimos... Got a good start with Buddy and Mollie hahaha!

Take it easy,

-Grant

Sad yet incredible...

We are all aware of the tragic events in Japan. Our hearts go out to all of the people engulfed in the crisis.

I was sent a sad yet incredible video clip today that was shot amid the destruction of Japan's devastating Earthquake and Tsunami. It is of a loyal canine who will not leave his deceased companion behind. Here is the link that translates the story.



Later today in a search, I found a neat article about some US Search and Rescue dog teams deployed in Japan. Here is the link, In a battered Japan, dogs search for human survivors.

On a lighter note, I found an informative website that describes dog breeds of the world. I thought I would research the native dogs of Japan. Here at Fort Fido, we have an Akita named Kyoshi and a Japanese Chin (arguably Chinese in origin) named Charlie. In the past we've had a few Shiba Inu Mixes.

One of the most popular dog breeds in Japan, actually #1 throughout the 80's and early 90's, is the Shetland Sheepdog. Obviously it is the greatest dog breed ever. ;)

Take care,

-Grant