The 140th Westminster Kennel Club Show Quiz

Answer: Hound

The Cirneco dell'Etna is a smaller sleek-coated hound from Sicily, where it is used for rabbit hunting. Although the dog is found all over the island, the breed is particularly abundant in the area of Mount Etna, hence the name. Since the dog has been isolated on an island, this ancient breed has undergone little change over the years, thus is free from many of the health problems plaguing a number of other breeds.

The Cirneco is a slender but hardy dog who is a good hunter but is also gentle and affectionate.

There were ten entries for the breed this first year.

Answer: Borzoi

The borzoi, who looks rather like a long-haired greyhound, is also known as the Russian wolfhound and in Russia as the borzaya. Their coat is silky and somewhat wavy, often with a frill at the neck. The breed was not originally from Russia, but from Central Asia, and was brought to Russia somewhere between 800 and 900 AD. Over the years, the dog was bred into other breeds, including the Russian laika, in order to gain the longer, thicker, hair needed to withstand the Russian winters. For hundreds of years, the only way to own a borzoi in Russia was to have been given it as a gift by the tsar.

The aristocracy held "Hunting Trials" which often lasted for days, in which the prey was usually small game, but if a wolf was spotted the dogs would be sent coursing to take it down and hold it until the hunter came up to give the coup de grace.

The borzoi was born to "course", not necessarily to kill. They rarely bark, therefore are not very good as watchdogs. They are gentle and intelligent dogs. Borzoi means fast in Russian.

Answer: Chihuahua

The Chihuahua, with his apple head and erect ears, comes in both a smooth as well as a long-haired type. Some think it is the oldest dog breed in the Americas and it also seems to be the smallest, running from six to nine inches in height with a weight of two to six pounds. Even though it is small, it needs exercise and enjoys a daily walk. Further, one must ensure that just because of its small size it's not allowed to get the upper hand, which it surely will do unless trained early.

The breed is intelligent but can be hard to train and they must learn quickly that the owner is the dominant one in their relationship.

Some have referred to the breed as "The Tiny Tyrants".

Answer: Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu is thought to have come from a cross of the Tibetan Mountain dog and the Pekingese during the 1600s in what is now Beijing. They were so prized by the royalty that none were allowed to leave the country until, in 1930, some were exported to Europe.

After the Second Word War, they were brought to the US with returning military personnel. The breed is a good one for people who are allergic to dogs since it doesn't shed its silky hair and, if kept properly groomed (which is needed daily), sheds little skin dander.

This is another breed that can develop Small Dog Syndrome if the owner is not a strong leader. Don't let its small size and beautiful face, not to mention its happy, gentle and loyal nature, allow you to let your guard down. Be firm, Owner!

Answer: Japanese Chin

The Japanese Chin, sometimes called the Japanese spaniel, originated in China. How and when they got to Japan is unknown although there are a number of suppositions, all of which indicate that they have been in Japan for at least a thousand years. Once there, they became beloved by the royalty.

It's not hard to love a friendly, gentle dog with such an expressive face. The Chin is probably the most feline of all the dog breeds having a great sense of balance and even a tendency to use its paws to wash and wipe its face.

It is a happy, loving, intelligent breed of dog. In 1853, Commodore Perry was given seven Chins when he left Japan after having opened the country to world trade, although only two made it all the way back.

Answer: Lowchen

The lowchen's (or löwchen's) antecedents, like those of many breeds, are debatable. However, the most likely thought is that they were originally from the area that is now Germany, France and Belgium. It is thought that perhaps the modern day poodle, particularly the miniature poodle, came about because of the lowchen. Although they seemed to be bred simply to take care of their owners, they also managed to "pay for their keep" by getting rid of vermin, of which there were plenty in the households in earlier centuries.

The lowchen loves exercise, but, on the other hand, enjoys cuddling in bed with you, too. A legend says that they were used by ladies of royalty as a hot water bottle for their feet. The trimmed part of the body would go under the covers for the lady to put her feet on, whereas the furry part would stay out of the covers, thereby attracting fleas from the bed. Thus, the distinctive haircut. The dog is smart, trainable, loves children and, as far as he's concerned, he has never met a stranger. We're lucky the breed is still extant since it was almost wiped out in the major European wars over the years. In 1897, a Belgian lady joined forces with a German veterinarian to save the lowchen from extinction, and soon dogs were found in England and the US.

Answer: Bulldog

It is thought that the original dog of this breed belonged to butcher and was used to contain an animal so the butcher could slaughter it. Then it was bred for the so-called sport "bull-baiting". By that time the dog was not only brave but ferocious and seemed almost immune to pain.

When bull-baiting was outlawed in 1835, it was expected that the bulldog would go the way of the dodo. Luckily for all of us, not to mention the writers of television commercials, a few breeders realized that in order to save the breed they cared about they would have to "accent the positive and eliminate the negative", as Johnny Mercer wrote, of the breed. Within just a few generations they succeeded in transforming the fighter into the epitome of Dogdom, without any vicious streak, a patient gentleman.

The bulldog is a late bloomer, not really maturing until about two and one-half years old. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a particularly long lifespan, either, showing obvious old age signs as early as six years old.

Answer: matted

The Bergamasco, who is thought to have originally come from Persia with their nomadic owners thousands of years, migrated over the mountains to Europe and found a new home in the Italian Alps. Because it was just the shepherd and the dogs with hundreds of sheep, the Bergamasco was forced to not only become the intelligent dog he is but also to think independently to solve the problems he and his owner might face. Even today in the Alps, where he's now herding cattle, the ranchers simply let the dog go on his own and he brings back the cattle without their supervision.

After World War II, with less need for wool production and thus less need for sheepherding dogs, the breed was in danger of extinction. It was saved by an Italian doctor who, in forty years of cautious breeding, after studying the various traits of the breed, brought forth many of the champion dogs. The coat is said not to be hard to maintain in its matted (some call it "felted"; others call it "flocked") state. However, at about one year of age, the owner must pull the fur apart to make the mats. Once that ripping is done, it's done for life, although the coat should be checked weekly for six months to a year to ensure the mats don't grow back together. After that, very few things stay caught in the coat. A good shake ensures they're gone. No brushing required. Ever! The coat should never be shaved. Incidentally, the coat allowed the dog to not only blend in with the sheep but also to keep him protected from predator's teeth while he was guarding his flock. This is a large dog with the male going over seventy pounds and with a heart is as big as he is. There were eight entries for the Bergamasco this first year.

Answer: German Shepherd

A German shepherd was of service to Mr. Morris Frank (founder of The Seeing Eye), Roy Rogers in the form of his Bullet, Rin Tin Tin for movie-goers from 1922 to 1931, and many children who were lucky enough to have one as their first dog. The breed is double-coated with the male weighing 66 to 88 pounds. It's a newer breed, having been developed in the late 1800s. It's a strong, intelligent, and relatively easy to train breed, which is protective and loyal to his people. The drawback is that the dog absolutely must be socialized early and correctly. The only other drawback of the German shepherd is that its outer coat sheds year round. Also, you take into consideration the many ailments, such as hip dysplasia, caused by years of inbreeding.

The show German shepherd has a sloped back whereas the original breed, the working pedigree line of today, has the flat topline. The sloped back causes poor movement in the hind legs. Although the breed is still used in herding, they've taken a greater role in police and military forces because of their keen sense of smell which is used in jobs such as search and rescue, and narcotics detection. The first German shepherd was a dog with a few generations of selective breeding behind him. He was named Horand von Grafrath and sired many, many offspring, and those offspring - if deemed to fit the correct standards - also sired many, many offspring. The line was inbred to ensure that the desired traits were instilled forever in this new breed. After World War I the breed's name was changed to Alsatian wolf dog, shortened to Alsatian because it was thought that people would shy away from anything with the name of Germany attached to it. Although its popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years since 1899, it was the second most popular dog in the United States in 2012.

Answer: Italy

The Lagotto Romagnolo is from the area of Romagna, Italy. The name translates to "Lake Dog of Romagna". Traditionally it acted as a retriever for hunters, however, it also was used for truffle hunting, a work that it is best known for these days. It is a smaller dog with the males ranging to 35 pounds, and they have a thick, curly, and wooly waterproof coat. That coat will need grooming annually or it will mat, causing all kinds of problems for the owner. The Lagotto has been around for centuries. There is artwork from 1484 showing a small dog which looks exactly like the Lagotto Romagnolo. There were nine of this breed entered in the Sporting Group in 2016.