These Dogs Drive Me Barking Mad! Quiz

Answer: Bernese mountain dog

The Bernese mountain dog (in German called Berner Sennenhund) is quite large. A typical male will reach a height of 61 - 71 cm and weigh about 35 - 55 kg, while females are about five centimetres shorter and weigh about five kilograms less than the average male. The body is muscular, a bit longer than high. The eyes are black and the body is coloured black - red - white.

According to some sources, it is in the genes that a Bernese should be good-natured and placid towards strangers, not aggressive. In my opinion the dog's temperament is more influenced by training and socialization than by genetics.

In Switzerland they worked as farm dogs, guarding the cattle but also sometimes pulling carts with farm produce.

Answer: Dalmatian

The Dalmatian is born pure white, but will develop the typical spotted pattern as it matures. As the name suggests, the breed comes originally from Croatia. Male Dalmatians can reach a maximum height of 58 - 61 cm, while the females are only slightly shorter. The fur is usually short and very dense.

Dalmatians were used to accompany coaches and even to clear the path for fire brigade vehicles, or as guard dogs.

Answer: Chihuahua

The Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed, defined by weight (maximum 3 kg) and not by height (usually 15 - 23 cm). It comes from Mexico and was named after the largest province in this country.

Chihuahuas can be shorthaired (smooth coat) or longhaired. They come in almost any colour and pattern, and none is more highly praised than the other in show competitions.

Although diminutive in size, Chihuahuas can develop fierce temperaments - sometimes because their owners don't see the need of proper training and socialization. Many Chihuahuas will try to chase human or canine strangers away by barking loudly at them and sometimes even biting - no matter how big the stranger is.

Answer: English cocker spaniel

The English cocker spaniel can come in a multitude of colours. Typical maximum height is 39 - 41 cm for males and 38-39 cm for females, and they may weigh about 13 - 14.5 kg (both genders). Overall they have a sturdy, compact, balanced body. The ears are lobular (drooping) and the eyes are dark-coloured.

There is also an American cocker spaniel, slightly smaller than the English breed.

Most inhabitants of the UK omit the word "English" when they speak of their domestic cocker spaniels, as do most inhabitants of the USA.

Answer: Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard is one of the giants among dogs. Male St. Bernards can reach a height up to 70 - 76 cm (and more), and weigh 65 - 81 kg (and more). Females are only a bit shorter and a bit less heavy. The breed is originally from Switzerland and northern Italy.

The coat is either smooth or rough. Typical colour combinations are red - white or mahogany - white, perhaps with black shading on the face and ears.
If correctly trained and socialized, a Saint Bernard is very friendly and very kind to children, although an enthusiastic Saint Bernard may lick a guest so much that the guest thinks he has been bathed. I've experienced this behaviour with an overenthusiastic Bernese mountain dog, too.

The Saint Bernard hospice, near the Saint Bernard mountain pass, used Saint Bernard dogs to search and rescue lost alpinists until 1955.

Answer: Afghan hound

As one would suspect with such a breed name, the Afghan hound originates from Afghanistan and its direct surroundings. Males can reach a height of 61 - 74 cm and weigh 20 - 27 kg. For females this is about 64 cm high and about 22,5 kg. The coat is long and silky, and almost any colour is accepted. White patches in the face are deemed unacceptable in show standards.
The Afghan hound is one of the few races who tolerates high temperature as well as cold temperature, and is also fit for living in an apartment - quite unusual for many other breeds.

The Afghan hound is not inclined to friendly behavior towards strangers, but the fact that the Afghan is not really motivated to chase away strangers, by barking and growling, makes it not the best guard dog.

The body proportions enable the Afghan hound to run fast over long distances.

Answer: Dachshund

The Dachshund is a German breed, that used to enter badger warrens and similar burrows to chase these preys into the open, so the hunter could take a shot at the prey. The standard size Dachshund may weigh between 7 and 15 kg, and the miniature size (which also may hunt rabbits) weighs no more than 5 kg. There is no standard for the height.

Dachshunds can be short-haired, long-haired or wire-haired. The basic colour for the coat is red or cream for the single-coloured Dachshund. In the tan pointed Dachshunds the dominant colour is black and tan.

Dachshunds are quite stubborn and thus hard to train, but they're great with kids and families.

Answer: Poodle

Poodles can come in three sizes: standard size (height more than 38 cm), toy size (less than 28 cm) or miniature size (between standard size and toy size). The typical weight is 20 to 32 kg for standard size, 7 - 8 kg for the miniature size and 4 kg for the toy size.

They have dense curly coats, and many poodle owners have their dogs partly clipped or shaven - not only to style them, but also to avoid dirt and excrements being tangled up in the fur.

Poodles are very intelligent and can easily be trained. Although they are nowadays mostly considered as companion dogs, they need a lot of exercise.

Answer: Bloodhound

Bloodhounds are sometimes named Saint-Hubert dogs, because the breed is said to originate from the dogs held by the abbey of Saint-Hubert in the Belgian province Luxembourg.

Bloodhounds can reach a height of 58 - 69 cm and weigh typically 36 - 50 kg, but there have been bloodhounds of 72 kg. Females are just a tad shorter and lighter than males.

The coat of a bloodhound can be black and tan, liver and tan, or red. Sometimes they sport also some white on the chest and/or on the paws.
Bloodhounds are very kind to people, even towards strangers. They're very energetic and need a lot of exercise.

Answer: Labrador retriever

The Labrador breed finds its origins in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland dog, from the same region, is much larger but was also used to retrieve water fowl. Another similar dog is the golden retriever, which differs from the Labrador noticeably by sporting a long-haired coat.

Male Labradors can weigh 29 - 36 kg and have a height range of 57 - 62 cm. Females weigh less, but are almost as tall as male Labradors.

The shorthaired Labrador comes in three main colours: black, yellow and chocolate.

As the Labrador loves water, it used to be one of several breeds trained to retrieve and fetch water fowl. The fact that a Labrador is very friendly towards family and children, but also to strangers, and that he can very easily be trained, has made the Labrador one of the most popular breeds for assistance dogs, including guiding the blind and helping people in wheelchairs.