5 dog breeds whose names reveal their European origins
Meike Krüger ad
October 2, 2018
Hundreds of different breeds are internationally recognized. The way these five breeds are called is linked to their European roots. But sometimes names can be misleading as well.
Image: Imago/Photocase/dreidreieins fotografie
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5 dog breeds with European origins
People began to domesticate and breed dogs according to their needs thousands of years ago. Today, hundreds of different breeds are internationally recognized. These five breeds have names linked to their European roots.
Image: picture-alliance/blickwinkel/S. Schittek
Leonberger
This breed is said to have been established in 1846 by a German called Heinrich Essig. The town councilor of Leonberg near Stuttgart was a dog fan. He aimed to breed a dog that would resemble the emblem of Leonberg — a lion. He crossbred several long-haired breeds, namely Landseers, Pyrenean Shepherds and St. Bernards, coming up with the Leonberger.
Image: picture-alliance/Mary Evans Picture Library/J. D. Meester
St. Bernard
The St. Bernard, Switzerland's national dog since 1884, was also named after the place it was bred — in this case, the Great St. Bernard Pass in Switzerland. The Augustinian monks that once founded the Grand St. Bernard Hospice there were greatly supported in their work by dogs. And St. Bernard dogs were found to be particularly useful in attempts to rescue people from avalanches in the Alps.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Keystone/Maire
Rottweiler
Rottweilers were once particularly popular with stock breeders. These highly intelligent and alert dogs were trained to guard the herds. Numerous Rottweilers were kept in the town of Rottweil in the state of Baden-Württemberg, which was an important center of the stock trade until the early 19th century. Over time, the breed also became known in other regions in Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/PIXSELL/D. Urukalovic
Dalmatians
This dog breed originates from the Dalmatian region in Croatia. The elegant white dogs with black spots are said to have once guarded the border there. Dalmatians have kept their strong guarding instinct to this day. In the US, they are associated with their traditional role as firehouse watchdogs.
Image: Imago/Anka Agency International
Weimaraner
Weimaraner are known for their territorial behavior. And they have proved to be useful in hunting. During the 19th century, they were kept as hunting dogs at the court of Grand Duke Karl August von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach, and it's likely that the breed came from there. To this day, breeders sell their puppies mostly to hunters. But the elegant grey dog is also popular as a family dog.
It's hard to say how many dog breeds exist in the world. That's because different federations and associations produce their own lists following different criteria. And next to the internationally recognized breeds, there are probably thousands more that are only recognized on a national level, and still others that, so far, haven't been recognized at all.
Whereas the names of pugs and poodles are believed to somewhat describe their looks or their character, other names of dog breeds have been derived from their places of origin — although that's not always correct. The Great Dane did not originally come not from Denmark, but from Germany. The breed is called Deutsche Dogge in German.
The English word "dog" is derived from the German "Dogge," even though the term only refers to a particular breed in Germany. The other way around, the English term "hound" that's used for some breeds was taken from the German word "Hund," which is the generic term for "dog."
Zeus the Great Dane was named the "world's tallest dog" Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. S. Ramos/Guinness World Records
The Great Dane is the world's tallest dog breed. The world's tallest individual dog ever was also a Great Dane called Zeus, from the US, which measured 1.118 meters (3 feet 8 inches) from its foot to its withers. The Great Dane is the official state dog of Pennsylvania as well.
The world's smallest dog is the chihuahua, with some particularly tiny exemplars weighing only half a kilo. This dog, known for poking out of handbags, also got its name from a place — the province of Chihuahua in Mexico, where wild variants of the miniature dog are said to be still roaming around freely.
