By Lee Connor
I just celebrated my 45th birthday (I know, it's something people have always had to believe, look at my radiant youthfulness!). However, I just celebrated my 45th birthday, which is an inevitable fact (I know, I was indeed one born in 1972).
Just a year later, a movie was released (which was destined to become my childhood favorite) ;D igby: the world's largest dog.
This is the story of an ancient English Shepherd dog who accidentally drank a liquid recipe, swelled to huge proportions, and then went on a rampage in the English countryside. The film catered to the variety on the big screen at the peak of a famous paint commercial. In fact, the battle was so successful that I (like many others) knew from an early age that the ancient English Shepherd Dog was the "Doroth Dog".
This constant publicity led to a population explosion; for a while, they were really the kind of dogs that could be seen on every street corner. Our neighbors had two "Deano" and "Barnie" (well, that was the '70s!). She focused all her attention on her "big furry baby." However, even as a boy, I realized the importance of "the right family/owner to the right dog". These large, boisterous, super-smart dogs don't really fit in two-up/two-down row houses in London's central heating. This is what many people have learned from the bitter lessons, of course, the most painful is the dog.
My neighbor's dogs are plagued by skin problems, including the worst eczema, and Deano is also extremely devastating (the brain needs more stimulation than simply walking around the block).
Deano and Barnie's tragic encounters have haunted me ever since, and they must have influenced my judgment on the topic of "dogs" ever since.
The most serious consequence of any sudden epidemic is, of course, wanton and indiscriminate reproduction, purely for economic gain. Most of this (but unfortunately not all of them) is carried out by inexperienced people, which leads to many needing adoptions, some of which also exhibit rather atypical aggression.
Popular fashion is always changing, and of course, the "bubble" of the ancient British Shepherd eventually burst, leaving this breed to those who truly love and appreciate it, it is a unique heritage. And the history of this breed, like Digby, is legendary.
So, let's take a look at this fascinating ancient English Shepherd (it's affectionately known as the "Broken Tail Dog Bobtail"), which originated as a hard-working livestock herding dog, which was considered a super show dog and became a TV and movie star.
As for its origins, as with many other breeds, there is considerable disagreement – due to the difficulty of tracking the time it took before the dog show, and the records of a closely watched kennel club. However, sheepdogs since ancient times, one or the other, have managed the tranquility of sheep and cattle in every piece of land.
Sometimes this type of dog guard had to protect what it controlled from bears/wolves and other predators (now extinct in its English homeland), most likely an early ancestor (this breed was established) and needed to be much larger than the Border Collie since it has completely replaced it.
The Pyrenees Shepherd, Himalayas, and Russia are all burlier and more powerful animals than we are, and although some of them have a lot in common with the Broken Tail, it is likely that they all date back to the same ancestral line. Some believe that the founder of the ancient English Shepherd was imported into England on a distant day, when the duty of the Shepherd required it to be of combat quality, which is no longer needed.
Others have also expressed a different view that the broken tail dog is not British, but actually originated in Wales, and points to an early rescuer and pioneer of the dog breed, the Welshman, R.J. Lloyd Price of Rhiwlas (a fascinating figure who drove the first test of the shepherd dog). They completely forgot that the dogs in lloyd Price's kennel (by his own admission) were originally from Sussex (Uk).
Aubrey Hopwood wrote an article in 1907 describing possible ties to the Russian Caucasus.
"I remember," he wrote, "around 1857, a police officer in Kirkham received a gift from a so-called 'Russian Terrier.'" This dog is my playmate who I play with a lot, and of course, it's not a terrier at all. In fact, it is indeed a very good shepherd dog, its tail is large, short and strong, full of bone mass, correct coat, white markings, strong, lively, kind, kind, and generally stable and dignified. ”
Now, turning our gaze from the possibility of the problem to those facts, we come to the first picture, often hailed as the ancient Shepherd dog of England, drawn by Gainsborough in 1771. The painting depicts the third-generation Duke of Bukru, with his hands tightly wrapped around the neck of what appears to be that of a shepherd dog. In fact, when the portrait was exhibited at the South Kensington Museum, it was officially described as "Duke Henry Bukru and the Shepherd".
Gainsborough's oil painting , 1771 – claims to be the first representation of an ancient English shepherd in painting
Aubrey Hopkins also mentions the portrait:
An American dog writer recently claimed a lack of courtesy about the breed to prove that the dog was not a sheepdog at all, but a coarse-haired terrier. To put the question to chance fairly, I took a pose-like photo of myself and a famous winner from my kennel. The results are satisfactory and indisputable, as the relative ratio of man to dog is completely accurate. I don't look like a duke at all, but the similarities between the two animals are astonishing.
Gainsborough, an imaginary, who knew his profession to paint what he saw, I am sure of his painting in 1771, was the earliest surviving portrait of an ancient English shepherd.
(Just for fun, compare the proportions of this dog to a 1907 photograph of Mrs. Philip Runciman and her sheepdog (sitting on her lap with her).) )
Mrs Philip Runciman's herd of sheepdogs, Ch. Beat The Band, Cresswell Rags, Cresswell Lassie and Cresswell Sunny Jim
The painting did cause quite a stir over the years, with many believing that the dog was too small to be a shepherd, although this view has little importance, and is undoubtedly a shepherd, like all other breeds that have had different sizes over the centuries. What it shows, however, is that in 1771, a disheveled sheepdog was similar to the type of ancient English shepherd we know today.
About thirty years after the controversial portrait was depicted, a sheepdog painting was reproduced in the published "Gymnastics' Cupboard". This animal is far less representative than Gainsborough's paintings, and its red and white coloring is more similar to that of the long-bearded Collie Shepherd, but its eye whites are particularly large (wall-eyed).
Thereafter, throughout the 19th century, there was evidence that the variety was fairly mature in various parts of England, notably Suffolk, Hampshire (my hometown) and Dorset. Various canine writers have mentioned it: Youatt wrote about the breed in 1845, Richardson in 1847 and Stonehenge in 1859. Although their descriptions are slightly different, the main features are very similar.
Mr. Aubrey Hopwood's CH. RAGGED MAN
Rawdon B. Lee wrote about his childhood memories of this breed in 1894:
"I remember, much like a boy, that the general color of the ancient English Shepherd was gray or blue, with white feet, a white head and neck. Almost everybody had one, and every shepherd, because then we didn't have Collie. ”
In the 1860s, there was interest in the reviving of the Broken Tail Dog boom and an attempt to make it famous. In 1873, its admirers succeeded in obtaining a separate classification for it at a recognized exhibition, and in that year in Birmingham, three brave contestants faced the test of expert scrutiny.
This is the beginning of a hopeless future. The review in the "English Broken Tail Shepherd" category was Mr M.B.Wynn, who thought the dog was terrible and won only second prize.
But from this unfortunate beginning, important results suddenly appeared in 1905, London, where the total number of ancient British Shepherd dog categories exceeded one hundred.
This success is once again largely attributable to the Ancient Shepherd Club of England, an association founded in 1888, whose original intention was to "promote the breeding of ancient Shepherds in England and award prizes in various exhibitions held under the rules of the Kennel Club".
There is another lady who has done a lot to promote the breeding of severed tail dogs, and that is Mrs. Fare Fosse. Charles Henry Lane wrote an interesting article about her and her dog in his book published in 1901 (particularly fascinating is his recollection of the origins of the famous all-white-eyed wall-eyed Bob). He wrote:
We are often told that there is no such thing as luck, but when we ponder this lady's career at dog show, we tend to doubt this. Apparently, she had no previous experience with dogs, or breeds she particularly liked, and her efforts had been markedly successful.
I remember what came to be known as the "All White-Eyed Severed Tail Shepherd", which had many merits and was also successful on display—I knew a little bit about a groom, I think, in the stables of an inn in Dover, for a monarch; he told me he shared half of the dog with another man, I know, £40.
Mrs. Fare Fosse then bought the dog and mated it with a typical old-fashioned she had inadvertently picked up named Pegotty. From these two only built the most successful Ancient English Shepherd Kennel Kennel that has been seen in this country for many years.
Wall-eyed Bob and Pegotty are both of unknown ancestry, father's and mother's birthdays — a giant with huge bones and heads, and plenty of abundant bristles. It took several rewards, but in the first category shown by the female dog, its legs were too low. There were only two clutches of its cubs, both raised by Mr. James, the first containing champion Thundercloud and Sallie including our Alley (both famous winners) and the second containing Snowdrift, Mist's children (all well known without description) and champion Fair Weathe (considered by many to be the most outstanding of her breeds ever seen).
In 1898 at the Royal Botanic Gardens, wall-eyed Bob, an all-white-eyed severed dog, was last exhibited, surely between the ages of 15 and 20. It won everything and caught the attention of our present Queen, who gave it recognition with many flattering words of praise and appreciation.
"Wall-eyed Bob", owned by Mr. J. Thomas and Mrs. Fare Fosse
As they age, the Broken Tail Dog Bobtails are better than other breeds, just as they are supposed to have strong and well-developed muscles, and it is not uncommon to find out at the age of seven that this dog looks much prettier than at the age of three. ”
By this time, interest in the ancient English Shepherd as a racing dog had gone far beyond their native Britain. In the late 1880s, the famous Pittsburgh industrialist William Wade promoted the breed, and the popularity of the dog also increased among wealthy social classes. By the turn of the century, 5 of the 10 richest families in the United States, Morgans, Vanderbilts, Goulds, Harrisons and Guggenheims, all owned, bred and exhibited ancient British Shepherds. That must have generated quite a bit of competition!
Herbert Compton also talked about the breed's rapid rise in the United States in his 1904 book Dogs of the Twentieth Century. He wrote:
After the success of the other side, the Broken Tail Dog has also gained amazing popularity in the United States, which is a paradise for all good dogs. They recently left the country, Ch.Stylish Boy and Ch. Bouncing Lass, famous enthusiast Messrs. Tilley has it. In terms of showing their monetary value, I might mention this pair of lively puppies whose new owners spent more than a thousand pounds to settle in the United States! This is the canine kingdom that crosses the Atlantic, which means that it is the best and most perfect on this side of the Atlantic.
From the very beginning, this breed wandered the dirt trails of England, driving flocks of sheep and cattle... On the brink of extinction, crumbling... Then become a pampered plaything for the rich and famous. What a bizarre fate!
Fare Mrs Fosse and her champion BRACE's Ancient English Shepherd
Yet there's more to come...
In 1961, the Ancient British Shepherd was selected as the advertising spokesperson for the "Paint Brand Doroth". It is the perfect variety; sturdy and reliable. The ad was so successful that no matter where they appeared in the world, they were called "Doroth Dogs" instead of their right name – the ancient English Shepherd!
One of the most famous "Dolex dogs" (there have been many different dogs that have played this role over the past few decades) is Ch. Fernville Lord Digby, who also played the role in my favorite children's film Digby: The World's Largest Dog.
It was the enduring charm of this beautiful breed (although tastes and fashions had changed in the five or six years since they aired), and these beloved, self-recognizable advertisements (so that the Broken Tail Dog remained in their hearts) are still evident today.