Author: Valentina Gómez Morón

The Croatian Shepherd Dog, or hrvatski ovčar, is a medium-sized black dog and a true all-rounder. His talents lie not only in herding and guarding, but also in dog sports. In addition, he is so flexible that he can be a wonderful family dog.

The Schipperke (‘little boatman’) is a descendant of the Leauvenaar, which also gave rise to the Belgian Shepherd. They are small, stocky, rumpy dogs with a dense coat and a skunky head, measuring 31 to 33 cm and weighing up to 8 kg. They have a cheerful and inquisitive expression, being generally hardy and energetic, skilful hunters and good watchdogs.

The Belgian Malinois is one of the four varieties of the Belgian Shepherd breed. It takes its name from the Belgian town of Mechelen (in Dutch Mechelen, in French Malines), where it originated. Although they are still used for herding, their main functions are: police dog, military dog, defence and security dog, guard dog, among other functions, depending on the use given to them by the security forces and the army.

The Belgian Shepherd Dog Laekenois is one of the four varieties into which the Belgian Shepherd is divided. The name ‘laekenois’ comes from the district of Laken, located in the Belgian city of Brussels, where it was selected.

In the past, human cases of rabies in the United States were usually caused by a dog bite. Recently, more human rabies cases have been linked to raccoons and bats.

Myxomatosis is a major disease of rabbits caused by a poxvirus called myxoma virus. It causes a very mild disease in its original South American host, but in some species of rabbits and hares, especially European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), it causes severe disease with high mortality.

One of the biggest surprises in canine genetics recently has been the discovery of two dogs with a pointed ‘Siamese’ pattern, what do these dogs look like? In this article we will find out. 

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has conducted the world's largest study of the health of designer crossbred dogs and has revealed that the general health of three common breeds (cockapoo, labradoodle and cavapoo) is very similar to that of their purebred progenitors.