Companion Animal Breed Recognition Flashcards
Describe Siamese cats
social, intelligent and vocal. play well with other cats, dogs and children. good idea to get them a playmate to interact with throughout the day. active and curious. highly intelligent feline will seek out things to occupy her mind.
Lifespan
11 to 15 years
risk of respiratory illnesses and periodontal disease. Some may have physical deformities, such as crossed eyes or a kinked tail, but these do not require medical attention. Later in life, they may develop other visual problems like retinal atrophy or glaucoma, in addition to heart problems and bladder stones.
The breed standard of the modern Siamese calls for an elongated, tubular, and muscular body and a triangular head, forming a perfect triangle from the tip of the nose to each tip of the ear. The eyes are almond-shaped and light blue, while the ears are large, wide-based, and positioned more towards the side of the head. The breed has a long neck, a slender tail, and fur that is short, glossy, fine, and adheres to the body with no undercoat. Its pointed color scheme and blue eyes distinguish it from the closely related Oriental Shorthair.
Describe a Persian cat
docile Persian is a quiet feline who enjoys a calm and relaxing environment. Persians are independent and selective in who they show affection to. enjoy playful activities but are also content to drape themselves over an armchair rather than attempting to climb atop a bookcase.
Lifespan
15 to 20 years
The Persian’s facial structure can predispose her to a number of potential health complications, including:
Respiratory difficulties
Misaligned teeth
Eye conditions like excessive watering and entropion
Heat sensitivity
Persians are also more susceptible to ringworm (because of their long coats), skin conditions that cause itching, redness and hair loss and polycystic kidney disease.
A show-style Persian has an extremely long and thick coat, short legs, a wide head with the ears set far apart, large eyes, and an extremely shortened muzzle.
Describe a rag doll cat
loving, smart and playful. They may come when called and can even learn to play fetch. This sweet but playful feline prefers to remain on the same level as her people, rather than perched atop a bookcase or shelf. She’s good with children, other cats and dogs.
Lifespan
12 to 17
Although DNA tests exist to help breeders weed out certain health problems, some complications may still arise for a Ragdoll. She may develop bladder stones or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease. Ragdolls also have a predisposition for feline infectious peritonitis.
The Ragdoll is a large, long-bodied cat. She is heavily boned with a long tail and a plush coat. The Ragdoll appears even bigger than she is. … A Ragdoll with a colorpoint pattern has a light body color with contrasting, darker color on the extremities, mask, and ears.
Describe a Maine Coon cat
gentle natured and friendly. They are often tenderly playful and curious
Lifespan
10 to 13 years
Maine Coon cats are generally a hardy breed of cat. They’re built for enduring cold, harsh New England winters. Maine Coons can suffer from hip dysplasia, with the abnormality affecting the larger males more than females.
Spinal muscular atrophy is a potential health problem that can result in muscle atrophy and weakness. This condition is normally seen early in the Maine Coon kitten’s life. This feline is also more prone to developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy than other breeds.
The most recognizable characteristics of adult Maine Coon cats are their large size and long, bushy tail. Their paws are big and well-tufted to be suitable for walking in snow, as can be seen in both adult and kitten Maine Coon cats. In addition, their ears are tufted, often with points of hair at the tips.
Describe a Burmese cat
The Burmese thrives on companionship with her humans and other cats. energetic, curious and playful well into adulthood and loves interactive toys and learning new tricks. She loves to give and receive attention.
Lifespan
10 to 16 years
Burmese cats are prone to gingivitis and are sensitive to anesthesia. Other diseases and deformities have been seen in the breed, including: Corneal dermoid Orofacial pain syndrome Congenital peripheral vestibular disease Craniofacial abnormalities Hypokalemic polymyopathy Flat-chested kitten syndrome Kinked tail Elbow osteoarthritis Diabetes And more
Their compact body is solid and muscular with a rounded head and sweet, expressive eyes. Their ears are medium sized, with rounded tips that tilt slightly forward.
Describe a Manx cat
When she’s not hunting bugs or rodents or standing guard, the Manx is an affectionate, even-tempered and playful cat. the Manx is adaptable and even enjoys meeting and greeting new people. She’s smart enough to learn tricks like fetch and walking on a leash. Your Manx makes a great road-trip companion, as she enjoys riding in cars, and she likes to play with water. She can learn to open doors and turn on faucets. As a people-oriented cat, she needs lots of attention so don’t leave her alone for hours at a time.
Lifespan
8 to 14 years
The Manx is generally healthy, but they may suffer from some specific diseases and conditions, including:
Arthritis in the tailbone of “stumpies”
Corneal dystrophy, which develops at approximately 4 months of age
Manx syndrome, a collection of defects, which include a short spine, urinary tract problems, and difficulties with bowels and digestion. The syndrome affects approximately 20 percent of Manx and appears by 4 months of age.
Despite the lack of tail in rumpies, risers and stumpies, there are still nerve-endings there, which can make the area extremely sensitive.
Although the breed is known for their lack of tail, not all Manx are tailless. Some have normal-length tails (known as “longies”) while others have nubs or stumps (called “stumpies”). The tailless Manx are called “rumpies” and a rumpy with a rise of bone at the end of her spine is called a “riser”.
In addition to the variations in tail length, Manx are a round cat overall. They have a round head with large, round eyes, a stout body, broad chest, and round rear. Their front legs are much shorter than their hind legs, so their rear sits higher than their shoulders. Manx can have short or long coats. Longhaired Manx are called Cymric in some cat associations.
Describe a British Short Hair cat
easygoing feline. She enjoys affection but isn’t needy and dislikes being carried. She’ll follow you from room to room, though, out of curiosity. British Shorthairs aren’t lap cats. As they age, British Shorthairs become increasingly sedentary, however males are often more rambunctious than the reserved females. They get along well with gentle and respectful children and don’t mind cat-friendly dogs.
Lifespan
12 to 17 years
Although the breed is free from many genetic diseases that plague other breeds, British Shorthairs are susceptible to gingivitis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hemophilia B. Obesity is another concern, as this cat loves to eat and leads a relatively sedentary lifestyle.
British Shorthairs are round all over, with a broad chest and strong legs. Their coats are short, thick and plush. Eye color depends on coat color, but you can expect British Blues to have gold eyes and those with point coloring to have blue eyes. Other eye colors range from golden to copper.
What is a Gundog
As their name suggests, these dogs were bred to help those hunting game with guns – and do so in a variety of different ways.
Eg.
Retrievers
These are the breeds who retrieve fallen game (usually birds, and often at long distances) and bring them back to their owner
Spaniels
These are the expert hunters of the gundog world and they will find game and flush it out for the guns. Modern working spaniels will retrieve to hand too.
Pointers and Setters
These are the dogs who locate game, usually at a longer distance than spaniels, and so will alert their owner to their presence by freezing so as not to alert them until the guns can get closer.
Hunt, point, retrieve dogs
These are multi-skilled dogs who can hunt, point and also retrieve.
What is a Hound
The hound dog breeds group consists of dogs who were developed to help humans with hunting either on horseback (generally the longer-legged hounds dogs) or on foot (the shorter-legged hounds). They do this in two very distinct ways – either using their keen eyesight or else by following a scent. Some of these hounds are pack hound who work in a group while others work individually.
Scent hounds
Scent Hounds, as their name suggests, love to follow scent trails even over long distances. They love searching for things as part of their playtime, and with their impressive stamina they’re the perfect companion for long walks. Scent hound breeds are also keen to go searching for objects hidden around the home and garden at the end of scent trails, which means lots of fun and games for you both. They enjoy carrying soft toys, but may not respond particularly quickly to training or even be that interested! They normally have pendulous ears and a smooth or wiry coat.
Sighthounds
Sighthounds are playful, high speed sprinters who love to chase and, as their name suggests, hunt by sight rather than through their noses! If you have a sighthound, allowing them to exercise their natural instincts is an important part of their unique care. Sighthounds love to run, occasionally setting off on very fast sprints that leave you behind! Physically, your sighthound has an athletic, slender and streamlined shape with proportionally long legs and a long, narrow face with close-set, forward-pointing eyes. Although generally quite placid and relaxed indoors, your sighthound is constantly looking out for moving targets to chase outdoors
What is a Pastoral dog
Pastoral dogs hail from all over the world, and were originally bred to herd, move and sometimes also protect, livestock. Depending on their size and skills, pastoral breeds were entrusted with diverse jobs that involved looking after sheep, goats, cattle or even in some cases reindeer.
As a result of their diverse background, pastoral breeds come in virtually all sizes and coat types, from the smaller heelers (who move livestock by nipping at their heels) to the giant breeds who are guardians as well as herders and hence need to be larger and more powerful.
What is a Terrier
Most terrier breeds have their origins in the UK and were developed to kill vermin such as rats and mice in a variety of settings from the rural to the industrial, either above or below ground.
What is a Toy dog
Unlike most of the other groups, toy breeds were not generally bred to work. While dogs such as the pastoral breeds or the gundogs were developed by utilising their natural canine hunting/scavenging behaviours to do various jobs, this group was developed from the natural social needs of the dog - especially their ability to bond closely to humans.
This group is formed of small to tiny dogs from around the world who have been bred as companions – even if a few may have come from originally working ancestors. In most cases they were companions to wealthy ladies or royalty (or in some instances, religious orders).
What is a Utility dog
This is the group that consists of all the breeds that don’t fit anywhere else! Usually they are the ‘ultra-specialists’ that have been developed in a very specific geographical area, situation or to work within a unique profession. As such, there aren’t breed characteristics and so owners have to look at their individual jobs to find out what these dogs are going to be like to live with. Utility dog breeds include dogs with jobs as diverse as running alongside fire engines and the carriages of nobility, attracting ducks, an early warning system for barge owners and monks, companions, fighting, and being an emergency Sunday dinner or fur coat!
As an example, Dalmatians are bred to run which means they need an owner who feels the same way about exercise. At the other end of the scale, the Bulldog has a physical conformation that makes exercise difficult especially in warm weather.
Poodles do not shed, therefore they need regular trimming. Coat care is essential, whereas the Xoloitzcuintle needs moisturising and sunscreen.
utility dog dalmatian sitting on the floor
A Chow Chow will consider you quite mad if you try to teach them obedience exercises, whereas a Toy Poodle (who historically excelled in the circus ring) will amaze you with the tricks and behaviours they can learn and enjoy.
What is a Working dog
Working dog breeds come from all over the world and are, as their name suggests, hard-working breeds specifically developed to excel in specialist, non-herding jobs. This is primarily guarding and protection for people, livestock or property - but they also include sledging, draught work and rescue. Many of these dogs could historically also turn their paw to other working roles where needed.
Some guard dogs are more demonstrative in their affection than others. Protective dogs such as Rottweilers, Dobermanns and German Shepherds are generally devoted to their owners, hanging on their every word, but some of the guarding breeds, particularly Mastiff types, are more independent.
Afghan Hound
Hound breed group (sight hound)
Dignified and aloof, with a certain keen fierceness.
The Afghan has a regal appearance owing to its proud carriage and long, silky coat. Its strong, arched neck, prominent hips, large paws, seemingly exaggerated bend at the knees and a tail ending in a doughnut bend, give the breed a distinctive profile. The Afghan hound’s head and muzzle are long, narrow and refined, with a slightly convex bend of the muzzle. The ears are long and covered with even longer hair. The head crown, forequarters, chest, flanks, hindquarters and legs are thickly covered with long, fine, silky hair; the coat on the face and back (or saddle) is short and glossy. The most common coat colors are black, black-and-tan, red, cream, blue, brindle, domino or white.
LIFESPAN
Over 10 years
Check inbreeding
Airdale terrier
Terrier
Outgoing and confident, friendly, courageous and intelligent. Alert at all times, not aggressive but fearless.
Largest of the Terriers, a muscular, active, fairly cobby dog, without suspicion of legginess or undue length of body.
Life span 10-12 years
Hip dysplasia screening scheme (BVA/KC)
Border Collie
PASTORAL
Keen, alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither nervous nor aggressive.
Well-proportioned, smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to give impression of endurance. Any tendency to coarseness or weediness undesirable.
Over 12 years
Hip dysplasia screening scheme (BVA/KC)
Eye screening scheme (BVA/KC/ISDS)
