User:Brudastylev/sandbox

Bearded long-coated dogs

A general and rough outlined introduction

Both in zoological and historical sense bearded long-coated dogs have been often neglected by serious researchers. Over the centuries this speciality of coat has drawn enough attention, but led in general merely to the creation of myths by their admirers. In spite of thorough, methodical and deep research, what has been done to the inheritance of coat colours, the structures and genetical behaviour of coat types, has only been studied superficially.

In dog coats, the forming of beards runs parallel with abundant hair grow on the forehead in particular, whiskers, and in fact everywhere on the body, mostly rather equal in length, also on the front parts of the legs and rest of the body. This stands in contrast to the natural “double-coats” of primitive and semi-wild dog types and wild relatives, which all show a strong tendency to smooth faces, flat hair-layers on the front of the legs, top of the back, etc. Only on the backside of their legs, in the neck, low side of the belly, longer and thicker developed hair layers forms kinds of fringes, in particular also on the tail, what makes it look like plume. Only some dogs, with clear smooth double-coats, show some thin beard and whiskers, without being considered anything else than “short-haired”.

Because the abundant and overall woolly hairs enhance the general appearance considerably, in general speaking, the concept of “Bearded dogs” as a group, includes automatically an abundant long, woolly, often flocky and wavy fur. In this, variation can be observed, in the proportional relation between more coarse topcoat and the soft undercoat. When groups of hairs grow in spirals, they produce waving, and in case of extensive amount of short spirals, they produce curls. Curls, however, can also be observed in the furs of non-bearded double-coated dogs, and can therefor not being considered as main characteristic of bearded dogs.

A typical main characteristic of its genetical behaviour is the dominance in F1, in case of crossbreeding. Not less typical is the fact that such coat types are only found in certain groups of dog breeds, contrasting to almost all other dogs (of which the coats exist out of hair-layers, all based on the same principle, relative short, or longer as genetical recessive). Taken together, this leads to a strong suspicion that some kind of primordial bearded dog has been grafted on different dog types, and so produced bearded shepherd dogs, hunting dogs, lap dogs, etc. A common ancestor would point into a common place or origine. All this seems to be supported by the researches of Edward C. Ash (Dogs: their History and development, 1927), who depicted artifacts, small figurines of dogs of different types, but all with the same coats, and all dating from approximately the 4th century BC, and from the eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Turkish west-coast, Alexandria). Similar finds are known from Cyprus and an Etruscan tomb near Rome.

It was the Swiss medical surgeon, naturalist and biologist Conrad Gesner (16th century), who differentiated various breeds of bearded dogs:

1. A guard-dog for courtyards and ship, presuming also applied by shepherds and fishermen;

2. Barbets or “rough spaniels”, as a specialized variety of the bird or setting dogs for hunting water fowl;

3. Company or social dogs, including a miniature lapdog-size variety, much appreciated, in spite of their reputation of a bad health.

This differentiation can be translated into some examples of modern breeds:

1. Portuguese water dog: assistant of fishermen, but also of shepherds and with a good guarding instinct; Spanish water dog, good swimmer, but also a good shepherd dog; Bergamasco: assistant of shepherds and cattle herders; and similar breeds, like the Schafpudel, Puli, etc.

2. The Barbet, old type of setting dogs for searching, startling and retrieving of water fowl, duck driving, etc.; originally created by crossbreeding the original smooth-coated bird dog (primordial form of modern pointing dogs) with the shepherds and fishermen assistant dogs of the first group. Barbets were known since mediaeval times in many European countries under various names. Wirehaired and rough-coated pointing dogs are modern developments of the same stock.

3. The luxury Poodle, originally most likely merely medium-sized to small. Popular in many countries. In circles of Spanish nobility, in particular at the royal court, larger specimen were cultivated, obviously also appreciated at the French court and model for Buffon’s famous “Grand Barbet” in the 18th century. Large black Poodles were developed in Germany in the 19th century by absorbing the blood of Polish water dogs. The real miniature Poodles and Bichons (Maltese, Havanese, Little lion dog, etc.) should most likely considered to be developments of old independent selections, already with a firm reputation in antiquity.

Wire-haired scent hounds can be traced back to the 16th century at the ducal court of Brussels, according to the research of Albert baron Houtart, created as a coat-variety of the Brabantian hounds (famous and international well sought sub-variety of the old Saint-Hubert hound) by crossbreeding with Barbets. Different theories about the origin of rough-coated scent hounds in the Balkans, have been formulated by Dr. H. von Kadich and Fr.B. Laska at the end of the 19th century. More investigation is necessary however, to align, confirm or correct their statements.

Interesting will be also, to spend more investigation in how the wire-haired terriers and Schnauzers fit in the whole picture. Interesting suggestions are supplied by the German Schafpudel-breeder, Rudolf Löns. His work, however, also needs more exploration and investigation, before being able to be more conclusive.

Interesting point for research will be the name “griffon”, originally synonymous for the Barbet, and in more recent times applied to wire-haired pointing dogs or scent hounds. Griffins are mythological creatures, most likely from Mesopotamian origin, based on a lion, mixed with that of a vulture. There is an ancient tradition to cut of the coat of long-coated bearded dogs into the model of a lion. It must be a tradition of superstition with very ancient roots.

Sources:

E.C. Ash, Dogs: their history and Development, 1927

J. Black & A. Green, Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia, 1992

C. Gesner, Historiae Animalium (Latin, 1551), Allgemeines Thierbuch (German, 1669)

H. Von Kadich, Der Stichelhaarige deutsche Vorstehhund, 1888

F. Krichler, Katachismus der Hunderassen, 1892

Fr.B. Laska, Österreichs Brackenformen, 1897

R. Löns, Natürliche Jagdhundkunde, 1924

K.MacDonogh, ''Reigning Cats and Dogs, 1999

E. Mohr, Ungarische Hirtenhunde, 1968

Pierron, S. & A. Houtart, Les Belles Chasses de Maximilien, Brussel 1923

R. Strebel, Die deutschen Hunde, 1905

L.F. Whitney, How to breed dogs, 1962