Popular Dog Breeds from England, Originally for Hunting and Working
Popular dog breeds come from many countries. England is also the country of origin of many popular dog breeds in the world.
Quoted from hot dog club, many popular dog breeds come from England. Some of these British dog breeds were developed for working skills, including hunting, trapping and vermin extermination.
These British dog breeds come in all shapes and sizes, and were developed to excel in a variety of jobs. Their temperaments also vary, some are usually quite active and athletic, while others are much calmer.
Bulldogs
The bulldog can trace its origins to 13th century England. Thanks to their strong physique, bulldogs are used for bullfighting, where a pack of dogs will fight a betting bull.
After the sport was banned in the 1800s, greyhounds were used for illegal dog fighting. This dog breed is also crossed with other terrier dog breeds.
Since then, breeders have refined the dog’s appearance, making it wilder with a flatter face and more wrinkles.
Beagles
In the 1500s, English hunters had large dogs for deer and small dogs for hares. The Beagle comes from those small dogs.
In the 1800s, these small dogs were bred not only for their hunting prowess, but also their desirable friendly appearance.
British breeders preferred larger beagles for hunting foxes, while Americans developed slightly smaller beagles for hunting rabbits.
Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkshire terriers were originally bred in Yorkshire and Lancashire since the 1800s. This dog is thought to be a mix of several Scottish terrier breeds, including the Skye and Dandie Dinmont.
It is believed this dog may also have some Maltese in it. Yorkshire terriers were originally used as rodent exterminators, especially in textile factories and coal mines.
Surprisingly, however, they quickly became sheepdogs too.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
In the 17th century, Kings Charles I and Charles II favored small spaniels with black and brown fur.
This type of spaniel remained popular among British aristocrats until the 19th century, when it was crossed with small Asian dog breeds, giving it a flatter face and a domed skull.
Then, in the 1920s, breeders tried to recreate the original version of the small spaniel based on old portraits of the dogs in British homes, resulting in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
English Springer Spaniel
For centuries in England, both “cocker” and “springer” cockers (an early version of today’s spaniel breed) could be born in the same location.
The Springer was a larger dog, used to “sequester” birds and other game from their hiding places for hunters. In the 1800s, standard breeds were developed for several types of spaniels, and in 1902 the English springer spaniel was officially recognized in England.
Bullmastiff
In the 1800s, hunters targeted the country estates of English aristocrats. In this regard, a large, athletic and brave dog was developed to be able to catch any attacking hunter.
This dog is a mix of a bulldog and a mastiff, hence the name bullmastiff. This dog is big enough to be intimidating but intelligent and loyal enough to follow commands.