This was filmed back in August 2006 during the build up to the annual Look Alike contest at the big Wag & Bone dog show held in Windsor Great Park, England. Crosby, my faithful Dandie Dinmont Terrier and I had recently received the devastating news that we had been officially banned from entering the Look Alike contest because we just look too much like each other! Our banning received massive publicity and the very nice and good humored orgnisers, (who had banned us as a bit of fun), decided to make Crosby and I the celebrity judges for the event instead! So it had a happy ending after all. The standard of entry was exceptionally high and we had the largest entry of Look Alikes ever at the Wag & Bone show, almost any one of them could have been winners, but in the end we had to make the difficult final choices. We put Buzz the Motorbiking Sheltie and his slightly mad owner in Third place because they had such great attitudes. My second place winner and her Afghan were just so much alike they very nearly won the event, but eventually my final decision, and it was tough, went to Hillary Powell and Millie her rascal of a Welsh Terrier! This short was one of several promotional films made to promote the Animal Planet Channel in Europe and was screened right across Europe and North Africa for over a year and gave great exposure to Crosby my Dandie Dinmont Doppelganger! If anything, I think we are growing even more alike as we both get older, take a look at my profile photo …
Buying A Small Dog – 3 Breeds To Consider
Unless you have a particular type of dog in mind, it can be hard to decide which breed to purchase. The first step is to think about what size dog you prefer. Is your house big enough for a large dog? Or do you only have a courtyard? Small dogs can be a great source of friendship. And there are a lot of different types of small dogs, very different in both temperament and appearance. Whilst toy dogs are amongst the most well known of the small dogs, there are others that are similar to their larger cousins.
I’ll run through 3 breeds in this article – welsh terriers, brussels griffons and whippets.
Brussels Griffons
The large eyes of the brussels griffon are thought to have been part of what led George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, to create the Ewoks. Looking at these cute dogs, you can see the kinship.
Brussels griffons are extremely sensitive and devoted dogs who will be more closely bonded with one person than others. They should be socialized when they are young pups. Their sensitivity and one-person nature mean they aren’t suited for families.
One of the great things about the brussels griffon is that they get along well with cats, as well as other dogs, although you need to be careful they don’t challenge for dominance with a bigger dog.
The Welsh Terrier Breed
Welsh terriers have been described as calm for a terrier, but maybe not as calm as other dogs. They have a sturdy look, and quite a big personality, particularly the boys. They are curious, affectionate, extroverted, joyous, and fearless.
Used to control rats and other vermin, and as a result welsh terriers love to chase things – including cats. So,, if you have cats, this may not be the ideal pet for your family.
Great with children, welsh terriers need a backyard where they can’t escape as they do love to dig, and may thus escape. When walking a welshie, be sure he stays on the leash, because his road sense when distracted by fun is not very good.
Welsh terriers need quite a bit of time from their owners. They have to have grooming regularly, and get bored if left by themselves for the normal workday. They probably suit someone with a part time job rather than a full time job. When they’re bored, they can cause destruction around the house.
Whippet Information
Whippets belong to the family of dogs known as sighthounds, which are named because they hunt by using their keen eyesight and great speed, instead of using smell like scent hounds. These elegant looking dogs are petite, ranging in height from 18.5 to 20 inches for male whippets, or 17.5 to 18.5 inches for female whippets. And the whippet dog breed look just like small versions of greyhounds!
Whippets have been described as being like toy dogs in temperament, liking nothing better than curling up on your lap. These are very loyal dogs, bonding with their owner strongly, though still good natured around strangers and children. The whippet dog breed are very gentle, so much so that they have been used in aged care homes.
Whippets need to be kept indoors. Their coats don’t keep them warm enough outside, and they have a strong bond to their owners. If you’re prepared to exercise them regularly, whippets are great for apartment living.
Christmas Ornament: Welsh Terrier
Give your Christmas tree decorations a unique look with this wonderful Welsh Terrier Christmas Ornament. Made from quality porcelain, the Welsh Terrier Ornament will help make your holiday season special. This collectible series has a full color Welsh Terrier picture on both the front and the back side of the ornament. Each dog ornament comes individually packaged in a nice gift box. The Welsh Terrier Christmas Ornament is approximately 2 1/8 inches wide x 3 3/8 inches tall x 7/8 inches deep.
Halti Training Head Collar
An effective alternative to the choke collar, enforcing the simple principle that a dog’s body will follow where his head leads him. (Females may need one size smaller.)Size Chart:XXS=0 (Such As: Miniature Dashund, Papillon, Toy Poodle,Yorkie)XS=1 (Such as: Jack Russell, Border Terrier, Welsh Corgi, Sheltie, Whippet)S=2 (Such As: Beagle, Border Collie, Cockers, Schnauzer, Standard Poodle, Basenji, Welsh Terrier)M=3 (Such As: Boxer, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, Doberman, Greyhound, Labrador, Retrievers, Springers)L=4 (Such As: Mastiff, Giant Schnauzer, Grate Dane, Ridgeback, Rottwieler.)XL=5 (Such As: Bloodhound, Large Danes, Mastiffs, St Bernard)
Halti Training Head Collar Small
An effective alternative to the choke collar, enforcing the simple principle that a dog’s body will follow where his head leads him. (Females may need one size smaller.)Size Chart:XXS=0 (Such As: Miniature Dashund, Papillon, Toy Poodle,Yorkie)XS=1 (Such as: Jack Russell, Border Terrier, Welsh Corgi, Sheltie, Whippet)S=2 (Such As: Beagle, Border Collie, Cockers, Schnauzer, Standard Poodle, Basenji, Welsh Terrier)M=3 (Such As: Boxer, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, Doberman, Greyhound, Labrador, Retrievers, Springers)L=4 (Such As: Mastiff, Giant Schnauzer, Grate Dane, Ridgeback, Rottwieler.)XL=5 (Such As: Bloodhound, Large Danes, Mastiffs, St Bernard)
Terriers – The Terrier Breeds
Terriers are among the most diverse breeds, ranging from the tiny toy Yorkie to the large Airedale. Originally developed to hunt and trap small game, the group has largely changed its role in human life over the past 200 years. But the wide range of size, temperament and appearance has caused terriers to continue to be among the most popular group in the world.
Even within a single subset, such as the smaller breeds, variety is everywhere with terriers. Jack Russells look and behave very differently from Westies. A Scottie and a Yorkie are roughly the same size, but have very different attitudes in detail, while still retaining many general terrier characteristics.
Medium-sized terriers, such as the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Welsh Terrier could hardly look more different. To the novice, it would be hard to find reasons to put them into the same category. Yet both have similar lineage, being developed not far from one another by modern measurements of distance.
Larger terriers look still more different from their smaller cousins. The Airedale, the Lakeland Terrier and the Irish Terrier are much more similar to one another, in appearance and behavior, than they are to the smaller breeds. Yet, a Kerry Blue – while much larger than the Scottie – was bred in similar circumstances and show common behaviors. That shows in the stance, the coat and other attributes, such as their high spirits and able mountain herding ability.
These are all very different from others that carry the terrier name. The Border Terrier resembles a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, even though the former is quite a bit taller. Both have the same square head, close coat and highly alert nature. Yet, you could hardly find two terriers more closely related, while looking dissimilar, than the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire-Haired Fox.
This ‘similarity within diversity’ is no accident, of course. Originally bred to hunt, many breeds were narrowed to perform that service for a group of prey that is equally varied. Fox and rabbit are similar enough to be hunted by the same breed. But animals that live above ground, such as tree squirrels, require a different technique.
That variation took on even larger dimensions as the generations went by and hunting became much less common. Everything from sports contests to film production, from watchdog and drug-sniffing duty to Border Patrol has called terriers into action. Breeding a dog to perform services for the deaf is naturally going to take a very different turn from one who will simply be a family pet.
Tastes in terriers run as wide a range as the breeds. Some like the portability and cute look of a little Westie. Others will find their hearts stolen by a miniature schnauzer, with their floppy ears and quizzical look. Still others can’t resist the sweet good nature of an Airedale and enjoy their tall, proud stance and beautiful appearance.
But whether one’s taste runs to the Manchester, looking a lot like a Doberman, or preference is for the tiny Norfolk, there’s a terrier just right for you.
