Turtle

Turtles, tortoises and terrapins form a reptilian order “chelonians”, (from the Latin for “turtles”).

ETOMOLOGY 

The words turtle, tortoise and terrapin are often used interchangeably but the general rule is to call them tortoises if land-based, turtles if river or sea-based, and terrapins if amphibian.

Pixabay

In Britain, 'turtle' is generally used for saltwater species, 'terrapin' for freshwater varieties. However in the USA the word ‘turtle' covers all types while Australians use ‘tortoise' for any of them.

One way to tell a turtle and a tortoise apart is by looking at their feet – water turtles usually have flippers or webbed feet and their shells are flatter while tortoises have stubby feet and domed shells.

ANATOMY

Turtles don't have ears. They do have an eardrum-like structure which enable them to hear low-frequency noise.

A turtle shell is comprised of 60 connected bones, including the spine and ribcage.

Turtles have nerve endings in their shells. It can feel every scratch, pet and rub.

The upper part of a turtle's shell is called the 'carapace', the lower portion is the 'pastron'.

The average turtle swims at a pace of 10 to 12 mph and walks at 3 to 4 mph.

Pixabay

BEHAVIOR

Experiments have shown that turtles show most interest in things colored red, orange or yellow.

Turtles don't have vocal cords, and as a result the noises they make tend to be more like clucks or even belches.

A turtle's diet varies greatly depending on the environment in which it lives. Adult turtles typically eat aquatic plants. Some small freshwater species are carnivorous. Sea turtles typically feed on jellyfish, sponges, and other soft-bodied organisms.

A green sea turtle grazing on seagrass By P.Lindgren 

Turtles do not produce saliva and must go underwater to swallow their food.

You can tell a turtle's gender by its sound. Males grunt, females hiss.

The temperature a turtle egg is kept at can actually determine the gender of the baby turtle inside. Eggs kept warmer tend to produce females, while eggs kept at a lower temperature will generally produce males.

No species of turtle nurtures their babies. Turtles mothers find a location on land to dig a nest and lay their eggs. After they lay their eggs, they walk away. It’s up to the little turtles to fend for themselves once they hatch.

Turtles age so slowly that their organs barely deteriorate, leading some scientists to believe they might be biologically immortal if they dodge predators and disease. 

UNUSUAL TURTLES 

There are 356 species of turtle. They live on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

The Alligator Snapping Turtle of North America has a tongue that bears resemblance to a worm. This enables it to lure fish into its mouth.

Alligator Snapping Turtle

The Fitzroy River tortoise of Australia breathes through its rear end.

The African Helmeted Turtle has glands under each of its legs, which release a nasty-smelling liquid to repel predators.

Chinese softshell turtles urinate using their mouths.

FUN TURTLE FACTS 

A collective group of turtles as pets is called a herd but in the wild they are considered a "bale of turtles".

Japan makes train tracks safe for turtles by creating underground walkways for them. This stops them being killed or derailing a train.

It is illegal in the US to sell any turtle or tortoise less than four inches long.

The earliest use of the word ‘tinned’ to refer to food given by the Oxford English Dictionary is an 1861 reference in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management to "tinned turtle."

In the movies Rocky, (1976) and Rocky Balboa, (2006) Rocky's pet turtles were played by the same two turtles.

World Turtle Day is observed on May 23 each year. The purpose of this holiday is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.

Sources Daily Express. Midday

Tortoise

A tortoise is a reptile of the order Chelonia.

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Best known species are the small spur-thighed tortoise Testudo gracea, found in Asia minor, the Balkans and North Africa.

Strictly speaking every tortoise is a turtle, but only land-dwelling turtles are tortoises. (Of course, there's always an exception. In this instance, the land-dwelling box turtle.)

ANATOMY

17th century Italian biologist Francesco Redi found that tortoise's brains are so small and irrelevant that when he surgically removed them, they could continue to live for up to six months. When he entirely decapitated one, it still lived for 23 days.

Most tortoises are quite small, but the giant tortoises of the Galapagos and Seychelles reach a huge size - maybe 120 cm/4 feet long.

Pixiebay

The top shell of a tortoise is the “carapace”; the bottom half of the shell is the “plastron”; the individual interlocking plates are called “scutes”.

The tortoise's shell consists of a curved upper carapace and flattened lower plaston which are joined at the sides, and the head and limbs may be withdrawn within it, to a greater or lesser extent, in times of danger.

You can't see them, but every tortoise has ribs, a collar bone, and a spine inside its shell.

Tortoises from hot places tend to have lighter-colored shells than tortoises from cooler areas. The light tan sulcata originates from the southern part of the Sahara Desert.

Shells have nerve endings, so tortoises can feel every touch ... and sometimes they love it.

Most have no teeth but their mouth forms a sharp-edged 'beak.'

Like other reptiles, tortoises detect the faintest of smells with the vomeronasal organ, or Jacobson's Organ, on the roof of their mouths.

Pixiebay

You won't be able to tell a tortoise's sex until it reaches a certain size, which varies by breed. The most obvious tell is the plastron—for mating purposes, it's flatter on females and curved on males.

Male tortoises tend to be larger than females and have longer tails.

BEHAVIOR 

Tortoises generally have one of the longest lifespans of any animal, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years.

Tortoises live so long partly because their slow metabolisms burn less energy, which means less harm to the cells in their bodies.

The fastest recorded tortoise speed is 5 mph.

Galapagos tortoises sleep for 16 hours a day and can go a year without food or water.

Most land tortoises are herbivorous, feeding on grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and some fruits. However there are some omnivorous species are in this family. 

Pixiebay

Tortoises have to empty their lungs before they can go into their shells. You'll often hear them exhale when they're startled and decide to hide.

Eggs are laid in earth and hatched by the sun.

FAMOUS TORTOISES 

The oldest tortoise ever recorded for a long time was Tu'i Malila, which was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain James Cook shortly after its birth in 1777. A female radiated tortoise from Madagascar, Tu'i Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965, at the age of 188. 

TuiMalila

A Seychelles giant tortoise called Jonathan (hatched c. 1832) became in 2020 the oldest known living land animal. when he reached 188 breaking Tu'i Malila's record. Jonathan resides on the island of Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. He lives on the lush lawns of Plantation House, the official residence of the Governor of Saint Helena.

Two Russian tortoises were aboard the first spacecraft, Zond 5, to return safely from a trip around the Moon on September 21, 1968. As well as the tortoises, Zond 5 also carried fruit fly eggs, and plants. 

A tortoise called Adwaita died of liver failure in Calcutta Zoo on March 23, 2006 aged 255 years old. Adwaita was reportedly given to Robert Clive (1725–1774) of the East India Company by British seafarers who captured it in the Seychelles. This anecdotal report has not been confirmed so claims that Adwaita was 255-years old when he died cannot be substantiated. 

Charles Darwin brought a 5-year-old Tortoise named Harriet back from the Galápagos Islands in 1835 that eventually wound up at Australia Zoo, founded by Steve Irwin's parents. Harriet, the Tortoise, died on June 23, 2006 at the age of 176, the same year as the Crocodile Hunter's fatal encounter with a stingray.

Harriet at the Australia Zoo wikipedia

After several years as a mascot on a series of navy vessels, Timothy the tortoise was taken in by the Earl of Devon at his home, Powderham Castle in Exeter, SW England, in 1892. The creature was, in fact, female, but the Victorians were not aware of how to tell the sex of tortoises. She died aged about 160 on April 3, 2004.

Two Soviet tortoises were sent on the Russian Zond 5 spacecraft in 1968. They were the first ever creatures to orbit the Moon (three months before the first humans did) and survived the journey despite losing 10 per cent of their weight.

After escaping from his owner's garden in West Hougham, SE England, Toby, a 109-year-old pet tortoise, was returned 11 months later from Margate — 24 miles away.

CONSERVATION 

The tortoises of the Galapagos and Seychelles yield about 90 kg (198 lb) of meat which is delicious, even tastier than pork and chicken, with their oil tasting like butter. As they can survive for an entire year without food or water, the giant tortoises were a dream come true for sailors who had access to fresh meat throughout their voyages. However this resulted in their almost complete extermination by passing ships.

In the 1990s, the Galapagos Conservancy launched Project Isabela, an all out war against around 200,000 goats in the Galapagos Islands to save the dwindling population of Galapagos tortoises. 

Sharpshooters from New Zealand were flown in to kill the goats from helicopters. Project Isabela ended up successfully restoring the population of the tortoises.

A 100-year-old giant Galapagos tortoise named Diego has nearly single-handedly saved his species from extinction, fathering 800 offspring in the past 50 years! The breeding program, which started in 1970, helped increase the tortoise population to 2,000 from 15. Paternity tests indicate that Diego is responsible for about 40 percent of the offspring produced.

FUN TORTOISE FACTS

The word for ‘pertaining to tortoises' is testudinate. 

A group of tortoises is a creep.

Sources Daily Mail, Daily Express, Mental Floss 

Terrier

A terrier is a type of dog formerly used in hunting rabbits and following quarry such as foxes down burrows. Terrier is from the Latin word "terra" meaning "earth."

Mostly small and active, terriers are highly active. They include the Bull, Cairn, Fox, Jack Russell, Scottish, Sealham, Skye and Yorkshire terriers.

A pet terrier in 1875 (English Toy Terrier type), painting by Frederick August Wenderoth

HISTORY

The Dandie Dinmont terrier takes its name from a fictional character called Dandie Dinmont in Walter Scott's novel Guy Mannering. Dinmont was based on a farmer called James Davidson who had some dogs on his farm. The novel was a great success and the terrier's popularity spread throughout Britain adopting the Dandie Dinmont name.

:Dandie_Dinmont_Terrier_By en:User:Sannse  Wikipedia

The first recognized Bedlington Terrier was a male called "Old Flint" who was born in 1873. It is almost certain that the early breeders set out to produce a dog that looked like a lamb and succeeded.

Bedlington terrier (Pixiebay)

In the mid-19th century, working-class people in the north of England created the Airedale Terrier by crossing the Otter hound with the old English rough-coated Black and Tan Terrier (now extinct) and an assortment of other breeds. They were exhibited for the first time in 1864 at a championship dog show sponsored by the Airedale Agricultural Society. 

The Airedale was named in 1879 after a north England river which is famous for its Otters.

Airedale Terriers carried messages for soldiers during World War I and were very dedicated in their duties. One named 'Jack' ran through half a mile of enemy fire. He made it to headquarters with his jaw broken and one leg badly splintered and died just after delivering his message.

Airedale Pixiebay

The Irish terrier is a lively breed of terrier used for centuries by poor Irish farmers to catch rats with its strong jaws. The home of the Irish terrier is County Cork, Ireland, and it is likely that the breed originated around the early 1700s.

The now extinct Black and Tan Terrier and the Wheaten Terrier were the most probable breeds to have been used in the development of the Irish terrier. Owners and breeders formed a club in 1879, and it wasn't until then that the breed became standardized.

As well as performing the usual Terrier activity of vermin killing, the Irish terrier was also used as a retriever on land and water. 

The Irish terrier served as a messenger and watchdog of Allied troops during World War I.

Irish Terrier 6 months old. By Andrew Clark - 

The Border Terrier originated in the hills between Scotland and England centuries ago. It was previously known as the Reedwater terrier or Coquetdale terrier, after villages that were particularly renowned for developing individuals of this breed. 

As with all Terrier breeds, there is a mixed heritage in Lakeland, Bedlington, Dandie Dinmont and Redesdale (a white Terrier now extinct) which is responsible for the white markings sometimes found in pups. The name of the Border Terrier was fixed in 1880.

Border terrier Pixiebay

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier bred in the 19th century as a fighting dog attained recognition as a breed by the Kennel Club on May 25, 1935. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club was formed one month later.

Staffies are nicknamed the ‘nanny dog' because they are reputed to be good with children.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Pixiebay

FAMOUS TERRIERS

Mary Queen of Scot's devoted little Skye Terrier was her companion throughout her long imprisonment by Queen Elizabeth I of England. The dog was concealed in her skirts during her execution. It refused to be coaxed away from Mary's body and it, took several washings to get his mistress' blood out of the dog's fur. The terrier wouldn't eat afterwards and died from grief and starvation.

George Washington ordered a brief ceasefire during the Revolutionary War's Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777. The truce was arranged  to return a lost terrier to its owner, Sir William Howe, a British general. The dog was found wandering the battlefield and was fed and cleaned before being returned to Howe. 

Thomas Hardy and his wife Florence had a wire terrier called Wessex who was a peculiarly disagreeable dog, which bit even the most eminent of visitors.

While serving in World War I, Adolf Hitler found a terrier he named "Little Fox." He taught the dog many tricks to entertain his fellow comrades.

President Warren Harding owned an Airedale terrier called Laddie Boy. At dinners, Harding's dog Laddie Boy, was allowed to beg guests for food and play with children. He also sat in his own chair during cabinet meetings and once invited all the neighborhood pooches to his birthday party. 

Caroline Kennedy's dog, Pushinka ("fluffy" in Russian) and Laddie Boy, 

A terrier named Igloo traveled to both the North and South Poles in the 1920s as a companion to his master, explorer Admiral Richard Bird. He chased penguins, picked fights with the sled dogs, and had a camel-hair suit made for him to keep him warm. Igloo's headstone is shaped like an iceberg.

Terry the Cairn Terrier, best known for her role as Toto in Wizard of Oz, earned a salary of $125 per week, more than that of many human actors in the film. She also earned more than many working Americans at the time.

Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a Maltese terrier, which in a nod to the singer's supposed mob connections, she mischievously named Mafia, or Maf for short. The cute English dog became her inseparable companion in her last years.

Sources Compton's Encyclopaedia, Europress Encyclopaedia

Spaniel

The Spaniel is a type of dog characterized by a long silky coat and drooping ears. They are thought to have originated in China or Japan, and then became a popular favorite with European royalty. Spaniels first appeared in Great Britain in the 1500s.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Although popular as a sporting dog, spaniels were often used by the ladies of the court as comforters and warmers, said to have kept them warm under their enormous skirts. They were most popular in Britain by the reign of Charles II (1660-85). The king adored spaniels, and each dog had its own special cushion. Charles liked walking them in St James Park and his passion for the breed gave rise to the name King Charles Spaniels.

Charles' spaniels slept on his bed despite the fact they were not terribly house trained. His courtiers complained of the terrible smell.

The Three Eldest Children of Charles I by Anthony Van Dyck

The field spaniel was developed in the early 1800s in Great Britain; because of early breeders' tendency to overdevelop this dog's length in relation to its height, it became known as the sausage, caterpillar, or hammock-slung dog by the early 1900s.

The Clumber Spaniel is the largest of the spaniels, and comes in predominantly white with either lemon or orange markings. The name of the breed is taken from the estate of the Duke of Newcastle in Nottinghamshire, where the dog was first developed in the early 1800s.

The American water spaniel was believed to have originated in 1800s in U.S. from crossings of water dogs and spaniels who accompanied settlers and emigrants from Europe; they are virtually unknown outside of North America and even rarer at American dog shows.

The Irish Water Spaniel can be traced back to the time when the spaniels were divided into land and water varieties. By 1859, a special class was provided for the Irish Water Spaniel at dog shows. Justin McCarthy of Dublin is credited with refining the breed and achieving its distinctive look.

America had come to appreciate the Irish Water Spaniel by the 1870s, when a number were brought over. By 1875, the breed had become the third most popular sporting dog in the U.S.

Irish Water Spaniel by Pleple2000 -  Wikipedia

The first mention of the Cocker Spaniel dates back to 1368 in the British Isles. It was bred to its now recognizable breed by the Dukes of Marlborough, by crossing the original Spanish breed with King Charles Spaniels. The Cocker Spaniel was established by the end of the nineteenth century.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel breed of sporting dog known for being the likely ancestors of most of today's hunting dogs dates to 7000 BC. Dogs resembling the breed with its distinctive red and white coat are frequently depicted in old pictures and prints. However, until the turn of the 20th century, the breed was shown alongside the English Springer Spaniel. It wasn't until 1902, after the breed had gained popularity, that Welsh Springers were recognized by The Kennel Club.

Welsh Springer Pixiebay

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were bred from King Charles Spaniels crossed with Cocker Spaniels to recreate the Spaniels depicted in paintings of the 1600s by Gainsborough, Rubens, and Rembrandt. The breed was developed in 1920.

FAMOUS SPANIELS

Dash (1830–1840) was a King Charles Spaniel owned by Princess Victoria. The Princess was 13 when she was given Dash, and as Victoria was raised largely isolated from other children, her pet soon became a much loved companion.

Princess Victoria spent the whole day of January 29, 1835 travelling from St. Leonards back to Kensington Palace. She describes the journey in her diary and adds that "Dear Dashy was in our carriage and behaved like a darling".

Dash remained with Victoria after her accession as queen in 1837. Following her coronation, Victoria returned to Buckingham Palace and ran up to her rooms to give Dash his usual bath.

Dash with Princess Victoria, by Sir George Hayter, 1833

The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning had a pet red cocker spaniel called Flush, who was the only companion allowed to Elizabeth by her tyrannical father.

The first time Robert Browning visited Elizabeth at Wimpole Street, Flush bit him.

When Elizabeth Browning eloped to Italy with Robert Browning she took Flush with her. He was immortalized through the poem "To Flush my Dog".

During his September 23, 1952 "Checkers speech", Republican vice presidential candidate Richard Nixon refuted accusations of improprieties with contributions to his campaign. Nixon said the family Cocker Spaniel, Checkers, was the only gift he'd received.

Stephen Spielberg's cocker spaniel Elmer appears in The Sugarland Express, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, 1941, and Jaws, which is more of his films than any actor.

A Springer spaniel called Millie was "first dog" of the White House during George Hebert Walker Bush's presidency. The dog "dictated" the 1990 best-seller Millie's Book to Barbara Bush, offering readers a canine-eye view of the presidency.

Millie, the pet of George Hebert Walker Bush.

Spot the brown-and-white Springer Spaniel born to Millie in the White House during President George H W Bush's presidential term becomes the first pet to live in the White House twice. He returned to the presidential mansion after the inauguration of the second President George W Bush.

Source Compton's Encyclopedia

Snake

There are over 2,900 species of snakes ranging as far northward as the Arctic Circle.

Pixiebay

Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica, and many smaller land masses. There are some larger islands from which snakes are absent, such as Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, Hawaii, and New Zealand.

SNAKES IN HISTORY

After being kept captive at Caesarea for two years, Saint Paul had appealed to Nero Caesar, and been sent to Rome. En route to the Roman city with other prisoners the Christian apostle was shipwrecked on the island of Malta. He gathered a pile of brushwood and as he put it on the fire, a poisonous viper driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. When the superstitious local population saw that Paul was unhurt, they decided he was a god.

For 40 days St Patrick had been on the Crough Patrick mountain, weeping, fasting and praying that Ireland might be delivered from the hands of the pagans. Every night an angel appeared to him bringing along a list of God's promises. Patrick stubbornly refused to leave the mountain top until the Lord promised him one more thing, that at the last judgement it would be Patrick who pronounced sentence on the Irish people. At last he obtained the promise and Patrick descended the mountain only to cast all snakes out of Ireland.

Theodore Roosevelt's daughter Alice had a pet snake named Emily Spinach. She liked to carry it around the White House in her purse and take it out at unexpected moments.

A number of snakes that had disappeared from London Zoo were found by police in the cellar of a North London house on March 21, 1967. A 16-year-old boy was charged with stealing 24 snakes and a snake bag. Eight poisonous reptiles and one harmless sand boa were found dead. An official said: "Whoever handled the snakes is the luckiest person in London tonight."

In the 1970s shock rocker Alice Cooper's stage act featured a boa constrictor hugging him on-stage. Sadly in 1977, the singer's snake was bitten by a live rat as it was being fed for breakfast and the boa constrictor died.

ANATOMY 

The legless reptiles range in size from the tiny, 10.4 cm (4 inch)-long thread snake to the reticulated python of 6.95 meters (22.8 ft) in length. The latter is the longest snake in the world and can be found in South Asia.

Reticulated python By Mariluna, 

Medusa - the longest snake ever living in captivity - was measured and found to be 7.67 m (25 ft 2 in) long on October 12, 2011.The reticulated python is owned by Full Moon Productions Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Snakes have no ears so they flick their tongues in and out to pick up sound waves.

Snakes have forked tongues to be able to smell in three dimensions. By picking up odors from slightly different locations they are able to tell the direction and source of the smell.

Snakes have transparent eyelids, which means even when the reptile has its eyes closed, it can still see through its eyelids. This means snakes can't blink and they must sleep with their eyes still seeing.

Rattlesnake Pixiebay

Snakes can open their mouth up to 150 degrees.

BEHAVIOR 

Because they are cold-blooded, snakes do not have to eat so regularly as mammals. Some snakes can go as long as six months without a good meal.

Snakes swallow their food whole, and they cannot chew.

Neonate queen snake eatimg a crayfish | by Pete & Noe Woods

Snakes yawn regularly as a way of keeping their jaws limber or adjusting their bite after they’ve swallowed a large meal.

A garter snake can give birth to 85 babies.

When you put a snake into space, some tie themselves in knots while others attack themselves.

The puff adder is the first terrestrial snake observed using "lingual luring"—it tricks frogs into thinking its tongue is food.

FUN SNAKE FACTS

A collar and lead to enable snake owners to take their pet for walks was patented in the US in 2002.

The fastest moving land snake is the Black Mamba. They can reach top speeds of 10-12 mph in short bursts over level ground.

Only about two per cent of the world’s snakes are poisonous.

Australia is the only continent with more venomous snakes than there are non-venomous ones.

The Inland Taipan or "fierce snake", which is endemic to semi-arid regions of central east Australia, is the most venomous snake in the world. However, because of its shy nature and timid nature there has never been a recorded death caused by its bite. The word "fierce" describes its venom, not its temperament.

The original "Snake Oil Salesman" wasn't convicted of selling snake oil, he was convicted of selling FAKE snake oil. Oil from Chinese Water Snakes was considered a legit medicine at the time, but Clark Stanley was convicted in 1917 of selling fake snake oil.

Ophidiophobia (phobia of snakes) is one of the most common and intense phobia among the general population. A study reported that around 50% of people experience dreams about snakes.

Sheepdog

The sheepdog is as rough-coated dog used to tend, drive, or guard sheep. It was first employed around 1570 when it was found to possess more speed and stamina than humans.

The sheepdog picks up nearly imperceptible hand and whistle signals from its master to move flock or retrieve stray sheep.

HISTORY

The Old English sheepdog or Bobtail was probably developed in the early 19th century in western England and were used for driving sheep and sometimes cattle to market. They are likely the product of crosses between the Bearded Collie and imported large European Sheepdogs such as the Bergamasco.

Old English Sheepdog known as Pepsi.  Harald Urnes, Norway

The Old English sheepdog's tail was first docked in the 19th century as a way of distinguishing it as a drovers' dog, which meant it was exempt from taxation. Docking tails was a way of keeping a record of this. Tailed Old English sheepdogs are now common, as many countries have outlawed cosmetic docking.

In 1873, the Old English Sheepdog made its show debut in Birmingham, England. There were only three entries, and the judge felt the quality of the dogs was so poor that he offered only a second placing.

An Old English Sheedog has twice won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, including Slumber in 1914.

Slumber, best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1914

The Old English Sheepdog was exported to the United States in the 1880s, and by the turn of the 20th century, five of the ten wealthiest American families bred and showed the breed. Its popularity has grown so much that the Old English Sheepdog is now a popular pet all over the world.

The Belgian sheepdog originated in Belgium in the late 1800s, mainly through the efforts of restaurateur Nicolas Rose, owner of Chateau Groenendael near Brussels, from which the breed got its alternate name.

The Border Collie is a working and herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region in the late 19th century for herding livestock, especially sheep. It was specifically bred for intelligence and obedience.

SHEEPDOG TRIAL

A sheepdog trial is a competitive dog sport in which herding dogs move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. The first ever dog trials were held in Wanaka, New Zealand, on April 30, 1867.

Australia also has a long history of dog trialing, with a kelpie named Brutus reported in the local paper in Young, New South Wales, as winning a sheepdog trial in 1871.

A Border Collie at a sheep trial By C. MacMillan

One Man and His Dog is a BBC television series in the United Kingdom featuring sheepdog trials, which first aired on February 17, 1976. In 2013, One Man and His Dog ceased to be a program in its own right, but the competition continues to be part of the rural affairs show Countryfile on BBC One.

SHEEPDOGS THAT BELONGED TO FAMOUS PEOPLE

Thomas Jefferson had little tolerance for dogs that brought harm to his sheep, and he once ordered one of his sheepdogs to be hung for mauling livestock.

During Franklin Roosevelt's time in the White House, he owned 11 dogs. They included an English sheepdog called Tiny.

Paul McCartney loved his Old English sheepdog Martha so much he dedicated The White Album song "Martha My Dear" to her.

A young Stuart Goddard, whose mother used to clean Paul McCartney's apartment in St. John's Wood, London, would sometimes take the sheepdog Martha for walks. Goddard would grow up to be the 1980s pop star Adam Ant.

Europress Encyclopedia, Compton's Enyclopedia

Setter

The setter is a type of gundog used most often for hunting game, especially birds such as quail, pheasant, and grouse. It is so called because they are trained in crouching or setting on the site of game to be pursued.

Dark setter with hare Johannes Deiker - Van Ham Kunstauktionen

Training of setter puppies is usually done with quail as a first choice or domesticated pigeons.

Early specimens of the Irish setter probably originated in Ireland in early 1700s. They were imported into USA in the late 1800s.

The Breed Standard for the modern Irish Setter was first drawn up by the Irish Red Setter Club in Dublin and approved on March 29, 1886.

Irish Setter Pixiebay

The Gordon Setter breed of sporting dog is known as the black and fallow setting dog of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon (1743–1827), who in the 1820s brought this bird-hunting breed to prominence on his castle grounds in Scotland. Its ancestors date back to early 1600s in Scotland.

The Gordon Setter was imported into U.S. in the mid-1800s and became very popular because of its intelligence and good looks.

The Kennel Club applied the name 'Gordon Setter' to the breed in 1924. Before that they were known as black and tan setters, and were found in many kennels beside those of the 4th Duke of Gordon.

Gordon Setter Pixiebay

The English Setter came from an ancient line of sporting dogs, with its origins most probably from the Spaniel and the Old Spanish Pointer. Similar looking dogs were known prior to the 1800s.

The English Setter as we know it today was developed in the mid-1800s by an English breeder, Edward Laverack (1800–1877) who bred from a pair and inbred them until he achieved the type he wanted.

Another Englishman, R. Purcell Llewellin (1840–1925), founded his strain using Laverack's best dogs and outcrossed them with the Duke, Rhoebe and later Duke's littermate Kate bloodlines with the best results.

Further breeding by Sir Purcell Llewellin established the English setter breed in the USA and, although going by different names, the Laverack Setter and the Llewellin Setter, they are essentially the same breed, with one for hunting and the other for show.

English setter pixiebay

The first showing of the setter breed was at the ever first modern selected breed dog show in 1859 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in north east England. There were 36 setters and 23 pointers entered and Mr Jobling's Black and Tan Setter, Dandy, won the first prize for setters. The prize awarded to each winner was a double barreled gun worth around £15 to £20.

In 1862 setters began to be divided into three categories at shows: English, Black and Tan and Irish. These became official breed classifications when The Kennel Club was founded in 1873.

In the UK, the English setter breed has been successful at Crufts and secured the award of best in show in 1964, 1977 and 1988.

During Franklin D. Roosevelt's 12 years and one month as American president, 11 dogs lived in the White House. They included a Llewellyn Setter called Winks.

Irish Setters have proven to be very popular with American politicians over the decades. Maine Governor Percival Proctor Baxter owned an Irish named Gary Owen. Richard Nixon’s beloved King Timahoe was a gift from his White House staff on his 56th birthday. President Harry Truman had an Irish Setter named Mike.

Harry Truman's dog Mike

The English Setter maybe white with black, tan, or liver markings and the Irish Setter is usually a rich red.

Sources Compton's Encyclopedia, Kids Britannica

Scottish Terrier

The Scottish terrier was developed in Scotland in the mid-1800s as a vermin catcher and watchdog. It was originally called Aberdeen terrier.

It is thought to descend from the Old Scottish terrier, with a dash of Dandie Dinmont Terrier, and Cairn and West Highland White Terrier thrown in for good measure.

The modern breed is said to be able to trace its lineage back to a single female, named Splinter II, who was the property of a Mr Ludlow and an early winner of dog exhibitions.

Mated to Tartan, Splinter II produced Worry, the dam of four champions. Rambler, her son by Bonaccord, sired the two founding sires of the breed, Dundee (out of Worry) and Alister (out of a Dundee daughter).

In 1881 the "Scottish Terrier Club of England" was founded, being the first club dedicated to the breed. The club secretary, H.J. Ludlow, is responsible for greatly popularizing the breed in the southern parts of Great Britain.

Black is the most traditional color for a Scottie, Wheaten Scotties can also be found.

A scottie puppy. By Flickr user Daniel Petry 

Scotties typically live from 11 to 13 years. Two genetic health concerns seen in the breed are von Willebrand disease (vWD) and craniomandibular osteopathy (CMO). Scottish Terriers also have a greater chance of developing some cancers than other purebreds.

Originally Scottish Terriers were used for hunting, but because of their small size, they are often kept as pets.

Many famous people have owned Scottish Terriers, including Queen Victoria, Rudyard Kipling, Eva Braun, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's most famous canine companion was his Scottish Terrier, Fala, who is part of the Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC, the only Presidential dog so honored.

Fala at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (bottom left), Stefan Fussan 

A second older Scottish Terrier called Meggie owned by Eleanor Roosevelt, once bit a senator.

President George W Bush had a black Scottish terrier called Barney during his time in the White House.

The Scottish Terrier is also well known for being a playing piece in the board game Monopoly. This was because when the game was first created in the 1930s, Scotties were one of the most popular pets in the United States.

Source Europress Encyclopedia,