Animal list

The Maltese Bichon is a toy-sized breed, with origins linked to the Mediterranean, Italy being the patronage of the breed. The origins of this breed are associated with Italy, Malta and the island of Mljet (Croatia). Despite this, however, its origin is somewhat uncertain. It was the Phoenicians who brought...

A Lop Rabbit or lop-eared rabbits are rabbits with ears that droops. Their large floppy ears make them easily recognizable. The scientific name for this rabbit is Oryctolagus Cuniculus. A Lop’s head resembles that of a male sheep in profile. For this reason, the Lop carries two distinct names, Widder in...

The Alaskan Malamute, is a breed of dog native to the Arctic and is considered one of the longest-living breeds in the history of sled dogs. Its imposing and demanding presence gives off a mistaken impression of its real character. Its appearance is similar to that of a wolf. For this reason, this breed...

Border terriers are lovely dogs. Its somewhat rustic appearance and excellent character make this terrier an ideal pet. If socialized correctly with the right amount of dedicated time, a border terrier will be obedient and easy to manage. A border terrier is usually very affectionate with children. In...

The Great Dane is one of the largest, most elegant and charismatic dogs. The standard of the breed accepted by the International Cynological Federation (FCI) describes it as "the Apollo of the dog breeds", due to its well-proportioned body and and perfect harmony. Whether you are thinking of adopting...

The Balinese is a cat that originates from the US and descends from the Siamese among other long-haired cats. They are well tempered, soft and affectionate domestic cats that will love their owners immensely.

The Abyssinian cat is a popular breed due not only to their physical appearance but also their personality. Both whilst at rest and in action, this animal shows great elegance and harmony in its movements. The first Abyssinian cat arrived in England around 1868 from Ethiopia, then Abyssinia, and participated...

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. Their adorable appearance and the fact that they are Queen Elizabeth II's favorite dogs have turned these hard-working herding dogs into canine royalty. Although their cute looks may make you believe they are easy-going family dogs,...

The Labrador Retriever is one of the most beloved dog breeds in the world, and also one of the most popular in numbers. It's also known as "Labrador" or simply "Lab". This breed originated in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada. These dogs are noble, beautiful and highly intelligent, and they...

The Norfolk terrier is a small, friendly and very active dog. This breed is a hunter by nature. The Norfolk terrier is a close relative of the Norwich terrier. This breed used to be a worker dog but is now known as an excellent companion dog.

The Himalayan cat, also known as Himmie cat, is a man-made bred cat. This cat is a cross between the Persian cat, evident in its physical characteristics and the Siamese cat, from which it has inherited its characteristic patterns. The combination of these two predecessors offers us a unique, elegant and very beautiful...

The Canary Mastiff, also know as the Presa Canrio, is a molossus from the Canary Islands. These dogs descend from the old "majorero" dogs that existed in archipelago during pre-Hispanic times (before the 14th century). At that time, these great island dogs were used by its natives as guardians, protectors...

The Boxer is a German working breed of the molosser type, descending from the now-extinct Bullenbeisser and Old English Bulldog. They are medium-sized dogs that were originally used as guardians, but nowadays they are extremely popular as companions. These dogs were first bred in Munich, Germany, in a breeding...

The American Pit Bull Terrier or APBT was first bred to help in farm work, although they were soon made to participate in bloodsports and dogfights. They are tenacious dogs, and although there are stronger breeds, they are very powerful. Although American Pit Bull Terriers have been trusted companions and nanny...

The English Bull Terrier is a breed of dog known for the unique shape of its head and its small triangular shaped ears. There are two variants of the breed: the Bull Terrier and the miniature Bull Terrier. They were developed in Britain as a both a fighting and show dog. If you are thinking of adopting...

The miniature Bull Terrier is literally a miniature replica of the Bull Terrier. This breed was developed to control of rat infestations. It is a magnificent pet and a suitable companion for house or apartment.

German shorthaired pointers are multifunctional hunting dogs. They are able to perform tasks such as collection and tracking. That is why they are very popular among hunters. Despite a somewhat unknown origin, we do known they are very intelligent and loyal dogs. This breed needs a large dose of daily...

The miniature schnauzer or zwergschnauzer is a small, cheerful, loyal and bearded dog. Although its size does not exceed 35 centimeters it is a very brave and dynamic dog. It is the miniature version of the schnauzer.

The Cairn terrier is very graceful, fun and full of life. Originally from Scotland, this dog gained the affection of fans around the world for its great personality and self-confidence. In this AnimalWised breed file we will discuss everything you need to know before adopting a Cairn Terrier, including...

The Norwegian Forest cat, or ‘Wegie’ for short, is a domestic cat that hails from Northern Europe and is one of the most popular pets in Sweden, Iceland, France and of course, Norway. They are highly adaptable to cold climates because of their beautiful, abundant coat made up of water-shedding hair and a...

The Akita Inu is a canine breed from Japan, Asia. This breed is considered as a national treasure to its people. This breed has been an object of veneration for its country. In Japan, Akita Inus symbolize good health, prosperity and good fortune. Hachiko, is an Akita Inu famously remembered for his loyalty...

A dwarf rabbit is a very popular pet. Its small size, adorable appearance and affable character makes it the perfect pet for those who live in an apartment. This tiny little rabbit was developed in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 20th century. This was done by cross breeding a small wild rabbit...

The American chinchilla is a rabbit that got its name from because of its fur. These rabbits, when first presented to the public, were incredibly popular because of their fur. The reason for this is that this coat so greatly resembled that of the South American Chinchilla lanigera. There is however no kinship...

Dachshunds are famous and charismatic dogs which originate from Germany. In English dachshund means ‘‘badger dog’’. This name makes reference to the original function of this as dog a badger hunter. Dachshunds are also known in German as as teckel or dackel. In this AnimalWised article we will tell you...

The American Akita is a variant of Akita Inu from the northern and mountainous regions of Japan. The American strain of this breed is known simply as the akita. This variant of the breed appears in all kinds of colors unlike the Japanese akita. This breed is commonly known for being very resistant to...

The Czechoslovakian wolfdog is a true example of the close kinship between dogs and wolves. Having originated from German shepherds and wolves, this breed has mixed qualities of both a shepherd dog and wild wolf. Due to its recen introduction, many people are unaware of the general characteristics of a...

The Swiss white shepherd (berger blanc suisse), of wolfish appearance with dense white fur, is one of the most beautiful dogs in the world. Both morphologically and phylogenetically, this dog is essentially a white-haired German shepherd. Throughout its history, the breed has received a large amount...

The Afghan hound is a dog from Afghanistan. It is considered a very special breed by those who have had one. Its combination of personality, energy and physical appearance make this dog a unique and special specimen. It is believed that it descends from the Saluki, an Iranian dog with similar characteristics....

The American bulldog is a powerful, athletic and brave dog that instills great respect. This dog is one of the most similar to the original bulldog of the nineteenth century. An inexperienced eye can confuse an American bulldog with a boxer, pitbull or the Argentinian bulldog, since there are many similarities...

The boerboel is a breed of molossian dog that comes from South Africa. It has received various names, including the African Boerboel or South African Mastiff. Their ancestors are the bullmastiff, the great Dane and the bullensbeisser, which is extinct. The first examples of boerboels date back 1600....

Because of their kinship with the schnauzer and their past as a shepherd dog, Giant Schnauzers are large, robust and strong dogs. They serve both as surveillance and protection dogs. Being so big, they need a good dose of daily exercise, so we do not recommend this dog for people who do not have time...

The Havanese dog from the Bichon family, is an adorable small dog with long and soft hair. The origins of this breed lie between Spain and Italy but this breed eventually developed in Cuba where it coexisted with its aristocracy of the nineteenth century. It is a jovial, active and cheerful, dog, perfect...

The Basset Hound belongs the hound group and comes from San Hubert in France, where a noble hunting enthusiast chose this breed for his private hunts. The popularity of this breed for hunting soon spread throughout the country to finally reach Britain. Once in England the breeding of this dog continued...

The Lhasa Apso, or lhaso apso, is a small dog that is characterized by its long and abundant coat. This little dog looks like a miniature version of the old English shepherd and is originally from Tibet. Although not very well known, the lhasa apso is a very popular dog in its own region and despite its tiny...

The Russian black terrier, or tchiorny terrier, is big, beautiful, great guard and defense dog. Despite its name, it does not belong to the terrier group. This dog actually belongs to the pinscher and schnauzer breed. They are very active dogs and sometimes can be a little aggressive, as their origins...

The keeshond or wolfspitz is included in the breed of German spitz dogs, along with four other breeds. The International Cynological Federation (FCI) groups all of these under a single standard breed, but with noted differences for each. These breeds include: the Wolfspitz or Keeshond, the large Spitz,...

The Dobermann, or Doberman Pinscher, is an elegant, muscular and powerful dog. The Doberman has captivated the imagination of people for many years with its compact and powerful body. Although today this breed is not as popular as it used to be. However, few people know how intelligent and sensitive...

The French bulldog is a small but sturdy dog. Its bat ears and flattened face are its two most notable characteristics, in addition to its good-natured and affectionate temperament. It originates from the first bulldogs of England. Like all variants of this breed, and like their compatriots, they are animals that...

The Belgian Griffon, the Griffon of Brussels and the Petit Brabançon are three very similar breeds of companion dogs. These three breeds share a similar history and come from the same place, the European city of Brussels, in Belgium. We could say that there are three breeds in one, since they only differ...

The Rottweiler is a strong, robust and athletic dog. This is a medium to large size breed with an an incredibly powerful appearance. Rottweilers are hugely admired by many and also carry a mythical-like fear for those who are not familiar with it. The mere presence of these dogs command respect and it...