[Ansteorra] Period Dog Breeds

Susan catmafia at swbell.net
Fri Dec 21 09:12:35 PST 2001


>'wolf
>.. it's not just a name, it's a long-standing lifestyle

I am so glad to have been of use to you.  That site was incredible in what
it offered, it was the ones that had no info that made me ache as I was
curious (yep, the name is definatly a lifestyle here) and know that I have
no time currently for this 'trail to be sniffed down'  It is why I love so
much being about to learn of things from people who are passionate about
them, you get the essence of why something is so incredible, the joy of
someone telling of their greatest love and they have enough background to
be able to entertain the most challenging questions.  (yes, for those who
my questions are overload, it is just the tip of the iceberg)  I have such
an insatiable need to know how all fits together, that you have to have
access to all the puzzle pieces to do much construction and this is my
passion in life.

Othersite I came across today in another search,
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/ , it deals with a project through OSU's
Vet program (by the way, they do an awsome openhouse usually every other
late winter/early spring, if at all interested contact them and get on a
contact list, it is incredible.  Ask Kit or Peg about the 'joy' of sticking
your arm into the portal on Dolly into one of her stomaches and why it has
such importance...) back on track; it is where they have info on ancient
breeds and the efforts to protect them.  In the past we have visited the
Livestock Conservancy (don't remember exact title but was in a small town
in the general area of NC around the triangle)'s headquarters and it was
facinating.  If I ever have my 'ideal SCA welcome plot of land', one of the
things I will do is run a small herd and have many of the endangered cattle
that I love so much.  I know that there will be Dexter, Jersey and Guernsey
and would love to learn more about the other breeds on the other islands in
that area. (again, another interest that I only visit occasionally, but was
raised near many wonderful Angus on my grandfather's farm {only beef I ever
ate for the first 10 years or so of my life could have had the cow's name
on the package, yet we were too 'poor' for me to even know what baloney
was} and my best friend's family ran a Dairy and I was probably there 4-16
hours a week through childhood and she also would raise bulls to show, so
were used to helping her with them)

One aspect I have been thrilled to see in many of the zoos we have been
members of, here again is a bonus of the Army moving us often-there have
been many and very diverse at that, is conservation of (can't think of
specific word here, but might be Vintage) breeds, ones who are endangered
and needing perservation.  These are usually encorporated into the
Children's Zoo and a farm type setting.  It has been great taking my mom to
these, for she then tells us much about what farming was like back in the
30's and 40's before there was so much 'manipulation' of breeds for
production and use of chemical additives.  A facinating discussion and one
I would love to see taken back to a period discussion.

As to the other couple of questions raised, I only have a small menagerie
here.  I think we have 5 species present and the name my house has is
'Sparrowhaven' as it is large of sandstone and ceder construction (think
hunting lodge about 2300 sq feet) with a roof of 3 diagonal planes and most
of the rock areas are covered in ivy.  In addition to this I have about 15
mature medium to large trees and more bushes than I am willing to count on
my city lot (with only one neighbor touching, the other 3 sides are street
with green verges making the trees very accessable) and I am also within
view of Mingo Creek with many retention ponds and dry creeks near.  We have
tons of birds and the sparrows expecially love my walls.  I finally have a
nest in the ivy across one of my livingroom windows, it is about 8 or 9
feet up on a wall that is 11 or so feet high at that point.  It is often
very cool when you can see the raptors out the front windows, there are 3
of them 2 1/2' X 6' and then over them are three more as wide but the tops
are at the diagonal following the roof line.  It is in the last of these
where the next is and it is from apx 4 1/2 feet tall.  Other animals we
have, snakes hatch out in the garage and occasionally we will find a few
garters in the house, mice, slugs, ants, several different spiders, and
disappointingly no lizards.  I would love to be able to do some major earth
moving in my front yard and create a major watergarden like the one in
front of the new Stillwater Nat'l Bank here in Tulsa and then we would have
exponentially more wildlife than we do now. (ask me about where I grew up
sometimes and this will make more sense)  The one thing I did have in the
front yard once that really tickled me was on Easter morning one year there
was a cottontail grazing and a mallard setting on her nest that she had in
one of my flowerbeds.  That was incredible.

As to the ancient breeds, the ones I have been doing the most reading of
recently seem to have all come from the same type of small dog of the
bichon background that ship captains had with them.  It seems that in the
place that were isolated (islands mostly, either by water or mountains) the
few dogs left with them have reinforced their genetic distinctions through
a small breeding pool for hundreds of years.  I hope to soon be able to
pull together info on this and on the different ones, might actually do it
pretty and submit for display with A&S if anyone else wants to see what I
find.  (not sure where in line of things to do this will fall)

Susan
who would list her most obscure animal here, but not sure which it would be.
Fluffy, mom Manx and dad Persian
Monty, black and white Japanese Bobtail
These are the only two naturally occuring domesticated cats that I know of
who, for different genetic difference, throw short or no tailed
kittens.  If anyone knows of any others, please let me know.  I read last
night of a couple that have been created recently with cross breeding with
small wild cat species. Also, I would love info on other tailed dogs, know
that Corgies, Australian Shepards and Heelers will throw with a short or
non tail, are there any others?

Ok, it is either those or my Degu.  They are from the Chile-Argentine area
and are similer to Guinea Pigs and Chincillas geneticly (can't remember the
species but closer to Lagamorph than Rodent).  They are lovely little
social animals and resemble a large gerbil with head shape reminiscent of a
capybura.  Very sweet little guys, we have them in a 55 gal aquerium and
they love it and my cats think I am wonderful for providing these, hamster,
mouse and Rabbit friends for them to play with or observe.  It is when the
cats lay for hours talking to the mouse that it is funny, she stands up and
taunts them when they are on top of her cage.  When we kept a friend's
Guinea Pig, Fluffy would lay there chirping with him in delightful
conversations, it really expanded his vocal range and was amusing.

Final thing, for those who love Wolves, have you seen 'Never Cry
Wolf'?  That is an awsome movie






More information about the Ansteorra mailing list