The Akita Inu is a very special breed that originally came from Japan. This breed is similar in many ways to German Shepherds and Siberian Huskies, but it does have a very different temperament. It’s quite dominant and never afraid to let you know exactly how it feels and what it wants at all times. Akitas are very territorial, large, and strong. They are considered a tough breed to train and own, which makes them very bad pets for first-time dog owners.
They became popular in the United States after Helen Keller, the famous deaf-blind author and political activist, visited Japan in 1937 and was gifted two of these as a token of appreciation. Akitas are owned by some of the most famous people in the world, including Putin, Evander Holyfield, Cher, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Henry Cavil, and more.
Labrador Retriever
Labradors are the most popular breed of dogs in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. They are also the most popular disability assistance breed and are often trained as therapy and help dogs for people with various disabilities. They are one of the most obedient, fun, loving, and loyal breeds on the planet and are ideal family dogs, as well as excellent spotters and hunting dogs. This breed is also used by military and police forces to track criminals.
It's highly recommended for first-time dog owners to own a Labrador as their first pet, due to it being arguably the easiest and safest dog to train and own. They are curious, fun, and competent in many activities due to their high level of intelligence.
Old English Sheepdog
Old English Sheepdogs look a lot more like bears than actual dogs. These adorable things remind us of a cross between a polar bear and one of the Queen’s guards. It’s a very big and hunky dog, weighing between 60 to 100 pounds. It’s considered a very agreeable dog that knows how to follow commands very well.
The Old English Sheepdog is considered a herding breed, probably because it scares the sheep senselessly into their place when it comes close to them. If you move the fur above their nose just a bit, you'll reveal beautiful eyes that show great care and devotion to its owner. This is a great dog if you’re looking for a well-grounded herding dog that will make your family’s life easier and more entertaining.
A Great Pyrenees Was Elected Mayor
While it may sound crazy, a Great Pyrenees called Duke the Fluffy was chosen as mayor more than three times in a row, in the city of Cormorant, Minnesota. The citizens claim that he ran a tight campaign and made some impressive promises during his bid for mayor. Apparently, the townsfolk were quite sick of electing human politicians who ended up not fulfilling any of the promises they made while campaigning. Their rationale was, “If we’re not going to get what we want anyway, why not just vote for a dog?” And that’s exactly what the citizens of Cormorant did.
Duke has been happily presiding in his mayoral role for many years now. This is apparently not the first time that a United States city chose a dog as their mayor, it also happened in other cities such as Sunol, California, Eastsound, Washington, and Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. It seems that the recent progressive wave of diversity managed to reach not only diversity of race and gender, but also that of species. At least we know that this politician isn’t lying to anyone.
A Chicken Farmer and His Guard Dog Save Hundreds of Penguins
Penguins are one of the cutest animals on the planet, especially tiny penguins that are only about a foot tall. They are the smallest of all the penguin species and are very vulnerable to predators. There was a small colony of these penguins in Middle Island, Australia which consisted of almost 1,000 of these little cute things. Unfortunately, a pack of foxes found them and began to systematically hunt them down.
When Australian chicken farmer, Swampy Marsh, heard what was happening, he quickly got his chicken-guarding dogs and went there to keep watch over the penguins. Ever since Marsh and his faithful guard dog began protecting the penguins, not a single one has been hunted and their population has grown back to about 200 strong. Since then, many dogs have guarded these penguins over the years, allowing them to live their lives in peace.