Up until recently, the act of puppies pricking up their ears to human voices was simply cute. Now we know that it’s actually a form of communication between humans and their new pups. It’s not the sort of language that can be learned, however. Puppy-talk comes naturally to humans and puppies (but not adult dogs).
Yorkshire terriers look dainty and delicate but they’re working dogs who used to control vermin in the mines and textile mills of Yorkshire. So they’re pretty tough. Working yorkies are bigger and more robust than their modern companion lap dogs. They have their loveliness and cuteness to thank for that.
Beagles were bred in the UK as hunting dogs to drive small game back to hunters. They are ranked 5th on the American Kennel Club’s list of most popular dog breeds in the USA. They’re boisterous, playful and fun-loving dogs who like nothing more than a good romp with their family.
Cockapoo dogs are a cross between poodles and American cocker spaniels. They first made an appearance in the USA in the 1960s but have become increasingly popular as ‘designer dogs’ over the past few years. Cockapoos are bred specifically for temperament; that is, playfulness, loyalty, affection, gentleness and friendliness, and make wonderful family pets.
Turkish Angora cats nearly went extinct in the 1900s but thanks to a concerted breeding effort at the Ankara Zoo, the breed was been saved, although it is still very rare. Now Turkey takes conserving its ‘national’ cat very seriously and won’t even consider mixing it with other breeds, no matter how similar in looks.
Cymric (kim-rick) cats are part of the Manx group of cats; they’re a tailless breed with the only difference between the two being the length of their coats. Cymric cats have long coats and Manx cats have short coats. They originated in the Isle of Man, where the relative isolation helped to quickly establish the taillessness as a breed trait.