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About This Quiz
A house is a house, but a house with a dog is a home. Having a dog in your home is good for you on every conceivable level. Firstly, it's a free burglar alarm. Your dog will also keep you warm, protect you, cheer you up when you're sad, celebrate with you when you're happy, and watch whatever TV program you choose without ever complaining or hogging the remote. Your dog will even keep you healthy: dog owners, especially older ones, report lower cholesterol, stronger hearts, and fewer heart attacks than people without dogs. Dogs also reduce the odds of children developing allergies. Sometimes -- as in the case of dogs who called for help or even dialed 911 in emergencies -- your dog can literally save your life. Dogs will teach children to be selfless and they teach all of us about unconditional love.
Given all that they do for us, then, it's only fair that we should love and cherish our dogs, and also that we should take the time to know about them. We can be better owners and companions to our dogs, and help them be their best for us when we know their purpose, their preferences, and their personalities. Let's see how well you know your canine basics!
What is a working dog?
A dog that has a job requiring a tie
A dog that roams the streets looking for people to pick them up for cash
A dog that can eat, breathe, etc. without any problems
A dog bred to have a job on a farm or during a shoot
Working breeds were created to have specific characteristics useful for work on farms and during hunting.
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What is a toy dog?
A device made by Sony to mimic dog ownership
A plastic dog made in China
A type of dog known for being really small
Toy dogs are a variety (not a breed) of dog known for being small and not having a "working" purpose. Toy dogs were bred to connote status, meaning the owner can have a dog which does not justify its expense by doing something useful.
A rubber dog
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What kind of dog is favored by law enforcement for pursuing and subduing suspects?
German shepherds
German shepherds are favored by police for pursuing and subduing suspects on the run.
Wolves
Labrador retrievers
Yorkies
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Which of these is a water dog?
Labrador
Labradors were bred as water dogs, and are often tasked with retrieving things from water. Just try throwing a tennis ball in a pool and see if the dog doesn't go after it.
Jack Russell
Chihuahua
Shorthaired Pointer
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What is the job of a pointer?
To locate animals and indicate their position.
A Pointer's job is to indicate the location of animals, or if trained for other purposes, other objects or creatures.
To herd animals into an indicated space
The track and kill foxes
To retrieve birds and objects
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What kind of dog is favored by law enforcement for locating explosives, chemicals, and drugs?
Labrador retriever
Labradors are favored by the DEA and ATF for their athleticism, intelligence, tracking ability, and train-ability.
Golden retriever
Rhodesian ridgeback
French bulldog
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What is a therapy dog?
A dog that needs therapy
A stuffed dog people in therapy are trained to treat like a real animal
A real dog that accompanies people who find the presence of the dog comforting
Therapy dogs are dogs assigned to people with issues ranging from depression to anxiety. They comfort their owners and are often as effective as medication.
A therapy dog is a term used to describe a type of medicine
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Which of the following is a standard verbal command to a retriever trained for shooting?
Heel
Training a dog to heel is especially important when shooting, because you don't want your dog to scare off the game.
Heal
Play dead
Talk
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Which of the following is not a standard command for herding dogs?
Bye
Keep
Look back
Haloose
While "haloose" is a command some hunters use, the commands "bye" (circle the flock clockwise) "keep" (keep your distance from the flock) and "look back" (return for an animal you missed) are all herding commands.
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What kind of border collie makes the best pet?
Dogs from border collie rescue organizations
Border collies with too much instinct cannot work and are put down. Border collies that can work require too much stimulation to be pets to anyone but the most active and athletic owner. Border collies with not enough instinct make good pets because they won't try to herd children, and can usually sit still longer. These border collies are the ones that wind up in rescues.
Working border collies
Border collies with too much "instinct"
Border collie mixes
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What breed of dog is illegal to own in New York City public housing?
German shepherds
Akitas
Bull Terriers
Pit Bulls
Pit bulls killed 71 percent of people killed by dogs in 2016, according to dogsbite.org. Because of their potential lethality and popularity among the communities that often live in New York public housing, and a history of incidents in that housing, the NYCHA outlawed pit bull ownership.
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What is the difference between "apple headed" chihuahuas and "deer headed" chihuahuas?
Apple headed chihuahuas have a form of microcephaly
The abnormal head shape of apple headed chihuahuas is actually the result of creating a variation of the chihuahua breed that consistently exhibits microcephaly. Since chihuahuas aren't working dogs, it is not likely that any difference in their "functions" would be noticeable.
Apple headed chihuahuas are cuter
Deer headed chihuahuas are actually working dogs
Deer headed chihuahuas are going to be the next big thing
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Why were leonbergers bred, according to local legend?
To look like lions
According to local legend, the leonberger breed, from Leonberg, Germany, was bred to resemble the lion in the town's coat of arms.
To fight wolves
To fight bears
To fight each other
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What is the most noticeable difference between English labradors and American labradors?
American labs have sharper features, and English labs have squarer features
English labs are larger, and squarer than their American cousins.
English labs are more intelligent
American labs have more health problems
English labs are more popular
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The word Sennenhund refers to a class of dog. What is it derived from?
The word meaning "alpine pasture"
Senne means "alpine pasture" to the Swiss, who love these dogs.
The word meaning "looming glacier"
The word meaning "clear stream"
The word meaning "the sun"
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Who was Giant George
The world's largest Chihuahua
A 200 pound Labrador
A tall Great Dane
Born in 2005, Giant George, a Great Dane, was the world's tallest dog, standing 39 1/8 inches.
A massive Alsatian
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Who was Zorba?
A Greek
The world's heaviest and longest dog
Zorba, an Old English Mastiff, tipped the scales in 1987 at 314.5 pounds.
The world's strongest dog
The world's heaviest Pug
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How can you tell for what purpose a Berger Picard was bred?
Its name holds the meaning
The first part of the name, "berger," means "shepherd" in French.
It's a Star Trek reference
It's obvious from their paw prints
The way its ears turn
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What purpose were pugs bred for?
Companions to the Chinese royal family
Pugs were bred as companions to the Chinese royals, but when they made their way to Europe, they became favorites of the House of Orange, The House of Stuart, and Queen Victoria.
Rat catchers
Hunting dogs
Retrievers of water fowl
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What is the working job of the Dachshund breed?
Digging up badgers
Dachshunds were bred to have short legs in order to go down badger's holes and drag the badgers out so they could be killed. Before that, they originated in Egypt, and had longer legs.
Killing rats
Guarding camps
Hunting foxes
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What was the name of the person responsible for the creation of the Golden Retriever breed?
Lord Tweedmouth
Lord Tweedmouth lived near Loch Ness in the 19th century. He, like many aristocrats of the time, was hard at work trying to create the perfect gun dog. His creation, the Golden Retriever, was kept secret for a while, but eventually it spread. All Golden Retrievers, it is said, can trace their heritage back to his dogs.
Lord Tweedeye
Lord Timbleswith
Lord Nibblebottom
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On what does the "magic word" theory hinge?
Treats
The theory is that if you train your dog to expect a treat when it hears one specific word that never comes up any other time, you can cause the dog to cease misbehavior (like running off) by saying the word, and thus making the dog forgo its behavior for a treat.
Discipline
Massage
Toys
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What are the three varieties of Golden Retriever?
American, English, Canadian
The three varieties of Golden Retriever reflect the three English-speaking countries where it is hugely popular. The Canadian variety looks a lot like a Labrador with short hair. The American one is lanky, and the English one is wider and more muscular.
Tawny, Short Haired, Blonde
Short, Tall, Wide
English, Scottish, American
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Which is an officially recognized Labrador color?
Silver
Red
Beige
Yellow
While Silver Labradors are a variation of the Chocolate Labrador strain, and Fox Red Labradors are a variety of the Yellow Labrador variety, neither is an officially recognized color, nor is beige, as there are no beige Labradors.
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Which of the following is not a gun dog type?
Flushing Spaniels
Setters
Pointers
Ratters
Ratters are dogs bred to kill rats and other vermin, but are not gun dogs. They do their job without the aid of a human with a gun. Gun dogs have different kinds of jobs, and each type of gun dog specializes in one of these jobs.
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What is the current name of the country the Rhodesian Ridgeback comes from?
South Africa
Zimbabwe
The Rhodesian Ridgeback originates in the colony of Rhodesia, which became Zimbabwe. Ridgebacks are so named for the way their hair grows along their spines.
Kenya
Democratic Republic of Congo
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What are Flushing Dogs used for?
Blue Grouse
Flushing dogs, such as spaniels and retrievers, are used to collect fast moving game that may be wounded from a shot, but not dead. A well-trained flushing dog stays within eyeshot of the guns, and does not kill what it retrieves, but holds it gently.
Perdix
Woodcocks
Mourning Dove
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How old should a puppy be when they get their vaccines for distemper, measles, and parainfluenza?
6-8 weeks
It is recommended that the distemper, measles, and parainfluenza vaccines be administered to puppies between six and eight weeks old, at which point their immune systems will best benefit from this first round of injections.
6-7 weeks
7-9 weeks
3-4 weeks
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What health risks do Jack Russell Terriers risk?
Deafness and eyesight loss
Jack Russell Terriers' greatest inherent health risk is to their eyesight and hearing.
Bad joints
Obesity
Heart disease
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What caused a recent mass culling of Tibetan Mastiffs?
The end of a trend among wealthy Chinese
For a time, wealthy Chinese went crazy for Tibetan Mastiffs, making them an official craze. A well-bred dog could fetch upward of $200,000, but then, without warning, they were no longer cool. Breeders had bred a surplus of these dogs, and they were no longer wanted, resulting in a tragic and avoidable culling.
A disease
A pet food manufacturing accident
A parasite
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What is phase one of guide dog training, according to Guiding Eyes for The Blind?
Clicker training and basic commands
The first phase of guide dog training conducted by Guiding Eyes for The Blind is basic commands, and the use of a clicker. Commands include things like "forward, wait, and hop up" and is conducted at the training center and nearby neighborhood. It must be nice to live near one of these centers, with puppies and young dogs prowling your neighborhood all the time.
Play with other dogs and basic commands
Working with trainers who act blind
Obstacle course training
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What is the most popular breed of dog in the United States?
Black Labradors
Black Labradors have been the most popular dog in the US for decades, and for good reason, given their demeanor, athletic ability, protective capacity, and good looks.
German Shepherds
Pit Bulls
Golden Retrievers
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What are the origins of the Peruvian Hairless Dog?
Unknown
No one knows exactly how old this breed is or where it came from originally. The best guess is that they may have come to Peru from the old land bridge to Asia some 2,000-3,000 years ago, but no one knows for sure. This breed is as ancient as anything in Peru.
Bred in Peru 1,000 years ago
Bred in Peru in the 1800s
Bred by Americans using dogs found in Peru in the 20th century
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What exotic animal was the Argentine Dogo bred to track?
Jaguar
Argentine Dogos were bred to hunt jaguar, puma, and wild boar, among other big game.
Tiger
Lion
Wolf
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What type of dog is native to Puerto Rico?
Sato
Sato is not a breed so much as a type of dog. Satos are wild dogs that live on the street; mutts, essentially. They are challenging dogs to adopt, as they take a lot of time to get used to living in a home, in a major city, or in the suburbs.
Yorkie
Chihuahua
Long Haired Dachshund
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