Universal Press Syndicate
A German tax collector developed the stylish, no-nonsense breed named after him.
|
A handful of dog breeds were named for people. Louis Dobermann, a German tax collector in the mid-19th century, developed the elegant and protective breed that bears his name to, in the words of Britain's Kennel Club, "protect him and ... 'encourage' slow payers." (In the United States, the final "n" on "Dobermann" was dropped long ago.)
The Parson Russell terrier -- more commonly known as the Jack Russell -- was named after the Rev. John Russell, a Victorian-era clergyman with a fondness for working terriers. There's also the Gordon setter, named after one of the Dukes of Gordon.
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel was named after King Charles II, albeit centuries after his death, since the breed was developed by fanciers in England after World War II.
Arguably, you can say that the St. Bernard was named after a person, but really, probably more after the monastery where the dogs became famous for their heroic rescue efforts. (No longer practiced, by the way: The monastery now "borrows" St. Bernards from nearby towns for tourist season but doesn't keep any otherwise.)
There's also the Dandie Dinmont terrier, which isn't named for a real person at all, but rather after a character in Sir Walter Scott's "Guy Mannering."
There's something else fairly unusual about the long-bodied, short-legged dog with a puff of fur on his head and whiskers on his muzzle: Dandies are so rare that the breed is considered on the verge of extinction. Every year, more pandas are born than Dandies.
