The most loyal dog breeds

Dogs have been tamed by humans since the dawn of civilization. Representatives of some species are so devoted to the owner that they will not even hesitate to give their lives in the name of his salvation. Many cases of dog loyalty and self-sacrifice have been described. In this article, we will tell you about the breeds that are considered the most loyal.

The loyalty of an animal depends on several factors: genetics, biochemical processes in the body, the relationship between the dog and the owner. You can see that even puppies are affectionate and loyal. These properties were transferred to them at the genetic level. When dogs were wild, they formed packs and obeyed the leader unquestioningly. For domestic dogs, a person becomes such a leader.

With regard to biochemical processes, dogs have been found to produce large amounts of oxytocin (the "love hormone"). For example, in women, this hormone is activated during the birth of a child, it helps to form the maternal instinct. A strong relationship of trust between a person and a pet contributes to the production of oxytocin. When the owner gently strokes the dog, he experiences a surge of love, since at this moment his brain activates the production of oxytocin.

The pet also easily senses the mood of the owner. Humans and dogs know empathy. When a person feels bad, the dog does not leave him, tries to distract him, help with his love.

There is one more feature that brings humans and animals closer together - this is similarity. The owner intuitively chooses a breed similar to himself.Over time, the similarities become even more pronounced. Over the years of life together, a man and a dog begin to adopt qualities of character from each other. A good owner has a good-natured dog, an evil one is aggressive.

Dog loyalty is multifaceted, it manifests itself not only in love for one owner. Service dogs rescued those who fell under avalanches or under the rubble of buildings during earthquakes. Many tetrapods have served medicine and thus saved the lives of millions of people. Academician Pavlov for his research chose dogs as experimental animals, since their DNA is 97% human. People owe a lot to their pets.

In the memory of people, there are many amazing stories associated with the love and loyalty of our four-legged friends. During the Great Patriotic War, service animals pulled out the wounded from under the shelling, helped to clear buildings, and carried a security service. An example is the world's only large-scale hand-to-hand combat with dogs.

It happened at the very beginning of the war, in 1941 near the village of Legedzeno in Ukraine. The Germans stubbornly rushed to Kiev. 500 border guards and 150 service dogs came out to defend the borders. The hardest hand-to-hand fighting ensued, in which all the border guards were killed. The dogs did not even think to run, they desperately defended their masters. 150 faithful dogs died on the battlefield, leaving behind a grateful memory of people.

Until now, people have not forgotten another amazing dog - Dzhulbarsa, which during the Great Patriotic War found 7000 mines and shells. At the very end of the war, the dog was wounded, but deservedly participated in the victory parade in Moscow. Stalin took off and gave his jacket to the hero-dog so that Dzhulbars would be carried along Red Square in his arms.

The documented cases of dogs rescuing people date from different periods of time. For example, the story of St. Bernard is described Barry, who at the beginning of the 19th century worked together with rescuers and in the snowy Alps found injured travelers under the snowdrifts. On account of his 40 lives saved.

At the beginning of the last century, a dog named Balto. At that time, diphtheria was rampant in Alaska. The situation was aggravated by a severe blizzard, which made it impossible to deliver the vaccine to the affected areas. All hope remained in Balto. The owner of the dog himself did not believe in the positive outcome of the venture, but there was nowhere to go, since people were dying in the area covered by the epidemic. The dog coped with the task, although he came to the finish line barely alive, but he delivered the vaccine safely.

The stories described relate to the ministry of dogs to many people, and they are completely unfamiliar to them. But even more cases of loyalty of pets were noted in relations with their owners. Everyone knows the famous dog Hachiko Akita Inu breed. In memory of his loyalty, people in 1934 erected a monument in his homeland. After a while, the story of selfless devotion to the dog was filmed, and the whole world cried upon learning the fate of Hachiko.

A simple but very sad story happened to him. Every day the dog accompanied the owner to the railway station, and in the evening he went to meet him. But one day the man did not return, he died. The faithful pet continued every day for 9 years, until his death, to go to the station in the hope of seeing the owner. People tried to take him to their house, but the dog chose to stay on the street and wait for the return of the man he loved more than life.

A similar story happened in Italy. An elderly kind woman named Maria Lochi has been feeding a homeless German shepherd for many years. Tommy... The dog always accompanied her to church when the woman went to services. After the death of Mary, the dog continued to come to the temple in the hope of seeing a kind woman. He behaved quietly, did not interfere with anyone, so he was allowed to be among the parishioners.This continued until 2013, when Tommy finished his earthly life.

In 2012, another amazing story happened. In the forest of the Australian state of Victoria, 4 km from the house, a three-year-old boy Dante Berry was lost. The kid spent the night in the forest thicket, and when rescuers found him, they saw a German shepherd Dasher. She took care of the baby all night. The boy was completely healthy and had no injuries. There are a lot of such stories, each breed has its own exploits on the account.

After reviewing the famous stories of dog loyalty and feedback from the owners, you understand that it is absolutely impossible to accurately allocate places among the breeds.

For example, the first place in the rating is unconditionally given to a shepherd dog, but in terms of importance, 3 breeds fall on it at once: German, Caucasian and East European.

We will consider one of them.

• German Shepherd... This is not only the most loyal breed, but also is in the top five of the smartest. The dog is easy to train, teach all kinds of commands. The dog perfectly feels its owner and in an extreme situation can make decisions on its own. Sheepdogs are service dogs, they are kept in the police, customs, at the border, where the owners can periodically change. This makes life difficult for pets, but they perform their duties perfectly. Dogs are brave and courageous, they are ready to give their lives both for their master and for the people who are saved on duty.

• Akita Inu. Here opinions are divided. Some experts nominate the Labrador Retriever to the second place, but the cinematic popularity of the Akita Inu allowed this breed to confidently take the second place. These dogs are very intelligent and loyal. At a young age, they are curious, active, cheerful. As it grows up, the dog becomes calm, responsible and caring. He always watches over his master, not allowing anyone to offend him.

• Labrador Retriever... Labrador owners believe that there is no one in the world smarter and more loyal than their dog. The breed was bred for hunting, but despite this, the dogs are good-natured and cheerful, they are always on the move, they love to play with small children. Labradors can be guides, companions, and nannies. Sometimes dogs are hired to work in the customs service, since the acuity of their scent is 25% higher than the sense of smell of German shepherds. But by virtue of their kindness, they can never be guards. Due to the restless activity of the Labrador, it is easier to keep in a private house than in an apartment.

• Rottweiler. Outwardly, the dog looks formidable and, if it is necessary to protect the owner, it will turn out to be so. But in the family this is a completely different dog, he is gentle, affectionate, loving attention. The pet is bored if someone from the family is not at home and is happy to come, like a child. The dog is very loyal and obedient, but in games it can not calculate the strength and inadvertently injure a person.

• Dachshund... It is difficult to choose who really should have been in fourth place, a Rottweiler or a Dachshund. This small dog is so affectionate and devoted to its owner that it is not ready to let him go from himself for a minute. A long-eared pet with a long body runs everywhere after the owner, participates in all his affairs. But at the same time, he does not like to be offended and withdrawn if people turn to him in a raised voice or scold him. Dachshunds are smart, they catch new commands on the fly. But it is difficult to force them to do anything, you can only be carried away by the game.

• Doberman. Dogs of this breed have been serving people as guards for a century and a half. Initially, the author of the breed bred angry and aggressive dogs. But later the breeders did a good job on this line, reducing the degree of aggression. Dobermans today have a stable and balanced character. They are very smart, they perfectly follow the commands of the owner. With a kind attitude to them, the dogs will become the most devoted friends of their family.They can babysit the owner's children, they will not offend even a bird if it lives in a family.

• West Siberian Laika. A friendly and very loyal dog. This breed was bred to serve man. Its representatives selflessly serve their master. They are happy to play with small children, obedient and hardy. Likes are unobtrusive and will not require attention if the owner is busy.

• Collie. An infinitely kind family dog. She is not a burden to feel anxiety from small children, she will look after them and amuse them. Collie gets along well with pets, but is suspicious of strangers. For the one he loves, he can give his life without regret.

• St. Bernard. These huge phlegmatic dogs will not hurt even flies. They, like the collie, babysit and are very loyal to their family.

• Poodle. All types of poodles love their owners immensely. Dogs are smart and understand not only commands, but also human speech. Poodles are not fighting dogs, they are kind and will not be able to protect the owner, but they have enough courage not to leave him in a moment of danger.

The listed 10 breeds make up a conditional list.

Choosing a pet of any breed, you can be sure of his love and loyalty. It is difficult to meet someone more faithful dog even among people. Therefore, it is better to organize your choice according to other criteria. You need to understand for yourself what tasks your pet will have to solve - to protect housing, help on a hunt, be a guide, a companion or please with your appearance, as decorative dogs do.

Consider which animals are suitable for certain requirements.

• If nothing but love is required from dogs, you can opt for small pets: Yorkshire Terrier, Miniature Poodle, Bichon, Pomeranian, Levhen, Toy Terrier, Chihuahua. It should be remembered that small dogs are very affectionate, they should not be left alone. For busy people, these breeds are not suitable.
• To guard the apartments, you should choose small but desperate dogs that will let the thief into the house, but will not let him back out: Laika, Pit Bull Terrier, Shar Pei, Akita Inu, Mittel Schnauzer.
• For the protection of houses, you can choose a large dog that easily tolerates life in an aviary: American Akita, German or Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Malamute, Doberman.
• St. Bernard, Collie Poodle, Labrador, French Bulldog are suitable for families with children.
• Active people can use active dogs as companions: Yorkshire Terrier, Husky, Jack Russell Terrier, Biya, English Setter.
• Elderly people need calm pets: English Bulldog, Beaver, Golden Retriever.
• Hunters to help themselves can purchase a Russian hound, biyi, basenji, shorthaired pointer, English Foxhound.
• Whoever takes a dog into the house for the first time, it is better to start with breeds that are easy to train: mittel schnauzer, cocker spaniel, sheltie, toy terrier.
• For those who suffer from animal hair allergies, it is better to choose the Poodle, American Hairless Terrier, Beaver, Tibetan Mastiff.

For the most loyal dogs in the world, see the next video.