#breedstandards

The Perfect Balance A journey through past and future, where every dog tells a story of resilience and adaptation. The future depends on what we choose to preserve.

“Fred Ames with dead bobcat, dogs and another man” and “Fred Ames petting dogs on trail,” undated.

Although the images are not of great quality they show Fred Ames (Arnes?) and another man in the background with a dead bobcat after a hunt in an Oregon forest. Two bloodhound mixed breed dogs accompanied them, photographed at their feet sniffing the ground for scent trails and in the second getting a loving pet from Fred. The bloodhound is known in Belgium as the St. Hubert Hound for the breed’s place of origin at the monastery of St. Hubert. The breed is well-known for having the best scent ability out of all dog breeds, making them a favorite to breed with lighter hounds to make skilled hunting and tracking dogs.

“A girl with her dog,” 1898-1925.

In this lantern slide, a happy young girl poses in a garden with her pet English Setter seated on a chair in front of her. Lantern slides were created in 1848 to hold photographs, prints and hand painted images for entertainment, viewed from an optical device known as a magic lantern. The girl in the image appears to be from a middle to upper class urban family given the quality and style of outfit she is wearing and the well-crafted leather collar the dog is wearing. Her hat is covered with fresh flowers giving the impression she was dressed for a special occasion, perhaps a holiday or birthday?

“Two boys & a dog,” 1910-1919.

Two boys pose on the front porch of a residence for a photograph with a rifle and their hunting dog, a Brittany spaniel. The location of the photograph is unknown, but assumed to have originated from East Texas. The Brittany spaniel originated from France and owing to its smaller size was popular for hunting pheasant and hare. The Brittany also sports attributes more similar to a pointer or retriever than a spaniel. Perhaps the boys were just heading out for a leisurely hunt of small game with their loyal companion?

“Five men and a dog,” 1870-1900.

This cabinet card was taken in a studio in Littlefield, Texas towards the end of the nineteenth century. In this portrait, five unidentified gentlemen dressed in pinstriped three-piece suits are photographed together with what looks to be a black Field Spaniel lying down under the feet of the seated men. The range in the date of origin of the photograph matches that of the Field Spaniel breed, also rising in popularity towards the end of the nineteenth century as a gun dog.