CUTE OVERLOAD!

Visit Your Dog's Ancestral Home

Thursday, Oct 16, 2008, 12:20 PM | Subscribe to the magazine

Source Article: Visit Your Dog's Ancestral Home

During ancient times, bichons frises are said to have been sailors' pets that greeted locals at Mediterranean ports. They turned out to be quite the social climbers. Now when they're spotted along the Cote d'Azur, they are more commonly seen inside canvas Louis Vuitton dog carriers than on trading ships. (image100/Corbis)
Originally bred to win dogfights, Boston terriers aren't husky, but they are energetic and all muscle. Walk yours along Boston's Freedom Trail, a two-and-a-half-mile, self-guided trek of colonial-era sites, such as the Bunker Hill Monument. (Don Mason/Corbis)
The wavy-coated breed known as the cocker spaniel debuted in 1882 when a puppy with the unlikely name of Obo II was born. Pay your respects at his tombstone behind the lone grade school in Rollinsford, N.H., a former mill town that's now an artists community. (David Frazier/Corbis)
While the exact German origins of the dachshund are unknown, references to the breed are centuries old. Nowadays the long-bodied, short-legged dog is a favorite among pet owners, especially in Berlin. You'll likely spy a few on leashes if you stroll around Potsdamer Platz. (Dex Image/Corbis)
In 1864, the avid hunter Lord Tweedmouth bred the first golden retriever. Check out the birthplace estate by driving four hours north from Edinburgh to the Scottish hamlet of Tomich. (Stan Fellerman/Corbis)
The bushy-tailed, compact watchdog Shiba Inu is said to have lived in Japan since around 10,000 B.C. Its longtime stomping grounds in Kyoto, the country's ancient capital, are mostly paved over. But drop by Maruyama Koen Park, where Shiba Inus are often walked under cherry trees. (Yoshio Tomii/amanaimages/Corbis)
Yorkshire terriers were bred to weigh only about four to seven pounds, making them ideal for city life. But many Yorkies, as they're affectionately known, also enjoy exploring the purple heather in the English county of Yorkshire. (Bloomimage/Corbis)