Regency Era Animals: Dogs
Updated: 28 February 2024
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Dogs Breeds and Varieties during Regency England
I was researching English Artists during the Regency Era for another post when I started seeing pictures of animals during the time frame. It then led me to think of the different breeds of livestock, horses, and dogs that were present during that era and I ended up getting sidetracked and started looking up animals during the regency era. I started my focus with dogs since I thought it would be the easiest subject to find. Turns out I was very wrong. Almost all the Google searching I did about “Regency Era dogs” and any variation of those words would give me extremely vague information. In addition, other blog posts are written about dogs, but they only list about 3-5 breeds at most and are very short, with little to no information.
Why is this important?
I needed more. The reasoning is that if I or someone who wanted to write and/or publish historical fictional works, they need to be historically accurate. Also, details such as climate, society, culture, animals, plants, food, etc. are all very important when making a fictional piece seem real and give the details as if the character did exist in that period in time.
So I start to broaden my search keywords, starting with the “history of dogs in England.” Lo and behold I finally found Sydenham Edwards’ Cynographia Britannica. This was the first published print about dog breeds and variations. Published in 1800, gave the first documented information about canines in England. I also found out why there weren’t many dog books until this point and sometime after that dog breeds and fancy weren’t popular in England until the Victorian Era, when people were more inclined to document stud books, the quality of dogs, and establish breeds.
How this post is set up
This post is organized by taking Cynographia Britannica and condensing and organizing the information on the core information about the breed or breed variations. There will be other breeds listed in each breed which you can assume are breeds that have been available since 1800.
If you would like know more or have your own copy of Cynographia Britannica, you can purchase it here.
After I will list other breeds that have and might have been present in England, that were not listed in the Cynographia Britannica. Unfortunately, this scanned print of the original book is missing a lot of information. It cuts off at mastiff and has a picture of setters where it then ends. It is not all of the dogs that Sydenham Edwards discussed.
Other works published later on…
Later, I found other works that had other breeds of dogs. Published in 1845, about 15 years after the Regency Era, William Youatt published The Dog. This book had a lot more breeds, though not as much detail. Because it was published after the Regency Era, but towards the end of the author’s, there is a good chance that these dogs were during the Regency Era. However, Despite William Youatt being an English veterinary surgeon, I cannot guarantee that the breeds listed were established in the United Kingdom. I will list most of them. A lot of them do have a list of wild dogs from all over the world that I will omit. If you would like to extend your research, you can purchase the book yourself as well.
There is another book about dogs and their variations. Published in 1842, The Dog: Breeds of the British Isles by David Low. It is not as organized as the other two books, and it is heavily focused on the wolf. It is still a good resource for additional research.
Internet Search
For other British breeds, what I did was go to the UK Kennel Club and do a brief search of all the dog breeds they have and see if they were around during the Regency Era. I then listed those breeds towards the end of this post.
I focused mostly on the breeds that would be found in the United Kingdom, even though there are a lot of French and other European breeds that were present at that time, I omitted them because their introductions weren’t documented to be in England at the Regency Era. In the Cynographia Britannica, some breeds such as Pomeranians and Greyhounds are listed, which are other European breeds, but for the side of caution, I chose my list to focus on UK breeds and have the other breeds only mentioned what I found in Cynographia Britannica.
Cynographia Britannica:
The Newfoundland Dog
Popular throughout Europe
Great amount imported to England and all over the World from Newfoundland
Kept onboard ships to fetch things that have been fallen off board
Draft work- common to use 3-4 dogs to pull 2-3 hundred pounds of weight for several miles
The Dutch primarily use the Dogs for draft work and carting merchandise such as fish
Some parts of England used for drawing up water using two in a wheel to bring water up from a well
Conformation- Large dogs, general size 25-26 inches from ground to top of the shoulder, and length from nose to tip of the tail to be greater than 5 feet. The coat is short and curly, or long and wavy, and the tail is large and bushy with it carried over the back. The ears are popular for the dog’s ear to be cropped short, and the head is large and strong like a bear, referred to as “bear-head”
Color: common- black and white, occasionally- red and white, rarely- black and white with tan spots on the face
Crossbreeding:
Crossing with a bull-dog, wolf, or mastiff, noted as a “furious” dog. Preferred for yard-dog or bear-dog. Not to be trusted when loose without a muzzle. Be careful around large stock animals known to seize animals such as horses and cattle
Crossed with setter make and outstanding sporting dog in marsh environments.
The Beagle
The Beagle was used only for hare-hunting
Hunting method similar to Harrier, but lacks point and swiftness.
Two varieties Southern and Northern- cross between the two are considered preferable
Southern Beagle- smooth coat, long ears, criticism is crooked legs, known to cripple, and are small
Northern Beagle- wirehaired, shorter ears, swifter, straiter legs, and a better lighter form
Colors- many colors, often preferred colors are based on the owner
The Spaniel
The Spaniel also known as Land Spaniel
Two varieties- Springing or hawking spaniel, and cocker or cocking spaniel
Springing spaniel- used for springing the game when using falconry, then later switched to gun hunting.
Color- red, or red and white
Composition- thinly formed, ears short, long-limbed, the coat wavy and silky, tail somewhat bushy and seldom docked
Cocker Spaniel- a name from woodcock which is what they are taught to hunt
Composition- compact form, head round, nose short, ears long, limbs short and strong, tail commonly docked, the coat curlier and longer
Color- liver and white, red, red and white, black and white, all liver, sometimes black with tan legs and muzzle
Other Spaniels mentioned:
Water Spaniel, Springer, Sussex, Marlborough
The Bull-dog
Primarily used for dog fighting and bull and bear baiting
Dog fighting and animal baiting have been on the decline in popularity at this time, which has raised the Pug-Dog and small Dutch Mastiff, which are more in fashion for companion and small lap dogs.
Conformation- 18 inches at the shoulder and about 36 pounds, head round and full, muzzle short, ears small, and may have a point or “tulip-eared.” Muscular legs and round body with a wide chest. Tail thin and tapered with it either curling over the back or hanging down. Skin is loose and thick, especially around the neck. Hair short. Back feet turned outward with hocks closer together. The most significant characteristic is the jaw protruding out.
Color- black, salmon, fallow, brindled, and white. Pied colors- fallow, salmon, and brindled with black muzzles
The Terrier
Known to kill rats, weasels, martens, wild cats, and polecats, and also flush out foxes. Can also be used for baiting badgers and dog fighting.
Two varieties- straight-legged and crooked-legged.
Color- black with tanned legs, muzzles, and spots over the eyes. Sometimes a reddish fallow or white and pied.
Conformation- ear short and erect. Some ears fall, typically cropped thought. The tail is commonly docked. The coat is smoothed or wired. Sportsmen typically prefer wired for it is believed that they have a harder bite. Small dogs, most are bred for fancy.
Crossbreeding:
The fiercest Terrier and bull-dog produce a good fighting dog.
Terrier crossed with a Bloodhound or Southern-hound, produces a good Fox-hound.
A terrier crossed with a Fox-hound produces an otter-hound.
Terrier crossed with a Greyhound, produces a Lurcher.
The Shepherd’s Dog
The Shepherd’s Dog was used to restrain flocks or to fetch straggler farm animals.
Their behavior is known to be most thoughtful, most pensive, and most melancholy.
Conformation- about 14 inches high at the shoulder, nose sharp, ears half pricked, coat moderately long with it thicker around the neck and haunches. Tail bushy and seldom erect.
Color- all black, black with a tanned muzzle and feet, black with a white ring around its neck, and white feet. Most have a few dewclaws.
Crossbreeding:
Typically crossed with mongrel breeds to produce a dog good for cattle driving.
The Drover’s Dog or Cur
Cur is taller, larger, and fiercer than the Shepherd’s Dog.
Work entails watching and driving cattle and sheep for farmers, drovers, and butchers.
Color- Black, brindled, or grizzled, usually with a white neck, and white on the face and legs.
Conformation- ears half pricked or hung low, coat mostly long, rough, and matted, mostly around the haunches. Most are born without a tail.
Blood Hound
The Bloodhound was used to track using their scent.
Conformation- 27 inches high at the shoulder, strong, muscular, and compact body. Face narrow, stern, and intelligent, nostrils wide and large. Stern forehead, eyes piercing and firm. Loose hanging lips, ears large and wide at the base and narrow toward the tip. Tail strong, not bushy. Bark extremely loud.
Color- reddish tan, with the back darker almost black, and gradient down to lighter color.
The Dingo, or Dog of Southern Wales
They are noted to be easily tamed and not to run off into the wild.
Conformation- has a general appearance similar to a fox and wolf with added elegance. About two feet high. The coat is short, and a bit rough around the neck and haunches. Muzzle pointed, eyes pierced, ears short and erect, tail bushy and hangs down.
Color- pale brown that darkens at the upper part of the body. With white markings on the cheeks, chest, inside of legs, and feet.
The Pomeranian or Fox Dog
Companion and lap dog or house dog known to be loud and a menace. Not suitable around children.
Known in England as the Fox Dog.
conformation – head broad towards the neck and narrow muzzle. Ears are short, pointed, and erect. About 18 inches at the shoulder. They are notable for long, thick, and erect coat, with a ruffle around the neck, but short around the head and ears. Tail large and bushy, and curled into a ring on top of the rump.
Color- pale fallow color, some are white, some are black, and few are spotted.
The Danish Dog
Also known as the Dane
Described as strong, silent, elegant.
Coach/carriage and protection dog, typically for the wealthy.
Conformation- height about 28 and up to 31 inches at the shoulders. Their form can be described as a greyhound and mastiff. Head straight, muzzle pointed. The ears are short and half down, usually cropped. Deep chest, belly small, legs strong and straight. The tail is thin and wiry, sometimes curled over the rump, others straight.
Color- sandy red or pale fallow, often with a white blaze on the head. The Harlequin variety has a marble-spotted coat with black, grey, liver, or sandy red on white. Both Harlequin colors have tan spots on the face and legs.
The Pointer
Also known as the Spanish Pointer
Introduced to England by a Portugal Merchant.
The Pointer is a hunting dog that is known for its scent tracking.
Conformation- about 22 inches at the shoulder. No resemblance to the Southern Hound. The head is large, with an indent between the eyes. The lips are large and drooping, and the ears are moderate length, loose, thin, and hang down. Coat short and smooth. The tail is thin, smooth, or wiry. Dewy claws are common on the hind feet. Back feet typically turned a little outward.
Color- dark brown, liver, liver and white, red and white, black, black and white. Sometimes tanned around the face and eyes. White with thickly speckled spots.
Crossbreeding:
The most well-advised crossbreeding with a Fox Hound for speed, courage, power, and perseverance. However, the fault seems to be more difficult in training with this cross.
The Mastiff
“Lion is to the cat, the mastiff is to the dog”
Sydenham Edwards’ Cynographia Britannica
Conformation- powerful, about 28-30 high at the shoulders. Broad chest, large head, lips droop, the ears small and hang down. The tail is thin, and the coat is short and smooth.
Color- all tanned or brindled, with black muzzle and over each eye. Some may have white markings on either color.
“The Dog” by William Youatt
The Tibet Dog
The Great Danish Dog or Dalmation
The French Matin
The Greyhound
The Scotch Greyhound
The English Greyhound
The Highland Greyhound or Deerhound
The Irish Greyhound
The Gasehound
The Russian Greyhound
The Grecian Greyhound
The Turkish Greyhound
The Persian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound
The Spaniels- Cocker, King Charles’s, Springer,
Black and Tan, Blenheim, Water-Spaniel
The Poodle
The Barbet
The Maltese Dog
The Lion Dog
The Turkish Dog
The Alpine Dog or Bernardine Dog (St. Bernard)
Esquimaux Dog- (Greenland, and Siberian, and Kamtschatdal)
Lapland Dog
The English Sheep-dog
The French Sheep-dog
The Scotch Sheep-dog
The Harrier
The Foxhound
The Stag-hound
The Southern Hound
English Setter
Scotch Setter
Irish Setter
Spanish Pointer
Portuguese Pointer
French Pointer
Russian Pointer
The Otterhound
The Turnspit (small dog put in a hamster wheel type contraption to turn the spit in the kitchen)
Bull Terrier
The Iceland dog
The English Terrier
The Scotch Terrier
The Shock-Dog (cross between Danish and Pug)
The Artois Dog (Shock-Dog and Pug cross)
The Andalusian, or Alicant Dog
Other Dog Breeds:
England:
Bedlington terrier
Talbot hound
Black and tan ratting terrier
White English terrier
Curly coated retriever
Wales:
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Welsh Terrier
Scotland:
Bearded Collie
Cairn Terrier
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Black-and-Tan Setter- known today as Gordon Setter
Skye Terrier
Ireland:
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Red and white setter
(Irish Setter and Red and White Setter were known to be the same breed)
Irish Terrier
See Also:
Regency Era Animals: Man’s Best Friend
