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Records for 41,816 licensed canines run gamut from standard to unusual
By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Jan 13, 2008
But in Summit County, the Labrador retriever is the top dog.
There are more Labradors here than any other breed, according to a Beacon Journal review of county dog licenses.
Overall, there were 41,816 dogs licensed with the county last year. The majority were mixed breeds — about 14,900.
But when it comes to a single breed, the Labrador retriever was the most popular at nearly 3,250. No other breed comes close, with golden retrievers a distant second at about 1,600.
The rest of the top 10 were: beagle, German shepherd, Shih Tzu, boxer, Jack Russell terrier, Chihuahua, dachshund and cocker spaniel.
Ohio law requires that annual dog licenses be renewed from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31, or within 30
days of getting a new dog — although not everyone registers his or her pet. Cost is $8.
The popularity of the even-tempered Labrador retriever comes as no surprise to members of the Northern Ohio Labrador Retriever Club. The Lab has been the favorite breed nationwide since 1991, according to the American Kennel Club.
Labs originally were bred as hunting dogs. They are still used for hunting but now also serve as support and drug-sniffing dogs.
''Labradors are very smart,'' said Nancy Dotson, 67, president of the area dog club. ''They are very friendly with children, and they do well with families.''
The Springfield Township woman, a retired chemist who now works with the township Fire Department, has owned Labs since 1975. At one time, she and her late husband, William, had 12, and she traveled around the country for dog shows.
''I wish they weren't so popular because of the problems with puppy mills,'' Dotson said.
County records show there are some rare dogs here — as in there's only one of its breed. Those include a Boykin spaniel, affenpinscher, African boerboel, Bolognese, kai ken, kuvasz, pharaoh hound and Saluki.
Then there's the lone xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-etz-queent-lee).
The xolo, for short, — or Mexican hairless dog — is one of the world's oldest and rarest breeds, and was prized for curative and mystical powers by the Aztecs, according to the American Kennel Club. Its name comes from the Aztec Indian god Xolotl and Itzcuintli, the Aztec word for dog.
Don and Sara Jane Cullison of Akron, both 80 and retired postal workers, have had a xolo for years.
Lola, a medium-size dog, has been part of their family for about the last seven years.
Sara Jane Cullison is allergic to pet hair. A xolo is a perfect pet for her. Except for a short mohawk and some scraggly gray, beardlike hairs on her face, Lola is hairless.
Her skin looks like an elephant's. It feels like rubbing the face of a man who didn't shave for a day, and her belly feels like ''a baby's bottom,'' Sara Jane Cullison said.
Lola is, well, quite ugly upon first glance.
The first time Sara Jane Cullison took her to the veterinarian, all the other people waiting moved away. One woman turned to Cullison and said: ''You can go before me. Your dog is sicker than mine.''
''They thought she had a disease,'' Cullison said.
The Cullisons don't mind Lola's appearance. She is a good companion and, with a body temperature that hits 104 degrees, there's no need for a hot water bottle.
While wary of strangers, Lola is protective of her owners.
''She loves to cuddle,'' Don Cullison said.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.
Get the full article here.
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