Skogkatt or Norwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian Forest Cat (or Wedgie) is a cat with deep roots in ancient Norse mythology.

They are believed to have been introduced to Norway around 1000 AD by conquering Vikings, who used them as mousers on ships. Once there, this very large cat quickly adapted to the cold climate, and quickly gained footing in Norway's folklore.

One of the oldest Norse legends about this cat is the tale of Freya, the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty; who was depicted riding a chariot pulled by two Skogkatts. The Skogkatts were not just transportation cats, but battle cats-driving Freya into battle with Aesirs and the Gods of the Dark. They also pulled her chariot to the funeral of Balder.

The adaptations that these cats acquired, allowed it to thrive in Norway's harsh, snowy climate and are what make it an oddity in the feline world. The Forest cat has a dual layer coat. The undercoat is thick and woolly which keeps the cat insulated, while the long top coat is glossy and has the ability to repel water. Think of it's coat like a ducks': the down feathers keep it warm in cold water and the oil on the feathers causes the water to bead off of the duck.

This "mountain-dwelling fairy cat" has the ability to climb sheer rock faces that other cats could not manage. This is due in part to their large and fur-tufted paws. These tree-lovers have heavily muscled back legs and thick claws. These thick claws allow the cat to do something no other cats can. They can actually climb DOWN a tree. You know the scenario: cat climbs tree, cat gets stuck, firemen are called, cat eventually just jumps out of said tree and everyone is like, "What the Hell cat?" Cats can't climb down trees because their claws are curved. The wedgie, with it's in-ordinarily strong claws is frequently seen climbing head first down tree trunks.

The Wedgie is sometimes called a Dog-Cat. This people-loving cat is calm, loyal, loves cuddling with it's owners and they actually LOVE water. They have no problem wading around in rivers, waiting for their fishy prey to get close enough to catch. If you're Forest cat is an indoor cat, you can actually look forward to bath time. They not only enjoy bathing, they like splashing. I would suggest a bath mat of some sort under their water bowl as they frequently splash the water out of it for fun.

Indoors or outdoors, these intelligent, laid-back cats not only make great companions, but their mythological background make for great bed-time stories.

Fila Brasileiro

The Fila Brasileiro is very large, bloodhound/bull mastiff/bulldog breed that was bred to be a guard dog in Brazil.

What makes this dog different from others is that it is probably the only breed that was selected for centuries to deeply dislike the humans they were not raised with. The breed is known for its courage, faithfulness to family, determination, and self confidence. The Fila is gentle with family children and very docile with its owner, always seeking his company. The Fila Brasileiro is an excellent estate guardian. Yet it does not hide its dislike towards strangers. This aversion, not forward aggression, is known as ojeriza.

Filas are also useful on hunting journeys to track, attack and then hold the prey until the hunter arrived to take over. The word 'Fila' is, in fact, derived from a Portugese word meaning 'to hold' or 'to secure'. At one time this dog was also employed to track down and capture runaway slaves. It was also a fierce jaguar hunter.

To this day temperament tests run during championships require the dogs to attack without being coached, to remain self-confident during a shooting test, and to openly show their suspicion of strangers. They are tested in the areas of Behavior Toward Strangers, Reaction to Noise, Unusual Footing, and Self-Protective/Aggressive Behavior. 

The objective is to test the dog's capacity to recognize a potential threatening situation and show how the dog defends himself and his owner in a positive manner. If the handler anticipates trouble controlling the dog, a second leash attached to a suitable object (vehicle or post) may be used.

Any Fila showing cowardice or aggression towards it's owner is immediately disqualified and cannot pass the Temperament Test. While aggression toward the stranger is rewarded and the dog passes.

Clearly this is not a dog for everyone or every setting. Once you have a Fila at home, allowing occasional visitors or a weekly cleaning help into your home may become a BIG problem.

Norwegian Lundehund

Norwegian Lundehunds are a particularly rare and interesting dog with characteristics not found in any other breed.

The Lundehund is the canine world's last example of genetically undisturbed breeding. It has the same jaw as the Varanger Dog (a fossilized dog found in north Lapland, Russia), which dates back 5000 years. Both these dogs have one less tooth, on both sides of the jaw, than other dogs. Some scientists suggest that Lundehunds are the original, "ur hund", and that it has survived from before the last Ice Age, on the outermost islands of Lofoten.

They originated in Norway around the 1500's and were primarily used for hunting Puffins along the Arctic Norwegian coast. 

What makes this dog so bizarre is it's astonishing flexibility. It has the capability to bend it's head backwards along it's own spine and turn it's forelegs to the side at a 90 degree angle-like human arms. Their ears, which are normally pointed up, can be folded forwards and backwards at will, and can be folded to a near-tight seal. The Lundehund is also poly-dactyl-meaning it has 6 toes, rather than 4-which gives it added agility along the sheer cliffs. 

It's bizarre physical attributes made the dog perfect for hunting the birds along near inaccessible nesting locations along steep cliffs. The many toes gave the dog a good foothold when it had to balance on steep cliffs or slippery rocks, and they were a great help when the dog had to crawl through difficult passageways. The dog used this extra toe as support, also to brake himself on slippery or uneven terrain, so that on the whole the dog was equipped to go where the man could not. Also when a Lundehund cannot crawl into a tunnel because there is little space overhead, he can lie on his side and squeeze himself farther in. In this position, he has to use the innermost toes, else he could get no foothold. Whenever he has to turn or wriggle in this sideways position, it is always this innermost toe which holds to the floor of the tunnels. The Lundehund has eight foot pads on each forefoot and seven on each hind foot. Their large foot pads are quite different from those of other dogs.

The characteristic fore shoulder-joints enabled the dog to "throw out his arms" if he lost his footing on slippery rock and was useful when he had to turn or shift in cramped passages.The mobility of the dog's neck was undoubtedly of great usefulness when he had to reverse himself in order to come out from the passages to the birds' nests.

The ears are an unusual characteristic that may have something to do with their need to orient themselves in a narrow passageway. When the passage, as so often is very narrow, the ear is flattened in against the head while the upper half of the cartilage can be raised separately and thus works as a receiver for sound. It is indeed unbelievable what nature has created here.

As far as their nature, these dogs are vibrant, kind, observant, clever, charming, loyal and smart. One dog in particular was even known once for saving a little girl who had fallen down a steep muddy cliff.

Due to recurring bouts of distemper in the dogs, and a following tax on every dog, the population on the island had dwindled down to just one. Luckily a woman named Eleanor Christie, who had previously adopted a few of the dogs once when she had seen them on a railway trip, sent some of her puppies to breed with the last dog. 

Distemper had come upon Mrs. Christie's dogs and all died but one. A fervent supporter and lover of this breed, she took on the task of saving the breed. With new-found interest in the dogs during the early 60's, a doctor and Vice President of the NKClub, with Mrs. Christie's help, was able to obtain a male dog. The Norwegian Lundehund Club was founded in 1962 with the purpose of preserving and improving the breed.

Of all my breed knowledge, I have to say this is the most remarkable dog I have ever had the pleasure of learning about.