Ugly Means Ugly

This is one of those days when ugly means ugly. You know, we're taught by our institutions to respect every culture. We're all equal and all that. But that's just not so. This photo is proof. I've got a hard time respecting the culture/people that sponsor something like this.

UPDATE: Here's what Bambi slayer has to say about this:

This is a Louisiana Catahoula Curr, They are taditionally used to hunt Feral hogs and bay them up until the catch dog, that is usually a Pitbull or Pit Mix, catches up with the pack. He will charge head on and catch the boar or pig by the ears or snout. He will hold on until ordered off when the hunters catch up. The catch dog usually wears a collar that can be up to 12" wide to protect him from being cut by the tusks that are razor sharp. This picture was not taken in the woods but at a Hog dog trials, which is a truly barbaric form of entertainment but legal in Louisiana still.

Photo source: Knuttz.net

Tz'u Shih / Shih Tzu / Sue Ling Fey

Jenny sent in this photo of Sue Ling Fey, her Shih Tzu. While no dog looks particularly attractive when bathing, Sue adds a certain amount of charm to the event.

Did you know that the Shih Tzu is a Chinese breed? They were bred during the reign of Empress Dowager Tz'u Shih (hence the name) in the 1800s. Well, now you do know, and you can go into the weekend with one more bit of trivia with which to wow your party guests.

Thanks for the photo, Jenny.

What We Do to Our Animals

We do some very odd things to our animals. And seldom do the animals in question enjoy what we do to them. The following photos illustrate just that. I never thought a dressed-up burro and a painted Chinese Crested dog could have so much in common.

Photo source: Knuttz.net

Leonberger Part 2

I hesitate to post these photos, because I don't think this dog is ugly in the slightest. But a lot of you seemed to enjoy my last post on Clifford the Leonberger, so here's a follow up.

As you can see, this pooch is a dominant player in Douglas's household. And he enjoys video games as much as the wife and kids. The Leonberger now weighs in at 178 lbs of pure muscle. Combine that weight with its leonine coat, and no wonder he is impervious the the Swedish cold.

Thanks for the photos, Douglas.

I Wish I Could Have Thought of This

Meet Douglas's dog. He's of the leonberger breed, and is a resident of Sweden. He enjoys beaches and fishing.

Here's an interesting tidbit: the leonberger was established in 1846, in Leonberg, Germany. They are the result of crossbreeding the Newfoundland, St. Bernard, and Great Pyrenees Mountain dog. I must admit, I am very jealous that someone thought of doing that first--to take three of the largest canines known to man and breed them into a super dog. I wish I could shake Heinrich Essing's hand (the breeder--but that would be weird, since he is dead).

I imagine you'd have to have some pretty sizable facilities to accommodate that kind of breeding regimen.

Thanks for the photo, Douglas of Sweden. I'm always impressed when a pet owner is secure enough to submit their beloved beast to Ugly Overload.

Chihuahua Connection

Meet Rosalita, known as Rosalita-demon to her owner, Janice. Her proud owner relates that her dog's cute moments are few and far between, and that, in fact, she is a 'raging ball of evil incarnate'. Now that is a glowing endorsement.

I did some research on the history of the Chihuaha. I recommend you do the same--it's pretty interesting. It looks like the consensus is that this small breed is most likely descended from an Egyptian/Sudanese fox-like canine called the fennec, and not a hairless New World canine. Some of you may know that Chihuahua's, especially those that are hair-challenged, tend to lose their teeth early in life. This has been ascribed to the 'toy dog' effect of over breeding. But the fennec is known for having poor dentition. So, in the Chihuahua's case, the tooth loss may be a defect that predates its domestication.

Wow, I never thought that a conversation about dog teeth could be so thrilling. Come back for more, people!

UPDATE: Bats, in her wisdom and expertise, has pointed out that dogs are descended from wolves. However, I suggest you click the link above. It does give some pretty convincing arguments for the ancestry of the Chihuahua. In the end it is only a theory and one on which I am not qualified to pass judgment. An interesting sidenote is this: according to this article, wolves (and therefore dogs) can successfully breed and produce fertile offspring with coyotes, dingoes, and golden jackals.

Thanks for the photo, Janice.

Canine Vandalism

I know the standard poodle is beloved by many, and that they tend to be big hits and champions at the dog shows, but seriously, folks. Look at this. Look at this!

This act of canine vandalism looks like the work of a Japanese consumer craze. I'll file this under fads gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Thanks for the photo, Elizabeth.

What Are Those Languages for?

Jackpot alert! Jackpot alert!

I can't read the Russian on the site posting these photos, so I don't know what kind of dogs these are. I tried using Google's translator (link), but couldn't glean any additional information. In fact, the translation was rough--the word 'tongue' features prominently in the Russian version (no surprise, given the puppies), but Google translated the word as 'language'. So you end up with Russians commenting on the photos and asking what the dogs use those languages for. I can see why the Russian to English is still in BETA.

But I digress...

Those over-sized tongues and the hairlessness are reminiscent of a Chinese crested / chihuahua mix. That's the best I can come up with.

But anyways, enjoy the photos, enjoy the pups, enjoy the lolling tongues and oily skin, and enjoy the Russians enjoying their dogs.

Thanks for the photos, Katrien.

Photos from: Ziza.ru

The Fates Have Aligned

Everyone say hello to Lucy, our first ever Boston Terrier runt. Her owner, Nichole, would like us to note her ' wandering googlie eyes and "redonkulous" ears.' As Nichole put it, Lucy 'checked her cute gene at the door.'

In an twist of irony, the stuffed animal is an "Ugly Doll" who's official name is "Ugly Dog." The fates have aligned against this doggie, but we love her just the same.

Thanks, Nichole, for sharing your runt with us.

Whopper

This dog isn't ugly. It might be the coolest dog ever. But since I don't want to start up a blog about muscle-bound canines, I'm posting on it here.

You're looking at a whopper of a whippet. These are normally sleek racing dogs. But Wendy here has a genetic defect which has made her double-muscled, resulting in her Barry Bonds style beefiness.

She's kind, good natured, enjoys playing around. She's a normal dog except she has, well, double the muscles. The only sad thing is that Wendy is likely to have a shortened lifespan. But she is happy and is otherwise unaware of her condition. I wouldn't being like that myself.

Thanks for the link, Peer, Hong, and Aaron.

Photo source: Daily Mail

Former King

In light of Elwood's new title as Ugliest Dog, I'm fielding a request from some of you to show off Sam's mug. This pooch was the title holder for several years. Alas, just as his fame was sweeping the world, he up and expired (R.I.P.).

Thankfully, as I have tried to demonstrate for 18 months now, there is no shortage of ugly in this world. If anything it grows with each passing day.

Photo soure: ILX

Fatal Flaw

Connie sent me a link to this article on Elwood, the newly crowned winner of the ugly dog contest in Petaluma, CA. I can't get enough of this Chinese crested / chihuahua mix. What's amazing is that the dog's breeder was going to euthanize him because he was too ugly. But Quigley, his proud owner, rescued him and has turned his once fatal flaw into fame. He even raked in a cool $1K for winning the coveted prize.

Thanks for the link, Connie. And thanks for your quick action, Quigley. The world has a bit more character because of you.

Photo source: Associated Press

What Do You Get

Now this is a real jackpot. What do you get when you mix two Sphinx cats with a Chinese crested dog? You get a writhing mass of hairless, oily, confused house pets.

Even forgoing the home office decor, this scene would never be played out in nature. A horror film maybe, but not in the wild. Hmm. I'm going to write Stephen King and Anne Rice and tip them off to the next box office hit.

UPDATE: CollegeGirl has corrected me. That isn't a Chinese crested. That's a Mexican Hairless, or a Xoloitzcuintli.

Demon Dog

Dogs tend to be attractive animals (save for the individuals found on this site). But every so often you catch one on film that is snarling, cross-eyed mad. And so you have demon dog below. Demon dog isn't the best advocate for pet ownership.

Photo source: Eddie

Slide to the Dark Side

Abigail alerted me to Cute Overload's recent 'slide to the dark side' (that's a good song title...) when they posted this down-and-out pooch.

I know, this dog earns a sympathy 'awww' from you. But you can see that his cuteness stems from his charming ugliness. I'm just glad that we can all be friends, even two blogs that so often stand in opposition to one another. Could this be me 'reaching across the aisle'?

Thanks for the photo, Abigail.

Photo courtesy: Cute Overload

Perro sin Pelo del Peru

This picture was floating around Yahoo! photos for a while. I thought it high time I shared it. You're looking at the Peruvian Hairless Dog. This canine was used by pre-Incan cultures in the Andes for hunting and companionship. They're even featured on ancient pottery.

These dogs were nearly driven to extinction by the Spanish conquistadors, but were able to survive in rural areas. In recent years they were recognized as an official breed by the FCI, so they should be safe now, assuming no more Pizarro brothers sweep through Peru again.

Photo courtesy: Reuters

Ugly Dog and Smug Pig

This duo was put on display at a shopping mall in Hong Kong to celebrate the upcoming change of the year from the Year of the Dog to the Year of the Pig.

One might think that this sharpei's expression stems from his jealousy that the pig will now be in the limelight. But I think it comes more from the shock that, possibly for the first time ever, the change from Dog to Pig will result in a better looking animal. What is this world coming to?

The piglet looks a bit smug, too.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs

Peer sent these photos in. What can I say? They speak for themselves. This blog is making develop an affection for pet owners who take on such uglies.

Thanks for the pooches, Peer.

Terror Dog

Chrissie sent me this photo. See what you get when you take a mastiff, lay it on its back, take a photo, and flip the picture upside down?

















You have the good-natured, goofy cousin of the terror dogs from Ghostbusters. Good call Chrissie, and good photo.

Paparazzi Moment

I feel paparazzi-ish for posting this picture. You know how you can catch even the most beautiful of people in the most ugly of postures and facial expressions? The same goes for dogs.

Ismo sent me this photo that his brother, Sami, took in Finland. This dog is normally a very attractive wolf hybrid. But Sami's camera caught it at exactly the wrong (or right, depending on how you're looking at it) moment. It's the teeth/gums/tongue combo that kills me. I love it!

Just so you know, most people agree that wolf hybrids (more accurately called wolfdogs) make for poor pets, though they can be fine companions for the right person. They're usually more active, intelligent, and demanding than the average pet-owner is prepared for.

Thanks for the photo, Ismo and Sami.