What were the Black Russian Terrier and the Samoyed dog breeds used for?
Black Russian Terrier The Black Russian Terrier (abbreviated as BRT), also known as the Tchiorny Terrier ("tchiorny" being Russian for black) is a breed of dog created in USSR in Red Star (Krasnaya Zvezda) Kennel during the late 1940s and the early 1950s for use as military/working dogs. At the present time, the Black Russian Terrier is a breed recognized by the FCI (FCI's from September 1983), AKC (AKC's from July 2004), CKC, KC, ANKC, NZKC and other cynological organizations. The contemporary Black Russian Terrier is a working dog, guarding dog, sporting and companion dog.
Harlequin Pinscher The Harlequin Pinscher is a type of Miniature Pinscher, which is a toy-sized dog. It originated in Germany and was created by crossing traditional Miniature Pinschers with various toy-sized short-haired terriers. It originated in Germany where it was used to kill rats and mice. It is known by several different names including the Harlequin Pinscher, Spotted Pinscher, Merle Pinscher, Harlequin Miniature Pinscher and the Harlequin Min Pin. It is believed that the Harlequin Pinscher was created in Germany some time during the late 18th century. They were likely the result of crosses between traditional Miniature Pinschers and Toy Fox Terriers or Rat Terriers. While Harlequin and other Min Pins were mainly used for ratting throughout history, they were also cherished pets. Harlequin Pinschers nearly became extinct following World War II; however, a group of enthusiasts worked together to revive the breed by collecting worthy specimens to breed. Today, although the Harlequin Pinscher is rather rare, select Min Pin breeders are working hard to establish it as a pure-breed that is eligible for registration.