Anyone else has pets/animals that are considered national breeds?

Thanks :-) They also have good tempers, they've been bred as working horses up til recently so they're not easily scared and are easy to feed.

@Torunn That's great. It would be the perfect horse.

@just4him Yes, I think they're great. I think more people should consider breeds like Norwegian fjord horses instead of the bigger ones they buy. It's like buying a very fast and very petrol-thirsty car for driving on small, bumpy roads when they buy big and often nervous horses for untrained riders.

Thanks :-) I think they're very cute too, I spam instagram with them ... I met some St. Bernard dogs, nice but slobbery. I think I've met more of the other Swiss dogs though, quite a few Berner Sennen dogs.

@LadyDuck That might be a reason sennendogs are quite popular here. I think they're also used as rescue dogs in the winter, to find the scent of people caught by snow lavines.

@Torunn It is not common to see a St. Bernard dog here in the south, they love cold weather.

@Torunn Yes we do have a state bird, flower, tree. Not sure about an animal.

@kareng You have a lot, the internet says :-) Florida has four, some other states have more than one too.

Thanks! I love them :-) They're also great training partners, and I always have to go outside. Maybe you have state animals in the US? Since the states are quite big and different

@Torunn My cousin used to have horses, but they lived in village at that time. Now she lives in the city. I don't know anyone who has a Broholmer, and I think that many other breeds are more popular here. Golden Retrievers are common here. Ours is almost 10 years old. We keep the rabbit and the guinea pig in a separate room, but if we forget to close the door he sometimes barks in front of the cages.

There's quite a few Norwegian fjord horses in Denmark, lot of people breeding them both there and in Germany and Be-Ne-Lux. I haven't heard of the Broholmer before, that's a big dog! But good looking. Does your golden retriever go along with the rabbits and guinea pig?

@Porcospino , so true, agree with you, these horses are so lovely and wanna like to ride any of the two wosssh, so gorgeous horses like Mr. Macho man.

@Torunn I am originally a Danish native and did spend my childhood in Denmark

@Downwindz I'm a member of one of the Danish fjord horse groups on facebook, lot of nice fjord horses there. Very fascinated with some of the words that are used very different in Norwegian and Danish. "Sej" for example. I think it's spelled "sej". Not something you would want to be in Norwegian, but in Danish it's positive I think.

That's cool! I know there's quite a few Norwegian fjords in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. I considered going to Denmark if I couldn't find one here, but I've found horses from Western Norway til now. Animals have a tendency to suddenly show up.

Inbreeding is not good. All our national breeds are red-listed, so they're endangered. Luckily they're trying to breed them so we keep as much genetical variation as usual. They also try to figure out why they're less prone to get some illnesses, like bone splinters.They're smart horses. I suppose mustangs are smart too? I wish I could have them out in the forest or something like that most of the year, but maybe when I get rich and famous. They're out every day, normally exercised in different ways 6 days a week so I think they're quite happy.

@crazyhorseladycx How many horses do you have now? Mustangs sound like sensible horses, I think I'd like them. When I was a child I always planned to have a lot of horses. Then I realized how much work it is! And also that I'm a like being half urban, half out in the countryside. Culling should be done with care I suppose. No wild horses here, but they cull parts of the wild reindeer and musk ox. Especially the musk ox, 'cause we've killed most of the wolves (only animal that has a chance to get one) so there's no predators chasing them. Instead they (the musk ox) chase tourists so they have to climb up in trees.

@Torunn 'pologies, i missed this'un somehow? nope, aint fond 'f such'n cut ties with the aqha 'n paint association years 'go 's they've no care 'f such 'til somethin' goes seriously 'wry - then they jest black-list registerin' any offspring 'f a particular stallion mostly. mustangs're mighty hardy, they'll not 'nbreed 'nless there'd be no other option (aka: they've culled the wild herds too harshly 'n ya know boys'll be boys...). there's e'en documentation whereas a stallion with a daughter 'f breedin' age'll e'en let a bachelor 'f diff'rent bloodlines breed 'er 'n then send 'im'n his way. not yet ready to've her shunned from the herd. i long fer the lands i used to've....to whistle'n hear the sounds 'f thunderin' hooves 'n whinnies 'f greetin'. the hubs'll not work with the horses, so when i 'twas unable to get out, they sat'n their large corrals. some got 'nto lots 'f trouble (boredom) 'n 'f course, were to blame. we're slowly gettin' our routine back 'n i'm hopin' to get a leg'p by mid-summer't the latest. 7 years'd be a long time 'f not needin' to show respect 'n confidence, so i've been rebuildin' that'n trust with those that're left.

Tried to search for national breeds in the US, seems like you have state breeds. At least for dogs.

@crossbones27 People tend to love cute animals and don't care about the rest. There's a reason the WWF has that panda in their logo. Pandas are cute. Sounds like an interesting mix of dog you have. Three types of guard dogs/protector dog, isn't it? I guess she takes good care of you? Some dogs have been banned here because they have been bred to fight and then mainly the wrong people buy them. I think they should also ban the dogs that are bred to look so undogly that they get all kind of illnesses and rather breed dogs that can be functional. And possibly demand the owners get a certificate that they're right for the dog, since the dog can't choose.

@Torunn I have my German Shepherd and Half Belgian Malinois, mixed with Pit Bull. She is half American.Did you know Pit Bulls where at one time America's protectors, now they the enemy. Shows you how we the problem not the dog. Brooklyn will show you by example. The other two breeds are loved, but name alone not American so can't call them national breeds. We do love dogs, not wolves and it to me has just always been baffling. Where do you think they came from. Eagles, they like eagles, hate dolphins and whales but has gotten better but again those world animals. So I think we have eagles that is about it and dogs, but have to be an American breed.

I haven't heard it used on any other animals but horses, although they have more or less the same colour as a golden retriever. It might be used for cattle, but since dun horses have special markings it's not the most useful term if you don't talk about horses. The german term is falbe. I think it works both as an adjective and a noun, but that might also apply only to horses. Those two are Rotfalben.

@MALUSE I think that's because it's connected to the markings. I don't think there's any other breeds with that kind of markings that are clearly from the wild breeds. Mine are too blonde, you can't really see the markings, but they very clear on black duns. I've used both the English and the German word :-) But then I do have the tendency to speak horse in most languages

@Torunn As far as I know the German word 'Falbe' is only used for horses. I know that I've never used the word actively in a conversation.

We have national breeds for cats, horses and dogs. I think also for cows and sheep, some of them are endangered.

@Torunn very good of you.

I thought maybe a Bombay cat would be national breed to India, but it says the breed is from the US and Thailand. They're really beautiful!

Those two are more a lifestyle than pets.

@porwest And very stubborn. One of them refused to leave the field todays. The field is filled with food, so I understand it in a way, but eating for 7 hours should be enough ...

@Torunn I can imagine. But they ARE very cute, that's for sure.

Thanks :-) I like cats too, just don't have the time to have one now. The National breed here is the Norwegian forest cat, a big fluffy cat with tufted airs.

@CarolDM We also have some national dog breeds. One of them is the puffindog (lundehund). It was bred to hunt puffins, so it has extra toes on all paws. I'm not going to hunt puffins but I might still get one some day

@Torunn I have seen this breed on Nat Geo I believe. Stunning.

I've been told they look very Norwegian, as they're very blonde :-) Do you know the Šarplaninac? I think that's a Serbian dog, but it could also be from somewhere else in the vicinity. And there's a dog called Serbian hound, must be Serbian?

@LowRiderX Coffee really makes the difference! I saw quite a few different dogs from Balkan when I lived in Austria. The other kind of dog I've only seen in pictures, although they are people with hunting dogs in the middle of Vienna. Don't know why, what would you hunt in the middle of a city? I saw some that were very much like the Šarplaninac in the countryside.

@Torunn That's what I thought about horses, but I did not want to write, that you don't understand me wrong 'Šarplaninac' is a sort of the dog, yes I know People which living in the mountains, they mostly guard them. 'Šar planina' means 'Šar mountain' located in the south and south-east of Serbia. This type of dog is huge, I do not know if you ever had the chance to see how big a dog is? When I commented, I just woke up, I did not drink any coffee, so it did not happen to me that kind of dogs to mention, sorry And this other kind of dog, it is used for hunting and people are mostly kept them in villages, I saw them in towns too, but it's more a 'fashion' if you understand me, this type of dog can not demonstrate its ability in the city (I can not understand such a people who kept them in the middle of the capital) See? Now I am wake up (and second coffee is on table)