Lesser-Known Dog Breeds - The Red Rowser

Which dog breed has the loudest bark? Upon pondering that question, your mind might turn to various breeds employed as guard dogs, or perhaps the hound that belonged to your ex-neighbour who would keep you up all night.

However, there is one breed that truly barks the most boisterously - The Red Rowser.

Origin of the Breed

The breed dates back to 1850 and the origin of traction engines. The engines were slow moving, and of course extremely dangerous to nearby pedestrians. At first men were employed to walk in front of the engines to wave a red flag, and to shout if needed to warn folks to get out of the way.

Understandably, this proved to be a quite tedious job, and it was often difficult to find people willing to slowly trudge in front of traction engines. The idea was hit upon to breed a dog with the mightiest of barks, coupled with a bright red coat to stand out and grab attention.

The breed became popular, and spread as the use of traction engines spread throughout the British Isles and around other countries too.

Spring To Fame…

The most famous Red Rowser by far was Rufus, who was employed by Lord Twangley-Fordham’s bid for the World Land Speed Record in 1930. The driver employed was noted aviatrix Kitty Hawksley, who after attempting various flying records thought she’d try her hand on land instead.

A Spot of Bother…

Unfortunately the team was besieged with various problems such as oil leaks, engine fires, and even running out of dog biscuits. The attempt culminated with crashing into the sea off Daytona Beach resulting in ending of the record bid.

By this time the Red Rowser’s popularity had started to dwindle as traction engines were gradually phased out of use. However it can still be found at vintage steam and motor shows accompanying the splendid examples of transportation and machinery from days gone by.

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