Health Facts and Data on Rabies Commonly associated with the antics of Cujo, rabies is one of the most popular viruses. On the contrary, the rabies stereotype of a DOG foaming at the mouth and acting in an uncontrollable aggressive manner, it is actually an uncommon scenario. Since animals are actively vaccinated and eradicated, rabies account for very few annual human deaths in America. Chow Chows have very unusual mouths. When they are born they look normal enough. However, by the age of about 8 weeks, their gums and tongues go from pink to an odd shade of bluish-black. Across the United States, mountain states such as: Colorado, Montana, Utah, Seattle and Portland report the lowest incidences of animal contracted rabies amongst humans. Across the prairie states (the Midwest), the Plains, and in the Big Horn, Texas, the major carrier of the rabies is the striped skunk. Chow Chows have very unusual mouths. When they are born they look normal enough. However, by the age of about 8 weeks, their gums and tongues go from pink to an odd shade of bluish-black. The boxer breed was so named for his manner of fighting. As opposed to biting, like most dogs would, a boxer will actually begin a fight by "punching" with its front paws, just liek a human boxer. On the east coast, raccoons are contagious scoundrels of rabies. Both bats and foxes can transmit human exposure. In reality, the urbanized rabbit or even squirrel can pass on rabies to humans. The smallest breed of dog recognized by the American Kennel Club is the Chihuahua, which stands six to nine inches at the top of the shoulders and generally weighs two to six pounds. Their size makes them excellent travel companions. The name Pug is believed to have derived from this dog's resemblance to the pug monkey. That also fits the breed in other ways. Pugs tend to be curious and mischievous. They always seem to have a look of mischief and fun on their face, just like a monkey. So, who is at risk of rabies? From veterinarians, to families who live in close proximity of wildlife and travelers, these groups rank as the highest risk. Vaccination for high-risk exposure people is the best protection. As for family pets are concerned, any non-vaccinated DOG, rabbit, ferret and any other animal that is in close range or contact with wildlife is at a heightened risk of exposure. The oldest pure-bred British dog is said to be the Corgi. Their proof of existence has been traced back to dogs brought to Wales by the Celts from the Black Sea around 1200 BC. The Giant Schnauzer is known in german as "Riesenschnauzer", meaning "the giant". It should closely resemble the other Schnauzers, miniature and standard. However, they are really completely unique and unrelated breeds. They have just developed in such a way, over time, that they look similar to each other. Outside of the United States, the death rates of rabies is staggering. Essentially, various estimations attribute rabies to the human death rate. For instance in southern Asia, more than 10,000 fatalities are caused by rabies. Throughout Africa, rabies is rampant amongst chihuahuas, jackals, mongooses and cats. But in the British Isles, Antarctica and Australia, rabid animals are a rarity. An American foxhound became one of the most amazing mothers in the dog world when she set a record for the largest litter of puppies in 1944. She had not one, not two, not even ten, but twenty-three puppies! Yorkshire terriers are very tenacious. In fact, A 12-pound Yorkshire Terrier named Oliver once defended an elderly woman from an 80-pound Akita. The woman escaped to safety and Oliver the yorkie survived with only nine stitches. The cartoon character, Scooby Doo, was a great dane. Scooby Doo is well known for being constantly willing to eat anything and everything. In reality, a great dane can indeed eat a lot of food. In fact, they can eat up to 8 � pounds a day! A st. bernard became a mother in 1975. While that wasn't unusual by itself, the unusual thing was that she had twenty-three puppies! She now shares this record with two other dogs, one of which originally set it in 1944. Bloodhounds have dewlaps. What are dewlaps? They are strange looking, pendulous folds of skin on the back of the neck. They don't seem to serve any useful purpose to the bloodhound, but are rather interesting to look at. The official record for the heaviest dog was set way back in 1989. The dog in question was an English mastiff named Zorba. At the time, he weighed 343 pounds. He was 8 years old when he was weighed. The tibetan terrier is not a true terrier and is probably more closely related to the lhasa apso. However, the tibetan terrier is indeed from Tibet, where monks once treasured this intelligent breed of dogs as guardians of their temples.