The dog, the first animal tamed by humans, is a carnivorous mammal belonging to canidae family.
Until recently they believed that the taming of this animal took place 14–15,000 years ago. Recent discoveries of some canidae skulls at Goyet (Belgium) andRazboinichyaCave(Siberia) attest that dogs were tamed by more than 33,000 years ago.
Researchers from theUniversityofArizona, after having dated them with radioactive carbon, came to the conclusion that these skulls are almost identical to those of some domestic dogs discovered inGreenlandwhich are only 1,000 years old.
The characteristics of the teeth and jaws of the skulls from Siberia and Belgiumindicate the taming of dogs and their transformation into what we call today Canis familiaris.
Romfilatelia introduces into circulation the postage stamps issue “Dog Breeds”, being one of the most appreciated philatelic themes dedicated to the most beloved animals.
On the postage stamp with the face value of 4.50 lei is illustrated a Short Haired Dachshund (Teckel) known ever since the Middle Ages as a hunting dog. It has an average weight under 9 kg and the length/width ratio is 1 to 1.8. Its fur has different colours: black, red, combinations of black and red, grey and silver or other combinations of the 3 above mentioned colours. There are 3 Dachshund breeds, depending on the length and texture of hair (short haired, wire-haired and long haired).
It is a perseverant and highly affectionate dog having lots of energy and it is a good company both for children and hunters.
On the postage stamp with the face value of 5.00 lei is illustrated a dog belonging to Golden Retriever breed that has become very popular in recent years due to its special qualities of a pet and hunting dog. It is full of energy, intelligent and a very good swimmer.
Its waist is medium (below 61 cm for males and 56 cm for females) and its optimal weight is maximum 34 kg. The hair colors vary covering all gold and cream shades.
The Romanian Mioritic Shepherd, illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 8.10 lei, belongs to a dog breed that evolved naturally without the humans’ intervention until 1985, the year when they established the first standard of the breed. Its waist measures at least 60 cm and it weights at least 55 kg. Its hair may be white, white with grey or black spots and grey with white or black spots. A characteristic of its long hair (up to 20 cm) are the dead hairs which by matting with the others form a real protection shield for the fights against wild animals (bears or wolves). Otherwise, it is the only dog that may fight against the Carpathian brown bear and have real survival chances.
On the postage stamp with the face value of 9.10 lei is illustrated the Romanian Carpathian Shepherd dog. It also belongs to a dog breed that evolved naturally without the humans’ intervention until 1985, the year when they established the first standard of the breed. Its waist measures at least 60 cm and it weights at least 55 kg. It has got short and wiry hair that is wolf-grey with white, grey or dark brown marks.
It is a dog that loves children, a good guardian and it may be easily trained.
Today there is a population of more than 4,500 Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dogs and more than 3,000 Romanian Carpathian Shepherd Dogs cynologically registered, the controlled development of the breed being ensured by the National Club for Romanian Shepherd Dogs (CNCCR), a club that internationally homologated the breeds in 2005.
These two shepherd dog breeds are the only Romanian dog breeds homologated and recognized worldwide.
We kindly thank the National Club for Romanian Shepherd Dogs and “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History for the documentary support granted in the accomplishment of this postage stamps issue.
Issue date: 2012-08-10
