Gopher Phenomenon confirmed.

Evidence for my claim:
http://www.dogbreedslist.info/uploads/allimg/free-dog-wallpapers/Samoyed-Puppies-121123-1440x900.jpg

http://cdn.marketplace.akc.org/media/45488/1456977861_4573_8635.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e4/f7/15/e4f715007fe8ef279bf62a9898e6e70d.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8b/4f/e5/8b4fe527f371cd21b4eee0b1aee115d7.jpg

That is some pretty solid evidence... GOD, your response?

Cute no doubt, but I personally like my puppy's breed: http://bit.ly/1RDgp9s

@Amby.....Those look like the kinds of mutant crossbreed animals people settle for because they are hypoallergenic.

And just like that, the Gopher Phenomenon is demonstrated.

I thought mouse declared it demonstrated several hours ago.

I suppose it depends what we're assuming the 'gopher phenomenon' to be as to when it was demonstrated.

Fair point. The original criterion were "extremely serious and even slightly combative exchange. " I suppose this conversation is currently extremely combative, but still a little silly. I was premature.

Though I now fear a devolution into a serous conversation about what constitutes a serious conversation and/or a combative conversation about what constitutes combative.

That right there is the start of a serious conversation

Ah, right, I missed the initial definition.

I was incorrect in my declaration that it had been confirmed at the time I posted such, while Caerus was more accurate with theirs.

Gopher, I am very surprised by your comment. You usually pride yourself on your research which would have found very easily that the breed sent through is a pure breed from the Roman period and in fact is the great-great-grand daddy (figuratively speaking) of all water retrievers.

Mutant crossbreed. Pfft. Maybe the Gopher effect has now become shooting off at the lip without any common basis of fact or evidence (without getting political, is the Gopher effect a derivative of the Trump effect, or vice versa?)

If this thread is "extremely combative", then we may not share basic agreement on the meaning of English words.

Google tells me that lagotto romagnolo are in fact hypoallergenic, so my supposition was correct. Whether their appearance brings to mind the labradoodle-esque spectrum of "Franken-pooch" abominations is of course a matter of opinion. :oP

http://www.fiumekennels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Ilario3.jpg

http://designerdogsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Labradoodle-at-the-beach.jpg

I will concede Gopher's "combative" point. My declaration for the phenomenon is now completely withdrawn...

In terms of general size and facial structure, the closer a dog is to a wolf, the better the dog.

So one point for gopher.

Wolves are cool, but there's too many of them in the west devastating wildlife now because of the hippies. Need more tags.

Wolves can survive in Western Australia?

Dingoes can pretty well, but I don't think we introduced any proper wolves.

Coyotes and wolves rarely co-exist.

Dachshunds are the cutest both in puppy and adult form and are the smartest and, pound for pound, toughest dogs in the world. Period. What other 12 pound dog can kill a badger in the blink of an eye?

In answer to your last questions, I would expect that any number of small terriers.

But as for the matter at hand, we can construct an experiment:
5 week old dachshund puppies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e4Cq_psdoI

6 week old Samoyed puppies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRnSjBVIn_c

Most small terriers would find themselves as badger food. Dachshunds were bread with that purpose in mind.

As far as cutest, those videos make it a draw, I would say. Sammies have those cute short tails, but the Dachshund video didn't give them much in the way of toys to show their intelligence and humor. Doxies multitasking when they play. Our little guys would hit balls with bones to steal them from each other cause the wanted the bones *and* the ball. Sort of like a game of doxie field hockey.

I believe Jack Russels where also bred for Badger hunting, though they are a smidge bigger than 12 pounds. I think they average closer to 14, but not sure.

Being a gopher, I view most badgers as pussies. :oP

Better dead than red, dude.

I have no desire to weigh in on the cuteness, however.

Wow, a shot across the river that divides our great states, and a sneak attack at that. I could come back with " have you ever seen what a badger......." but I will take the high road and remain clean.

I will say that the cutest puppy is the Labrador retriever. They have huge paws and are very curious at birth. I am partial to yellow labs, but would take a chocolate or black as well.

Yellow labs are best.

Rather pedestrian tastes, no? Is vanilla ice cream the best? Are McDonald's hamburgers the best?

How combative do you want to be, Gopher?

I misread your post gopher and thought you were asking if Vanilla Ice was the best.

@Caerus....I thought you did not have an opinion on the relative cuteness of puppies?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIHVxynRvDk

Or are you more a Milli Vanilli man?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJhLudFTgXE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A7tLVIsuNw

Gotta love Jim Carrey!