Dog breed names, should they be capitalised?

I've just done a quick search on Alsation on a dog website, and they capitalise it there, so I guess that must be the way to go?

This is an interesting question. I've always had the same dilemma over flower names.

I'm probably wrong, but I thought anything that is a name, has a capital letter.

Katerina

Well, that one defeated Hart's Rules and Judith Butcher's Copy Editing, but I looked up a few breeds in the Oxford Dic for Writers and Editors, and they were all capitalised.

Emma

Thanks everyone.

Capitalised it is then, tho it doesn't look right on the page, have to say. Looks over the top.

Hrm.

Pete

Pete, which breed is it? I realised that a lot of dog breeds are places - Dalmatian, Westie, Weimeraner, Border Collie - or names - Dandy Dinmont, Jack Russell - which maybe encourage caps. But maybe the others don't. Should it be fox terrier, or Fox Terrier?
Flower names I'm sure don't - unless its something botanical. Maybe it follows for dogs, depending on whether it's official - like a dog breeds site - or just conversation.

To be honest, I think this is a copy editor's question, and you should do what looks right and forget about it! .

Emma

Thing is Emma, I don't really see myself ever getting involved with a copy editor, being a bit of a Sunday painter and all, so all I've got is this forum (which is amazing).

Here's the sentence, from a story called Dog People:

“She was ours,” Marta said. “My husband owned a Black Labrador when we met, and I owned a Doberman. As soon as we married, we mated them. We got Suki.”

Don't know if you agree with me about caps seeming over the top...

Thanks for taking the time.

Pete