Questions & Answers about У нас есть собака редкой породы и выдающегося ума.
Why do we use the genitive case for редкой породы and выдающегося ума instead of the instrumental with с (with)?
This is the Genitive of qualitative description, the focus of this lesson. When an inherent, permanent characteristic is expressed by an Adjective + Noun, Russian typically puts both in the genitive case without a preposition. It translates nicely to the English concept of "of" (a dog of a rare breed). While you could technically use the instrumental (с редкой породой), the genitive sounds much more natural and elegant for these permanent, defining traits.
Why does выдающегося have such a long, unusual ending?
The word выдающийся (outstanding) is actually a reflexive participle acting as an adjective, coming from the verb выдаваться (to stand out). Because it is reflexive, the -ся particle stays at the very end of the word, even after the word declines for case. So, you have the standard masculine genitive ending -его, followed by -ся, resulting in выдающегося.
Does the word ум (mind or intellect) sound natural when applied to a dog?
Yes, perfectly natural. While English speakers might differentiate between a human's "mind" and a dog's "intelligence", Russian comfortably uses ум to describe the cleverness, intelligence, or mental capacity of animals.
Can this grammar structure be used without an adjective, for example just saying собака породы to mean a purebred dog?