Archive for December, 2009
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Working Group)
Posted by: | CommentsThe Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is an absolute teddy bear. Full of love and affection that makes the perfect house pet, this dog is ideal for families that not only want a dog that can be trusted around children, but also one that makes an imposing watchdog. They are a sensitive breed, extremely loyal to its owners, and gentle with other pets in the home.
A Brief History Of The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Switzerland is the original area of origin for this breed and the first function of the dogs were used as guardians and draft dogs. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is said to be the largest and oldest of the four types of Swiss Mountain Dogs in existence. The other three are the Bernese, Appenzeller, and the Entlebucher.
One theory of the breed's bloodline is that they were derived from Molossian dogs or the Mastiff, which were used when the Romans crossed over into Switzerland during the Ancient times. Other researchers claim that the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog came from the Phoenicians when they brought them into Spain sometime during 1000 B.C.
Regardless of the specific truth behind the dog's bloodline, we have watched them spread throughout Europe in great numbers to become interbred with various native dogs. Eventually, they developed through independent lines and small communities, still remaining excellent guard dogs, draft dogs, and herders.
All of these dogs were known as "Metzgerhunde Dogs" and shared common physical appearances. Therefore, they were assumed to be the same breed type. Up until the latter part of the 1800s did these dogs become separated into four distinct types by the research of Professor A. Heim. He noticed that there were more specific differences in these dogs than what was assumed.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog was finally claimed as its own breed in 1908 but it took some time for them to become popular, especially with the disaster of two World Wars. In 1968, the breed made its way to the United States and was officially recognized by the AKC in 1985 as a member of the Miscellaneous Class, then onto the Working Group in 1995.
Upkeep Requirements For The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
As a member of the Working Group, this breed thrives on roaming the great outdoors in search of something to do, particularly in colder climates. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs need plenty of daily exercise which can be met by a vew brisk walks on the leash or long hikes through nature's trails.
If need be, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog can live outside, as they have a high tolerance for cold temperatures, but like all pets that thrive on human companionship, it is best for them to sleep inside with the family at night. Grooming requirements consist of only a once-a-week brushing. When shedding, a daily brushing is best.
Health Concerns
The average life span of a healthy Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is between ten and twelve years. The only major health problem that runs common in the breed is CHD. Minor issues include seizures, panosteitis, gastric torsion, female urinary incontinence, shoulder OCD, distichiasis, and splenic torsion.
Where can I find a list of reputable dog breeders in Florida?
Posted by: | CommentsAnd do most breeders have a problem selling to a customer that owns a puppy or pet store. I'm just in the beginning process of all of this, but I am doing it in the spirit of a loved one that passed that was a dog lover. She left me an inheritance and specified that she would like it if I chose a business having to do with dogs and animals.
Great Pyrenees (Working Group)
Posted by: | CommentsThe Great Pyrenees is one of the largest members of the Working Group. An imposing animal, one that was bred to be a guardian, is highly devoted to its family and very suspicious of unknown strangers, both human and animal. So long as the Great Pyrenees is not provoked it remains a calm, loving, and very well-mannered canine. Only strong minded, dominant owners should raise one of these dogs.
A Brief History Of The Great Pyrenees
Great Pyrenees dogs originated from France. It's function was to guard sheep. Researchers suggest that the breed descended from an original flock of guard dogs. These dogs were all white, from Asia Minor, some 10,000 years B.C.
Nomadic shepherds migrated to the Pyrenees Mountains sometime around 3,000 B.C., bringing their guarding dogs with them, thus creating the basis of today's Great Pyrenees. These dogs maintained themselves as superb livestock guardians for centuries to come.
Just before the end of the 1600s, the breed became a favorite among the French Nobility and were heavily requested in the court of Louis XIV. In 1675, Louis XIV publicly announced that this dog was to be known as the Royal Dog of France. It was at this same time that the dogs arrived in Newfoundland.
In 1824, the first Pyrenees is documented to have arrived in the United States by General Lafayette. However, over the next 75 years the breed had lost all popularity in France and could only be found working as useful guardians in small, isolated areas. Interest in the breed remained low and they had all but became instinct in England.
Sometimes in early 1930s, enthusiasts of the Great Pyrenees started a heavy breeding program, importing hundreds of dogs to the United States. In 1933, the AKC officially recognized the breed which helped boost the dog's popularity with new owners.
Upkeep Requirements For The Great Pyrenees
The Great Pyrenees must have plenty of daily exercise to keep in shape. However, these needs are not excessive and can easily be met with a few brisk walks on the leash. They absolutely love to hike so if you live in an area with nature trails or hills, you have the ideal setting for raising this dog.
This breed can live outside if need be, especially in cold temperatures. However, they are not suited to withstanding hot weather. When sleeping it is best to keep them inside at night with the rest of the family. Grooming requirements call for a thorough brushing, once per week - daily during shedding season. Great Pyrenees dogs also have a habit of drooling.
Health Concerns
The average life span of a Great Pyrenees dog is between ten and twelve years. Major health problems that run common in the breed are patellar luxation and CHD. Minor issues include panosteitis, OCD, osteosarcoma, chondrodysplasia, entropion, skin problems, and cataracts. Veterinarians suggest that these dogs get tested for potential eye, knee, and hip problems.
What would you consider aggressive behavior from a dog?
Posted by: | CommentsMy dog loves going to the off-leash dog park but one of the park rules is that any dog exhibiting aggressive behavior should be removed immediately. What exactly is considered aggressive behavior?
My dog runs up to other dogs while making growly noises with no teeth bared and then trying to make the other dogs run with him and chase him. Sometimes other dogs initiate play with him and he runs with them while growling. Is this considered aggressive behavior? I just need to know where exactly to draw the line.
Bluebell: He's a 2-year-old German Shepherd mix.
City Dogs & Their Wastes
Posted by: | CommentsMany urban areas are experiencing a new and profound concern with the increasing accumulations of dog litter in the city streets. With the huge concentration of dogs in metropolitan areas, whether as household pets or guard dogs, the city is experiencing a comparable increase in waste materials dotting the already run-down urban landscape.
Concern over environmental pollution in general is also on the rise. Many citizens and some media reporters have made a sensation over dog litter, claiming that every disease from the common cold to bubonic plague comes directly from dog litter. Some people have gone overboard by attempting to agitate parents with such slogans as "children before dogs."
Fairly speaking, dog litter presents few problems of medical concern to the average citizen residing in large city areas. The more serious health hazard is, of course, to other dogs and not to humans. Diseases such as hepatitis and distemper are passed from infected dogs to healthy ones through saliva and urine, while internal parasites are transmitted through the stool of infected dogs.
However, for a human to contract any disease from dogs would require that he walk the street barefooted or physically ingest dog waste or fleas which is, of course, highly unlikely. The argument of the "children before dogs" group is that children will unwittingly eat dog fleas and stool. We assume that parents would not let their young children to play unattended on public streets, parks and pavements; and when they are old enough to play unattended, they have been taught the basics of cleanliness and hygiene.
More likely to be of significant danger to human health is contamination of food by roaches, rats, and the common housefly, none of which seems to be exciting enough for these same people who are so concerned with dog litter.
But regardless of who's judging who, most people agree that dog litter does present an awful smell and unsightly pollution of our environment in an area that can hardly afford it. Every dog owner is responsible for the mess created by his dog. Whether it is a Great Dane or a Chihuahua, each dog does his share in contaminating natural resources and infuriating pedestrians.
It is puzzling that dog owners who are fortunate enough to have a backyard have no difficulty keeping it clean of dog waste; but these same owners will walk their dog out the front door and allow her to pollute the public street, which is basically everyone's' front yard.
Animal lovers have a sensitivity to nature and animals that is not known to people who have never loved a pet. But the love and sensitivity must go beyond our pets and encompass our human neighbors. We cannot ignore the rights and privileges of other people. Our dogs are our responsibility and we have no right to inflict them on others.
If we all clean up after our pets, we will be contributing to a substantially cleaner, more pleasant environment. It is up to us to preserve decent cities to our pets as well as for ourselves and our neighbors.
Can my dog travel in cabin of plane with me?
Posted by: | CommentsI have a smaller sized cocker spaniel. She is 19 lbs and measures from the neck to the base of tail 18 inches. Is she small enough to put in a carrier under the seat in the cabin of a plane and if so what size carrier would be right for her size?
Am I being indulgent to want a tiny dog to travel with me?
Posted by: | CommentsI know I'll be traveling each summer and yet I still want a dog. I'm thinking of a tiny dog that can ride in a small space underneath the seat ahead of me on the airplane. The carrier can only be 13L X 9H. Is there even a dog that could fit in this small space? The rules are that it should be able to stand up and turn around. I measured my cats and they are taller than 9 inches at their highest point. What kind of dog would fit in this space and am I being self-indulgent to expect a dog to ride up to 5 hours in a space like this?
Parasites 2: More Questions About Fleas and Ticks
Posted by: | CommentsDo Different Parasites Prefer Certain Host Animals?
Yes, there are fleas that prefer cats and those that would rather have their meal on dogs. However, while some fleas do exhibit certain preferences, they are not usually host-specific. That is, in the absence of the preferred host, the flea will attack a less desirable host such as birds, rats, and even humans.
Ticks are more commonly associated with dogs but in areas of extremely heavy infestation, cats can be infested also. Ticks too, are not reluctant to dining out of humans when other hosts are not readily available or are already in great demand by other parasites.
Where Can My Pet Pick Up These Parasites?
There are several common ways for your pet to become infested with fleas and ticks. Animals living in wooded areas, or walked-in fields of tall grass, or near shrubbery, are likely targets for parasites lying, waiting to leap on the appropriate host.
Frequently, a new pet brought into the household introduces the parasite problem to other animals in that home. A visit to a grooming parlor, medical center, boarding kennel, dog or cat show, or even a simple visit to a neighbor's home can spread infestation from animal to animal if rigid preventive hygiene is not practiced.
Furniture, bedding, rugs, walls and floors can retain parasite eggs for a long period of time and produce young fleas and ticks to attack pets newly arrived on the premises.
Why Are Fleas & Ticks Such A Complex Problem?
In addition to the purely mechanical irritation produced when a flea jumps from place to place along your dog's body, and the tiny sting when he stops to take a meal, the mouth-parts of the flea contain saliva to which some unfortunate animals are highly allergic.
Such dogs and cats are in constant misery, biting and scratching incessantly, losing hair down their spines and rear legs, creating secondary bacterial infections from self-trauma, breaking the skin while biting or scratching themselves and allowing bacteria to enter, and occasionally losing enough blood to create a severe anemia.
To make the situation even worse, the flea is the intermediate host for the tapeworm which can infest your pet after he swallows even a single flea. The flea might also be a suitable host for the heartworm.
The tick can create skin problems of his own as the irritation he causes may be the initial stimulus in the creation of the moist dermatitis or hot spot. In addition, certain types of ticks (Dermacentor Andersoni) can actually cause paralysis and spread the terrible disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, that affects hundreds of people every year.
If I Live In The City Or In Colder Areas, Will My Pets Be Free Of These Parasites?
Unfortunately, no. There are fleas and ticks that have adapted themselves to living in cold climates as well as in urban environments. In fact, most of the city parasites are the most difficult to get rid of, since they, like the common housefly or cockroach, have become quite resistant to chemicals used by exterminators.
Death By Flea Collars (2)
Posted by: | CommentsMost packages containing flea collars or other similar-type pest-fighting devices usually carry a printed caution on the front: "Do not allow children to play with this collar."
The purchaser is then invited to read the additional precautions printed on the reverse side of the package. Over 50% of the dog owners polled about their knowledge of flea collars admitted that they either did not read the directions, or if they did, simply did not pay much attention to them.
Be Careful
Flea collars should be buckled securely, but not tightly, around the dog's neck. A collar buckled too tightly will cause greater levels of the active ingredient to be absorbed into the bloodstream of the animal. This condition usually manifests itself by neck irritation, followed by a loss of hair under the collar.
When first placing a flea collar on a dog, the owner should observe the neck area for the first few days and be alert for signs of irritation. If irritation occurs, the collar should be removed immediately.
Additional precautions on most packages point out that each collar is intended as an insecticide generator and is not to be taken internally by man or animals. One might ask who in his right mind would want to eat a flea collar for breakfast. No "man" in his right mind would, but a dog (especially puppies) might consider such a collar an intriguing chew toy!
Playful puppies enjoy chewing and gnawing on anything, including each other! It is for this reason that manufacturers include the following precaution on each package containing a flea killing device: "Animals should not be allowed to chew on this collar"
Because the active ingredient used in flea collars is absorbed into the animals' bloodstream, some animals may show allergic symptoms. Some dogs, like humans, are allergic to certain medications, while others can accept the medications with relative impunity. It is for this reason that each animal wearing such a flea device for the first time be observed closely for any signs of adverse reaction.
If an animal appears lethargic or refuses to eat, you should remove the collar at once. Dogs who have an allergy to these pesticides have been known to die. Such deaths need not occur if the owner takes a few moments to read the directions and properly observe his pet, should any side effects develop.
A dog wearing a flea collar will be more reactive to anesthetics, and a number of anesthetic deaths have been attributed to the use of these devices. The finger of guilt must ultimately be pointed at the dog owner for his failure to observe the precautions as set forth by the manufacturer.
Excessive Barking (Part 6): How To Trick Your Dog Into
Posted by: | CommentsExcessive Barking (Part 6): How To Trick Your Dog Into Being Quiet (Setting Up The Plan)
It has been said that a trained dog has the intellect of a child in the age group of between three and seven years old. At first glance this may seem commendable, but when one stops to think about it, that intellect is not really advantageous under all circumstances.
An intelligent dog knows whether his owner is on the premises or not. Therefore, he knows whether his adverse behavior can be corrected or whether it will go unnoticed. No matter how well trained a dog is, he has a mind that is capable of experiencing loneliness, jealousy, elation, worry, fear, boredom, and many other emotions that we fail to realize.
Your dog may be the epitome of good behavior as long as he knows that you are around to respond when he does bad things. But to the intelligent dog who takes your absence as freedom to misbehave, you must make a new revelation, and that is that from now on you will be home, even if you are not there!
"How", you might be asking, 'Can I always be home, when I'm not?"
The solution is really quite simple but putting it into practice can be a little complicated. The secret lies in making your dog believe that you are gone from the house. This is best accomplished by setting up the situation. Take a drive in your car, out of sight from your house, then park at the curb nearby, get out, and quietly walk back to your home.
In staging the scene, care must be given to never underestimate the intelligence of your dog. If you do, he just might turn the tables on you and perceive the entire thing is a new game that you are playing, all for his enjoyment.
Also, when you typically leave the house by way of your vehicle, don't try to fool your dog by setting up this situation by just closing the front door and pretending to be gone. He is much too smart for that. Your dog will have to hear the usual start of your car's engine and the sound of the vehicle fading away as it drives out of distance. By doing this, your dog will absolutely believe that you are gone.
When you sneak back to your house, be sure not to inadvertently alarm your dog by rattling your keys or making heavy footstep sounds. A dog's ability to hear is far superior to mankind's and he will know that the gig is up, and that you are actually home.
The Trap
If your dog is a backyard dog, and you have managed to sneak quietly into your house unnoticed, sit back, relax and wait. The instant he starts to bark, you should emerge from your house with a water gun, your tin cans, or even water-filled balloons to toss nearby. This entire scene is be repeated as many times as necessary to get the point across that, although he hears and believes you are gone, you're really just "one bark away."
If your dog is a house dog, all of the members of the family should join in the staging of the schooling. In other words, everyone should leave the house together and walk toward the car. One member of the family should remain on the front porch (out of site), while the rest of you drive away. At the first bark from your dog, a family member who stayed behind on the front porch should be the one to burst through the door like a wild bull, give off a loud shout command, and accompany this with your weapon of choice: a squirt gun or a set of tin cans.
Hi! I'm Jamie and this is my site about dogs.
