Thursday, March 27, 2014

5 very helpful Dog Safety Tips

Tip #05

Never Allow a Child to Roughly Handle Your Dog



If you have children or your pet is around other people’s children, make sure your dog is handled properly. This is a good experience to ensure your dog stays well socialized and familiar with small humans. Always observe interactions and if children or your pet become too rough, step in and calm everyone down or separate as needed.

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5 very helpful Dog Safety Tips

Tip #04

Keep Curtains, Power Cords & Other Hazards Away from Kennels



Carefully scrutinize the area where you put your pet’s kennel or bed. Make sure there are no outlets, power cords, curtains or other objects he or she can pull inside. You may be surprised at how far your pet can reach his or her paw outside of the kennel, so make sure these items are kept well back. Also never set items on top of your dog’s kennel. Things can be pulled in from underneath or may weigh down the top of the kennel and cause it to cave in.

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5 very helpful Dog Safety Tips

Tip #03

Do Not Give Your Dog Plastic Water Bottles to Chew On



Many people think its fun to give their dog plastic water bottles to chew on. This can be extremely dangerous should the dog manage to break the bottle and swallow plastic. Thin pieces of water bottle can shred the stomach and will require surgery that costs into the thousands. Even if your dog doesn’t eat the plastic, his or her gums and tongue may be cut if they puncture the surface. It’s a health hazard no matter how strong a chewer your pet is.

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5 very helpful Dog Safety Tips

Tip #02

Never Allow Your Pet to Wander Away Unattended



Never allow your beloved pet to wander away without you. This should be the case whether you’re at home or elsewhere. There are many hazards that could await once your pet steps off of your property or out of your sight. Some people may not appreciate having a dog wandering around their yard, even if it is friendly and well-behaved. As an owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure that your pet stays where he or she is allowed to be.

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5 very helpful Dog Safety Tips

Tip #01

Always Walk Your Dog on a Leash When Away from Home



Even if your dog is well trained, always keep him or her on a leash when in a public place. This ensures that you have control over where the dog goes. Dogs may be startled by unexpected noises or activity or may be drawn to something further away from you. That could spell disaster if your pet wants to see what’s going on across the street as traffic speeds by. It also allows you to keep your pet away from people who may be afraid of dogs or other canines who don’t like their own kind. Besides, it’s the law in many communities.

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5 Terrifying facts about Professional Dog Breeding

Fact #05

Health Is Essentially A Non-Issue

Here’s the deal: the AKC doesn’t at all care about their dogs’ health. Their one health requirement for registration is that a dog be up to date with its inoculations—but apart from that, the health of a given dog is irrelevant. In their own words: “AKC registration means a dog, its parents, and its ancestors are purebred. It does not indicate health or quality.”



To be sure, they’re just a registry—but they’re giving absolutely no incentive for a show breeder to take care of their dogs. In fact, the AKC almost seems actively against ensuring the quality of their breeders. They employ only nine field inspectors, who have on more than one occasion certified breeders who were jailed for animal cruelty just months later.


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5 Terrifying facts about Professional Dog Breeding

Fact #04

Tail Docking and Ear Cropping

Here’s an extreme example of the prevalent focus on aesthetics in dog breeding. It seems that not all desirable traits can be passed on genetically—or at least not fast enough for some breeders. This is where surgeries like tail docking and ear cropping come in.

The practice of cutting off dogs’ tails was originally carried out to avoid paying taxes on them (because “dogs with tails” used to be a reasonable thing to impose taxes on). The practice has continued ever since, but with the new justification that it pre-emptively prevents tail injury later in life. This is quite similar to the procedure we use on human babies, which involves cutting off their feet at birth so that they don’t stub their toes as adults.



The terrible thing is that practices like tail docking and ear cropping are big parts of many breeds’ official standards. The boxer, for example, should have a “high, docked” tail, and “an undocked tail should be severely penalized.” That’s from the official website, by the way. And the story only gets worse from there: most countries have banned or at least restricted the practice of tail docking, but in the United States it’s not only common, but frequently performed without any kind of anesthesia.

All of this is done in spite of the numerous studies showing how beneficial tails are to dogs (they help with balance and social cues, for example). If it’s any consolation, the American Veterinary Medical Association opposes the practice. Or maybe that just makes things worse, because it gives untrained breeders an excuse to cut off the tails themselves.

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5 Terrifying facts about Professional Dog Breeding

Fact #03

Inbreeding Leads To Genetic Disorders

The act of incest is actually illegal in many parts of the world, and punished severely (with up to a life sentence in prison, depending on where you are). This can include consensual sex not resulting in a pregnancy—despite pregnancy being the justification behind prohibiting incest in the first place. So incest is certainly taken rather seriously when it comes to human beings, because it can lead to things like Joffrey Baratheon.



When it comes to dogs, however, inbreeding is actually encouraged. It’s easy to mate two dogs with good DNA when they share most of it. And while this might give the offspring a desired trait (at least in appearance), it also increases the chances of giving the offspring an easily avoidable genetic defect. For example, deafness is common in Dalmatians, and heart disease is a big problem for Boxers.

The problem of inbreeding is widespread, thanks to pedigree registries (like the AKC) that limit registration to small populations of “purebred” dogs. And they are indeed pure; a recent study showed that a population of twenty thousand Boxers had the genetic variance of a population of seventy.


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5 Terrifying facts about Professional Dog Breeding

Fact#02

Show Dogs Can’t Be Spayed Or Neutered

The American Kennel Club (AKC), a pedigree registry in the United States, is also in charge of putting on the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show that you can see every year on TV. Now, there’s nothing wrong with being proud of your dog and wanting to show him or her off to the world—that’s downright adorable. The problem is that when it comes to shows like this, being proud of your dog is not what it’s all about.


According to the AKC website itself: “Spayed or neutered dogs are not eligible to compete in conformation classes at a dog show, because the purpose of a dog show is to evaluate breeding stock.” Now, putting aside how cold and clinical that description sounds, the issue is that this policy encourages overbreeding. “Keep making puppies until you find one that’s perfect,” is basically what the message is—and it adds to the rampant overpopulation discussed in the last entry.


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5 Terrifying facts about Professional Dog Breeding

Dog breeding can be a sensitive issue, so let’s be clear here: I’m not going out of my way to be controversial. I support animal rights, but not to the extent that I, say, don’t enjoy a good steak every once in a while. There are practices I agree with—and many that I don’t agree with—but the point of this article isn’t to be political.


Fact#01

It Takes Away Business From Animal Shelters

You know how at the end of every Price is Right episode, Bob Barker always said to get your pets spayed or neutered? Well, there’s a reason for that: rampant overpopulation. Each year in the United States alone, three to four million dogs are put down in shelters because they have no one to adopt them.



Spaying or neutering pets may sound cruel, but it helps to keep the number of them limited to the number of households that are actually willing to accommodate them. Dog breeders, of course, exist specifically to breed more dogs. As innocent as the concept sounds, the problem is that when the market for dogs is being filled by professional breeders, the shelters trying to rescue animals get pushed further to the margins. If purebred dogs weren’t so readily available, then people looking for pets would have no choice but to adopt them from a shelter (which, it should be noted, would also be less crowded in the first place).


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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

5 of the World's Rarest Dog Breeds

Breed #05

Peruvian Inca Orchid


The Peruvian Inca Orchid has been around since before AD 750, and today it remains an uncommon but treasured pet. The “agile, smart and swift” breed is good at hunting and lure coursing as well. But its most notable quality is that it is sometimes hairless, with skin that appears in a variety of colors.

Breed#
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5 of the World's Rarest Dog Breeds

Breed #04

Karelian Bear Dog


The Finnish Karelian Bear Dog is one of the top 10 most common breeds in its home country. Originally used for hunting and as a watchdog, it has quick reflexes and a fearless nature, and is still popular with big-game hunters.

Breed#
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5 of the World's Rarest Dog Breeds

Breed #03

New Guinea Singing Dog




The New Guinea Singing Dog gets its name from its unique vocalization, but the once-wild breed gets its reputation as an excellent companion from its intelligence and physical ability.


Breed#
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5 of the World's Rarest Dog Breeds

Breed #02

Catalburun


Possibly because of severe inbreeding due to their rarity, the Catalburun is one of the only dogs in the world featuring a split nose and suspended ears. They were originally bred for hunting in Turkey.

Breed#
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5 of the World's Rarest Dog Breeds

Breed #01

Fila Brasileiro



The Fila Brasileiro is believed to have origins in a number of breeds like the Mastiff and Bloodhound, which could explain its large bones, loose skin and smooth coat. The working breed is known for its tracking ability, but also for its sometimes aggressive temper.

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5 Things you should know before adopting A Puppy

Tip #05



Keep Your Puppy Healthy and Safe

Now that you have selected your new puppy, it is important to keep them healthy and safe. Make sure to provide your puppy with regular veterinary checkups to ensure that they are always up to date on their vaccinations. Try and keep your dog in a closed off area, provide them with an I.D. tag and if possible, microchip them to ensure they are never lost for good. A microchip is a device that is about the size of a grain of rice and contains a unique serial number that can be linked to your name and contact information through a microchip registry database. It is permanent and one of the best ways to prevent your pet from getting lost and ending up in an animal shelter. Now that you have them, you want to make sure to keep them.

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5 Things you should know before adopting A Puppy

Tip #04



Understand Your New Companion

Every animal has just as much unique diversity as a human, which at times may mean troublesome behaviors but that is just their way of communicating their needs. Once those needs are understood and met, you will quickly re-establish harmony with your puppy and get back to enjoying their cute and lovable ways. Puppies especially have lots of energy and a need to play. Providing them with toys and other pets to play with is a simple way to meet their natural need to socialize, run and have fun.

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5 Things you should know before adopting A Puppy

Tip #03




Choose the Right Puppy for You

The real key to finding the right match is making sure that you bond with the puppy and his/her unique personality. Energy level is another important factor to consider. Remember that this is a long-term commitment, so don’t rush it. Be sure to introduce everyone in your household to your potential new friend before making your final decision.

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5 Things you should know before adopting A Puppy

Tip#02




Find Your Puppy

With so many ways and places to look for a puppy the options can be overwhelming. Petfinder (petfinder.com) is a great place to start. This online database features over 300,000 adoptable pets from 13,477 adoption groups across the country. All of these groups offer pets that have been properly vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped, and ready to go.

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5 Things you should know before adopting A Puppy

Tip #01



Understand the Benefits of Adopting a Puppy

While it is easy to melt at the sight of an adorable puppy, the first thing to understand is that your new furry friend will require a lot of time, energy and patience. With that in mind, puppies (and pets in general) can be amazing companions that give unconditional love to their owners. They often times become part of the family and their unique personalities are something to marvel at. Be prepared to fall in love.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The 5 smartest dog breeds

Breed#05


Shetland Sheepdog




Another herding dog, the Shetland takes this ability into the home, showing the same commitment and protectiveness over its human "herd" as the farm raised version does. Highly intelligent, the Sheltie handles life with great efficiency and diligence.

Breed#
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The 5 smartest dog breeds

Breed#04

Doberman Pinscher


Due to an inborn fearlessness and deep stamina, the Doberman is one of the most popular of guard dogs. Smart and assertive, they can easily be trained for dominance or docility. Because of their past as war and police dogs, they may appear fearsome, but they are actually quite gentle. Their loyalty and acuity make Doberman's great additions to the family.

Breed#
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The 5 smartest dog breeds

Breed#03

Golden Retriever



A very affectionate and popular breed, the Golden Retriever is highly regarded for its intelligence. They can learn well over 200 commands, making them indispensable companions, both in the home and in the workplace. Loyal, loving, and patient, with a willingness to please and a love of learning, this is a fabulous companion pet to bring into your family.

Breed#
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The 5 smartest dog breeds

Breed#02

German Shepherd



The Shepherd was originally bred specifically for intelligence. Smart, courageous, and protective, the Shepherd is one of the most dependable of companions. They learn tasks after only a few repetitions, and obey first commands nearly always the first time it is given.

Breed#
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The 5 smartest dog breeds

Breed#01

Border Collie



The Border Collie comes in at number one. Because of their extraordinary intelligence and high energy, it is essential to give Border Collies an occupation or purpose, or you may well find your home wrecked upon your return from a long day at work. They have an intense connection with humans, making them ideal work and home companions.

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Monday, March 24, 2014

World's most expensive Dog Sold

A property developer in China has apparently paid 12million yuan ($1.9m, £1.2m) for a Tibetan mastiff. The unnamed new owner, not believed to be the man pictured, is said to have acquired the one-year-old mastiff at a “luxury pet” fair in Zhejiang, AFP quotes the Qianjiang Evening News as reporting. The $2million dog is said to be 80cm tall and weights 90kg.



Sunday, March 23, 2014