The Foxhound Dog

October 25, 2009 by Joel  
Filed under Dog Breeds

Foxhounds were the very first of the canine races in Great Britain to come under the domination of scientific breeding. There had been hounds of more ancient origin, such as the Southern Hound and the Bloodhound; but something different was wanted towards the end of the seventeenth century to hunt the wild deer that had become somewhat scattered after Cromwell’s civil war. The demand was consequently for a quicker hound than those hitherto known, and people devoted to the chase began to breed it.

Head:-

Somewhat broad, not peaked like the Bloodhound, but long from the apex to the frontal bones, eyebrows very prominent, cheeks cut clean from the eye to the nostril, ears set low and in their natural condition thin and shapely, but not large, nose large, jaw strong and level, and small dewlaps, expression fierce, and with the best often repellent.

Eyes:-

Very bright and deeply set, full of determination, and with a very steady expression. The look of the Foxhound is very remarkable.

Neck Should be perfectly clean, no skin ruffle whatever. The length of neck is of importance, both for stooping and giving an air of majesty.

Shoulders:-

The blades should be well into the back, and should slant, otherwise be wide and strong, to meet the arms, that should be long and powerful.

Legs and feet:-

The bone should be perfectly straight from the arm downward, and descend in the same degree of size to the ankles. The knee should be almost flat and level; there should be no curve until coming to the toes, which should be very strong, round, cat-shaped, and every toe clean set as it were.

Coat:-

The coat is hard hair, but short and smooth, the texture is as stiff as bristles, but beautifully laid.

Colour:-

Belvoir tan, which is brown and black, perfectly intermixed, with white markings of various shapes and sizes. The white should be very opaque and clear. Black and white, with tan markings on head and stifles. Badger pied a kind of grey and white. Lemon pied, light yellow and white. Hare pied, a darker yellow and white.

Height: Dogs from 23-1/2 to 24 inches; bitches from 22 to 22-1/2 inches.

Dog Training Tips: Learn How to Turn Your Dog into a Well-Behaved Pet

October 17, 2009 by Joel  
Filed under Dog Training Tips

Trained dogs are always fun to have around the house and in parks. When your dog is trained, you would not have to feel embarrassed if it goes barking loudly at a stranger who is actually a close acquaintance because trained dogs do not do that. Once you learn about effective dog training tips you will find it easier to manage your dog and would not suffer from chasing your dog when it runs around the park along with its leash. There are always professional dog trainers that could do the job for you but training your dog yourself builds more attachment and would make room for a closer relationship. Training your dog would mean more time spent together and more interaction. By the way you give your pet rewards whenever it performs the tricks the right way, you are able to establish a stronger connection that would not be broken easily. Training, indeed, if done the proper way, would turn any dog into a loyal guard to its master.

Most dog training tips are actually simple and you could execute them yourself even without having any background in professional dog training. The first thing you should teach your dog is the sit command. Since this trick is fairly simple, young puppies would be able to learn this quickly. By teaching this trick to your pet, you would be able to identify yourself as a master and make your pet understand that he or she should follow your commands.

The next trick you could teach your dog is socialization with other dogs and human strangers. This would help your dog become well-behaved. Remember that a well-behaved dog is not only adorable, a trained dog is also less likely to cause trouble in public places, therefore, making it possible for you to carry your pet around.

Another important thing in dog training is to teach your dog to walk at your pace when it is wearing a leash. You should not be dragged around by your dog because you are the master and your dog should walk according to your pace and not its own.

More effective dog training tips could be learned by reading books or by getting advice from dog experts.

The Collie Dog

October 10, 2009 by Joel  
Filed under Dog Breeds

The Collie dog makes an excellent sporting dog, and can be taught to do the work of the Pointer and the Setter, as well as that of the Water Spaniel and the Retriever. He can be trained to perform the duties of other breeds. He is clever at hunting, having an excellent nose, is a good vermin-killer, and a most faithful watch, guard, and companion.

Little is known with certainty of the origin of the Collie, but his cunning and his outward appearance would seem to indicate a relationship with the wild dog. Buffon was of opinion that he was the true dog of nature, the stock and model of the whole canine species. He considered the Sheepdog superior in instinct and intelligence to all other breeds, and that, with a character in which education has comparatively little share, he is the only animal born perfectly trained for the service of man.

At the shows this type of dog is invariably at the top of the class. He is considered the most tractable, and is certainly the most agile. Second to this type in favour is the smooth-coated variety, a very hard, useful dog, well adapted for hill work and usually very fleet of foot. He is not so sweet in temper as the black and white, and is slow to make friends. There is not a more graceful and physically beautiful dog to be seen than the show Collie of the present period. Produced from the old working type, he is now practically a distinct breed.

The skull should be flat, moderately wide between the ears, and gradually tapering towards the eyes. There should only be a slight depression at stop. The width of skull necessarily depends upon combined length of skull and muzzle; and the whole must be considered in connection with the size of the dog. The cheek should not be full or prominent.

The muzzle should be of fair length, tapering to the nose, and must not show weakness or be snipy or lippy. Whatever the colour of the dog may be, the nose must be black. The teeth should be of good size, sound and level; very slight unevenness is permissible. The jaws, clean cut and powerful. The eyes are a very important feature, and give expression to the dog; they should be of medium size, set somewhat obliquely, of almond shape, and of a brown colour except in the case of merles, when the eyes are frequently (one or both) blue and white or china; expression full of intelligence, with a quick alert look when listening. The ears should be small and moderately wide at the base, and placed not too close together but on the top of the skull and not on the side of the head. When in repose they should be usually carried thrown back, but when on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, with tips slightly drooping in attitude of listening.

The neck should be muscular, powerful and of fair length, and somewhat arched. The body should be strong, with well sprung ribs, chest deep, fairly broad behind the shoulders, which should be sloped, loins very powerful. The dog should be straight in front. The fore-legs should be straight and muscular, neither in nor out at elbows, with a fair amount of bone; the forearm somewhat fleshy, the pasterns showing flexibility without weakness. The hind-legs should be muscular at the thighs, clean and sinewy below the hocks, with well bent stifles. The feet should be oval in shape, soles well padded, and the toes arched and close together.

In general character he is a lithe active dog, his deep chest showing lung power, his neck strength, his sloping shoulders and well bent hocks indicating speed, and his expression high intelligence. He should be a fair length on the leg, giving him more of a racy than a cloddy appearance. In a few words, a Collie should show endurance, activity, and intelligence, with free and true action. In height dogs should be 22 ins. to 24 ins. at the shoulders, bitches 20 ins. to 22 ins. The weight for dogs is 45 to 65 lbs., bitches 40 to 55 lbs. The smooth collie only differs from the rough in its coat, which should be hard, dense and quite smooth.

Dog Training Secrets You Should Know About

October 3, 2009 by Joel  
Filed under Dog Training Tips

If you are a new pet owner and you want to teach your new dog tricks, it would not be hard for you to learn about dog training secrets because there are about tons of these in both offline and online resources. Most of these are free so you do not have to worry about paying for anything.

However, if you really want an in depth tutorial, you could learn through the expertise of professional dog trainers. They could either teach you how to do the dog training yourself or they, themselves, would train the dog for you. However, this may be costly for you. Maintaining a dog in the house could already be costly for you so hiring professional help for its training could be such a burden. Books and tips on the Internet would do a lot to help you anyway, so just do research earnestly and train your dog well.

One of the most important dog training secrets professional dog trainers know is that dogs, especially the young ones, act like human babies. Their way of telling their master their feelings would be through barking. Just like babies whose only way of communicating is crying, dogs could only bark. As a dog trainer, you should be able to understand the meaning of your dog’s barking in order to properly train it. A dog’s bark could mean that there is an impending danger on the house or it is simply hungry. To effectively train your dog, you first need to establish trust between pet and master.

Once you have successfully done this, the training process would be a lot easier because the dog would be compelled to follow your orders. Dog are naturally made to follow the leader of its pack so if you build this connection right from the beginning, you would have little difficulty in training it and could even appear as a professional.

Just continue learning about your dog and researching on dog training secrets to effectively turn your dog into a well-behaved one. By training your dog, you would be able to save yourself from a lot of trouble because your dog would learn how to behave properly especially when in a public place.