A New Year Wish For Dog Lovers - Happy New Year

Wish you all dog lovers around the world a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Let the Lord's grace be unto you!

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Mixed Breed Dogs Can Make Good Companions

I am a big fan of German Shepherd Dogs; many other German breeds like Rottweilers, Great Danes, Doberman have always found place in my favorite list. Whenever people have asked me a right breed for them, believe me, I have always talked about so many things for pure breed dogs... never a mixed breed. I have seen people more interested in pure breeds... prefer them to the mixed breeds. But from my very personal experience, I tell you mixed breeds are as good as the pure breed ones. Although I talked about the mixed breed dogs before, I think I should talk more about it!

I had one and I loved his company... he was a real gem, a blessing to me! Why pure breeds then? That's really tough to answer. Well, but what I think, someone who's interested in a mixed breed is willing to gamble. Gamble, because you won't know about his final size, physical and mental characteristics, coat type, and most importantly the activity level and temperament. For one simple instance, you know quite well what German Shepherds are and how well he pure bred german shepherd respond while protecting his owner. But you can't say for sure how a German Shepherd - Afghan Hound mixed breed puppy will grow to be! You can't guarantee which perticular gene will be dominant and why. These would all be your guess work... just no guarantee about it.

Liza again is one of my freind's lovely dog. She is a German Shepherd - Labrador mixed breed dog. Anyone would make a mistake at the first sight, thinking that she is a floppy eared solid black GSD. This beautiful medium-long coated dog has a cool temperament, highly active, quite a lot friendly, intelligent, attractive eyes, strong nose, a moderately bushy tail and naughty enough to make nuisense on the bed. One single fault with her is that she has thin and week bones, although his sire and dam are moderately heavy boned specimens.

Another instance is a Labrador - Dalmatian mixed breed dog, owned by one of my acquaintances. Rain is her name. She was the cutest dog ever as a puppy, but is now a nightmare for her owner. Sired by a normal size dog, with cool temperament, Rain is now 0.6 inches higher than her father at wither, and 0.2 inches longer than her mother, negligible though. Rain's mother is a beautiful cool tempered queen, who has right physical and mental configurations, but I still wonder how Rain became so aggressive.Well, it's all about the magic of gene.

I have only concluded that Purebreed dogs are comparative more predictable than the mixed breed ones. I mean to say, I most cases you can only predict them after they actually reach the adult age. While for a Labrador, you know well what exactly your puppy is going to be when he would grow adult. There's actually no harm owning a mixed bred dog. I think, mixed breed adult dogs are better choice instead of mixed breed puppies, because the adults offer higher degree of predictability than when they are puppies. If you've decided to get a mixed breed dog, just don't pick the cutest wooly lump from a litter. You may find it to be really tough but it's worth putting it to a temperament tests to evaluate its nature. If you are an experienced dog owner, I am sure you can pick the right puppy that would suite perfectly to your family and life style.

Mixed breed dogs are also known as feist, mutt, mongrel, tyke, cur, bitzer or random-bred dog and have the characteristics of at least two distinctive breeds of dogs, or are the descendants of pariah dog or ferals.

If you are looking around for the right books about mixed breed dogs the three best picks for you are:

• Second Hand Dog by Carol Benjamin
• Guide to Owning a Mixed Breed - Charlotte Schwartz
• Dog Adoption by Joan Hustance Walker

Stay tuned... I'll be talking more about mixed breeds shortly.


Pics have been collected from the web.

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World Dog Show 2008 - Fast Facts about World Dog Show 2008

Well, I find myself in mood of talking all about dog shows these day. I have already posted the dog show result for 66th and 67th Championship Dog Show Result 2008 - Delhi Kennel Club and show result at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2008. I am sure dog lovers around the world would want to know a bit about how the bash is going to go in the World Dog Show.

The World Dog Show one of the most prestigeous dog shows of the world that is arranged each year since 1970's under the aegis of Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) - the World Canine Organization. Federation Cynologique Internationale has 84 members/ associated partners - one member in one nation. One most amazing facts about the the World Dog Show is that whenever it is held in Europe, it is usually attended by an incredible number of as many as 15000 to 20000 exhibits at a single show from around 50 nations across the globe.

The World Dog Show 2008 had been arranged by Svenska Kennelklubben(The Swedish Kennel Club), although the club couldn't apply for the show until immediately before the show actually was held, because of the stringent quarantine laws that had been enforced in Sweden. Quite interestingly, never before this that the World Dog Show was held in Sweden. The show was held at the Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö July 3 - July 6, 2008.

The World Championship in Obedience will be held the 4th–6th of July At Stockholm International Fairs. The 75 best obedience dogs and their handlers will compete for the title World Winner Obedience.

World Championships in Junior Handling had also been arranged at the World Dog Show 2008. Competitors (aged 10–17 years) from 20 countries from around the world had participated in the show.

Competitions in freestyle took place each day in the final ring. Freestyle competition allowed the handler and his/her dog to perform a choreographed obedience show tuned with music played according to the handler's choice. This had been the most enticing event in the show.

An incredible number of 118 judges from all around the world were present to judge at the prestigious World Dog Show 2008 in Stockholm.

The chief Main sponsors were Agria Pet Insurance and Purina Proplan.

As many as 82 breed clubs arranged their own international shows in the vicinity of Stockholm during that week and almost all those dog shows were held at Almare-Stäket, north of Stockholm. the number of judges that were present at these international dog shows were around 158.

World Dog Show 2008 had an overall budget of around 20 million Swedish krona, which equals around 2 million euro.

As a spectator to the 2008 World Dog Show in Stockholm, the minimum ticket prices was SEK 140 (approx. 15 euro) per adult each day.

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Show Result, Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2008

Hey... who haven't heard of Westminster Kennel Club. If you are amongst those millions of people who have heard about the Westminster Kennel Club, I'm sure you know that the Westminster is the oldest, continuous sporting event in USA, except the Kentucky Derby. Spanning back to the history, the Westminster Kennel Club reveals a history of a small group of dog lovers who formed the Club, primarily for the Pointers and Setters over 120 years ago. The club wasc formed with a noble motive to increase the interest in dogs, improving the breed quality and to organize an Annual Dog Show in the City of New York each year. Since then the Westminster Kennel Club has been holding a highly pretigeous dog show every year. Like every year, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (the two-day benched conformation dog show) was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2008.

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2008 - Best In Show:

The Best In Show award for 2008 in Westminster Kennel Club show was given to a 15 inches male Beagle Dog named "Uno" - Ch. K-Run's Park Me In First, owned by Caroline Dowell, Eddie Dziuk, Jon Woodring and Kathy Weichert. Born on May 05, 2005, this three and a half year old beagle is an amazing specimen with awesome markings and an perfect example of the breed. the most fascinating fact about Uno is that he is the first Beagle dog who claimed the the top award at Westminster dog show and at the same time the first Beagle to win the hound group since 1939. The four breeds: Tibetan Mastiff, Beauceron, Plott Hound and Swedish Valhun have made their debut at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show 2008.

Westminster Dog Show Results - Others

BEST OF BREED

8 Ch Paradox Muse-Ic To My Ears
Breed: Bull Terrier (Colored)
Sex: Female
AKC: RN 07236502
Birth: December 25, 2004
Owner: Jeanne Fournier-Fike & S Fike & G Snyder & Jan Dykema

BEST OF OPPOSITE SEX

11 Ch Old Forge Tug McGraw At Chevalier
Breed: Bull Terrier (Colored)
Sex: Dog
AKC: RN 08976503
Birth: May 22, 2005
Owner: Dale Schuur & Judy Schreiber & Christine Schuur

AWARD OF MERIT

17 Ch Sarafina Of Bullful The Joker
Breed: Bull Terrier (Colored)
Sex: Female
AKC: RN 10608101
Birth: June 30, 2005
Owner: Barb & Thomas Bishop

Check out the 2008 Championship Dog Show result of Delhi Kennel Club, India.

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66th and 67th Championship Dog Show Result 2008 - Delhi Kennel Club

Here is the Championship Dog Show Result 2008 organized by Delhi Kennel Club - the 66th and 67th Championship Dog Show held on November 23 2008 in Delhi India. The specimens were judged by the following respected judges:

• Mr Chan Weng Woh - Malaysia
• Ms. Jackie Perry - Thailand
• Mr C. V. Sudarsan - India

Results under judge, Ms. Jackie Perry - Thailand

Breed: Siberian Husky
Position: First Best in Show (289)
Honors: BIS BISI INT Am Ch Kristari’s Ducan or Lancelot
Owner: Mr Rahul Sharma

Breed: Afghan Hound
Place: Second Best in Show (56)
Honors: Aust Ch Satang Tophat Ntails
Owner: Mr. K. S. Balkrishna Setty

Breed: Shih Tzu - Legrand’s Little Monster
Position: Third Best in Show (51)
Owner: Mr. Vetri Duraisamy

Breed: Labrador Retriever
Position: Fourth Best in Show (104)
Honors: Am Ch Wiscoy’s Brick
Owner: Mr. Sandeep Kochhar

Breed: Afghan Hound
Position: Fifth Best in Show (53)
Honors: Int FR GR LX Euro W Am Mex UK PR FN Sw Ar Ch Khafka’s Exotic Spice
Owner: Mr Vetri Duraisamy

Breed: Doberman Pinscher - Pinetree Double D Mango
Position: Sixth Best in Show (168)
Owner: Mr Sanjay Khan

Breed: Great Dane
Position: Seventh Best in Show (197)
Honors: Ch. Crekside Stryker of Vidane
Owner: Mr Vidhya Ratan

Breed: Pug
Position: Eighth Best in Show (29)
Honors: Th Ch Neo’s Memo
Owner: Mr Somani

Breed: Labrador Retriever - CromaticWay Cap a Pie
Position: Best puppy in show (128)
Owner: Mr. Rahul Sharma

Breed: Beagle - Lanbur Margaritaville
Position: Reserve best puppy in show (62)
Owner: Mr.Ajay parap singh

Breed: Shih Tzu - Legrand’s Little Monster
Position: Best breed in India (51)
Owner: Mr. Vetri Duraisamy

Best junior handler in show: Raju, who handled Alaska - the Golden Retriever.

***~~~***

Results under judge, Mr Chan Weng Woh - Malaysia

Breed: German Shepherd Dog - Bab vonder Grafenburg
Position: First Best in Show (307)
Owner: Mr. Dhiraj Raj Deb

Breed: Siberian Husky
Position: Second Best in Show (289)
Honors: BIS BISI INT Am Ch Kristari’s Ducan or Lancelot
Owner: Mr. Rahul Sharma

Breed: Boxer - Silver Cloud’s Heart Breaker
Position: Third Best in Show (148)
Owners: Mr. Danvir Singh Bhullar and Mr. Resham Singh

Breed: Great Dane - Daynakins Oscar Odyssey V Paquin
Position: Fourth Best in Show (202)
Owner: Mr. Rajesh Katyal

Breed: Afghan Hound
Position: Fifth Best in Show (53)
Honors: Int FR GR LX Euro W Am Mex UK PR FN Sw Ar Ch Khafka’s Exotic Spice
Owner: Mr Vetri Duraisamy

Breed: Shih Tzu - Legrand’s Little Monster
Position: Sixth Best in Shown (51)
Owner: Mr. Vetri Duraisamy

Breed: Kerry Blue Terrier - Haytons Talizman Mex.FCI
Position: Seventh Best in Show (34)
Owner: Mr. K. S. Balkrishna Setty

Breed: Labrador Retriever - CromaticWay Cap a Pie
Position: Eighth Best in Show (128)
Owner: Mr. Rahul Sharma

Breed: Labrador Retriever - CromaticWay Cap a Pie
Position: Best puppy in Show (128)
Owner: Mr. Rahul Sharma

Breed: Great Dane - Dane Hllhi mystify me
Position: Best breed in India in Show(320)
Owner: Mrs.Gauri Nagolkar

Check out the Westminster Dog Show Result 2008

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A Bit About Rottweilers - Rottweiler Information

I hope flickering candles brightened up your life this Christmas. Hope you all enjoyed well and made good cheers.

Well, now folks... I would like to talk about Rotties - the Rottweilers. I have seen people are usually scared of some names; worth mentioning of them are Dobermann, Rottweilers, Pit bull terriers and even sometimes German Shepherds. Many people have wrong notions about some dog, thereby stigmatizing the breed. Rotties have been stigmatized by many around me.

Rottweiler is a noble breed with imposing appearance and amazing protective instincts. His natural guarding instincts have made it a prized guard dog for years. Rottweilers' inherent nature is that of a courageous protector and incredibly devoted to its pack members - his family, which makes him quite aggressive towards strangers. Distinct behavioral differences is noticed in both the genders. While Males usually attack a perceived intruder with a voluminous growling bark without even a prior warning, females usually tend to bark and warn. This typical nature of Rottweilers makes people think that these dogs are stoic and and indifferent to joy and grief. Wrong notion! I am sure the Rottweiler owners will stand against this incorrect conception Rottweilers can be magical companion, if trained properly. Responsible owners would always prefer starting off the training session for their Rottweilers at the right age.

General Appearance

Ideally Rottweiler is a medium large dog with compact and substantial built and an imposing look, altogether giving an impression of massive innate strength and endurance. Glossy black coat with prominent mahogany or rust markings gives their look a distinctive touch. Males are characteristically more massively build and structurally larger with heavier bones compared to females. The distinctly feminine appearance of females set them apart from males as far the look is concerned. The medium long head that is broad enough between the ears, moderately arched forehead line, well developed stop adds to the dog's facial profile, with the backskull to muzzle ratio being 3 : 2. Slight wrinkles in forehead of an alert dog gives his look a special touch.

Expression

The medium sized almond eyes with the rust marked melon pip right above add beauty to the alert, noble and self-assured expression of Rottweiliers. Powerful, well muscled, slightly arched, moderately long neck, firm level back, well sprung, oval ribs, broad croup, slight tuck-up underline, strongly developed, straight and heavy boned legs give an indication of incredible strength along with a dramatically spirited look.

The stifle joint is well curved and the hind quarter angulations are proportionately balanced with the fore quarters and rest of the body. When stacked the rear pastern stands right perpendicular to the ground, wide enough apart to fit perfectly with a well built structure. Rear feet are a bit longer than the front feet and all the four pads are quite thicker, harder and larger compared to many of the other large dog breeds. The strong built rear portions helps the dog to deliver powerful rear propulsion that benefits in strong fore-reach with maximum coverage of grounds while trotting. The overall structure makes the dog a good trotting companion of his owner. The unhindered, harmonious gait of a well proportioned Rottweiler makes many people fall in love with the breed. Tails have been traditionally docked, but due to the banning of tail docking in many countries Rottweilers with un-docked tail are seen in most of the dog shows around the world.

Proportion

Dogs ranges between 24 inches and 27 inches high at the wither; females ranges between 22 inches and 25 inches. Correct proportion requires that the Height : Length should be 9 : 10, which means they shoould be slightly longer compared to height, neither being coarse, nor shelly. Rottweilers are deep chested breed and the Depth of chest measures around 50% of the dog's height at wither.

Temperament

Rottweilers are by nature calm with self-assured, confident and courageous disposition. He doesn't lend himself to immediate friendship at the first meeting. Being an inherently protection dog, Rottweilers tend to be quite possessive about their territory and pack members. His intelligence, ability to adopt itself in extreme hardness and strong desire to work, makes him best suited member as a general all-purpose dog - especially as a companion and guardian dog. Rottweilers in the hand of a novice owner can be a nightmare, while with a responsible owner can be a award winning specimen. Although aggressive attitude towards other dogs and strangers are not faults, yet in a show ring if a dog attacks any person or the judge may be disqualified.

Classifications

• FCI Group 2 Section 2 #147
• AKC Working
• ANKC Group 6 (Utility group)
• CKC Group 3 - Working group
• KC (UK) Working
• UKC Guardian Dog
• NZKC Utility

There are tonnes of more information about Rottweilers. Stay tuned to get more Rottweiler information shortly.

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Merry Christmas Dog Lovers

Here's a little smile, some words of cheer, a bit of love for dog lovers around the world and their beloved dogs. Here's my Christmas dog lover wishes and best wishes for the coming year 2009.

Let this Christmas wave a magic wand over your world and let the Lord's blessings on you turn all things golden for you.

Cheers
Arindam

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Cruelty to Animals Can't be a Solution To Dangerous Dog Problem in Society

Thanks to Humane Society International (HSI) for raising a voice against cruelty to animals. Having read my post regarding insane act of Peru Government, some of the readers expressed their gut feelings through emails.

There was again a similar incidence that happened some weeks ago, about mass killing of over 200 dogs in Baghdad. The campaign started on Sunday November 23 2008 in western Baghdad. An incredible number of over 200 stray dogs have been killed in the most cruel way by keeping them at the gun point or poisoning them to death. This was an approach by the authority to reduce the number of ferocious dogs that had bitten 13 people in Baghdad on August 2008. Nobody can deny the necessity of culling off the dangerous dogs in the society, but this cannot be a way. While some were cruelly shot to death, others were poisoned. These approaches are the examples of the world's most callous deeds and cruelty to animals. Although the Humane Society International sent out a letter to the Prime Minister and other administrative persons, no responses have yet been reverted back.

Kelly O'Meara, the director of international programs for Humane Society International said, "When we send these kinds of letters, it takes time to get a response". Kelly also added, "When there's media attention, as there was on this, they usually shut it down immediately. They don't want to be looked at in a bad light in the eyes of the international community".

Dr. Hassan Chaloub, an official at the veterinary hospital, who supervised the campaign, said that three teams of veterinarians and police officials were on the mission of killing dogs in Baghdad by poisoning and shooting them. Although under Saddam Hussein, authorities used to kill stray dogs in the capital almost every year in the way they have been killed this time, but the practice was put to an end by implementing legal bindings in 2003. Since then, the number of strays in Baghdad have been counted to over one thousand, which made them take the decision of killing dogs in the way they did.

This really sounds cheap... be it any type of animals. HSI officials have suggested a better way, a “Holistic Approach” to control such dangerous problem in the society. Although these approaches do not work as fast as shooting and poisoning dogs down to death, but these are still very effective. Spaying and Neutering is the best way to control stray dog population. Officials of Humane Society International have recommended “euthanasia” by qualified people, instead of killing them in the cruel manners.

Cruelty to Animals can't be a solution to any problems - including Dangerous Dog Problem in Society.

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List of Registered Dog Breeds Exposed to the Practice of Tail Docking

Here's a comprehensive list of all dog breeds that are registered with Kennel Club and are still docked in UK and other parts of the world, even after so many awareness campaigns and enforcement of law against such practice. There's no justified reason behind docking tails of these breeds. Some of these breeds are also exposed to the risks of Neuropathic pain (Phantom Limb Pain/ Phantom Pain) due to Ear Cropping along side tail docking.

GUNDOG

• American Cocker Spaniel
• Brittany Spaniel
• Clumber Spaniel
• English Cocker Spaniel
• English Springer Spaniel
• Field Spaniel
• German Shorthaired Pointer
• German Wirehaired Pointer
• Hungarian Vizsla
• Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla
• Italian Spinone
• Large Munsterlander
• Long Haired Weimaraner
• Sussex Spaniel
• Weimaraner
• Welsh Springer Spaniel
• Working Cocker

TERRIER

• Airedale Terrier
• Australian Terrier
• Glen of Imaal Terrier
• Irish Terrier
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Lakeland Terrier
• Norfolk Terrier
• Norwich Terrier
• Parson or Jack Russell Terrier
• Sealyham Terrier
• Smooth coated Fox Terrier
• Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier
• Welsh Terrier
• Wired haired Fox Terrier

UTILITY

• Giant Schnauzer
• Miniature Poodle
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Standard Poodle
• Schipperke
• Toy Poodle

WORKING

• Bouvier des Flandres
• Boxer (both tail docking and ear cropping)
• Dobermann (both tail docking and ear cropping)
• Giant Schnauzer
• Great Dane (Great Dane Tails are not docked but Ear Cropping is in practice)
  
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Pinscher (includes Dobermann Pinscher, Gerrman Pinscher - Deutscher Pinscher, Miniature Pinscher - Zwergpinscher, Affenpinscher, Austrian Pinscher)
• Rottweiler

PASTORAL

• Australian Shepherd
• Old English Sheepdog
• Polish Lowland Sheepdog
• Pyrenean Sheepdog
• Swedish Vallhund
• Cardigan Welsh Corgi
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi

TOY

• Australian Silky Terrier
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Griffon Bruxellois
• King Charles Spaniel
• Miniature Pinscher
• Yorkshire Terrier

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Tale of Tails – Why Should Tail Docking and Ear Cropping be Banned?

Okay, I admit that I can't fight alone. I would like you to raise your voice against cruelty to animals. Any sort of surgery unless otherwise supported by any therapeutic reason(s) are treated to be cosmetic. I tell you frankly, if you are trying to defend yourself by laying down all illogical reasons that have been live on the web since years, you are not amongst those zillions of peeps, who are truly in love with animals. Please don't introduce yourself as an animal lover. I would like to listen to no theory to support such an inhuman practice, unless there is any underlying medical reason.

Tail docking in dogs and horses, cropping of ears and de-vocalization (de-barking surgery) in dogs are the most inhuman act that have been in practice since time immemorial. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has opposed cropping of dogs' ears and docking of tail for cosmetic purposes. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has been encouraging vets to aware the dog owners of the risks and lack of medical benefits in this regard. Tail docking for cosmetic purposes has been legally banned for all breeds since 1989 in Sweden. The British Veterinary Association, the DEFRA Animal Welfare Veterinary Team, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, The Companion Animal Welfare Council, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, the Sligo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have strongly expressed their view points against tail docking and ear cropping. Many countries, for instance, Australia Austria, Germany, Israel, South Africa, Sweden, USA and a lot more have banned the practice by enforcement of law. Yet still an incredibly huge part of the dog lovers population are engaged in such nonsense practices.

Why should you avoid tail docking?

Because cosmetic surgery is unnecessary. Ear cropping and tail docking has no medical benefit, nor does these types of surgery increase the working ability of a breed.

One of the latest reports laid down by The Advocates for Animals, claims that tail docking causes acute pain to the new born puppies and most of the times the pain persists through out the entire life, causing behavioral problems.

The tail is one of the most vital organ that helps them communicate and express their emotions that are compromised by amputing it. Tail provides the most significant role in balance and agility. Once docked the animal sometimes looses psychological balance and might behave aggressively. This type of faulty behavior results from a faulty signals between the brain and the missing organ. Neurons in the brain continue sending out signals to the tail (to express the sign of communication), but the dog can't carry out the action because the organ is actually missing.

Researchers have also come up with evidences that tail docking weakens the pelvic muscles and those at the perineal region. Researchers have evidences to support the fact that this can cause faecal incontinence, perineal hernia and urinary incontinence in female dogs.

The surface of the dogs' tails have supracaudal scent glands (also called Violet Gland), which helps in intra-species signaling and scent marking – Olfactory signaling. The supracaudal glands or the Violet glands, in dogs, are found approximately right above the 9th caudal vertebra and secretes protein and lipids (molecules includes fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, steroids). This means when you ampute the tail you are removing this vital gland too. The greeting pattern in dogs usually differs from breed to breed, due to the presence or absence of supracaudal scent glands. Since the supracaudal gland supports the olfactory signaling, the absence of the gland causes lack of ear movement , tail wagging (which is stepped in the first place by mutilating it). This, in turn, causes a change in communicative behavior.

While docking tails or cropping ears, most of the time you injure certain nerves, resulting Neuropathic pain (commonly called Phantom pain or Phantom Limb Pain – PLP). Phantom Pain or Phantom Limb Pain is a type of pain that can result from injury to nerves, either in the peripheral or central nervous system. PLP is often described as a hot and burning sensation that can other nerves and can be really devastating at times. People have not yet been spared a thought over this issue.

If you are still trying to put some trash logic to support ear cropping and tail docking, I would like to see you ampute your right hand thumb first. And if it's already done for any medical reason, please move a step ahead and cut off your right hand entirely. Well, I won't mind if you cut your tongue out completely for cosmetic purpose instead of de-vocalizing your pet.

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Dog Aggression - Why Dog Becomes Aggressive

Most often I have seen dog owners – especially the new ones, look for the answers to their dogs' aggressive behaviors. They can understand well that its not desirable for their canine companions to develop such habits, but they can't understand what makes their dog aggressive! I am sure many of you guys, who're reading this post are gripped with a same problem – dog aggression... either aggression towards strangers or aggression towards other dogs or aggression toward bike or car that passes by. Many dog owners are are tired of seeing the sign of aggressive dogs, like scary growls, dreadful barks with bared teeth, and even sometimes attacking. You should know the underlying reasons why dogs sometimes become such harsh aggressive members. To have a good grasp in dogs' aggressive behaviors, just read out the type of aggression and you will find the reason behind such undesirable dog behavior.

Dominance Aggression
Dog – irrespective of breeds, tries to establish their dominance within it's pack. He sees the family as a pack and considers each member of the family as it's pack member and tries to be the Alpha member of the pack. This is one of the few major reason for dog aggression. This behavior is commonly exhibited towards other dogs of the pack but can also be shown towards the owners and his family! Understanding the hirarchical structure of a canine pack, you can easily bit this sort of situation. The secret of the success story lies in making the dog understand that none but the owner himself is only the Alpha member of the pack. Proper socialization during early age can help avoiding the dominance aggression towards other people and pets around him.

Territorial Aggression
Dogs are naturally territorial animals, although this nature is found more intensely in males than in females. They consider their home and family as their own possession or territory. They are natural protectors and protects their territory even at the cost of their lives. Now Territorial Aggression may be exhibited if your dog feels a strange intrusion into their territory or if he feels his pack threatened. While this is an undesirable behavior in our world, but it's quite natural and desirable for dogs trained for protection and guarding. I would always admire the right degree of territorial aggression in dogs... it's his natural instinct. Try not to destroy it.

Fear Aggression
In most cases the owners are responsible for this type of aggression. Why? You haven't socialize your dog during his early age. Fear for mob or unknown people can entirely change your dog's behavior. Fear is another very common reason for aggressive behavior in dogs. Understanding the sings of an afraid dog is an art that you need to master first. An afraid dog will usually show signals like growling with bared teeth, pulling his ears back and tail between his hind quarters. If thretened further the dog may instantly attack in the rage of fear, and this is usually mistaken for unreasonable aggression and acute psychological disorder. Wrong! Understand the reason of his fear and think of ways to put an end to this problem... not only for your benefits, but for your dog too!

Hereditary Nature
We can't deny science! Gene has a lot of role to play evoke certain behavioral tendencies in a dog, just like it does to show different color patters and structure within a same breed and for different breeds. Breeding without having a proper grasp in that science results in over aggression due to shyness and/or nervousness. But certain dog breeds are typically more aggressive than others.

Inappropriate Aggression
Inappropriate aggression is another undesirable canine behavior. Most of ten the type of aggressive behavior is misunderstood. Inappropriate Aggressive behavior occurs when the dog fails to take out his aggression on object that causes irritation or fear shows his aggression on something else. He might attack his onw ones in the rage of anger, which often makes owners misunderstand their dogs.

Aggression For Health Reason
Another salient reason for dog aggression is ill health. The underlying medical condition can make a dog behave in a way he shouldn't. Underlying pain always keeps a dog mentally disturbed and increase his aggression.

Maternal Protectiveness Aggression
Females usually have the tendency to become more aggressive during their pregnancy or at time of nursing. Aggression due to Maternal Protectiveness is one of the commonest reason of dog aggressions in females. I have seen good training during the early age can make her life easy... easier for you too!

Tail Docking and Ear Cropping
I often come across people saying tail docking makes dog agressive. True to some extent, but they have never been able to give a logical relationship between tail docking and aggression. Ear Cropping too is another reason. Wondering why?
According to researchers and scientists at the University of Victoria in Vancouver, Canada, dogs with docked tail are relative more aggressive than those with the complete ones. The scientists discovered that normal dogs approach a dog with docked tail more cautiously. Since tail is the most significant communicating tool for dogs, a normal dog gets confused when he come across a dog without tail, because he can't see him wagging, which happens to be the most important signal of friendship. The over cautious nature of the other dog sometimes irritates the dog with docked tail and he tends to show his aggression.

Tail docking means amputation of the ending part of the spines, which is a vital part of the body. Again when the ears are cropped and tails docked by an inexperienced person, they often cut off certain nerves, which is a reason for some permanent disorder, called Phantom Limb Pain or Phantom pain. This causes a constant irritating pain – though not intollerable. This is another major reason why dogs with cropped ears and docked tails sometimes behanve in the way they shouldn't.

I am against ear cropping and tail docking. I would like to hear from you about this.

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Handling Dog Difficulty - Dealing With Difficult Dogs

Now here's something that many of you might have not thought of before! Yes, “How to deal with difficult dogs” is a topic that you probably haven't ever spared a thought over. And if you tired of your dog difficulty, I am sure you have been looking for tips about how to deal with difficult dogs to put an and to your worries – the dog difficulties. Here are some tips on how to put an end to dog difficulties! Read on....

Well it's again more of an art than a technique. But if you want to call it a technique, I won't mind too. If you are a dog lover you need to know the art or technique of dealing with difficult dog. If you're already an owner of an aggressive and difficult dog, I am sure you already know some of these techniques.

Do you still remember the day you brought your cute little puppy home? I am sure you can never forget the day. When you brought him home, a couple of years ago, you knew that your cute little Rolley was going to make your life whole. You enjoyed seeing him come running towards you, wagging and playing with your kids happily. But you never thought that Roley might become a giant aggressive biter?

If this is an incident that has happened with you, like it happened with some of my peeps, I am sure you can't sleep in peace. Dealing with the difficult dogs is not so easy... it's not all that a big deal too!

Understand the Difficult Dog:
Understanding the reason why your dog's becoming more and more difficult to handle, is the first step to deal with him. All you need, is to understand why he behaves in the way he does. Analyze why he doesn't like certain things or why certain situations irritate him. You, as an owner of your dog, are the best person to analyze his difficulties. Remember, a dog that gets right quantity and quality of food, proper exercise, enough space to move around freely, proper care and ample love shouldn't become a difficult dog. I have rarely seen dogs of generous owners to become difficult to handle.

Ensure that your dog is healthy:
Make sure that your dog is healthy. By “Health”, I mean both mental and physical health. Consult an expert canine behaviorist or a dog trainer or a registered vet about the difficulties in him. You can also consult a canine expert or a professional dog trainer, who have been handling difficult dogs for years. They are the right guys to come up with some good solutions. Sick dogso often become aggressive.

Don't abandon your dog:
Give up the idea of abandoning your dog, at the first place. You can't escape all your problems by simply abandoning them. The next most important step is to bring your dog closer; make him feel the warmth of your presence and love. You can always seek help from experienced guys like canine behaviorists, dog trainers and experienced dog breeders and owners. You can always contact SPCA, ASPCA , RSPCA, and other canine organization and kennel clubs, seeking help. After all you have your family, friends and your chess board... he has none but you.

Look at your dog with love – don't stare:
Cool! Come close to your dog. Don't stare at him; look at his innocent eyes with love and kindness. Try to read his mind and let him read yours. Gather a bit of courage, go near him steadily with a few pieces his favorite treats – tidbits. If he is chained, unleash him immediately. Offer him his treat. Take him out in your well fenced garden off leash and let him run as fast and as long as he can. Throw a ball and he'll love to chase it. Don't expect too much from him. If he doesn't fetch it, it's you who couldn't teach him “sit-fetch-stay” properly.

Share your love:
Love wins all... difficult dogs are no of exception! Make him feel your love. Pat him -- love him lavishly. Extend your hand to his belly and rub gently to make him comfortable. If he growls, take off your hand and rub his back. Every single action of yours the movement of your body parts, your hand should be slow enough. This will keep him cool. Rub his neck and throat gently and you'll be amazed to find him lying down, trying to lick you. Don't get scared... he wants to give you some million dollar kisses.

Take him for a stroll:
A brisk stroll a mile every fine morning is a proven drug for difficult dogs. Walk him out amidst the morning mist together; strengthen your bondage. Make him feel the essence of togetherness and you'll see the magic of it! In most cases, I have seen, aggressiveness arises out of the feeling of loneliness and insecurity. Once you make him feel secured and loved you will win the war. But never take a difficult dog out off the leash.

Resist your dog from becoming a difficult to handle from the beginning. Simple obedience training from very early age can help steer clear of the situation.

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How To Communicate With Dog

Dog lovers best know the fun of communicating with their dogs. Talking to dogs has always been the most pleasant experience for the dog lovers and owners. It's more of an art than a technique. And you can't find the tips on how to communicate with dogs so frequently in books and canine magazines. You need to master the art of communicating with dogs, and it's not all that a rocket science. All you need to do is to recognize and study each single behavior of your dog. If you are a dog lover, I am sure you have been doing it since the day you brought him home. Now, you need to put a bit more attention on what he does. Well, just sit back on your couch and let Reva do whatever he wants. Watch him quietly.

The study involves 3 distinctive approaches:

• Trying to understand what makes Reva what she is
• Trying to analyze why does Reva behave in the way she does
• Think of the ways to make Reva understand what you want her to do; and this is where the art lies!

What all the canine behaviorists and experts have to say, is that you, as the owner, have to communicate with dogs. How? Try to determine the behaviors in your dog. Try to sort them out according to which are desirable and which are the undesirable ones. From the human point of view the desirable dog behaviors are those that you want him to behave like. While on the other level, from the canine point of view, the owner has to communicate with dogs to determine which particular behavior give them ultimate satisfaction.

The secret of the success story lies in understanding the signals that Reva sends to you through his typical behavior. You're the most successful owner, if you understand whether Reva is confident or confused, happy or sad, and bold or nervous.

Make Yourself a Successful Dog Owner

Who doesn't want to be the most loved buddy of his dog? Again the secret of becoming your dog's loved one is not to expect too much from your dog before you master the art of communicating with her. This is one simple approach that can make you a happy and successful dog owner. Once you become your dog's loved one, your dog will start to understand what you want and which behaviors are acceptable to you. Remember, your dog will always try to make you more happy with his behavior. She would chase a cat, drive it out of the territory, come back to you wagging. If this is what you want praise her lavishly. If this behavior is not acceptable try to make her understand that you didn't like that. Yelling at her and hitting her will spoil your child. Just show her your annoyance with your specific behavior. Pull her back with the lead and say “NO” sharply and in a strong voice. Dogs are naturally quite intelligent!

Use Their Instincts

If you're tired of working against Reva's instincts, don't end up with frustration. It's your fault, if she doesn't understand you. This implies you haven't yet successfully mastered the art of communicating with dog. Remember, you need to understand Reva's instincts – the instincts that drive Reva in doing what she does. If you study her behavior, you will understand what makes Reva angry and why. This helps you communicate better with her.

By Communicating with Dog you can be a Trainer yourself

Once you become skilled in understanding your dog's behaviors, you will be able communicate with her. If you can communicate with you dog well, you can be her best teacher. You don't need to hire a professional trainer, nor do you need to be a professional dog trainer yourself. The bottom line is, you can teach Reva in her language. By communicating with your dog you can teach her do whatever you want. But remember, she doesn't understand English or German or any of the human language. She just recognizes the sound and act as per the way she has been taught what that sound means. The approach of communicating with dogs works amazingly, if you start from the basic training to the advanced training courses.

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