Dog Breeds - Dalmatian

The Dalmatian has been made popular with children because of the Disney movie, "101 Dalmatians".  

Their association with Fire Stations comes from various bits of information, including their help in chasing rats from fire stations in England, to training them to guide the horse-drawn fire wagons through the streets, while protecting the horses from stray dogs that would attack them. How much of this is fact, and how much fiction, I don't know, but since the origin of the breed is in Europe, it sounds likely. 

Following is an article with more information about the breed written by Kelly Marshall.

Of all the dogs, the Dalmatian is easily spotted by its characteristic black spotted features. How these black spots evolved remains a puzzle. The Dalmatian is a European breed, first discovered in Western Yugoslavia. In the USA the Dalmatian was first introduced about 120 years ago and still remains one of the most popular dogs as a pet.

One of the great features of the Dalmatian is its energy level and ability to exercise for long duration. The Dalmatian is not a pet for a small apartment because it needs a lot of room. Training this dog is not difficult but does require a great deal of patience. Training can be difficult at times because the dog often tends to become stubborn. While the Dalmatian does make a great pet dog, it often does get ill tempered with other dogs. Ironically, it is quite friendly with other animals like cats and even horses. For those families with children, the Dalmatian should not be the first pet as it is full of energy and though not intentional, it can be a little rough with small children. However, if the dog is well trained it can make a great loving pet. Despite its size and energy, the dog will rarely harm a child or the owner.

Upkeep and Maintenance

The Dalmatian is one dog that needs regular exercise and thus, it is more suited for people who are active. Simply taking the Dalmatian out to poop will not be adequate as it prefers to go for long outdoor runs. The majority of Dalmatian owners indicate that it makes a great jogging companion. When you first buy the Dalmatian as a puppy it will gladly live in the apartment, but as soon as it grows, it will let you know where it wants to go. Throwing a ball in the park is another way to provide exercise for them as well.

The Dalmatian prefers the cool temperate weather more so than the hot humid climate. When outside, one has to make sure that it is provided with lots of water and a shade to rest under. The dog does tend to become attached to humans and loves people company. Even though the Dalmatian loves the outdoors, it also prefers to be with humans once inside the home.

Health Information

While the Dalmatian generally is disease free, it does suffer from deafness with age. Other common medical ailments that may afflict the dog include an under active thyroid gland, allergies, visual problems and seizures. While CHD has been reported, it is very rare and no where near as common as what occurs in Rottweilers. All Dalmatian owners are recommended that the dog be checked regularly by a veterinarian to screen for the above mentioned health problems

The majority of pet dalmatians live at least 12-15 years. There are even reports of some Dalmatians living a lot longer. While comparisons are difficult, the dog can be as loving and gentle as a Labrador when it is well trained.

About the Author: Article by Kelly Marshall of http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com, your top spot to buy dog coats & jackets online.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Please look under the category "Dog Breeds" below for posts about other dog breeds that are presently available, and will be added over time.

Things Dogs Should Never Eat

My owner visits a network of other humans that like to talk about all kinds of things.  The other day a woman named Kimberlee Leonard started a discussion with a story about her dog, Chewie, and from the story you can learn a valuable lesson about what dogs should and should not eat.  Here is some of what she shared:

Being a dog owner my entire life and having Chewie for nearly 14 years, I thought I had been through most anything regarding dogs....

Over the years I have learned onions can cause issues with their white blood cell count, grapes and raisins in small quantities can cause renal failure, and chocolate is fine for my PMS but

Dog Breeds - Basset Hounds

I thought it would be fun to have posts now and then about different kinds of dogs, not just Yorkies like me.  This is the first post, but in time, if you want to find all the posts that are about different kinds of dogs, then click on "Dog Breeds" under "Categories" to the right, and you'll find them.

At the same house where I was born, the owner had a Basset Hound, he was a great big dog, I think I am smaller than his head was.  But in memory of him, because he has gone over the "Rainbow Bridge", I thought I'd start with an article we found about Basset (sometimes spelled "Bassett) Hounds.

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Although we are unable to identify the exact time period in history when the Basset Hound was created, some historians have noted that the first mention of this type of dog was found during 16th century text that made mention to “short legged dogs used for badger hunting.

We also know that comparable dwarf breeds that had short legs were used during the ancient times, but it is very difficult to focus in on exactly when and why the Basset Hound was intentionally bred.

The word “Basset” is French and is derivative from bas, which means “dwarf”. We know that short legged dogs were normally used for slow paced hunting during the French Revolution. History of this dog breed indicates a much clearer snap shot after French Revolution.

During this time period that Basset Hounds became a whole lot more common as a hunting companion. Many Hunters needed a dog that was intelligent enough with its scent ability to hunt prey and at the same time was slow enough so that they could be followed and hunted with guns. This is where this animal received its small dwarf like body; it became the perfect hunting formula for these needs.

Ultimately, there are four different variations of the short legged kind were created. One of these variations is know as the Basset Artesien Normand. The Basset Artesien Normand is what closely resembles today s Basset Hound. In the late 1800s and then again around 1930, crosses were developed with Bloodhounds to bring up their size. The first Bassett Hounds were sent to England and the United States during the late 1800s.

Personality

You will discover that the Basset Hound is one of the most calm and relaxed dog breeds alive today. They are very good natured with nearly every other animal and human they come into contact with. The Basset is enormously suited for kids and is well behaved even in the company of other strange dogs. Even though these dogs are considered high in affection levels and friendliness, do not underestimate its watchdog capabilities. In addition, these Hounds made great watchdogs.

Taking Care Of A Basset Hound

Basset Hounds need a dose of daily exercise, but not an over dose. One or two walks each day on the leash around your block will suit just fine. But, like any animal, it is always good for extra playtime and games when possible. Basset Hounds should sleep indoors with the family during the evening. During the day, having these dogs should have access to an enclosed yard. There’s no need for that much grooming. Just a little brushing and bath times throughout the week will be fine. Also, make note that these dogs tend to drool frequently.

Health Information

Basset Hounds have a live around 9 and 12 years, sometimes they live longer, it all depends on their health. Big health concerns are ectropion, vWD, CHD, gastric torsion, OCD, thrombopathy, otitis externa, and elbow dysplasia. Minor health problems may include patellar luxation. Obesity is a common issue with these animals when owners overfeed them. Make sure that you place caution on how much food you provide.

About the Author: Written by Kelly Marshall of http://Ohmydogsupplies.com, which has a huge selection of over 300 http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/grooming-tools dog grooming tools and dog grooming supplies.

Image Credit: businessgreetingcards.com

I Feel a Lot Better Now

I'm back to my old tricks again after not feeling good for a day or so.  Yesterday I started feeling pretty good, and today, I'm feeling too good...that means I'm begging for treats, begging to have my owners throw my toy bunny, begging for them to kick my ball, a whole lot of begging.

At this update, we're adding the post that came just before what is written above, because it was lost when we transferred the blog to a new site:

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Sorry that we haven't posted in a few days, I've been a little bit sick, and my owner has been busy taking care of me.

I don't want to gross you out with details, lets just say that I had a tummy ache, and had to go outside a lot, when we could make it on time.  My owner gets all worried when I get like that, because I am small, and if I lose my food and water, it's more serious than if I was a big dog.  But today, after I got all "cleaned out", my owner gave me just a very little bit of chicken cut in tiny pieces, and I love chicken so was able to eat it. Then I took a long nap, then when dinner time came, my owner was so happy to see me come to the kitchen to play ball.

Whenever she is in the kitchen, I bring my tennis ball to her, and she kicks it into the other room, then I get it and bring it back, and...well, you get the idea.

I had a little more chicken, and my usual organic healthy salmon snack tonight, and so far, so good!  We'll see how I am tomorrow.  We will go to the vet if I don't keep improving.

Hope to have something more fun to write soon!

Dog Biting, What Is It?

Recently I had to ask my owner what biting is, what does it mean when a dog bites you?  She smiled, and explained to me what it is, I just didn't know because I've never, ever done it or thought of doing it. I've made my version of a growling sound before, which for some reason makes everyone here laugh, I guess it's not very convincing...but that's about as bad as I get.

Biting sounds so mean, but since there are dogs that have this problem, we decided that we're going to ad an article page about it to the "pages" section of the blog, so look for it in the list under "Pages" to the right.

Snack Time Yorkie Pictures

Hi people, it's me, Aspen the Yorkie, with pictures of myself waiting for my snack. I LOVE snack time, it's my favorite time of the day!

Here's a (blurry!) picture of me waiting while my snack is being broken into tiny pieces, I know, you're wondering why they have to break my snacks in tiny pieces. I guess I'm kind of strange, but I don't like chewing or gnawing on things. I've been given every kind of chew thing you can think of, and I don't like them. What things do you dogs out there like to chew on?



And finally, here's me eating, I'm so happy!! I love my snacks.



My owner may try making some snacks sometime, I hope I like them!

How My Owner Groomed Me

It's been a scarey couple of days for me, but not as scarey as going to the groomer...I used to love going for rides in the car until my owner started ending some of those trips at a groomer, now every time we go anywhere, I'm afraid that's where I'll end up. So my owner decided to groom me herself. She used to do this all the time, but she doesn't as much anymore. This is what she did:

• She put a large towel on the table, and got her best scissors, a small and large pair, and my brush.


• I had so much hair, that she just took hold of it between here fingers a bit at a time and cut off a few inches almost all over my body, leaving enough to shape later. I moved constantly, so it wasn't a very pretty site when she finished.


• She went outside, and put the hair on the ground not to far from the bird feeder, because sometimes the birds like my nice, soft hair to make their nests.


• Finally, she gave me a bath...that felt good because it was a hot day.

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That was all she did on day one. I noticed she kept looking at me funny, like she was an artist looking at a sculpture, planning what she was going to chisel away next. And chisel she did, the next day! Out came a clean towel and those scissors again.

• She was more careful in shaping my hair this time...it was more of a puppy cut, and you have to remember I have curly hair, so she would a section of hair between the length of two fingers up and down, pull it out from my body, and cut, and did the same thing pretty much all over my body.


• The tummy hairs she cut very short, very close to my body. By the time she was done, I looked so much better.


• Around my face is tricky, since that's my least favorite place to be cut, she holds me gently but firmly by the scruff of my neck, like my mommy would when I was a baby, and that just did something to make me still, and she could trim around my face. It looks much better now, I used to look like I had a long beard, now my hair circles my face kind of like a lion. She uses little blunt but sharp scissors around my eyes, and I can see again!


• She was real careful cutting the hair on my legs, once she did it so short I looked like I had chicken legs, and we both hate that look.


• She also trimmed the hair under my tail pretty short so.


• Oh, and my little feet, she trimmed the hair following the line of my paw so there was just enough hair to cover my nails.

That's enough for now, I feel much better, and next she's going to learn how to clean my ears. She's getting some help from a good instructional publication, it's VERY detailed, and costs so much less than a grooming. You can Click here for more information. We were impressed.

Happy weekend to you!