All Dogs Breed

Dachshund racing, or wiener dog racing, is a popular, yet controversial sporting event, primarily found in North America. Typical Dachshund races are either 25 or 50 yards in length, and are run on various surfaces. Many race tracks across America host these events as fundraising or publicity events, and routinely draw the venues' largest attendance numbers of the year.

In the less formal events, most entrants are not career racers, nor bred for racing. Often, dogs will choose not to run the length of the course and instead visit with other dogs or the owner that released them. Otherwise, dogs will run swiftly to their owner at the finish line, coaxed by food or toys.

The de facto national championship of wiener dog racing is the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals, held in San Diego, California every December as part of the Holiday Bowl, however there are many other venues that claim title to the true "national champion".

Data refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_dog_race

The Koolie or Coolie, also known as the Australian Koolie or the German Koolie is an Australian dog breed. Specifically, it is a herding dog, a subcategory of a working dog. Koolies have existed in Australia since the early 19th century, established through old photos owned by elder Koolie breeders and personal records such as diaries.

He Koolie Club of Australia defines the breed based on its ability to work rather than on its conformation. However, most Koolie breeders refer to the Koolie as a breed rather than as a type, and assert that it "breeds true", with various types or strains within the breed.

Many countries will gather their working dogs under the same category like Germany with their herding dog breeds all classed as Altdeutsche Hütehunde (heading dogs). New Zealand not only classify their breeds this way, but they also grade them by their working traits. Koolies in New Zealand are registered as a "heading dog": A dog which has a natural instinct to cast out (i.e., circle widely), round sheep and bring them back to their owner. The Koolie is known as a silent working dog. They are used for “heading” sheep and also for quiet careful work at close quarters at lambing time or for “shedding” (cutting out) sheep. It is only through the registrar of the Australian Koolie Club that these bloodlines remain an integral part of the breed and are active contributors to the Koolie gene pool. New Zealand Koolie breeders are working towards having the Koolie recognised under their own breed name as they have been in Australia.

The Koolie is as diverse as the country it originates from, Australia. In the north of Queensland and New South Wales they are tall, medium boned and agile, bred for mustering Simmental Cattle and Brahma over many miles. In The Hunter Valley region and Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, they're thicker set and shorter to flush low lying cattle from the dense bush and gullies. In Victoria, one finds the smallest variety of the Koolie. Koolies are bred to meet the needs of the stockman, grazier and farmer, all agile, all with the same ability to adapt to any situation, all with a strong willingness drive. The Koolie vary from 40 to 60 centimetres (16 to 24 in) in size and are a contrast of coat, colour and body type, although they are merled coat pattern. The solid red or black Koolie are often mistaken for Kelpies, and some bi coloured Koolie have been taken for Border Collies by the general public, rarely if ever by breeders. As all of these breeds share Collie ancestry, they resemble each other.

Data refer :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Coolie

The Entlebucher Sennenhund or Entlebucher Mountain Dog is the smallest of the four Sennenhunds, a dog type that includes four regional breeds. The name Sennenhund refers to people called Senn, herders in the Swiss Alps. Entlebuch is a municipality in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland. The breed is also known in English as the Entelbuch Mountain Dog, Entelbucher Cattle Dog, and similar combinations.

The Entlebucher Sennenhund is a square, sturdy, medium-sized dog. It has small, triangular ears and rather small brown eyes. The head is well proportioned to the body, with a strong flat skull. The long jaw is well formed and powerful. The feet are compact supporting its muscular body. The smooth coat is close and harsh with symmetrical markings of black, tan, and white. This tricolor coat has white on its toes, tail-tip, chest and blaze; the tan always lies between the black and the white. It has muscular broad hips. The hocks are naturally well angled. The tail is sometimes docked, a practice which is now prohibited by law in many countries, or it may have a natural bobtail.Height at the withers is 19-20 ins (48–50 cm) and weight is 45-65 lbs (20.5–30 kg).

As with all large, active working dogs, this breed should be well socialized early in life with other dogs and people, and be provided with regular activity and training. Temperament of individual dogs may vary, the Standard says that the breed is "Good-natured and devoted towards people familiar to him, slightly suspicious of strangers.

Data refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entlebucher

The typical dachshund is long-bodied and muscular, with short and stubby legs. Its paws are unusually large and paddle-shaped, for efficient digging. It has skin that is loose enough not to tear while tunneling in tight burrows to chase prey. The dachshund has a deep chest to allow enough lung capacity to keep going when hunting. Its snout is long with an increased nose area that absorbs odors.There are three types, classified by their coats: short-haired, called "smooth"; long-haired; and wire-haired.

Dachshunds come in three sizes: standard, miniature,and kaninchen, which means rabbit. Although the standard and miniature sizes are recognized almost universally, the rabbit size is not recognized by clubs in the United States and the United Kingdom, but is recognized by all of the clubs within the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Federation) (FCI), which contain kennel clubs from 83 countries all over the world.An increasingly common size for family pets falls between the miniature and the standard size, frequently referred to as "tweenies", and is considered by most breeders to be undesirable. 

A full-grown standard dachshund averages 15 lb (6.8 kg) to 28 lb (13 kg), while the miniature variety normally weighs less than 11 lb (5.0 kg).The kaninchen weighs 8 lb (3.6 kg) to 10 lb (4.5 kg). According to kennel club standards, the miniature (and kaninchen, where recognized) differs from the full-size only by size and weight, thus offspring from miniature parents must never weigh more than the miniature standard to be considered a miniature as well.While many kennel club size divisions use weight for classification, such as the American Kennel Club, other kennel club standards determine the difference between the miniature and standard by chest circumference; some kennel clubs, such as in Germany, even measure chest circumference in addition to height and weight.

The origin of the Chinese Shar-Pei can be traced to the province of Guangdong and has existed for centuries in the southern provinces of China. These dogs helped their peasant masters with various tasks, such as herding cattle and guarding the home and family, and have proven themselves to be qualified hunters of wild game—usually wild pigs—and, of course, they were used for generations as fighting dogs by the Chinese nobility, although the practice became rarer after the communist revolution, when such activities were seen as the preserve of the decadent classes.

Recent genetic research has suggested the Shar-Pei is one of a few ancient dog breeds, believed to have split from common ancestors earlier than other breeds. By mapping subtle differences in each breed’s genes, searching for patterns of relationships and designing a tree to fit them, they could finally gain insight into this marvel of evolutionary engineering. In 2004, the foundational analysis of purebred dog genetics was published in Science . The resulting tree was profoundly asymmetrical. After wolves, just four groups sat its base: Asia’s shar-pei, along with shiba inu, akita and chow chow; central Africa’s basenji; malamutes from the Arctic, along with Siberian huskies and samoyeds; and from the Middle East, Afghan hounds and salukis.

It was believed in ancient times that the dark mouth of the Chow-Chow, exposed when barking, helped to ward off evil spirits. Shar-Pei, when translated, means "sand skin". This uniquely rough, loose, prickly coat enabled the Shar-Pei to wriggle out of its opponent's grasp while fighting in the dog pits. When stroked against the grain, the coat may be abrasive, producing a burning, itching sensation. The tail is carried over the back on either side, exposing the anus. The first tail set is a tightly curled tail, a "coin" tail. The second tail set is the loose curl, and the third is carried in an arch over the back. Any Shar-Pei with its tail sticking out straight or between its legs was thought to be cowardly. The tail should connote bravery.

According to old-time dog-fighting fanciers, when a dog's toes were slightly turned out as the body was viewed head-on, it was thought to help the dog with balance. The Chinese crawling dragon with its feet pointed east and west was considered a sign of strength. Because of poor breeding practices, many of the Shar-Pei have bad fronts. A dog with straight forelegs is correct.

Incidentally, Western breeders maintain that any dog in China that protects property is called a fighting dog, whereas in Canada and the United States, they are referred to as guard dogs. This is still a moot point. Up until the introduction of Breed Specific Legislation, designed to target breeds alleged to be "more likely" to attack and largely aimed at criminalising the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Shar-Pei was regarded as a breed designed, bred and selected for dog fighting. After the introduction of various Breed Specific Legislation, many breeders started to deny the fighting ancestry and concocted fanciful tales of a hunting heritage. It is worth mentioning that the Chinese and Taiwanese still regard the Shar-Pei as a dog-fighting breed, although the prohibitive cost of the breed has done much to discourage such abuse.

Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China as a communist nation, the dog population was virtually wiped out. If not for the efforts of Matgo Law of Hong Kong, the Shar-Pei would not be here today. Due to his dedication to the breed, a small number of Shar-Pei were brought to the United States in the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1974, American and Canadian fanciers answered Matgo's appeal for help, and, in 1976, the first Shar-Pei was registered. The foundation stock brought over from Hong Kong were of poorer quality than the Shar-Pei we see today. In August 1991, the Shar-Pei officially completed the requirements for recognition by the American Kennel Club and was placed in the Non-Sporting Group. In 1992, the Canadian Kennel Club also officially recognized and grouped the Shar-Pei in group 6, Non-Sporting events. Since that time, several Shar-Pei are now and are continuing to become CKC and AKC champions.

Over 100,000 Shar Pei exist in the United States and Canada. This unique breed is also recognized by the FCI, HKKC, and the CSPCGB. The CSPCGB operates independently, receiving no input or influence from the UK Kennel Club. The FCI recognizes the HKKC standard, which is based on the traditional type, and not the AKC's Western modified type at this time, as per its general policy of using the standard from the country of the breed's origin.

Data refer : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shar_Pei

Chinese Shar Pei Dog Directory

- Article, with photographs, showing the effects of different coat color genes in this breed. 

- Forums, photographs, articles and guides related to the breed, and links to Shar Pei rescues. 

- Profiles and photographs of dogs, links to other Shar-Pei rescues and past adoptions. Chesapeake. 

- Features show results, photos, litter announcements and videos. Vienna, Austria. [German and English] 

The history of the Cairn Terrier is enhanced by the fact that the modern Cairn is an attempt to preserve in typical form the old-time working terrier of the Isle of Skye. Known in his native Scotland for over 500 years the Cairn Terrier is believed to be the oldest of the British terriers. The Cairn Terrier was originally bred as a hunting dog, working in packs to kill rats, badgers, fox, weasel, and other small vermin. He hails from the Isle of Skye but to avoid confusion with the existing Skye Terrier, he was named the Cairn Terrier in honor of the piles of rock he scrambled over while on the hunt. In the Scottish Highlands, the Cairn's forebears worked for centuries driving pests from the piles of small stones, called cairns, that commonly marked Scottish farm borders and graves. In this line of work, the dog's scrappy attitude and deadly jaws were of utmost importance, and ensured that the dog always had a place on Scottish farms for hundreds of years. Cairn Terrier was finally recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1913. Cairns are working dogs and are still used as such in parts of Scotland.

The Cairn Terrier has a harsh, weather-resistant outer coat that can be cream, wheaten, red, sandy, gray, or brindled in any of these color. Pure black, black and tan, and white are not permitted by many kennel clubs. While registration of white Cairns was once permitted, after 1917 the American Kennel Club required them to be registered as West Highland White Terriers. A notable characteristic of Cairns is that brindled Cairns frequently change color throughout their lifetime. It is not uncommon for a brindled Cairn to become progressively more black or silver as it ages. The Cairn is double-coated, with a soft, dense undercoat and a harsh outer coat. A well-groomed Cairn has a rough-and-ready appearance, free of artifice or exaggeration.

- Cairn Terrier Club located in the Pacific Northwest. 

- Rasseinformation mit Züchter- und Deckrüdenliste sowie verschiedene Fotogalerien.

- Educating the public about the genetic diseases in this breed. 

- News, photos and show record of dogs in Denmark. 

- Kennel history, photos and pedigrees are featured. Based in Wales.

- History of the kennel and photos of their show dogs. Denmark. Bilingual site.

The Bullmastiff is a breed of large dog. A member of the Working Group, it is large and solidly built, with a short muzzle. The Bullmastiff shares the characteristics of Molosser dogs like it, and was originally developed by 19th-century gamekeepers to guard estates and immobilize poachers. The breed's bloodlines are drawn from the English Mastiff and Old English Bulldog; it was recognized as a purebred dog by the English Kennel Club in 1924. It is an athletic and muscular dog, yet docile and obedient, traits which have made the breed popular as a family pet.

Males should be 25 to 27 inches (63 to 69 cm) tall (AKC Std.) at the withers and 110 to 130 pounds (50 to 59 kg). Females should be 24 to 26 inches (61 to 66 cm) at the withers, and 100 to 120 pounds (45 to 54 kg). Exceeding these dimensions is discouraged by breeders, as a larger dog may be too cumbersome and not agile enough to properly perform the job for which the breed was created.

Like all the domestic animals, dogs are susceptible to many diseases. So in order to keep them healthy, it is necessary to understand the various diseases they can suffer from. Here is your quick guide on common dog diseases:

Rabies: This disease is caused due to a virus which affects the central nervous system of the dog. It generally spreads through the saliva. Rabies has several stages. In the first stage, there appears some behavior changes in your dog. As it reaches the second stage, the dog becomes very aggressive and by the third stage the body parts of the dog stop coordinating with each other. Once encountered the disease, there remains no cure.

Distemper: This is considered as the biggest threat to the whole population of the dog species. The symptoms are heavy nasal discharge, congestion in the chest, weight loss, coughing, gunky eyes and diarrhea. As the disease reaches its later stages, it has a direct effect on the nervous system of the dog causing paralysis. It is a contagious disease and the virus can be encountered by the air. Even by coming in contact with the excretion of the infected dog, the healthy dog can get afflicted. Once the dog is infected, then there is no cure for the disease. This deadly disease can be prevented by giving a proper vaccination to the dog.

Bloat: It is a serious disorder in a dog, wherein there occurs a twisting in the stomach of the animal. It generally occurs due to over eating. If the dog appears restless and depressed with dry heaves, then you must treat him for bloat.

Parvovirus: This virus is a fast killer as the symptoms can be seen in the dogs within hours of the virus attack, even killing the dog within 48-72 hours. It is a contagious disease and directly attacks the intestinal tract of the dog's digestive system. The effect of the virus can also be seen on the heart of the dog. The symptoms include depression, severe form of diarrhea, vomiting and also loss of appetite. In this disease the color of the feacel matter changes and often have blood stains.

Canine Viral Hepatitis: This disease directly targets the kidney, the liver and the blood vessels of the dog. The symptoms include loss in appetite, intense thirst, vomiting and hemorrhages. The virus of the disease spreads through the faecel matter of the other dogs. The dogs can be prevented from this disease by administering them with the vaccination.

Kennel Cough: This is the most common respiratory disease among the dogs, wherein a typical kind of cough can be seen in the dogs. If given proper treatment, the disorder can be mended.

Leptospirosis: It is a bacterial disease. It spreads through the excretion of the animals. If human beings any how come in contact with this virus, they can also be infected. There is not one but several species of bacterias that produce this disease in dogs. The common symptoms of this disease are kidney inflammation, lethargy, conjuctivita, low grade fever and even sometimes clotting of blood. If the disease is more chronic the symptoms can be jaundice, pneumonia and intestinal inflammation.

Retinal Dysplasia: It is a disorder where there is an abnormal development of the retina. There occurs folds in the outer layers of the retina. It is the most common type of disease that is present in most of the breeds of dogs. A minor form of dysplasia causes minor vision problems, whereas an acute one can lead to total blindness in dogs. Cataract is also accompanied by this disorder.

Lyme Disease: It is a bacterial disease that is spread by ticks. The dog suffers from joint pains, loss of appetite, fever and lethargy. Tetracycline, an antibiotic is used for the treatment of this disease.

It is thus important to detect early symptoms of these diseases in your pet dogs and meet your vet as soon as possible. This will not only keep your dog healthy but will also keep it away from any of the life threatening diseases.

To get more information on pet dogs, dog breeds and dogs and health visit http://www.thepetdogs.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joann_Grant

In a perfect world, you will be able to keep your dog inside. But sometimes that just isn't possible. Perhaps your dog has outgrown your house, or you have a new baby or an elderly relative moving in that you are worried about your dog being around. In either case, the solution is not to simply cast your dog out into the backyard without any shelter. If your dog has to be outside most of the time, it is important to provide a dog house so your dog can continue to live safely and comfortably. Indeed, even if your dog is allowed in the house, a dog house can still be a good idea if your dog will be spending extended periods outside during the day. In such cases, a dog house will provide shade on sunny days, and warmth on cold days.

The most obvious factor to consider when choosing a dog house is the size of your dog. It should be spacious enough for your dog to stretch or to turn around. Don't buy one that is too large for your pet. Your dog will not be comfortable in a large empty space. Think about the places in your house where your dog likes to sleep and try to match that size; these places will usually be nestled into corners, or on landings, or curled up in a dog bed. Try to find the size that will make your dog as comfortable as possible.

The next important consideration is climate. If you live in a very hot place, get a dog house that is well ventilated. Some manufactures offer raised dog houses to allow for an even greater air flow around and through the dog house. Alternatively, if the heat is really bad, you can even purchase dog houses with air conditioning. If you choose to go this route, be sure that it has a door with a good seal to help keep the electricity bills down. If you are more concerned about snow than heat waves, choose a dog house that is waterproof and well insulated. As a bonus for your pet, you can purchase a heated pet bed.

If you only need a dog house on a temporary basis, you should consider purchasing a portable dog house. Resembling a small tent, they are collapsible and, as the name indicates, light and easy to transport. While not designed to withstand a winter storm, they are usually made of very breathable materials and can provided a convenient and comfortable home away from home when travelling with your dog. If you plan to use a portable dog house while on the road, however, you should get your dog used to using it at home first before trying it in a new place where your dog may feel ill at ease.

As a final consideration, if you are particularly handy with tools, consider building the dog house yourself. A number of basic plans are available on the internet for you to choose from. Keep in mind, however, that depending how competent you are with woodwork, this may turn out to be a more expensive option. Additionally, ensure that the dog house you've made is stable and will withstand the elements before putting your dog in it for the night.

David Amos is a dog lover and long time dog owner. For more information about dog houses click Dog House and Dog Kennel [http://www.onlinedogcare.com/doghouse], and for more about dog training and keeping your dog happy click Dogs and Puppies Online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Amos

As you're no doubt aware, online shopping offers great selection and an easy way to compare prices on products. With gas prices being as high as they are, who needs to be driving around trying the find the best deal? Not me.

This article provides some tips for finding the best price online for a dog house. But before embarking on this bargain hunting mission, make sure you've narrowed down your dog house choice to one or two products. Do you want a traditional Snoopy style wooden dog house or a plastic one? Do you want cedar, pine, or some other kind of wood? Centered or off-set doorway? Insulated or not? These are the kind of questions you have to answer.

Ok, onto the good stuff. How much can you potentially save on a dog house by doing your homework? Well, you might be surprised. For a dog house in the $150 range, it's not uncommon for prices to vary by as much as $30 to $40 from the low to high end.

Don't believe it? Well, go to Froogle and search for "Tuff-n-rugged" (a popular plastic dog house) and check out the resulting prices. Just make sure you take shipping charges into consideration because some of the listed prices include shipping and some don't. Once you've "normalized" the prices, I think you'll find that some vendors offer much better deals than others.

One quick note: bargain hunting is most effective when you're looking for a popular model of dog house that is mass produced and available via multiple vendors. For the more expensive, custom-built houses, comparison shopping is more difficult because fewer vendors carry the product. For some houses, the only company selling it is the same one that built it.

A number of online price comparison engines are available to help you track down the best deal on products. Froogle (from Google) was mentioned above. It is one of the more comprehensive because it doesn't charge merchants for inclusion in their listings. Some of the other popular price comparison sites are Yahoo!Shopping, PriceGrabber, Dealtime/Shopping.com, and Shopzilla.

PriceGrabber has a nice feature in which you can enter your zip code and get a bottom line price that includes shipping and taxes. However, the completeness of their listings for some dog house models leaves something to be desired.

One drawback that I've come across with the comparison engines is that they don't always adequately take dog house sizes into consideration. For example, if you do a search for "Extreme Outback dog house" in Froogle, one of the links provides a price comparison from four different vendors. The only problem is that one you bring up the page, the houses range in size from small to large. So you may end up with an apples to oranges comparison if you're not careful.

Something else to keep in mind with the price comparison services is that some (most?) allow stores to bid for enhanced placement in the results and pay on a per-click basis. This means the results are not necessarily ordered by price. Not that big of an issue but something to be aware of...

There is an almost overwhelming number of sites offering discount coupons for every product imaginable, including dog houses and related accessories. The trick is knowing which sites are worthwhile and which are a waste of your time.

Some of the more worthwhile ones are: All Online Coupons, Coupon Craze, OnlyCoupons, and Wow-Coupons. You could also do a Google search for "discount coupons dog houses" and see what comes up at the top of the results. Usually, the first 3-4 search results are relevant and worthwhile.

I did a quick check when writing this page and found that Coupon Craze was offering several discount coupons for DogHouses.com. One of these was for 20% off on several popular models. That's not too shabby.

One of my pet peeves (pun intended) is that the vast majority of the discount coupon sites lack a search tool. It would be nice if you could just enter "dog house" in a search box and get results targeted to that query. Alas, that's not the case. Instead, many sites just provide a link to a Pets section and from there you have to browse for coupons. This works but the process is not as efficient as it could be.

Many of the discount coupon listings don't specifically mention dog houses. More commonly, they will provide the name of the store and something like "20% off $75 purchase". So, you have to know which stores carry dog houses for this info to be of any use. To help you out, here is a list of stores - that often show up in the discount coupon offerings - that do carry dog houses and/or dog containment systems: ActiveK9.com, Dog.com, DogDecor.com, DogHouses.com, Paws Up Pet Supply, Petco, PETsMART, SitStay.com

Of this list, the stores that offer the largest selection of dog houses are DogHouses.com, Petco, and PETsMART.

You can save a considerable chunk of change by buying a dog house through eBay. Being the largest online auction service, it carries a fairly impressive selection of dog houses and other dog stuff. But... one of the challenges is finding a dog house that suits you. If you go to eBay's search page and do a generic search on "dog house", you'll get well over 1000 results, including dog beds, dog carriers, and dog tents -- in addition to actual dog houses. Lots of junk to wade through.

Here's a suggested plan of attack for winnowing down the results using eBay's overly "generous" search engine.

Do a search on "dog houses" with the quotes around the phrase. This will cut the number of results in half (I got 470). But there will still be lots of extraneous stuff in the results. To exclude things like soft crates, miniature Snoopy dog house models, pet beds, and mats, prefix these terms with a minus sign in the search box. Your query will then look something like this:

If you perform the search again, the number of results will be further reduced but probably still not precise enough.

So, click on the Advanced Search link and enter a value for the Min price. The idea here is to exclude things like miniature ceramic dog houses and books on house training a dog. Pick a value that you think makes sense for what dog houses might sell for on the low end at auction.

I picked a Min price of $40 and this time got only 50 results. And most of them were actually dog houses. If you click on the Sort->lowest price first, the listings will be reordered with the cheapest dog house at the top. It should be a simple matter at this point to browse through the results and make a bid if you find a house that interests you. Note that eBay requires that you register in order to place a bid. Fortunately, it's a fairly simple and fast process.

Of course, if you know the exact brand and model, you can save lots of searching time by entering that info directly in the search box. If you've never used eBay, they provide a very comprehensive online Learning Center where you can learn all about buying, selling, not getting ripped off, etc.

Will Koval operates all-about-dog-houses.com, the authoritative site for learning about dog houses. Check out the dog house buyer's guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Koval