Which Dog Breed will best fit my lifestyle?
You can research each breed that you are interested in to find out which one will best fit your lifestyle. For example, living in a small home may dictate the purchase of a smaller breed of dog. Also, some breeds are easier to train than others, which is a consideration if you have limited time to devote to training.You can also attend dog shows, visit off-leash parks and take walks in popular dog walking areas to observe and meet different kinds of dogs and their owners. What else should I consider when deciding to bring a dog home?
Before you bring a dog into your home, there are several questions you should ask yourself to determine if a dog will fit into your life. For example: Can you make the time commitment dog ownership requires? Do you have the financial resources needed to care for a dog? Will your lifestyle accommodate a dog?Owning a dog is a long-term commitment. It is important to remember that most dogs have a life span of 8 to 15 years. Before getting a dog, make sure you fully understand the time commitment required.
When considering the financial commitment, you must take into account the cost of food, grooming and providing medical care for your new dog. From feeding and exercising to spending quality time with him, your dog will demand regular attention from you. If you have children, a demanding work schedule or like to travel, you must think about whether your lifestyle can accommodate the demands of owning a dog.Educating yourself about the responsibilities of dog ownership and carefully considering your life can help
ensure you and your dog have a long and lasting relationship.
It it also very important to avoid the unhappy task of finding a new home for your dog, find out whether anyone in your family is allergic to dogs before you bring one home. If you suspect a family member may be allergic to dogs, consult your family doctor to determine the severity of the allergy. If the allergy is mild, find out during your breed research which breeds may be more forgiving than others when it comes to aggravating an allergy. More interesting Articles check out anxiety separation in dogs and dog training dummies
you will also learn how to deal with the most common dog behavior problem anxiety separation in dogs
German Shepherd Coat Colors and Patterns Vary Greatly
Genetics of German Shepherd Coat Colors
Concerning the GSD and German Shepherd coat colors, the breed standard from the SV specifically states: “The color of the GSD is in itself not important and has no effect on the character of the dog or on its fitness for work and should be a secondary consideration for that reason. The final color of a young dog can only be ascertained when the outer coat has developed.”
Of all undesirable things to try to eliminate and to consider in a German Shepherd (aka the Alsatian), coat color should be at the bottom of the list. Good pigment should be sought after but many factors such as health and temperament, to name a few, should be much more important than coat color which should always be subordinate to structure, gait, type, and character and should never take precedence over the working ability of the dog. Eye color should be dark and nose pigment should be black as well.
Concerning the coat, the SV breed standard states the following: “The normal (stock) coated GSD should carry a thick undercoat and the outer coat should be as dense as possible, made up of straight hard close lying hairs. The hair on the head and ears, front of the legs, paws and toes is short. On the neck it is longer and thicker, on some males forming a slight ruff. The hair grows longer on the back of the legs as far down as the pastern and the stifle, and forms fairly thick trousers on the hindquarters. There is no hard or fast rule for the length of the hair, but short mole-type coats are faulty.” “No good dog is a bad color” — Max von Stephanitz (breed founder of the dog) concerning coat colors.
Ask just about anybody to describe a German Shepherd Dog and they will almost always mention the “saddle Back” markings. It is also just as possible for the GSD to be one solid color such as black (solid white is considered a conformation disqualification for showing by the AKC) or sable. Sable coat colors are easily identified by multi-colored individual hairs all over the body. Sable GSD’s may also be masked by dark or black guard hairs.
German Shepherd coat color patterns may include any of the following: black & tan, black & red, black & cream, solid black, solid white, (considered a conformation disqualification), sable (also called agouti or wolf gray, in various colorations), black & silver, liver (rare – conformation fault) and blue (rare – considered a conformation fault).
Richer pigmentation is preferred, color wise. While I won’t delve deeply into the science of genetics (feel free to do that on your own if interested), just know that the liver color comes as the result of matched recessives in the black series and the blue color happens as the result of matched recessives in the dilution series.
Coat colors and inheritance in the GSD is very complex and controlled by several series of genes. Following is a very brief description and summary of the various gene series in the GSD responsible for color based on information from “The German Shepherd Dog: A Genetic History” and “Practical Genetics for Dog Breeders”, both by Malcom Willis. Both of these books should be considered as required reading for any serious fan and even more importantly for breeders. Another suggested resource is “The German Shepherd Today” by Winifred Strickland and James “Jimmy” Moses.
THE AGOUTI SERIES
The basic body color of the GSD is controlled by the genes. The order of coat colors dominance is as follows: golden sable, gray sable, saddle marked black and tan, bi-color* black and tan (bi-color is where the dog only has tan on the legs and face, not on the body), and black.
Additionally, know that the black gene is recessive to all the other colors in GSD’s. Solid black German Shepherds bred to solid blacks German Shepherds will only produce blacks. The sable colors are dominant over the other colors and patterns in the breed.
THE BLACK SERIES
This gene controls the black pigment formation on the GSD, not the hair color. The German Shepherd coat colors order of dominance is exactly as follows: Black pigment including nose, eyerims and pads; Carrier for liver color; Liver color – brown black colors, brown nose, eye rims and pads.
Note: most GSDs are considered black pigment including nose, eyerims and pads.
THE WHITE SERIES
White coat color in the German Shepherd Dog is recessive to all other colors. In order to get a white coat color in the German Shepherd, both parents must carry the white gene (either be white themselves or be carriers.) The order of dominance is as follows: Melanin is produced. (Standard GSD’s colors have this); Partial albinism (not seen); White coat with dark eyes and nose (not albino); Yellowish coat collar (proposed).
THE COLOR SERIES
This controls the intensity of the non-black coloration. The order of dominance is as follows: Lightest tan (cream); Intermediate tan (tan); Darkest tan (red).
The intensity of the color series determines whether GSD’s with color (i.e. not all- black or all-white recessives) will be black & cream,black & tan or black & red.
Coat Lengths in GSD’s
Short-coated German Shepherd’s maintain a short coat, which lies close to the body. These dogs usually have less undercoat.
“Plush” Coated GSD’s have a medium length coat with a thin, fluffy under coat. These dogs do not have any feathering as in the long coated GSD’s.
Long coated German Shepherd’s have much longer fur around their ears, on the backs of their legs, chest and tail (feathering) than other German Shepherd’s.
THE DILUTION SERIES
This controls how intense the black pigment will appear on your German Shepherd. The order of dominance is as follows: Dense pigment; blue dilution.
Black pigment combined with blue dilution will produce a blue coated German Shepherd which looks as though it has a dusty or flour sheen.
THE MASK SERIES
This controls whether or not a mask appear on your German Shepherd.The order of dominance is as follows: a black mask on the face; dark coat with no mask; Brindle (rare, will be seen as striping on the legs); clear tan.
All these genes put together determine your own German Shepherd’s coat colors.
German Shepherds are really incredible dogs. But they’re not for everyone – and if you’re thinking of getting one I highly encourage you to do all the research you can about them ahead of time.
How To Recognize, prevent, and handle dog aggression
A dog is an instinctively aggressive animal. In the wild, aggression came in very convenient. Dogs needed aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other creatures, and to defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a mate. Selective breeding over the centuries has minimized and refined this trait significantly, but there’s just no getting around it. Dogs are physically capable of inflicting serious harm (just look at those teeth!) because that’s how they’ve survived and evolved.
And Mother Nature is pretty wily – it’s hard to counteract the power of instinct! But that doesn’t mean that we, as dog lovers and owners, are entirely helpless when it comes to handling our dogs.
There’s a lot that we can do to prevent aggression from rearing its ugly head in the first place and even if prevention hasn’t been possible (for whatever reason), there are still steps that we can take to recognize and deal with it efficiently.
Different aggression dogs types
There are several different types of canine aggression. The two most common ones are:
- Aggression towards strangers
- Aggression towards family members You may be wondering why we’re bothering categorizing this stuff.
After all, aggression is aggression, and we want to turf it out NOW, not waste time with the inside information, right?
Well … not quite. These two different types of aggression stem from very different causes, and require different types of treatment. Aggression towards strangers – What is it? It’s pretty easy to tell when a dog’s restive around strange people. He’s jumpy and on the alert, either he can’t sit still and is constantly fidgeting, leaping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking and whining, or he’s veerrrry still indeed, sitting rock-steady in one place, staring hard at the object of his suspicions (a visitor, the mailman, someone approaching him on the street while he’s tied up outside a store.)
Why does it happen?
There’s one major reason why a dog doesn’t like strange people, he’s never had the chance to get used to them. Remember, your dog relies 100% on you to broaden his horizons for him, without being taken on lots of outings to see the world and realize for himself, through consistent and positive experiences, that the unknown doesn’t necessarily equal bad news for him. How can he realistically be expected to relax in an unfamiliar situation?
What can I do about it?
The process of accustoming your dog to the world and all the strange people (and animals) that it contains is called socialization. This is an improbably important aspect of your dog’s upbringing, in fact, it’s pretty hard to overemphasize just how important it is.
Socializing your dog way exposing him from a young age (generally speaking, as soon as he’s had his vaccinations) to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals. How does socialization prevent stranger aggression? When you socialize your aggression dogs , you’re getting him to learn through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, not scary. It’s not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of unfamiliar people and tell him to “Settle down.
Tips for Choosing Unique and Funny Dog Names
Dog names like Rocky, Jack, Molly and Lucy are among the top dog names in America, and they’re popular for at least two great reasons: first they’re easy to call out (each is only one or two syllables long) and, second they have obvious sounds (making them easy for dogs to hear and understand).
The down side to choosing one of the top dog names for your new pup is that you run the risk of having the fifth “Jack ” or “ Molly” in your neighborhood. If avoiding top dog names appeals to you more, here are some suggestions to help you find a dog name that’s different:
1) Seek out unique dog names. Foreign dog names are always a great option if you’re looking for a unique dog name since, well, they’re foreign! The chances aren’t high that any friends or acquaintances will have will have chosen the very same Japanese, Greek, or Native American dog name that you have.
2) Find funny dog names. Your pooch will probably bring a big grin to everyone’s face, so why shouldn’t its name, too? Comical dog names like Alibi, Laptop and Dug are a great way to go if you’re the kind of person who appreciates the lighter side of life.
3) Pick dog names based on your dog’s looks. This is one of the best ways to find a name that truly suits your dog. Look at the color of your dog’s fur and its markings and try to picture what your dog will grow up to look like based on his or her breed. Names like “Goliath”, “Moose” and “Tonka” are great for puppies that will grow into big, strong dogs while “Slinky” and “Longfellow” are perfect for long dogs such as Dachshunds.
You may also want to consider choosing a dog name that is inspired by your hobbies, favorite celebrity or any other interest. Keep in mind that the name you ultimately choose will be used dozens of times each day, so it’s worth your while to find something that you like and that also suits your dog. Good luck!
Choosing The Right Dogs To Train For Hunting
Men love hunting, as it is a good sport for anyone who loves the thrill and enjoy spending time outdoors. owning a hunting dog is essential if you’ve got one. However, proper hunting dog training should be provided before setting them free for hunting. If you are unable to get any hunting dog training completed on time, you are surely to be frustrated with its activities.
The art of retrieving your game is the most important thing that your dog should be trained on. In this event, hunting dog training aids such as the dead fowl trainer can be really helpful. Such training aids with actual proportions of texture, weight and design will give your dog a feel of a dead bird. The first thing you should teach them is the basic game of fetch. This way they will get used to retrieving things to you. You can get a good fetch toy at bling bling puppy .
Hunting dog training must be done once your dog has completed the basic command training. Your dog has to be mature enough for this to be a success. The ideal age would be two years and older, especially if your dog is a Dalmatian or English Pointer. Hunting dog training can be done on younger dogs but only if you ve got a pack of dogs at the same time. For example, if you own four dogs at one hunting session, hunting dog training can be done on the youngest and newest member in the clan, as it will be capable to learn from the practiced dogs.
Hunting dog training works best on English Pointers, as they are good for bird hunting. Dalmatians too are great for this job, peculiarly if you are bearing out the hunting on horseback .
Many individuals think that hunting dog training is difficult to do. Of course there is the alternative of handing over your dog to a professed trainer furnished with the right kind of hunting dog training equipment. Unfortunately these dog trainers charge such high amounts that training the dog by you yourself can seem like a better selection. This can be done if you recognise the basic principles of hunter dog training.
Your contribution to hunting dog training is always a better choice than getting an unknown, cheap, non experienced dog trainer. Your dog is most comfortable with you. After all, it is you it will be training with during the hunting session.
If your dog is to be at the top level, a variety of hunting dog training aids need to be used for training. It will unquestionably be positive and is considered to be the first alternative by all trainers. Also don’t forget that your dogs are hard workers. Make sure to treat them by going to a shop like Bling Bling Puppy and get them some cozy dog beds to show that you love them.











