Choosing Your Dog Breed

I’m biased as the wife of a Siberian Husky enthusiast and breeder. I admit it. The Siberian Husky breed is unique among the other breeds in that it is the only one we know of that was selected by the Chuckchi tribesmen to do long-distance hauling. Because they had to go long distances, the Siberian was deliberately bred to be small, strong, friendly, and intelligent.

Siberians are not like a lot of other dog breeds. They’re compliant and obedient only when they choose to be. They will not blindly follow a command from you. The command needs to make sense to them. Over the millenia, these dogs were bred to use their brains and to cooperate in a constantly-adjusting pack with a Siberian hierarchy. They just won’t follow your commands unless they like and respect you, and the command makes sense. They have to want to obey you. It is your job to live up to their expectations of you.

Siberians dig, chew, play rough, and couldn’t care less about guarding property. They shed a bushel basket full of fluff twice a year, so if you can’t stand having bits of Siberian fluff on your furniture, clothes, and sometimes in your food, pass on getting a Siberian. They’re fiercely loyal, and have been known to stand down a bear or mountain lion in defense of their human families. When you love a Siberian, that love will return to you 100 fold.

If you want an intelligent family member that does not want to be left alone, choose a Siberian. Once you go Sibe, you won’t go back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is not unusual to see pet owners let their pets sleep with them at night. In fact, 1/3 of pet owners have at some point, allowed their pets to sleep on their beds. Dogs provide a companionship that can’t be given by any other breed of animals. But this doesn’t mean that it is unlikely for some to let their cats and another pets sleep with them.

Dogs have a sleep pattern that is much like ours. Dogs often resign with complete trust on their masters, which make them a bit more relaxed during the night. This explains why most dogs fall to sleep more easily and later on, enter into deep sleeps where REM sleep activities can occur.

In fact, once dogs enter this stage, the owner needs to shake them heavily before they are actually roused from sleep.

For sure, many of us have already witnessed a dog paddling during sleep or at times, barks with eyes close. These dogs are said to be dreaming.

Breathing patterns can also be observed among dogs. There are breeds which deliver heavier breathing while there are those who breathes very lightly. The heavy breathers are much prone with snoring than those who do not snore as heavily.

Dogs who snore can be quite a nuisance during the night, depending on the degree and frequency of the occurrence of this phenomenon.

Like with humans, there are various considerations why dogs snore.  Most though deals with the obstruction of air passage which cause the collision of certain parts along the throat area that in turn, leads to collapse of these parts.

A snoring dog must be checked of various causes to determine which treatment can be best applied. Some dogs are especially prone to specific allergic reaction that causes the constriction in the airway. It may also be that there are some excess tissue found in this area that inhibits proper breathing. It is best if a veterinarian checks on various factors through careful evaluation of the dog’s anatomical features and general symptoms.

Or probably, your dog is overweight. Like with humans, obese dogs are more likely to snore during the night. This is because they have more flesh surrounding their throats. Thus, they have excess tissues that dangle along the throat which can potentially cause the obstructions.

Once this problem is corrected, the risks of developing snores will be decreased. This would not only be healthy for your dogs, you may eventually enjoy nights of quiet tunes.

Snoring also lies with the general face features. Dogs all seem to have pushed-in faces which narrows their air passages to certain degrees. The construction of their nasal passages also largely contribute to the difficulty of breathing. They are like humans who are forced to breathe using only twenty-five percent of their actual nostrils. Dog breeds with shorter faces need lots of effort to maximize their nostrils. It takes them more hard work to control breathing and they are more prone to snoring.

Minor surgeries can do your dog great relief. Be sure though that before any decision is made, you are well educated with the potential risks and consequences of surgery for dog snoring. Most are actually irreversible so careful analysis must be rendered. It is best to follow the guidelines provided by your veterinarian.

We basically want to find companions who would give us most of the benefits we think we need. Well, if you are looking for a dog that is somewhat a one-in-package pal, you might find Jack Russell Terriers interesting enough.

This dog has a history that is somehow loomed to give rise to the specie.

It was said that the breeder of this dog, a young Theologian student of Oxford University named John Russell once met a milkman with a white terrier that has spots on his eyes and ears. This dog became his interest which later proved to be his foundation for breeding a new dog breed that many has learned to love as pets. The dog he first saw was named “Trump” from which another 60 types of terriers were later bred from.

With a terrier’s basic nature to go on and over the ground (terrier by the way came from the Latin term “terra” which means earth), Jack Russell terriers also have the disposition to hunt and scour for hunting. Thus, they should be given enough grooming so as to set off the dirt they gather from digging soil to either bury a treasure or to recover a hidden treasure kept long ago.

An excellent ratter, Jack Russell Terriers proves to be good “housekeepers” since they keep most rats away from home. Any unlucky rat that happens to be inside the quarters of this terrier is sure to meet its instant doom. Thus, owners find themselves with both a dog and cat in one pal.

One basic character of this dog is its disposition towards strangers. They can easily figure out who must be kept away from their homes and who can be accepted inside the house. This very attitude also makes them good watchdogs. They were designed specifically to be aggressive on preys. And while they can be very vocal, many of them only barks when they find good reason to.

They do not appear vicious though. But once they smell threat, they can show off aggressiveness that could serve as warning towards the strangers. However, once the stranger is let into the house by the owner, a Jack Russell can already tolerate his or her presence.

This terrier is also a family dog and desires for human companionship. And their love for children is significantly interesting. However, once they are abused or had been shown improper treatments, may it be intentional or accidental, they can react through aggressive behaviors. Their aggressiveness is further manifested with their lack of fear towards larger dogs which can unfortunately lead to injuries, some can even be fatal.

They are also marked for their intelligence and good spirit. These characteristics can be highly observable through their curiosity in things. Thus, they require supplementation on formal training unless you can tolerate difficult behaviors. The good thing though with Jack Russell is that it can acknowledge training and do well in most of them. In fact, they are known to champion various ring shows and other similar competitions.

The Hollywood has recognized the disposition of these dogs too. Coupled with feisty and good physical characteristics, this pal has already made names in the screens. If Wishbone, Milo (from The Mask) and Eddie (from the Frasier) ring the bell on you then there is no doubt that you can recognize this dog.

Jack Russell fare well with grooming. A dog of relatively small size, this breed will not tax you with grooming needs.