Knowing And Understanding Your Labrador Retriever
If you are in the market for a pure breed that is an excellent home or hunting companion, then you have to consider the possibility of owning a Labrador Retriever. It is considered one of the worlds most popular breeds and is currently the most widely AKC-registered dog in the US. The Lab, as they are nicknamed, is without a doubt one of the most affable, energetic, gentle, good-natured, and intelligent breeds that you will find anywhere in the world.
Additionally, they rank highly on the companionship meter and integrate well with any age bracket. They are extremely patient and exhibit a high tolerance level for children. All of these personality traits make them outstanding companions as well as excellent service dogs. When obtaining and raising a Labrador Retriever, there are three key aspects to be aware of. Let me elaborate.
1) Labrador Retrievers are like a box of assorted chocolates. You never know what you gonna get as Forrest Gump so succinctly stated. In other words, no two Labs are alike. They come in a variety of colors such as black, chocolate, golden, and silver just to name a few, and despite the vast array of difference in their personalities, Labs all exhibit the following common interests:
hunting retrieving running swimming
Occasionally, you do run across a contradiction such as a puppy that fears the water or one that does not have the typical oral fixation or obsession characteristic of the majority of members of this breed. Instance’s of these occurring are few and far between, so there is not much likelihood that you will encounter one like this.
However, there is one thing that you can say with the utmost certainty where Labs are concerned. Every Labrador Retriever is a very special animal and with the proper attention, love, and training, you will have a wonderful companion that will afford you with the ultimate in affection and loyalty until they breathe their final breath.
2) Labs are the epitome of the natural-born hunter and tracker. Unlike all the other canine hunting breeds, Labrador Retrievers do not have to wait for their masters command to seek out the fallen bird. Not only are they intelligent enough to know exactly where the bird has fallen, they are more acutely aware of their surroundings more so than any other canine that hunts or tracks its prey.
It is a misconception of some owners that Labs are too needy, as they will commonly sit at their masters side, patiently awaiting the next command. Understanding this part of their nature will dispel that misconception, as well as help you realize that, as a hunting dog, this is what they have been bred to do.
3) Thorough training is a requirement with Labs. Despite the Labs inherent capabilities for locating and retrieving their prey, they have to be skillfully trained at specific commands in order to follow the specific commands of their masters. The benefit here is that they will never give up searching, even if the direction to hunt in has not been specified. In so many words, this dog will take the responsibility for completing the job it started.
Written by Jeff Nenadic from My-DogShop.com
Understanding what your dog is saying by reading his body language
Although dogs are quite vocal animals, their main form of communication either with humans or their own species is through non-verbal signals or what we more popularly call body language.
Non-verbal messages can be both overt and very subtle; think of the enumerable non-verbal messages you send and receive during the course of an interaction with another human being. In fact human behaviour experts suggest that over 80% of our communication with each other is ‘understood’, by us interpreting the non-verbal behaviours during a conversation.
Our dogs are no different, in fact they are far more capable of interpreting non-verbal communications, in both relation to humans and their own kind. Dogs are body language experts; to give an example, take the dogs who are especially trained to warn their owners of imminent epileptic seizures, these dogs can respond to the most subtle of bodily cues, so subtle, even the person who is about to have the seizure is unaware of.
How can understanding your dogs body language benefit you as a dog owner then? Understanding the non-verbal signals your dog displays both with humans and his own kind will will benefit you in a great number of ways. For example, understanding the unique way in which dogs communicate will help give you a deeper appreciation of the species and their unique abilities. The communication exchanges between you and your dog will ‘flow’ better , as you begin to better understand your dogs needs. With practice you will begin to assess your dogs emotional states much easier. Training your dog will be much easier also,as you will be able to assess the level of your dogs motivation and responses to various training situations.
Let us look now at the different ways dogs use their bodies to communicate both with humans and their own kind.
The happy dog
The behaviour of a happy dog is obvious to most dog owners. In this situation the dog seems light on it’s paws, his tail will wag erratically and he will move foreword to greet you if encouraged to do so.
The confident dog
Here the dogs stands tall, his ears held high with a wagging tail. If meeting a person or dog, he will stand head on and make eye contact.
The playful dog
A dog who displays playfulness is another set of behaviours that are commonly recognises by dog owners. In this situation, the dog will lower the front part of its body towards the floor, and at the same time keeping his back end erect. He will give eye contact and possibly bark in a bid to get your attention, or he may run around in circles and adopt the ‘playbow’ again, in an effort to get you to play with him.
The submissive dog
Submissiveness can be displayed in a number of ways through bodily signs, such as a lowered tail, ears pinned back, with lowered head. The dog will avert direct eye contact and if called may come but zigzag his way towards you. Some dogs may may display a facial expression almost like a grin, that is often accompanied by a nodding head.This action is a way of the dog attempting appease you, as he may be unsure as to your reaction towards him. In extreme cases, the dog will role over on its back,tuck his tail between his legs and may even urinate.
The anxious dog
A dog who shows anxiety, just appears totally ill at ease. His head may be carried low with ears back. His tail will be partially or full tucked between his legs and he may whimper, especially if further exposed to the stimulus he fears. His anxiety may make him over react to certain sights and sounds, for example a dog who is extremely anxious around loud traffic may hit the ground when a car passes by, or try to flee.
The fearful dog
A fearful dog displays both fearful and anxious behaviours, but to an exaggerated degree. His body posture will be almost crouched, his head held low, ears back and tail tucked between his legs. If he continues to feel fear, he may growl or show his teeth, which is a sure sign he may well attack if stressed further.
The dominant dog
A dominant dog acts in a similar manner to a dog who is very confident, so the two sets of behaviours can be confused. Essentially a dog who so displaying dominant behaviours will have his tail held high, with ears erect. He will face either the other dog head on and make direct eye contact. The dominant dog of the two may try to put his head above the other dogs neck area and this may be accompanied with low growling. If the other dog submits there will be no problem, however, if the other other dog resists, the interaction could well develop into a fight.
If the situation involves a human, the dominant dog will display the same type of behaviour. If you ever find yourself in the presence of such a dog, the best advice is not to try to dominate him, for example making eye contact, as this could be taken as a direct threat by the dog, and dominance could turn to aggression. The best way to deal with such a confrontation is to avoid eye contact with the dog and back slowly away from him. Dogs rarely bite without warning, and in reality most dogs don’t bite.
The aggressive dog
A dog who displays aggressive behaviour can also be obvious. Here the dogs body posture has an air of ‘I mean business’ about it. Dominant aggressive behaviour is different from nervous aggressive behaviour in that with nervous aggressive behaviour, the dogs seems to want to back away, as opposed to dominant aggressive behaviour were the dog in question will stand his ground. The fur on his back may be displayed, with ears pinned back. He will make direct eye contact, although his eyes may be narrowed. His tail will be straight and may even wag slowly. He may also show his teeth, along with a lot of ferocious barking.
If you find yourself in a situation with such a dog, don’t run or turn your back on him. Stay calm and back away slowly. Don’t make eye contact with such a dog, but at the same time don’t turn your back on him either, as this could give him an opportunity to strike. If you think that the dog may attack, do not run from him, as to do so would almost certainly cause him to chase and bite. Find something to put between you and the dog, say for example a piece of furniture, and back confidently and slowly away.
Almost everyone own a video camera these days, therefore, if you would like to learn more about how your dog uses his body language to communicate, take your camera with you when you take him to the local park and film his interactions. Later, play them back and you will be amazed at what you will learn.
Ivan Ojounru has been training dogs in the UK since the late 1908′s. He now lives in France where he continues to train dogs and write about dog related behaviour care and trainig topics. He is passionate about giving dog owners the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable them to train their own dogs successfully. For further information visit http://www.dogtrainingcareadvice.blogspot.com
Understanding Pug Dog Health
Hip Dysplasia is actually a common problem among many dogs, particularly larger breeds, but pugs are also particularly susceptible to this condition. A lot of pain may be caused in cases of hip dysplasia to the dog due to the malformation of the hip joint and femur bones and in the some cases, will need immediate surgery, or in the worst case, will need to be put to sleep. Mild cases are easier to deal with, they mainly need a good diet and exercise routine.
If the pug’s nostrils are narrow or constrained, he has a problem called “stenotic nares,” which can strain his body and lead to an enlarged heart. Breathing from the mouth and a foamy type discharge may be indications of this problem and can be fixed with surgery.
A problem in which the pet’s eyelids will roll in making the lashes to rub irritably against the pet’s eyes is termed entropion, and is an important health concern because it can facilitate other issues such as ulcerations, scratches and irriation of the pet’s eyes which only makes a bad situation worse. The condition can be corrected by surgery, which is the most common form of treatment, but noticing the problem and taking care of it can be very critical to your pug’s health and well being.
Dry Eyes is another condition that can fairly commonly occur in pugs. Dry Eyes is a deficiency in producing enough tears to keep their eyes nice and lubricated. There are a few things that can cause the tear ducts not to produce enough tears, blockage of the duct, failure of the tear ducts or lack of nerve stimulation to the tear ducts, and treatment is dependent upon how severe the condition is.
One of the typical problems a lot of canines encounter is demodectic skin mites and they come in two types. With the first form, localized demodectic mange, appearing as small hairless patches of skin, is seen in dogs under one year of age. The next type is typically characterized by demodectic mange manifested by large areas of healthy looking skin without hair and dogs of any age can have this.
There are many more health conditions that you should look out for if you own or intend to own a pug, so if you suspect that your dog has any of the problems listed above or problems that may not be listed make an appointment with your vet and have your dog evaluated.
Your dog’s health is important. And there are some health issues common only to particular breeds of dog. If you’re a pug owner, or thinking of adding a pug to your family, you’ll want to find out all you can about pug health issues.