Beagle

Beagles are a brilliant family companion dog breed. They have a wonderful gentle nature, a real zest for life and are happy, affectionate characters. They are the type of dog who the entire family can form a very special and close bond with.

Beagles have a lovely soft expression about them, with their big floppy ears and intelligent dark eyes. It’s hard not to fall in love with them!

Beagle puppies have boundless energy and more than their share of intelligence – although Beagle puppy training is not without its challenges. You can read more about specific Beagle training tips including Beagle potty training and crate training your Beagle further down this page.

Beagle Dog Breed History

Beagles are one of the most popular of all dog breeds around the world today – they are also one of the oldest of the purebred hounds.

Beagle ancestry dates back to about 200AD in various parts of Europe. The breed grew in prominence and were developed further, much later on in Great Britain. Beagles became highly sought after for their outstanding hunting abilities – they were most commonly used as scent hounds for tracking small game.

Even today, although rare it is a magnificent sight to see a field full of Beagles, noses to the ground working a scent, with their white tipped tails wagging high above them.

Beagle Appearance

Beagles are considered a medium size dog breed. They have a long muscular body and possess great athleticism and loads of stamina. Beagle puppies are usually born black and white with the other colors coming through over the first few months. Tri color Beagles are the most common variety but any combination of hound colors is fine. They have an attractive shiny coat which is thick, of medium length and weatherproof – they do shed!

Beagles are typically 13-16 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh in at around 25-30 pounds. You may occasionally see Beagle breeders advertising “Miniature Beagles” or “Teacup Beagles For Sale” – this is just a smaller version of the same lovely breed.

Beagle Temperament

Along with the Beagles obvious good looks it is their lovely gentle temperament that wins over dog lovers worldwide.

At their best when they have been well bred, socialized and trained Beagles have a beautiful even temperament and merry disposition. Beagle owners also know them to be cheeky, mischievous but above all, friendly. They are great with children (love to play games!) and get along well with other pets.

Beagles actually crave human company. They hate to be separated from their “human pack” for long periods. Beagles who are left alone and frustrated each day often suffer from separation anxiety which can lead to various destructive behaviors (digging, barking and even self mutilation). If you and your family are required to be away from home for hours and hours on end then a Beagle puppy is probably not for you.

If you are planning to bring a Beagle puppy into your household be sure that you have sufficient fencing around your property. Not having a secure area for your Beagle is a recipe for disaster. They are notorious for roaming when given half a chance and unfortunately it often ends badly…

You’ll find your Beagle to be ever alert, inquisitive, and of course have an acute sense of smell. They do make good watchdogs, with their distinctive deep bark enough to raise the alarm. They are not what you would call good guard dogs though – they are far too friendly!

Even though Beagles are not considered to be an aggressive breed they can be prone to food guarding. You can read an article about this here – canine possession aggression (Beagle puppy training certainly helps to prevent this and many other potential behavior problems).

Beagle Health Concerns

The Beagle dog breed is generally a hardy specimen with a healthy constitution. They typically live an active 12-15 years. As with all dog breeds they do have a few health problems which can worry them.

NOTE: Purchasing your puppy from a reputable Beagle breeder gives you the best chance of bringing a well balanced, physically and mentally sound dog into your life. This can save you and your family much heartache in the future. Your Beagle breeder also has the crucial task of beginning the puppy socialization process.Your Veterinarian and Beagle breeder can offer you more specialized Beagle health care advice, but you should at least be aware of some of the potential health problems listed below.

• The long floppy ears of your Beagle can present a few problems. The shape of the ears means that they are susceptible to a build up of yeast and other infections. Management is the key to preventing this problem. Regular inspection of the ear every couple of days is required and a clean out when necessary. 
• Beagles love their food! This is a good thing really but you must feed the right food in the right amount to avoid obesity – don’t rely on your Beagle to tell you when he/she is hungry! Your Beagle breeder will give you a good feeding plan – try to stick with it. Overweight Beagles are much more likely to suffer from a wide range of serious health problems. 
• Beagles are one of the breeds most likely to suffer from canine epilepsy. This is usually an inherited condition which results in repeated seizures. Your Veterinarian can help with a suitable treatment. 
• Like most dog breeds the Beagle does suffer from some skin conditions and also arthritis when they get older.

Beagle Puppy Training – And Older Beagles!

You and your Beagle will forge a strong mutual bond throughout the training process.Beagles don’t lack anything in intelligence but can be a little stubborn during training sessions. Some people say that they have a mind of their own.For this reason it is important to get straight into your Beagle puppy training as early as possible. Doing so will ensure that your Beagle puppy establishes good habits right from the start and will prevent many undesirable behaviors from ever developing.Beagles respond best to positive, non violent training methods which are based on consistency, repetition and rewards (food is a great motivator to Beagles!). There is no place or reason for harsh “old school” training techniques which rely on intimidation and punishment.You’ll find your Beagle puppy to be a capable, enthusiastic training partner and also a quick learner. All the basic obedience training commands such as sit, down, stay, fetch, heel and many more are easily mastered by Beagle puppies.There are a few specific training issues that Beagle owners need to pay close attention to:

• Many people get frustrated with the Beagle Potty Training Process. It doesn’t need to be such a big problem. Most Beagle breeders recommend crate training during the puppy house training period. This method relies on sticking to a proven schedule, confinement and supervision. You can find a great Beagle potty training plan in this – comprehensive Beagle training course. 
• Another Beagle training issue which needs to be addressed is to train your Beagle to walk nicely on a loose leash. Beagles are strong and will pull very hard on the leash if allowed to get away with it. They get their nose down to the ground and just go go go with no regard to what they are pulling along behind them! Hopefully you and your Beagle will be spending a lot of time out and about enjoying a walk so it’s a good behavior to work on. 
• Beagles can never be fully trusted off leash. If your Beagle is off lead they are often easily distracted and can wander off on a scent trail. For situations like this you will need to call on the obedience training “come command” (sometimes called recall). This command should be taught early and practiced regularly – it may even save your Beagles life one day.

Chinese Shar-Pei

Immediately recognizable due to their unique “hippopotamus” head shape, profile and wrinkles, the Shar-Pei is an ancient breed that is usually aloof and standoffish with strangers, but devoted to his family. Their name “Shar-Pei” means sandy coat and their coat should be offstanding and harsh. Any solid color and sable is acceptable and none of these is preferred over the others. Today, the Shar-Pei is exhibited in conformation, agility, obedience and tracking.

Immediately recognizable due to their unique “hippopotamus” head shape, profile and wrinkles, the Shar-Pei is an ancient breed that is usually aloof and standoffish with strangers, but devoted to his family. Their name “Shar-Pei” means sandy coat and their coat should be offstanding and harsh. Any solid color and sable is acceptable and none of these is preferred over the others. Today, the Shar-Pei is exhibited in conformation, agility, obedience and tracking.

Coat
The extremely harsh coat is one of the distinguishing features of the breed. The coat is absolutely straight and off standing on the main trunk of the body but generally lies somewhat flatter on the limbs. The coat appears healthy without being shiny or lustrous. Acceptable coat lengths may range from extremely short “horse coat” up to the “brush coat,” not to exceed one inch in length at the withers. A soft coat, a wavy coat, a coat in excess of one inch at the withers or a coat that has been trimmed is a major fault. The Shar-Pei is shown in its natural state.

Color
Only solid colors and sable are acceptable and are to be judged on an equal basis. A solid color dog may have shading, primarily darker, down the back and on the ears. The shading must be variations of the same body color and may include darker hairs throughout the coat. The following colors are disqualifications: Albino; Not a solid color, i.e.: Brindle; Parti-colored; Spotted; Patterned in any combination of colors.

Great Dane

A “gentle giant,” the Great Dane is nothing short of majestic. Sometimes referred to as the “king of dogs,” this extremely large dog breed is known for being strong yet elegant, with a friendly, energetic personality. Striking in the show ring, this breed is also popular as a family pet. Coat colors can be brindle, fawn, blue, black, harlequin and mantle.

General Appearance
The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body. It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful drive. It is always a unit-the Apollo of dogs. A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and dependable. This physical and mental combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed. It is particularly true of this breed that there is an impression of great masculinity in dogs, as compared to an impression of femininity in bitches. Lack of true Dane breed type, as defined in this standard, is a serious fault.

Size, Proportion, Substance
The male should appear more massive throughout than the bitch, with larger frame and heavier bone. In the ratio between length and height, the Great Dane should be square. In bitches, a somewhat longer body is permissible, providing she is well proportioned to her height. Coarseness or lack of substance are equally undesirable. The male shall not be less than 30 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable that he be 32 inches or more, providing he is well proportioned to his height. The female shall not be less than 28 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable that she be 30 inches or more, providing she is well proportioned to her height. Danes under minimum height must be disqualified.

Coat
The coat shall be short, thick and clean with a smooth glossy appearance.

Color, Markings and Patterns
Brindle–The base color shall be yellow gold and always brindled with strong black cross stripes in a chevron pattern. A black mask is preferred. Black should appear on the eye rims and eyebrows, and may appear on the ears and tail tip. The more intensive the base color and the more distinct and even the brindling, the more preferred will be the color. Too much or too little brindling are equally undesirable. White markings at the chest and toes, black-fronted, dirty colored brindles are not desirable.

Fawn–The color shall be yellow gold with a black mask. Black should appear on the eye rims and eyebrows, and may appear on the ears and tail tip. The deep yellow gold must always be given the preference. White markings at the chest and toes, black-fronted dirty colored fawns are not desirable.

Blue–The color shall be a pure steel blue. White markings at the chest and toes are not desirable.

Black–The color shall be a glossy black. White markings at the chest and toes are not desirable.

Harlequin–Base color shall be pure white with black torn patches irregularly and well distributed over the entire body; a pure white neck is preferred. The black patches should never be large enough to give the appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a stippled or dappled effect. Eligible, but less desirable, are a few small gray patches, or a white base with single black hairs showing through, which tend to give a salt and pepper or dirty effect.

Mantle–The color shall be black and white with a solid black blanket extending over the body; black skull with white muzzle; white blaze is optional; whole white collar is preferred; a white chest; white on part or whole of forelegs and hind legs; white tipped black tail. A small white marking in the blanket is acceptable, as is a break in the white collar.

Here is a list of grooming tips for the Great Dane dog.

• Use a water scrapper (the type used to scrape water from wet horses) to help dry out the dog after bathing.
• Use a rubber curry comb to spread shampoo and help lift out dirt from their short coats.
• Great Danes are prone to gum disease. Teach the dog to accept his teeth being brushed regularly.
• Keep the dogs nails short. Nails that are too long can cause their legs to be out of alignment and cause pain in their legs over the long term.

Keep your Great Dane clean and healthy. Remember they have short life spans compared to other breeds of dogs so you want to enjoy them while you can.

Labradoodle

A Labradoodle is a crossbred or hybrid dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and the Standard or Miniature Poodle.
The Labradoodle was first deliberately bred in 1989, when Australian breeder Wally Conron first crossed the Labrador Retriever and Standard Poodle for Guide Dogs Victoria. His aim was to combine the low-shedding 

coat of the Poodle with the gentleness and trainability of the Labrador, and to provide a guide dog suitable for people with allergies to fur and dander. Guide Dogs Victoria continue to breed Labradoodles and Labradoodles are often used around the world as guide, assistance and therapy dogs as well as being popular family dogs.

The Labradoodle as a dog breed is still developing, and does not yet “breed true,” i.e., puppies do not have consistently predictable characteristics. While many Labradoodles display desired traits, their appearance and behavioral characteristics remain, from an overall breed standpoint, unpredictable.

There is no universal consensus as to whether breeders should aim to have Labradoodles recognized as a breed . Some breeders prefer to restrict breeding to early generation dogs (i.e. bred from a Poodle and Labrador rather than from two Labradoodles) to maximise genetic diversity, to avoid the inherited health problems that have plagued some dog breeds.

Others are breeding Labradoodle to Labradoodle over successive generations, and trying to establish a new dog breed. These dogs are usually referred to as Multigenerational (abr. Multigen) or Australian Labradoodles . Australian Labradoodles also differ from early generation and Multigenerational Labradoodles in that they may also have other breeds in their ancestry. English and American Cocker Spaniel/Poodle crosses (ie Cockapoos), Two Irish Water Spaniels and Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers have variously been used in some Australian Labradoodle lines. The Curly Coated Retriever were used too, but these lines did not work out and they were discontinued.

Labradoodle coats are generally divided into 3 categories: Wool (with tight curls, and similar in appearance to that of a Poodle, but with a softer texture); Fleece (soft and free-flowing, with a kinked or wavy appearance); or Hair (which can be curly, straight or wavy, but is more similar in texture to a Labrador’s coat). Labradoodles come in a wide variety of colours, including chocolate, cafe, parchment, cream, gold, apricot, red, black, silver, chalk, parti colours and generally all the colours that can be found in Poodles. They also can be different sizes, depending on the size of poodle (i.e. toy, miniature or standard) used.

German Shepherd

German Shepherd is a breed of medium-sized dog that originated in germany. German Shepherds are a relatively new breed of dog. The German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding sheep. Because of their strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training they are often employed in police and military roles, in forces around the world.Due to their loyal and protective nature, the German Shepherd is one of the most registered of breeds.

Use as working dogs

German Shepherds are a very popular selection for use as working dog. They are especially well known for their police work, being used for tracking criminals, patrolling troubled areas, and detection and holding of suspects. Additionally thousands of German Shepherds have been used by the military. Usually trained for scout duty, they are used to warn soldiers to the presence of enemies or of booby traps or other hazards. German Shepherds have been trained by military groups to parachute from aircraft.

The German Shepherd Dog is one of the most widely-used breeds in a wide variety of scent-work roles. These include 

 search and rescue, cadaver searching, narcotics detection, explosive dectection, accelerant detection, and mine detection dog, amongst others. They are suited for these lines of work because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions.

At one time the German Shepherd Dog was the breed chosen almost exclusively to be used as a guide dog for the visually impaired. In recent years, Labrador and Golden Retrievers have been more widely used for this work, although there are still German Shepherds being trained. A versatile breed, they excel in this field due to their strong sense of duty, their mental abilities, their fearlessness, and their attachment to their owner

Chow Chow

The Chow is a sturdily built dog that is square in profile with broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears that are rounded at the tip. The breed has a very dense double coat that is either smooth or rough. The fur is particularly thick around the neck, giving the distinctive ruff or mane. 

The coat may be one of five colors including red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, and cream.

Their eyes should be deep set and almond in shape. Chows are distinguished by their unusual blue-black/purple tongue and very straight hind legs, resulting in a rather stilted gait. The bluish color extends to the Chow’s lips, which is the only dog breed with this distinctive bluish appearance in its lips and oral cavity. One other distinctive feature is their curly tail. It has thick hair and lays curled on its back. Their nose should be black (except the blue which can have a solid blue or slate colored nose).

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever, with its intelligence and eager to please attitude, is one of the most popular breeds in the United States. The working ability that has made the Golden Retriever such a useful hunting companion also make him an ideal guide, assistance and search and rescue dog. The golden-colored coat is the hallmark of this versatile breed, and can range from light to dark gold.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Males 23-24 inches in height at withers; females 21½-22½ inches. Dogs up to one inch above or below standard size should be proportionately penalized. Deviation in height of more than one inch from the standard shall disqualify. Length from breastbone to point of buttocks slightly greater than height at withers in ratio of 12:11. Weight for dogs 65-75 pounds; bitches 55-65 pounds.

Poodle

one of the most intelligent breeds of dog.The poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. the poodle is skillful in many dog sports including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding.

Labrador Retriever

 

Labrador retrievers are sporting dogs. They were used to Retrieve birds during hunting. 

These days labrador are consider as working dogs. they give assistance to people with disabilities, as search and rescue dogs, as drug and bomb detection with the police and many more.

They consider to be playfull dog, Labradors enjoy fun activities like flyball, fetch tug of war, and agility.

Labrador can grow 2 feet tall or 24 inches and weigh between 50 to 80 pounds. Male are Larger than Female.