Pets and Animals Articles

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 2:02 PM

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi are two separate breeds now but at one time were considered as one breed and in a single litter both types could be born. The Cardigan Welsh differs from the Pembroke in several respects, the major one being that it has a tail. The Pembroke is supposed to be born tail-less but this has not always been the case and the possibility of being born WITH a tail was more prevalent when the two breeds were treated as one, so since 1934 the breeds hav... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 2:02 PM

The word Papillon is French for 'butterfly.' The Papillon was named for its erect butterflylike ears that frame its face. Apparently the Papillon was developed in France during the sixteenth century from a small, long-eared dog called the Belgian Spaniel or Dwarf Spaniel. At the time the spaniels were popular in Spain, Italy and France. Down-ear and erect-ear types exist today and are judged by the same breed standards in AKC shows. The diminutive breed was popular with European... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:59 PM

The Irish Terrier is a "classic" terrier in every sense of the word. He is believed to be one of the oldest of the Irish Terrier breeds, however there is scarce documentation of this. It is known that when dogs were first shown in Ireland in 1870 there were several terriers of this strain but there were many other colors besides the red that we know of today. It was not until later that the outstanding red color was favored above all else, to the extent that other colors such as brindle ... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:56 PM

The Papillon loves to exercise outdoors but an apartment will do just fine as long as she can get regular walks. She is a dainty, fine boned dog that loves to be pampered. She learns fast and loves to travel with her master. She may not get along with other dogs and should be socialized early for other pets. She gets along fine with older children but younger children may hurt her by accident. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog. Approximate Adult Size <... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:54 PM

The Otterhound is a breed of substantial size and great amiability. It is somewhat of a clown and enjoy rough and tumble play with other dogs. Otterhounds were originally bred as a pack hound, (to run with a pack) they generally get along well with other dogs. As the name implies, they were developed to give chase to the otter and so they do have swimming instincts. Otters at one time were so plentiful in the British Isles that they endangered the fishing industry and the hounds would be... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:53 PM

Norwegian Elkhounds are an old breed, dating back to Stone Age times in Scandinavia. Fossil dating confirms its long use as a domesticated hunting companion of man. They are only moderately popular in the U.S., but as you'll see, this breed has a lot of desirable traits that make it a good choice as a pet. Physical Characteristics Norwegian Elkhounds are beautiful dogs, with medium-sized bodies, a distinctive Spitz curled tail, and strong, athletic lines. Bred to hunt a variet... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:51 PM

The Otterhound needs plenty of exercise and is considered a great jogging companion. Be sure to have her under control as she will go off after a scent. She was originally a pack animal so she generally gets along well with other canines. She may not do as well with other, smaller pets so be sure to socialize her with them as a puppy. She loves children but can be a bit clumsy and may upset or knock over toddlers. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog. Approx... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:50 PM

The Norwegian Elkhound can be traced as far back as the stone ages. Through the study of the fossils from that time it can be determined that there existed the same basic dog that we know of today as the Elkhound. This breed has such purity of ancestry that it can be considered to be one of the most ancient of all the dogs. The Norwegian word for the dog", elghund" actually means "moosedog" however, Elkhound is the translation which stuck. Hound is probably not an appropri... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:49 PM

The Norwegian Elkhound is a heavy coated, shedding dog that prefers a cool climate. They can be kept in an apartment as long as long, frequent walks are part of her life. A properly fenced in yard would be best for her exercise. They are a clean, fairly odorless dog that will protect her human family. She will need to be extensively socialized early to get along with other pets. She generally likes older, well mannered children. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:45 PM

The Old English Sheepdog is a lovable, even tempered dog. She is more meant for the country as opposed to an apartment. She has plenty of fur to distribute when shedding plus she takes a ton of time for grooming. As a puppy she takes up to two years to mature. She generally gets along well with other pets and children. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog. Approximate Adult Size The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the male Old Engli... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:43 PM

The sight of the Old English Sheepdog actually driving a flock of sheep or cattle is not unusual in Great Britain but is not often seen in the United States, where he has become more popular as a show dog and a family pet. In Great Britain, the dogs used commonly as drovers dogs, draft dogs and shepherds in years past were considered "working dogs" . Because of the tax which was levied on dogs who performed no "work" , the custom of bobbing the tail was begun to distingui... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:43 PM

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever makes a great family pet. She is a good watch dog but a poor guard dog. She is not a barker, but will let you know when strangers are about. She is generally good with other dogs and pets. She loves children and absolutely lives to retrieve a ball. They are said to make great house dogs. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog. Approximate Adult Size The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the Nova Sc... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:39 PM

The Norwegian Buhund or "Norsk Buhund," is a herding dog of the spitz group, and is the farm dog of Norway. Buhunds have the typical spitz characteristics of activity, self-confidence and independence, but are trainable and home-loving with less inclination to hunt than other spitz breeds, having been bred as herding dogs rather than as hunters and draft dogs. These dogs were taken along by the Vikings on their travels and colonising journeys over 1,000 years ago and were the ancestors o... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:37 PM

The Norfolk Terrier is a loving, hardy and active little dog that makes a great pet. They can easily be kept in an apartment as long as she is afforded frequent long walks. A properly fenced in back yard with provisions for a digging dog would be the ideal exercise situation. She was bred to be a hunter and ratter so she should be socialized with small pets very early on. She is generally very good with older, considerate children. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a p... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:37 PM

The Newfoundland is a large, hairy dog with a great temperament. They are calm and do not require a great deal of exercise so they may even be kept in an apartment. Of course, a properly fenced in yard for exercise is preferable. The Newfoundland was bred for cold temperatures and icy water so hot climates will stress them. There are numerous cases where they have actually saved drowning people. They are generally good with children. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:35 PM

The county fire department got the call from the animal shelter that a dog was trapped in a storm drain pipe. It took awhile but they finally succeeded in freeing the large black dog and she was taken to the local shelter for care. They had to completely shave her to get rid of all the mats. She was obviously old and the days spent trapped in the drain pipe had affected her health. Who would ever adopt such a creature? They considered euthanizing her. But there was a shelter employee who ... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:33 PM

The Havanese is a cute and compact dog, weighing in anywhere from seven to fifteen pounds and standing at a height of eight to eleven inches. This dog is generally sweet natured and eager to please, making it a good choice for most families. With its small size, these puppies can work well in an apartment as well as a house, as long as they are walked regularly. Because of its intelligence, the Havanese puppy will often be relatively easy to train. However, a Havanese puppy isn't nec... more...

Pets and Animals | By John Williams @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:27 PM

The Newfoundland is a breed of dog which some people believe is similar to the Labrador or St Bernard in many ways. This dog used to be a permanent fixture on every single fishing boat in the small province of Newfoundland in Canada. That is how the breed got its name. The dog would help in putting the nets out into the sea and even retrieving it. They were even involved in rescuing people who fell overboard. They are natural swimmers. Since they are very big in size Newfoundland's ... more...

Pets and Animals | By Ryan Moxie @ Thursday, 3rd July 2008 @ 1:03 PM

Webster's Dictionary tells us that cool means moderately cold, but Mr. Webster isn't choosing dog names for us, is he? When a person is cool, he or she is looked up to, people want to be like the cool person. Cool people are popular and have a lot of friends, even if they act like they don't want them because they are so cool. What is it that makes a dog cool, though? Do the other dogs want to be like him? Probably not, but a cool dog can certainly make the owner seem very co... more...

Pets and Animals | By Mike Fletcher @ Wednesday, 2nd July 2008 @ 5:27 AM

As we all know, dogs bark. In fact, barking is part of their very nature. For dogs, to bark comes as natural a behavior for them as it is for a bird to sing or for a frog to croak. However, a dog barking can become a very troublesome when the barking is goes persists with no signs of ever stopping. Most dogs will start to bark for normal, healthy reasons. This barking behavior can be for many reasons such as to warn its owners or to defend its family or property by scaring away intr... more...