Hound Dog Breeds: Top 10 Most Popular

The Hound Group includes dog breeds with a wonderful sense of smell and/or great athleticism. These breeds were developed to follow game either by sight or by smell.

Sighthounds include the fast and streamlined Afghans, Greyhounds and Salukis. Sighthounds need lots of exercise but some breeds like the Borzoi, the Greyhound, the Irish Wolfhound and the Saluki can adapt to being left alone during the day if they get lots of exercise before and after work.

Scent hounds include the slower Bloodhounds, Bassets and Beagles. The dogs in this group have a great size variation and range from the tiny Miniature Dachshund to the extremely tall Irish Wolfhound. The top ten most popular hound dogs in the US are the following. (The number in brackets is the rank of the breed out of 154 breeds registered by the American Kennel Club in 2005)…..

The Italian Greyhound

Experts agree that the Italian Greyhound was bred down from the greyhound and in most respects is a smaller version of the Greyhound. The height is usually 13-15 inches. It has the typical Greyhound look of sleek “racy” lines, with a fine head and beautifully expressive eyes. In temperament it also resembles the Greyhound, for it is a dog that enjoys being with people and being pampered, it is a quiet and gentle dog that generally gets along with other dogs and is mannerly and affectionate.

More about the Italian Greyhound..

Pet Food That Makes Your Pet Ill

 

If you watch the news recently, you’ve seen the epidemic health crisis plaguing this nation’s cats and dogs in the early part of 2007: poisoned petfood that’s making pets ill.

Shortly after eating the tainted food, the animals have started suffering. These pets are having serious problems, including vomiting, lethargy, kidney failure and death for some animals. Though few animals have died (a couple dozen) the issue has affected many dog and cat lovers.

At first, people believed that the problem was a substance in rat poison in the food supply, namely the chemical aminopterin. Aminopterin is used for chemotherapy. While New York officials stated this, the FDA never confirmed the matter.

More from Pet Food That Makes Your Pet Ill

Stop Dog Barking – How To Teach The “Quiet” Command

What can we do about problem barking? Well, first realize that barking isn’t bad. Excess barking is bad. Barking to warn you that someone’s trying to break into your home is great! Barking about a gas leak, the baby crying, or smoke or a fire is also a plus. Barking because a butterfly landed in a bush a block away is nonsense. If the dog is still barking ten minutes after the mailman left, or if he won’t stop barking when you tell him to, you’ve got a problem.

Chronic barking can get a dog into a spiral of stressful behavior that he can’t get out of without your help. Excessive barking is bad for your dog as it can cause systemic damage like ulcers and other medical problems.

How To Teach The Quiet Command

Pet Food Recall Grows

The tainted food recall grew again on Saturday, March 31, as Nestle Purina Pet Care Co. added Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food to the list of growing pet foods being recalled. Purina said a limited amount of food contained wheat gluten from China.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition, late Friday, March 30, recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food that contained the same allegedly contaminated wheat gluten. Hill’s is the only company so far that has recalled a dry pet food.

Read more..

Dog Jigsaws to Download and Enjoy

We have added three new dog jigsaws which you can download to your computer, burn onto CDs, and share with your friends. Enjoy our Golden Labrador, German Shepherd and Boston Terrier – and more to come!

Dog Jigsaws to download here

Curbing Puppy Aggression

Aggression is one of the most common reasons for puppies being sent to rescues or shelters when they become unmanageable. The reality is that puppy aggression is usually a fault directly of the owners and the breeders and may, in fact, be completely correctable. Some puppies are naturally more aggressive than others with male puppies normally slightly more aggressive than females. Some breeds may also be more aggressive as puppies and may also be more prone to aggression as they mature if not properly trained.

Read the rest of this article

Looking After Your Dog’s Coat

Gone are the days when dogs were simply bathed in a tub in the backyard with a bar of hand soap. Now there are shampoos, conditioners and coat care products designed to help your dog have a healthy, clean smelling and shiny coat. It is important to note that dogs hair has a different pH than human hair, and products designed for us will not work as well on dogs and can, in fact, lead to skin rashes and hot spots. Use only those products that are indicated for use on dogs. Here is a rundown on what is available and how to use them..
Looking after your dog’s coat

New Jigsaw Puzzles Added

We have just added three new jigsaw puzzles to play online – with very cute photos of puppies and dogs. 
Dog Jigsaw Puzzles

Cap’s Angel

The cold wind rattled the window near my chair as I sat at my desk, going through bills that needed to be paid.  I was thankful I didn’t have to go outside in the nippy air.  The forecast was for a hard freeze that night.  It was a good day to stay indoors.

Suddenly, a sharp rap on the window startled me.  I looked up to see my husband peering in.  He gestured for me to come outside.  With a groan, I stood up and slipped on a jacket.  I would have preferred to stay where I was nice and warm, instead of venturing out in the chill.

Outside, I found my husband talking to our friend, Tony, who is an animal control officer.  They stood next to Tony’s truck where there was a break from the wind.  I was about to suggest that we all go indoors when my husband pointed at something lying in the back of the truck.  I stepped closer for a better look…

Read the rest of this heart-warming story about a rescued wire fox terrier here.