Italian Greyhound Dog Breed
Although the Italian Greyhound has been in existence for centuries, the exact origin of this beautiful breed of dog is completely unknown. There is evidence of artwork that dates back more than 2000 years ago, it depicts these dogs in areas such as the Mediterranean, Greece and Turkey.
Italian Greyhounds were known as “Miniature Greyhounds” and were found in abundance throughout areas of southern Europe. Italian courtiers adored them.
Sometime during the 17th century, this dog breed arrived in England and rose in popularity with the nobility. They became just as popular in England as they had been in their homeland of Italy.
In the year of 1820 there were only two specific dog breeds that were mentioned in a book about dogs. The Italian Greyhound was one of them. This breed continued to attract more and more popularity, mostly with the wealthy, but reached its peak sometime during the leadership reign of Queen Victoria.
After this time period, the numbers of Italian Greyhounds started to decline rapidly. In fact, after the end of World War II, these dogs had all but disappeared. The reason for this is unknown but it is theorized that the decline was the result of poor breeding quality over many generations. Even though their numbers had declined on the verge of extinction, quite a few Italian Greyhounds made their way to America sometime during the late 1800s and the breed was revived.
Personality
The Italian Greyhound is a moderately small dog that loves to run at fast speeds and chase anything that will run from it. These dogs are extremely gentle and a bit on the sensitive side. Italian Greyhounds are reserved, timid and make a lovable family pet, especially around children.
Taking Care Of Your Italian Greyhound
This is one breed of dog that is best suited to live with an active family. In other words, if you prefer sitting on your couch all day to spending time with your dog, the Italian Greyhound would not be the ideal choice. They need an active lifestyle, with plenty of running outside.
Italian Greyhounds absolutely hate cold weather, but can stand higher-than-normal temperatures, due to its short coat. Grooming is minimal, with only the occasional brushing needed in order to remove dead hair.
Health Information
The average lifespan of the Italian Greyhound can be up to 17 years when healthy, with 13 to 14 years being the average. The only major health concern that they have is periodontal disease. Minor issues include PRA, leg fractures (from running), patellar luxation and epilepsy.
Bulldog Dog Breed
The Bulldog is one of those breeds that carries a mean looking facial expression, but is actually a delight to have as a pet. This dog was originally bred to attack bulls, literally. History has it that these ferocious little guys used to attack and bite the nose of large bulls in the ring for entertainment purposes. Luckily today, the Bulldog is just an everyday house pet.
Despite its angry looking face, these dogs are extremely amiable and mellow. The Bulldog is well behaved around children and tends to thrive on pleasing its owners. Although it can be protective of its owner and a little aggressive towards strange dogs, this breed makes a great family companion and will get along just fine with other pets in the home.
Upkeep And Maintenance
When it comes to upkeep and maintenance of the Bulldog, moderate exercise should be given on a daily basis, such as a brisk walk through the park at least once or twice daily. This is definitely not the type of dog that is made for running. The Bulldog is quite docile and tends to prefer a slower pace.
Although the Bulldog can live both indoors and outdoors, it is recommended that it remain inside with the family as much as possible. These dogs cannot stand hot weather and are not good with water. In fact, Bulldogs do not know how to swim.
Grooming the Bulldog takes a little extra care, but only around the face wrinkles and other folds located around the tail. These areas should be cleaned moderately on a daily basis. Other than that, a light brushing over the rest of the coat, once or twice weekly, is all that is needed.
Health Information
There are some major health concerns that you need to be aware of when owning a Bulldog. They include stenotic nares, shoulder luxation, ventricular septal defects, CHD, internalized tail and elongated soft palate. Occasionally you might come across urethral prolapse and vaginal hyperplasia.
The lifespan of the Bulldog can reach up to 12 years, sometimes longer. Specific health tests that are recommended by veterinarians include testing for elbow problems, hip dysplasia, need dysplasia and potential eye problems. Also, wheezing, snoring and lots of drool is typical with every Bulldog.
Doberman Pinscher Dog Breed
Many years ago, during the 1800s, a man named Louis Doberman from Thuringen in Germany, had a career of collecting taxes. Every day he would set out on foot and literally walk door-to-door asking people to pay their overdue taxes.
Needless to say, this job was obviously quite rough and Mr. Doberman needed an excellent guard dog to accompany him on his rounds. He then set out with the goal of creating such a breed. The most likely mix came from the old German Shepherd and the German Pinscher, with later crosses using the Greyhound, Weimaraner and the Black & Tan Manchester Terrier.
Soon enough Mr. Doberman gathered the perfect prototype of the breed which today bears his own name. The original Doberman dogs looked a little different than today’s Doberman Pinschers, with rounder heads and a thicker bone structure, which in time was bred to have a narrower race-like look. By the year 1900, the Doberman Pinscher became so popular that it had its own breed club.
The first Doberman Pinscher found its way to the United States in the early 1900s. Both the US and European nation took to this breed for a perfect police and guard dog. In time, it was also used as a war dog. These valuable functions became the desire of many household families, in addition to the sleek, defined appearance of the animal. By the year 1977, the Doberman Pinscher was the second most popular dog breed in the United States.
Personality
The Doberman Pinscher is a highly intelligent animal that is one of the most capable guard and watchdogs a family could own. Not only is it a highly dependable family protector, but also Doberman Pinscher dogs are one of the easiest breeds to train. They are alert and always ready to serve. These dogs are quite sensitive, obedient, reserved with strangers and are committed to loyalty.
Taking Care Of Your Doberman Pinscher
Upkeep of the Doberman Pinscher takes more than average daily exercise. Bundled with enormous pockets of energy, this dog can become very frustrated and even destructive when kept indoors too long without physical and mental stimulation. Families considering owning a Doberman Pinscher should be prepared for a lifelong commitment of daily brisk walks and plenty of vigorous dog games to play outside. Dobermans can live outside in both hot and cold temperatures, but is more comfortable when inside with its family.
Health Information
The Doberman Pinscher has a lifespan of up to 12 years, with 11 being the average. Veterinarians suggest that these dogs get specifically tested for hip dysplasia, eye problems, cardiac issues and DNA for vWD. Major health concerns that may arise are gastric torsion, demodicosis, vWD and osteosarcoma. Occasionally, minor health problems sometimes include PRA, albinism, narcolepsy and hypothyroidism.
Pit Bull Dog Breed (American Staffordshire Terrier)
Dog enthusiasts consider the American Staffordshire Terrier, otherwise known as the Pit Bull, to have come from the exact same lines as the Staffordshire Terrier. The original crossing of breeds sprung from the mix of an older type of Bulldog with some other older types of Terrier. The result was a dog, which is currently known as the Bull Terrier.
These dogs became popular for individuals who enjoyed the practice of dog fighting. Dog fighting was an extremely popular sport, despite the fact that it was declared illegal. The United States started to see many Staffordshire Terriers around the late 1800s when they were brought over for dog fighting entertainment. It was at this time that they became known as the American Bull Terrier.
Americans then wanted to create a larger, more aggressive version of this dog, so the mix of the English version and the American version were combined, creating a new breed of dog that was recognized by the AKC in 1936. The official breed name was American Staffordshire Terrier (Pit Bull).
The American Staffordshire Terrier has a very aggressive temperament when feeling defensive, especially in response to protecting its family. Needless to say, these pets make an excellent watchdog and will protect its owners and property at all costs.
Pit Bull dogs are generally very friendly towards strangers so long as the owners are present. However, they can be a bit tenacious and stubborn when mixed with other dogs.
Taking Care Of Your Pit Bull
American Staffordshire Terrier dogs will need plenty of exercise on a daily basis. Long walks and vigorous running games are perfect examples. Although this dog can live outdoors if necessary, it is much more comfortable when staying inside the house with its family. Taking care of the coat is fairly easy for upkeep; just a few quick strokes of the brush on a weekly basis are all that is necessary.
Health Information
The American Staffordshire Terrier has an average lifespan of 12 to 14 years. Major health concerns include CHD, PRA and cerebellar ataxia. Minor issues are elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism and heart disease.
You might occasionally see allergies and cruciate ligament rupture. Veterinarians suggest that you have your American Staffordshire Terrier checked for hip and elbow problems, eye issues, thyroid and cardiac.
German Shorthaired Pointer Dog Breed
The German Shorthaired Pointer is probably the most skilled hunter of all dog breeds. It is versatile and has the ability to trail, retrieve, point and even kill game if necessary. These attributes are the result of specific blending of breeds during the 17th century.
The first mixes produced a large hound-like dog from combining the Spanish Pointer with the Hannover Hound. The dogs that came from this mixture had the natural ability to trail and point at the same time. They also showed a heavy interest in birds and various mammals. When trailing, the dogs would bay and dispatch wounded prey (and fox).
Early breeders all had one thing in common: they wanted to create a Pointer that could be an “all purpose hunter”. However, not everyone agreed on the best way to do it. Many crosses were made with the English Pointer, although controversial and it bestowed very stylish physical characteristics into the breed, which also hunted nose-up.
One of the downsides to this mix was that the dogs had a dislike of water and avoided attacking quarry. In time, however, further breeding of the dogs help eliminate these unwanted characteristics in the Pointer.
Sometime during the early 1800′s, at the German Derby, there were two specific Deutsch Kurzhaars (the name that the Pointer was originally called) that had distinguished themselves from all of the other pointing breeds. Their names were Treff and Nero. These two Pointers are said to be the parents of today’s German Shorthaired Pointer. Their descendants helped get the breed recognized in Germany in the late 1800s.
The first German Shorthaired Pointers started to show up in the United States sometime in the 1920s. The breed gained recognition by the AKC in 1930. Soon enough, the dog’s reputation as being the ideal hunting dog grew in popularity. Due to its hunting skills, combined with its aesthetic look, this dog has become quite popular.
Personality
The German Shorthaired Pointer is one dog that could live its entire life, day in and day out, simply running around hunting in the field. The temperament of this animal makes an excellent watchdog, but it has an abundance of energy and requires heavy exercise. It is a devoted and loyal family pet that may prove to be a little too boisterous for small children. Because of its genetic design for hunting, the German Shorthaired Pointer may get a bit aggressive with other household pets, especially those that are smaller in size.
Taking Care Of Your German Shorthaired Pointer
Upkeep and maintenance of the German Shorthaired Pointer requires lots of exercise on a daily basis. This dog thrives on mental stimulation as much as it does physical exertion. You can achieve these things by taking your Pointer hunting, running, hiking; anything that gets the animal to play outdoors with its owner. This is one dog that is not suited for small apartment living. The ideal situation would be access to a fenced-in yard at all times.
Health Information
German Shorthaired Pointers have an average lifespan of 13 years, with some living as high as 15 to 16 years. Major health concerns to lookout for with the Pointer is lymphedema. Minor issues include pannus, vWD, CHD, gastric torsion, OCD, entropion and hypothyroidism. Very rare health problems that are occasionally seen include thyroid issues, cardiac problems and hip dysplasia.
