DogLvr.com

Dachshund - The “Weiner Dog” Breed Description

By Josh Emsley

Dachshunds originated in Germany and are known to have existed as far back as the 16th century. Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, wild boar and other types of small animals. In German, Dachs means badger and Hund means dog, showing the emphasis the breeding pattern had on the hunting of the badger.

Dachshunds have a fearless kind of attitude about them handed down from their ancestry of hunting. The original breed was quite large compared to the CKC/AKC standards of today, averaging 30 to 40 pounds. Eventually this size was branched off into smaller categories for individual hunting of smaller prey such as a fox or rabbit.

More →

Welcome New Visitor!

The Chihuahua Are Bred To Be A Companion Dog

By Sandra Oberreuter

Chihuahuas are the oldest dog in North America and the smallest breed in the toy group. They only weigh 2-6 pounds and are only 6-9 inches tall.

These dogs are quite intelligent, alert but easily spoiled. They are not a meek dog as they will fight a larger dog. They are a wonderful dog guard and will take on human intruders as if they were bigger than they are.

More →

Characteristics Of The Rottweiler

By Racheal Stacknick

The Rottweiler

Origin: Rottweil Germany

Colors: Black with clearly defined tan or mahogany markings

Bred for: Guard and cattle drover’s dog

Coat: Coarse, short coat

More →

The English Cocker Spaniel: Game Bird Dog

By Michael Russell

The traditional sport of hunting the “gamecock” is the foundation of the word “Cocker”. The term “Cocker” denotes those spaniels which were used for hunting this bird. Many years ago hunting dogs were classified according to size. Those over 25 pounds were classified as Field Spaniels and those under 25 pounds were classified generally as Cocker Spaniels. Selective breeding of Spaniels and other hunting breeds in the nineteenth century began to distinguish and discriminate between the different types of Spaniels.

The Cocker spaniel was classified as a separate breed by the English Kennel club in 1892 and by 1946 in the United States two different “Cockers” were classified, the American Cocker spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel. The two breeds diverged in several ways. the English Cocker is notably the dog which retains a strong hunting instinct. The muzzle of the English Cocker is longer with less stop than that of the American Cocker Spaniel. The body is square, in contrast to the American Cocker which presents a sloping back and exaggerated rear angulation.

More →

The Alaskan Malamute, Dog of the North

By Michael Russell

When Jack London wrote the novel “Call Of The Wild”, the main canine character “Buck” was more than likely a dog which had at least some Alaskan Malamute in his bloodline. This dog is a native of Alaska, tracing his roots back to the Mahlemut tribe , an ancient Indian culture which is seldom mentioned without a mention also of their faithful dogs. These dogs helped them with almost every aspect of their daily living, from fishing and hunting to hauling in the hunt. The Alaskan Malamute is just one representative of the many different breeds which were used in the settling of the great territory of Alaska, a region whose vast reaches of inhospitable climate required a beast of burden who could live off the land, who had great speed and who could pull heavy loads. The fact that there were already large numbers of dogs being used for these purposes made it natural that the cold reaches of the northern territory would be mostly explored and populated with the help of the dogs.

There is a historical possibility that the Alaskan Malamute, one of the largest of the sledge dogs, owes some of his size and strength to the Arctic Wolf, a very large white animal nearly twice the size of the Alaska Malamute. This may be true or not. Crosses are routinely engineered today in captivity, but no one really knows whether such a cross would occur in the wild. If it is true that he descended from a cross with the wolves, this may account for his strong acceptance of being a “pack dog” in the sled dog teams and his willingness to be within such a group. There are few “societies” of animals which are as similar in their interactions to human society than the “society” of a team of sled dogs. In the animal kingdom, the society of wolves is very similar. Despite his “pack” mentality, the Alaskan Malamute possess an affinity to humans, loving not only to work for man, but loving humankind altogether and without reserve.

More →

Westie Puppies - Why Are They Sought After By Many Dog Lovers?

By Jeff Cuckson

“Westies” or Westhighland Terriers are furry coated dogs, with dots for coal black eyes and button noses.

Why are Westie puppies sought after by many dog lovers? Because these friendly creatures are well-behaved, loyal and affectionate dogs, who may be pocket sized (average a 10-11 inches tall), but are highly intelligent animals.

More →

Why It Is Important To Know How To Take Good Pictures Of Your Pet

Here is a picture of our Maxxie, taken in 2002 by a professional photographer.

We ordered pizza one night on my wife’s birthday, and I put my business card inside a “bin”. Next thing you know, $300.00 later with our ‘Free Pictures’ and other pictures, we finally had some family pictures .. me, my wife and Maxxie! Maxxie was the most photogenic of the lot, as if you can’t tell! I call this picture .. “Maxxie - Formal - Smiling”

More →

An Introduction to Pet Photography

By Stan Beck

Introduction

Photographing your pet can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Done well, it will allow you to immortalize Fluffy or Spot – that significant member of your family – the pet that shared you food, chewed your shoes, and brought you the newspaper. In fact, the act of seriously photographing your pet will bring you both closer because the process opens you to noticing the small, wonderful things that you might have missed before – the way he wags his tail, etc. This is a grand adventure.

Goal

More →

Standard Poodles - The People Pleaser

By Sandy Riordan

I did a lot of research before getting another dog after our English Cockers passed away. I was attracted to Standard Poodles because of their intelligence, temperament and ease of training. They are known to be good family dogs as well as a good watchdog. They also seem to get along very well with other animals as well, sometimes even to the point of being protective of smaller animals.

I have the honor of being owned by three Standard Poodles at the moment, Meg, Bob, and Charley. All three of them have excellent personalities, although they are three totally different personalities.

More →

Some History of Designer Breeds and The Problem

By Steve Allison

Although the concept is by no means new; many people are discovering that some of the latest breeds of super dogs are not as great as their breeders would have you believe.

Of the “designer dog club” the ‘Labradoodle’ is probably the most well known. The ‘Labradoodle’ was originally bred for sight impaired individuals who had severe reactions to dog’s fur. This new hybrid aimed to combine the intelligence of the Labrador with a non-shedding poodle. However you may or may not have a puppy that will be non-shedding. Labradoodles have been around for over 20 years and are gaining recognition.

More →