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The Dog Park: Take Two

When Chihiro was a puppy I took her to the dog park to socialize her. But my experiences there were disheartening; my little puppy was rushed by several much larger dogs upon her entrance each time, and their owners did nothing to hold their dogs back until she adjusted. Add this on top of the fact that my hound dog would rather wander and sniff than bound and play in the fenced-in dog park, and the trip just didn’t seem worth the effort. Two years later things are different. Over the summer Chihiro learned some negative behaviors from a friend’s … Continue reading →

The Science of Dogs

Over the weekend I watched the National Geographic documentary “The Science of Dogs.” It explored canine genetics, studying what it is about a dog’s DNA that makes it the species with the greatest number of breeds. The documentary revealed that there is something uniquely malleable about canine DNA that allows it to make a staggering variety of small changes. The example given by the documentary explained that one can breed cows in such a way to get different color patterns or shapes of horns. But all cows will look fundamentally the same and share identical characteristics. As we well know, … Continue reading →

The Greatest American Dog: The Elvis Episode

There was a new episode of “Greatest American Dog” last night, but thanks to my volleyball schedule, I’m a bit behind watching my DVR recordings. I just finished watching the episode from the week before. I loved it, because David was able to show that Elvis isn’t, as he calls him, a “Jack Russell terrorist.” WARNING: Spoiler Ahead In case you record the shows too and you’re also behind, this is where you should stop reading. I do reveal who was asked to leave Canine Academy. Clearing the Yard “Elvis is off-leash.” ~-David, Elvis’s Dad-~ Poor Elvis. The cute little … Continue reading →

Dog Breeds: Sealyham Terrier

Best in Show at the seventh annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship was Charmin, a Sealyham terrier from Cochranville, Pennsylvania. The representative of the terrier group won the largest dog show prize in the world — fifty thousand dollars. The breed comes from Haverfordwest, Wales. Sealyham estate was the home of one Captain John Edwards — a breeder who set out to create a dog who could hunt badgers, otter, and fox. He was hoping to combine endurance, speed, and strength, so the new breed of dog could chase down and battle prey underground. Historians believe that Edwards created the Sealyham terrier … Continue reading →

American Staffordshire Terrier

The American Staffordshire terrier is one of several breeds known as pit bulls. These dogs are known for being muscular and strong, courageous and alert, agile and graceful. Physical characteristics of the breed include: A broad skull with pronounced cheek muscles. Ears set high, and they may be cropped (upright) or uncropped (floppy). A strong underjaw. Deep, broad chest. Tail that tapers to a point — a docked tail is not a standard for this breed. A short, stiff, glossy coat. Males are slightly larger than females, reaching an average of 18 or 19 inches at the shoulders. Females reach … Continue reading →

Dandie Dinmont Terrier

The Westminster Kennel Club’s Best in Group for the terriers this year was the Dandie Dinmont Terrier — owned by none other than Doctor William H. Cosby! This terrier is a long, low dog, bred for going to ground and rooting prey like badgers and otters out of their holes. The breed takes its name from a character in an 1814 book by Sir Walter Scott named Dandie Dinmont who kept six of these hunting dogs. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier was first recognized as a distinct breed of terrier around 1700, developed as a cross between native terriers in the … Continue reading →

Dog Breeds: Norfolk Terrier

The 2003 American Kennel Club/Eukanuba National Championship Best in Show winner was a Norfolk Terrier known as Champion (Ch) Cracknor Cause Celebre. This little pup was small enough to fit into his Best in Show trophy! Check out photos from the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in December 2003. What distinguishes a Norfolk Terrier (in terms of breed standards) are his ears. A Norfolk Terrier has what are called “drop ears” — ears that flop or fold over — and a Norwich Terrier has “prick ears” — ears that stand straight up. Both the Norfolk and the Norwich are small, sturdy dogs … Continue reading →

Westminster Dog Show Results

I have what my friends call “Olympic Obsessive Disorder” – but I managed to tear myself away from the Olympics long enough to keep an eye on the Westminster Kennel Club’s 130th Annual Dog Show. If you missed it, check your local listings for USA Network; they will be running the highlights again over the next few days. Monday night, four dogs were sent to the finals: 1. Working Group – Rottweiler 2. Terrier Group – Colored Bull Terrier 3. Toy Group – Pug 4. Non-Sporting Group – Dalmatian Tuesday night, three more dogs went to the Best in Show … Continue reading →

Sergeant Stubby: World War I Hero

When reading a list of top all-American dog breeds (breeds that were specifically cultivated in America), I happened across the story of a war hero: Sergeant Stubby, the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier. In a time when pit bulls hold a mostly negative image in our country, I think it’s good to look back at story that shows how wonderful they can actually be. Sergeant Stubby was the most decorated dog of World War I and the only military dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. It’s no surprise that dogs were taken into war zones then; we still do … Continue reading →

Demodex Mange

Just thinking about microscopic creepy crawlies makes me itchy all over! But when my dog Lally was having her most recent allergy attack, one of the causes I feared was demodex mange. Demodex is a skin infection caused by a microscopic mite. Symptoms can include: Red, itchy skin Bald, weepy patches — especially around the eyes and mouth Lesions on legs and body Leathery skin Thick ear discharge (especially in cats) With Lally’s itching — especially around the eyes — maybe you can see why I was concerned. The demodex mite is fairly common — most dogs and cats carry … Continue reading →