Friday, August 1, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
The German Shepherd Origin and History - A Dog in a Class by Itself
The German Shepherd dog breed has its origin in the late 1800s when Max von Stephanitz from Germany began developing a breed that would later become the dog we know today as the German Shepherd.Von Stephanitz desired to produce a dog breed that could be utilized as an all-around working dog.
Developed from various farm and herding dogs of his time, von Stephanitz's original German Shepherd was derived from a herding dog he acquired in 1899, and he and his friend Artur Meyer formed the Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde which was the first club in the German Shepherd dog breed history. This club and von Stephanitz kept tight control over the breed until his death in 1936.
He determined which dogs would be used to breed based on how well they did in various shows and trials that were the precursor to the Schutzhund tests still performed today. His main criteria for judging a dog's success were both its usefulness coupled with its intelligence. Von Stephanitz also promoted the utility of the breed to the German government for work in both the police and the military as well as other all-purpose uses as a working dog breed.
German Shepherd Breed History
Following the creation of the German Shepherd breed by von Stephanitz in the early 1900s, the breed's popularity soon soared and became one of Germany's most popular dogs. Serving in both World War I and II, the German Shepherd was a favorite military dog, primarily in Germany, but American and British soldiers were also impressed by the breed and brought the dog home following both wars.
In fact, one of the most popular German Shepherds dogs was Rin Tin Tin, originally from France, and brought to America by an American GI following the first world war. Rin Tin Tin went on to make 26 movies until his death in 1932 and contributed to the breed's enormous popularity.
In addition to its use in the police and military arenas, German Shepherds have a history of usefulness in other areas, is known as a successful show dog and has been a popular family pet. German Shepherds were the first dogs used as seeing eye dogs in the late 1920s and Helen Keller, an avid dog lover, owned a couple of German Shepherds.
The first German Shepherd Club in America was formed in 1913 and the breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1908. Instantly recognizable, the German Shepherd continues to be a popular dog breed, and the German Shepherd is continually in the top five most popular registered breeds as determined by the AKC.
German Shepard History and Origin information found at Large Dog Breeds.com. German Shepard profiles and history related know-how are added weekly within our expanding library of large dog breed material.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Border Collie - Is This The Dog Breed You Want?
Are you thinking about getting a border collie? This dog makes a great pet as long as he has lots of work to do. The border collie was bred to herd animals and that is what it will want to do. It may even start herding your kids or your other pets!
The border collie originally comes from Northumberland which is on the English/Scottish border. It is a descendant of the old British droving breeds but also has some spaniel in it. This dog is an incredible herder; it can handle any type of herd. The border collie will crouch down on the ground and give the animals an intense stare. Herding isn't all this dog is used for though. It is used for drug and bomb detection as well as search and rescue. Some are even used as seeing-eye dogs.
The border collie is one of the most trainable dogs out of all the breeds. They commonly perform in obedience, Frisbee, flyball and agility trials. If you get this dog, physical exercise will not be enough. They need something for their mind to do as well as their body. They want to work and carry out tasks. This is an extremely energetic dog.
This dog is also one of the most intelligent breeds. They are really easy to train and do the best if you give them lots of praise. When the dog is young it needs to be socialized a lot so that it doesn't become shy. Most border collies will get along fine with children and other dogs. If you get this dog it will need almost constant attention, lots of daily exercise and a task for it to do. This dog lives for serving its owner and will not just lie around the house all day doing nothing. If this breed gets bored, they can become destructive while it looks for something to do.
If you live in an apartment you definitely should not get this dog. They need to have lots of room to run and play. Also, this dog should never be left alone for a long time or they can become neurotic. You can't just ignore this breed; they need attention all the time.
Border collies are usually pretty healthy but some are prone to PRA, hip dysplasia, eye disease, allergies to fleas, epilepsy and deafness. Most live to be around twelve to fifteen years old.
The border collie needs to be brushed and combed regularly to keep its coat healthy. You have to be careful though when their undercoat sheds. They are considered to be an average shedder. Only give them baths when it is necessary.
The most important thing to remember with this dog is that it must have something to do. If you don't provide activities for the dog, you will run into problems. If you give the dog a task, make sure it gets lots of exercise and give it plenty of attention, you will have a great pet. The border collie absolutely loves to make its owner happy.
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