Cattle

Posts Tagged ‘subject’

Oftentimes considered the most intelligent of all breeds of dogs, the Border Collie originate in the English and Scottish border country, and is an excellent sheep herding dog.  They were plentiful in numbers in England and Scotland during the 1800s when they were used as fetching dogs in order to circle sheep herds and keep the animals close to the shepard. By 1873, sheepdogs known as Border Collies and became extremely well known when the breeds character was tested at the first official sheepdog trial in England.

The first known Border Collie on record, tested at this trial, was a male named Hemp.  He was used to sire more offspring and has oftentimes been referred to as the Father of Border Collies for this reason alone.  Hemp used a combination of eye contact and fear in order to herd the flock, and was considered the most intelligent dog of his day in the British Isles.

Despite the fact that the breed had been recognized since the 1800s, the name Border Collie was not deemed as the official breed name until 1915.  Sheepherders in the US who were in dire need of a smart herding canine welcomed the Border Collie with open arms upon their arrival in North America.  Unfortunately, where the AKC is concerned, they were never considered as a competitive show dog until the mid-1990s.

The two primary traits of the Border Collies personality are obediency and intelligence.  Unfortunately, if they are kept indoors to long and not tended to, they can become rather destructive in their efforts to entertain themselves and stimulate their brains. Additionally, the Border Collie at times will display an aloof, guarding type of behavior as they are extremely loyal and protective.  And this behavior is exhibited the moment a strange human, dog, or other animal gets too close to their masters.

Mental and physical stimulation on a day-to-day basis are critical issues with Border Collies and many breeders and dog experts have the tendency when appraising the dogs personality to say that the breed simply has a job to perform.  So they will take advantage of any such opportunity as it arises.  In so many words, this dog has been genetically programmed to perform a multitude of work functions.

Despite their desire to be indoors with their families, they are quite capable of tolerating mild to cooler weather conditions.  As the breed requires significant amounts of room to roam around for exercising, it is ill-advisable that you subject the dog to an apartment-like environment.  In fact, the more astute breeders will deter you from obtaining one if you reside in an apartment, condo, or studio-type residence.

Border Collies have been known to live as long as 15 years, but 12 years is their average lifespan.  Fortunately, there are no major health concerns with this breed so you do not have to worry about anything unforeseen arising during the dogs life.  The only issue on rare occasions is CHD – Coronary Heart Disease.  Minor health issues include CEA, hypothyroidism, lens luxation, OCD, PDA, PRA, and seizures, but these conditions are rare and seldom occur with any documented regularity.

Having multiple house pets actually seems to decrease the allergy risk of children, as long as the children have been exposed from infancy on. Recent studies have shown that children raised in a home with two or more cats and/or dogs in the first year of life are less likely to develop allergic diseases than are children raised without these pets. In fact, exposure to the allergens associated with pets very early in life seems to have a long time protective function.

This seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Most people would believe that the less pet allergens in the home, especially for newborns and very young children the better. But studies are showing that exposure early in life not only protects from pet allergies but also grass, ragweed and dust mites. Pet exposure seems to cause the immune system to settle down and shift from allergic type responses. The layman explanation for this strange turn of conventional thought is rather obvious. Our bodies have only recently been subjected to antiseptics and clean germ free environments. Television and other mass media hammered away at us about the dangers of germs, all germs. Commercials sold us products to help keep our kids free from germs and we actually strive to do this. We forget that we would die without the help of billions of beneficial bacteria that co-exist with us in and upon our bodies. Our bodies have an immune response system that distinguishes from good germs or bacteria and bad. The bad bacteria is attacked, killed and or rendered harmless and removed from the body. This war goes on in our body twenty four hours a day. Occasionally things get out of hand and we come down with a cold or flu. That is all part of the beauty of the system because our bodies can more effectively fight against these diseases once we have had them. When our bodies immune system has very little to do because we keep our environment too sanitized and clean, the immune system starts lowering its threshold of activation. That means the immune system kicks in at the least provocation and you have higher sensitivity to allergens which causes allergic response. It is even said that this same mechanism is partly to cause for arthritis in many cases. The immune system actually attacks our joints because it has little else to do. Studies suggest that exposure to more than one pet the first year of life is more beneficial, probably because the variety of potential allergens are increased, giving the babies immune system plenty to deal with. The actual statistics were children 7 years of age were 70% less likely to be allergic to common allergens when exposed to pets as babies. Scientists are trying to figure out the exact mechanisms that make this a reality. They think that pet bacteria release endotoxins that, when a baby is exposed, eventually shift the babies immune system away from responding to the common allergens. Scientists can pick through this mystery as much as they want to but there is a common sense explanation to this. People, even babies, are just not meant to live in sanitized surroundings. Our bodies have spent too many thousands of years evolving and protecting us from the ravages of germs. Giving our immune responses little or nothing to do by having a germ free environment is setting this powerful germ killing machine against its own host.

It was just in the newspaper – how the mailman delivered the post while the owners held back the big snarling dog; meanwhile the little dog dived between them, jumped up and drew blood from the postie’s leg!

Just one of the many reasons why realtors and prospective house buyers alike do not like to view an empty home with a dog in it! Of course he is friendly – and yet …..why take the chance?

Pointing out the problems of showing a home that also houses a pet can often make pet-owners defensive; it is often inconceivable to them that their little “Tootsie” would offend! Even the most friendly of pets can become troubled about strange people coming into their home.

One of the solutions often used is to shut them in the laundry room, which will then make most prospective buyers want to give your laundry room a miss. If they do brave it and open the door, the dog rushes out, maybe too over- friendly at the chance to finally interact with ‘friends’ and plants its paws prints all over their new cream pants.

What’s worse, the dog will not go back in the laundry room and the realtor can’t seem to leave the house without the dog coming too! This type of scenario is not in your favor, as it does rather distract the prospective buyer from remembering the unique points about your home – although they will remember the color of your dog!

It would help if the dog was in the garage or some place where a) there is alot of fresh air and b) where it is not necessary for the buyers to enter. The laundry room will certainly have a ‘doggie’ smell after your pet has roared around it all day, whereas the garage has fresh air coming in from all sides.

This brings us to the smell of the home, another touchy subject. Often non-pet owners will notice a smell in a house that seems associated with a pet. When the dog bounds up to confirm this suspicion, many possible buyers will start to wonder if they will be able to get rid of the smell once the dog has moved out.

Rather than putting your friends on the spot by asking them if your home has its own smell, play it safe and assume that it does. If you have a pet, wash all its blankets and keep them clean. Encourage your pet to sleep outside more often if possible. This clean routine will apply to other pets in the house: guinea pigs and hamsters can also leave an odor in the home, but this does usually go when the cage is removed.

The new type of air fresheners that plug in and keep the air sweet for 24/7 are very effective. However, if they do manage to disguise the smell of a dog, they will not be able to fool anyone who has a real allergy to your pet.

Some buyers have allergies and they do not care if they see an animal or not – they simply do not want to go into a house if an animal even lives there. This is especially true for people with a severe allergy to cats.

In these cases, you have to come clean and be up front with the realtor; even if you have removed all traces of cat. The troublesome allergens just float in the air and are completely undetected by most of the human race.

The prospective buyers will have to trust that if the listing realtor says no animals, he is speaking the truth – so ‘fess up and don’t put your realtor in the dog house.

Description: The Great Pyrenees is a large, shepherding dog. The dog will be between 27 and 32 inches at the withers and will weigh up to 110 pounds. The bitch is a little smaller, measuring 25 to 29 inches and with a weight of 80 to 100 pounds. This dog has a medium long double coat consisting of a dense under layer and a coarse, weather proof guard coat. The Great Pyrenees has a double dew claw on the hind feet. This dog can live for 9 to 12 years. The Great Pyrenees is also known as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog and Chien de Montagne Pyrenees.

History: The original stock that led to the Great Pyrenees probably came from Eastern Europe or Asia. The ancestors of the Great Pyrenees are the Maremmano and the Hungarian Kuvasz. This dog was used in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain and France for nearly 5,000 years as a herding dog. It was not until the 19th century that the breed became known to the outside world. The Great Pyrenees was used not to herd sheep in the way a Border Collie will, but to live with the sheep and provide protection against wolves and bears.

Temperament: While the Great Pyrenees becomes attached to its human family, it will always be a somewhat independent dog. It will never be as needy of affection as most dogs because it was bred to stay with the sheep and protect them. Older children are recommended for this dog breed. This dog had to be able to make decisions on its own, without human direction. The Pyrenees is very protective of its human companions as well as any sheep it has in its charge. This dog needs a strong leader and must be trained while young, as it is very strong when adult and can be difficult to control if it does not understand its limits. This dog has a tendency to wander.

Health Issues: The Great Pyrenees can suffer from hip dysplasia, as can most large dog breeds. This breed is also subject to bloat or stomach torsion. Symptoms of this will be acute discomfort and attempts at vomiting that are unproductive. The dog must be given medical attention at once to save its life. Smaller meals and a rest time after eating are thought to help prevent bloat.

Grooming: The coat of the Great Pyrenees should be brushed out several times a week and should be checked for burrs and other debris. The under coat is shed once a year and more intensive grooming is called for at this time. As the ears are floppy and can retain moisture in the ear canal, they should be checked every week and cleaned if necessary.

Living Conditions: The Great Pyrenees is totally unsuitable for apartment living. This large dog needs space and likes to roam. While the Pyrenees gets quite attached to its human family, it is a dog that does not need intensive interaction with people. It was developed to be a guardian of sheep in isolated pastures and carried on most of its work without the presence of a human. This dog loves cold weather and enjoys being outside in winter.

Description: The Weimaraner is a fairly large, athletic hunting dog. The dog will be found to be 24 to 27 inches at the shoulder and the bitch 22 to 25 inches. The Weimaraner weighs between 50 and 70 pounds, depending on sex. The tail of the Weimaraner is generally docked (as is the practice with many hunting dogs). The coat of the Weimaraner is very distinctive and elegant, being various shades of grey from mouse-grey, charcoal-grey, or silver-grey. The eyes of this dog are widely set and amber in color. There is also a long haired Weimaraner, but it is not recognized in America. The Weimaraner generally lives for 10 to 12 years. It is also called the Grey Ghost or the Weimar Pointer.

History: The Weimaraner is actually a descendent of the Bloodhound. This breed was really developed in the 17th century, but dogs with similar attributes were known in 11th century in France at the court of King Louis IX. The dog eventually made its way to Germany where the breed type was refined and perfected at the Court of Weimar by local noblemen. It developed into a hunter of birds and small game after its original quarry, boar, wolves, and elk became scarce.

Temperament: The Weimaraner is a fearless, protective dog that has been developed not only for its hunting abilities, but for its affection for its human family. The Weimaraner gets along very well with children. For the Weimaraner to be a really valued member of the household, it should be well trained and provided with plenty of exercise. It can be socialized with cats and other dogs in the household, but should probably never be trusted with pet rabbits or hamsters, its prey drive is just too strong.

Health Issues: The Weimaraner, unfortunately, can be subject to bloat. This twisting of the stomach is a life-threatening condition that must be dealt with immediately. Smaller meals and a quiet time after eating can help. This dog can also suffer from hip dysplasia. Von Willebrand’s Disease, a form of hemophilia, is sometimes present in this dog. These last two disorders can be largely eliminated by intelligent breeding. This dog is also subject to tumors.

Grooming: The short coat of the Weimaraner is easy to keep in top form, all that is needed is a twice weekly brushing, and perhaps a ‘polishing’ with a chamois cloth. It is probably best to use a dry shampoo on this dog, to help preserve the natural oils. If the Weimaraner has been hunting in the field, be sure to check for ticks, and for plant seeds between the toes.

Living Conditions: Although the Weimaraner is a keen hunting dog that needs a lot of exercise, it is also a devoted companion dog that needs to be with its human family. This dog will suffer from separation anxiety if left alone. In part, because of its strong bonding to humans, the Weimaraner can live in an apartment, but it must be given sufficient exercise. This dog needs a long walk every day and the chance to experience a free run now and again.