Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Focus on the Black and Tan Coonhound

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The Black and Tan Coonhound, is an impressive distinctive looking dog that excels as a hunting companion.

These medium-sized dogs stand up to 27 inches at the withers and can weigh as much as 75 pounds. They have a black and tan coat and the appearance of a typical hound dog, with long, hanging ears, loose fitting skin and long legs.

The original Black and Tans were created by crossing Talbot Hounds, Foxhounds, and Bloodhounds. The idea was to create a dog for treeing racoons, but the Black and Tan proved such an able tracker that it was soon being used to hunt larger game, including deer, mountain lions, and even bear.

These are loyal, affectionate and good-natured dogs who form close bonds with humans. The are also intelligent and fast learners which makes them excellent pets for an appropriate owner.

They do however need a great deal of exercise and will therefore do best with an active family. Without proper exercise Black and Tans can become destructive and are prone to howling when left alone.

Consistent pack leadership is a must with this breed, as are training and socialization. Dogs that have not been socialized may be aggressive towards other dogs. The hunting instinct is still strong, and these dogs will follow any scent they encounter.

While they are generally good with people they are not really suited to small children as they may be too boisterous for them.With the right amount of exercise though, plus a good training program, this is a wonderful pet and loving companion.

The Black and Tan is generally a robust, healthy breed and suffers from few inherited diseases. There is a risk of hip dysplasia and, as with many long eared breeds, they may suffer ear infections. Eye problems also occur occasionally.

Black and Tans love to eat and are therefore prone to obesity. Strict portion and treat control is therefore advised.

Grooming is quite easy as the short coat only needs to be brushed once a week. You should also take care to inspect and clean the ears and eyes regularly.

It should be obvious that this is not a dog for apartment living. The Black and Tan needs lots of space to move around in as well as vigorous daily exercise. These dogs are tough enough to live outdoors, but are softies at heart and will much prefer to be inside, and close to those they love.

Good dog names can be hard to find. The best advice is to try one of the online dog names, sites. My personal favorite is Puppy Names HQ, a site that has tons of excellent dog names to pick from, including thousands of cute dog names.

9 Facts About The Golden Retriever Breed

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Do you have a golden retriever? How much do you know about it aside from for the fact that it’s a fun filled family dog? There is actually an official definition of a golden retriever. That is to say how the kennel clubs define a golden retriever. There are actually a lot of, clubs that have a definition for the Golden retriever. There is the AKC or American kennel club, the CKC or Canadian kennel club, the UKC, the ANKC and a host of others.

What follows are some of the fun facts for what constitutes a golden retriever that can be registered.

Origin

Golden Retrievers were actually originally called a golden flat coat. They came from a cross between a yellow retriever which is the flat coated retriever and the now extinct Tweed water spaniel. Further in the revolution they were mixed with Irish setters and bloodhounds. They originally hailed from the North of Scotland and were bred as a hunting dog or gun dog retriever.

Watchdog

Golden retrievers don’t make a very good attack dog. They will however generally barked loudly when a stranger approaches. But they’re not a dog that you’re going to be of the train to attack. Generally speaking as a family dog this is probably not something that you want anyway.

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Don Collins is a canine author.  For more information on Retriever Golden  Breed

The Bloodhound

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Bloodhound History and origin:

This scent hound is an old breed, dating back to Roman times.  He is said to have been brought to England by William the Conqueror in 1066.  This dog has the most powerful sense of smell of all the breeds.  In the United States, he has been used as a tracker of fugitives and lost individuals.

Description:
The Bloodhound stands 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 90 and 110 pounds.  This is a large, powerful animal with great stamina and drive. The shedding coat is short and requires regular brushing with a hound glove to keep it in good condition.  The color may be black-and-tan, red-and-tan, or all tan.  Bloodhounds have loose, wrinkled skin and long ears.

About the Bloodhound:

The Bloodhound is known to be the best tracker of all the scent hounds.  He is excellent at picking up a scent and following it relentlessly until the prey is located, but he does not kill it.  This breed is a highly specialized dog specifically designed to perform a single task: tracking.  Breeders have created not only a dog with the best nose in the business but also a dog with a relentless, determined mind-set.  The Bloodhound will follow a scent forever and ignore everything else, including you.  Choosing a Bloodhound for a family pet would be like using a bulldozer to drive to the corner store.   More than any other breed, the Bloodhound needs to perform the task for which he was bred.  Although most of them have a very good temperament, there have been few cases of very aggressive Bloodhounds.  The relentless, determined, non-thinking mind-set that is so effective in tracking can be transformed into aggressive behavior as well.  When a Bloodhound becomes aggressive, he is almost impossible to stop.  Keep in mind that this is a very big dog.  The Bloodhound needs obedience training and socialization early in life.  He is stubborn and is easily distracted by scents that you cannot perceive.

Feeding:
Recommended feeding for the Bloodhound is 1 ½ – 2 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete, dry dog food.

Ideal home:
This breed will be suitable for hunters, trackers, police departments, and search and rescue teams and is not really recommended as a family pet.  He can be intolerant of children and may bite if teased or provoked.  However, if you choose to have this breed as a family  pet, he needs to live in the country and requires a fenced yard or kennel.  The owner must be a strong, no nonsense leader and must use this breed to do the work he was bred for.  Keep in mind the Bloodhound needs plenty of exercise to keep him happy and healthy.

The American Foxhound

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History and origin of the American Foxhound

This breed is said to have been derived from a pack of Foxhounds taken from Britain to the United States in 1650. This scent hound was used in packs or individually for fox hunts. He is now mostly used as a competitive field trial dog and a showdog.

Description: The American Foxhound stands 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 55 and 75 pounds. He has a large, strong, athletic body and a short, dense, shedding coat that is stiff to the touch and requires regular brushing with a hound glove. The coat color is black, white, and tan.

About the American Foxhound:

This breed is friendly, lively, and full of stamina. He is a first-rate hunter and does not usually make a great house pet. His high-energy level can drive you nuts. He can be very stubborn and is easily distracted by a scent. He is happiest when doing a task such as tracking, hunting, or doing some other type of field work. The American Foxhound is suspicious of strangers and makes a good watchdog, but he can be dog-aggressive. He is good with your children, but he may knock them down and hurt them while playing. He does not normally exhibit the type of non-thinking aggression common to Bloodhounds and Coonhounds. If left alone, he can be very noisy, restless and destructive. Training and socialization should begin early. As with all hounds, the “Come” command is hard to teach this breed. He is also inclined to be disobedient.

Feeding:

Traditionally, pack members were trenched-fed with horse meat and an oatmeal mash called a “pudding.” They are not fed the day before a hunt. Present day feeding include about 1 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete, dry dog food.

Ideal home for the American Foxhound

The English Foxhound is the perfect breed for a hunter or a very active person. A house in the country with a fenced yard or kennel is important. Children are fine as long as no roughhousing and teasing is allowed. Plenty of directed exercise is needed to avoid restlessness, barking, and digging. The owner must be a firm no-nonsense leader who has time to train, socialize, and exercise the dog. The American Foxhound is not a lap-dog and will not do well with an easygoing, elderly, or disabled owner.

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