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.

Require An Impressive Dog for Hunting? Look Into an American Water Spaniel

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The American Water Spaniel is usually a kind of Spaniel that is employed to hunt birds and other smaller game by flushing them out. Despite the fact that it truly is a flushing dog, it is usually employed to retrieve as well and loves the water. Because of its smaller size, it truly is considered to be a good breed of gun dog for any one hunting on the water in a smaller boat or even a canoe.

History Of The American Water Spaniel

The exact history of the American Water Spaniel is comparatively unknown. You’ll find those that say that the breed developed from a cross between the English Water Spaniel and the Curly Coated Retriever. Others think that it may well be a cross between the English Spaniel and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

The breed was recognized by AKC in 1940 and is bred primarily as a hunting dog. The peak of the popularity for this breed of dog was in the early component of the last century. The American Water Spaniel is typically called the “Forgotten American” due to the fact it isn’t shown a great deal anymore, despite the fact that you will find sufficient fans of this breed to create positive that the breed line of this gun dog doesn’t go anyplace soon. You’ll find extremely active associations for this breed such as the American Water Spaniel Field Association.

Look Of The American Water Spaniel

The American Water Spaniel is distinct in look due to its curly marcelled coat. It truly is commonly a extremely dark brown in color, despite the fact that it can typically have a black coat. The coat is extremely thick and enables the dog to be able to resist lots of sorts of inclement weather, such as the cold. This dense and sculpted coat also enables the dog to swim very easily. The ears of the Water Spaniel are floppy like other spaniels but the coat is extremely brief and curly. The dogs weight from 25 to 45 pounds with males weighing a bit far more. They’re about 16 inches in height.

Use Of The American Water Spaniel

This breed is observed as a field dog. It truly is employed for hunting game in the field as well as water. They are going to very easily flush out game and is usually trained to return the game to you. The American Water Spaniel is employed as a hunting companion for hunters who’re typically out in inclement weather and are on the lookout for a dog which will swim and flush out as well as retrieve game. They can be employed to hunt upland birds as well as water fowl. The compact size of the American Water Spaniel makes them an perfect hunting companion for any one living in smaller quarters as they do not need a great deal of room to be pleased. Consistence ought to be employed if you are training the American Water Spaniel and you’ll want to keep away from harsh training tactics if you are trying to train your dog as these can cause the dog to become aggressive or even shy away from you.

The American Water Spaniel is an perfect hunting dog for those that are on the lookout for a smaller gun dog that enjoys the water and can flush out and retrieve smaller game, upland birds or waterfowl.

Picking the appropriate hunting dog supplies is very important. Pay a visit to http://www.gundogsonline.com for a lot more information and facts on Radians and hunting with dogs.

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever

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History of The Chesapeake Bay Retriever:

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is of the British origin and was perfected in 19th century Maryland.  This breed filled the need for a dog that could retrieve ducks all day in the cold, turbulent waters of the Chesapeake Bay.  His greater size and strength gave him an edge over the Labrador Retriever.

Description:
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever stands approximately 21 to 26 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 60 and 90 pounds.  He has a powerful medium- to large-boned structure.  His shedding, water-resistant wavy coat, which is relatively short and easy to maintain, does an excellent job of insulating the dog against cold water.  Regular brushing should keep the coat in good condition.  The color may be brown or tan.

About The Chesapeake Bay Retriever:

This is an intelligent, hardy breed who is an excellent retriever and devoted to his owner.  He is a big, strong dog with great courage and stamina.  He is also an extremely dominant, obstinate dog that requires a strong, no-nonsense leadership.  He is very stubborn and territorial and can be dog-aggressive.  Chesapeakes are not recommended for families with young children because of their physical, controlling demeanor.  They are very suspicious of strangers and are excellent watchdogs.  The owner of a Chessie should start obedience training and socialization as early as possible.  Those who wish to avoid some of the breed’s inherent dominant aggressive behavior would do well choosing a female.  They can suffer from hip dysplasia and bloat.

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

Ideal home:
The owner of this breed must be a strong, consistent leader from day one. These dogs will quickly fill any lack of leadership, and a spoiling, nurturing owner may be overwhelmed by the time the dog is six months old.  This is not a dog for the elderly or the disabled.  Chessies quickly perceive physical weakness or lack of confidence in an owner and will soon take over.  A house with a fenced yard is mandatory.  If left alone too long, this breed may bark excessively and be very destructive.  Obedience training and socialization with people and dogs should start from the time the puppy arrives home.  If you want a good watchdog that will be affectionate, intelligent, and athletic, and if you have great leadership skills and time to socialize the dog, then you may wish to consider the  Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Mutts Are Special Too!

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In setting official standards for mutts, everyone has used the guiding principle that dogs belong to the same species, called the Canis familiaris. All dogs come equipped with the remarkable blend of high intelligence, fierce loyalty, human-like emotions, boundless love, and the ability to smell leftover meat two blocks away.

It is us humans that have established differences among dogs. Some dogs were selected over centuries for astonishing traits of size and temperament. These dogs were bred for high purposes, such as the Mastiff for defending the Roman Empire, the Newfoundland for rescuing sailors, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever for retrieving ducks, and the Saint Bernard for saving lost mountaineers. These are purebred dogs.

To create a purebred, all matters are arranged by a responsible breeder. On the other hand, other dogs, such as strays, neighborhood dogs or most dogs who have ever lived have met and mated as they saw fit, without the help of humans. This is evident by simply looking at them. These are called, simply, “dogs.”

All dogs are capable of the greatest genetic elasticity among mammals, providing a dazzling array of coat types, head types, tail configurations, and placements. Dogs astonish us with their rich diversity, the 250-pound Mastiff and the five-pound Miniature Poodle are members of the same species, a heart the size of a peanut and a heart as big as a fist both beating with love for us, their best friends. Breeders can’t perform this trick with other types of species.

In the last century or so, dog breeders, carefully molding remarkable lumps of canine clay, have turned out an amazing array of more than 450 distinct breed types, although only 146 breeds and varieties are formally recognized by the American Kennel Club. Dogs meeting dogs for entirely unsupervised dates have done it a little differently. For example, Yorkies serenading a song of seduction to strong, silent Shepherd types, and Terriers falling for Chihuahuas. The results of this dizzying merry-go-round of random matches is nothing less than the richest, maddest, crazy-quilt variety of mammals of a single species on Earth: mixed-breed dogs. Surely there are thousands of types of mixed-breed dogs, roughly familiar, and yet each one unique, like snowflakes.

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