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.

The Bullmastiff

February 24, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Bullmastiff History and origin:

The Bullmastiff is believed to have been evolved between 200 or 300 years ago by crossing the Mastiff with the Bulldog. He was used as a guard dog against poachers (who were hunting on large estates) without actually harming them. The Bullmastiff was bred to be courageous, quick, strong, and willing to challenge humans.

Description:

The Bullmastiff stands 24 to 27 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 100 and 135 pounds. He has a powerful, heavily muscled and boned body and a short, low-maintenance shedding coat that needs regular brushing. Ears may be cropped or uncropped. The color may be fawn, reddish brown, or brindle; a small white patch on the chest is acceptable.

About the Bullmastiff:

The Bullmastiff is a trustworthy, affectionate, lazy, powerful breed with a natural instinct of guarding his home and family. These dogs are usually very suspicious of strangers and other dogs and are one of the most territorial of breeds. Though normally gentle with children in their own family, Bullmastiffs can be unpredictable with friends, relatives, and co-workers. Keep in mind that this breed was designed to challenge human beings and will do so without hesitation if a threat is perceived. When a Bullmastiff becomes aggressive, it is explosive and unstoppable. This breed is capable of killing another dog in seconds, so do not consider letting him off leash. The only way to minimize this instinctive behavior is to socialize and train the dog from day one, allowing the Bullmastiff puppy to interact with people and dogs in a controlled, positive environment. Males should be neutered by the eighth month. Females tend to be less aggressive and are quite more timid than males. The Bullmastiff is normally content to lie around the house. Though less energetic than the Boxer, he does tend to be slightly more active than the Mastiff. Training should begin early and should be firm but not overbearing, as this breed matures slowly and can become worried if pushed too hard. Patience and consistency are required, as well as positive, confident attitude. Spoiling will create a pushy dog that lacks confidence, a combination that could be dangerous. Mature children are permissible provided absolutely no roughhousing is permitted. This breed eats large quantities of food. He usually lives ten to twelve years, and is susceptible to bloat, hip dysplasia, eyelid abnormalities, gastrointestinal disorders, and respiratory problems. He snores and drools and is often flatulent.

Feeding:

Recommended feeding for this breed is at least 2 ½ cans (13.3oz) of a branded meaty product with biscuit added in equal amount or 5 cupfuls of a dry, complete food.

Ideal home:

A large house in the country with a fenced yard or kennel is preferred, though this breed is easygoing in the home. The owner of a Bullmastiff must be a strong, easygoing, confident leader who is fully aware of the power of this breed and who does not project worry or concern. Time must be available to train, socialize, and handle this breed. Though very affectionate with his family, the Bullmastiff may be unpredictable and aggressive with your children’s friends. Spoilers and weak, nervous, or overbearing people should avoid this breed, as should the elderly and the disabled. The Bullmastiff needs regular exercise; a child or lightweight person may have a hard time controlling the lead.

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Boxer, Brindle, Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Bullmastiff Puppy, Bullmastiffs, Co Workers, Ears, Females, Friends Relatives, Guard Dog, Hesitation, Human Beings, Instinctive Behavior, Low Maintenance, Mastiff, Natural Instinct, Poachers, Reddish Brown, These Dogs

Characteristics Of The Golden Retriever

October 9, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

The Golden Retriever

Almost all breeds of dogs are group oriented, as they need to interact with other species of their group to remain secure and the Golden Retriever, in particular, have been bred over the years to be geared more towards people.

They make great guide dogs for the blind, friends for younger children, and even assistants for those who love to hunt.  Due to the way they have been bred, they need to interact with people on a frequent basis.

They are merciful dogs at heart, and will tolerate several mistakes from you all the while wanting nothing more than you to acknowledge the fact that they are there and pat them on the head.  Further proving that Golden Retrievers aim to please, is the fact that they were the first three dogs to obtain the Obedience Trial Championships – which is quite a statement indeed.

With the Golden Retriever being so people oriented, it’s very important that they live with their owners.  When you do any type of family activity, you should make sure that your Golden Retriever is included.  Even though they don’t normally bark a lot, they will start barking if they get bored.  Once a Golden Retriever is fully grown and becomes stout, he will enjoy many types of activities such as hiking, walking, hunting, jogging, and many other types of physical activity.

If you start your Golden Retriever puppy out early with exposure to kids, he will grow to become better than ever will kids. Although they can be very friendly around young kids, they can still knock them over or tend to want to lick them in the face.  No matter how great your Golden Retriever may be around kids, you’ll never want to leave your dog and your kids alone.  Even though Golden’s have a great temperament, a child can accidentally poke him or pull his tail and cause him to retaliate via his natural instinct.

All Golden Retrievers love the water, and choose to get wet any chance they get.  If you have a pond or other source of water on your land, you can expect your Golden Retriever to get into it whenever he gets the chance.  They are also drawn to mud, and will get themselves dirty on a frequent basis.  Once your Golden is full grown, you can count on bathing him every couple of days.

During the summer, you’ll need to make sure that your Golden Retriever has plenty of moving air, shade, and water.  They like the heat, although it normally isn’t good for them.  As long as you take care of your Golden and don’t let him over exert himself, he should be just fine even in the hottest days that summer can dish out.
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Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Aim, All Breeds Of Dogs, Blind Friends, Breeds Dogs, Breeds Of Dogs, Frequent Basis, Golden Retriever, Golden Retriever Puppy, Golden Retrievers, Guide Dogs, Hunting, Love, Many Other Types, Natural Instinct, Obedience Trial, People, Physical Activity, Source Of Water, Temperament, Young Kids

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