Purebred Dogs Archives - Edie MacKenzie

Focus on the Airedale Terrier

December 13, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

A medium-sized, athletically built dog, the Airedale can stand up to 24 inches at the withers, and weigh as much as 65 pounds. It is the biggest of the true terrier breeds, and is often known as the ‘King of Terriers’

They have a wiry, black and tan coat and a unique ‘square’ profile, which makes them easily recognizable. The Airedale has the typical, ‘game’ terrier temperament, with an alert and energetic demeanor that suggests they are ready to meet any challenge.

The breed originated in Yorkshire, England in the area between the Rivers Aire and Wharf. The original cross was between the Otterhound and Welsh terrier, and was called by a number of names, including Waterside terrier, Bingly terrier, and the Rough coated terrier

The breed was recognized by the UK Kennel Club in 1886, and thereafter was known as the Airedale Terrier.

By this time the breed had already gained a reputation as a hard working, trustworthy dog, and this saw it make the transition from a purely hunting dog, to one that became a favored breed of the police and military.

These are active, independent and highly intelligent dogs. They are generally easy to train, but have a decidedly stubborn streak and also become bored quite easily. It is therefore important to base training on short, very focused sessions.

But the Airedale isn’t just all work and no play. These fun-loving dogs have a decided sense of humor and a genuine love of life. They love to play and make excellent pets for the right owner.

The Airedale is a generally healthy dog although it is not immune to the medical problems that typically affect purebred dogs. Hip displaysia, eye problems and skin disorders (especially hot spots) occur in the breed. Bloat, a serious, often fatal, condition can also occur if the dog is exercised too soon after a meal. Average lifespan for the breed is 12 years.

The rough wiry coat of the Airedale requires a daily brush down to keep it in good condition. The coat will also have to be professionally hand stripped a couple of times a year.

The Airedale is a low shedding breed, so it is a good for those who have a particular aversion for dog hair. It may even be suitable for allergy sufferers.

They ideal owner for an Airedale is someone who is reasonably active and can give the dog a lot of attention and daily exercise. These dynamic terriers are simply not suited to the lazy life, and will not do well in an apartment.

As with most active breeds, they will look for ways to amuse themselves if they are bored, and this can lead to destructive behaviors like digging, chewing and problem barking.

If you’re looking for a name for your Airedale Terrier, the best advice is to visit a dog names, website. The one that I recommend is Puppy Names HQ, which has a huge database of excellent dog names including 1000s of girl dog names.

Spaying & Neutering Your Dalmatian

January 6, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Spaying your Dalmatian is the most common method of removing the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy. It involves surgically removing the uterus, tubes and ovaries. After spaying, the incidence of breast cancer goes down, there is no chance of pyometra, and the female dog will no longer go through oestrous cycles – spotting blood and attracting males twice a year. Most spaying takes place between six months and one year of age. Tubal ligation is also used as a pregnancy control, but in that case, the chances for pyometra still exist, the breast cancer statistics remain the same, and she will still attracts males twice annually.

Most people prefer the ovary removal as a means of breeding control. In males, castration and vasectomy are used to prevent reproduction. Castration before puberty in males will inhibit certain aspects of growth, so it is advisable to perform this operation after the dog reaches its full growth. A vasectomy also prevents reproduction and does not carry the hazards of disturbing growth that castration does. A vasectomy leaves the male with normal mating urges, but without fertility.

In both males and females, birth control operations have been blamed as causes for weight gain and toning down behavior. But the bottom line of weight gain in most cases is the amount of food and exercise in the dog’s routine. As to behavior modification, it’s true that the animals won’t breed.

Spaying and neutering have become more publicized in recent years because of public attention to unwanted animals in shelters. Unplanned litters by non-purebred dogs make up the bulk of the stray and unwanted population, but the issue has affected every purebred breeder in the country. As a result, most pet-quality dogs produced by breeders will only be sold on a spay/neuter contract with a limited AKC registration. The limitation on the registration means that the AKC will recognize the lineage by registration of the animal, but will not register offspring from a dog or bitch carrying a limited registration.

The greatest advantage of spaying (for females) or neutering (for males) your dog is that you ore guaranteed your dog will not produce puppies. There are too many Dalmatian puppies already available for too few homes.

Mutts Are Special Too!

May 19, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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.

Choosing A Mixed-Bred Dog

May 3, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Any dog with two or more ancestors of different breeds is called a mixed-breed. There are probably as many mixed-breed dogs in this country as there are purebreds, largely the result of failure to alter or contain pets properly. However, it is important to realize, of course, that each of today’s purebred dogs began as a calculated experiment in selective breeding by a fancier with a definite purpose in mind, to engineer a new breed to suit a specific need.

Mixed-breed dogs are normally no better or worse than purebred dogs with regard to temperament and physiology. Keep in mind that a mixed-breed dog is simply the product of purebred animals. There is no process occurring that would make mixed-breed dogs far better or far worse than purebreds. Some people insist that mixed breeds are hardier than purebreds because they come from a larger gene pool, but this is not generally true. If today’s mixed breeds were farther removed from their purebred ancestors – say, ten or twenty generations – there might be validity to that claim. But this is not the case. The vast majority of mixed breeds had a purebred parent or grandparent and will therefore approximate their physiology and temperament, albeit with some minor and often interesting variations.

Mixed-breed dogs are always available, unlike purebreds, which often require a search and then a waiting period. Shelters in this country are filled with mixed breeds of all ages, as a result of the irresponsibility of owners. They are also very affordable, usually costing only the price of altering, licensing, and vaccinations. Purebred dogs on the other hand can cost anywhere from three hundred dollars for a pet-quality puppy of a popular breed to well over a thousand dollars for a large or rare show-quality dog. In addition, if you get a mixed breed through a shelter, you will most likely be provided with some educational material, and you may also be given an opportunity to enroll in an obedience class.

There are drawbacks to acquiring a mixed breed dog, however. It is hard to predict the size that a mixed breed pup will attain when fully grown. In a year you could end up with a two-hundred-pound pet. Even more important, you will usually know little or nothing about the dog’s history or breeding. Was the dog abused? Hit by a car? What were his parent and litter-mates like?

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