Shoulders Archives - Edie MacKenzie

Description Of A Labrador Retriever: Part 2

January 20, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

It is important for the Labrador Retriever to be well balanced. He should not be as tall and thin as a pointer, and he should not be as short and fat as a potbellied pig. No one feature should be so prominent as to detract from the total picture. If you look at a Labrador and notice only his huge head, the dog is probably unbalanced. If you look at a Labrador and see only his big feet or a long scraggly tail, you are probably not looking at a good specimen of the breed.

The Labrador Retriever ears should be set off the side of the skull, not too high and not too low. They should be of medium size, hanging so that the bottom tips are about two inches below the eyes. The ears should not be so big or so small that they draw attention to themselves. And they should never be long or folded as they are on many hounds.

The Labrador Retriever eyes are where we see that irresistible, sweet, kind and alert expression. Some are shaped like a rounded diamond. Although some round eyes can be attractive, they should not resemble the round eyes of a Cocker Spaniel, nor should they be too almond-shaped. A good color would be a warm brown-eye on all three colors (black, yellow or chocolate), maybe a bit darker on a yellow Labrador Retriever. If the eyes are too light, the dog’s expression will be ruined.

There should never be a harsh or mean look about a Labrador. When you look into a Lab’s eyes, you should feel instant friendliness. Usually, the moment your eyes meet, the Lab’s powerful tail starts wagging automatically.

The desirable Labrador Retriever head should sit on a strong neck of medium length. If the neck is too short, the dog looks as if his head is sitting on his shoulders; if the neck is too long, the dog appears elegant, like a setter, which is not correct. There is nothing elegant about this dog. He is agile, strong, and sturdy. As you continue down the neck, past the withers, the top line (the back) should be rather level, never sway-back or sloping to the degree that a Setter’s back does from the neck to the rump.

The Labrador Retriever chest should be deep with well-sprung ribs like a barrel. The shoulders should be long and sloping. The correct look requires long bones that form a ninety-degree angle as you look at the dog from the side, from the withers, to the sternum, to the elbow.

The front legs of a Labrador Retriever are well underneath the dog, allowing a prominent breastbone to show and creating the picture of a powerful chest.

The Current Poodle Breed Standard (Part 2)

November 21, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Neck, Topline, & Body: The ideal Poodle has a neck that is “well-proportioned, strong and long enough to permit the head to be carried high and with dignity.” The topline is “level, with the exception of a slight hollow just behind the shoulder.”

The shoulders should be strong and “smoothly muscled,” with the shoulder blade “well laid back and approximately the same length as the upper foreleg.” (Well-laid-back means about 45 degrees.) The forelegs should be straight and parallel when viewed from the front. When seen from the side, the elbow should be “directly below the highest point of the shoulder.”

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The feet are “rather small, oval in shape with toes well arched and cushioned on thick firm pads.” They should not turn in or out. The angle of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. The hind legs should be “straight and parallel” when viewed from the rear.

The chest should be “deep and moderately wide with well-sprung ribs.” The loin is short, broad, and muscular. The tail is docked, “set on high and carried up.” A tail that is set low, curled, or carried over the back is a major fault.

Gait: The show ring gait (movement) of a Poodle should be “a straightforward trot with light springy action, and strong hindquarters drive.”

Coat: The coat can be “Curly of naturally harsh texture, dense throughout,” or “Corded: hanging in tight even cords of varying length, longer on mane or body coat, head, and ears; shorter on puffs, bracelets, and pompons.”

For showing, a Poodle must appear in one of the following traditional clips: a puppy clip, (for dogs under 12 months of age); the English saddle clip; the continental clip; or the sporting clip (for non-competitive classes like veterans or for stud classes).

Colors: Poodles may be of any solid color: apricot, black, blue, brown, cafe au lait, cream, gray, silver, or white, with black and white being the most common. Whatever the color, however, it must be solid. Any parti-colored Poodle, for instance a black dog with white paws or chest, is disqualified from the show ring-—although they make charming pets.

Did You Know Your Dog Would Love A Massage?

May 30, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Every culture that allows domestic pets teaches its members ways to relate physically with those pets. In some countries, dogs live a dog’s life, and are rarely held or petted. We’ve noticed that some German dogs that we import do not seem to like our “American” way of petting. After investigation with our German contacts, we have learned that Germans have a slightly different approach to their dogs. They pet and stroke them in a different way and in different places than do many Americans. In our culture, petting a dog is very important. Most people tend to pet dogs around the head and shoulder regions and stop there. Others literally trounce their dogs, pounding their sides and ruffling their fur.

Sometimes there is little method to the physical display. The dog is expected to “take it” whether or not it is the kind of physical affection it enjoys. Few dog owners stop to read their dog’s needs and desires. A dog owner may find that the dog does not enjoy being petted – if by petting we mean rough jostling or pounding. Instead, like many humans, they greatly
enjoy a more extended type of body contact – a kind of massage.

Massage can be a beneficial technique when used as an aid to relaxation. The first principle of dog massage is to stop thinking of your dog solely from the shoulders up. Contact can be made with almost any part of the dog’s body if it is sensitive contact. Skilled veterinarians know this from treating unapproachable patients. They often have to devise creative ways of lifting the animal up onto an examination table, or treating injuries all over a pet’s body.

To begin a dog massage, make a list of all the areas where a given dog likes body contact. If you are the dog’s owner, you know. If you are not, ask the owner. Then list the areas where
the dog is sensitive to touch. Begin your first massage with the areas on your first list, but include one area on the second. Gradually include more “forbidden” areas as you give massages.

It’s best to begin on the head, gently massaging the eyelids, muzzle, and nose. Always keep one hand in contact with the dog during the entire massage. It’s best to have the dog in the sitting position. From the head area, work down the neck to the chest and pectoral muscle. Some dogs will automatically offer a paw. Take hold of it, but gently place it down if the dog seems to be losing balance.

Choose a leg and work up and down on it very gently. If your dog decides to lie down, you will have better access to its rear legs. Try to avoid forcing the dog down. If your dog knows the command for down, you can use it in massage work, but don’t force the issue. Make your
strokes long and firm. Try to distinguish massage from regular petting. The massage should be more extended and pliable in its movement than regular petting. Avoid all slapping, pinching, and pulling motions. These will break the mood of the massage. Many dogs will communicate quite clearly what they like and dislike.

Why Dogs Roll Around In The Dirtiest Of Things

May 20, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

No one really knows for sure why dogs love to roll in stinky things, but people who study animal behavior have some pretty good idea. Some experts believe that dogs like to mark themselves with their territory. A dog wearing a bit of woodchuck carcass or horse poop on his neck and shoulders is a lot like a man wearing a big gold chain around his neck. It says something about him and where he lives, something like, ‘I am a dog of means; I own the territory with all this nice stuff.”

It is hard for people to understand how anyone, even a dog, could rate the value of his territory according to its riches of cow pies. This is one of those situations that illustrates how
completely different dogs and people are. People appreciate things that are clean and fresh, while dogs like things that are old and smelly.

There may be a good reason for their off-putting tastes. Since the beginning of their existence, dogs have spent their lives scrounging for food. It is possible that even the hint of a good meal triggers a sense of elation. Out of necessity, they may have developed a unique appreciation for anything that is remotely edible. A week-old carcass certainly qualifies. So does a fish washed up on shore. Even the presence of deer or cow dung suggests that there is a potential meal somewhere in the neighborhood.

Then again, there may be a simpler reason why dogs enjoy coating themselves with horrid
things, one that has nothing to do with survival and everything to do with taste. Other experts believe that they roll in dung, carcasses, and pond scum simply because they like the smell. Not just a little, but enough to want to carry it around with them, just as people enjoy dabbing themselves with their favorite perfume or cologne.

Smell is a primal sense and it is hard to account for who likes what. Just as some people enjoy the smell of cheese, dogs may revel in smells that most of us find objectionable. It is hard to criticize their tastes, because they have millions more scent receptors than we do. Our own senses of smell are barely functional compared to theirs. Therefore, It is possible that they detect pleasing odors of which people are completely unaware of .

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