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.

Dog Language Info That Will Astound You

by Leave a Comment

Dogs communicate using a rather unique language. Learning to understanding this “language” will greatly improve the relationship you have with your dog. Not only that, but when it comes to training you will seriously turbo-charge your results by communicating to your dog on his level.

Unfortunately, no-one has yet written a handy reference guide, but by following the guidelines set out below you’ll quickly be up to speed on what your dog is trying to tell you.

Here are some of the most common dog language cues you’ll need to know.

Standing Rigid – When a dog adopts a very rigid stance, he could be telling you to back off and leave him alone. He may also adopt this stance when he is protecting some possession. Give your dog a bone or a biscuit when there are other dogs around and you’ll see what I mean.

Showing the Teeth – Dogs don’t just attack out of the blue, they normally give a warning first. Flashing the teeth may be first warning that a dog is about to attack. Your best bet when this happens is to stand down.

Growling – Showing the teeth will often be accompanied by a low, rumbling growl. If that doesn’t work the dog make well bite.Many people scold or punish the dog for growling or showing its teeth. This is dangerous because if the dog is not allowed to give a warning he may escalate straight to an attack.

Raising the Hackles – When a dog raises the hair on his back, he is trying to look bigger in order to scare off a threat. It is often a sign of heightened fear, and means to dog may attack.

Tail between the legs – Typically, this indicates, timidity, fear or anxiety. There may be a number of causes for the behavior, such as separation anxiety, or being introduced to an unfamiliar person or dog. Often the behavior will be accompanied by submissive urination.

Putting the head down – Depending on the context this could be a attempt by a submissive dog to avoid eye contact. Or it could be a playful gesture.

Raised Paw -A raised paw is a playful gesture, which means, “ let’s be friends”.

Wagging the tail – The tail is one of the dog’s most important communication devices, and the one that is most often misinterpreted. A common belief is that a wagging tail suggests happiness, but this is only true if the tail is being wagged loosely.A tail that is flicked side to side in short rigid movements suggests agitation. And if the tail is tucked between the legs and wagging slightly, the dog is insecure and fearful.

Dogs rely greatly on body language and gestures for communication. A dog may learn to obey voice commands, but in their world body language will always mean more.

Learn to interpret their language and you’ll understand your dog that much better.

Want to discover more about dog training tips, dog care, dog breeds a-z and other interesting dog info? Stop by at www.dogsanddogtraining.com

The Bouvier des Flandres

by Leave a Comment

History and origin of The Bouvier des Flandres:

The Bouvier des Flandres was developed in Belgium in the 19th century.  This working breed was used for herding, herd-guarding, and cart pulling.  He has also been used for tracking by the police and military.

Description:
The Bouvier des Flandres stands 23.5 to 27.5 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 65 and 95 pounds.  His body is large, powerful, and thick-boned.  The tail is docked.  The shedding coat is weather-resistant, shaggy, and somewhat harsh, with a soft undercoat.  The dog has a beard, a mustache, and bushy eyebrows.  He needs daily brushing to prevent matting, and should be clipped every three or four months.  Show dogs must be hand-stripped to preserve the texture and luster of the coat.  However, the coat can be kept in a shorter clip to reduce maintenance.  The color may be black, salt-and-pepper, gray, brindle, or fawn.

About The Bouvier des Flandres:

This Belgian cattle dog is strong, alert, trustworthy, easygoing but aloof, and tends to be moody and serious.  Though affectionate with his owners, the Bouvier is very suspicious of strangers and will serve well as a watchdog for your home and property.  Training can be difficult due to his stubborn, dominant nature.  Passive resistance is common, and aggression is possible when the dog is annoyed or threatened.  Training should be patient and firm but not overbearing.  The Bouvier learns slowly and can be defiant.  The “Down” and the “Come” can be the hardest commands to teach this controlling breed.   The Bouvier has a high prey drive and may be very dog-aggressive.  He may want to chase cars, joggers, and bikes.  Though good with his own family’s children, he may be intolerant of visiting children, especially if they are running around.  No roughhousing or chasing should be tolerated.  Spoiling can encourage dominant, controlling, nippy behavior in this breed and may promote timidity.  Overbearing training techniques may elicit fear-biting.  Confident, firm leadership and early socialization are crucial to successfully owning a Bouvier.  He needs daily exercise and tends to bark and may be destructive and noisy if left alone too long.  He is susceptible to hip dysplasia and bloat.

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

Ideal home:
A house with a fenced yard is important.  The owner of a Bouvier des Flandres should be a firm, strong, active leader who desires a reserved, protective dog.  Mild or nervous owners as well as the elderly and the disabled may have trouble establishing dominance over this breed.  The Bouvier needs daily exercise, but should not be jogged with over long distances because of his heavy structure and predisposition to hip problems.  Time to train, socialize, exercise, and groom the Bouvier des Flandres must be made available.

Description Of A Labrador Retriever: Part 3

by Leave a Comment

A Labrador Retriever is either a solid black, a solid yellow, or a solid chocolate. A white spot on the chest is permissible. All the colors should have the correct double coat. The thick undercoat lies under the topcoat. The topcoat should be a bit rough to the touch and does not have to lie flat. In fact, if the coat is too slick, the dog  probably does not have a good undercoat and would not be useful as a retriever in cold waters.

The Labrador Retriever undercoat acts as insulation and, working in conjunction with the coat’s natural oil, helps to repel water. The Labrador Retriever does not feel the cold the way a single-coated dog does. Another aspect of this coat is the special look that it gives the breed.

All four legs should have good, thick bone, the front legs coming straight down from the shoulders.  The rear legs should be well bent at the knee or stifle. The hind quarters should be thick with well-muscled thighs.  The hocks should not be too long and should also be well bent and well let down (not one continuous line from buttocks to the foot). Picture about a six-inch section from the foot to the hock joint and then a little jog, toward the front, and on up to the stifle. The view from behind the dog should not be narrow but rather hefty.

The tail should be set right off the back. In other words, you should see one straight line from the withers to the tip of the tail. If the tail is set too low or if the tail is set too high, the picture will be spoiled.  As a Labrador Retriever moves, the tail usually wags happily from side to side. It should never be carried curled up over the back like a hound’s tail. A tail that is carried too low or between the legs will give the appearance of timidity.

Timidity is a word that is not in the Labrador dictionary.  This very important tail, which should not be too long (not below the hock), acts like a rudder when the dog is swimming. It is sometimes called an otter tail because it is thick at the base and tapers down to a tip, like the tail of an otter. The tail should be well covered with a very distinctive short, dense coat. The underside of the Labrador Retriever tail should never have any long feathery hair on it.

Recent Blog Posts