French Bulldogs are proven as excellent house companions for those looking for a more calm and manageable pet. French bulldogs do require an added level of commitment on the part of owners, though, as they are a dog breed that has specific health and maintenance needs. [...]
Separation anxiety is a neurological problem that manifests as a psychological response when your dog is separated from the people to whom he or she has become attached. It also seems to manifest when your dog suspects a high probability of punishment for some action that he or she has committed. Far from being a simple behavioral problem, your animal is suffering from a legitimate medical condition and requires specific treatment if improvement is to be expected.
Separation anxiety is most often seen in younger dogs, and particularly those who grew up around a large number of people and other animals, such as those who are adopted from animal shelters. In certain cases, animals that begins to lose their sensory perception such as hearing or sight can become so dependent upon their human owners that they suffer separation anxiety when parted from them for even a brief period of time. [...]
Dachshunds and Basset Hounds may look cute as they scurry around on their short legs, but the familiar shape of these short-legged breeds is actually due to a congenital defect that results in a form of dwarfism. Specifically these animals have achondroplasia, an improper development of the cartilage at the end of the animal's long bones. It's a defect that can occur in any breed of dog, and is always present in certain breeds like the two mentioned above.
Achondroplasia is one of several types of chondodystrophies, in which the cartilage does not develop properly in the womb, distorting the animal's bones. A dominant genetic defect, achondroplasia appears in about one out of every 10,000 births, and can usually be diagnosed at birth, since the deformities are easily visible. Any dog with the defective gene will be affected, and if the dog is bred, its offspring have a 50 percent chance of being achondroplasic. [...]
All dogs have health problems, whether hereditary or acquired. Compared to other breeds, the Norwegian Buhund is considered a naturally healthy breed. Because it is a hardy breed with good resistance against diseases, it does not get ill as often as other dogs.
One of the basic measures to ensure the health of your Norwegian Buhund is regular checkups at the vet. You should bring your dog for vaccination and health tests once a year. A Buhund is prone to ear and eye infection, but if you check its eyes and ears regularly, such illnesses can be easily taken care of. [...]
It's unfortunate that many breeds of dogs suffer from a variety of genetic problems due to the poor decisions of some uninformed or careless breeders. Before bringing home a canine addition to your family, you should do some research into how healthy the breed is; if not, you may be in for a surprisingly large number of visits to the vet and some serious heartbreak. The Redbone Coonhound, fortunately, is an extremely healthy breed, which suffers only rarely from less than a handful of genetic issues. Besides hip dysplasia, common in many dogs, the Redbone tends to suffer from two main eye problems: entropion and progressive retinal atrophy, also known as PRA.
Entropion is an eye problem that occurs in many breeds of dogs, including Redbones, though is not as common in Redbones as it is in breeds such as Bloodhounds or Mastiffs. [...]
Besides hip dysplasia and eye problems, Redbone Coonhounds, like all coonhounds, also have a tendency to suffer from obesity. They are active dogs, needing a good amount of exercise, but they all too easily will adjust to a sedentary lifestyle if their owner does not provide them with activities to vent their energy; if deprived of exercise, they will also develop behavior problems. Also like many hounds, the Redbone has a tendency of overeating if given half the chance and these factors contribute to somewhat of a predisposition for gaining weight in the breed. This may not seem like a life-threatening disease, or as painful as something like entropion (inward turning of the eyelid), but obesity in dogs, as in humans, is not to be taken lightly. Obesity can lead to a variety of medical complications and can even contribute to shortening your dog's life, so measures must be taken to prevent your dog from becoming obese or getting him back to his proper weight. [...]
The Norfolk terrier and its close relative, the Norwich terrier, while tending to be relatively worry free in the health department, are especially prone to dental problems, more specifically, terrier owners and especially Norfolk lovers, are advised to watch out in particular for incorrect bite patterns. Terriers in particular are so inclined to this problem, in fact, that some people even misunderstand severe under bites to be one of the dog's identifying traits (to be fair, this is, sadly, arguably true, given the huge number of terrier house pets whose misinformed owners neglected the problem in the dog's early stages of development). While the severity of the problem with individual dogs is, luckily, rarely debilitating in any way and sometimes fairly inconsequential, any terrier owner or potential terrier owner, especially of the Norfolk persuasion, are advised not to take any chances, because the risk of the problem developing and growing out of hand is very real. [...]
Irish Water Spaniels are often considered a rare breed of dog. The truth is, this breed is actually thriving, but it is not meeting up to breed standards or conformation, and thereby making many dogs from this breed "undesirable". Hence, it is more accurate to say that "desirable" Irish Water Spaniels are rare. Irresponsible breeding is the main culprit for the Irish Water Spaniel's apparent decline in desirability and popularity. [...]
So you've made your mind up and you're definitely adopting a Norfolk terrier, no bones about it. If you've done all your research on the dog's personal history, the dog's pedigree, the breed's characteristics, if you trust the person selling you the dog and have determined that your home is perfect for a Norfolk terrier, then the following should hopefully serve as a quick last minute checklist, a reminder of things to watch out for and keep in mind.
The Norfolk terrier is prone to a few health problems. Particularly heart diseases and hip dysplasia and especially prone to incorrect bite patterns. Any potential Norfolk terrier owner should be advised that their dog will need to be given regular checkups and attention to the end of early detection of common diseases and disorders. While the breed does tend to be relatively resistant to health concerns when compared to many other breeds, the Norfolk owner should nonetheless take the proper precautions. [...]
Eye care for your miniature poodle is very important. It is your job as a responsible pet owner to check your dog's eyes daily, keep them clean and free of debris, and seek medical attention for your poodle if you suspect there is a problem. Miniature poodles, like all dogs, are unable to clean their eyes themselves. Rubbing their faces against furniture, carpeting, or other objects is ineffective. Some dogs use their paws to try to remove gunk or buildup from their eyes but this is unsafe and not effective. If you find that your miniature poodle has excessive tearing, the first thing you should do is take him to your veterinarian to have his eyes checked to rule out any type of medical problem. [...]
Miniature bull terriers are wonderful small dogs that are full of energy, playful, love people and older children, but are sometimes a little stubborn and willful. They can be stubborn and are not always good with other animals so early socialization and obedience training is extremely important. Miniature bull terriers have glossy, fine, short coats that does not require a lot of grooming. Some dogs, just like humans, are prone to skin rashes, skin allergies, and other skin diseases that are often painful, unsightly, and very uncomfortable for your pet. [...]
Malamutes and Huskies are two very hardy breeds of dogs that have been developed to withstand horrifically cold temperatures and work in the most inhospitable climates and conditions. These wonderful dogs, though healthy and hardy, can have one major health problem and that is an inability to absorb and use the zinc in their diets. Some of the giant breeds such as the Great Dane may also have inherited problems in absorbing zinc, leading to long term zinc deficiencies that do not respond to typical feeding routines.
Zinc deficiency can also occur in dogs that are not fed enough meat in their diet or are fed a mostly vegetarian diet. In some cheap types of foods the zinc may be bound in unusable forms to the dog and therefore is just the same as not having it in the diet at all. [...]
Beagles are relatively hardy dogs, but they are prone to certain health problems, some of which involve their eyes. Besides glaucoma and Progressive Retinal Atrophy, present in many species of dogs, Beagles also suffer from cherry eye and a condition called distichiasis. Fortunately, neither of these conditions is as serious as Retinal Atrophy and in the overwhelming majority of cases both can be corrected by surgery and neither lead to permanent blindness. [...]
As mentioned before, Beagles are relatively healthy dogs, though they do suffer from a few genetic problems, some of which can be serious. One of these serious problems is incorrectly labeled "dwarfism", though the term is widely used. The medical term for the condition is osteochondrodysplasia, chondrodysplasia or chondrodystrophy and it is actually a series of problems involving the cartilage and bones, most often of the feet and legs, though the spine may become involved as well. Indeed, the term "osteo" means bone, the term "chondro" refers to cartilage and the term "dysplasia" involves abnormal development. The disorder is genetic in nature and there is no cure. [...]
One of the characteristics that makes the Beagle, and many other hound breeds for that matter, so appealing are those long, floppy ears. Combine them with that soulful expression and you have a weapon of mass cuteness almost unparalleled in the natural world. Those long, floppy ears were not merely created for their cuteness factor, however. Indeed, you'll notice that almost all scent hounds, like Beagles, have those long floppy ears; these ears are perfect for stirring up odor molecules that make up a scent trail, trapping those molecules and getting them to that incredibly sensitive nose. [...]
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