Puppy Training Starts With Mommy

There’s a very good reason why puppies should not be separated from their mothers and littermates before a certain age; and that age varies from 8 weeks to 10 weeks depending to whom you are talking but what appears to be universally accepted is that 7 weeks should be the cutoff point at the very earliest.

So why 7 weeks and not before?

Because a puppy needs to be at least 7 weeks of age before its brain is mature enough to properly process the stimuli that it is inputting.

What is more during those seven weeks the puppy needs to be around its mother and littermates if it is going to develop essential dog social interaction skills and behavior that will play a big part in its adult life.  Such behavioral lessons a puppy learns whilst still with its mother and fellow puppies include:

Bite Control and Force Constraint

Often when suckling at its mother’s teat the inexperienced and seemingly ever ravenous puppy will pinch the nipple with its small yet sharp teeth. This can be very painful as the puppies get bigger, and since one of a puppy’s foremost activities is suckling and feeding, it is very much in the mother’s interest to nip such errant behavior in the bud as quickly as possible.

This the mother does by letting the puppies know in no uncertain terms that she won’t tolerate such behavior and that if the errant pup wants to continue suckling it better learn how to control its mouth. Such a lesson is invaluable in teaching the growing puppy what bite pressure is okay and what isn’t.

During play with one another the puppies learn more about acceptable bite pressure and force restraint. If a puppy bites another sibling too hard (thereby eliciting an obviously pained squeal) the mother will forcibly intervene showing the culprit that such behavior is not tolerated during play. It is in this way that puppies learn how to moderate their bites from the playful nip to the injurious maul!

Dominant, Submissive and Other Dog Behavior

During the period from the moment it’s born to the moment it leaves its mother and fellow littermates (ideally not before 8 weeks as mentioned previously) other than sleeping, eating and creating copious amounts of pee as well as poo, a puppy spends the remainder of its time playing.  But in reality what we humans may view as mere play is actually schooling, because it is then that a puppy is learning proper canine social behaviorisms and interaction.

When playing with its fellow puppies, a puppy will learn its place in the social pecking order through games and interactions that involve both submissive and dominant role playing. Undoubtedly which role a puppy adopts the most will be dependent on the character and nature of the individual puppy.

It is also during such play interactions with both mother and siblings that a puppy learns to appreciate the subtleties and nuances inherent in doggy communication; in other words the puppy learns to differentiate one growl from another, one bark from the next etc.

Brain Development And Puppy Training

How an adult dog will behave is shaped by the sum of its puppyhood experiences which in turn define the shaping of its brain. At the moment of its birth a puppy more or less has all the brain cells that it will ever have, even as an adult dog; yet interestingly the brain size of a puppy is at least one-tenth its adult size. Which begs the question, if a puppy has all its brain cells at birth then how does the brain grow bigger to that found in the adult dog.

The answer is lies in the difference between the connectivity of a puppy’s brain and that of the adult dog. At birth most of a puppy’s brain cells are not connected  a situation that changes soon enough as the puppy develops and undergoes new experiences.

The brain like many other aspects of the body requires stimuli to develop and thus much like the atrophied limbs of an individual who has never used them, a brain that lacks stimulation will not develop properly.

In fact an experiment conducted on kittens amply illustrated this fact by showing that individuals raised with horizontally-striped glasses during the development phase of the eyes were unable to see in the vertical plane as adults. An interesting side effect to the experiment was that those cats would walk straight into table legs and poles as if they simply couldn’t see them!

It is now understood that the wiring of a puppy’s brain (in other words the growth and development of its brain) is dependent on the nature of its experiences especially around the Critical Period.

Role of The Critical Period in Puppy Training

The Critical Period refers to that interval when a puppy has the greatest capacity to learn. The Critical Period in dogs extends from 2 weeks to 16 weeks, with a peak of activity around 7 weeks. After 16 weeks the window of the Critical Period has pretty much closed and even though the dog may still learn it will be so much harder. Furthermore once the window of the Critical Period has slammed shut, behaviors that the dog has already learned will be pretty much with it (at least traces) for the rest of its life.

The Critical Period plays an important role in puppy training because it is during such a time that you will find it easiest to mould your puppy into the dog you want it to be. To illustrate the importance of the Critical Period consider the following:

• A dog that has not been socialized or developed around people by sixteen weeks of age will never be truly comfortable or at ease with people.
• A livestock guarding dog that has never been exposed to its target livestock within sixteen weeks will never be good at its job let alone excel, even though it comes from a long line of champion guardians.
• A gun dog that has never been exposed to the sound of gunfire within the Critical Period (note there are other factors at play here such as the onset of fear) will always be gun shy.

In fact it is now well understood and appreciated that early experience is essential not because it is the first instance of learning but because it actually affects the brain’s development! That is why a dog that is raised in a stimuli-deficient environment will have a smaller brain than another dog from the very same litter that developed in a stimuli-rich environment.

What many dog owners don’t realize is that when socializing and interacting with their puppy they are actually influencing the wiring of the puppy’s brain and ultimately moulding it into the dog they desire. This then is the process of subconscious puppy training that happens daily but few dog owners are aware of.

Finally there is another aspect of puppy training that many are unaware which is that even within the same litter some puppies are far easier to train than others. There is actually a very accurate method that shows as early as 7 weeks which puppies will be easy to train while others will be a constant struggle.

Puppy Training

• Shishi Inu
• Akita Inu
• Japanese Akita; and
• Nippon Inu

Although the Akita makes for a great pet and companion dog nowadays, that was not always the case.  You see although the Akita was originally used as a large game hunting dog by the 17^th century its primary role had been reinvented into fighting dog. But you would never know this from all the effort and lengths that modern fanciers of the breed have gone to in order to bury such an unsavory past!

From Japanese history records it is more than likely that the Akita was the descendant of the Matagi dog, a native dog that hailed from the island of Honshu. The Matagi was primarily used as a hunter of large game such as elk, boar, Asian black bear and antelope. The Akita took over these duties when it superseded the Matagi dog but was itself overshadowed by the advances of technology.

It was at that time the Akita’s primary role was redefined as fighting dog!

Perhaps though what is more remarkable about this its less than stellar past is how the Akita dog breed has managed to completely shed its gladiatorial past to remake itself into the wonderful canine companion of today! After all up until the 19^th century the Akita was Japan’s premier fighting dog. The change that happened in the 19^th century was the introduction of imported foreign dogs that radically altered the Japanese fighting dog scene.

More recently the Akita Inu finds itself employed as a hunting dog, companion dog, police dog, security dog and of course show dog.

Characteristics of the Akita Inu

One glance at the Akita Inu and one can immediately tell that it belongs to the Spitz family of dogs. The Akita Inu has many of the obvious traits characteristic of Spitz dogs which include: the pricked up ears; the bushy curled up tail; the plush double coat and characteristic wolf-like muzzle.

The Akita is a well proportioned muscular dog with plenty of evident power and strength. Males attain weights of up to 120lbs (54kgs) and the smaller females get up to 100lbs (45kgs). Height wise the breed stands anywhere from 23” to 28” though males are naturally taller than females.

Appearance wise the Akita Inu may display in a variety of colors which include: fawn; brindle; sesame; pure white and red. All colors according to the breed standard must display whitish hairs on the sides of the muzzle, cheeks, neck chest, body and tail. As far as Japanese breed standards are concerned “black masks” are forbidden in the breed.

The American Akita breed standard adopts a somewhat more liberal view , accepting and encouraging the black mask specimens as well as allowing certain coat colors such as pinto that are not recognized by Japanese breeders. In fact as far as the American Akita Association is concerned all colors are welcomed and accepted.

Although the Japanese and American Akita’s derive from a common ancestor (after all the American specimens were imported from Japan by military personnel who took fancy to the breed after the 2^nd world war) by the latter 3^rd of the 20^th century the two types had began to morphologically diverge.

American breeders and fanciers favored the larger and heavier dogs and thus bred the breed with such traits in mind. Also as previously mentioned American Akita dog breeders recognized all colors and embraced those specimens that displayed a black mask muzzle. Currently the AKC and the Canadian Kennel Club consider the Japanese and American Akita to be two types of the same breed and thus freely allow interbreeding of the two types.

Akita Dog Temperament

In keeping with its Spitz dog background the Akita is independent, strong-willed bordering on stubborn and bold with a lavish dose of confidence. Although wary and reserved with strangers the Akita is fiercely loyal and demonstrative to its immediate family. By nature the Akita is domineering in character and does not get on well with other dogs unless early and extensive socialization is adopted.

The Akita dog is of above average intelligence and thus needs plenty of mental stimuli to avoid becoming a nuisance. On par with its muscular and physical morphology the Akita Inu breed requires a moderate amount of exercise on a daily basis; fortunately despite its powerful build and physique the Akita only has moderate energy levels.

Akita Inu do well with kids but here as always with any dog breeds especially the larger breeds adequate levels of adult supervision are required when small kids are involved!

Most Famous Akita Inu

You would think that having been Japan’s premier fighting dog breed before the invasion of foreign dog imports, the most celebrated Akita would be remembered for its fighting chops! Well sorry to break the assumption.

Surprisingly the most celebrated Akita Inu was a companion dog not a fighting champion and happened to be the loyal canine friend of a Tokyo professor called Eizaburo Ueno. The dog known as Hachi would accompany his master to the train station everyday to see him off then return home on his own. Then in the evening Hachi would set off again to the train station to greet his master and walk back home with him.

One day (25^th May 1925) the good professor suffered a fatal stroke and died in his office. As usual Hachi set off that very evening expecting to greet his master; but of course the professor was a no show. The following evening and each and every evening after that for the next nine years of his life Hachi went to the train station and waited expectantly for his master’s return.

Now that’s what you call loyalty and devotion!

In recognition of his loyalty a bronze statue was erected in memory of Hachi and can still been seen to this very day in Shibuya Station. The statue was appointed Chuken Hachi-ko, which means “Loyal Dog Hacchi.”

Article on Akita written by Kayye Nynne

• Protector
• Companion
• Herder
• Hunting
• Play buddy for the kids
• Dog show performer

Luckily the various dog breeds were developed to carry out those functions shown in the list above. Some of the breeds are more than capable of performing all those functions whereas others are restricted in their ability to carry out just one or perhaps two of them. But no matter because breed functionality and ability is not what we are here to discuss. We are here to discuss how you can pick out the puppy that bests compliments you as an individual from a litter of sibling puppies.

How To Identify Your Puppy From an Adorable Warm Fuzzy Heap of Cuddlies

Okay I am going to make a number of assumptions here about you and they are:

1. You have made an honest assesment of your lifestyle and personality;
2. You have calculated the amount of time you will be able to devote to your warm furry bundle;
3. You have a good understanding and knowledge of the climatic conditions where you live;
4. You have no delusions about your living abode (yeah it’s true that a home is the owner’s castle but let’s be real…a two bedroom apartment really does not a mansion make!

Puppies

So why are these assumptions important?

They’re important because it means that you have done enough research to ensure that you can readily identify the dog breed that will perfectly compliment you and your lifestyle. In other words your new dog won’t be tossed out to a shelter any time soon because of a clash of personalities!

Individuals In The Same Family Have Widely Different Personalities…So Do Puppies!

You know how kids from the same family can be very different? Like the shy nerdy kid who’s always curled up somewhere reading a book or on the computer as compared to a super popular sibling who’s always the center of attention!

Well dog families have exactly the same thing! In any given litter of puppies (no matter the breed of dog) you’re gonna find that one puppy who is always the first to do anything and always the center of attention. Furthermore some puppies will bebe more aggressive than others, some will bask and glow in your attention…

…and then there”ll be that one puppy who sits alone to one side unimpressed by your attempts to get it to join in the fun activity of licking your hand like its siblings!

By The Tender Age of 7 Weeks Your Puppy Has Already Developed Its Adult Dog Personality!

Okay this may not seem like earth shattering news especially as far as puppies go but here’s the thing though…

Do You Really Want To Struggle With An Unruly 150lb Dog That Has Its Own Idea Of What Is Best?

A puppy is fairly easy to control and master because it is small but always bear in mind that one day that furry bundle of joy is going to morph into a 150lb canine freight train (depending on the breed of course) with a totally different opinion from yours of what is good and polite canine behavior! Are you up to the task to handle that…or perhaps more importantly would you even want to?

And if your dog happens to be one of the more massive breeds with a genetic predisposition to aggression then boy are you gonna be in trouble when things get out of hand!

But luckily you can avoid all that without having to sacrifice the dog breed you have set your heart on.

How?

Well because there is a well researched, much used and extensively proven procedure that can identify the most compatible puppy for a new owner.

Article on puppies written by Kayye Nynne

The Boerboel is a large dog breed that originates and was developed in South Africa.  The name Boerboel comes from the Afrikaans/Dutch words of “boer” (farmer) and “boel” which refers to the Bullenbijter (Bull Biter) ancestry of the breed.

From its appearance the Boerboel has very obvious mastiff dog ancestry but in order to withstand the harsh conditions of 1800 southern Africa many other strains of dogs had to be introduced to the genetic mix. The earliest progenitors of the Boerboel dog breed probably date all the way back to 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck (the man who founded the Dutch settlement at Cape of Good Hope) first arrived in southern Africa.

History Of The Boerboel

When he first set foot in southern Africa Jan van Riebeeck had with him a huge imposing dog that was a Bullenbijter (Bull Biter). The dog was there for one main reason; protection. Van Riebeeck’s large Bullenbijter with its enormous mastiff beefiness proved more than capable to function as protector and enforcer.

Impressed by Riebeeck’s Bullenbijter other settlers followed his lead and soon the various settlements were teeming with large imposing dogs that hailed from all across the European continent. Inevitably with time crossbreeding of those various specimens took place planting the genetic seed for the Boerboel dog as we know it.

Big and imposing as those foreign dog specimens were there was one opponent that they were no match for and that was mother nature African style. Not long after the introduction of their various dog breeds to southern Africa many of them succumbed to the harsh conditions to which they were exposed. Those harsh conditions were in the form of the African heat and a wide array of African diseases to which the dogs were no match!

So the settlers took the most logical step which was to crossbreed their oversized dogs with the much hardier and disease resistant local African dogs. One such local dog was the Khoi dog from which the Boerboel inherited its much greater tolerance to heat (as compared to other mastiff dog breeds), an exceptional resistance to Tick Bite Fever (amongst other diseases) as well as its intense dislike for big cats especially the leopard!

Why The Boerboel Is So Resilient And Has A Great Temperament

One of the breed standard requirements of the Boerboel dog is that it have a super stable temperament. The Boerboel’s fantastic temperament did not arise by accident but rather was planned for during its development. Here’s how it came about:

After the British annexed the Cape Colony in 1806 and by the year 1820 when more and more British settlers took up residence several Afrikaan and Dutch settlers felt they had no recourse but to relocate to avoid the harsh yoke of British rule. So began what is now known in history as the Great Trek!

The period of the Great Trek spanned several decades and involved the migration to very remote regions; a process that played a significant part in the development of the robust nature and signature character of the Boerboel dog.

The trek of the 1830s – 1840s (the Great Trek) was an exodus that involved more than 10,000 Afrikaan and Dutch families, a journey that also included theirs strongest and best dogs.  These treks into the interior unchartered regions of the heartland were relentless and unforgiving. Before the trek was over many fell by the wayside, both dog and man!

By the time the trek was over and the migrants resettled in the deepest regions of the heartland only the hardiest of dogs had survived and it was from this gene pool that the modern Boerboel gets its genetic robustness and stamina.

Due to the limited amount of contact with the outside world and with few dogs alive after the trek the settlers had little option but to replenish their dogs from the few that remained. In this manner the homogeneity of the Boerboel dog breed was fashioned.

The Mutli-Purpose Boerboel Dog

Having settled in the very remote inner regions of southern Africa the Dutch farmers had to rely ever more on their Boerboel dogs. And thus the Boerboel dog had to be much more than a four-legged companion in those early days and during the 17th and 18th century the dog very often had duties that were akin to those of a ranch foreman.

When, as happened quite often, the farmer had to leave his family behind unattended on the farm the responsibility fell on the Boerboel dog to keep them safe from every and any conceivable threat. The Boerboel dog’s duties were not limited to looking out for its human family but it also protected the livestock of the farm from such predators like leopards as well as human predation.

Other duties of the Boerboel included being a pet or companion to the family.

These dogs were expected to interact well with all members of the family and despite their phenomenal power were bred for a well-balanced disposition such that they could be entrusted to safeguard and attend to even the very youngest of the children without posing as any kind of threat themselves. Any dogs that were perceived as dangerous to the children were immediately culled! This is how a dog that has the power to thwart even a leopard attack can still be the trusted, gentle minder of children.

The Boerboel is a large dog weighing anywhere from 150 – 200 lbs and individuals have been documented on record as having killed leopards. In other words this is a formidable dog breed characterized by enormous power and capable of causing a lot of damage, but this is a dog breed that was also renowned for its exceptional gentleness, loyalty and kindness towards members of its family.

In fact the Boerboel has been described as being the most protective dog breed without being aggressive. In other words unlike some other protective dog breeds the Boerboel will not initiate a vicious uncontrolled attack when confronted with a stranger on its territory. Rather the Boerboel will assess the situation and perceive the stranger’s intentions (and if you are around it will read your body language) before deciding whether the situation be categorized as a threat; then the Boerboel will counter the threat with the necessary force to defuse it!

Article on boerboels written by Kayye Nynne

Boerboel Dog

• Dutch Barge Dog
• Smiling Dutchman
• Dutch Keeshond
• Foxdog

Sometimes the Keeshond is referred to as the Wolfspitz or the Chien Loup by a growing school of thinkers who feel that it should be grouped together with the closely related and similar looking German Wolfspitz!

The Keeshond is your typical spitz dog, endowed with the characteristic pricked-ears, pointed muzzle, up-curled tail and thick coat of wolf-like coloring. The Keeshond is a medium-sized dog which is very similar in appearance to its northerly cousin the German Wolfspitz, save for a reduction in size.

Of the Keeshond dog breeds origin one thing is undisputed and that is that this dog breed is Dutch through and through (never mind the haters who claim that the Keeshond is merely a smaller version of the German Wolfspitz from which it is apparently descended).

The Keeshond has been in existence (at least in Holland) since the seventeenth century. As far as the history of the Keeshond dog breed goes, it started its canine career off as general jack-of-all-trades barge dog that utilized as a watchdog, vermin exterminator, guard dog and an aid to enable the barges navigate safe passage in foggy conditions and bad weather.

Two theories abound concerning the origins of the Keeshond’s name (incidentally Keeshond is pronounced “Kays-hawnd” and the plural is “Keeshonden.”).

The first theory has it that the Keeshond dog breed owes its name to one Cornelis de Witt whose nickname happened to be Kees. Kees happened to be the proud owner of a Keeshond but I’m fairly sure was not too proud to die violently at the hands of a mob of Orangemen in 1672.

Since the Keeshond was popular among the peasantry as if it was their way of sticking it to the pug that happened to be the favored dog breed of the Dutch nobility. Anyway speculation has it that the death of Cornelis “Kees” de Witt by a mob of Orangemen not only made him into a cult figure it also iconized the dog breed that he had been associated with.

The second theory about how the Keeshond came to acquire its name seems to have more meat and bones to it than the first. Anyway this particular theory propounds that the names Keeshond is derived from an eighteenth century Dutch revolutionary named Cornelis (huh…what again?) “Kees” de Gyselaer, who hailed from Dordrecht.

The seventeenth century was a politically unstable period for Holland, with country divided between supporters of the Prince of Orange against the Patriotten (members and supporters of the middle class). Kees de Gyselaer was one of the leaders of the Patriots and his pet dog (which surprise, surprise was a Keeshond) soon became the group’s mascot and official symbol.

Unfortunately for the Keeshond dog breed the Patriots were defeated in 1787 which meant that nobody wanted to be associated with the Keeshond breed lest they be accused of having been part of the rebellion. Thus unsurprisingly the breed’s numbers dwindled drastically.

This dog breed was soon to be dealt another blow. The advent of the 19^th century brought with it bigger and more powerful barges; sizeable monsters that needed bigger dog breeds to oversee them. And thus,  by the mid nineteenth century, the numbers of the Keeshond dog breed were precariously low!

Fortunately this lovely dog breed survived what seemed like certain extinction through restoration of its numbers by foreign fanciers and breeders!

Article on keeshond by Kayye Nynne

The Pointer dog’s hunting method is unique in style and fascinating to observe. The pointing position characteristic of the hunting Pointer came about because the 17^th and 18^th century flintlock action guns were extremely slow loading. Thus in order not to scare off the quarry once it was detected by further advance (and while the hunter was still busy reloading) the Pointer would freeze in mid-step, head held high, body rigid and its tail held out stiffly behind!

The Pointer would maintain its frozen position until that time that it was so instructed by the hunter. Such is the degree of the Pointer dog breed’s poise and self-discipline that some refer to it as the Zen-Master of dogdom!

During the 18^th century significant improvement in the performance of sporting guns meant a significant decline in large game which meant that the hunters now had to go after smaller swifter game. This also meant that the hunter needed smaller swifter Pointer dog specimens that could readily embrace the new style of hunting. Thus new blood was introduced to that early stock of Pointer dog which resulted in the smaller, swifter Pointer of today!

These days there are two types of Pointer dog:

1. The so-called specialist Pointers that only point and do nothing else.

2. The all-purpose Pointer dog breeds that not only point but hunt and retrieve as well; this latter type of Pointer are commonly referred to as HPR breeds (hunter, pointer retriever).

Pointer Dog Breed Development

There is considerable controversy over when and where and by whom the Pointer dog breed was developed. Although the English Pointer is perhaps the most recognized Pointer dog breed these nowadays (thanks in no small part to the numerous dog encyclopedias in which it is featured) this by no means ranks it as the progenitor of all things Pointers!

Controversy, dispute and the such-like notwithstanding, the more widely embraced view is that the modern Pointers forebears were from Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. It is believed that after the War of Spanish Succession (1713) returning British army officers took with them the heavy-boned Spanish Pointer.

In England those slower cumbersome and larger dogs were crossed with the more streamlined and lithe Foxhounds and to a lesser extent, the Greyhound. Still there are those who readily contend that such line of thinking is absolute poppycock and that in fact the English Pointer was already a well-established dog breed which was only later on influenced by the genetic infusion of the larger Spanish dog!

Pointer Dog Temperament

The Pointer is truly the quintessential gundog and as a wide-ranging hunter possesses the stamina and endurance to run for hours. So it comes as no surprise that this dog breed requires a lot of exercise. In strict accordance to its genetic heritage Pointers are always on the lookout for birds, a habit that makes for a dog that is easily distracted from other chores.

However once it is on point the exact opposite is true in that it is almost impossible to distract from its mission. Personality-wise the English Pointer is a sweet, sensitive, intelligent dog that makes for a great companion just so long as it gets enough exercise.

Pointer Dog Upkeep

As mentioned previously this dog breed needs plenty of exercise and evidently is not the best choice of dog breed for apartment dwelling. In lieu of an actual hunting experience a long jaunt across the wilds of nature will delight this dog and it is quite happy to live outdoors in temperate to warm climates just so long as there is a comfy shelter to retire to.

As with most dog breeds though the Pointer does best with both human and other canine contact.

Pointer Dog courtesy of Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

The Vizsla goes by the nickname The Velcro Dog because of its attachment to its preeminent owner (a characteristic found in the Weimaraner dog breed that strangely enough bears a striking resemblance to the Vizsla and the two dog breeds are often mistaken).

2010 could perhaps be named The Year of The Vizsla for the fact it was the first time ever that a Vizsla won Best in Show at the prestigious Crufts Dog Show in the UK. In fact the dog who won (Hungargunn Bear It’n Mind) is the record holder for best in show wins across all dog breed shows in the UK, blowing away the prior record which had stood for eighty years!

The Vizsla dog breed hails from Hungary and its ancestors were in fact the favored hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes who lived in that region circa the 10 century. However the first documented reference to the Vizsla occurred in the Illustrated Vienna Chronicle ( a 14^th century Hungarian Codex) compiled at the behest of King Lajos The Great in which the image of a Vizsla is readily apparent.

With such ammunition claims that the Vizsla dog breed arose from crossing the Weimaraner with various pointer breeds can be laid to rest once and for all! For all intents and purposes the Vizsla is a Hungarian dog dating several centuries back.

The Vizsla dog of yesteryear was held in very high esteem and regard by the land-owning aristocracy who went to great lengths to preserve the purity of the breed. However the breed did not always fare so well. By the closing chapter of the 19^th century the Vizsla dog breed was in serious decline, so much so that a survey was conducted to illuminate how serious the situation really was and the results were more alarming than anticipated.

The Vizsla Dog Breed Almost Becomes Extinct!

By the end of the 19^th century there were only a dozen or so Vizsla dogs remaining in Hungary! Following such a shocking revelation a concerted effort was made to rejuvenate the Vizsla dog breed and the few remaining Vizsla dogs were crossed with various Pointer dog breeds.

Such a crossing to revitalize the endangered Vizsla dog breed could perhaps explain the ludicrous claim by some that the Vizsla dog breed was developed in the 20^th century!

Okay admittedly the introduction of Pointer dogs to the genetic makeup of the Vizsla could be interpreted as basis for differentiating the modern Vizsla dog breed from that of the original Magyar dog but surely that is not excuse enough to deny this ancient breed its legitimate heritage!

After all the Vizsla is not the first dog breed (nor will it be the last) to have new canine genes infused into its genetic makeup either to restore the dog breed to its former prominence or (as in the case of the Dalmatian) to rectify a debilitating genetic disorder!

That late 19^th century dalliance with extinction was not the only setback the Vizsla dog breed was to suffer in the next 100 years. During the tumultuous World Wars of the 20^th century most of the specimens that remained in Hungary were destroyed. This was especially true during World War II!

Luckily though many fleeing Hungarians escaped with their beloved dogs and later when peace was restored enough of those dogs were returned to Hungary to re-establish Vizsla numbers in Hungary.

Article on Vizsla written by Kayye Nynne

• Thibet Dog
• Tibetan Dog
• Tibetaanse Mastiff
• Thibet Mastiff

The Tibetan Mastiff has traditionally been used by Tibetans as sentry dogs to protect their villages and more famously by Tibetan monks to protect their legendary monasteries.

There are many who believe that the bloodline of the modern mastiffs started with the Tibetan Mastiff and perhaps one unique characteristic of the Tibetan Mastiff dog breed that lends weight to such belief is the fact that unlike other dog breeds it only has one breeding season annually; like it’s not too distant cousin the wolf.

Other factors also support the theory that the Tibetan Mastiff is the progenitor of the modern mastiff line; one such important factor is the region where the Tibetan Mastiff hails from, The Himalayas. The Himalayan region is a harsh environment located at high altitudes which tends to run the extreme as far as weather is concerned, very, very cold winters and hottish summers.

Thus this region favored the natural development of a big, hardy dog breed as defined by the Tibetan Mastiff.

The Tibetan Mastiff In History

This dog breed was largely unknown outside its home range until 1828 when a specimen was presented to the London Zoo by King George IV. Later in 1847 the Viceroy of India sent a Tibetan Mastiff to Queen Victoria as a gift and later still the Prince of Wales of the time returned with two dogs in 1874.

Following the end of World War II, the Dalai Lama presented a pair to the American President, Dwight Eisenhower.

When China annexed Tibet during its brutal expansion, the communist authorities decreed that all dogs had to be bludgeoned to death by their owners otherwise the owners themselves would be beaten to death. It was during that bloody and tragic period that the Tibetan Mastiff almost became extinct. Luckily by then enough specimens of the breed had been exported to Europe and Asia to perpetuate the existence of this wonderful dog breed.

Interestingly enough during the 1970s Nepalese drug smugglers found a novel way to get their drugs into the United States without detection. They shipped their drugs into the country hidden in false bottoms of dog crates transporting Tibetan Mastiffs. Custom officials were naturally intimated by these large dogs and thereby never searched the crates thoroughly!

Folklore has it that the Tibetan Mastiff of yesteryear was a massively powerful dog that characteristically was as big as a donkey. In fact legend has it that a Tibetan Mastiff that stood four feet at the shoulder (124 cm) was presented to the Emperor of China (which would indeed have made the dog the size of a large donkey and probably the biggest dog that ever lived).

Donkey-sized dogs notwithstanding, it is certainly true that the Tibetan Mastiff was once bigger than its modern counterpart, many dogs characteristically attaining a body weight of 200 lbs. Perhaps the loss in body bulk could be explained by the fact that the dogs found in Europe and America no longer have a physiological reason to maintain such bulk as they are no longer exposed to such high altitudes and the extreme cold that accompanies such heights!

Article on Tibetan Mastiff written by kayye Nynne

Origins of Spinone Italiano

The exact origins of this dog breed are uncertain. One theory contends that its ancestors were early French dogs such as the Barbet and the Griffon that were cross-bred to develop the Spinone Italiano.

Others postulate that the Spinone Italiano arose from Celtic wirehaired hounds, other theories yet hypothesize that this dog breed came about as a result of Greek canine imports via Greek Traders.

And last but not least (and entirely believable) there is the school of thought that says that the Spinone Italiano is a purely indigenous Italian dog descended from the ancient Italian hound—the Segugio Italiano—and that the Spinone so happens to be the founding father of all those other dog breeds it supposedly was developed from!

The Spinone Italiano in the Field

The Spinone Italiano is a big ultra-friendly dog. So accepting is this dog of people including strangers that one author was moved to quoting that “nobody has ever been bitten by a Spinone!” High praise indeed; that said this dog is very playful bordering on the rowdy and does unsurprisingly fantastically with kids.

Though it is slower than the english Pointer in the field it is still an excellent field dog outranking all other Italian gundogs in efficiency as a hunter. Due to its rugged, wiry coat and tough skin, the Spinone Italiano will venture into forbidding regions that other hunting dogs would never dare!

In fact this dog breed owes its name to the fact that it will venture into a particularly formidable thorny Italian bush called the pino that no other dog will! Be it field, swamp, forest or mountainous region the Spinone Italiano will venture forth without hesitation.

On account of its affable nature towards people, dog and other animals, the Spinone Italiano makes an excellent pet who will catch your dinner if and when the occasion arises.

Temperament of the Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano is a gentle dog breed that desires nothing more than to please its owners. As mentioned before because of its playful nature and acceptance of all and sundry this dog gets on famously with kids and makes for an excellent home companion.

The Spinone Italiano is very affectionate and does not make for the best guard dog or protection hound (not surprising considering its ready acceptance of strangers).

Upkeep of the Spinone Italiano.

Like any other sporting dog breed the Spinone needs a fair amount of daily exercise if the dog is to remain in a happily balanced state. Exercise can be in the form of a long walk or a boisterous run off its leash. Thanks to its rugged covering this dog breed is perfectly suited to living outdoors in temperate and cool regions.

Coat care optimally requires weekly brushing and the occasional trim to remove excess fur insuch regions as the face and feet where it can quickly become somewhat extensive.

Health, Form & Function of the Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano is a relatively long lived dog breed that has a life span that averages out between 12 – 14 years. This breed of hound is dogged (yes…pun intended) by only one major affliction which is CHD (canine hip dysplasia).

Thus obviously hip testing is recommended and to a lesser degree so is testing of the eyes because ectropion is a predominant minor health concern.

Article on Spinone Italiano by Kayye Nynne

• Rough Greyhound
• Irish Greyhound
• Irish Elkhound
• Irish Wolfdog
• Great Irish Wolfdog

The Irsih Wolfhound proved rather too successful for its own good at its primary task of wolfslayer that by the 18th century the breed had dispatched the last wolf, an act that saw its own numbers decline precariously to the point of extinction!  But more of that later.

As to the origins of the Irish Wolfhound, as so commonly occurs in dog history, there is a healthy blend of conjecture, innuendo and speculation sprinkled here and there with a pinch of hard fact!

However whatever the real truth, story has it that as far back as 3000 years ago, Phoenician traders introduced Middle Eastern  Sighthounds to the British Isles. There those dogs were crossed with local Mastiffs in essence producing oversized greyhounds that looked for all the world as if they’d just been on a diet of steroids.

There are those who believe that the Irish Sheepdog was also involved in the development of those early Irish Wolfhound specimens which does make for understandable logic seeing as the dog breed was bred and developed in Ireland. The Scottish Deerhound has also been named as a contender in the genetic makeup of the Irish Wolfhound but that probably happened later on when the breed was being revived from the brink of extinction.

Murky genetic heritage notwithstanding the Irish Wolfhound proved to be remarkably skilled at its primary task of dispatching marauding wolves, so much so that by the 18^th century the wolves were forever lost to that region of the world. Common lore has it that the last Irish wolf was killed in 1770 in the Wicklow Mountains.

On account of it s reputation as wolfslayer extraordinaire, tales of the feats accomplished by this dog breed mushroomed to mythical proportions. In fact one of the more grandiose legends involving an Irish wolfhound recount how one king Connacht offered 6000 cows to buy a legendary and formidable Irish Wolfhound called Ailbe.

However when king Connacht’s very impressive offer was bested by that of another local king from Ulster war broke out. Ironically as fate would have it, the reason for the battle—Ailbe, the Irish Wolfhound—was killed when he fearlessly but somewhat unwisely clamped his jaws around the wheels of king Connacht’s chariot resulting in his head being lopped off by the spinning wheels as the chariot sped across the battle field!

With the disappearance of the wolf the Irish Wolfhound became rapidly unemployed because its large size pretty much rendered it unsuitable for other types of hunting.  And thus by the middle of the 19^th century this great dog breed was all but extinct.

Only the timely intervention a Scotsman, Capt. George Augustus Graham, to revive the disappearing dog breed saved the Irish wolfhound. Captain Augustus Graham established a new breeding program to rejuvenate the rapidly disappearing numbers of the Iris Wolfhound.

There are those who believe that the Captain’s breeding programming did not resurrect the original Irish Wolfhound dog breed but rather due to the fact he introduced a lot of new blood to the genetic mix, resulted in what to all intents and purpose was a new breed.

Be that as it may the Captains breeding program is responsible for the magnificent Irish wolfhound dog breed that prevails to this day. It is believed that the following dog breeds were among those he crossed with surviving wolfhound specimens to create the modern dog that we know:

• Scottish Deerhound
• Great Dane
• Borzoi
• Pyrenean Mountain Dog
• Tibetan Mastiff

Whatever the truth may be what is indisputable is the fact that the Captain managed to develop the tallest dog breed in the world. (Yes, yes, I know a Great Dane holds the record (as have several) for the tallest individual dog but the fact remains that the Irish Wolfhound is the tallest dog breed in the world.)

Article on Irish Wolfhound by Kayye Nynne

Irish Wolfhound