Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Bichon Frise: A Big-Hearted Lap Dog


By: Mike Mathews..


Compatibility and Usage: The breed's small size and friendly nature does not make it the first choice as a good guard dog however, it more than makes up for this shortcoming as it adequately fulfills the role of a family dog without equal! Its disposition, playful character and antics would surely liven up any person's life - be it in the city or in the countryside.

Physical Appearance: The Bichon Frise has a non-shedding white fur coat although different breeds may have different coat color. They sometime have a cream color coat or even in apricot with shadings around their ears. But a purebred Bichon Frise will have a white color coat. Their eyes are normally black or brown in color and have an unmistakable halo around the eyes.

Temperament: The Bichon Frise is a dog with a happy disposition and can make friends easily even with strangers and hence can't be considered as a good guard dog. He is also quite sensitive and affectionate. The most important trait is his cheerful attitude, which is why he is so popular. They have an overall great temperament, which helps them to socialize with humans and other dogs alike.

Although they have a streak of stubbornness but it is rarely displayed. Sudden bursts of energetic display is quite common with a Bichon Frise and most of the time you will end up having a laugh especially when they start running after their tail. They are very good around children and elderly people.

Caring & Health: Average lifespan is normally 12 years, give or take a year or two. The male of the breed has a maximum height of that reaches up to 12 inches while the female can be anywhere from 9 to 11 inches. Their non shedding coat requires regular grooming and can be a source of various types of skin allergies and skin problems, making grooming a regular necessity.

If you own a Bichon then you will need to brush his coat several times within a week so that hair tangling can be prevented. The more frequently you groom him, the puffier his coat will be. A balanced diet with moderate exercise will do him a lot of good. One of the most important health risks that a Bichon Frise might face is that of pancreatitis, which is more often caused due to eating fatty foods.

Bichons are also prone to skin irritations and allergy (if not groomed regularly); old age cataract, senility and diseases of the ear; although ear disease is very easy to treat. Owning a Bichon is no different than owning a cuddly, barking fur ball that would give all members of the family extreme joy and pleasure!

Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com


Author Info: Mike Mathews is a writer and editor of the popular Dog Breed Facts website. His new ebook titled "Choosing a Dog For Your Lifestyle" is a great resource for the prospective dog owner.

All About Dura-Bull Dog Bedz

By: Kausik Dutta


Also, those urine and dirt stains and smells never really go away, do they? Dura-Bull Dog Bedz is here to rescue, offering you the most sanitary and durable dog bed on the market.
All of Dura-Bull Dog Bedz’ products are made so that you just have to wipe the surface clean. You’ll never have to deal with the trouble of machine washing a dog bed again! The durable rip-stop vinyl fabric on the exterior of the dog beds is soil, water and urine resistant so that the bed is easy to clean. Also, these premier beds are pest and odor resistant, making them even more desirable. Even if you are able to machine wash a standard cloth dog bed regularly, they begin to smell dirty within a week or two. With Dura-Bull Dog Bedz’ products, you’ll forget that the bed is even in the room.
Your dog is your best friend, so you want his dog bed to be comfortable. Dura-Bull Dog Bedz’ products are ergonomically correct, supporting your dog’s skeleton and making his bed the most comfortable place in the house. Pliable memory foam filled the beds, adding even more needed support so that as your dog ages, he will be less likely to develop joint problems.
If you’re in the market for a dog bed, go to a supplier that you can trust to offer you the best products on the market: Dura-Bull Dog Bedz. This will be the last bed you’ll ever have to buy your dog.

Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com


Dura-Bull Dog Bedz is the premier source for high quality, durable dog beds.

Using Dogs for Protection

By : Gerry Ronson
By: Gerry Ronson


The Doberman pinscher is one of the most popular guard dogs in America and perhaps in other countries as well. One of the reasons the Doberman pinscher is such a success as a guard dog is their intelligence and the willingness to be trained for active duty. They are also a fierce looking dog when you see them as guard dogs. They have a small head with pointed ears and a lean muscled body. This sleek body enables them to jump a good distance and to run for quite a distance helping in the pursuit chase if one does occur; however most individuals choose this dog because they are fiercely loyal to the owner. These dogs tend to choose just one master in a family. They will be obedient to this person and will train well with this person. The train needed for guard dogs is often full of activity and requires a lot of time. The dog must learn first to be obedient and then they must be taught to stop a thief, but not to harm. In other words most guard dogs are meant to act fierce.

The next type of dog that is really good as a guard dog is a German shepherd. While most often the German shepherd is seen as a police dog they are also really good at guarding as well. You will find that with German shepherds they have a high intelligence above most dogs that’s what makes them so good at many of the different tasks like a police dog, seeing- eye dog and many other occupations. They are extremely trainable when you consider all jobs that they have. This means that training for guard duty will be easier for this breed and they will stick with the job at hand.

Another dog breed for guard duty is the Rottwieller. The Rottwieller is a very fast dog. They are extremely well muscled dogs. This means that they have the sped to chase as well as the muscle for the duration. While most people hope never to use this lean dog as a guard dog they will also find this dog has a fair intelligence. This makes them easy to train also. For training of this guard dog you do have to be careful in obedience training. They can display a stubbornness that can make the first few times of training a little difficult, however once they understand who is master they will be great with the training and eager to learn.

You will find that with all guard dogs they are going to be easily trained after the initial obedience training and asserting who is master. Training must be firm, but done with a gentle hand. In other words you never want to use harsh words even for guard dogs. Like all training these dogs need to have affection along with their training. You will need to seek a professional training facility to help with training your guard dog to ensure they have been properly trained.

Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com


Gerry Ronson writes articles for the website dog beds.

Dogs can stop barking

By : Clint Jhonson
By: Clint Jhonson


If your dog runs around your house every day and keeps on breaking things or if you are afraid that he can escape into the street and get hurt, then we suggest you to purchase an electric dog fence. You will see that the fence is worth every penny since it is benefic both for your beloved dog and for your peace of mind. The electric dog fence represents an efficient, but invisible solution for keeping your dog safe and happy.

Furthermore, the electric dog fence can be installed within a day by anyone and what is most important, it doesn’t hurt your pet, as some people believe. It simply produces a small shock when your dog gets too close to the fence. Another advantage of the electric dog fence is the fact that it enables you to train your dog so that he remains within the boundaries of this fence. The first thing you should do after you have installed the electric dog fence is to show your dog the boundaries of the fence and not to let him get out of these boundaries. Afterwards, you can train him a couple of minutes daily and you will soon see the effects.

Nevertheless, the electric dog fence is not efficient when it comes to stop barking. Your dog will continue to bark whether he is in the house, in the yard or within the electric fence. The barking problem requires different solutions such as training or a bark control collar. The difference between them is the fact that the bark control collar will prove its efficiency in a very short period of time and it requires less work while training will show the desired effects in a couple of weeks. The most efficient thing about the bark control collar is that the dogs recognize the relationship between their barking and the corrective measures imposed by the collar and as a consequence they learn stop barking when it is not necessary.

The bark collars available on the market are easy and comfortable and some manufacturers even have water-resistant collars. These items detect barking in different ways; some of them have a microphone that activates the collar on the sound while others activate upon vibration. The disadvantage of the bark control collar with microphone is the fact that it can be activated when other dogs bark; thus your dog receives a correction that he doesn’t deserve. These collars can be put on any dog which is over six months old and they are useful even when it comes to training your dog to do certain things. With the help of a bark control collar, in a short period of time you can train your dog to stop barking excessively. The point of this brief article is that you can stop barking, whether you resort to training or to bark collars.

Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com


We understand how important your dog is and this is why we created electric dog fence which allows your dog to enjoy the benefits of having his own space. We have efficient products that are great when it comes to stop barking.

Dog Disease:Lung Cancer

By: Gerry Ronson


Lung cancer is just one type of cancer that can really affect your dog. With lung cancer in dogs there are several symptoms that will help your figure out that your dog is ill. You have to keep in mind also that lung cancer doesn’t really pick just one breed. In fact lung cancer can be in any dog. There are a couple of types of lung cancer. The types of lung cancer are carcinoma and hemangiosarcoma. We will concentrate on carcinoma for this article. Carcinoma lung cancer is usually malignant, which means that it will cause death if it is not treated. As you can imagine we are still unsure about the actual cause of the cancer, but it has been linked to smoking for some dogs. Second hand smoke as we all know can affect a dog. So be careful if you smoke to not smoke around your dog. They will have a longer healthier life because of your caution.

Lung cancer is most usually marked by chronic coughing, lethargy, trouble breathing, weight loss, and coughing up blood. The symptoms will usually start off slow. In other words the carcinoma will form in the lung as a small mass. This usually causes trouble breathing and a little cough at first. As the mass grows the symptoms will begin to get worse. Usually when there is blood present in the saliva it means the lung has begun to deteriorate and the dog may have actually ruptured the cancer cells. This exacerbation of the lung cancer can cause immediate death if you don’t rush them into surgery. You mat also begin to see numbness in the limbs. Your dog may begin to drag their hind legs rather than walking, they may also begin to show less movement in sleep as well as during the day.

Prevention is very difficult when you do not know the cause, however when you keep your dog away from smoke, give them a healthy diet with the proper nutrients, and exercise them daily they are less likely to form cancer cells in the lungs. For treatment you will find surgery is usually the first option. Surgery will remove the mass from the lung and medication will help the lung to heal. In some cases the mass may be too large to remove without compromising the entire lung. In this case the vet may suggest radiation therapy to reduce the mass until they can remove it surgically with some safety or until the actual mass disappears. Radiation and chemotherapy work to reduce the mass as well as hinder abnormal cells from forming again. In some cases it may take a couple of surgeries or treatments of radiation before your dog is truly healthy again. As the owner you have the responsibility to see that your dog is properly cared for. Lung cancer in dogs can be deadly so make sure to watch your dog for symptoms.

Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com


Gerry Ronson is a writer for the websites dog collars, dog training discs and dog.

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