Dog Blog

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 16, 2008–Today the American
Kennel Club(R) announced that the Bulldog, a popular sports team
mascot and one of the most recognizable and iconic purebred dogs, has
muscled its way into the 10th spot on the organization’s annual list
of the most popular breeds in America according to 2007 AKC(R)
registration figures. The Labrador Retriever retains the title of “Top
Dog”– a position it has now held for 17 consecutive years.

“This is the first time the Bulldog has made it onto the top ten
list since 1935,” said AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “This breed
appeals to a very wide range of dog lovers so it’s no surprise that it
is a favorite amongst AKC’s 157 breeds. The Bulldog is both docile and
adaptive, and can thrive in small or large homes. It’s an excellent
all-around family pet.”

The Bulldog was first recognized by the AKC in 1886 - just two
years after the organization’s founding - and was most popular in
1915* when it peaked in 5th place. The breed’s popularity ebbed and
flowed throughout the mid-20th century, but since hitting a low of
41st place in 1973, its ranking has steadily increased.

2007 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S.
1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. German Shepherd Dog
4. Golden Retriever
5. Beagle
6. Boxer
7. Dachshund
8. Poodle
9. Shih Tzu
10. Bulldog

FRAUDULENT FIDOS

Unfortunately the Bulldog’s popularity - and irresistible
appearance as a puppy - is often taken advantage of. Earlier this year
the AKC and the Better Business Bureau issued a warning about Internet
scams that often used photos of Bulldog puppies to lure in victims.
Commonly, the scammer –posing as a breeder– places an ad offering a
free or inexpensive puppy and then requests via email that shipping
fees be wired. After the money is sent, the dog never arrives and the
scammer is never heard from again.

“This is certainly not the only scam to be aware of, but it is a
common one,” says Peterson. “Because of the emotional investment,
consumers are more vulnerable to being taken advantage of when it
comes to a cute, cuddly puppy than with any other purchase. Not only
is it important to find the breed that’s right for your lifestyle,
it’s just as important to take those extra steps and find a
responsible resource.

PET PREFERENCES: TOP 50 CITIES

The AKC looked at the Top 10 breeds in the nation’s 50 largest
cities. Some highlights:

— The Bulldog is most popular in Los Angeles where is it
currently ranked 2nd right after the Lab.

— Despite having one of the world’s most beloved and renowned
Bulldogs as the mascot for its state college sports team -
University of Georgia’s “Uga,” - Atlanta is one of the few
cities in the nation that did not include the Bulldog in its
Top 10.

— The Poodle and Dachshund, who each once enjoyed the top spot
in Manhattan (2006, 2005 for the Poodle and 2004 for the
Dachshund) now share a tie for 3rd place, ousted by America’s
top choice, the Labrador Retriever.

— Detroit, Knoxville, Miami, Honolulu and Orlando are the only
cities that do not have the Labrador Retriever in the top
spot. Detroit and Miami favor the German Shepherd, Orlando
puts the Yorkie in 1st place, Honolulu the Golden Retriever
and Knoxville the Boxer.

— Salt Lake City is the only city to place the Shih Tzu in one
of its top two spots. It moved from 3rd in 2006 to 2nd in
2007.

— The only cities to not have the Yorkie on their lists are
Buffalo, Milwaukee and Des Moines. And, Des Moines had the
most unique list of all 50 cities, considering that it shared
only four dogs with the national Top 10.

— The Miniature Schnauzer, which was displaced on the national
list this year by the Bulldog, still claims top dog status in
Oklahoma City where it ranks 3rd, higher than in any other
U.S. city.

— San Francisco and Los Angeles were the only cities in the
nation to include the French Bulldog in their Top 10 lists.

PET PREFERENCES: 1997- 2007

Some of the most notable recent trends include:

— The Miniature Schnauzer was bumped off the Top 10 list in 2007
to make room for the Bulldog.

— The Yorkshire Terrier held steady in 2nd place, after making
news last year by displacing the Golden Retriever and German
Shepherd.

— The Havanese, a small dog with a coat type that is a good
choice for people with allergies, has enjoyed the greatest
surge in popularity since 1997, increasing 994%. It now ranks
as the 37th most popular breed.

— Other small dogs (under 20 lbs.) that have gained popularity
in the past decade include the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
(+406%), the French Bulldog (+404%) and the Brussels Griffon
(+157%).

— Large dogs with notable increases are two Swiss breeds — the
Bernese Mountain Dog (+74%) and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
(+127%) — as well as the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (+130%).

— Breeds on the decline include the Rottweiler (-81%) and the
Dalmatian (-96%). Many breeds of Asian origins are also waning
in popularity: Chow Chows (-84%), Pekingese (-79%), Akitas
(-76%), Lhasa Apso (-75%), Chinese Shar-Pei (-73%) and Shiba
Inu (-38%).

PET PREFERENCES: 1915 - TODAY

The AKC has maintained registration statistics of AKC recognized
breeds for nearly a century. Some highlights:

— The Beagle is the only breed that has consistently been
included in the Top 10 list since 1915. It reigned as the most
popular breed from 1954 to 1959.

— Poodles enjoyed a long reign as the most popular dog for 23
years (1960-1982), the longest any breed has held that
position consecutively.

— Cocker Spaniels ranked number one from 1936-1953 (replaced by
the Beagle in 1954). Cocker Spaniels made a comeback and were
number one again from 1983-1990, making them the dog with the
longest total reign in the top spot at 25 years.

— The Toy group has been steadily on the rise since the 1970’s,
when it made up only 12% of the registry versus 23% today.

— The Working group peaked in the 1990’s at 17%, most notably
due to the Rottweiler being in the Top 10 at that time,
including several years in 2nd place.

Dog lovers can see and learn more about all of their favorite
breeds on Saturday, February 2 when the AKC/Eukanuba National
Championship — where country’s top dogs compete for $225,000 in prize
money and the title of “National Champion” — airs on Animal Planet
from 8-11pm.

*First year AKC Registration Data was captured.

The American Kennel Club, founded in 1884, is a not-for-profit
organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in
the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United
States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its
registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type
and function. Along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs
and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred
dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being,
works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible
dog ownership. More than 20,000 competitions for AKC-registered
purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year
including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding,
lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog
trials. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Canine Health
Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the
Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org.

If you’re interested in getting a dog or puppy, the first thing to do before ever choosing breeds, names, getting name tags, anything, should be getting your house ready for the new addition to the family, according to wagntrain.com.. Bringing a puppy into a home without putting away the things you don’t want the puppy to get into can lead to your shouting at the baby, when it’s not his fault he’s nosy.

Planning for your new puppy will make his transition from his litter into your home less stressful, less stress equals a happy puppy. Don’t punish a puppy for behaviors that are key to dogs, i.e. pooping, chewing, peeing on the rug, digging and chewing. These features are innate in dogs of all breeds, according to Purina .com. The only way to curb this behavior is to limit the opportunity for him to get it wrong. Encourage him fully when he gets it right.

Housebreaking is the first step. Teaching your dog he can only do his business outside is extremely important to a happy and healthy home environment. Take him outside frequently, even if it doesn’t look like he has to go. It’s inadvisable to even let a puppy loose in the house until he’s absolutely sure about the place he needs to go pee, according to wagntrain.com.

Only give the dog items that can be chewed. Setting the toy in front of the dog won’t necessarily make that his “designated” chew toy. You need to encourage him to play with it, probably by just teasing him with it or waving it in front of his nose to get his focus on it. Things that he shouldn’t chew on should be put away out of his reach.

There’s no question that puppies, for the most part, are full of energy and love to rough house; however, rough housing should not take part in the house. Puppies need lots of room to run around and get all the craziness out of their systems (and they sleep like the dead afterward, which is always a nice time to watch a TV show or finish some homework). As long as you establish that outdoors is the place to be a raucous puppy, he’s less likely to terrorize your house and will save that energy for his romp in the yard.

Digging is something that all dogs like to do, and if yours just happens to be a digger, designate a spot in the yard that is solely for their digging pleasures. A friend of mine used to have an indoor dog that loved to dig, but rarely got outside. She would pile up old clothes and rags for her dog and let him dig through them. She would encourage this behavior, even participate in it, but would be firm when he went near her hamper or closet, and simply led him back over to his rag pile.

When things are in the reach of puppies and dogs, they are accessible. Be responsible in taking care of your things, so your dog doesn’t get into something he’s not supposed to. Also, puppies are like babies ‚Äö√Ñ√¨ everything goes in their mouths. A sock might be harmless when it’s lying on the floor, but when you have to have it surgically removed from Fido’s stomach, it’s not a pretty thing.

You should always get down on your puppy’s level and look at things from his point of view, according to Americanhumane.org. Dangling wires in the back of the TV should be secured, household cleaners should be put in cabinets, cabinets should have childproof locks installed so he can’t open the doors, and plants should be put out of reach. If it’s not safe for a child, then it’s not safe for your puppy.

By Kenna Rogers

Aggression in dogs is important to display or maintain a hierarchy amongst themselves, but when you own a family dog, aggression should not be allowed.

A mother will display intense aggression when she has puppies or is still nursing them. Any strangers, humans or dogs, will receive a curled lip and deep, guttural growls when they stray too close.

I took my Husky to the veterinarian, and sitting next to us was a smaller breed and a crate. I just assumed it was a mother and puppies, but I never dreamed she’d react so aggressively towards those around her. She would’ve attacked my dog, which is not only four years old, outweighs her by at least 20 pounds, but is also a male. My clueless Husky almost got a chunk taken out of him. If you have mother dogs, and they do show aggressive behavior, keep them isolated so their stress around others doesn’t escalate. Or at least warn those around you to stay a good distance away!

On-leash dogs should not show aggression to other dogs on leashes, according to seefido.com. It is your responsibility to teach your dog manners. Take the dog to a place where dogs on leashes normally socialize and get him accustomed to being friendly. You may require treats, a clicker, and an abundance of patience.

Dogs who were friendly when they were younger but have grown into adulthood with an aggressive behavior that was never curbed, these are harder to control. Obedience training is the first step. Persistent aggressive behaviors may need more drastic corrections, i.e. shock collars but only as a completely last resort!

Aggression between dogs that live together is normal. One will always be dominant and the other will always be submissive, according to cannismajor.com. If the submissive puts a paw out of line, the dominant will be there to correct him. When the aggression gets out of hand and you start having non-playful fights between your dogs, you should probably separate them when you are unable to keep a constant eye on them. The dogs have likely developed a “pack” behavior, according to cannismajor.com, which makes them treat each other differently from how they treat you or any other dogs they come into contact with. Pack behavior is definitely hard to break, and you should start with obedience training.

Dogs who exhibit aggression, either around other dogs or around people, should be monitored closely at all times. If they have to be around dogs or people, always keep them on a leash or secured in some way. The safety of others should always come first.

By Kenna Rogers

By Kenna Rogers

Registering your dog with the American Kennel Club (AKC) is important for pureblood breeds to give proof of family history and to keep track of the lineage, to avoid inbreeding. The downside to registering with AKC is the fact that you have to come up with some long complicated name that is unique to that specific dog, according to akc.org. You might think deciding on an AKC name would be easy – how wrong that notion is.

Guidelines:

1. Names are submitted to the AKC by the first owner of the dog, i.e. Breeder(s) have the right to choose a puppy’s name before selling that dog to another owner. If the breeder(s) never registered the dog, upon buying it, you would have full rights to submit papers of registration, thereby naming the puppy.

2. Names can be no more than 30 letters, and spaces, apostrophes, and hyphens count towards letters.

3. The letters of the names are limited to the English alphabet alone. Diacritical markings aren’t printed on Registration Certificates, and letters on the certificates are all capitalized.

4. Registered Kennel names are not allowed in the dog’s name unless specifically authorized by the owner of the kennel name.

5. Roman numerals are reserved for the AKC for assignation in identification purposes, and cannot be included at the end of a dog’s name.

6. There are only 37 dogs of each breed that can be assigned the same name.

7. Specific words that aren’t allowed in names are:
Champion, champ, sieger, or any other AKC title or show term, either spelled out or abbreviated.
Derogatory words, either towards race, creed, or nationality are not allowed, as well as any transliterations of such words.
Kennel(s), male, stud, sire, bitch, dam, and female, or any breed names alone.

8. Arabic (1, 2, 3), cardinal (one, two, three), ordinal numbers (first, second, third) have no restrictions upon them.

9. Imported dogs and puppies must be registered with the same name of registration which it had in its country of origin. Only a Registered Kennel Name may be added.

10. A registered name can only be changed once, as long as the dog was born in the United States and has already been registered with the AKC by the breeder(s). Alternately, a name cannot be changed after the dog has produced or sired an AKC registered litter or received an award at an AKC licensed or member event. Names cannot be changed unless the breeder(s) consent, in writing, to the AKC approving the name change.

Registering a name with the AKC is a complicated process, but as long as the guidelines are followed, names should be generated relatively quickly. And remember, a dog’s registered name does not necessarily mean that it has to be its everyday name, and it shouldn’t be. Everyday names should be easy to pronounce, simple to remember, and shouldn’t sound like any words the dog knows, such as “No.”

By Kenna Rogers

Believe it or not, but dogs do have a sensitivity to allergies which can sometimes have symptoms that are worse than your pitiful runny nose. You’d think dogs allergies would manifest symptoms in the say way a human’s would, but that is incorrect.

Dogs could be allergic to pollen, dust, certain foods, and insects.

A dog’s symptoms will manifest either in chronic ear infections or mild to severe itching all over his body. Allergic dogs usually chew on their feet, as that’s the only place they have sweat glands, until they are irritated, inflamed, and sometimes raw. They may get ear infections because the wax glands of the ears have a tendency to overproduce when the dog is fighting an allergen, according to peteducation.com.

Dogs will rub their entire bodies against surfaces, itch with their nails and teeth so much they could cause skin lesions and even cause self-mutilation if it goes on too long. There could be a subsequent hair loss, or patchy spots, if he itches frequently. The skin could become dry, flaky, crusty, reddened, or oily, depending on the breed. With skin lesions, bacterial infections are a side effect, according to peteducation.com.

Allergens outside:

Trees

Grass

Weed pollens

Allergens inside:

Certain fabrics

Foods and food additives

Milk products

House dust and dust mites

FLEAS!

You should always tell your veterinarian if your dog itches an inordinate amount anywhere on its body, or in a specific place. Your vet should be able to test the dog, either by intradermal or blood testing or by simply eliminating things individually from the animal’s environment until the allergen is isolated. Seasonal allergies can sometimes be held at bay from a single injection, or tablets, and will be allergy-free for up to 4 weeks, or until the following year when the allergen rears its ugly head again.

If your dog is allergic to atopy (inhaled allergens), it is always best to use the avoidance method. If you have just vacuumed the rug, keep the dog away from that area for several hours afterward. Dust mites can be held at bay by slipping a plastic cover over the pet’s bed, washing the bedding in hot water, or just keeping the pets in uncarpeted rooms.

If mold is the culprit, keep dogs out of the basement, avoid freshly mowed lawns, and definitely use dehumidifiers. You also might need to cut down on your number of houseplants. Keep your dog away from pastures, out of tall grass, and keep them indoors during spring and fall when the pollen seasons are at their height.

You should certainly speak with your veterinarian if you suspect your dog of having an allergy to something. Antibiotics may be required, but ask your vet about all alternatives before using antibiotics, and be sure to ask for any and all side effects.