Larry’s View

Larry’s view on any and everything.

Information Regarding Cairn Terrier Pet Dogs

If you are thinking of getting a Cairn terrier pet dog, then you need to know some information about it first. Why? Well, knowing the right information about anything will help you in the long run. This is especially true when we are talking about a pet ownership. Before you get a Cairn terrier pet dog, you need to be sure that you know what you are getting yourself into. You need to know how to take proper care of your cairn terrier pet dog and you also need to know what to expect when you are getting one.

Thankfully, there are a lot of sites on the internet which can provide you the necessary information. To save you some time, however, here are the basics:

Originally bred in the Scottish highlands, the Cairn terrier is the smallest of all terrier breeds. You should not let the size deceive you when you are getting a Cairn terrier pet dog, however. The Cairn terrier was first bred because of its working ability. You know what this means? This means energy.

A Cairn terrier pet dog has a lot of energy to spare. They can gain a lot from taking brisk walks daily. However, you should know that they do best when they have a fenced-in yard to play in. This way, they get more room when they play. Their high energy also means that they aren’t really suitable for apartment or condo living. If you live in such places, then having a Cairn terrier pet dog is not for you.

Their energy may also put them in danger. This is the reason why you need to make sure that a Cairn terrier pet dog stays in one area. Their natural instincts tell them to dig and run and these activities may lead to accidents if unsupervised.

There are, however, a lot of positive things that can be said about a Cairn terrier pet dog’s energy. For one thing, it makes the dog fun to play with. It can play for hours on end, giving you the companionship that you want. Another positive with this energy is the fact that this energy can be channeled into good purposes. A Cairn terrier pet dog is naturally inquisitive and is always willing to participate in a new adventure. This means that a Cairn terrier pet dog can be easily taught to do tricks. They learn tricks very fast and thrive in obedience training.

You need to make sure that your Cairn terrier pet dog is trained properly since untrained ones have a tendency to be destructive when they are bored.

Let us talk about the proper care for a Cairn terrier pet dog. One thing you do not need to worry about is its coat. The Cairn terrier pet dog was not bred for the beauty of its coat. The coat of a Cairn terrier pet dog is weather resistant and sheds little to no fur. Because of this, it can be a great indoor pet.

Being the smallest of terrier breeds, however, makes Cairn terrier pet dogs especially vulnerable to various health problems. Care must be taken when feeding it as it can gain weight quite rapidly. A Cairn terrier pet dog is also especially sensitive to fleas. However, you can be sure that this is one of the best breeds around.

September 16, 2008 Posted by | Blogroll, Terrier Dogs | Leave a comment

Unfortunate Impressions on Bull Dog Terriers

People might be wondering why there is such a name as “bull dog”.

Originally, Great Britain and later, America were obsessed with bloody fights between bulls and dogs. The main function of the canine is to hang on to the bull’s neck and worry the poor animal until it dies. Obviously, these dogs had developed great strength in their jaws.

Among the popular choices of dogs for this sport were the pit bulls. Back then, the selection of pit bulls was so varied that many showed a variety of characteristics that made the sport highly interesting. Later in the life of the sport though, the center of attraction switched towards the fight between pit bulls and not against the bulls themselves.

From these canines rooted most of the bull dog terriers that we know of today.

One of the significant bull dog terriers we have is the American Staffordshire Terrier who is of great interest since it possesses intriguing seemingly opposing characters.

They project strength and physically power but they are not vicious. In fact, this dog is very much associated with its relationship to its family, especially among children. The physical features it has are now only due to their basic nature and orientation during their bloody fights as fighting machines. But this does not negate the fact that they can sometimes show aggressiveness which may somehow work against them. Nevertheless, this can be set off with their loving nature and devotion to human family. Thus, it has a stable temperament which make them good pets and excellent watchdogs.

AmStaff terrier, as it is called by its shorter name suffers in reputation though since it is commonly associated with pit bulls. These dogs are known for their love for challnge and are therefore employed in illegal dog fighting.

Most of the problems root from irresponsible training. Sadly, there are too few AmStaff that are properly trained. And what’s even depressing is that there are innumerable pit bulls that are continually ill-treated by sadistic owners.

We are often confused of what true pit bulls are. In fact, many contend that these dogs must not be called by that name since it elicits unwanted images of gory dog fights. While this breed is not yet officially recognized by the American Dog Breeders Association or the United Kennel Club, the legitimate name remains to be American Pit Bull Terrier.

While it is true that American Pit Bull Terrier is violent in nature, this doesn’t imply that they are made purely for brutal stuffs. As we have earlier said, these dogs are only products of maltreatment and exploitive training (and inhumane) for self serving purposes. Otherwise, American Pit Bull Terriers can be very people loving.

These are also known for their being hardworking on which they excel from. They are also fond of excessive physical activities that would exhaust their power reserves. Thus, this breed is great for those who need company during athletic training. If you are the couch potato personality, please find another breed of dog that would suit your lifestyle.

To clear things off, American Pit Bull Terrier are not officially recognized not because of its ill reputation but mainly due to beliefs that it is not a purebred. One major standard for a dog to be distinguished as member of Kennel Clubs is that it should be purebred. Until more comprehensive findings on its origin are found, this dog will remain unfortunately tagged as “nasty”.

September 16, 2008 Posted by | Blogroll, Terrier Dogs | Leave a comment

The Bull(y) and Strong Dog: Staffordshire Terrier

The Staffordshire bulls are known for their great strength because of their sizes. Their variety is muscular and stocky but is also known for their agility. Surprisingly, this breed is one of the two breeds recognized by the UK Kennel Club as very suitable for children. Furthermore, their types ranked 5th when it comes to dog popularity in the UK, where the breed originated. Interestingly, Staffies are the only breed of dog that are “totally reliable” when it comes to standard of breed.

The following are some of the basic facts breeders would really love to know about Staffies:

Category: Terrier

Living Environment: either indoors or outdoors

Coat: smooth (or silky like most terriers), dense, and short

Colors: black, brindle, red, blue, fawn; or any of these colors mixed with white

Height: between 14 and 16 inches

Weight: between 24 and 38 pounds

Colors: brindle, blue, black, red, fawn, white; or any of these with white

Temperament: aggressive towards other animals but very friendly with children

Health Issues: heat stroke, cataracts, and breathing problems

Care and Exercise Tips:

•    Bathe when necessary.
•    Brush their coat only occasionally using a brush with firm bristles.
•    Rub down their coat with a chamois or towel to remove hairs that are loose.
•    Their physique requires a regular exercise routine which includes a daily play time while on a leash.
•    They should be on leash while walking in public places.

Origin/History:

The Staffordshire bull terriers, also known as the Staffies, are known to have existed around the 17th century. Since dog fighting gained a surge of popularity over bull baiting, it became a must to develop a breed of dog that is agile, strong, and has a more punishing head than the Bulldog.

In this light, fighting Bulldogs of that time were crossed with some terrier blood. The hybrid was known as the Pit Dog or the Bull and Terrier. The new cross breed became well known for their tenacity and courage, and despite their reputation of being furious with other animals they were excellent companions especially with children.

The Staffie pit dog became a favorite of steelworkers and miners alike. The breed also provided chain makers of the “Black Country” with extra income when worked against ratters or badgers.

The enforcement of the Humane Act in 1835 completely prohibited sports like dog fighting and bull baiting. However, a group of men in the Staffordshire chose to maintain their breed of dogs by introducing them to the show business.

Through the years, the breeders themselves changed the name of the dog into Staffordshire bull terrier to differentiate its physique from the English bull terrier. However, the name of the dog was officially registered only in 1935 by the American Kennel Club.

In 1938, a couple of Staffies gained popularity as Champions at the Birmingham National. The popularity of Ch. Lady Eve and were Ch. Gentleman Jim reached many established countries including France, Australia, Germany, Spain, Holland and even the USA. Since then, Staffies became successful as show dogs and were very popular as compared to other terriers.

The Stafford bull terrier, yes, has become a popular pet while still retaining reputations gained through generations of fighting dogs bred for tenacity, courage, agility, and most importantly, its reliability and great affinity with people especially with children.

And today you can say that the bull is not so bully after all! In fact, the bull is totally reliable as children’s pets.

Keywords: bull dog pit terrier

September 16, 2008 Posted by | Blogroll, Terrier Dogs | Leave a comment

The Loyal Working Companion Dog: American Pit Bull Terrier

This breed of dog, also fondly called as APBT, is known for its loyalty and intelligence. The dogs with this breed make excellent companions since they are very aggressive because of their protective nature.

How, then, are they different from the Staffies? For the UKC or the United Kennel Club, Staffies and APBT are of the same breed but many disapprove of this suggestion. For instance, if the American Kennel Club has an American Staffordshire terrier, it will be registered as an American pit bull terrier by the United Kennel Club. Furthermore, many breeders noted that their lineages have been separate for a long time already for these dogs to be still considered as having the same variety.

Meanwhile, the American Kennel Club does not register a UKC-listed American pit as an American Staffie. In order to gain dual-registry, the dog must initially be recorded as an AKC American Staffie before it can be listed with the UKC as an American pit bull, and not the other way around.

The following are some of the basic facts breeders would really love to know about APTBs:

Category: Terrier

Living Environment: either outdoor or indoor

Coat: smooth, shiny, thick, and short

Colors: color varies

Height: between 18 and 22 inches

Weight: between 30 and 60 pounds

Temperament: courageous, full of energy, and loyal; should be socialized early on with other animals especially with children

Health Issues: heart murmurs and mange

Care and Exercise:
•    Bathe when necessary.
•    Brush their coat only occasionally using a brush with firm bristles.
•    Rub down their coat with a towel or a chamois to remove hairs that are loose.
•    Their physique requires a regular exercise routine which includes a daily play time and/or running along a bicycle while on a leash.
•    They should be on leash while walking in public places.

Origin/History:

The ancestors of APBT came to the US in the mid-1800s with some Irish-Boston immigrants. Like the Staffie, they were originally bred from bulldogs and terriers. Since APBT is a forerunner to the Staffie, it was also molded to be a fighting dog. However, the Americans made their variety some pounds heavier and trained them to have a more powerful head.

Bull baiting and dog baiting were prohibited in England so bull terriers were no longer bred for bouts. It is in America where the pit bull also gained its popularity for many uses and reasons like:

1.    It was used to embody the country in one WW1 artwork.
2.    Well-known companies like the Buster Brown Shoe Company and even RCA used the breed as mascots.
3.    Petie, a pitbull, was one of the stars in, “Our Gang”, a well sought children’s TV series.
4.    A mix breed called Stubby was transformed into a popular and decorated WW1 hero.
5.    Pits became good companies of pioneer families on their journeys.
6.    Jack, a working pit bulldog was owned by Laura Wilder of lines of books called “Little House”.
7.    Popular people like Helen Keller and US President Theodore Roosevelt owned the variety.

Here is some history about the cause of dilemma regarding the registries of APBTs.

In 1898, the United Kennel Club or UKC was structured to provide fighting guidelines and registration for APBT as fighting dogs. Later, there were breeders who shun away from dog fighting so they asked the AKC to recognize their pits so they would be fit for performance events like dog shows.

In 1935, the AKC approved of their petitions but the dogs were registered as Staffordshire Terriers, naming them after the little province in England that the breed was known to have originated from. Thus, many breeders have dogs that have dual-registry.

It is interesting to note that Petie, which was one of the stars in the, “Our Gang” TV series was the first breed that was dual-registered to be Staffordshire Terrier/Pit Bull. However, the UKC later started registering other performing-type varieties and they also began holding dog shows comparable to those of the American Kennel Club.

The AKC soon sealed its studbooks to APBTs. They allocated registration to those pit breeds with lineages that are listed as Staffies. For a little time during the 1970s, the AKC disclosed the American pits to their studbooks.

In 1973, the American KC decided to add the word “American” with the pit’s name to discriminate it from a Staffie. At present, those dogs with mixed APTB-StaffIe parents are recognized by UKC and even the American Dog Breeders’ Association as “American pits or American pit bull terriers”.

Nowadays, the pit has employed as search and rescuers, police/armed service dogs, livestock workers, and even as therapy animals because they are good as companions and working dogs.

Moreover, the variety can even compete in dog sports such as herding, obedience, and conformation, French Ring, and Schutzhund. Breeds of this type can be very loving as pets for everyone. The physical demands and harshness of various activities developed a healthy, strong, and stable animal.

If you want to have an APBT as a pet, be sure that the puppy is handled well and properly socialized. A solid and good training will surely produce an obedient, tranquil, and good companion or even a working dog!

September 16, 2008 Posted by | Blogroll, Terrier Dogs | Leave a comment

Some Facts on the Breed Temperament of Terrier Dogs

From the funny little pals to the more aggressive ones, terrier dogs definitely have wide spectrum of temperaments and dispositions that anyone would find interesting. In fact, any kind of owner would fit with the various characteristics that this breed can show. Beware though for some can be very mischievous while others can display timidity.

Terriers are primarily bred to help hunters in catching vermin, otter, foxes, rats and the likes. Newer breeds though tend to be so domesticated that they are now included in the companion and toy breeds.

As with many other dog breeds, terrier dogs have diverse characteristics that set one type from another. A number of owners find them as faithful in their families and are always ready to protect the home to which he has accustomed himself with. Distinguished excellent guardians, many dogs from this breed can easily determine well-intentioned strangers from those who mean harm.

This instinct to protect probably rooted from the earlier breeds which were originally used in bloody dog fights. Since the banning of this sport, many breeders resulted to producing more docile dogs for homes. Through innumerable cross-breedings, keen and protective terriers were produced.

Some notable terriers of this disposition are American Stafforshire Terrier or AmStaff, Airedale Terrier and Bedlington Terrier.

One of the major features terrier dogs have is their capability to respond well to training. In fact, some types are endowed with natural intelligence which makes them fit for obedience training and ring shows. Some terriers with this disposition need lots of activities that would challenge them mentally. Those included in this type must be given enough training so as to refrain them from being destructive out of boredom. Unlike larger breeds though with much intelligence, most terrier dogs will not make as much damage.

Some of this type also has the determination and dignified disposition that give them the air of confidence.

Some terrier dogs are fun loving and humorous in some sense. They are lively, frolic and gay which provide entertainment for their families and has become the favorites for many centuries.

Social terriers meanwhile should be given enough social environment so as to ready them as they mature. Most terriers with this disposition tend to dominate other dogs when they have come to their ideal age to assume authority. The bull terrier types could best display this temperament.

Surprisingly, some of the smallest terriers are among the toughest. Take the case of Cairn dogs. For their relatively small size and the stocky built, they still portray the disposition of being always ready when the need for activity arrives.

Many types of this breed though still retain the true terrier disposition. That is, hunting. Yet, significant with such dogs are their keenness to human companionship which make them both good ratters and affectionate pets.

Others still have the power, speed and endurance that many of their ancestors possessed. While some may be repressed due to domestication, many of them can manifest whenever the drives arise.

This breed is quite old. In fact, many of them had been existing since time immemorial. It’s not surprising that they have various characters that an owner can either detest or love.

September 16, 2008 Posted by | Blogroll, Terrier Dogs | Leave a comment

Finding Boston Terrier Dogs for Sale

People think that finding Boston terrier dogs for sale would be a very easy task. However, people need to know that there’s more to finding Boston terrier dogs for sale than looking in the phone book or in the classified ads. For one thing, the breeder often reflects the quality of the pet.

Today, many of the Boston terrier dogs for sale are bred by “puppy farms” which exist solely to breed and sell pet dogs. These “puppy farms” are profit-oriented and are therefore natural breeding grounds for animal cruelty. It is often the case that the puppies born in these farms are taken away from their mothers as soon as they are big enough to sell. They are often malnourished as a result of the cost-cutting methods of these farms.

When you are trying to find Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to look for a breeder who genuinely cares for the animals. This will assure you that the animal is well taken care of and will survive more than a few weeks in your care.

Another reason to look for this type of Boston terrier dogs for sale is genetics. When you buy from a puppy farm, all the owner cares about is the profits. As long as a puppy looks good enough to be sold, it is sold. A great dog breeder, however, knows that breeding goes far beyond determining the appearance of a dog. When you are looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to look for a breeder who knows that breeding also determines the temperament of a dog.

When you go looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to find a pet that would suit your temperament. While a low-class breeder would tell you to buy a dog because the puppy looks cute, a great dog breeder would tell you to buy a specific dog because it fits your personality.

When looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to find a seller who does not ask you how much you are willing to pay but asks you what your qualifications are. When you are looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to find a breeder who will not push the dog towards you but will truly take the time to know if you are fit to own a dog.

When you are looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to look for a seller who would be willing to take back the dog if you somehow neglect it. Do not go for sellers who will exchange the puppy for cash and then walk away. A great breeder will leave you with a way to contact him or her in case you change your mind.

Another way to find the best kinds of Boston terrier dogs for sale is to look for the proper documentation. Often, true breeders will be able to provide pedigrees that can trace back the lineage of a puppy. Through this, you know that you are buying the best.

Looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale may seem like a daunting task at first, but with the right attitude and information, you should be able to get the best puppy for you. By following the tips in this article, you can make hunting for Boston terrier dogs for sale the best thing you have ever done.

September 16, 2008 Posted by | Blogroll, Terrier Dogs | Leave a comment