There are more than 140 dog breeds not even counting the mix designer breeds. So it is about time that we learn about some of the different breeds around. Lets start with Affenpinscher. This breed existed in Germany and was first used to catch rats, but ended up being a lap dog. This is a great dog for someone living in an apartment. However he can be a barker and loves to showoff. If given the chance he will takeover the house. The personality of the Affenpinscher is very serious and expects everyone to be the same. He does not tolerate teasing and will attack anyone or anything that irritates him. You should keep in mind not to spoil the Affenpinscher because he will become an impossible tyrant. He is an very intelligent dog and responds very well to positive firm and consistent training. Their height is 10 inches, weight 9 lbs. and their coat is hard, dense and abundant. They usually come in Red, black, tan, grayish or bluish gray.
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes and it is not as simple as big and small. Here is a way you can figure out what category your puppy will fall in for his breed.
Category Height Weight
Small Up to 10 inches 2-20 Pounds
Medium 10-20 inches 20-50 Pounds
Large 20-27 inches 50-90 Pounds
Giant 27+ inches 90+ Pounds
Do you know what the designer dog breed names stand for? Here’s a list of a few of the popular names.
Breed Names What they are made of
Puggle Pug and Beagle
Jack-A-Bee Jack Russell, Terrier and Beagle Mix
Chiweenie Chihuahua and Dachshound
Torkie Toy Fox Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier
Zuchon Bichon Frise’ and Shih Tzu
There is a catch when getting a designer breed and that is you can’t be exactly sure of what your getting. With purebred dogs you can tell the size they will be, their weight and what their interest will be like. But with the designer breed it is a guess of which trait they will take from which side. There will be a random mix of either traits in no particular order. So the key is to make sure you like both breeds and be ready for what ever surprise you get.
Just like everyone I was shocked to hear about the death of Michael Jackson. I has thought there was nothing I could write about on my site that related to his all too early death, well Romeo changed that. Today I have been watching VH1 and seeing all of the old video’s that I grew up with (some I don’t remember), so of course I ended up singing and dancing. Well I guess at some point Romeo has had enough of me. He is fine as long as it is just Michael singing but the minute that I start he starts to bark. Is that his way of telling me to shut up? And now he has grown so tired of me that he has left the room. He is never out of my site or in a room by himself, but he is today. I guess I can take the hint. I will sing no more and just say Michael Jackson I will miss you…
Okay if you have a small dog you can have him ride under your seat as long as you get the approved dog carrier for airlines. However you must still go to your vet ahead of time to get something to put your dog asleep for the flight. Most of the time they suggest benadryl. For those of you that have large dogs they must rid in the cargo area of the plane. For this type of travel I suggest taking a direct flight late in the evening or early in the morning. This will help to lessen the amount of time your dog spends in the holding area. Also this area is not climate controlled so later in the night and early AM will be cooler for your dog. Usually dogs’ flying in extreme heat is when your pet has trouble and complications. Suffocation is the biggest risk in airline travel.
When making your reservations make your dogs at the same time, the airlines only allow a certain amount of dogs to travel on each trip. This does not matter if the dog is flying under your seat or in the baggage area. Try to fly on large planes; the reason being is that large plans have better air circulation than smaller ones. Make sure your dog is up on all vaccinations and have your health certifications ready. If you are going overseas check with the embassy of the country to find out about regulations and required paperwork. Even places like Hawaii have a quartile time from when you arrive with your dog to the time you can pick him up from the airport. Check with the agriculture department in your state for the rules and regulations regarding your dog’s return home.
Check back for on how to pack for your trip…
As we can all guess most cats can live without a puppy. More than likely there will be two types of cats, one that is fearful of the puppy or one that is aggravated that the puppy is in the house. Depending on your cat he may sit back and watch your new puppy and wait till the puppy approaches him, once he does your cat may swat him on the nose or he could growl or hiss at your puppy. Keep your entire responses low key, overacting can make things worst.
Here are things to try:
If you are introducing a at, then place your puppy in an enclosed room or his crate along with a toy (for distraction purpose) and let your cat stroll around the room on his own at his own pace. Don’t try to force and interaction. Watch both of their behaviors if one or both start to act strangely or wildly then it is time for you to step in and calm them down.
Place your puppy on a leash and bring the cat into the room and try the introductions once again. Hold your puppy’s leash is he starts to act up pull him away and divert his attention.
Remember if your cat growls or hiss and even tries to swing a paw at your puppy this is just his way of defining his space, this is necessary for boundaries and for their coexistence.
Did you know that 8-12 week old puppies need lots of sleep because their brain is still developing. At this stage in their life yelling should be avoided because it will only create fear. Older puppies will want to nap too, but they will also want to spend some time playing. This is their way of trying to find out where they stand in the family and also to find out who is the boss.
Romeo been very good lately. Staying out of
mischief. So I decided to buy him some new treats. I knew I was taking a chance because he has to be the world’s pickiest eater. Half of the treats that I buy him he takes one sniff and walks away. Well this time I hit the jackpot, he love the treats so much that now he doesn’t want to eat his regular food.
He knows where I keep his treats and every time I look up he is standing there looking at the cabinet then back at me, as if to say you know what I want. So now what do I do? In case you want to give this treat a try here it is: 
Merrick Gourmet Sausages Cowboy Cookout
Dogs can be very sneaky I know my dog Romeo is when it comes to food. If you have a do that likes to jump be very careful at dinner when eating chicken. Chicken bones are very bad for your dogs, usually chewing on bones is good for them, and chicken bones are an exception. They are dangerous because they are very brittle, may splinter off and damage your dog’s intestines and internal organs. If your dog has eaten some chicken bones, here are a couple of things to look for. (As always call your vet immediately to be on the safe side)
The first thing to do is to learn if the chicken bones were raw or cooked. Hopefully they are raw, reason being is that raw chicken bones are not as brittle as cooked ones.
If cooked chicken bones, you should observe his behavior. Does he/she seem to be in pain? Is he/she choking? If yes, okay it is time to panic and call a vet right away.
Okay he seems fine; still observe his behavior just to be on the safe side. Many vets will advise you to feed your pup canned pumpkin. This seems to stuffs them and will induce vomiting. It is also a good idea to look at his stool and see if the bone is there. At the same time check any sign of blood. Blood will probably mean that he has hurt his stomach. If you see blood take him to a vet right away.
