"Marrying for love may be a bit risky, but it is so honest that God can't help but smile on it."Josh Billings
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Dogs Are People Too...Almost!
You know them. They're the family with fifteen dogs that all the neighbors hate. Their dogs run all over the neighborhood and are largely responsible for the local canine population explosion. When neighbors aren't at their door complaining about the ...
Housetraining Your Puppy
Housetraining Your Pup If you have just bought (or are considering buying) a new puppy, then one of your concerns will most likely be housetraining your new pet. Puppies, like babies have limited control of their bodily functions, so a simple training ...
The Dog's Internal Anatomy: Part 1 - Skeletal
The dog's skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems are actually pretty similar to our own. They are mammals, just like us, and they share some of the same characteristics. Of course, they are four-legged, they do not sweat, they have a tail, and differ in ...
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Every day we hear more about the new "hybrid" dogs, or "designer" dogs. Each feature is accompanied by pictures of adorable puppies that are examples of this new "breed."
Of course they're cute! All puppies are! Should you pay hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars for one? Certainly not! The offspring of a mating between two purebred dogs of different breeds is a mongrel, a mutt. And if you have one, you should love it, train it and care for it as if it had the bluest blood of the canine kingdom.
Every dog breed, and there are hundreds in the world, was "created" by humans. Each breed was developed for a specific purpose - whether that original job was guarding the flock or being the ideal lap-dog. There's no reason that development shouldn't continue. If there is a need for a dog with particular characteristics, enterprising individuals will come forward to fill that need.
However, it takes many generations to "breed true." Compare yourself to your siblings. Do you all have the same looks, same personality, same interests and strengths? Chances are, you don't. Each of you has some of the "best" traits of your parents. But those may not be the same traits. And each of you has some of the worst.
Two of the best-known mixed-breeds out there now are the "Golden Doodle" and the "Puggle." The thinking behind these crosses is fairly obvious: wouldn't it be nice to have a Golden Retriever's personality and willingness to
please combined with the Poodle's non-shedding coat and intelligence? Wouldn't it be equally delightful to have a small dog without the breathing issues of a Pug, but quieter than a Beagle?
But there is no way of knowing you won't get a high-strung, noisy, stubborn, slobbering mutt who sheds like the dickens!
If you are considering spending the kind of money that these "hybrids" are commanding, be sure to research all of the traits of the contributing breeds. You will get a mixture of the two. And an equally adorable mixture may be waiting for you at your local shelter - the size you want, with the coat you want and the adorable face that melts your heart.
If you require certain characteristics in your puppy - whether a family member has allergies, or you have a very small, or no yard, or your household requires a quiet, "easy keeper," or if you wish to fully participate in the world of canine competition, consider a pure-bred animal. There are over 150 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. Surely one of them is right for you.
About the author:
Hope Saidel is the co-owner of GollyGear, a bricks-and-mortar and online small dog shop featuring fun, affordable and practical products for small dogs. She has trained and competed in Obedience with small dogs for over a decade and is on the Board of Directors of the North Shore Dog Training Club.
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Young Flint boy offers lesson for adults and animals alike by ... - Grand Rapids Press
FLINT, Michigan -- The gifts were chewable and better suited to canines than an 8-year-old boy. And that's just the way Taron Diehl of Flint wanted it. Taron decided to not ask for birthday gifts for himself this year, instead requesting they be ...
Republicans and Democrats Are Two Different Animals - US News and World Report
My Creators Syndicate year-end/year-beginning column is a look at our two parties and why, as I have come to think increasingly over the years, they are correctly portrayed by political cartoonists as two different animals
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