CHARACTER

GOOD NATURED AND KIND-Afghan hound,basset hound,briard,bernese mountain dog,bloodhound,borzoi,bouvier des flandres,bulldog(despite appearances and history),cocker spaniel,english springer spaniel,great dane,irish terrier,irish wolfhound(one of the gentle breeds of all),kuvasz,little lion dog,newfoundland,poodle,st.bernard,skye terrier,spinone(no one has ever been bitten by one).

SLOW AND STEADY(or even lazy)-basset hound(slow reflexes),clumber spaniel(ideal for similarly overweight sportsmen),wire haired pointing griffon(designed for the older sportsman on foot),gordon setter(can work longer than most with out a drink),harrier(prey sometimes collapses of exhaustion)karelian bear dog(very stubborn,lone hunter),sled dogs(constant running for many miles and many hours heavily laden),welsh springer spaniel(tireless hunter).

AGILE DOGS-Afghan hound(twists and turns and can leap like a monkey),ibizan hound(can jump high from a stanstill),old english sheepdog(very agile at speed),pointer(athletic).

FAST DOGS-Grey hound(among dogs it is the fastest breed in the world for distance up to half a mile,after which it can be passed by a whippet,speed-70kmph),whippet(66.7kmph)chief pilot(38.5mph).

HUNT ADDICTS-Beagle,border terrier,coonhound,pharaoh hound,pointer and all hounds and spaniels.

WANDERERS-Beagle,bolognese,puli,pumi,setters,spaniels(welsh springer the worst).

VERY TRAINABLE(intelligent)DOGS-Aidi,american water spaniel,anatolian sheperd dog,brittany spaniel,cairn terrier(tricks),canaan dog,catalan sheepdog,collie,german shepherd dog,huntaway,kelpie,poodle(tricks),retrievers,rottweiler,schipperke.

DOGS WITH LONG MEMORIES-Belgian sheepdog,bergamasco,dalmatian,valee sheepdog.

DOG DISORDERS

ACHONDROPLACIA(dwarfism)-Bulldog,Dachshund,Basset hound

ACUTE BLOAT-Boxer,DEERHOUND,gREATDANE,Irish setter,Irish wolfhound,Mastiff,St.Bernard.

BLINDNESS(various forms)-Alaskan malamute,Boxer,Collie,German sheperd,Irish setter,Labrador,Poodle.

EYE?EYELID disoRders-american cockerspaniel,Bloodhound,Boston Terrier,Bulldog,Chow Chow,Pekingese,St.Bernard,Shar-pei,Spaniels(several),Wire-haired Fox terrier,(collies and dalmatians may show heterochromia.i.e.different colours in the same iris)

DISTEMPER-Eskimo dog and Japanese spaniel particularly prone.

EPILEPSY-American cockerspaniel,beagle,boxer,poodle

HYDROCEPHALY(water on the brain)-American cockerspaniel

INFECTIOUS ABORTION-Beagles in kennels

RHEUMATISM/ARTHRITIES-Boxer,cocker spaniel,dachshund,german sheperd,great dane,St.Bernard

SKIN PROBLEMS-Lots of dogs,especially miniature black and tan terriers and pomeranians

STOMACH PROBLEMS-Boston terrier,boxer and mastiff have weak stomach acids;small spitzes need carefull feeding

WHY YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOUR DOG(part 4)

SIT-One of the easiest commands of all,it can be mastered quite quickly.Simply raise a treat over the dog's head and he wont have any choice but to sit.If a treat wont do it,encourage sitting by gently pressing down on his behind.while you do either of these techniques,say,'SIT' and,before long,the word will be associated with the action.Now that our furry friend can do the basics,it's time for higher educaation.As always,patience and repetition is the key to success.

FETCH-This may start out as a game at first,but it can soon become helpfull to you.To get started,catch his attention with a preffered toy.Throw it away from him and,while the dog is going toward the toy,shout'FETCH'.Wait until the dog returns the object and releases it in your hands.If the dog does not return straight to you,tug on the leash and try it again until he catches on.

SHAKE-Prepare your pet and show him how to offer a proper hand shake.once the canine is sitting,show him a treat to hold his attention.next,pick up one of his paws loosley,so as to not make him feel threatened,and say,'SHAKE'.Offer him treat and repeat the exercise until the dog present his paw on command

Treat the dog humanely,never hurting it or inflicting undue punishment.You need to be patient and calm,just like with a child.Correct the misbehaviour with out losing your temper.Your voice must be stern when commanding your pup.but you shold not shouat as it can stress the animal.Work routinely and diligently with your pup and you will definitley reap the rewards.a trained dog is much more fun to play with.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOUR DOG(part 3)

At 12 weeks old,a puppy is ready to attend school-your school of pet tricks,that is.training sessions should be held at least twice a day and last about 15 minutes each time.Try to hold these classes in the same location so as not to disorient the dog.In time,you will be able to venture in to new areas.Know what kind of treat your dog enjoys so that efforts will be made to please you.The treats should be small so that you can hand out a lot of them

'COME HERE'-this is the most vital command a dog should learn since he needs to actually be with you to perform all the other tricks.First,whenever you ask the dog to come to you,it has to be agrreable for the animal.If you call him over to kick him around,he will eventually associate coming to you with pain,and won't ever come to you.Stand a short distance from the dog with his favourite toy in plain view.Call his name and as he starts walking toward you,say,'COME HERE'.Up on reaching you,give him a treat.Soon,the words come here will be linked with the action.

HEEL-Heeling is when you want the dog at your feet,on the left.To achieve this,hold the leash loosely.Start walking and give the leash a stiff tug as you say'heel'.The dog will follow you.Praise him with a 'good boy' whenever he obeys.Continue walking in differernt directions all the while saying 'heel' and tugging on the leash.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOUR DOG(part 3)

WHY YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOUR DOG(part 2)

There are many different breeds and each will have to be trained differently.Some dogs,like golden retrievers,are great family pets,while others like dobermans,are natural guard dogs.Smaller dogs,chihuahuas,usually have an inferiority complex and bark constantly to compensate.It is your job to be knowledgable about the breed you want and train your dog accordingly.

The reason most people are reluctant to get a dog is because they fear their house is going to become his bathroom.When puppy is between 8 and12 weeks old,start training him to go to designated areas to relieve himself.
First,buy a crate,which is basically a cage.if you make a habit of making the dog sleep in it at night,the pup will regard it as his bedroom and trat it with respect.dogs generally avoid soiling their personal space.Also,young dogs have to evacuate their nutrients about every three hours;take them out of the house often to keep away unwanted accidents inside the house.

Eventually,try to get your dog out of the house around the same time each day.After a short while,the dog will be caught up in the routine and will only at these designated times.When you see the dog relieving himself,say'HURRY UP'.After doing this for a while,the dogwill associate the expression with the action and will be able to do it on command.
Should you ever catch the canine as he prepares to let go inside,grab the collar,and in an authoritative voice say 'NO'.Lead him outside and,after he takes care of business,reward him by petting and praising him.