Pedigree dogs were bred for selected purposes such as hunting, guarding and herding animals. Therefore specific traits were bred into each breed to suit the purpose they were required for. However it wasn’t until the late 1950’s when pedigree dogs became popular to show. The first official dog show was in 1959 and the UK Kennel Club now recognizes over 200 breeds, and over 400 breeds are recognized worldwide.

Choosing the right dog breed. Making the decision of getting a dog to include in your family is always a good one. Indeed, choosing the right dog can bring many years of love and loyal companionship, especially for the children in a family. However, choosing just the right breed of dog is an important part of getting the puppy you can have this long lasting relationship with. Check out these tips for choosing the best dog breeds for families.

Breed dogs with a clear conscience Breeding dogs can be one of the most rewarding things you can do. Of course its not as simple as deciding to breed and starting. There are some important things you need to ask, and honestly answer before you can breed with a clear conscience. With so many unwanted puppies you need to be sure you can find good homes for all the puppies. There are far too many unwanted pets in the world. If you are wanting to breed because you feel you have a lot of time, resources and love to give – rather consider adopting one of the many millions of homeless pets and giving your love in this way.

If you are buying a German Shepherd puppy it is important to ensure that you only purchase a healthy dog from a reputable breeder and a good idea would be to contact the breed council who should be able to provide you with a list of such breeders. Most reputable breeders don’t need to advertise but if they do they tend not to use free papers or other general advertising media but will usually place their advert in a specialist dog magazine or paper. The Kennel Club will provide a list of breeders but this does not signify that they are reputable only that they register their puppies with the KC.

Dog breeds and characteristics of several kinds of dogs

In spite of the fact that dogs all have similar traits and characteristics, there are things that separate one dog from another. There are different breeds of dogs and with these breeds of dogs come different behaviors and skills. Some dogs are more trainable than others and there is a need for you to understand the kinds of dogs available so that you select the one that best suits your needs. Dog vary in skill and in function as well as looks. There are several kinds of dogs that are trained to exhibit inherent skills. The following are sets of dogs that are trained according to what they are naturally good at:

– Detection dogs: Detection dogs are especially trained to detect things or folks. Detection dogs are used by the police force to obtain or recover missing or lost things.

– Assistance dogs: Assistance dogs refer to dogs that are trained to assist folks. These dogs are born with a natural gift for taking care of people. Assistance dogs include those that are trained to lead blind individuals or look after disabled folks. They are naturally sensitive to the needs of their owners and tend to anticipate their needs.

– Herding dogs: Herding dogs are dogs that are used to protect and guide cattle or sheep and goats. Herding dogs herd. That is what they are good at. They are trained to check that not a single cow, sheep or goat is lost on the way and are also trained to keep a sharp eye on predators.

– Guard dogs: Guard dogs are trained to offer security and protection to people and property. Guard dogs are naturally territorial and are trained to exhibit that territorial trait when it is necessary. Guard dogs are trained to either be in attack mode when their owners are away or at ease mode when the owner is back.

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The kind of dog you want will depend to a large extent on your purpose for it so, choose with care.

Even if you send your dog away to training school, you will eventually have to be present at a point during the training to learn all about the commands your dog is responding to. Contrary to what some people think, a dog cannot be trained in your absence because you need to be the one to issue out the commands. Your dog needs to get used to your tone of voice before it responds to any command that you issue.

Photo source:mydogs4you.blogspot.com

A Goldendoodle dog is a cross between a Poodle and a Golden retriever and the result is a friendly, easily trained dog that is great for families (some say)– especially those families whose members have allergies. Mini Goldendoodles are a cross between a Golden retriever and a Miniature Poodle. They are smaller than the average Goldendoodle, hence the “mini” attached to their name. The breed was established in the 1990’s, soon after Labradoodles became popular. Goldendoodles are considered a mixed breed.

There is a wide range of miniature dog breeds for you to choose from, if you like very small dogs. Miniature or small dog breeds include the Miniature Pinscher, Pug, Toy Poodle, Chihuahua and Spaniel. There are many other small dog breeds available as well. There are many benefits to owning toy dog breeds, and here are a few.

Pitbulls are amazing family dogs. Have you seen a full-grown Pitbull? You probably will agree with me that this stocky, muscular, and big dog will make your spine chill. I will not blame you, you probably have seen stories in television, newspaper and probably have heard of banning of Pitbulls in the United States. However, if you want a friend, a very loyal friend who will protect you and your family, you need a Pitbull.

Dog breeds statistics

I was looking over the 2007 AKC Registration Figures to see what the world thought about different dog breeds. Here are the statistics from 2007 according to dog registrations.

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Here are a few of the top 10 dog breeds listed under the city.

Atlanta’s Top Dog Breeds

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Golden Retriever
3. German Shepherd
4. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
5. Boxer
6. Yorkshire Terrier
7. Shih Tzu
8. Miniature Schnauzer
9. Doberman Pinscher
10. Dachshund

Baltimore’s Top Dog Breeds

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Golden Retriever
3. Boxer
4. Yorkshire Terrier
5. German Shepherd
6. Pug
7. Poodle
8. Dachshund
9. Rottweiler
10. Bulldog

Tampa’s Top Dog Breeds

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier (tied with #1)
3. Golden Retriever
4. German Shepherd
5. Boxer
6. Dachshund
7. Poodle (tied with #6)
8. Bulldog
9. Rottweiler
10. Chihuahua

Washington Dc’s Top Dog Breeds

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. Poodle
4. Shih Tzu
5. Golden Retriever
6. Boxer
7. German Shepherd
8. Boston Terrier
9. Pug
10. Rottweiler

Chicago’s Top Dog Breeds

1. Labrador Retriever
2. German Shepherd
3. Yorkshire Terrier
4. Boxer
5. Golden Retriever
6. Rottweiler
7. Doberman Pinscher
8. Bulldog
9. Pug
10. Vizsla

Dallas’ Top Dog Breeds

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. Golden Retriever
4. German Shepherd
5. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
6. Boxer
7. Dachshund
8. Miniature Schnauzer
9. Rottweiler (tied w/#8)
10. Pomeranian

As you can see the Lab was #1, the Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, and Boxer appeared on every top 10 list. I had no clue that Golden Retrievers were so popular and was very shocked to see many of the top 10 dog breeds to be large dogs!

Photo source:.thepetscentral.com

Doberman a good dog breed for families

The Doberman is a breed of its own. The breed was created by Louis Doberman who was looking for a great watch dog to protect him in his rounds of the bad areas where he lived. The Doberman was noted in 1908 by the American Kennel Club and soon became the second most popular breed in the United States.

The average life expectancy of the Doberman is fourteen years. Though the dog is moody it is expected to be one of the loyalist and most protective breeds. The Doberman has short hair and is generally black and tan in color.

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Doberman common diseases

We all understand that you want to protect your pets from common diseases and illness so here are a few health issues related to Dobermans:

• Addison’s disease: This disease is a defect which lowers the production of the dog’s adrenal hormones.
• Thyroid Dysfunction: Can work too much or not enough depending on the hormones.
• Chronic Active Hepatitis: This disease is a biological dysfunction that causes the dog’s body to not take out the copper it consumes. The disease effects the liver and can be fatal.
• Hypoyhyroidism: Caused by the thyroid gland not producing enough hormone to adequately maintain the dog’s metabolism.
• Hip Dysplasia: Is an inherited disease of the hip joint. Any Doberman purchased from a breeder should be offspring of parents that are OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) certified with a excellent, good or fair rating.

Common conditions in the Doberman breeds:

• Mange
• Dandruff
• Allergies

The Doberman is a good pet for families if it is raised from a puppy around kids and adults. The Doberman however lives best around adults. It has a mildly moody temperament but is a great protector of your home.

Every Doberman I have ever met has been fairly laid back and not hyper. I know know homes to own them that had children as well as homes with adults only.

The Doberman is a truly enjoyable dog to have as a pet. There has been fewer reports of Doberman attacks then other small breeds.

Photo source:maniadedog.blogspot.com