Dog Breeds

Smooth Coat Jack Russell Terrier

Height: 10" - 15"

Weight: 14 - 18 lbs

Coat: Smooth, Broken, Rough

Color: Predominately white with black or tan markings

Appearance: Jack Russell Terriers (or JRT) are short, with either smooth, broken, or rough double coats of predominately white hair. JRT's have a moderately sized head with a moderate muzzle and black nose. Their eyes are almond shape and darkly colored. Small ears in a v-shape sit on the forward part of the head. The tail of a JRT is set high on their body and is typically docked approximately five inches.

Temperament: Jack Russell Terriers are high energy dogs that are very well suited to being sport dogs. Obedience classes are recommended as JRTs can be stubborn at times and aggressive towards other animals or humans if not properly socialized. Despite their small size, JRTs are not recommended for small apartments or condominiums as they can be hyper and require a large amount of stimulation. While not overly destructive, chew treats such as bully sticks are recommended to keep their attention. JRTs are very much a large dog in a small body, a trait that can lead to trouble with larger dogs. Owners should be aware of this and watch them carefully around larger animals.

Health: Jack Russell Terriers typically live for between 12 and 19 years. Health concerns for the breed include: hereditary cataracts, general joint problems, cerebellar ataxia, primary lens luxation, and congenital deafness, amongst other diseases.

Famous Dogs and Owners

Eddie - played by Moose and Enzo on the show Frazier

Skip - focus of both book and movie My Dog Skip

Milo - Jim Carrey's dog in The Mask

A Tan and Black German Shepherd

Weight: 66 - 88 lbs (male); 49 - 71 lbs (female)

Height: 24- 26 in (male); 22 - 24 in (female)

Coat: Double-coat in either medium (most common) or long lengths

Color: Tan/Black and Red/Black are most common. Also come in: All-Black, Sable, All-White, Liver, and Blue. Liver and Blue considered serious faults, and All-White grounds for instant disqualification in some standards.

Appearance

German Shepherds are a large-breed dog with a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle and a black nose. Their jaws are strong and possess a scissor-like bite that serves them well as police dogs or for working their way through dog treats like bully sticks. Their medium-sized brown eyes are lively, intelligent, and self-assured. The ears are large and stand erect with the openings facing to the front. Their tail is bushy for the entire length.

The outer coat of the German Shepherd is shed all year long. The medium coat is the dominant and generally accepted version, with the long coat being recessive, rare, and considered a fault by the American Kennel Club.

Temperament

A highly active dog, German Shepherds are typically described as self-assured in breed standards. Possessing a willingness to learn, Shepherds are often trained as work dogs. Shepherds have a loyal nature and bond with people they know. That being said, they can become over-protective of their family and territory and will require correct socialization to curb this.

Shepherds do have a reputation for aggression, and have been banned in some areas because of this. In the US, German Shepherds are responsible for more random bitings than any other breed, but experts are quick to point out this number is partially due to the higher proportion of German Shepherds in the country than other breeds.

Shepherds are highly obedient, leading to their extensive use as work dogs in law enforcement and military use, but with their strong wills, they do require a firm hand when being trained.

Health

The most common ailments for German Shepherds are hip and elbow dysplasia, which can lead to arthritis later in life. Also, due to the large and open design of their ears, they are also prone to ear infections. Like all large dogs, they are also prone to bloat, a stomach condition. The average lifespan of a German Shepherd is 7 - 10 years, which is normal for dogs of their size.

Famous German Shepherds

Strongheart - Early canine film star

Rin Tin Tin - Canine film star

Sam the Dog - portrayed by Abbey and Kona in the 2007 film I Am Legend

Spotlight on Portuguese Water Dog

Weight – 40-60lbs (male); 35-50lbs (female)
Height – 20"-23" (male); 17"-21" (female)
Coat – Curly and Wavy types
Color – Black, Black & White, Brown, Silver Tipped, White (most rare)

Appearance
Closely related to the Standard Poodle, the Portuguese Water Dog is a water dog that is highly intelligent with a usually curly coat and webbed toes for swimming. More robustly built than their Poodle cousins, PWDs can come in a variety of colors and have a single layer coat that doesn't shed, leading to them being favored by those with dog allergies. Their hair must be groomed regularly, with the favored cuts being the Retriever style and Lion style of trimming the hair. Like humans, some PWDs can go grey later in life, a process sometimes referred to as "blueing."

Temperament
Portuguese Water Dogs make excellent companions. They are loving, independent, and intelligent, leading to them being easily trained both in obedience and other skills. They are friendly, and are known to hop or dance when greeting people, a trait that some owners try to train away, but others find endearing and tolerate. They are known for "counter surfing," a habit of standing upright at counters and tables, especially when food is present. PWDs do require extensive attention and exercise and can become destructive if they become bored, so it is recommended that they have a ready supply of treats, toys, and chews like bully sticks.

Health
Like all purebred dogs, PWDs are vulnerable to certain genetic defects. Some defects can include: hip dysplasia, cataracts, PRA, distichiasis, GM1 Storage Disease, and Juvenile Dilated Cardio-Myopathy. Careful checking of the breeding of the PWD's parents can help to reduce the presence of these defects in the dog, and given the limited gene pool of the breed (due to the lack of prevalence of the breed), most of these defects are recessive in the breed.

Famous Portuguese Water Dogs and PWD Owners
Senator Ted Kennedy – Sunny and Splash
President Barack Obama – announced that his family has chosen to adopt a PWD, in part because of their hypoallergenic nature and his daughter Malia's allergy to dogs.

A reddish-brown Dachshund

Weight: 16 – 28 lbs (11 lbs for a miniature)

Height: 10 – 15 inches

Coat: Smooth, Long Haired, Wire (least common)

Color: Red is dominant, but also black, faun, brown, chocolate, tan. Can be tri-color or dapple as well as solid color.

Appearance

Dachshunds are long bodied (which is why they are often called "weiner" dogs) and muscular. Their hair can be smooth, long, or wire. The wire hair Dachshund is the least common, and is often mistaken for another breed. Their eye color is typically dark, though lighter Dachshunds can have lighter eyes, and dapple colored Dachshunds are known to have different colored eyes (heterochromia).

Temperament

Dachshunds are playful, fun dogs with a propensity for chasing small birds, small animals, and balls with great ferocity. They are quite clever and rarely shy (considered a poor trait if they are). While not shy, they can be wary of unfamiliar people and may bark or growl at strangers until they get to know them. Fairly energetic, it is not unknown for some to be sedate, but they can become destructive if bored, so keeping them stocked with chew toys like toys and bully sticks is a good idea.

They may or may not be good with small children. Some will avoid children, whereas others will be fiercely loyal to them as family members. However, due to their back problems, small children should be taught to be gentle with them, and you may want to avoid having small children around them

Health

Dachshunds are prone to spinal problems, especially Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD) due to their long spinal column and short rib cage. They can also be prone to Patellar Luxation, a condition where they knee doesn't move along the joint correctly. Dapples are prone to blindness and deafness.

Famous Dachshunds and Dachshund Owners

Andy Warhol (artist) – Archie and Amos

Kevin Smith (film maker) – Shecky

Pablo Picasso (painter) – Lump

Odie – Garfield comics and movies

Slinky – Toy Story and Toy Story 2

Schatzi – That 70's Show

A Tri-Color Beagle

Weight: 18-35 lbs

Height: 13-16 inches

Coat: Smooth coat

Color: tri-color (most common), two color (tan and white), various others

Appearance

Beagles are a mid-sized breed with a generally lean body, a broad chest, and eyes that appear to be pleading much like a bloodhounds. Eye color is typically brown or hazel. Strong jaw and neck makes them excellent at tug games or at working over bully sticks or similar chews.

Temperament

Beagles are even tempered and are a great family dog, as they get along great with children and other dogs. They are playful and while they can be standoffish towards strangers at first, they can easily be won over. For this reason, Beagles are typically very poor guard dogs, though their tendency to howl or bark does make them good watch dogs.

Beagles are pack animals and can be prone to separation anxiety. Intelligent, they have been bred for the long chase and can thus be very single-minded and determined, which can make them hard to train, though they do respond to training with dog treats. Not demanding with regard to exercise Read more