Tag: Dog Breeds

It's Thursday and that means Best Bully Stick's Breed Spotlight. This week we continue with our six part series of the newly registered AKC breeds.  So far we've look at the Cesky Terrier, the American English Coonhound and the Xoloitzcuintli. This week we look at the short and strong Entlebucher Mountain Dog.

History & Background: The Entlebucher Mountain Dog is a part of larger breed of dogs called the Sennenhund breed.  Coming from a Swiss background, this dog is used to move cows from pasture to pasture. As the name suggest, this breed originated in Entlebuch.

Height: 17 -21 inches (male), 16-20 inches (female)

Weight: 45-65 pounds

Coat: The Entlebucher Mountain Dog has a double coat. The topcoat is short, close fitting, hard and shiny.  The undercoat tends to be thick with varying colors.

Color: This breed is tri-colored with the basic color being black.  Tan markings are usually above the eyes, on cheeks, muzzle, sides of the chest, under the tail and on the legs. White accents usually appear on the forehead, bridge of the nose, on the feet and tail.

Appearance: The Entlebucher is medium-sized, compact, and well muscled.  This dog has small triangular ears and small brown eyes.

Temperament: Because this dog is a working dog, this breed should be socialized early in life with other dogs and people.  The Entlebucher is neither shy nor vicious, is very active and requires lots of exercise. This dog is very loyal to its owners, highly intelligent and makes a great companion.

Health: Inbreeding was common for the Entlebucher because of a small foundation stock number, which led to health problems such as hip dysplasia.  Retinal Atrophy can be present in this breed as well.

Product Suggestions: The Entlebucher is going to love our Elk Antlers.  They are extremely durable chews that this tenacious breed will spend hours on.  West Paw Design Dog Toys offers nearly indestructible toys that even the Entlebucher will have a hard time getting though.

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Would your dog like to be in the spotlight?

If you would like your dog spotlighted or want to recommend a dog breed you love for our next Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed entry please send us an email with the subject “Spotlight My Dog”. If you are submitting your very own dog don’t forget to send over a photogenic pic and a short 2-3 sentence bio about your canine buddy.

This week Best Bully Sticks continues it's breed spotlight with a truly unique dog.  The Xoloitzcuintli, called the "show-low" (Xolo) is the proper name for what many call a Mexican Hairless.  Although this dog is one of the six breeds just recognized by the AKC, this dog is one of the world's oldest and rarest breeds.

History & Background: The Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-eats-queen-tlee) is an ancient, natural breed from Mexico.  It is sometimes called the "First Dog of the Americas" and from archaeological evidence accompanied man on his first migrations across the Bering Straits.  The name is derived from the Aztec Indian god Xolotl and the Aztec word for dog, Itzcuintli.  These dogs had a reputation as healers and were put to use in Mexican and Central American villages to treat ailments like arthritis, asthma, toothaches and insomnia.  Xolos were also believed to guard the home from evil spirits and intruders.

Height: 10-14 inches (Toy), 14-18 inches (Miniature), 18-23 inches (Standard)

Weight: 10-50 pounds depending on breed size.

Coat: Obviously, the Xoloitzcuintli being a "Mexican Hairless" correctly characterizes the state of the dogs appearance.  However, some Xolos have a short amount of short course hair on the top of their head, feet and tip of the tail.  The Xolo's skin is tough, protective, smooth and close fitting.  In a Xolo litter, there are hairless and coated puppies, yet the lack of hair is the more common trait.

Color: This coloring of this breed is most commonly uniformly black or bluish-gray. However, red, liver and bronze colors exist as well.  Splashes or spots of white are common as well.

Appearance: The Xolo has a graceful outline because of this breed's strength and agility.  The body proportions are rectangular and muscular.  This dog has dark, almond shaped eyes and upright bat-like ears.

Temperament: This breed is very calm, attentive and highly intelligent.  They are very loyal dogs and have a guard dog type temperament. In other words, they won't back down from a fight, but if trained well are well-behaved and very affectionate.

Health: Xolos originated in tropical climates and are not suited for cold outdoor temperatures.  Because of their hairless nature, this dog can have skin problems if bathed too often.  Light grooming is recommended.  A Xolo should have soft and hardy skin. These dogs anywhere from 15 to 20 years.

Product Suggestions: The Xolo would most likely enjoy any of BBS's lamb products that range from ears to lungs, to filets and bones.  They're healthy, all-natural and dogs think they are tasty!  Because this breed is very intelligent, BBS carries toys that will truly demonstrate this dog's genius.  The Nina Ottosson Dog Toys challenge your dog to find the treat hidden within the toy.  These toys will keep your pooch entertained for hours.

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Would your dog like to be in the spotlight?

If you would like your dog spotlighted or want to recommend a dog breed you love for our next Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed entry please send us an email with the subject “Spotlight My Dog”. If you are submitting your very own dog don’t forget to send over a photogenic pic and a short 2-3 sentence bio about your canine buddy.

Golden Retriever

Height: 22-24 inches (male); 20-22 inches (female)

Weight: 65-75 lbs (male); 60-70 lbs (female)

Coat: straight or wavy

Color: reddish; can range from nearly white to dark mahogany

Appearance

Golden Retrievers are shorter than Labradors, with deep chests and a dense coat of waterproof hair that can be either straight or wavy. Coloring ranges from nearly white to a dark red mahogany color, though the extremes of both ranges aren't typically acceptable in competitions.

Temperament

Often referred to as friendly, kindly, and confident, Golden Retrievers make excellent family dogs. Great around groups of people they know as well as strangers, their trusting nature makes them poor guard dogs. They are eager to please, are usually calm, and are very intelligent.

As they grow older, Golden Retrievers will become more active and fun-loving. They love to work, but will work to collapse, so they must be monitored to ensure they don't overwork themselves. Golden Retrievers make excellent service dogs, as well as Search & Rescue, hunting dogs, and illegal drug detection dogs.

Health

The average lifespan of a Golden Retriever is 10 to 12 years. They do well in small areas as they don't require as much exercise as one would expect for a dog their size. Due to careless breeding, they are prone to certain disorders. These include: hip dysplasia, cancer, cataracts, glaucoma, heart problems, allergies, general joint problems.

Famous Golden Retrievers

Buddy - Air Bud movie series

Comet - family dog in Full House

Duke - from the Bush's Baked Beans commercials

Liberty - dog of former President Gerald Ford

Luke, Layla, and Gracie - Oprah Winfrey's dogs

Speedy - from The Drew Carey Show

If you would like to recommend a dog breed for our next Best Bully Sticks spotlight on a breed please send us an email!