Tag: Breed Spotlight

Spot Light on a Breed: Boxer

Weight - Male: 60-70 lbs, Female 53-65 lbs
Height - Male 22-25 inches, Female 21-24 inches
Coat - smooth, short haired coat, average shedder
Color - fawn, black, white, brindle

Appearance
The Boxer's body is compact and powerful and the shiny, close-fitting coat comes in fawn, brindle, white and various shades of red, with white markings. They have a boxy head and their tail is usually docked. Ear cropping is optional (Docking and cropping is illegal in some countries, we aren't big fans of it).

Temperment
Boxers are a bright, energetic and playful breed and tend to be very good with children. They are active dogs and require adequate exercise to prevent boredom-associated behaviors such as chewing or digging. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being "headstrong," which can be related to inappropriate obedience training.

Health
Some major concerns are cardiomyopathy and other heart problems, sub-aortic stenosis, and thyroid problems. Boxers are also prone to cancer and skin allergies.  Sometimes prone to epilepsy and hip dysplasia. From age eight on they are more likely to get tumors than other breeds.  These dogs may drool and snore. May have excessive flatulence. Some white Boxers are prone to deafness.

Famous Owners of Boxer's
Humphrey Bogart
Billie Holiday
Nat King Cole
Benji Madden
Rocky Marciano
Charlton Heston
Pablo Picasso
Sylvester Stallone
Carroll O’Connor
Robin Williams
George Clooney
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Flea (musician)
Craig Phillips
Kimmie Meissner
Brandon Prophet
Greg Biffle

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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