Did you know - West Highland White Terrier

According to the official history, the breed has its origins in a hunting accident. When out with Scottish Terrier (the breed ancestors), Col, Edward Malcolm of Poltalloch accidentally killed one of his dogs, mistaking it for a fox. The dog were subsequently bred white to prevent this mistake from happening again.

 

Dog of the week - West Highland White Terrier

 Small, active, game and hardy with a mischievous look in their eye, Westies have a healthy dose of self-esteem. Alert, cheerful, brave and independent, but affecionate all the same, these little white terriers are the most admired of the Scoottish terriers.

origin: United Kingdom
other name: Westie
morphology: lupoid
boys & girls: approximately 28 cm
grooming: weekly

Elegance in motion

Their elegant, powerful gait is free, straight and easy. The forelegs move freely from the shoulder, while the hind movement is powerful and close. Stifle and hocks are well flexed and the hocks are drawn under the body to provide drive.

 

Solidly built

Westies are solidly built little dogs. They have deep chests, straight backs and powerful forequarters on muscular legs, expressing magnificent strength and activity.

Head:
Covered with thick hair, carried at a right angle or less to axis if the neck.
Ears:
Small, straight back, broad and strong loins, deep chest.
Tail:
13 to 15 cm long, covered with harsh hair, no featherning, as straight as possible, carried proudly, but not cheerfully or over the back, not curved.
Colour:
White.
Coat:
Topcoat of harsh hair measuring about 5 cm with no curling. Fur-like undercoat of short, soft, close hair.

 

 

American vs European German Shepherds

Let's see if there is so big difference between American and European German Shepherd...

European German Shepherd Dogs

Regulation: 
European German Shepherds are under regulation of German Shepherd Club of Germany. Ogranisation gives  to each registered dog the seal of approval.

Physical features:
European GSD have bigger heads, straighter line on their hind legs, shorter and wider backline.

Traits:
They are better suited as working dogs than their American counterparts. They make better guard dogs. The majority of police dogs are from European lines. German Shepherd Club has worked hard at preserving the working temperament of GSD for many years.

American German Shepherd Dogs 

Regulation:
American German Shepherd Dogs are under regulations of American Kennel Club but they don't have as many regulations as their European brothers  have.

Physical characteristics:
They are bigger than European GSD and they have more refined head, their hind legs bend more. Torso is more angled from front to back.

Traits:
American GSD are know for  being elegant, having graceful walk.

Now you know how to see the difference between this dogs.
And what about White German Shepherd? Have you ever seen?
Follow next post I will write about them ;)

Did you know? - Jack Russell Terrier

Jack and Parson are now two distinct breeds, but that is a relatively recent development. The two breed standards are fundamentally the same, apart from sizes and proportions. The big brother is the square-shaped Parson Russell Terrier, while the Jack Russell Terrier is shorter and a little more rectangular.

Jack Russell Terrier was also playing in one great movie which was The Mask. Do you still remember him? He was acting there really professionally.

Breed of the week - Jack Russell Terrier

These lively, alert and active dogs have a keen and intelligent expression. Bold and self-assured at work, jack Russell Terriers have a friendly character, making them excellent companions.

origin: United Kingdom

other name: Jack Russell

morphology : Lupoid
boys and girls: 25 -30 cm, 5-6 kg
grooming: monthly

Jack Russell was the driving force behind the development of the dog that bears his name. Working with a litter of Fox Terriers, he aimed to produce a dog that could run with the hounds before going underground to flush out the fox or vermin. With this in mind, Jack Russell Terriers are robust, active and agile working dogs with a lithe, medium-length body and a big personality. Their lovely movements are matched by a keen expression.

Head: Flat, moderately broad skull, gradually narrowing towards the eyes and tapering to a broad muzzle.
Ears: Button or dropped, good texture, very mobile.
Body: Rectangular.

Tail: May droop at rest, erect in motion.
Colour: Predominantly white with black or tan markings.
Coat: May be smooth, rough or wiry.

Adapting the dog's food (chapter 2)

Nutrition and ageing dogs

Good care is essential if a dog it to remain in good health throughout its life. Regular physical activity will ensure that the dog maintains its muscle mass and controls its weight. The condition of the teeth and the coat should also be mentioned. In terms of energy requirement, intake should be adapted to the animal's activity level, which depends on its age and any health concerns. An arthritic dog will move around less and so expend less energy, putting it at risk of unhealthy weight gain. A low energy diet is only imperative if the dog is overweight. It is very important not to simply assume that reduced enthusiasm for physical exercise is a normal consequence of ageing. The dog must be examined to check whether  it is suffering from a chronic disease. Regular weighing and medical check-ups are the best way to ensure that ageing-related problems are detected at the earliest opportunity.

Ageing is also accompanied by the modification of digestive capacities and particular nutritional requirements, so food for ageing dogs should have the following characteristics:
- higher vitamin C, E content.
- high quality protein
- higher proportion of the trace elements iron, copper, zinc and manganese
- higher quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids
-slightly higher fibre content to act as "ballast"

As the age dogs suffer from teeth problems, that's why shape, size and hardness of their kibbles must be tailored for their jaw.

A dog that reaches to three quarters of its expected lifespan is regarded as ageing dog. The signs of ageing will start to become more and more apparent and therefore easier to recognise from 12 years for a small dog, 10 years for a medium-sized dog and 8 years foe a large dog. Dietary measures to help combat the signs of ageing need to be intensified when dogs enter this life stage. This will help stay healthy for as long as possible. The following factors are especially important:
- helping to combat cell ageing
- improving immunity and increasing resistance to infection
- combating development of cataracts, degenerative diseases, tumours
- alleviating arthritis

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Adapting food to the dog's age

 Growing puppies, adults in the maintenance phase and ageing dogs all have different nutritional requirements. As a consequence, a diet needs to be adapted in every stage of life to ensure the dog remains as healthy as possible.

Whatever the breed, a puppy's requirements in terms of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins are much greater than those of an adult dog. It needs energy and nutrients to maintain its body, but also to grow and build it. Its digestive functions are different to an adult's, too. It is much less able to digest starch, for example. The puppy's teeth (also first teeth) are an important factor that needs to be taken into account when choosing the size, form, hardness of kibbles. The formulation of puppy food must take all of these factors into account. To cover these hefty energy requirements the food must have a high-energy content while concentrations of all other nutrients will also be higher than normal in a specially formulated growth food.