Hachiko from Japan!

Everyone knows that dogs are our best friends. Today I will tell you a very touching  story. This is a story about a Japanese dog Hachiko – one of the most faithful dogs in history.

The owner of Hachiko was professor at the University of Tokyo. Every day dog walked with his owner to the station and waited all day until he comes back. One day the professor died at work. Hachiko didn’t understand this and every day waited for his owner.

People tried to take the dog to his house, but he always ran away and returned to the station. Hachiko waited faithfully  10 years for his owner. He died because he had heart disease. He became a true legend. People came to see a faithful dog  and was very sorry for him. At the station erected a bronze statue of Hachiko .

A few decades later people created the film about Hachiko. The writers created the book and painters painted images with the image of famous dog. I always choked when I recall the story. This story shows big devotion and love. In my opinion, dogs are much more accurate than humans, so  please 

let's take care of our pets!

When a dog wags his tail ...

I asked some friends why do dogs wag their tail? They all said that dogs enjoy, are joyful etc. Of course my friends are right sometimes, but the researchers found that this isn’t always true.

Sometimes dog wags his tail, because he experienced two contradictory feelings. This reflex from childhood. Small puppy usually sucks breast milk with other dogs. He feels then hunger and discomfort. He moves his tail in a characteristic way to the right and left  to separate from the other puppies and has more space.

When adult  dog wags his tail  he can wants to come us but he’s afraid. Let me give a simple example. My dog wags his tail often, when I'm eating dinner. He wants to get the food, but he is anxious and afraid that I’ll not give him foods. He feels then conflicting feelings.

Tail wagging can mean frustration, impatience and fear. Every owner should it know. We must to be sympathetic to our pets and understand what they needs.

The first dog in cosmos!

Do you remember the first man in space? Today I want to write about a dog that flew into space long before Yuri Gagarin. I hope you have heard about the space dog Laika.

Laika was a small dog. She weighed about 6kg and lived in Moscow. She didn’t  have an owner, and she grew up without a warm home, in Moscow. The researchers found that low weight and resistance to harsh conditions are ideal features for spacecraft passenger. Laika was launched in 1957 in Soviet satellite- Sputnik 2.

 

Laika wasn’t the first creature in space, but was the first to orbit the earth. United States and the Soviet Union had already experimented. In 1946 people sent fruit flies into space. Laika became the most popular dog in the world. This is due to the fact that she was in space when USA and Soviet Union began to conquer space. She was very often used for propaganda purposes.

Laika, unfortunately, didn’t survive. She died as a result of high temperatures and high stress. Probably died several hours after the start. Soviet propaganda proved that sie lived a couple of days.What do you think about Laika? Can I call this dog a tragic hero? I look forward to your questions and comments.

Snuppy- The first cloned dog

We all remember the famous event, when scientists cloned a sheep and named her Dolly. Today I would like to show you the first cloned dog.

 In 2005, scientists at Seoul National University cloned an Afghan hound puppy and received two clones. Unfortunately, one of them died of pneumonia quickly. The second puppy survived and was named Snuppy. His name came from the Seoul National University puppy.

Cloning was performed by cell nuclei, so the same way as in the case of Dolly the sheep. For unfertilized female egg cells, scientists introduced nuclei of skin cells. Researchers introduced developing embryos into the uterus of surrogate mothers. One of these females gave birth to Snuppy.

Snupy was not as popular as Dolly the sheep even though Snuppy definitely is a very famous dog. What do you think about cloning dogs? Does this make any sense? I look forward to your opinions.

The most expensive dog in the world!

How much can cost a dog? It turns out that a lot. The most expensive dog in the world comes from Tibet and this is the Tibetan Mastiff. It’s a huge shepherd dog weighing 130 kilograms up! Despite his size he’s very friendly.

Recently, a small Tibetan Mastiff has been sold for 1.5 million dollars. These are great money! Why such a price? A few years ago you could buy a dog of this breed for about 200 dollars!
Tibetan Mastiff dogs are rare, but it doesn’t explain the issue of 1.5 million dollars. This price is an effect of new trends and fashion. Since when in China is fashion for all items from Tibet, the price of these dogs has increased considerably.

Another cause of the dog's  price is belief of Asians. They believe that the Mastiff dog is holy and blesses owner’s house and bring prosperity! Currently in China Mastiff are very valuable, they represent high social status.

The name of the most expensive dog in the world is Big Splash. This is the perfect healthy specimen with good genes. The current owner spent a fortune, but he knows the trends and popularity of these dogs. I think that he did a good deal. When Big Splash will have offspring, each puppy will also cost a lot of money. The investment will pay for itself.

What do you think about the price of the dog? Is the dog should become a symbol of luxury? I’m waiting for your opinions !

St. Bernard from Switzerland!

Story:
The origins of St. Bernard breed can be found in the eighteenth century in Switzerland. Then established a shelter created by the monks for travelers and pilgrims. At the shelter keepers were big, mountain dogs. Dogs were already (in the eighteenth century) also used to find lost travelers and to help people.
For many years selection of the appearance led to the current type of Bernard breed. The first documentation of culture comes from 1867 from Switzerland. In the nineteenth century were created the pedigree book and the first club Bernardino. Currently, these dogs are very popular and  they are a national race of Switzerland.

Appearance and characteristics:
These are very big, but very nice dogs. They come in long-haired and shorthaired varieties. They have a very muscular and strong physique. The basic color is white with brown patches.
St. Bernards are very friendly and loyal dogs. These are nice, always willing to play and tied down to the owner. Bernards love people and are very helpful. Depends on the temperament of the individual dog they can be calm or very vigilant. Sometimes, Bernards are aggressive against other dogs. Unfortunately, they often have conjunctivitis, drool and shed. Despite this, they have a lot more advantages than disadvantages.

Features:
St Bernards are great lifesavers. Very often  they help to save the people in the mountains. They are resistant, large, have a good sense of smell, which enables them to find people who, for example, were buried by an avalanche. St Bernards are also domestic dogs. These dogs are great keepers, a man at home with St. Bernard can sleep peacefully at night because it always defend him. It is interesting that St. Bernard was also famous from TV series – “Beethoven “.

Notes:
You can keep them in the house but due to the size it should be ensured that the dogs can move a lot (long walks, garden, etc.) Training is necessary, because they are very powerful dogs and tend to attack other dogs. As every dog , he requires a lot of warmth, friendship and love. They want to feel needed and don’t like to be alone so let's take care of them.

 

Maltese - the little prince!

Story:
Maltese comes from the island of Melita. Later, they were known in Egypt, Greece and Rome. Several centuries later in France it was the most popular dog for the rich ladies. Today it
s a home and decorative dog. It’s very popular all over the world.
Features:
Maltese are small dogs. They are characterized by long white hair. This dogs are very delicate and sensitive, the increase is from about 20 to 25cm. Maltese is intelligent and alert dog. They have a lot of energy and they love human contact, so you must give them a lot of attention and time. These dogs aren’t aggressive, they are very friendly with children and other dogs. They are very obedient and quickly learn new things .. Maltese don’t like loneliness, they aren’t too noisy. These dogs love to play with a man. They need a lot of stroking and sensitivity. On average, they live about 14 years. Maltese weight from 3 to 4kg.
Care:
Maltese requires care. Dog grooming and bathing is necessary. Maltese must eat well, the owner should give him the right amount of vitamins to keep him healthy. You shouldn’t give the Maltese chocolate. In case of any doubt should go to the vet. He’ll always give us expert advice and explain how to take care of the dog. It’s important that the dog need  lots of running and walking to be in good shape.

Purchase and training:
Maltese prices are quite high. When we are buying a dog  it should be at least seven weeks after he was born, he should eat and walk alone. When you buy a dog from the kennel receive legal document that confirms dog vaccination and birth certificate.
At a time when our house will have a puppy, we need to give him time so that he could get used to, not only with people, but with their new surroundings. Maltese dogs are very intelligent and very eager to learn. Best place to start learning is about 5-6 months of age.
Advices:
Maltese is a very happy dog. For every house Maltese introduces a lot of fun and smile. Unfortunately, these dogs hate loneliness and shouldn’t remain long alone. Remember that you must learn children i that the dog isn’t a toy, because Maltese is small delicate and easily can hurt.

Siberian Husky and his hypnotizing eyes!

Story:
This breed comes from Siberia. Originally they were sled dogs  and were used to pull sleds. Some teams used in that region had 20 dogs. This team can cover a distance of 100-150km and pulling 500-700kg transport. Later, the Russians used the Husky dogs to mail or sprinkling the roads to carry people.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, these dogs were brought to Canada. In 1910 -  team consists of Siberian Huskies broke the record for the race teams and traveled 650km distance in 74 hours! Since that time the dogs became more and more popular!

The nature and characteristics of the breed:
They are very gentle and friendly dogs. They are very intelligent, persistent, sensitive and sociable. They are very curious and energetic. They want to see and know everything. Female Siberian Husky are very submissive and loyal to their owners. Males are, unfortunately, less obedient. Siberian Huskies are very hardworking and always willing to help man. They like to compete and they can enrich its owner when the team win races. In the case of dangerous situations Husky will stand in defense of its owner.
Dogs are relatively large. Very often it happens that they have one eye blue and the other brown – it’s a characteristic of the breed. The color coat may be from black to snow white. They have a muscular chest and muscular back and very strong jaws.

Education and Care:
Huskies are hunters by nature. It’s possible that they will dig holes and destroy the flowers in the garden of your neighbor, chew slippers, etc. Despite this, dogs are susceptible to dressage. They learn very quickly and willingly. I always choose the one of the owners, who will be much more obedient than others. This is usually the person who feeds them and doesn’t care.
Husky rarely get sick, they are by nature very resistant. They need a lot of traffic, but don’t require constant care as some small dogs. They don’t require daily brushing and bathing - it all depends on the nature and requirements of dog’s owners. For example, my friend's Siberian Husky loves to bathe  and often he jumps into the tub.

Cocker Spaniel - perfect friend!

A Brief History:

Cocker Spaniel is one of the oldest breeds in the world. Some sources say that similar dogs were already known in Carthage and in the seventh and eighth centuries were popular in Spain. In the eighteenth century spaniels were divided into 3 groups: Springer Spaniel, Water Spaniel and the Cocker Spaniel. For the eighteenth century their physical characteristics weren’t important. They were used to catch quails or pheasants.

In 1902 was founded the first club of Cocker Spaniel breed. Cocker spaniels are now known all over the world. These dogs are very nice and friendly. They are usually home dogs.

The nature of the breed:

They are very busy and happy dogs. They have a very gentle disposition.  They have predisposition to work in water. They have hunting skills and are great for hunting. These medium-sized dogs are friendly and they have different colors.

Cocker spaniels are very devoted to their owners. They have a lot of energy, love to spend time outdoors and are very jealous. They have specific fur, so we should comb and bathe they often. They bark a lot, are very intelligent and love children.  They protect our house from pests, catch flies, spiders and other insects. The correct height of the dog is about 40cm, the correct weight is about 40kg.

Training:

These dogs are very intelligent and very quickly learn. We should start to teach them from the sixth month of their life. We should be firm, but we couldn’t shout. It is worth to buy this dog a place to sleep and teach him to sleep in his lair. Cocker Spaniels are medium-sized dogs and can be a nuisance at night.

Cocker spaniels are gentle dogs and like to play with others. They may be bitten or attacked by another dog. We have to be careful because it's very jealous dog and want to always be the most important. Education is a personal matter of the dog owner, so I’ll not try to impose anything.

Summary:

Cocker spaniels are ideal for apartments in the block. They love children, so they are an ideal friend for families! They require a lot of care and maintenance and don’t like to stay alone at home. Let's take care of these dogs and they’ll give back  - devotion and friendship !

Labrador Retriever - excellent swimmer and lifeguard!

Story:

Even in the nineteenth Labradors weren’t recognized as a separate breed. These dogs were different, however, united by common origin: Newfoundland. In the nineteenth century these dogs were used to help fishermen.

It isn’t  known how Labradors come in Newfoundland. It’s possible that Portuguese or English brought them in the sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century they began to be brought into the UK. Very soon they became darlings of the English. Often they were used for waterfowl hunting. The first  Labrador club was set up in 1916. This year the Labrador was registered as a separate breed dogs.

With time, Labradors are becoming increasingly popular. After II World War witnessed the establishment in America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. We can meet the dogs of this breed all around the world today. Their owners aren’t only ordinary citizens, but also often the leaders of countries.

Features:

They are very gentle, sociable and happy dogs. They have an excellent sense of smell, like physical activity, have great fetch and love water. It’s very important that Labradors are great guides for the blind  and are able to detect drugs and explosives or even are excellent swimmers and lifeguards.

Labradors are very sociable, they almost never attack other dogs. They are black or yellow. Proper weight is around 57-60kg. Proper height is 30-45cm. Labradors have specific tails. They are very thick, muscular and are an extension of the line of the back. Note, however that these are fairly large dogs. These dogs have a lot of energy. We need to provide them with physical activity. If you don’t do it – they can chew shoes, bark and go crazy when they are alone at home.

Education:

These dogs are very intelligent and learn quickly. However, consistency is needed. Each owner must devote much attention to the puppy but be also firm. The greatest punishment for the Labradors  is owner’s dissatisfaction. Labradors are very sensitive to punishment and scream. The greatest reward is the satisfaction of the Labrador owner! It’s much easier to raise a Labrador by love and praise than cry!

Labradors are truly the greatest friends of a man. We have to be wary of other dogs. Labradors love to play with any dog, but not everyone is friendly and our pet can be bitten!

When we tell our dog new commands, tricks they should focus only on them. Treats and verbal praise is the best reward. When you devote a lot of time the dog isn’t going to need any trainers!

Summary and remarks:

Labradors are perfect for active people. They need a lot of love and attention. They are  very attached to the owners and they aren’t aggressive. Labradors can live with children because they are very friendly. These are large dogs so I would recommend it especially for  people who have large house or flat.

Miniature Poodle

Origin: Poodles were the dogs the rulers and the poor people. They were especially popular in the nineteenth century. They enjoyed great popularity in the period of interwar. Poodle experienced a renaissance in the 60's and 70's.

The dog was formerly used for hunting, especially waterfowl, now it has mostly representative functions. There are poodles, which are well suited to work with the sick and disabled people. The dog are great for both: elderly and for young people.

Behaviour, character, education:

They are very sociable dogs and easily adapt to different conditions and lifestyle. They are implicitly tied to the owner, so often they feel in accordance with mood of their master. They are emotional, constantly demands the caresses and tender words. They don’t tolerate the absence of family members. Poodles are extremely intelligent, with unusual abilities to learn. They have strength for long years and always want to play.

Coat and colour:

Coat dense, woolly, curly fleece forming the comb uniform throughout the body. There is a rope robe, today forgotten, known only from descriptions and old engravings; requires proper twisting, which makes full of clothes and hang in long dreadlocks.

Colour: up to three of the original natural colors - white, black and brown, added silver, and later apricot (apricot). The color must be uniform, no white patches or spots!

Health care:

 Curly and thick poodle hair requires care. It‘s necessary to brush it at least once a week. We have to  bathe poodle usually once a month. It’s quite elegant dog, so he needs a haircut every 6 weeks. If you select the right type of hairstyle, keeping clothes poodle is very troublesome. What's important - no line!

Health: long-lived race, aging well, often more than 15 years of age. It’s rarely visited by a veterinarian. It’s particularly important as with all breeds to take care of oral hygiene to prevent the build-up of tartar and odor from the mouth.