Dog Breed Info and Pics with Dr Caroline

Keeshond Dog Breed Info and Pics

2009-08-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Keeshond is a stunning little dog – that looks best with regular grooming. They are famous for their ‘spectacles’ and thick coat. They are friendly and make a great and loyal pet.

The breed originated in the Netherlands and is best known for its role guarding the barges that travelled along Holland’s canals. The name arose from the Leader of the Patriots in Netherland’s dog, called “Kees”, in the late 1700’s. “Kees” was the emblem of the Dutch Party.

Maintenance wise, these dogs need regular grooming to keep them looking their best. They have a “double coat” and so you need to part the hair and groom deeply to get at the undercoat when you are grooming. It is important to note that this breed does not like to be left alone for long periods and can be quite vocal and noisy if left in the garden alone.

The average lifespan is around 11 years, but they can live for up to 16 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

Keeshonds usually grow to about 40-46 cm in height and weigh between 16 and 25 kgs in peak condition.

Border Collie Dog Breed Info and Pics

2009-08-25T13:34:00.001-07:00

The Border Collie is a breed very close to my own heart. I actually own 2 of these dogs – one black and white and one red and white. They are lovely in nature and highly intelligent dogs. They are capable of running up to 80kms in one day as sheepdogs, so make sure you are planning to give your dog lots of exercise if you choose this breed.

Along with exercise, these dogs need lots of mental stimulation and are happiest if they can spend time around people or with another dog. They love playing ball, doing agility, swimming and can be trained to respond to up to 500 commands, so make sure you put aside time every day to work with your dog if you would like it to be superbly trained.

This breed enjoys having another dog in the family for company and they are a naturally gregarious breed.

The average lifespan is around 11-12 years, but they can live for up to 14 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

They usually grow to about 50-55cms in height and weigh an average of 25-30kgs in peak condition.

-Dr Caroline

Bloodhound Dog Breed Info and Pics

2009-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Bloodhound is an exceptionally loyal breed of dog and is probably best for a single owner household. They are constant companions and make great pets. The breed has the best nose of all the hounds. They have been reported to successfully track scents that are over 100 hours old and were of course originally bred as hunting and tracking dogs. They are still used as tracking dogs and are often used in the search for missing persons.

The breed originated from the cross of the St Hubert hound and the Talbot hound, and was first taken to England by William the Conqueror. The name pertains to the purity of the blood in the line of dogs, rather than a “thirst for blood”.

The average lifespan is around 8 years, but they can live for up to 10 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

They usually grow to about 58-70cms in height and weigh an average of 40-55kgs in peak condition.

-Dr Caroline

Smooth Collie Dog Breed: Info and Pics

2009-08-22T13:06:00.001-07:00

Smooth Collies are a short-haired version of its ‘Lassie Dog’ or 'rough coated' cousin. They are a lot less maintenance than their long-haired counterparts. They are a great choice for people living in the city, but they need regular exercise and love to run off the lead sometimes.

Lassie dogs originated on the border of Scotland and Northern England. The name is thought to orignate from the word "coally" as in the early days, these dogs were predominantly black with small amounts of white and brown.

These dogs are incredibly intelligent and friendly. They thrive on human company, so really suit families that will be able to spend a lot of time with them. They are also great with other dogs, but can sometimes spend time "rounding up" other dogs because of their natural herding instinct.

The average lifespan for lassie dogs is around 12-14 years and they will usually grow to weigh between 18kg (40lbs) and 30kg (66lbs).

Lowchen Dog Breed: Info and Pics

2009-08-21T10:08:00.001-07:00

A great family pet, the Lowchen is a happy and affectionate little dog. They are very suited to city life – not needing too much walking and being quite happy living an apartment lifestyle.
The breed is traditionally clipped with the ‘lion cut’ and was a huge favourite among the French aristocracy in the 18th Century, when it was known as ‘petit chien lion’ – which translates to ‘little dog lion’.

The average lifespan is around 14 years, but they can live for up to 16 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

They usually grow to about 25-33 cm in height and weigh between 5 and 7.5 kgs in peak condition.

Lhasa Apso Dog Breed Info and Pics

2009-08-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

Aside from being an absolute stunner, the Lhasa Apso is a very intelligent dog with incredibly good hearing – making it a great little watch dog. It was bred in Monastaries in Tibet for over 2000 years and is used to having much contact with humans.

They can sometimes be dominant or aggressive towards other dogs, so care needs to be taken if you already have one of these little dogs and are thinking of getting a second dog.

These dogs have a long average lifespan (up to 18 years for healthy dogs) and will grow to an average weight of around 6-7kgs (13-15lbs) and about 25-30cms in height.

They have a beautiful 'double thickness' coat, which requires quite a lot of maintenance to keep it looking fab and many owners prefer to clip the coat for ease of grooming (which still looks very cute!) They will shed much of their winter coat coming into spring, so will need more grooming around that time of the year (if you don't want dog hair all over the house!).

All in all, these dogs are fantastic with children and family, they can be a bit stand-offish with strangers and are highly intelligent, so will respond well to training.

A great choice for someone wanting a small dog that they can spend a lot of time with.

Scottish Terrier Dog Breed: Info and Pics

2009-08-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves this breed! The Scottish Terrier is full of personality and is an exceptionally loyal and clever little breed. However, they have been known to get a little grumpy in their old age. I have a friend who used to have a Scotty Dog called ‘Yorick’, it was an absolutely delightful little thing. This breed is generally low maintenance, but needs regular, good-quality exercise and mental stimulation. They look great with a tartan ribbon in their hair for special occasions. They will need to be clipped if you want to maintain the traditional appearance.

The breed was originally bred to hunt wildlife in Scotland such as badgers, foxes, weasels and rats. In developing the breed, farmers wanted a dog that was courageous and strong in a hardy little package. The breed still displays these characteristics today. Along with the Cairn Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier, the Scotty is a descendent of the original Scotch Terrier. They can come in 2 colour varieties; white and black, with the latter being by far the more common.

In terms of small children, these dogs are tolerant of most things, but in an ideal world, a Scotty is a one-owner dog and they will display unwavering loyalty to their master. They can be very stand-offish and uninterested in strangers. A Scotty is best suited to an owner that can spend hours each day with it and is happy to have a little dog watching, interacting with and protecting them all day long.

The average lifespan is around 12 years, but they can live for up to 14 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

They usually grow to about 25-28 cm in height and weigh between 8 and 12 kgs in peak condition.

-Dr Caroline

Whippet Dog Breed: Info and Pics

2009-08-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Whippet Dog Breed is a very lean little breed that is famous for being the fastest canine for its weight. They are very loyal and intent on pleasing their owners and are very intelligent, and highly active. In my experience, their desire to please their owner can sometimes turn into a bit of an obsession – so they really need lots of exercise and mental stimulation to make sure they are happy.

It is likely that they evolved from the Greyhound, as a breed to hunt rabbits, hares and other small game. They were originally known as the “poor man’s greyhound”, but have since become a highly regarded breed in their own right. They also have a heritage which includes racing, similar to their Greyhound cousin.

In terms of temperament, these dogs are alert, intelligent, keen to please and absolutely love spending time with their master. Their intelligence and working dog heritage makes them easy to train, as long as their owner is firm and consistent. Many owners believe that males are more obedient, outgoing and affectionate.

The average lifespan is around 13 years, but they can live for up to 15 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

They usually grow to about 45-50 cm in height and weigh between 18 and 23 kgs in peak condition.

Yorkshire Terrier Dog Breed: Information and Pictures

2009-08-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

The Yorkshire Terrier has a beautiful mantle of long silky steel-blue hair, whilst a golden mane falls from its head and face. It’s a great family pet, but if kept traditionally, requires a lot of grooming. If you want a dog that spends a lot of time outdoors, this perhaps is not a great choice, as the silky hair can matt easily. For a similar natured dog more suited to the outdoors, I would suggest an Australian Terrier or a Silky Terrier .

Yorkshire Terrier Pics

The breed originated around England’s Yorkshire region in the mid 1800’s and were initially used as ratting dogs. There are 2 distinct lineages of terriers, the bull fighting terriers (eg the Bull Terrier, and the vermin hunting terriers. Other historically vermin -hunting terriers include the Airedale Terrier, the Australian Terrier, the Bedlington Terrier, the Cairn Terrier, the Kerry Blue Terrier, the Scottish Terrier, the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Wire Coated Fox Terrier, and the West Highland White Terrier.

In terms of temperament, these dogs are courageous, alert, intelligent and absolutely love spending time with other dogs, especially other terriers.

The average lifespan is around 14 years, but they can live for up to 17 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

They usually grow to about 18-20 cm in height and weigh between 4 and 6 kgs in peak condition.

-Dr Caroline (BSc BVMS)

Boxer Dogs: Breed Information and Pictures

2009-08-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have never heard a bad word said about boxer dogs, they are such friendly canine companions! They are always happy and love being around families. If you have room for a medium to large dog, this is a fantastic choice for a family pet.

They are gorgeous as puppies and are easy to train. They are always boisterous and will need regular exercise, but are super dogs.

The breed is predisposed to a number of medical conditions, so if you are thinking of buying a purebred boxer, it’s really important to check the medical history of both parents and grandparents if possible. If there is a history of disease, it may be wise to go to a different breeder.

- Dr Caroline (BSc BVMS)

Doberman Pinscher Dog Breed: Information and Pictures

2009-08-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Doberman Pinscher is a well known guard dog breed and when trained to fulfill this role can be very vicious dogs. I have met many of these dogs that are pets of young couples and they can just as equally be trained to be lovely, loyal, loving pets.

I know a number of people with Dobermans as pets and they all say that once you have had one of these dogs you will never go back to any other breed.

I would not recommend getting one of these dogs if you are not confident with your dog training abilities – a badly trained small dog is still manageable, but these dogs are really too big and strong to not be trained properly. Apart from the fact that they eat a lot of food and require regular exercise, they are generally low maintenance.

The breed originated in Germany, when the night watchman in the city of Apoldo wanted to breed a fearless watchdog. His name was Herr Louis Doberman and he selectively bred a number of breeds such as the Great Dane, the Greyhound, the German Shepherd and the Weimaraner to come up with the breed that we today know affectionately as the “dobie”.

The average lifespan is around 12 years, but they can live for up to 14 years with the right diet, genetics and lifestyle.

They usually grow to about 65-69 cm in height and weigh between 30 and 40 kgs in peak condition.