Tracking Canine for Finding Wounded Deer

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Around 15 million U.S residents take part in hunting every year. Each hunter has the goal of killing their game with as little error as possible, so that they can easily find where the game has landed. Regardless of how skilled of a hunter you may be, everyone will eventually make a bad shot. When the less than perfect shot is made, the deer will become wounded and most likely wander off. This makes it difficult to recover the animal, especially if the hunter can not visually see the path or blood trail that it took. The best thing that you can have when you find yourself in a situation like this is a trained tracking dog German Wirehaired Daschshunds started off as the predominate breed for tracking dogs, but other breeds like the Labrador, German Shepherd, Begian Malinois and Basset Hound have been just as successful. It is a matter of personal preference as to which dog breed you chose to use a a tracking dog. The most important thing is finding a dog with a great sense of smell, intelligence, and a desire to please their owner.

A well trained tracking dog can recover the wounded game hours, or even days after the shot has been fired. Once you have given up on the trail you have been following and have decided to bring in a tracking dog, make sure to mark the last blood sign first. It is important not to start your dog at the place where you lost the blood trail, mostly because this spot will be covered with human scent in your attempt to find the next spot of blood. So even though it may be time consuming, it is always a good thing to start your dog yards off the visible blood trail and possible even at the very beginning. This will also help your dog to become familiar with this individual deer scent. A well trained tracking dog must learn how to follow day old lines of wounded deer and ignore the fresh scent of deer that may have recently passed the trail. Remember that the dog could get lost because of the blood and deer scent that the you have on your shoes. If the dog is having trouble slowly lead the dog on a 50 or 100 yard radius, carefully watching them because the dog may find a new drop of blood that has not been spotted before. Continue searching until the dog finds the deer, and make sure that you give the tracking dog a lot of praise. Please understand that success is not always guaranteed, but your chances of finding the wounded game will definitely be enhanced by having a tracking dog.

Do realize that almost all dog breeds have some natural hunting and tracking ability but we find that the Labrador, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois and Basset Hound have the greatest sense of smell, intelligence, and desire to please their owners.

The Importance of Regular Hip and Elbow XRay for your Dog

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Hip and elbow dysplasia can be found in a variety of animals, including humans. However, the disorder is commonly found in, and associated with canines. Larger and especially active dogs are particularly at risk due to the excess stress put on their limbs and joints.

Dysplasia is an inherited disorder, and diagnosis can be tricky. While some sever cases are recognizable in a dog's infancy, many cases go unnoticed until well into the dog's adult years. Dysplasia is the most common cause for arthritis in canines. The disorder often worsens as the dog ages and can be both painful and debilitating.

Work as a Protection Dogs often involves rigorous exercise. As a result, flaws in the hip joints affecting balance and posture often become apparent far sooner than in less active dogs. Because dysplasia is inherited, dogs from poorly maintained German Shepherd bloodline are often at high risk. Working line German Shepherd breeders need to pay special attention to the hips and elbows of their dogs in order to ensure that they are not introducing dysplacia into their bloodlines.

While your Personal Protection Dogs may not show symptoms of hip or elbow dysplasia for the majority of its adult life, there is still a chance that minor deformations in the joints will worsen over the years with standard wear-and-tear caused by the exercise your dog needs. Regular x-rays of your dog's joints can help you and your vet monitor your Executive Protection Dogs for signs of dysplasia in the joints. For working dogs who may be getting on in their years, signs of hip and elbow dysplasia may be an indicator that it's time to retire your canine to a less active lifestyle.

All about Guard Dog Anal Glands

When taking on the responsibility of owning a Personal Protection dogs, it is important to be educated about their health, especially the different types of health problems they could develop. Dogs have two small glands located on both sides of their rectal opening, they are called anal glands. Each gland is filled with a small amount of sickly smelling brown liquid. Each time your guard dog urinates or defecates, a small amount of pressure is applied to the anal glands, and a tiny amount of the fluid is released. Each dog has their own unique scent that is produced from the anal gland. If you have ever wondered why dogs tend to sniff each others rears, it is because they are smelling the other dog's scent. It may seem strange, but this is how your protection dog will learn to identify other dogs. This behavior is as normal to dogs as the behavior of humans shaking hands when meeting someone new.

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Although it is not common, it is possible for anal glands to form a infection. This happens when the anal gland liquid is not released sufficiently, and bacteria begins to build up. When this infection is left untreated it can turn into an abscess. This abscess can then rupture the skin, which will obviously lead to more complications. It is often believed that dog anal gland problems can be linked back to the quality of pet food that it is given. Cereal fillers are often used in inexpensive dog food brands, and they tend to make the stool soft. If the stool is not able to press firmly on the anal glands, it will not provide enough pressure to release the fluid. That is why you should take the necessary actions to buy a higher quality dog food, that will produce a firmer stool. This will not only help to prevent anal glad problems, but it will more than like be a better food for your Executive Protection Dogs.

If your personal protection dog, for example your German Shepherd does however develop a anal gland infection, there are many signs that you can look for. This infection will make your guard dog very uncomfortable and being able to see the abnormal signs will be simple. One sign is that your dog will be scooting or dragging his rear across the floor. Another sign is if your guard dog keeps licking or chewing near his rectum. Also if your dog's stool becomes soft and mushy. If you notice a foul or fishy smell from your dog's rear, this is also a sign that they may have a anal problem. When you notice one or more of these signs, it is a good idea to take the Guard Dogs in for a check up with their vet. If the infection has not progressed too severely, then the vet will most likely manually express the anal glands. This type of procedure is a job that is better to be left to professionals.

Cloudy Eyes in Your Dogs

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As a dog owner, making sure that your Personal Protection Dogs is healthy should be one of your main priorities and responsibilities. One health problem that may occur for you dog is a cloudy eye or otherwise known as keratitis. Keratitis is the inflammation of the cornea, causing the cornea to become cloudy. The keratitis infection occurs when a bacterial infection complicates the corneal ulcer. The bacteria that most commonly infects the eye is Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas. When this happens the eyelids become swollen and matted. Some dogs are more likely to develop keratitis for example, dogs with short noses and prominent eyes and breeds such as the boxer. This infection covers the iris and pupil and limits light to enter the interior of the eye. The inflammation can also be accompanied by loss of the first layer of the cornea or loss of deep layers. At first, the eye might not be noticeable which could lead to trouble diagnosing your dog's keratitis. That is why it is very important to be alert and take your protection dog to the vet if there are any signs.

There are many signs that you can look for in your dog to diagnose keratitis. One sign is if your dog's eye looks red and painful. Another is if the eyes are watery or teary and if the animal squints. Also if they are sensitive to the light or rub at their eyes. The eye might remain closed and discharge could become present on or around the eye and eyelids. And one of the common signs is the eye becoming cloudy. If any of these signs are noticeable, take your protection dog to the vet as soon as possible. Once there the keratitis will be diagnosed through a complete eye examination. The vet will inspect the eye and cornea carefully and a test for the presence of corneal erosions by placing dye into the eye will be done. If keratitis is is diagnosed then certain steps will be taken to treat the infection. The treatment ultimately depends on the cause and severity of the corneal disease. Dogs with deep or rapidly progressive corneal damage may require hospitalization for surgery or frequent medical treatment. If it is not severe then surgery is not needed and antibiotic will be applied. Like any other health problems, be alert for signs of abnormalities in your Protection Dogs, and be prepared to take the necessary steps to keep them healthy.

What is Line breeding ?

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Line breeding is the mating of two individuals that share one or more common ancestor. There are many different degrees of this type of breeding, such as close line breeding. Close line breeding is often used to describe matches like a uncle and niece, two half siblings, or a grandfather and granddaughter. The purpose of this type of breeding is to ultimately make the breed stronger, such as the German Shepherd, this is done by using one ancestor as a "pivot point". This means that each generation is planned to utilize the genetic benefits of that one German Shepherd ancestor. The breeder will keep combining the dogs in ways to eliminate weaknesses through the generations. The goal for the breeder is to maximize and build on the strengths of that German Shepherd ancestor. Many species line breed naturally, however, many do not because of the limited number of available mates.

Along with other types of breeding there are both advantages and disadvantages to line breeding. An advantage is that the breeder mostly knows what they are going to achieve as a result of this type of breeding. Line breeding is the most common form of breeding used by hobby breeders. This is because it allows them to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the dogs they are working with. For example, it allows they to know what types of physical and temperament traits will be present in each litter. Overall it gives the breeder the opportunity to set desired characteristics. There are a few disadvantages that this type of breeding has however. One being that there is a chance that some characteristics could be set in your line that you do not want. These unwanted traits are then usually very hard to lose. Also, because of the fact that the breeder is working within a small gene pool, they risk the loss of hybrid vigor. Hybrid vigor is when a offspring is born with stronger, healthier characteristics. For example a German Shepherdcould be born with a much stronger build and temperament than its parents. Without question line breeding can be both beneficial and risky, but like always it is the breeder's decision on what chances they are willing to take when breeding dogs.

Airedale Terrier As a Security Dog

The Airedale Terrier is one of the largest terrier type breeds, and the largest among those originating in Britain. However, Airedales bred for dog shows are often much smaller. The Airedale has a medium-length double-layered coat with a soft undercoat underneath a coarse, wiry topcoat. The coat is most often black around the back and sides of the dog, with tan around the head, legs and tail. The tail is sometimes docked shortly after birth, although this practise has been made illegal in Britain.

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The Airedale Terrier was originally bred in the late 1800's, and is most likely a cross between smaller Terrier breeds and a larger hunting dog known as the Otterhound. Like the Otterhound before it, the Airedale became popular among hunters. However, unlike Terriers before them who were often accompanied by a pack of Bloodhounds, and expected to enter the dens and burrows of prey after the Bloodhounds had sniffed them out, Airedales became more of a jack-of-all trades breed capable of both sniffing out and taking down larger animals. As well as being efficient hunting dogs, the size and temperament of the breed suited it well to work as a guard dog on British farms. During the the First World War, Airedales were used to deliver messages during battle. Later, they were also given the task of finding and retrieving wounded soldiers from the front lines.

After seeing the impressive work of Belgian Malinois police Protection Dogs in Belgium, Airedales were also adopted into British police forces. However, they were later replaced by the German Shepherd as the most common breed used for police work. During the 1930s, American breeders in Ohio developed what is known as the Oorang strain of Airedale Terrier. Bred to be larger and sturdier than previous Airedales, an attempt was made to market the Oorang as "the greatest utility dog in the history of the world." The kennel closed and breeding of Oorangs ended in 1970 upon the death of its creator, Walter Lingo. However, some kennels still claim to produce original Oorang Airedale Terriers today.

Today, the Airedale Terrier is still an impressive breed. However, they have mostly been replaced by other breeds for work as Guard Dogs or police dogs, and their role as a hunting breed is now largely obsolete.

The KNPV Bicycle Exercise

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Starting in the early 1900's Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging (K.N.P.V.), translated as "Royal Dutch Police Dog Sport", was created to test the breeding potential of working dogs to ensure their bloodlines remained strong. This program has provided trained working dogs to police, military, and rescue organizations. Certificates that are offered in this organization are among the most coveted and respected in world. Dogs that undergo this training are demanded of great character, physical strength agility and stamina. There are many different exercises and training programs that the dogs go through in K.N.P.V.. Points are given in each part of the K.N.P.V., each part of it consists of different exercises with over 50 exercises in all. An example of one of these training exercises is the bicycle exercise.

The K.N.P.V. bicycle exercise is an essential exercise that evaluates the dog on how it will handle an assailant fleeing on a bicycle. The exercise reviews the dog in five different areas; waiting & obeying command, way of pursuit, way of stopping, out, non biting and guarding. Each area starts out with a decoy (playing an assailant) fleeing on a bicycle, each area of this exercise has a max score of 5 points. The handler will give the dog a command while the decoy is fleeing on the bicycle and in one of the areas of the exercise the dog must bite the decoy in an attempt to stop him. Early in K.N.P.V. this part of the exercises the dogs were trained to bite the decoy on an arm or upper body but after some time they had to change the bite location to the legs because too many decoys were being injured falling off of the bicycles. The total points scored in the complete K.N.P.V. bicycle exercise is 30 points out of the complete 435 points for a perfect KNPV score.

Even though K.N.P.V. is a sporting title and not all of the exercises relate to a Personal Protection Dogs there are a lot of exercises that do relate such as the bicycle exercise. If you were robbed or injured by an assailant and he tried fleeing on a bicycle your Executive Protection Dogs could possibly attack or stop the assailant.