Does the Chow make a good Guard Dog ?

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One of the factors that is so important when deciding to train a protection dog is the type of breed. The Chow Chow is a breed that was originated in Mongolia around 4,000 years ago. A guard dog needs to be somewhat large and well built, these characteristics help for the dog to be strong and powerful when needed. The Chow Chow does not exactly possess these traits, they are a medium sized breed that is not very strong. The males have a weight that is usually between 50 and 70 pounds. Chow Chows can become extremely lazy if they are not exercised regularly, so it is very important that they are taken for daily walks. This breed would thrive best if they had a lot of land to run on, it would give them their needed enrichment.

Another important factor when considering a breed for the possibility of becoming a personal protection dog, is their health. Unfortunately, Chow Chows are prone to having many different health problems. These problems include things like hip dysplasia, hot spots, stomach cancer and ear infections. All of these will be enhanced if the dog comes from a backyard breeder or untrustworthy pet store. That is why when buying a Chow Chow you should ask for the health history of both parents. Although it is impossible to predict the lifespan of a dog, this breed usually lives from 10 to 15 years old.

Lastly, another important factor is the dogs temperament and nerve strength. Chow Chows are typically well mannered and are a great family dog. They need to be socialized and trained starting from when they are puppies. It is important for the dog owner to start a set of strict rules for this breed starting from the very beginning. Chow Chows are usually a dominant breed and it is crucial for you a owner to stay in the alpha position and not let your dog dominate you. But this breed in no way possesses the overall nerve strength needed to become a good guard dog. In today's world the the only dogs that have strong enough nerves to do functional protection work is the German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, Belgian Malinois.

Female Dogs Coming into Season

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The decision to have a female dog spayed is one that is often made under the assumption that caring for a dog in heat is too much work. For those who've decided to keep their female German Shepherd intact, knowledge and preparation are all it takes to keep things under control without it being hassle, and for those who've decided to take on the task of breeding, knowing your dog's cycle becomes key to success.

The first step is being able to predict when your dog is going to be in season. Unlike some animals who enter mating season at specific times of the year, female dogs can be in heat at any time during the year. However, this does not mean that your dog is ready to mate for the entire year. In dogs, mating follows a regular cycle. It varies between breeds, and between individual dogs, but the majority of female German Shepherds will be in season approximately once every six months. Take note of the end of your dog's last cycle, and you can predict that it will happen again another six months from that time.

You will know that your dog is in season because she will begin menstruating. Bleeding typically lasts about a week, and is followed by about three weeks during which your dog is fertile. Unless you plan on breeding, it is very important that you keep your dog separated from male dogs during this time. Nearing the end of this time, your dog may require more attention and petting than usual.

Whether you're planning for German Shepherd Puppies, or have kept your female German Shepherd intact for other reasons, knowing your dog's cycle and knowing what to do when your dog is in season are extremely important.

Frozen Semen

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Bloodlines are very important when breeding dogs; they've been refined and specialized over hundreds of years to create the best breeds for a wide variety of purposes. Even today, canine bloodlines are still being refined through selective breeding of only the best dogs. It stands to reason then, that when a breeder happens across a dog that performs exceptionally well, they will want that dog to sire or dam as many litters or possible. Of course, a dog can only be bred so many times in a lifetime, but there are methods that allow one to store a dog's genetic material for future generations.

For male dogs, semen can be collected and stored for long periods of time through freezing. When first collected, semen will only stay effective in storage for between 3-5 hours. It is important to remember that sperm are essentially alive, and tend to have very short life-spans. However, immediately chilling the semen allows it to remain in storage for a much longer time; when chilled, it can often last as long as 2 days. When properly frozen, the storage-time increases exponentially. Essentially, frozen sperm can last indefinitely, but its quality and effectiveness may still degrade very slowly over time. It is important to note that properly storing frozen semen at the appropriate temperature is a difficult task. It requires temperatures lower than -300°F, and should only be attempted by a professional with proper safety equipment.

Unfortunately, the amount of time a sperm cell spends in storage is inversely proportional to the amount of time it will survive once warmed to body temperature and introduced to the uterus. Fresh semen will typically survive in an intrauterine environment for as many as 5 days, while chilled semen may only survive between 2-3 days. Frozen semen has the shortest intrauterine life-span, and may only last about a day. The chances of pregnancy occurring are directly related to the amount of time that sperm are able to survive within the uterus. This means that fresh semen has the highest chance of successfully leading to pregnancy, while frozen semen has the lowest.

Whether you're breeding German Shepherd Puppies, Belgian Malinois puppies, or Dutch Shepherd puppies, you should keep in mind that fresh semen and natural conception are always the preferred methods. Due to the costs of having semen stored at the appropriate temperature, as well as reduced effectiveness after being frozen, freezing and storing semen should only be done when absolutely necessary.

Taking Home Your New Puppy

So you have finally made the decision to bring home a new addition to your family? Before bringing home your first German Shepherd puppy there are many things that you need to think about and plan for. Getting a dog can be such a rewarding experience but it is important to realize that it also comes with years of responsibility. Make sure that you are ready for years of daily care, exercise, vet visits and the ability to give unconditional love to this animal.

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Bringing home a new puppy can be both an exciting and new situation, remember that a lot is going to change. It is important to make sure that everyone in your family is completely comfortable with the idea of bringing in a new puppy to your home. Create rules for yourself and your family on how to care for your German Shepherd puppy. Also you will need to prepare your house and yard so that they are set up as a safe environment. Gradually begin purchasing supplies that you will need for your puppy, such as food, and a crate prior to the day you plan on bringing it home.

Be sure to find a crate that is suitable for your puppy's growth as it will spend a lot of time in the crate during the crate training process. It is always good to have everything set up before the arrival of your puppy, to ensure that it has what it needs. Please remember that this puppy will be leaving its mother and everyday environment and entering into a strange one, which could make it very stressful for them. The more prepared you are and the more structured of a transition you create, will make it that much easier for your German Shepherd Puppy to adapt to its new home.

Skin Problem With Your Dog

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Most of the time when a owner sees their dog itching or scratching themselves, they they do not think anything of it. However, excessive itching, scratching, or even chewing at the skin could be a response to a skin problem your protection dog has. To know how good of health your dog is in, it is helpful to look at there skin. This is because a dog's skin is one of the many indications of your dogs health. All dog breeds and ages can be susceptible to skin problems; however, dogs young, elderly and dogs living in unhealthy environments may be more at risk. There are many different types of problems that your protection dog could get such as, hot spots, dry and flaky skin, acral lick granuloma, color or texture changes, shedding an hair loss, impetigo, allergic dermatitis, and yeast infections. These can occur due to a range of different causes, and it is important to find out what has. If you cannot, of course contact your veterinarian. One cause of many skin problems is seasonal allergies, the scratching could be a result common allergens like pollen, weeds, and dust. Some dogs may also develop food allergies to some ingredients found in dog food or fillers and colorings. Grooming products as well have been known to irritate dog's skin, it is important to make sure that your are using products made specifically for dogs. Metabolic or hormones can cause a change in the skin color, consistency, and thickness. Overall there are many causes of skin problems and it is best to investigate on them before it worsens.

Skin problems are a serious matter and can affect your dogs health very much if not cared for properly. Symptoms of skin problems are usually easy to identify, if you pay attention to your protection dog's behavior. Scratching, licking, chewing, scabs, redness, scaly patches on face and paws, rashes, swellings and rubbing their face on furniture or carpet are all symptoms of a dog with skin problems. It is not always the most simple thing to realize that your protection dog could have have a skin problem. This means it is important to contact your vet as soon as you see any abnormalities on the skin or witness excessive scratching, licking or biting. The vet will usually diagnose your animal by a skin biopsy, testing for ringworm, microscopic exam of the skin and hair, allergy testing, and blood tests. If your protection dog is diagnosed with a skin problem the ways it will be treated are by shampoos and ointments to treat parasites, a balance diet, dietary supplements, antibiotics, or injections to decrease the dog's reactions to allergens. Please note that there are ways to prevent your Protection Dogs from ever getting a skin problem, like using hypoallergenic shampoos, brushing your dog regularly, giving them a healthy diet, cleaning your home regularly and mostly providing them with a calm living environment.

Rules For Schutzhund

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With the membership "For the German Shepherd Dog" the United Schutzhund Clubs of America is an organization that is dedicated to protecting and preserving the German Shepherd's working heritage through Schutzhund training. Schutzhund, which is translated as "Protection Dogs" originated in Germany so that breeder could evaluate and pick the highest quality dog for their breeding programs. In Germany still to this day a German Shepherd dog can not be bred without a Schutzhund title. The three titles are Sch H I (novice), Sch H II (intermediate), and Sch H III (master level). Schutzhund still continues to function as a breed test but it has grown into an extremely popular sport, especially in North America. The purpose of Schutzhund is to demonstrate the dog's intelligence, utility, endurance, ability to scent, courage, trainability and many others as well. The three parts of Schutzhund are obedience, tracking and protection, the whole sport has many rules and regulations that must be followed.

The following are just some rules and regulations of the Schutzhund sport. To begin with, the minimum age requirements for entry into the different degree levels are as follows, SchH A -18 month, SchH 1 -18 months, Sch1-1 11 -19 months, Schl-l 111 - 20 months, FH -16 months, and B -12 months. When only one judge is present a maximum of 10 (12 in the USA) dogs may be entered in the trial. If the amount of entries exceeds this, then the trial must be extended another day or more judges must be brought in. Only dogs that are in good health can be in a trial, also the dog must pass a test of impartiality and sureness. Another rule is that a dogs are only allowed to be in one Schutzhund degree for each trial. Also if a dog has been awarded a degree, a four week (two weeks in USA) waiting period must occur before the dog can be put into the next higher degree. When it comes to the event the participant must follow the instructions of the judge as well as the trial committees', without any disagreement. Also the handler must show the dog in a sporty and faultless manner, poor sportsmanship will lead to expulsion from the trial. Regarding score and ratings, the highest maximum score in each phase is 100 points, therefore the highest score for all three phases is 300 points. Again, these are just a few of the Schutzhund rules and regulations.

French Ring Long Jump Exercise

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French Ring is one of several European ring sports, with the others being Belgian Ring Sport and Mondio Ring Sport. There are small differences between each, but these differences are far outweighed by the many similarities. French Ring sport, in particular, was developed in France after the popularity of sporting dogs took off in the neighbouring country of Belgium during the early 1900's.

Like other dog sports, French Ring awards titles to dogs who perform well in exercises. These exercises are divided into three categories: obedience, agility and protection. Between dog sports, many of the basic obedience and agility tests remain the same, although each incorporates its own methods and rules for how each exercise should be performed.

Jumping exercises are one example of how the same basic concept can be performed quite differently from one sport to another. In French Ring, the agility exercises take on an element of classic track and field. For the long jump exercise, a metal "key" is placed on the ground, which the dog is expected to jump over. This key consists of hurdle-like bars that are knocked out of place should the dog fail to jump the entire distance (a minimum of 3 meters), thus allowing judges to measure the length of the jump. While it is commendable to test the distance-jumping ability of a dog, there is a big difference between jumping over a metal platform in sport, and jumping over a gap or ditch in the real world. On the other hand, KNPV makes more of an attempt to mimic real world scenarios through their hedge jump and ditch jump exercises.

Of course, you should always remember that any dog sport will never be nothing more than sport. Training German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois for real protection work requires real Protection Dogs training.