History
There are conflicting opinions regarding the origin of the Greyhound, from the Celts who believed that they came from Greece, to the Romans who believed that they came from Gaul (in Western Europe), with many varying opinions inbetween.
There are ancient pictures which date back to 6000BC in the city of Catal-Huyuk in present-day Turkey, depicting dogs very similar in type to Greyhounds. Pictures from 4000BC found on a funery vase in Iran also depict Greyhound-like dogs which suggest that these dogs were held in the highest regard. Ancient artists tended only to depict images of religious or social importance.
Appearance
Greyhounds have an extremley elegant and graceful appearance; slender but also strong. They are propelled by extremely strong hindquarters; when they run it appears effortless and truly beautiful.
It is a pleasure to watch these dogs race, with their long neck and face set on their long, slender frame.
Greyhounds come in a massive variety of colours; Black, red, white, blue, fawn, fallow, brindle or any of these colours broken up with white
Temperament
Despite what most people think, these dogs can be real couch potatoes! Although they are capable of short bursts of speeds of upto 64km/hr, they are not blessed with great amounts of endurance, so love to get home after walkies and sleep it off!
They are great family pets; kind and gentle with their families and very affectionate. They may be a little aloof with strangers, but never nasty.
However, their history must be remembered; they were bred to course and race and therefore have tendencies to chase and catch small things; this can include smaller dogs, cats and other small pets. They must be very carefully socialised with smaller dogs and extreme care should be taken around cats.
Grooming
With their short coats, they will only require a very minimal amount of time spent on grooming.
Exercise
Two 20 minute walks a day is ample for these dogs – they particularly enjoy getting home to relax after their walkies!! Real care should be taken with allowing these dogs off lead – unless they are EXTREMELY well trained, they are liable to run off and chase any small thing that moves – and at 64km/h, there is no chance you’ll be able to catch them!!
Health Problems
Greyhounds can be prone to injury when expelling their pent up energy! They don’t really suffer from any genetic diseases; they can be a little sensitive to drugs although vets should be aware of this if treating them.

Fleas.
Dog fleas are different to those which infest humans and cats. When a flea bites, it injects saliva to stop the blood clotting whilst it sucks it up. The saliva contains chemicals which often cause an allergic reaction in the dog.
The signs are :-
Bites which look like small red pimples.
Black, gritty material in the coat, and areas of inflammation on the animals back.
Scratching.

What is the treatment ?
Spring-clean the house and treat the dog’s favorite places with a suitable insecticidal spray. Flea tablets or collars are a good extra precaution, and spray badly affected animals frequently with insecticide during the summer months. (the flea season)
Ticks
The common tick seen on dogs is the sheep tick. this has a large abdomen that stretches as it fills with blood. It hangs on to the dog’s hair and sticks it’s mouth parts through the skin to suck blood.Ticks are usually found on the underside of the dog, under the forelegs and on the head.
What is the treatment ?
Try to remove every tick when you see it. It is important to extract the head, otherwise an abscess may form. If the head is left in, warm compresses help draw out the infection, combined with antibacterial washes and creams.
Removing a tick.
A good method is to get the tick’s head to relax or die by dabbing it with alcohol. Wait a couple of minutes, then use fine-pointed tweezers to extract the tick. Grasp it near the mouth parts, and give it a sharp jerk. This should dislodge it.
Alternatively, flea sprays can be used locally on ticks. The tick will then die and can be removed the following day. Regular use of a flea spray in tick areas often keeps them away.
When my own dogs have suffered with ticks or fleas in the past, I’ve always managed to deal with them myself, but if you’ve any concerns at all with your own dog, then consult your vet as a precaution.

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Dog fleas can cause more than itching.
They are difficult to control, but, left unchecked, they can cause your dog very serious health problems.
Simple facts about dog fleas:
Fleas are probably the most successful creatures on the planet in terms of reproduction. There are over 2,400 species and they are difficult to control for a variety of reasons: One female flea will produce 25,000 offspring in one month. An unfed adult can live for several months. The chemicals used to eradicate adult dog fleas have no effect on the eggs. Fleas are very good at mutating to resist new pesticides.
Fleas are a menace to dogs! They cause allergic dermatitis, tapeworms, and anemia. Most of the eggs are not laid on the dog but in the dog’s bedding, in the rug, and on the furniture. It is extremely difficult to eradicate fleas completely. The most you can hope for is to control them and to keep your dog reasonably comfortable during the warm, moist flea season.
The best way to control dog fleas is to remove them from your dog and your house. Take him to a groomer for the day and have him bathed with veterinarian-approved flea shampoo. Spraying or dipping him with a residual pesticide has little or no lasting effect. While he is out of the house, hire a company that uses a non-toxic product to spray the carpets and the furniture. These companies usually guarantee a flea-free home for one year.
Some dogs are bothered more by the use of pesticides than they are by fleas. Flea collars, sprays, powders, and shampoos are all loaded with pesticides. Beware! If your dog is into serious scratching, your veterinarian can prescribe medication for the itching. It is also very important that you discus with your veterinarian which products you should use on your pet to rid him (or her) of dog fleas. There are a lot of products on the market that claim to get rid of fleas; not all of them work and some could be harmful to your dog.
>From this point on, it is important for you to vacuum the carpets, furniture, and your dog’s bedding everyday. Place the cut-off end of a flea collar, or a moth crystal, into your vacuum cleaner bag to kill any vacuumed adult fleas. Vacuum the dog if he will let you! Groom him daily with a flea comb. Do not be surprised if you occasionally find a flea on him. He will bring them in from outside. Remember, you cannot get rid of them, only control them.
Effective Treatment of Your Yard:
In cases where pets spend most of their time outdoors, it may also be necessary to treat the yard for dog fleas. One way to determine if the yard is infested is to walk around the property wearing white athletic socks, pulled to the knee. If fleas are present, they will be seen against the white background of the socks.
Outdoor flea treatment should focus on areas where your pet rests, sleeps, and runs, such as doghouse and kennel areas, under decks, along fences and next to the foundation.
It is seldom necessary to treat the entire yard or open areas exposed to full sun. However, as long as you are treating the outdoor area, it may be a wise move (particularly the first time) to treat as large an area as possible. Once again, check with your vet to determine which product to control dog fleas will be most effective for out door use and will not be harmful to your pet. Be sure to follow all instructions carefully.
Summary of Key Treatment Steps:
1. “De-fleaing” your pet is only one essential step in ridding your home of fleas.
2. It is critical that you treat areas in your home where your pet spends time.
3. It is most effective if you treat your pet and your home on the same day.
4. Treat every week to ten days until the infestation cycle is broken. After that, once a month or as needed.
5. Expect to see newly emerging adult fleas for 2 weeks or longer following If you dust your pet every week to ten days, new generations of fleas will quickly die before they have a chance to lay eggs – breaking the infestation cycle.Flea eggs are completely protected from insecticides so you must break the cycle of re-infestation to clear them from your home.
6. If your pet spend most of their time outdoors, it may also be necessary to treat some areas of your yard. In fact, it is highly recommended when there is evidence of a high infestation of dog fleas.

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The day you bring a new puppy or dog into your home is a red letter day indeed. It may be an exhausting one for you. It certainly will be for him. This is also one of the most critical moments in your relationship, because first impressions are indelibly marked on the animal mind. It is vital to establish from the beginning an atmosphere of security, affection, and mutual confidence. In short, the goal is to make your dog feel at home.
Your puppy will come to you with no worldly goods at all, so you must provide him with his first essential possessions;
- A bed, slightly larger than your dog
- A blanket, again slightly larger than needed
- A water bowl, (stainless steel or earthenware, but not glazed pottery, which contains lead that is poisonous to dogs)
- A light puppy collar with an identification tag, leather is best, flat for short-haired breeds, round for long haired
- A leather leash with a strong clip fastener
- A comb and brush, the canine kind, (suitable to his breed)
- A squeaky toy
- A chewing toy of rawhide or a nylon or both
- A hard rubber ball (Big enough so that he cannot swallow it, but light enough for him to carry around in his mouth)
- Finally, and most important of all, a name
Feel free to check out http://joncopets.com/ for more articles and product information.

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One of the most difficult things the owner of a Labrador Retriever must do is chose the right veterinarian. With a little work upfront, you will be able to find a veterinarian that you will be comfortable with, and one that will be able to serve all of your Labradors long term needs.
One of the best ways to find a good veterinarian is to start by asking your family members and friends whom themselves own pets. Neighbors, groomers, and your fellow co-workers are other good sources. You can also search your local yellow pages under dog hospitals, veterinarians, and animal clinics. An excellent online source is located at www.pets911.com (punch in your zip code and it will locate veterinarians in your area).
Now that you have a potential list of vets, your selection process can begin.
Give each veterinarian a call and explain that you are looking for a new veterinarian for your Labrador Retriever, and you would like to meet with them to ask a few questions and to see their facility.
Typical questions and what to look for:
Fee and Services ?some veterinarians are higher priced then others. Don’t be hesitant to ask about prices.
 What methods of payment do they take?
 Do they accept a pet insurance plan?
 Is full payment expected on the day of visit?
 Are there discounts for multi-pet households?
 What is the range of services that the veterinarian provides (x-rays, blood test, heartworm test, etc)?
Office Hours
 What are regular office hours?
 Who will take over if the veterinarian is on vacation or out sick?
Emergency Care for your Labrador
 What should I do if the veterinarian is closed and my Labrador Retriever gets hurt or is sick?
 In case of an accident that requires an overnight stay, will someone be with my Labrador Retriever non-stop?
Observe the Staff
Observe the interaction with the veterinarian and with the other staff. Are they courteous and caring?
Facility
 Is the facility clean and well kept?
 How many veterinarians are in the practice?
 Are appointments required?
 Are the animals in separate cages?
The last thing you might want to do is to check with the Veterinarian Medical Board to check if any complaints have been filed against the practice.
Once you have finished making your visits with the veterinarians on your list, you should have a clear picture on what veterinarian you would like to use. If for some reason your first choice doesn’t work out, you can always switch veterinarians to your next choice on your list.
By utilizing the above guidelines, you will be able to match the right veterinarian to what you are looking for, and to serving all of your Labrador Retrievers needs.

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Dog Parks are becoming more and more popular. They are not only fun for our dogs but , are also a great place for humans to interact. They provide a place for dogs to run off leash and socialize with other dogs, as well as allowing for owners to socialize at the same time.
Unfortunately not all communities have Dog Parks available for our canine friends. If your community does not have a Dog Park available to you here are some guidelines on getting a park started.
First off do some research.
Is anyone else developing a Dog Park in your area.
Find out about rules and regulations that pertain to your community.
Can local parks or recreation departments be of any help.
Talk to people in your community and get some feedback about opening a park in your area.
When planning park keep in mind traffic patterns, neighborhoods, noise, etc
Set up a liaison with city, neighborhood, and dog owners
Assign someone to monitor use
Set up times that park will be available for use.
Rules for using the Dog Park
Present you Community with the benefits of having a Dog Park.
Dogs can socialize and exercise in a safe environment.
Helps to promote responsible pet ownership
Will help to promote public health and safety
Provides a meeting place for dog owners to socialize.
Provides access for people with disabilities to exercise their pets.
Dog Park should include:
At least 1 acre or more of ground and be surrounded with a 4?to 6?fence.
The entry should be gated
Regular maintenance should be performed (cut grass, waste clean up, etc.)
Wheelchair access
Plenty of shade and water
A separate parking area
Station to dispose of waste
Benches, tables, trash cans, etc
Complete set of rules for using the Dog Park
With this general guideline you will be well on you way to developing a Dog Park in your area. We hope to see your Dog Park up and running soon.
Article written by Kevin Gawricki

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History
Records show that ridgebacked dogs were used in South Africa as hunting and companion dogs as far back as the 15th Century. They were used to track big game (hence the name “Lion Dog”) and were trained to trap the prey without attacking, and to alert their masters by barking.
In the 17th Century, these dogs were bred by European settlers with their own scent hounds and mastiffs, into the Ridgeback of today.
Appearance
Ridgebacks are large, handsome and althletic looking dogs. Their name comes from the ridge of hair on their back which grows in the opposite direction to the rest of their hair.
They have a broad skull with big round eyes which are quite wide set. They can have a black nose with dark eyes or a brown nose with amber eyes.
They have a deep set chest with strong, muscular shoulders and loins.
Temperament
Ridgebacks are stubborn and determined dogs; it is essential that they are properly socialised and receive some proper training at an early age. Because of their stubborness, they can be a challenge to train and may not be suitable for inexperienced dog owners.
Having said this, they are a pleasure to own. They make lovely family pets; they are confident and placid at home although they are generally aloof with strangers.
With their imposing size and a big bark, these dogs make good guard dogs and are likely to deter intruders.
Grooming
With a very short, dense coat, a minimal amount of grooming is required.
Exercise
Ridgebacks are big dogs and therefore require a significant amount of exersize – in the region of an hour a day as a minimum although they will keep going for as long as you ask them to!
Health Problems
As with many large dogs, hip and elbow dysplasia is not uncommon. Parents “hip” scores should be checked to minimise the risk of this hereditory disease being present – good breeders will only breed from parents with low hip scores.
It is estimated that about 5% of Ridgebacks have Dermoid Sinus; this relates to a tube like piece going from the surface of the skin into variable depths of the tissue. This has a tendancy to become affected. Breeders should ensure that puppies are tested for this condition before they go to their new homes; if a puppy is free of Dermoid Sinus, it is not something that will develop at a later age.
It is possible for vets to operate to remove the Dermoid Sinus.

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There is such a wide selection of dog agility equipment, where do I begin? There are several factors to consider when making your agility equipment purchases. Two major factors are your goals and your dog.
Are your goals to develop a deeper bonding with your dog by taking agility classes together, having fun, and seeing how far you and your dog can progress with agility skills? Do you have a timid dog and want to develop confidence in him? Or do you have a high drive dog and want to help him burn energy in a controlled manner? Do you want to do agility as a just for fun activity or are you setting your sights on making it to the nationals and becoming an agility instructor? All the previous factors are important to consider when purchasing your equipment.
An agility course has contact equipment, jumps, weaves, tunnels, closed tunnel, and possibly a pause table (depending on your agility venue). It would be wonderful have a full course of agility equipment in your backyard, but its not necessary to learn the sport. Contact equipment consists of dog-walks, A-frames, and teeters. It is a good idea to have at least one contact obstacle. Many people select to purchase a teeter because the motion often causes a dog hesitation. If you can’t fit a regulation piece of equipment in your yard, consider an 8′ dog-walk instead of a 12′ or even select from mini-contact equipment that is available to train your dog on.
Jumps. You can never have enough single jumps, but you also might think about a double jump or triple jump. If you cannot purchase a double or triple jump, you can place two or three single jumps together to practice. Eight single jumps give you lots of drills and exercises to practice and interchange.
Tunnels, chutes, and tables are variations to add to your course. Tire jumps are very popular to have in backyard training. Pause tables are essential in our agility training program. They are our center and focal point for developing our directional commands and building distance.
Weaves, critical for having at home. The type of weave to purchase depends on your method of teaching. Is your agility class using weave chutes, angled weaves, or straight lined weaves. If your instructor is teaching a specific method, than its easiest to purchase the same type of weaves. We have trained five different agility dogs, each with a different method and in the end they all have nice weaves.
There are a variety of training aids that can help you develop the behavior you want from your dog on the equipment. Buja boards are excellent for timid dogs that need to build confidence slowly. Contact trainers are great for back chaining your contact behavior, and they are smaller so you can bring them indoors for winter training also.

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So you want to breed mastiffs. Breeding mastiffs is not an easy job , Please take a moment to read this before considering being a mastiff breeder. neapolitan mastiff, bullmastiff, bulldog, american mastiff, breeding, puppy , puppies .
Breeding the Old English Mastiff .
The English Mastiff is one of the hardest and most expensive breeds of dog to raise and breed . Fertility problems in both the male and female mastiff is common . Whelping difficulties are normal for the female mastiff as well as post delivery problems are a high probability in this breed. You can not breed a mastiff until they are at least 18 months of age and if you try breeding after 6 years of age you will be courting disaster. So you would be very lucky to see 3 litters out of a mastiff female , I have been breeding mastiffs for 10 years and have never managed to get 3 litters from any of my bitches. .This is one of the reasons the cost of buying a mastiff puppy is higher then other breeds .Reputable mastiff breeders seldom ever make money breeding mastiffs.
Before deciding to breed a mastiff stud dog or bitch , the breeder should be confident that their mastiff is a good example of the breed in both temperament size and confirmation and dose not have health or temperament problems that can be passed on to their puppies.
Health problems that should be tested for are Hip and Elbow Displacia , Heart problems, genetic eye problems , and thyroid . Many reputable breeders go even farther and do testing for many more genetic health problems.
If you are thinking why bother testing , I will tell you that from a monetary standpoint you do not want to be refunding money to unhappy puppy buyers because their pup has Hip dysplacia or a bad heart. You could go broke really fast , You may even find yourself in court over an unhealthy puppy. Your goal as a breeder should always be to produce a healthy , sound, friendly, mastiff, of outstanding breed type.
You can contact you local veterinarian and he can make all the arrangements for the testing you should do before breeding your mastiff.
If you are thinking of breeding your mastiff to make money let me show you how wrong you can be.
First of all you will need to factor in the cost of buying a breeding quality mastiff , you are looking at paying $1800 to $3000 dollars for a mastiff puppy from a breeder who dose genetic and health testing on their lines . . Then the cost of caring for that mastiff for 2 years before you can breed the mastiff.
Then you are looking at about $700 dollars to do X-rays on hips elbows , eye testing , and heart and thyroid .
You can then expect to pay $2000 for stud feel to the owner of the male you are using .
As I stated before mastiffs are very hard to breed so you may well have to do progesterone testing on the female to make sure you have bred her at the right time , so factor in another $400 dollars on progesterone tests . 60 percent of mastiffs need some sort of veterinarian help whelping and many end up in C-sections at a cost of about $800 or higher . After the mastiff whelps you have a very high probability of mastitis in this breed , this is an infection in then mammary glands , “My last 4 breedings my females all got mastitis?and you may well end up bottle feeding pups and have a bitch so sick she needs strong antibiotics and sometimes surgery to drain the infection, you could well be looking at another $400 to $600 dollars for this common complication. Then you must supplement the pups , pay for worming and vaccination and health checks before you can sell the pup , as well as the cost of registering the pups . Add another 600 dollars for this expense . We are not eve!
n going to factor in to this the cost of laundry , whelping box, puppy food, milk replacer, thermometer and other whelping and medical supplies . Now suppose you only have 4 pups in the litter ,, Guess what even if you sell your pups for $2000 each , you are in dept big time . Now to make matters even worse , lets say some of the pups have a genetic health problem after you have sold the pups , You will ether have to refund the puppy buyers money or they can take you to court and sue you. . Gee should have done that genetic testing and X-rays right !!
So you wonder why anyone would every want to breed mastiffs , There is only one reason reputable breeders keep on with the breed and that is LOVE OF THIS BREED, Any long time mastiff breeder will tell you they have gone in dept , that breeding mastiffs is hard on the pocket book . I know many mastiff breeders and do not know a single one who can say they make a profit.
Here is a great article by Dr. robins on whelping and breeding the difficult mastiff.
http://members.aol.com/rocknrob56/index.htm
Article on Determining if your mastiff is breeding quality http://www.angelfire.com/biz4/MastiffBreeder/m3ap2adetbrpotmast.html
Are you a wanna be mastiff breeder , this mastiff breeders site has lots of great article
http://www.angelfire.com/biz4/MastiffBreeder/main1sitetableofcontents.html
Carting , draft work and weight pull with the mastiff http://mastiff25.tripod.com/carting/
Island West Mastiffs http://www.englishmastiff.com
Mastiff puppies http://www.englishmastiff2.com
Mastiffs in Sandlot 2 movie http://mastiff25.tripod.com/islandwestmastiffsonsandlot2thesonofthebeastmovieset/

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When you bring home that adorable puppy her dog behavior is so cute. She puts her feet up on you to get your attention, jumps in your lap, jumps up and down on her hind legs begging to be picked up.
And what do you do? You reinforce all those dog behaviors. Give her attention, pick her up, make sure she’s comfortable on your lap. Then, lo and behold, she grows from 15 pounds to 75 pounds and is still jumping on you. That cute puppy behavior is now bad dog behavior. In fact, it’s downright maddening and you can’t get it to stop.
Humans often give dogs mixed signals — telling them to do one thing, but reinforcing very different dog behavior. Or expecting dogs to read our minds — is it ok to jump up sometimes but not others? Which is which? Dogs can’t figure that out.
You probably don’t even know you’re sending mixed signals.
Situations change throughout the day- you love that your dog jumps up on the bed to wake you with sloppy, wet kisses; it is endearing to have your dog greet your return with the big stretch to reach up so you will pick them up or love on them; it is helpful when the dog jumps up on a chair to help you put the leash on the collar.
It becomes a problem when guests come over and the dog jumps on them; when you are dressed up and now dirty feet have ruined your outfit; or when it is just simply not convenient.
STEPS TO STOP THE JUMPING
As humans, it’s our job to teach dogs how we want them to behave. Here are some easy tips to change that unwanted dog behavior.
1. BE CONSISTENT
Figure out what you want and then be consistent with what you desire. Do you want your dog to jump or not? Dogs don’t understand “sometimes”.
If the answer to the question is, I want the jumping to stop, then take a look at your situation and ask yourself these questions:
When does it happen?
What are your various responses?
When are you consistent?
When are you not consistent?
How can you be gentle and clear with your responses?
2. DO NOT REINFORCE THE BEHAVIOR
This seems obvious. But oftentimes it’s not. You have to change your behavior before you can expect Fluffy to change hers.
3. GIVE AN INCOMPATIBLE BEHAVIOR COMMAND
The very easiest way to correct this behavior is to give an incompatible behavior. For example, Sit is a great choice. Most dogs know it and it is easy to put a dog into a sit if needed.
4. GO STIFF
When your dog begins jumping, stop your body movement and go stiff. Turn your back slightly. Give the new command “Rover, sit”. Help Rover sit if needed.
Let this become your new response to Rover’s jumping. PRAISE the sit. If Rover pops up out of the sit and jumps up, start over. Go stiff, give the command (Rover, sit), help with the sit if needed. PRAISE (and treat if handy) the sit.
As you are consistent, your dog will comply with your new desires. PRAISE each time your dog sits. This is the new polite way of getting your attention. PRAISE whenever your dog comes and sits in front of you. This is the signal “please” for attention, outside, treat, etc.
Super-exciting times to a dog will probably result in the old jumping but be consistent and patient, and as you do this, you gain leadership respect from your dog.
CONCLUSION
Dog behavior modification can be done very quickly and your relationship will get better and better. Be patient, kind, loving and consistent. Your dog wants to make you happy. Use these few simple steps to STOP THE JUMPING!

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