FAMOUS DOGS BEHAVIOR

Robot - The Lascaux Cave Paintings
Robot was the dog who discovered the cave paintings at Lascaux September 12, 1940. His owner was a young 17 year old French lad called Marcel Ravidat

Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin was one of the most famous and popular canine movie stars. Rin Tin Tin was always played by a German shepherd, or alsatian. "Rinty" was featured in a total of 24 Warner Brothers movies.

Suening - The Dog King
King Eystein who ruled Norway between 1104 and 1123 decreed that, as a punishment to his people, that a dog called Suening should rule in his place. Three years passed where Suening routinely signed decrees with with paw-prints!

Luath
Luath was the name of the dog owned by the famous poet Robert Burns. Robert Burns came from Scotland and lived between 1759 and 1796. He was educated at home and his father was a gardener and farmer. The most famous poems by Robert Burns were A Red Red Rose and Auld Lang Syne ! Robert Burns was a Dog Lover who wrote a poem dedicated to dogs called The Twa Dogs

Argus - Odysseus's dog
Argus (or Argos) was the name of a long-lived dog owned by Odysseus in the Odyssey by Homer. When Odysseus returns from his long voyages he wears the disguise of a beggar and only Argus his loyal old dog, recognizes him.

Anubis - Ancient Egyptian God
Anubis was an Ancient Egyptian god with a dog's (or a jackal's) head. Anubis was the God of the Dead and is usually depicted as a black dog with long sharp ears The black colour of Anubis is not natural to jackals or to the wild dogs of Egypt - it may refer to the dark discoloration of a body after death and during mummification.

Black Shuck - The Spectre Hound - The Baskerville Hound?
Black Shuck is the name of a legendary ghost hound said to haunt the ancient roads of Norfolk, England. Said to be the size of a calf with blazing eyes. This mythological ghost dog is said to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous book The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Cafall - Noble Dog of King Arthur
Cafall is reputed to be the dog who was owned by King Arthur of Camelot. Cafall was a mighty dog, brave, loyal and regal. The type of dog only a King such as Arthur was able to own.

Cerberus - The Hound of Hades
According to Greek Mythology Cerberus was a strange and fiercesome mixture of creatures - having three heads of wild dogs, a dragon or serpent for a tail and heads of snakes all over his back. It was the twelth labour of Hercules to go to the depths of Hades and kill Cerberus.

Boatswain - Lord Byron's Dog
Boatswain was the Newfoundland dog referred to in one of the Dog Epitaphs by Lord Byron

Scylla - The She-Dragon
Scylla, or Skylla, was a part-dog figure featured in Greek mythology. A She-Dragon with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a serpentine fish with the foreparts of six dogs for legs.

The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles, the terrifying killer dog portrayed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the book of the same name. It is possible that he based the hound on the legendary Black Shuck of Norfolk, England.

FAMOUS DOGS

The famous dogs cover all sections of the dog community and achieve their fame from:

• Famous Movie Dogs

• Famous TV Dogs

• Famous Fictional Dogs

• Dogs owned by Famous People and celebrities

• Famous Police Dogs

Their names and their stories are all detailed in this section. If you are looking for some inspiration for a dog's name for a new puppy perhaps celebrity dog names will provide you with the inspiration you are looking for.

Nipper - His Master's Voice
Nipper was the most famous dog recognised by millions of music lovers. The record label for HMV (His Master's Voice) featured a picture of Nipper listening to his master's gramophone - take a look at the picture at the top of the page which might stir a few happy memories!

Fluffy
Who can forget the three-headed dog who guarded the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Certainly not Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger!

Toto - Dorothy's dog - The Wizard of Oz
Toto was Dorothy's dog in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. A mischievous dog portrayed as a Cairn Terrier in the movie The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland.

Lassie
There have been many dogs called Lassie but the first Lassie a rough collie starred in the 1942 movie 'Lassie Come Home'. Lassie was played by several male dogs, despite the female name, because male collies were thought to look better on camera.

Bingo
Bingo is the name of the dog on the Cracker Jack box

Lady and Tramp
Walt Disney's family dog was a poodle named Lady. Perhaps this name was the inspiration for Disney's famous animated movie 'Lady and the Tramp.

Crab - The Shakespearean Dog
The only dog to ever appear in a play by William Shakespearean was Crab who appeared in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." To find out more about William Shakespeare visit the most comprehensive site on the great Bard - William Shakespeare.info

Thisbe
The tragic Queen of France Marie Antoinette, who was beheaded on the Guillotine, owned a spaniel dog named Thisbe.

Pongo and Perdita - 101 Dalmations
Pongo and Perdita were the stars of the famous animated Disney movie - 101 Dalmatians. Pongo has 72 spots, Perdita has 68 and each of the puppies has 32 !

Blondi
Adolf Hitler's favorite dog was an alsatian called Blondi. Adolf Hitler used Blondi to make sure cyanide capsules were lethal. Hitler then used the cyanide to commit suicide when he saw it worked on Blondi

Greyfriars Bobby
Greyfriars Bobby was a famous Skye Terrier immortalised in the Disney movie of the same name. In 1858 a man named John Gray (Old Jock) was buried in old Greyfriars Churchyard, in Edinburgh. This loyal dog slept on his master's grave for the next 14 years until his own death. A statue commemorates this most loyal of dogs.

FAMOUS DOGS

There have been many famous dogs in history and this section of the site is dedicated to the heroic, famous and legendary dogs and their owners. The names of the famous dogs might prove to be inspirational for anyone who is looking for a suitable name for a boy dog or a girl dog but a full dog names is also available for a really wide selection. Many US Presidents have also been proud owners of dogs and these are listed in a separate section to our dedication to famous dogs.

PREPARE FOR PET EMERGYENCY SUPPLY KIT

just us do withy our family'semergencysupplykit,think firstaboutthe basicsforsurvival,particularly foodandwater.Consider two kits. In one, put everything you and your pets will need to stay where youare.Theothershouldbea lightweight,smallerversionyou cantakewithyouifyouandyourpetshavetoget away. Plus,besure to reviewyourkitsregularly to ensurethattheir contents,especially foods and medicines, are fresh.
Food. Keep at least three days of food in an airtight, waterproof container.
Water. Store at least three days of water specifically for your pets in addition to water you need for yourself and your family.
Medicines and medical records. Keep an extra supply of medicines
your pet takes on a regular basis in a waterproof container.
First aid kit. Talk to your veterinarian about what is most appropriate for your pet's emergency medical needs. Most kits should include colton bandage rolls, bandage tape and scissors; antibiotic ointment; flea and tick prevention; latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol and saline solution. Include a pet first aid reference book.
Collar with 10 tag, harness or leash. Your pet should wear a collarwithitsrabiestagandidentification
atalltimes. Include abackup leash, collar and 10 tag in your pet's emergency supply kit. In addition,
place copies of your pet's registration information, adoption papers,
vaccination documents and medical records in a clean plastic bag or waterproof container and also add them to your kit. You should alsoconsidertalkingwithyourveterinarianaboutpermanent identification such as microchipping, and enrolling your pet in a recovery
database.
Crate or other pet carrier. If you need to evacuate in an emergency
situation take your pets and animals with you provided that it is practical to do so. In many cases, your ability to do so will be aided by having a sturdy, safe, comfortable crate or carrier ready for transporting your pet. The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down.
Sanitation. Include pet litter and litter box if appropriate, newspapers,
papertowels,plastictrashbagsand household chlorine bleach to provideforyourpet'ssanitation needs.Youcanuse bleachasadisinfectant (diluteninepartswaterto one part bleach), or in an emergency you can also use it to purifywater. Use 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon ofwater. Donotusescentedor colorsafe bleaches,orthose withaddedcleaners
A picture of you and your pet together. If you become separated
from your pet during an emergency, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you in identifying your pet. Include detailed information about species,breed,age,sex,colorand distinguishingcharacteristics.
Familiar items. Put favorite toys, treats or bedding in your kit. Familiar items can help reduce stress for your pet.

Recycling Eggs

Recycling Eggs

Despite your best efforts, your hen is still going to lay plenty of eggs. A clutch will consist of 8 - 12 eggs. A lot of hens will lay many more than this, and never show any interest in building a nest or sitting on the eggs. No one has been able to determine with any certainty why some (if not most) button hens simply have no interest in their eggs, but it seems that a hen who goes "broody" (chooses to build a nest and set the eggs) is the exception rather than the rule.

If your hen is one of those rare birds who will nest, I've developed a little system that will keep her from having to lay a whole clutch each time. My system presumes that your female lives alone or with other females, and will not be laying fertilized eggs. She'll have to lay the first clutch herself, and you probably won't even know she's going to nest until one day you'll go by and see she's piled the eggs all up and built a little fortress around them with her bedding. The key is to leave the eggs where she lays them, even if they are scattered all about the cage. If she's going to nest, she'll do all the work of making a nest and moving the eggs at the last minute. Buttons don't need any "special" materials for building a nest; generally, they will just haul over bits of their bedding. Pine chips or shavings seems to be a good choice. Buttons don't use string or dirt or feathers, because they can't weave or build like many flying birds do. They just sort of make a pile with a depression in the middle for themselves and their eggs.

Special Care for Female Buttons

Special Care for Female Buttons

Button hens have a unique nutritional and environmental needs, above and beyond those of the males. The primary reason for this is egg-laying. The production of eggs uses vast amounts of the female's resources, which must be compensated for in diet and lighting.

When compared to the size of the hen that produces it, the Button Quail egg is proportionately one of the largest eggs lain by any bird. (This means, the weight of the egg is a significant percentage of the weight of the hen herself). Like chickens, button quail can lay one egg a day every day, for almost her entire life. Without special attention, this practice can very quickly deplete the female of her bone calcium and other essential nutrients, leading to a very early death. Without proper care, a female button's life may be as short as only 18 months! But if you are able to cut down on her egg laying and provide her with proper nutrition, she can live four years or more. I have been trying very hard to develop a system that will lengthen females' lives by compensating for their tendency to "overlay".

Diet is crucial in preventing nutrient depletion. Most important are calcium and protein.

buttin quail

First of all, what is a Button Quail? Buttons are the smallest of the "true" quails, about four inches long, and are native to Australia, Southeast Asia, India, etc. Click here for a map of the distribution of the Button Quail. In addition to the normal "wild type", they come in silver, white, browns and various combinations and shades of these colors, also known as "mutations". Unfortunately, our buttons do not have a very long lifespan; females' can be as short as 18 months, but if they are given proper care and nutrition (see below), you can expect your button hen to live three to four years or even more. Males average four to five years (again, depending on care and nutrition), but I have heard of at least a few male buttons who lived to be as old as nine!

There are actually several different species of birds sharing the name "Button Quail", and they are all not necessarily related. The Button you will see pictured on my pages is commonly referred to as the "Chinese Painted Quail", and is a member of the order Galliformes, family phasianidae. The other birds that we call "buttonquails" are of the order Gruiformes, family turnicidae. These "buttonquails" are not commonly kept in aviculture, are quite difficult to breed, and in fact, there are only a couple of them in captivity in the U.S. at this time! On a separate page, I've compiled a list of some button species as well as some amusing translations from around the world.

I've been really lucky to have some wonderful tame button quails in my life; first Baby Spaz, then Bunny, and now Hercules. There's nothing more adorable than having a little button follow you around the house, or come running when you call to them. But I realize that it takes a lot of patience and attention to get this sort of bird to accept us as one of their own. It's not something you can force on them, so don't be mad at your Button if he prefers the company of other quails. Of course, a Button Quail who is not tame should have at least one other quail for company, so if you think you'd like to go quail shopping, look for pairs or trios that have been housed together; don't break up that happy quail family! The rest of this page is devoted to information I have found useful in caring for my quails, past and present, and I hope you'll be able to find something in it that will help make your quail experience truly fabulous!

BIRD FLU

Well, what are the real chances of it affecting you or your pet birds?
The answer is practically none.

There are many facts involved in this answer:

1. It is chiefly a waterfowl and poultry disease.
2. There is no cases in the USA in poultry or otherwise
3. Strict quarantine laws greatly hinder the possibility of an outbreak occurring (30 day quarantine)
4. There is not a case of human to human transfer yet .
5. The H5N1 strain is the only strain to affect humans.
6. Influenza viruses do not persist in environments outside the hosts for long period of time (ideal condition about a week)

Now, I'm not going to tell you that it will never happen. In medicine and viruses there is no absolute. But, there are so many factors against it that the possibility is a thousand times less than being stuck by lightning. Let's examine this in more detail. This is mainly a Chinese strain that is effecting humans since 1997. It has not yet passed on from human to human but with those people working with fowl, swimming in infected rivers, playing in an area where carcasses were buried, or breathing air near a poultry processing plant, can lead to infection. Unfortunately, Asian environments often involve people living in close quarters with poultry even running into houses. It is not uncommon also for the oriental diet to include raw duck livers and other unprocessed poultry products.

Bird flu has been around for more than a century and this is the only known strain to have mutated to affect humans. Studies show that with viruses like this that it is far more likely, like SARS, that if this does develop further, a person were more likely to contract this disease from an infected international traveller than from a pet or wild bird. It is also unlikely that migratory birds will carry it east to west since migration is primarily north to south.

Legal pet bird trade is safe. Quanantine periods and local breeding has further helped stop many illnesses from being past around. It is admitted that Illegal pet trade is an X factor but strict laws have reduced considerably the illegal trade, with most of the trade coming from South America to North America instead of Asia.

Remember, unless it is an exotic large pet bird, it is more economically feasible to breed them locally. Even large birds are being breed here. Also the chance of them getting in contact with a infected fowl is slim. And the chance of your indoor pet bird drops off the map. So would I be afraid to buy that companion pet bird from your local pet store. I'd have to answer No, there just no evidence so far to warrant any cautionary measures.

RESOURCES

• www.poultryclub.org - Poultry Club of Great Britain: advice, shows, local groups, books & videos
• www.countrysmallholding.com 01392 888475 monthly magazine: articles on poultry, suppliers’ lists and classified ads
• British Waterfowl Association: www.waterfowl.org.uk - ducks and geese: education and conservation, events, books, breeders, shows and information leaflets
• Katie Thear, series of books on chickens, ducks and geese, Broad Leys Publishing 01799 541065 www.kdthear.btinternet.co.uk
• Colin Tudge and Michael Allaby, 1977, Home Farm, Macmillan. Excellent resource for producing your own food; good section on poultry for beginners
• http://freespace.virgin.net/hillcroft.chickens - 1-day courses, Leicestershire

WAT CAN WE DO?

Healthy chickens need an outdoor run and a weatherproof hen-house of roughly 30cmx30cm per hen. You can buy a hen-house (see Country Smallholding) or if you’re the least bit handy, you can make one. The house will need dark, private nest boxes (4 birds to one nest box), perches to roost on, a door for the hens, and a larger door for cleaning out. It must be secure from predators and shut up overnight. They can have the run of the garden, as long as they can’t get at your vegetable plot in the growing season. You need to put hay in the nest boxes, and hay, straw or sawdust as bedding in the house. This should be changed every week, with the old bedding added to the compost heap.
You can feed them your food scraps, along with a couple of handfuls of grain and layers’ mash or pellets (special feed with the minerals and protein chickens need to produce eggs) per day. They need a constant supply of water – from a ‘drinker’, which gravity-feeds water as they use it; they need small amounts of grit (to help grind their food) and oyster shells (to provide calcium for the egg shells). All this can be purchased from agricultural suppliers, or ordered online and delivered; it doesn’t cost much compared to the value of the organic
free-range eggs – chicken feed, you might say.
Black Rock hens scratching around outside their home-made hen-house
Ducks love water and they are better off with a pond rather than just a bucket; in a pond they keep the weeds down, add fertiliser and keep the edges sealed by their paddling. They don’t need a nest box or perch, but do need a fox-proof shelter: 1 m2 is adequate for 5 birds.
Geese get 80% of their food from grazing, so they’re cheaper, but require more land (5 birds per 1/8 hectare). They don’t produce many eggs but provide delicious meat are hardy and live longer than ducks or chickens; they also make good guard dogs.
If you’re vegetarian, skip this paragraph: you can kill, pluck and gut birds for the table, but if you’ve never done it before, you should get someone with experience to show you how. After chickens have finished laying (1 or 2 years) they won’t have much meat, and it will be a bit tough, but they’ll make a good curry.
You can breed chicks if you have a cockerel, but chickens will lay well without one, which is just as well if you have close neighbours, as cockerels can be noisy.

KEEPING POULTRY

what is it?
Most people equate the word poultry with chickens, but it also covers ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea-fowl, quail, and arguably even pheasants and pigeons (dictionary definition = the keeping of domestic fowl). All have their particular quirks: chickens are easy to keep, ducks need access to water, and geese are hardy, tough and self-reliant but need a bit more space. Chickens of course are the most common; there are many breeds and varieties available with different characters, some are for show and have incredible ‘hairstyles’, others are renowned for their consistent supply and quantity of eggs, and others make excellent table birds. You don’t need much experience or capital to keep a few chickens in the garden and there are many benefits other than fresh, free-range eggs and meat.
what are the benefits?
There are three main areas in which keeping poultry can benefit the environment. The first is helping to keep food production local; chickens, for example, don’t have to be reared along with thousands of others in huge battery sheds using large-scale machinery to be fed chemically-produced feedstuffs, and then the eggs transported across the country to supermarkets where you have to drive to get them. All this entails unnecessary habitat destruction, pollution and carbon emissions; keep them yourself and you just have to walk outside to feed them and collect the eggs.
Secondly, you know what they’ve been fed andtreated with, and you can ensure that the whole enterprise is kept organic and free-range. And thirdly, you can ensure that your poultry become part of a natural cycle – you can feed them your food scraps instead of sending it to landfill (it’s not a good idea to put cooked food on the compost heap unless it’s enclosed, as it could attract rats), and then put their waste on the compost heap, and also let them roam on the garden in the winter, to enrich the soil with their droppings. Garden pests like slugs and snails are a particular favourite of ducks.
Free-range poultry are happy, healthy birds, it is a pleasure to watch them scratching around or having a good dust bath. They suffer fewer diseases than commercial chickens and can follow their normal behaviour patterns with plenty of space to roam.

HERDING DOGS

General Information about Herding Dogs
All of the dogs listed below belong to the collection of dogs referred to as Herding Dogs. Dogs in the Herding Group ( sometimes referred to as the Pastoral Group ) were developed to perform a variety of tasks relating mainly to the herding of livestock. The types of livestock that these dogs are associated with are quite diverse and include sheep, cattle, reindeer and any other cloven footed animals. The Herding groups of dogs are eminently suited to these pastoral tasks as many of the breeds have a weatherproof double coat to protect them from the elements when working in severe weather conditions. Their natural abilities have been fully recognised and the initial livestock herding function have been extended to include police work and Search & Rescue amongst other duties.

Herding Dog Breed Duties and Tasks
Characteristics and features of Herding Dogs have been introduced and strengthened by breeding with animals who already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful for the duties they were intended for. Herding Group dogs share the amazing ability to control the movement of other animals. They also have great stamina reserves which allow them to work from dawn to dusk. The dogs are tenacious creatures who have the ability to herd animals such as cattle which are many times their size. They leap, run around frantically and nip at the heels of any animals that they are herding. Add this behaviour to aggressive barking and steely eye contact and their ability to influence much larger animals is fully understood.

Information about Herding Dogs characteristics
In this day and age not every Herding Dog might be called to undertake these tasks, but nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and characteristics that made the original Australian Cattle Dog breeding program successful.

The Herding dogs are medium to large in size. They are intelligent, active, courageous, and determined dogs who make excellent companions and respond well to firm training. Their instincts are very strong and given half a chance they will try to herd, or round up, the family. They enjoy work and look to their owners to provide tasks to enable them to meet their instincts and be rewarded accordingly.

SIGHT HOUNDS

Sight Hound Dogs - General Information

These wonderful, also known as Gazehounds as their gaze focuses on the horizon seeking game, specialise in hunting their quarry by sight rather than scent. It wasn’t until the mid 1500's that hounds began to be classified according to their purpose, i.e. sight hounds, scent hounds, etc.

Information about Sight Hounds characteristics
Sighthounds have distinctive characteristics, features and traits which are perfect for their purpose. Sighthounds have extremely good vision. They also have a long jaw and lengthy neck which assists them in sighting their quarry. Their lean muscular body, deep chest and long powerful legs essential assets when following any fast and agile prey. Sighthounds are elegant dogs - long, lean and almost regal in their general looks, many were owned by Pharaohs, Emperors and Royalty

Sighthounds have distinctive feet with elongated middle toes that make the foot appear longer and helps with their firm footing. Their long stride, powerful chest and lungs and agile bodies make it possible for sight hounds to chase and kill their quarry.

Information about Sight Hounds and Hunting
As implied by its name the Sighthound has been bred to chase a quarry predominantly by sight but it can also use its sense of smell, or even its hearing. Sighthounds, also referred to as Gazehounds have exceptional eyesight, combined with the speed and stamina necessary to catch the intended prey once seen, typical examples being the Greyhound and the Whippet.

Characteristics and features of Sighthounds have been introduced and strengthened by breeding from animals who already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time Sighthound dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful for the duties they were intended for. Thus, the various Sighthound breeds were initially introduced to help man according to specific requirements such as::

• Hunting and running down large and small quarry

• Flushing out and Driving game

In this day and age only a few Sighthounds still undertake these tasks, but nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and characteristics that made the original Sighthound breeding programs successful.

Many of the Sighthounds were kept in packs, in outdoor kennels. Any dogs and puppies belonging to the Sighthound breeds require a significant amount of exercise as they have high stamina levels suitable for hunting quarry. The fastest of the sighthounds can reach speeds of over 40 mph (60 km/h).

Hunting dogs

Hunting dogs were bred primarily to work with people to hunt animals, fish and birds. Hunting dogs have been bred to suit varying environments and climates. Some Hunting dogs were bred specifically to work in water whilst other dogs are more suited to work on land and many of the dogs are comfortable and capable of working in either land or water environments. The evolution of the many breeds of Hunting dogs were dictated by the changing requirements of man. Hunting Dogs have been bred specifically to enhance their skills in helping man to hunt. Hunting dogs have been used by man dating back to Antiquity when their very survival was dependent on their hunting skills. The quarry sought provided man with food, clothing and even the hides were used for shelter. The advent of new agricultural methods, animal husbandry, manufacturing and new weapons saw the diminished need for Hunting dogs in modern times. The evolution and History of the Hunting Dogs was inextricably linked with man's own evolution.

The Hunting dogs in the category of Sighthounds specialise in hunting their quarry by sight rather than scent. Sighthounds have distinctive characteristics, features and traits which are perfect for hunting. The Afghan Hound is a good example of this with its padded paws and powerful legs which gave them the equal abilities to skim across sands or snow and to climb rocky mountains. Sighthounds, as their very name indicates, have extremely good vision. They also have a long jaw and lengthy neck which assists them in sighting their quarry. Their lean muscular body, deep chest and long powerful legs essential assets when following any fast and agile prey.
The Hunting Dogs categorised as Scent Hounds specialise in following the scent or the smell of its quarry. It was not necessary for Scent Hounds to be as fast and agile as Sighthounds - they do not need to keep their quarry in sight. Scent hounds as Hunting Dogs are built for endurance. They can follow a scent for long distances and even across running water. Scent Hounds have distinctive characteristics, features and traits which are perfect for their purpose as Hunting Dogs. They have large noses which have deep, open nostrils and their lips are loose and moist, designed to pick up scent particles and follow the trail of an animal. Their ears are long which concentrates the scent on the nose. Their bodies are designed for endurance, an essential asset when following any scent trail - a major asset for one of the Hunting Dogs. The Bloodhound, as pictured above, was bred originally to hunt wolves, deer and large game. Man's requirements changed with new hunting technology and the dogs role changed to that of a police dog to track missing people, fleeing suspects, or escaped prisoners.

Hound dogs

General Information about Hound Dogs
All of the dogs listed below belong to the collection of dogs referred to as Hound Dogs. As implied by its name Hound Dogs have been bred to chase (or hound) a quarry by sight or smell, or a combination of both senses. Sighthounds have exceptional eyesight, combined with the speed and stamina necessary to catch the intended prey once seen, typical examples being the Greyhound and the Whippet. Hounds which rely strongly on the sense of smell to follow the trail of a prey, such as the Bloodhound, quite literally follow their noses, speed and eyesight is of less importance.

Characteristics and features have been introduced and strengthened by breeding from animals who already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful for the duties they were intended for. Thus, the various hound breeds were initially introduced to help man according to specific requirements such as:

In this day and age only a few hounds still undertake these tasks, but nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and characteristics that made the original Whippet dog breeding program successful.
The Hound Breed Group of dogs differ in that some hunt by scent and others by sight. Many hounds are kept in packs, in outdoor kennels. Any dogs and puppies belonging to the Hound breeds require a significant amount of exercise as they have high stamina levels suitable for hunting quarry. There are some breeds in this group who make a distinctive ' baying ' sound - invaluable information should be considering puppies.

Information about Hound Dogs
To discover more about specific breeds of Hound Dogs, their origins, history, temperaments and characteristics please follow one of the following links:

• Afghan Hound

• American Foxhound

• Basenji

• Basset Hound

• Beagle

• Black and Tan Coonhound

• Bloodhound

• Borzoi

• Dachshund

• English Foxhound

• Greyhound

• Harrier

• Ibizan Hound

• Irish Wolfhound

• Norwegian Elkhound

• Otterhound

• Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

• Pharaoh Hound

• Rhodesian Ridgeback

• Saluki

• Scottish Deerhound

• Whippet

Terrier Dogs

General Information about Terrier Dogs All of the dogs listed below belong to the collection of dogs referred to as Terrier Dogs. Dogs in the Terrier group were developed to hunt and kill vermin. The vermin included control rats, mice and other predatory animals such as foxes that might raided a farmer's produce and livestock. The very nature of these tasks require an energetic, tenacious, brave and determined dog . Terrier dogs have always been viewed as real assets by their owners and have worked with man for centuries. Terrier Dog Breed Duties and Tasks Characteristics and features of Terrier Dogs have been introduced and strengthened by breeding with animals who already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful for the duties they were intended for. The trait encouraged was the ability to dig up underground dens and burrows and "go to ground" whilst barking noisily to frighten out any inhabitants. Thus, the various Terrier breeds were introduced to help man according to his specific requirements such as:

Hunting vermin Hunting larger animals such as foxes Some terriers were also able to kill their quarry In this day and age not every Terrier might be called to undertake these vermin -related tasks, but nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and characteristics that made the original breeding program successful.

The Terrier dogs are small to medium size and are often described as fiery or feisty. The smallest terriers are ready to take on any opponents - a necessary attribute when hunting and killing vermin but not so good for a family pet! Some terriers are yappy and are known to nip boisterous children. They can also be quite independent and difficult to train. On the positive side Terriers can be friendly, stable and loyal pets.

TYPES OF DOGS

General Information about Herding Dogs
All of the dogs listed below belong to the collection of dogs referred to as Herding Dogs. Dogs in the Herding Group ( sometimes referred to as the Pastoral Group ) were developed to perform a variety of tasks relating mainly to the herding of livestock. The types of livestock that these dogs are associated with are quite diverse and include sheep, cattle, reindeer and any other cloven footed animals. The Herding groups of dogs are eminently suited to these pastoral tasks as many of the breeds have a weatherproof double coat to protect them from the elements when working in severe weather conditions. Their natural abilities have been fully recognised and the initial livestock herding function have been extended to include police work and Search & Rescue amongst other duties.

Herding Dog Breed Duties and Tasks
Characteristics and features of Herding Dogs have been introduced and strengthened by breeding with animals who already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful for the duties they were intended for. Herding Group dogs share the amazing ability to control the movement of other animals. They also have great stamina reserves which allow them to work from dawn to dusk. The dogs are tenacious creatures who have the ability to herd animals such as cattle which are many times their size. They leap, run around frantically and nip at the heels of any animals that they are herding. Add this behaviour to aggressive barking and steely eye contact and their ability to influence much larger animals is fully understood.