nice puppies

Wonderfoul pics taken from here: http://isabellacane.com/ (dogs-trivia.com)

The cutest little puppy running

This little puppy looks like such a fun dog to have. Its just sooo cute, especially in this first picture where it looks like its smiling as its running!

A Pit Bull can be happy one minute and turn on you the next

I have personally come across this myth more than once. What you have to remember is that what most people are doing is regurgitating what they have seen on the television or read in the newspaper. Very few of them have actually been in contact with one of these dogs, so you have to forgive them for not being educated about the breed.

This particular gem is also completely untrue. A happy, well-loved and well-adjusted Pit Bull will no more turn on his owner for no reason than the average teenager will hack up his family with a meat cleaver. Strong image, I know, but effective!

A dog has to be watched for any physical or psychological changes. Dogs cannot talk to us, so we have to make sure that we keep an eye on them to evaluate them for any potential illness.

Pit Bulls have 1600 psi jaw pressure, and they can lock their jaws

This is one of my favorites! Not only is there no device in existence which could measure the strength of a dog's jaw, but if they had the ability to lock their jaws, they would have to be classified as another species. Pit Bulls are known to be extremely tenacious, and will not easily relinquish something that they see as rightfully theirs. However, their jaws have nothing unique about them to distinguish them from any other breed of dog.

Pit Bulls are inherently vicious

Talk about generalization. The dogs that you see in the media that have reportedly attacked someone are the result of bad breeding and socialization. A well-bred and well-adjusted Pit Bulls is a wonderful addition to any family, but a dog that is a result of a backyard breeder, a dog that has been mistreated and neglected, cannot be considered to be a true representation of the breed. The sad thing is that the general public is willing to believe and accept the worst based on the actions of a few. A Pit Bull that bites is an exception to the rule rather than the norm. The 2006 statistics from the American Temperament Test Association show that 84.1% of American Pit Bull Terriers passed the temperament test. This is higher than the Golden Retriever (83.8%), Border Collie (79.6%) and the Beagle (78.2%). The temperament test consists of putting the dog through a series of confrontational situations - if the dog reacts aggressively or fearfully, it fails.

Pups - From Infant to Toddler

Depending on the breed (and the dog expert that you ask), the best time for a puppy to leave it's mother and come home with you is between seven and ten weeks.

Any younger and the pup will have missed out on specific developmental stages where it is learning important lessons from it's mother and littermates.

A pup removed from the litter too young may have pyschological issues in later life making it harder to train, socialise and even bond with it's new family.

Conversely a pup that is left too long with the litter may also have training or behavioural issues which would have not been the case if it were taken from a litter at the optimum 7 to 10 weeks.

Developmental Stages

Neonatal - the neonatal (meaning newly born) stage last from birth to about two weeks old. The pup can neither see nor hear very well and is totally dependant on Mum. Pups this young are susceptible to chilling and will not be able to maintain their own body heat until they reach about one month old.

Transitional - between 2 to 3 weeks the pups start to scrabble about on unsteady little legs. Their hearing and seeing has improved and they can respond to smells and tastes. A good breeder will be handling each pup individually, introducing new objects and gently interacting with these tiny pups to prepare them for the socialisation which will follow in the pups next critical first year.

Awareness - between the 3rd and 4th week the pups are bearing less and less resemblance to the helpless little 'guinea pigs' of only a few weeks before. In this short period you will see an increasing interest and curiousity as the pups begin to explore their world. This is a very important stage where undue stress - such as a premature removal from the litter - can cause a major impact on the pyschological development of the dog and its ability to be socialised and trained in the months to come.

Canine Socialisation - from 5 to 7 weeks, the pups are learning what it is to be a dog. They are emotianally ready to learn and at the age of seven weeks can be removed from the litter with no detrimental impact. The time they spend with the mother and the litter in these two weeks is teaching them the art of canine communication.

Ongoing Puppy Development

Even though you may have brought your puppy home between the optimum 7 to 10 weeks, it is important to realise that the dog still has some major, predictable developmental stages to go through before he hits maturity. The stages vary from breed to breed with larger breeds maturing at a slower pace.

Critically you need to remember that that 8 week old pup is still a baby - a toddler. Just as a human child must be toilet trained, so must your new four legged friend. Just like human babies, some will take to the concept faster than others.

Another thing all puppies do, to a greater or lesser degree is they nip. A lot. This doesn't mean your new pet is going to turn out to be an aggresive and dangerous liability. Puppies naturally explore their worlds with their mouths. Some breeds are more 'mouthy' than others, but if your new pup thinks he is a piranha, you'll find distraction and consistancy a far better cure to the problem than any physical punishment.

This dog uses a chair to get to the food in the kitchen

Doggy Dictionary

Doggy Dictionary


LEASH: A strap which attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your person where you want him/her to go.

DOG BED: Any soft, clean surface, such as the white bedspread in the guest room or the newly upholstered couch in the living room.


DROOL: A liquid which, when combined with sad eyes, forces humans to give you their food. To do this properly you must sit as close as you can and get the drool on the human.

SNIFF: A social custom used to greet other dogs, similar to the human exchange of business cards.

GARBAGE CAN: A container which your neighbors put out once a week to test your ingenuity. You must stand on your hind legs and try to push the lid off with your nose. If you do it right you are rewarded with margarine wrappers to shred, beef bones to consume and moldy crusts of bread.

BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards. The person then swerves and falls into the bushes, and you prance away.

DEAFNESS: This is a malady which affects dogs when their person wants them in and they want to stay out. Symptoms include staring blankly at the person, then running in the opposite direction, or lying down.

THUNDER: This is a signal that the world is coming to an end. Humans remain amazingly calm during thunderstorms, so it is necessary to warn them of the danger by trembling uncontrollably, panting, rolling your eyes wildly, and following at their heels.

WASTEBASKET: This is a dog toy filled with paper, envelopes, and old candy wrappers. It is important to evenly distribute its contents throughout the house before your person comes home.

BATH : If you find something especially good to roll in, humans get jealous, and they use this degrading form of torture to get even. Be sure to shake only when next to a person or a piece of furniture.

LEAN: Every good dog's response to the command "sit!," especially if your person is dressed for an evening out. Incredibly effective before black-tie events.

BUMP: The best way to get your human's attention when they are drinking a fresh cup of coffee or tea.

GOOSE BUMP: A maneuver to use as a last resort when the regular bump doesn't get the attention you require ... especially effective when combined with the sniff. See above.

CHILDREN: Short humans of optimal petting height. Standing close to one assures some good petting. When running, they are good to chase. If they fall down, they are comfortable to sit on.

LOVE: A feeling of intense affection, given freely and without restriction. The best way you can show your love is to wag your tail. If you're lucky, a human will love you in return.

Obedience Trainability chart

Obedience trainability measures a dog's ability and willingness to learn and obey commands such as sit, stay, heel, and so on. Almost all dogs can be trained to obey simple commands, but some breeds are more trainable than others. A dog with a value of 100 would obey you all the time, while a dog with a zero would rarely heed your commands. Enter 100 if, all other traits being equal, you prefer a dog that's more obedient over one that's less so. If you prefer a dog that shows a little spunk by disobeying now and then, enter a lower value like 75.

Breed	Obedience Trainability
Border Collie	98
Toy Poodle	96
Standard Poodle	90
Shetland Sheepdog	90
Papillon	90
Miniature Poodle	90
Japanese Chin	90
Collie	90
Bichon Frise	90
Belgian Tervuren	90
Belgian Sheepdog	90
Belgian Malinois	90
Welsh Corgi, Cardigan	86
Port. Water Dog	80
German Shepherd	80
Cav. King Charles Spaniel	80
Bearded Collie	80
Aust. Shepherd	80
Aust. Cattle Dog	80
Wirehr. Ptg. Griffon	70
W. Highland White Terrier	70
Vizsla	70
Newfoundland	70
Maltese	70
Italian Greyhound	70
Golden Retriever	70
Flat Coated Retriever	70
Field Spaniel	70
Eng. Cocker Spaniel	70
Dalmation	70
Curly Coated Retr.	70
Cocker Spaniel (American)	70
Britanny Spaniel	70
Boston Terrier	70
Border Terrier	70
Bern. Mountain Dog	70
Aust. Terrier	70
American Eskimo	70
Welsh Corgi, Pembroke	68
Irish Setter	66
Labrador Retriever	64
Bouv. des Flandres	62
Irish Wolfhound	60
Chinese Crested	60
Chihuahua	60
Amer. Water Spaniel	60
Dachshund	56
Whippet	50
Welsh Spr. Spaniel	50
Wheaten Terrier	50
Skye Terrier	50
Silky Terrier	50
Shih Tzu	50
Saluki	50
Saint Bernard	50
Pug	50
Miniature Schnauzer	50
Mastiff	50
Keeshond	50
Great Dane	50
Eng. Toy Spaniel	50
English Springer Spaniel	50
English Foxhound	50
Dobermann Pinscher	50
Ches. Bay Retriever	50
Cairn Terrier	50
Bedlington Terrier	50
American Foxhound	50
Affenpinscher	50
Borzoi	48
Basenji	48
Scottish Deerhound	46
German Wirehair	46
English Setter	46
Clumber Spaniel	46
Bloodhound	46
Basset Hound	46
Pointer	44
Otterhound	44
Gordon Setter	42
Yorkshire Terrier	40
Standard Schnauzer	40
Giant Schnauzer	40
German Shorthair	40
Dandie Din. Terrier	40
Airedale Terrier	40
Great Pyrenees	38
Fox Terrier	36
Lakeland Terrier	32
Boxer	32
Weimaraner	30
Toy Manchester	30
Tibetan Terrier	30
Siberian Husky	30
Sealyham Terrier	30
Schipperke	30
Samoyed	30
Rhodesian Ridgeback	30
Pharoah Hound	30
Old Eng. Sheepdog	30
Norwich Terrier	30
Norwegian Elkhound	30
Norfolk Terrier	30
Manchester Terrier	30
Lhasa Apso	30
Kerry Blue Terrier	30
Jack Russell Terrier	30
Irish Water Spaniel	30
Irish Terrier	30
French Bulldog	30
Bullmastiff	30
Bulldog	30
Bull Terrier	30
Brussels Griffon	30
Black & Tan Coonhound	30
Beagle	30
Afghan Hound	30
Harrier	28
Sussex Spaniel	26
Scottish Terrier	26
Welsh Terrier	24
Puli	24
Akita	24
Staff. Bull Terrier	22
Rottweiler	22
Amer Staffordshire Terrier	22
Alaskan Malamute	22
Tibetan Spaniel	20
Neopolitan Mastiff	20
Komondor	20
Chinese Shar Pei	20
Chow Chow	16
Ibizan Hound	15
Greyhound	14
Pomeranian	10
Pekingese	10
Miniature Pinscher	10
Kuvasz	10
Briard	10