Dog Breeds and You

How to choose the right breed of dog for you and your family

The importance of choosing the most suitable type of dog breed for your personal circumstances, preferences and limitations simply cannot be stressed enough. While dogs are like people, in the sense that no two dogs have the same personality, it is also true that different breeds exhibit different behaviors and, in fact, are often bred in such a way as to heighten these particular traits. Therefore, it is possible to have a fair idea of how a potential pet will react to different situations on the basis of the breed chosen. A true dog lover will make a special effort to take into consideration all factors to ensure that the breed selected as their pet adapts well to their needs.

Anyone for a Dalmatian?

The first thing to bear in mind is that the type of dog chosen must fit in with your current - or projected - lifestyle. The Dalmatian can serve as a good example. This breed is well known for producing cute little puppies, but what many dog owners don't realize is that they're going to need a great deal of exercise and playing even well into their mature years. So, if you choose this breed, you have to be aware that your dog is going to need the attention and love of a master, or mistress, that has the time for it. It's going to need plenty of physical exercise and mental stimulation to be a truly healthy and happy pet. As you can imagine, this is no easy task.

Considerations

Before you decide on a breed of dog, consider the following questions, as a minimum:

How much time can I, or my family, spend with the dog or puppy?

How often will the dog be left alone, and for how long?

How big is the yard or exercise space?

Is it fenced?

Do I want the dog to be inside the house or outside? For how long?

How much time do I have to walk or exercise the dog?

Do I want a dog that is playful and friendly with everyone or one that is a good watchdog?

How often am I prepared to groom and maintain the dog's coat?

How much time can I spare to work with the dog for training and obedience?

Will there be any small children around the dog?

Are their other pets in the family?

How much money am I prepared to spend on getting - and maintaining - the dog or puppy?

Once you've answered these questions, and any more that may be relevant to your particular situation, you can then start looking at the different dog breeds and their characteristics, in the knowledge that your choice will be based on sound reasoning.

Make sure you get it right

If you're planning to get a new dog or puppy, the breed chosen definitely does matter, both for you and for your future pet. If you spend the time and effort to ensure a good match, you can be much more confident that both you and your pet will be happy - make sure your dog can fit easily into your lifestyle, so that you can give it, in return, the lifestyle it deserves and needs.

Terry Roberts has always been interested in dogs and the way people and their pets get on.

A Brief History Of Table Tennis

If you watch the sports channels on TV, such as ESPN, a lot, you're likely to catch a game of table tennis every so often. Table tennis, often called ping pong, is played on a wooden table, with a plastic ball and paddles covered in rubber and a net dividing the playing surface. It is sometimes called the miniature version of tennis since the rules are so similar.

Table tennis is a fun and exciting sport and it is easy to learn. A big advantage to taking up table tennis is that you don't need to spend a lot of money on expensive equipment. The most expensive part is obviously the table. You can find inexpensive ping pong sets, consisting of the net, 2 paddles and a number of balls, in almost any department store in the toy or sporting goods section.

The game of table tennis was invented in England in the 1880's by rich Victorians looking for an activity to be played indoors. When the game was first played, books served as a net, a knot of string or a champagne cork was used as a ball and cigarette box lids were employed as paddles. Apparently people enjoyed this newly invented game with its make-shift equipment, since it continued to grow in popularity.

Improvements were made to the equipment during the early 1900's. The balls were being made from celluloid and the paddles consisted of a piece of rubber glued to a wooden handle. The word ping pong originated because of the distinctive sound the ball made when hit with the rubber paddle. And Parker Brothers opted to go with the ping pong name when they introduced the game to the United States.

With the commercial availability of the equipment, the game continued to grow in popularity and the first tournament was held in 1902. In 1921 the Table Tennis Association was founded in England and less than 10 years later, the first World Championships also took place there.

Over time the sport spread to other parts of the world. In the Far Eastern countries, such as China, it is called ping pong, while in other countries similar terms in the native language are used.

The 1950's rolled around and other innovations were made. As an example, a sponge layer was added to the paddles over the rubber, making the paddles lighter and easier for the players to use. And finally, after being around for more than a century, table tennis was included as an Olympic Sport in 1988.

In the latter part of 2000, the international body governing the rules of table tennis introduced more changes. They decided to increase the size of the plastic ball used in tournaments from 38mm to 40mm. This was an attempt to slow the game down a little. They also made changes to the way the game was scored, now using a 11 point system as opposed to the traditional 21 points, which makes each set fast and exciting for the players and spectators.

Enjoy your experiences with table tennis, and remember to keep your eye on the ball.

Evert DuToit is the webmaster and publisher of http://www.tabletennisfacts.com/ where you'll find informative articles on table tennis.