Basset Hound - The Facts Every Owner Of This Dog Breed Should Know

The Basset Hound originated in sixth century France and is thought to be descended from the St. Hubert Hounds. The Basset Hound (bas means 'low-set' in French) proved useful to hunters, with its slow movement and long ears to stir up scent, they could drive prey out from dense covering and into open fields. The Basset Hound has stamina to keep up with hunters and to track and prey for long periods of time. Basset Hounds are still used for hunting in some areas of the world. The Basset Hound is described as gentle, sociable and stubborn.

Basset Hounds are loyal to their families and good with children and other animals. They prefer to be lap dogs and do not make good guard dogs, as they will greet any stranger who approaches them as a friend. Basset Hounds tend to be strong-willed and independent, making them difficult to train, but with enough consistency this can be overcome. When out for a walk with a Basset Hound, always keep it on a leash as the hunting tendencies may override any and all training.

Though Basset Hounds have a short stature, standing 12 to 15 inches tall, they are not considered small dogs, and will on average weight 50 to 65 pounds when mature. They have short coats that are tri-colored (black, white and tan) or red and white, and require relatively little maintenance. Regular brushing will keep the coat free of dirt and reduce shedding. Baths are necessary only a few times a year, as their coats tend to repel water. A Basset Hound's ears need regular cleaning since their long, floppy ears do not allow air to circulate, increasing the risk of infection and they do tend to slobber more than other dogs.

Basset Hounds need to be exercised frequently and often times have to be encouraged to do so as they are prone to taking naps in the sun. The Basset Hound is prone to some genetic disorders. Von Willebrand's disease is a platelet disorder that results in mild to moderate bleeding and a longer than average bleeding time. Through breeding, the incident of this condition has been reduced in the breed.

Basset Hounds are also prone to glaucoma, gastric torsion and interdigital cysts. Some Basset Hounds are allergic to certain grasses. Without proper exercise, Basset Hounds are prone to obesity, which can cause arthritis, back pains and heart trouble.

There is a website that has great information on Basset Hounds and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2006

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25 years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

The Royal Pug

People love Pugs! There is something about that rogue-like face that tugs at your heart strings. This dignified toy breed is loved by royalty and commoners alike. These loving, intelligent, little clowns are extremely popular and ranked 12th out of 154 dog breeds registered by the American Kennel Club in 2005. The Pug is the largest of the Toy Dog Group weighing in a whopping 14 to 18 pounds. You can get free pictures and additional information on the Pug at Pug Pictures.

The Pug has a fascinating history and one that is somewhat controversial. No one disputes that the English painter William Hogarth owned Pugs and portrayed them many times in his paintings. For example, Hogarth's 1730 painting shows a black pug in House of Cards. Similarly everyone agrees that the Pug became the official dog of the House of Orange after saving the life of the Prince of Orange, by giving alarm at the approach of the Spaniards in 1572. Later when William of Orange went to England in 1688 to be crowned King William III, he took along several Pugs. So we know how the Pugs got from Holland to England but the controversy arises over how the breed got to Holland in the 16th century. One group of historians thinks the Pug was developed as a result of crossing several small Bulldogs. Another group thinks it is a miniature form of the rare French mastiff called the Dogue de Bordeaux. However the majority of historians think that the Pug originated in China and was brought back to 16th century Holland by the Dutch East India Company traders. This is the history that we will assume is true.

The Pug is of Chinese origin and its development seems to pre-date the Christian era. Early records indicate that there were three types of short-nosed dogs bred by the Chinese. They were the Lion Dog (probably the Shih Tzu), The Pekingese and the Foo Dog or Pug. These dogs became very popular with Chinese royalty and the Pug breed was highly prized by the Emperors of China and lived a pampered existence. In fact, ordinary citizens were not allowed to own them. However, European traders managed to obtain some Pugs and introduce them to Europe - particularly Portugal, Spain, Holland and England which were the home countries of the traders. There, these adorable little animals became the pampered favourites of many royal families. We mentioned earlier that William III and Mary introduced Pugs to Britain from Holland when they became King and Queen in 1688 and the little dogs became a favourite at the royal court. This small dog breed was also extremely popular in the European courts and was a favourite of Napoleon's wife, Queen Josephine of France. Later Queen Victoria of England succumbed to the Pugs charm and introduced several Pugs into her household. This British royalty love of Pugs continued down the line into the 20th century with the Duke of Windsor becoming a Pug owner. However by the time of Queen Victoria and her descendants, Pugs were no longer restricted to royalty. Members of the aristocracy became enamoured with Pugs as well.

Because the Pug was becoming very popular, English breeders were importing Pugs from other countries such as Russia, Austria and Holland. In 1860 British soldiers overran the Imperial palace in Peking and brought back a number of Pugs to England. The black Pug probably was imported at this time. Subsequent to this period, breeders established standards for the breed. In 1881, the Pug Dog Club of England was established and in 1883 the British Kennel Club formally recognized this breed club. By 1885, the Pug had been accepted for registration by the American Kennel Club but no national American breed club was created until 1931. By the beginning of the 20th century, large numbers of Pugs were exported to the United States from the United Kingdom. These Pugs were expensive - as they were still very much upper-class dogs.

Now we no longer have to be members of the royalty or the upper classes to own a Pug. Pugs are low maintenance dog breeds that require little grooming and get enough exercise playing indoors. They are well suited for apartment living. Pugs have a tendency to put on weight and should be taken for walks when the weather isn't too hot.

Many royal and well known people have been owned by a Pug. This started with the Chinese Emperors many centuries ago and continued right up to the Dowager Empress of China who died in 1908. Many European royal families including Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine fell under the spell of the Pug. More contemporary (and quite diverse) Pug owners included Sir Winston Churchill, Valentino, Andy Warhol and Sammy Davis Jr.

Perhaps it is time for you to consider being royally entertained by the uncommon Pug!

Mike Mathews is a contributing writer and editor for the popular dog breed site: http://www.dog-breed-facts.com. He provides informative, real-world advice and tips on dog breeds, dog health, dog grooming and more. As well be sure to check out his free report on Dog Training.

Clicker Training Introduction

Clicker training with dogs is fairly well known, but all animals can be trained with the Clicker method, cats, birds, horses and most others.

Dogs soon learn that when they perform a particular action it gets them a reward immediately after hearing the click, this is a very positive way of training, which dogs react well to. They soon start performing the action in the hope of getting another treat. The training sessions are totally pleasurable for the dog so they learn very quickly, once they have realised that they get a reward.

The difference between clicker training and other reward based training methods is that with the clicker training method the dog immediately understands which action has resulted in his receiving the reward. As he hears the click, as the correct action is performed, he immediately receives the reward.

The clicker is a more positive way of training than the spoken word simply because the dog will very rarely hear the click at any other time, except when training, but he hears spoken words all the time, most of which he does not understand.

You need to exercise a little patience when you first start, but most dogs will start to understand after hearing the click 5 or 6 times. You will know when your dog understands, as he will look up at you when you click.

Start by going somewhere quiet so your dog is not distracted by other noises. Arm your-self with some really tasty treats, that are not usually given to him, like very small pieces of roast beef or chicken, cheese, liver or hot dogs. Use your clicker and give him a treat, do this say, three times so that he associates the click with a treat. Should your dog be of a very nervous disposition, and is frightened of the click then muffle it by putting it in your pocket to begin with. You can start by playing games. Have his toys with you. Throw one and as he picks it up click and reward.

Once you know that your dog understands you can start using words to go with the action. After a short while you can introduce the words fetch and give as he performs these tasks, click and reward.

You have to wait for the action you want.
Mark that behaviour by clicking.
Reward the behaviour.
Repeat.
He then quickly learns what is required of him.

You can also teach him to react to hand signals, in the same way. Once you get to this stage you only reward him when he has responded to your commands, you no longer reward him when he performs the action without the command.

To teach sit or down you have to use the toy as a lure to encourage your dog into the correct position, as soon as he sits or goes down click and reward. Do not use any verbal instructions until you are confident that your dog will perform what you want him to. Only then do you use a command, and when you believe that he will perform to command then you can stop using the toy, or treat, as a lure.

Teaching him to stay is an important lesson to learn. Start by putting him in a sit or down, which ever is your dogs favourite position. Tell him to stay but dont move, if he holds it for a few seconds click and reward. Do this a couple of times before you try taking just one step away, if he holds it click and reward. If he moves just return to him and put him back into position. Keep practicing until you can walk unlimited distances away, but dont try to go too far too quickly.

Teach your dog the difference between stay and wait. Stay is when you are going away from him and will return to him. Wait is for a variety of occasions;

1) You dont want him to jump out of the car until you say.
2) he may be ahead of you and you want him to wait till you catch up with him.
3) he may be about to cross the road without you, and you want to check it first.

There are countless needs for the command to wait.

If your dog is not good on recall then start using the clicker to get him to respond to his name, he will soon learn that he gets a reward when he responds. No dog will come to call if you cant get his attention when you call his name. So when he looks up at you click and reward. The next step would be to call him when he is a distance away, somewhere quiet where there are no distractions, click when he looks up, call him click again and reward. You will soon be able to have good recall when you are out.

The use of the clicker is generally only used while the dog is learning the cue, as in the word or hand signal, once it is understood then you no longer need to click, but the occasional reward is always worthwhile.

Clicker trainers prefer not to reprimand their dogs as they prefer to build a strong relationship with their dogs and they dont believe they can do this if they are punishing wrong behaviour. They also think that they get more enthusiasm from their dog if it is receiving no punishment. It is believed that any bad habits will slowly stop, as they get no reward. If the bad habit persists then the habit needs to be studied to understand why it exists, remove the cause and the bad habit should go away.

Valerie Dancer