Australian Shepherd

The PetNet - Australian Shepherd

Despite his name, the Australian Shepherd originated in the western U.S., not Australia, around the time of the Gold Rush in the 1840s. Originally bred to herd livestock, he remains a working dog breed at heart; the Aussie, as he's nicknamed, is happiest when he has a job to do. He can be a wonderful family companion if his intelligence and energy are channeled into dog sports or activities.
Watching an Australian Shepherd round up a flock of sheep is a beautiful sight. With sure and athletic movement, he directs the flock using nips, barks, and "eye," a penetrating stare that clearly says, "I'm in charge."

Intelligent, hard working, and versatile, the Aussie is a no-nonsense dog who thrives in a home where his brains and energy are put to good use. You don't have to keep a flock of sheep if you live with an Aussie — although it doesn't hurt — but you do have to keep him busy. He's a high-energy dog who doesn't know the meaning of couch potato and wouldn't approve of it if he did.

Because he's got energy to burn, he needs plenty of exercise — a walk around the neighborhood won't cut it — and at least a small yard to help him work out his ya-yas. Lacking a job to do, he becomes bored, destructive, and loud. Or he might invent his own job: herding the kids, either yours or the neighbors'; chasing cars or other animals; or taking your house apart. If you don't have the time or energy to train and exercise the Aussie on a daily basis, he's not the breed for you.

But if you're interested in competitive dog sports, the Aussie's the one. This agile, medium-size dog with the docked or naturally bobbed tail is a top contender in all levels of obedience, agility, flyball, and herding tests. He's also successful in such canine careers as guide dog, hearing dog, assistance dog, police dog, and search and rescue work.


Temperament

Australian Shepherds are easy-going, remaining puppy-like even in their adult years. This courageous dog makes a good watchdog for the home. Aussies are excellent with children, even with an active child, as they love to play. They are devoted, loyal friends and guardians, for they are naturally protective. Affectionate, very lively, agile and attentive—they are eager to please, with a sixth sense about what the owner wants. Australian Shepherds are highly intelligent and easy to train. Though aggressive when at work with livestock, the Aussie is gentle with human friends. Australian Shepherds are not the kind of dog to lie around the living room all day or live happily in the backyard with only a 15-minute walk. They need much more exercise than that and something to occupy their mind daily or they will become bored, leading to serious behavior problems. Without enough mental and physical exercise and/or a lack of a true pack leader, they can become nervous and destructive if left alone. Socialize well to prevent them from becoming suspicious of strangers. Working lines may be too energetic for people who only have a moderately active lifestyle. Some like to nip people's heels in an attempt to herd them, and this behavior needs to be corrected, teaching the dog that humans are not to be herded. The Aussie is a quiet worker. This breed is not usually dog aggressive.


Care

If you've got a yard, make sure you've also got a secure fence that your Aussie can't dig under or jump over. Underground electronic fencing won't work for this breed: Your Aussie's desire to go out and herd something will overcome any concern he might have about getting a mild shock. For the same reason, walk him on leash unless you're willing to train him to resist his urges.

Your Aussie needs a half hour to an hour of stimulating activity every day, such as a run, a Frisbee game, or obedience or agility exercises. When you're not playing with your dog, puzzle toys such as Buster Cubes are a great way to keep that active mind occupied.

Puppies don't need as much hard exercise as adults, and in fact, you shouldn't let them run them on hard surfaces such as concrete or let them do a lot of jumping until they're at least a year old. It could stress their still developing skeletal system and cause future joint problems.

The Aussie habit of nipping and chasing is excellent for herding sheep but bad manners when it's applied to humans and other pets. Obedience class can help you curb your Aussie's herding behavior, and they help satisfy his need for mental stimulation and work, too.

Aussies respond well to training methods that use positive reinforcement — rewards such as praise, play, and food — and are usually happy to take commands from their trainer. They just want to know who's in charge so they can do a good job for them.


Height: Males 20 - 23 inches (52 - 58cm) Females 18 - 21 inches (46 – 53 cm)

Weight: Males 50 - 65 pounds (25 - 29 kg) Females 40 - 55 pounds (18 - 25 kg)

Is Your Cat Freaking Out ? See some Signs

Stress can make anyone a little crazy, even our cats. The tricky part is while the anxiety and fear associated with stress affects our cats in much the same way it does us, most cats tend to hide and mask their inner turmoil. Even worse, stress can be an indication that your cat has a health issue.


Urinating Outside Litter Box

It's annoying, smelly and a pain to clean up, but pay attention. Cats that urinate outside the litter box are trying to tell us something. Consult your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist to find out what it is.


Diarrhea, Constipation or other Digestive Issue

This is another rather stinky situation and one that could be indicative of several things. Best not let it go and speak with your vet.


Excessive Grooming

Cats are known for their fastidious grooming, but licking themselves raw or bald is a clear sign of distress. Skip the groomer and go straight for the vet's office.


Excessive Scratching

Like compulsive licking, excessive scratching can be indicative of several health and behavioral issues. Make an appointment with your veterinarian before the problem gets out of hand.


Isolation

Aloofness is second nature to cats. However, a cat should not be actively and constantly hiding from you and everyone else in the house. Once you've managed to wrangle him or her into a cat carrier, go to the vet.


Excessive Vocalization

Many find the tone of a cat "talking" quite soothing, but be wary of unusually long or recurring bouts of panicked meows — especially if your cat is not the typical "talker." If it does happen, take your cat to the veterinarian rather than try to crack the kitty language code.


Decrease in Appetite

Cats don't go on fasts or diets like we do so it's important to consult a veterinarian if your cat suddenly loses interest in food or stops eating altogether.


Increased Sleeping

Just because cats can sleep up to 20 hours a day doesn't necessarily mean your cat will. By now you will have become accustomed to his or her sleeping schedule. Speak with your veterinarian if you're cat is sleeping more than usual or seems overly lethargic.


Aggression Towards Other Animals

Fights or aggressive actions towards household pets or other animals can be a sign of a stressed or sick cat. Consult your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist before the problems gets worse.


Aggression Towards People

A stressed or sick cat may also display aggression towards people, even you. Again, it's best to consult your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist immediately.

Beagle

The Beagle is a happy, inquisitive, shorthaired hound who makes a great family companion, an eager hunter in the field — or both!

Small, compact, and hardy, Beagles are active companions for kids and adults alike. Canines in this dog breed are merry and fun loving, but being hounds, they can also be stubborn and require patient, creative training techniques. Their noses guide them through life, and they're never happier than when following an interesting scent. The Beagle originally was bred as ascenthound to track small game, mostly rabbits and hare. He is still used for this purpose in many countries, including the United States.


It's difficult to resist the appeal of a Beagle's dark brown or hazel eyes, with his soft, pleading expression. They're happy, outgoing and loving — characteristics more than balanced out by their hound nature, which is inquisitive, determined, and focused on food. They aren't yappy dogs, but they do have three distinct vocalizations — a bark/growl, a baying howl, and a half-baying howl (a cross between a frantic bark and a bay). The half-howl vocalization usually is reserved for when they catch sight of quarry — or think it's time to wake the neighbors at 6 a.m.! Being pack dogs, they generally get along well with other animals and their human friends — and they think everyone is their new best friend. The most important thing to know about the Beagle is that he is a scenthound. His nose is the most important part of his anatomy and his head is always down to the ground, searching for an interesting trail to follow. Beagles have approximately 220 million scent receptors compared to the paltry 5 million or so in people, which makes them very good at picking up scents. Humorist Dave Barry once described his in-laws' Beagle as "a nose with feet."

You may have seen the Beagle's nose at work at airports across the country. In 1984, the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided to use Beagles to sniff out contraband food being brought into the United States at the Los Angeles International Airport.
The experiment was a huge success. Because they are small, friendly, and cute, the Beagles didn't intimidate people who are afraid of dogs, and with their super nose power, they could be trained to identify specific food articles while bypassing those that weren't contraband. Today, members of the "Beagle Brigade" patrol the baggage-claim areas at more than 20 international airports and other points of entry into the United States.

Although they've branched out into other fields of work, Beagles remain superb hunters of small game. The National Beagle Club's Institute Farm hosts AKC-sanctioned field trials where breeders with packs are put to the test in the field. Many other countries have similar activities for hunting Beagles.

Because of their small size and gentle temperament, Beagles can do well in apartments if their people are willing to walk them on lead several times a day in all kinds of weather. They need plenty of exercise, about an hour a day if possible. If left alone and unexercised, Beagles can become destructive.

Border Collie

The Border Collie dog breed was developed to gather and control sheep in the hilly border country between Scotland and England. He is known for his intense stare, or "eye," with which he controls his flock. He's a dog with unlimited energy, stamina, and working drive, all of which make him a premier herding dog; he's still used today to herd sheep on farms and ranches around the world. The highly trainable and intelligent Border Collie also excels in various canine sports, including obedience, flyball, agility, tracking, and flying disc competitions.

If you've ever had the pleasure of watching a Border Collie herd sheep, you know you're watching a master craftsman at work, with his intense stare as he approaches the sheep, his almost intuitive response to the shepherd's command, and the skillful manner in which he maneuvers the sheep exactly where the shepherd wants them to go. It is awe-inspiring.

The Border Collie, a medium-sized dog at 30 to 45 pounds, possesses a seemingly supernatural amount of energy and stamina — a hardiness that was developed when he was required to work all day in the hills and valleys of the rugged Scottish border country, sometimes running 50 miles or more a day. When it comes to the ideal working dog, it doesn't get much better than the Border Collie.

If there is a dark side to the Border Collie's energy and workaholic attitude, it comes out when he's brought into a family that doesn't understand him. He is not a cuddly, couch-potato dog. He doesn't want to be coddled. He wants — and needs — a job. Keeping up with the Border Collie's intense mental and physical stamina is exhausting, even exasperating, to an owner or family that wants a laid-back family pet.
The Border Collie is a herding dog, which means he has an overwhelming urge to gather a flock. That flock could be sheep, children, cats, squirrels, or anything that moves, including cars. This instinct to nip, nudge, and bark, along with his energy, cannot be trained out of him. Rather, it must be directed. He must have a task, whether it's actually herding sheep or competing in dog sports. A brisk walk or a game of fetch every day isn't enough activity for the Border Collie.
That said, for the right owner, a Border Collie is a wonderful dog to live with. His intelligence and tractable nature make him easy to train. He's sensitive and, according to those who know him well, he has an uncanny ability to know what you're going to ask of him before you ask it. If he is well socialized and trained from puppyhood, he can adapt to almost any living situation that provides the mental and physical exercise he requires.
The Border Collie is a good match for an owner who is as active as he is, especially one who's eager to get involved in dog sports. With the right training, this breed excels in any activity he tries, including sheepdog trials, agility, flyball, flying disc, advanced obedience, freestyle obedience, or tracking.The owner or family that's willing to properly socialize and train the Border Collie will find a soul mate in this intelligent, sensitive breed.

The Border Collie is highly sensitive, often responsive to the subtlest command and seemingly able to predict his owner's desires in advance.
A workaholic who thrives on mental and physical stimulation, the Border Collie must have a positive way to direct his energy. Otherwise he'll invent his own games — and he can become a problem to live with.
The Border Collie will herd anything that moves, including children, cars, people on bikes, cats, and squirrels. He can become a real problem if he's allowed to roam in a neighborhood; a securely fenced yard is essential.
The noisy play of young children can stimulate the Border Collie's herding instinct and cause him to nip, nudge, and bark.
To prevent shyness, the Border Collie must be well socialized.

The Border Collie doesn't usually roam, but his curiosity and intelligence can lead him to become an escape artist.
To get a healthy dog, never buy a puppy from an irresponsible breeder, puppy mill, or pet store. Look for a reputable breeder who tests her breeding dogs to make sure they're free of genetic diseases that they might pass onto the puppies, and that they have sound temperaments.

Quite simply, the Border Collie is a dynamo. His personality is characteristically alert, energetic, hardworking, and smart. He learns quickly — so quickly that it's sometimes difficult to keep him challenged.

This breed likes to be busy. In fact, he must be busy or he becomes bored, which leads to annoying behavior, such as barking, digging, or chasing cars. He's not a dog to lie quietly on the front porch while you sip a glass of lemonade; he thrives on activity. Remember, he was bred to run and work all day herding sheep.
The Border Collie is also renowned for being highly sensitive to his handler's every cue, from a whistle to a hand signal to a raised eyebrow.

Of course, the Border Collie isn't perfect. He can be strong-minded and independent, and his compulsion to herd can become misdirected. In the absence of sheep, or some kind of job, he is apt to gather and chase children, cars, or pets.

He can also become fearful or shy if he isn't properly socialized as a puppy. Puppy classes and plenty of exposure to a variety of people, places, and things help the sensitive Border Collie gain confidence.

How much exercise does my puppy need?

Humans need exercise to feel better, look better and live a healthy life. And the dogs in our lives are no different. Dogs are built for activity. In fact, stray cats and dogs can travel 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) a day. Their domesticated counterparts certainly don't need to cover that much ground every day, but they still need to be regularly moving on all fours.




Daily exercise is good for both your pooch's mental and physical well-being. Exercise can help your baby dog avoid arthritis and other problems with his joints later on in life. Dogs are also prone to the same types of obesity-related illnesses as humans, so exercise is crucial to helping them keep off the pounds. Basically, getting your dog in the habit of regular physical activity while he's young is the cornerstone to a long healthy life and helps his physical development.

Puppies also need exercise for mental stimulation (SEE MORE). Moving around keeps them from becoming bored and mischievous. Many owners find that taking their dogs out for regular outdoor play and walks cuts down on behavioral issues like incessant chewing and digging and nonstop barking that make owners want to pull their hair out.

How Much is Enough?
Make sure you're consistent with the amount of exercise your puppy gets. You need to help him build his stamina, and the only way he can do this is by exercising regularly but with caution. At the puppy stage, he's much too young to be doing the rigorous activities that he will be more able to do as he grows older.The amount of exercise your puppy needs depends on his age, breed and medical condition. Not every breed will be up for a long walk through Central Park. Some breeds are just not built to go the distance, while others are always ready to romp. Some of the breeds that need the most exercise are Border collies, Labrador retrievers, Jack Russell terriers and Dalmatians.

Puppies need five minutes of exercise per month of age up to twice a day, according to the U.K. Kennel Club. In other words, a 3-month-old puppy will need 15 minutes of exercise while a 4-month-old will need 20 minutes. This may take the form of low-impact activities like swimming or playing with small dog exercise balls. You can also take your puppy out for short walks on a leash. However, if he starts to sit down, give him time to rest. If he does not start walking again, you may have to carry him home.


Most adult dogs should participate in some form of physical activity for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours every day. Your puppy's genetics will determine when it's time to move her up to adult dog exercise. If she won't get any larger than 25 pounds (11 kilograms), then she can start at around 9 months. If she'll end up weighing between 25 to 100 pounds (11 to 45 kilograms), it's best to wait until she's at least 14 months old. If she'll be tipping the scale at 100 pounds (45 kilograms) or more, you can introduce these activities to her when she is at least a year and a half old.

So, how will your pooch feel after exercising? Pretty much the same as you and I feel after a great workout. Taking your puppy on a nice short walk or letting him play in the yard translates to a calmer canine that will more than likely sleep very well that night.

Cavalier King Charles

Although he's born to be a companion, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog breed retains the sporty nature of his spaniel ancestors. If he's not sitting on a lap or getting a belly rub, nothing makes him happier than to flush a bird and then attempt to retrieve it. One of the largest of the toy breeds, he's often as athletic as a true sporting breed and enjoys hiking, running on the beach, and dog sports such as agility, flyball and rally. Some have even shown their prowess as hunting dogs. The more restful members of the breed find success as family friends and therapy dogs.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a beautiful small dog that undoubtedly is a contender for the title of "top tail-wagger." In fact, among the characteristics that Cavalier breeders strive to attain is a tail in constant motion when this breed is moving.

If the characteristic wagging of the Cavalier's plumy tail doesn't melt your heart, surely his large, dark round eyes will. Warm and lustrous, with a sweet expression, they hold the power to extract constant petting and unlimited supplies of food from people under their spell. Not surprisingly, this breed can easily become fat, which spoils its lovely lines, so be strong and offer a walk or playtime instead of the potato chips and pizza your Cavalier is angling for.
Cavaliers pad through the house on slippered paws, always following in the footsteps of their people. With a Cavalier in residence, you'll never be alone — not even in the bathroom. Because they're so attached to their people, they do best when someone is at home during the day to keep them company. They are a housedog and will never thrive in an environment where they're relegated to the backyard or otherwise ignored.

When it comes to training, Cavaliers are generally intelligent and willing to try whatever it is you'd like them to do. Food rewards and positive reinforcement help ensure that training goes smoothly. Cavaliers have a soft personality, so yelling at them is counterproductive and likely to send these sweeties into the sulks or into hiding. Instead, reward them every time you see them doing something you like, whether it's chewing on a toy instead of your Prada pumps or not barking in response when the dog next door barks. They'll fall all over themselves to find more things that you like.

As with many toy breeds, Cavaliers can have issues with housetraining, but if you keep them on a consistent schedule, with plenty of opportunities to potty outdoors, they can become trustworthy in the home.

While the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a relatively new breed, recreated less than a century ago, his prototype is the toy spaniel that has existed for centuries as a companion to royalty and nobility.

Cavaliers are descended from the same toy spaniels depicted in many 16th, 17th, and 18th century paintings by famous artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The spaniels in those paintings had flat heads, high-set ears, and longish noses.

These little spaniels were great favorites of royal and noble families in England. Mary, Queen of Scots had a toy spaniel who accompanied her as she walked to her beheading, and her grandson, Charles I, and great-grandson, Charles II — who gave their name to the breed — loved the little dogs as well. It's said that King Charles II, who reigned from 1660 to 1685, never went anywhere without at least two or three of these little spaniels. He even decreed that the spaniels should be allowed in any public place, including the Houses of Parliament. It's claimed that the decree is still in effect today in England, although no one has tested it recently to see if it's true.

After Charles II's death, the King Charles Spaniels' popularity waned, and Pugs and other short-faced breeds became the new royal favorites. The King Charles Spaniels were bred with these dogs and eventually developed many of their features, such as the shorter nose and the domed head.

There was one stronghold of the King Charles Spaniels that were of the type that King Charles himself had so loved — and that was at Blenheim Palace, the country estate of the Dukes of Marlborough. Here, a strain of red and white Toy Spaniels continued to be bred, which is why Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with this coloration are called Blenheim today.

Since there was no standard for the breed and no dog shows yet, the type and size of the toy spaniels bred by the Dukes of Marlborough varied. In the mid-19th century, however, English breeders started holding dog shows and trying to refine different dog breeds. By that time, the toy spaniel was accepted as having a flat face, undershot jaw, domed skull and large, round, front-facing eyes. The King Charles Spaniels depicted in paintings from earlier centuries were almost extinct.

In the 1920s, an American named Roswell Eldridge started searching in England for toy spaniels that resembled those in the old paintings. He searched for more than five years, even taking his search to the Crufts Dog Show, where he persuaded the Kennel Club (England's equivalent to the American Kennel Club) to allow him to offer 25 pounds sterling — a huge sum at the time — for the best dog and best bitch of the type seen in King Charles II's reign. He offered this prize for five years.

In 1928, Miss Mostyn Walker presented a dog named Ann's Son for evaluation and was awarded the 25-pound prize. Roswell Eldridge didn't live to see the prize claimed, as he had died just one month before Crufts. Interest in the breed revived, and a breed club was formed. The name Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was chosen to differentiate the breed from the flat-faced King Charles Spaniel (known as the English Toy Spaniel in the United States).

The club held its first meeting on the second day of Crufts in 1928 and drew up a breed standard, a written description of how the breed should look. Ann's Son was presented as an example of the breed, and club members gathered up all of the copies of pictures of the old paintings that had little dogs of this type in them. One thing that all club members agreed upon from the start was that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels would be kept as natural as possible and trimming and shaping of the dog for the show ring would be discouraged.

The Kennel Club was reluctant to recognize the new breed, but finally, in 1945, after years of work by the breeders, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was recognized as a separate breed.

In the 1940s, two male Cavaliers were imported into the U.S. from England — Robrull of Veren and Bertie of Rookerynook. It wasn't until 1952, however, that Cavaliers had their true beginnings in the U.S. In that year, Mrs. (Sally) Lyons Brown of Kentucky was given a black and tan bitch puppy named Psyche of Eyeworth by her English friend, Lady Mary Forwood. She fell in love with the breed and imported more.

When she found that she couldn't register her dogs with the American Kennel Club, she started contacting people in the U.S. that had Cavaliers. At that time, there were fewer than a dozen. In 1954, she founded the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, USA (CKCSC, USA), the official breed club and only registering body for Cavaliers in the United States for more than fifty years.

During these years, the members of the CKCSC, USA decided against pushing for full recognition of the breed, feeling that the club's strict code of ethics prevented the breed from being commercially bred. They feared that too much recognition of the breed would lead to it becoming too popular and therefore too attractive for breeders who wouldn't maintain the standards they had established. Mostly, they kept the AKC Miscellaneous status so that members who wanted to show their dogs in obedience could do so.

Fish Breeding

Fish keepers start out with a few tropical fish or maybe some gold fish in a small aquarium. But they soon want to know more about how their fish live, and especially how they breed.

General aspects of fish breeding, just like with fish keeping, include proper feeding and providing the right environment. The breeding environment needs to be maintained with proper water conditions and you need to watch for disease or other ailments.
Some fish are easy to breed and will readily spawn in a community tank. But most fish need a bit more help. Understanding the spawning behaviors and needs for the particular type of fish will make fish breeding successful and rewarding.
Carefully selecting the "brood stock" (parent fish) and condition them on a good varied diet is important. A fish breeding tank is needed for many species as well. The breeding aquarium needs to have the right water conditions to stimulate spawning and for the eggs to hatch. Consideration also needs to be given to the fry and their survival. The first foods for the fry, before they become free swimming, and foods for the fry to grow are important. It's also important that they are protected and have places to hide.

For first timers, or those who are new to the hobby, it's advisable to start out with some of the easy to breed livebearers. These include the Guppies and Platies. Then move on to some of the hardy egg-layers, like Danios and Barbs. Experience with these initial undertakings will greatly help in keeping and breeding many other types of fish, including some of the very difficult species.