Monthly Archives: April 2008

DB and I did give the thought of getting another puppy, but I shoved it off.  The two big boyz are more than enough for me to walk, bathe and split my attention-giving for them. DB insisted that we should at least get a puppy, but I was persistent, No means NO.

Having another puppy right now is not the right time for us. If I want another puppy I would check out Labrador Retriever dog breeds.  Labs are great dogs, and they are high maintenance dogs. I love all kinds of breeds and well, especially the ones we have, Ranger and Cooper.  Ranger is such a loving dog, so affectionate, friendly and very playful.  He has sort of reddish hair on him and has some light yellow fur on his legs, paws, and belly.  He has a great disposition, happy and always wants to be with you. He is one very mellow dog we have ever seen.  There are three types of colors in this breed:  yellow, chocolate and black. 

Both Cooper and Ranger are pure breds with very shiny coat of hair.  Both dogs are at the age where they have mellowed out.  They are 8 and 9 years old respectively.  At his age, Cooper still loves to fetch his frisbees, he is still very playful – loves to play fetch and enjoyed all his walks. Fetching frisbees is his favorite.  I  maintained both their weight so they wouldn’t be overweight. Labrador Retrievers  should not be overweight as they are consider large breeds, they are prone to have joint problems if overweight.  When trained from a pup, Labrador Retrievers will enjoy their exercising time. I tossed a tennis ball or frisbee and Cooper will run for it for hours. That is one of the ways he stays so slim and maintained the muscles that made him looked so fit and trim. 

Since they are at an age where I try not over exert their joins, I walk them daily which is good for their muscles.  As a dog age, they need to maintain their muscle mass to support their joints.

Labrador Retreivers and with any other puppy, when train from young they will be happy and so will the owners.  Labrador Retriever puppies are very smart. When training a Labrador Retriever puppy, I used quite a bit of food to motivate both dogs, but once they got it, I can make do without the food and both dogs did very well too.

Caring for the Labrador Retriever puppy is the same as caring for all other puppies. Patience and consistency are the keys to successful training them. Initially they will at a lost when they set paws in your home, but once they get their surroundings checked, they will start looking towards you for everything from food, play/walk, bathroom, and attention. Labrador Retrievers are from the sporting breed, they are bred for hunting and many owners do train them for obedience competition, or are trained as service/utility dogs.  Like and other large breed dogs, Labrador Retrievers do get bored if not exercised enough.  They know how to dig holes, a burrow in your yard if you are not careful of execising them enough. They can be very noisy when bored.  Good grooming is also essential that is brushing their coat, trimming their nails and as with these breeds with floppy ears, their ears need to be cleaned frequently.  Labrador Retriever outter coat of fur is short and thick and the inner coat is water-resistant.  Labs are bred to retrieve in the sea, and they are wonderful swimmers.  

Will I ever get a Jack Russell terrier in the future?  I don’t think hubby will like that idea of a super hyper dog.  I really don’t mind Jack Russels, but DB will absolutely go berserk if he sees one in his house or apartment or whatever future dwelling we will be residing in!  He told me he will never get an ankle biter as a pet.   So much for the idea of adopting a smaller size puppy.

I have met and personally spent some time with a few Jack Russell terrier while I was at the dog park.  I love bringing my boys to the dog park.  That is the only place where they can really be “free”, literally.   These Jack Russel terriers are in fact very friendly.  They bark at strangers a lot, and which dog wouldn’t, but once you lower yourself to pat them and talk to them, they are the friendliest little creatures I have seen, and they are quick.   They can out run any one in the park with their lean body. 

One of the Jack Russell terrier owner told me caring a JRT puppy is nothing special; it is the same as any other puppy.  The pup still needs a lot of attention and especially for these type of  dog breeds, they love attention and very loving towards their owners.   Also, Jack Russells are barkers and if you owners are able to start their puppy early in not to bark, they will bark at anything on sight.  This breed is a very territorial type, very smart.

JRT’s were initially bred in England to hunt foxes.  They have a quite sparse wiry type of coat to protect them from the harshness of underground during their hun.  JRT’s are very hyper, active and needs a lot of exercise to burn their energy off.  They are working dogs, bred to work.  Owners of JRT’s who are not into giving their pets the attention and exercise, then this type of breed is not for you.   If not given enough they will turn rowdy and rambunctious.  They can be very mischievous and a very clownish character, too.   Their energy is like a speeding bullet. 

Jack Russell terriers need obedience training from an early age.  They are the kind who love to please their owners  The life span of this breed is around 14 to 15 years or longer.  Many owners raise their JRT’s to perform in obedience and agility competitions.  Consistency is the key to raising an obedient Jack Russell terrier.

*Pictures source from dogchannel.com*

Our neighbor across us has two beautiful boxers.  Those two boxers are from the same litter, both brother and sister.  DB told me he won’t get boxers but they do look very lean and muscular dogs.

Having another puppy right now is not the right time for us.  If I want another puppy I might check out Boxer puppies.  Boxers are great dogs, and are wonderful guard dogs, too.  Some might say Boxer dogs look very mean, but they are actually are a sweet bunch of sweeties if well socialized initially during puppy stage.  Boxers have a very short coat of hair.  I like that kind of coat, not much of maintenance like bathing them.  All you need to do is to give your Boxers a good brushing every week to clean them.  They do not need a lot of baths because they are like cats, they sort of do their own grooming.  Moreover,  this type of breed do not shed a lot.

Like any other puppies, training your Boxer puppies obedience is very vital and should be consistent.  Boxers are know to jump so training them not to jump from puppyhood helps when they grow to adulthood.  They are very active and need a lot of exercise.   Dave, the Boxers’ owner exercise them by letting them run along the yard when he mows the yard in the summer.  In the winter, I don’t see the dogs out much but what he once told us, he and his kids will throw tennis balls up and down the stairs so they could tired out.  If they don’t get enough exercise, same with other dogs, they will help tear the house down for you. 

The two Boxers have a very playful personalty and well behaved.  Caring for the Boxer puppies is the same as caring for all other puppies.  Patience and consistency are the keys to successful training them.  Initially they will at a lost when they set paws in your home, but once they get their surroundings checked, they will start looking towards you for everything from food, play/walk, bathroom, and attention. Boxers are from working  breeds, they are bred for guarding and many owners do train them for obedience competition, or are trained as guard dogs in the police force. 

*Pictures source from DogChannel.com*

DB and I did give the thought of getting another puppy, but I shoved it off.  The two big boyz are more than enough for me to walk, bathe and split my attention-giving for them.  DB insisted that we should at least get a puppy within the smaller or medium breed category, but I was persistent, No means NO. 

Having another puppy right now is not the right time for us.  If I want another puppy I would check out other dog breeds besides Labrador Retrievers.  Labs are great dogs, but they are high maintenance dogs.  I love all kinds of breeds and especially the one our friend, Dorothy has, a Beagle name Greta.  Greta is such a loving dog, so affectionate and very playful.  Probably she was still a little pup then when we last saw her.  (Dorothy and family have moved to South Dakota.)  Greta has short hair and she has black and white patches on her entire body and legs and belly. 

My neighbor has a Beagle name Rocky, a brown colored pure bred with  patches of black on his smooth short hair with a white tip tail and paws.  Very cute doggie.  Sparkle is a very loved dog.  At his age, 5 years old, he is still very playful – loves to play fetch and enjoyed all his walks.  Beagles tend to gain weight easily.  My neighbor maintained his weight so he wouldn’t be overweight.   When trained from a pup, Beagles will enjoy their exercising time.  My neighbor tossed a tennis ball and Rocky would run for it for hours.  That was one of the ways he stayed so slim and maintained the muscles  that made him looked so fit and trim. 

My neighbor told me training him was very easy, too.  Beagles and with any other puppy, when train from young they will be happy and so will the owners.  Rocky was trained to stay at a position, either sit or down, when he was only 8 weeks old.   Beagles puppies are very smart.   When training a Beagle puppy, Dorothy told me she used quite a bit of food to motivate Greta, but once she got it, she can make to without the food and she did very well too. 

Caring for the Beagle puppy is the same as caring for all other puppies.  Patience and consistency are the keys to successful training them.  Initially they will at a lost when they set paws in your home, but once they get their surroundings checked, they will start looking towards you for everything from food, play/walk, bathroom, and attention.  Do not misjudge their short legs.  These Beagles can run with those short legs of theirs.  Beagles are from the hound family.  They are bred to hunt rabbits and some trained them in obedience competitions.  They know how to dig holes, a burrow in your yard if you are not careful of execising them enough.  They can be very noisy when bored.  That was why Greta was able to run me down, a human who is so much bigger, taller than her, to run her energy off!  When they are bored, they might start chewing whatever they can find in the house.  If you enjoy long walks, the beagle will love you for that.

*Pictures source from DogChannel.com*