Pet Information

The Bouvier Des Flandres traditionally has been known as the “Drovers Dog”. Its original purpose was that of an all around working dog that would help to pull carts and also drive oxen to the market. In fact its name translates from the French as “driver of oxen”.

During World War I the breed suffered almost to the point of extinction and the Bouvier of today descends from the limited gene pool of the few who survived. This dog has become gradually more numerous in the United Sates. It was placed into the Herding Group in the American Kennel club registry, but its general purpose is that of a Working Dog and the characteristics of this dog’s temperament resemble more closely the working dog temperament than the characteristic temperament associated with the herding dogs. The breed exhibits a dependable disposition, loving the company of people and being very gentle with children. This is a dog that does well in a household despite his size, being serene and steady and also performs many jobs reliably and without any sign of poor temperament. The Bouvier Des Flandres is well suited to country life. It has a desire to work and does well as a general farm dog. This is a dog with high intelligence and can become bored and overly obese without activity and some sort of job to do.

The Bouvier’s large size has made him useful as a watch dog, a Guide Dog for the Blind, an Assistance Dog, a Messenger Dog and general Police work. The breed of course still retains some of the drovers tendencies and he has been used successfully as a draft dog and a herding dog. His appearance is more forbidding to strangers than his temperament and he makes a generally good watch dog. He should be 25 to 27 inches at the withers, with a harsh double coat which should appear “tousled” according to the standards of the A.K.C. The coat should be weather resistant and the muzzle should be bearded. There should be “eyebrows” similar to the Schnauzer in appearance but these should not be shaped or trimmed excessively as is done with the Schnauzer. Color can be anything from fawn to black with varying qualities of salt and pepper or brindle. There can be no markings of white except for a small star on the chest, which is the only acceptable amount of white.

This breed carries both of the inherited tendencies of hip dysplasia and gastric torsion which are common in large breeds. Buyers of Bouvier puppies should be sure that they purchase from a reputable breeder who has x-rayed for dysplasia. Gastric torsion may be avoided if the dog is fed separate meals morning and night or three times a day rather than allowing the food to be freely dispensed from a feeder. There are few other health problems.

Training your dog will help him to be a more obedient animal. It will also help him to be a better pet. The time that you spend investing in this training will reward you for many years. Your pet will be closer to you and will respect you even more. And, it doesn’t take away for his or her personality. But, what is does is sets the rules, the boundaries which help an animal to feel secure.

Your pet is communicating with you. They want attention and will do whatever it takes to get it. Believe it or not, you may actually be unconsciously telling your dog to behave badly if you do not provide them with the attention that they are in need of. If you yell at your pet for doing something wrong, for example, having an accident on the rug, you are providing attention to it and therefore, they may keep doing it to get that attention. You are excited which makes them excited. Instead, try ignoring your pet when they do something wrong like this.

On the flip side, then, positive reinforcement works well on many pets. Reward your dog for good behavior. What can you do? Things like giving them a treat or just verbally praising them works well. Or, take some time to pay extra attention to them. This does several things for your pet. The pet will realize that good behavior, whatever it is, will get them this type of reward. And, it will help to promote you as the leader. You need to remain the leader of the pack, even if your dog tries to challenge this. For those who need to learn this, and even those animals that are less assertive, obedience training can be quite beneficial. When the dog uses his or her instincts to follow a leader, the pet will feel more secure and behave properly as well.

Positive reinforcement type training can work in a number of different ways. For example, the capture reward process where the pet is rewarded when the good behavior is displayed is commonly used to gently coax the animal into giving you the desired reaction. The professionals will likely tell you that it is best to use several senses for training. The use of verbal communication and the use of hand signals are necessary. Things like sit, come, go, stay are all verbal signals. You need a release signal as well which will inform the animal that she has done a good job. You would give the release signal and then her reward right afterwards. This links the signal with the fact that the animal has done something good.

Now, who is going to teach your pet and how will they do it? First of all, you can do most of the training yourself. You can tap into the resources that you find at the library and bookstores on training the dog in how to type books. You can get quite a bit of the information you need to do it right on the web as well. If you do want to find additional help, seek that of a professional in your area. You can find them through pet supply chains or your local humane societies. Classes can be a great way to help your dog to socialize and to educate yourself. You can find local personal trainers for your dog as well. These individuals will come to you and work with your animal in a custom way to give them the support that they need.

Aquariums and fish keeping have come a long way from the preserves of the rich, when they first became fashionable, to a hobby every modern man may want to indulge in. The color an aquarium adds to a living room cannot be compared with mere furniture.

Most owners would naturally want to make the most of their aquariums by making them attractive and filling them with healthy fish. An important part of keeping that aquarium of your dream is to be creative and make use of aesthetic aquarium decorations. Apart from creating a more natural abode for your fish, aquarium decorations create a more stimulating landscape for the viewer; adding that extra color to your living room.

As with any form of decoration, there are a lot of alternatives you could choose from, when it comes to giving your aquarium that natural look. Thus, different people hold different beliefs about what should be and what shouldn’t be used in an aquarium as decoration. However, the bottom line is that personal preferences come first here. You should be free to decorate your aquarium with whatever item you think is OK, as long as it is not harmful to the fish. After all, it’s your aquarium and you should like how it looks. Now let’s take a look at some natural objects that can add that extra effect to your aquarium.

The first items we will consider here are stones and rocks. These make excellent natural decorations for your aquarium. One question that needs to be attended to here is whether you can use stones you collected yourself. Naturally, there should be nothing wrong with decorating your aquarium with your own collection of stones, however, you will have to be sure that these stones won’t affect the pH level of your aquarium and that they do not contain harmful toxins. For the pH, the best way to test a stone is by pouring some drops of a weak acid on the stone and see if it reacts. If it does, it’s probably not safe to use in your aquarium. But if you are not sure, or if you want to play safe, it is always better to get aquarium stones from your local pet shop or aquarist center, at least that will give you peace of mind. Besides the aesthetic value, your fish will appreciate the presence of stones and rocks in their water, as they can be arranged to create caves and hiding places.

Besides stones and rocks, other decorations you may find suitable for your aquarium are drift wood and mangrove. Not only can these be a very attractive decoration for your aquarium but some people believe that some fish require these materials to thrive. The only catch here is that drift wood should only be used as decoration in aquariums that have slightly acidic pH water. This is because wood has a tendency to lower pH levels of water and sometimes causes increased hardness of water. However, the beauty it brings to your aquarium is worth the extra effort in keeping the water as it should be.

What about corals and shells? These are wonderful decorations for your aquarium, but they don’t work well in fresh water and should perhaps be avoided as much as possible, as they tend to be harmful to fresh water fish. However, in marine aquariums, corals and shells constitute a great way to add some natural beauty to your aquarium and could even be very helpful to your fishes.

This is in no way exhaustive; there are still several ways and items that can be used to adorn your aquarium, you only need to be creative. However, make sure whatever you put in your aquarium is not harmful to those lovely fish.

What is a lateral line in fish?

The lateral line is a sense organ that consists of a row of scales that most fish have along their sides, extending from their head to tail. Under these scales are a system of fluid-filled canals and specialized cells which transmit vibrations to the brain of the fish. The lateral line helps fish to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water including predators and prey.

The lateral line or similar organs in fish such as blind cavefish (which has rows of neuromasts on their heads) are used precisely to locate food without the use of sight. Killifish can sense ripples caused by insects struggling on the surface of the water. Scientific experiments with Pollack Fish have shown that the lateral line is also used for schooling behavior.

Identification:

Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the area around the gill covers to the area near the base of the tail. Sometimes parts of the lateral line are modified into electro-receptors (biological ability to receive and make use of electrical impulses), which are organs used to detect electrical impulses.

How the Lateral Line Works:

There are receptors in the line, called neuromasts, each consist of a group of hair cells, these cell hairs are surrounded by a protruding cupula (an organ that gives an animal a sense of balance). Neuromasts may occur singly, in small groups called pit organs, or in rows within grooves or canals, when they are referred to as the lateral line system. The lateral line system runs along the sides of the body onto the head, where it divides into three branches, two to the snout and one to the lower jaw. These neuromasts are usually at the bottom of a pit or groove in the fish, which is large enough to be visible.

Skates, rays and sharks usually have lateral-line canals, in which the neuromasts are not directly exposed to the environment, but communicate with it via canal pores. The hair cells in the lateral line are similar to the hair cells inside the others vertebrates inner ear (such as the cupula in humans where hair cells within the cupula sense rotational acceleration), indicating that the lateral line and the inner ear share a common origin. Some active fish that are constantly swimming tend to have more neuromasts in canals than on the surface, and the lateral line will be further away from pectoral fins, to reduce the noise generated by fin motion.

The lateral line system, found in many fishes, is sensitive to differences in water pressure. These differences are thought to be due to changes in depth or to the current like waves caused by approaching objects. When pressure waves cause the gelatinous caps of the neuromasts to move, bending the enclosed hairs, the frequency of the nerve impulses is either increased or decreased, depending on the direction of bending. A swimming fish sets up a pressure wave in the water that is detectable by the lateral line systems of other fishes. It also sets up a bow wave in front of itself, the pressure of which is higher than that of the wave flow along its sides. These near-field differences are registered by its own lateral line system. As the fish approaches an object, such as a rock or the glass wall of an aquarium, the pressure waves around its body are distorted, and these changes are quickly detected by the lateral line system, enabling the fish to turn or to take other actions. Because sound waves are waves of pressure, the lateral line system is also able to detect very low-frequency sounds of about 100 Hz or less.

An adaptation of the pressure-sensitive systems is seen in the modified groups of neuromasts called the Ampullae of Lorenzini (special sensing organs, forming a network of jelly-filled canals), which are found in sharks, rays and a few bony fishes. The Ampullae of Lorenzini are able to detect electrical charges, or fields, in the water. Most animals, including humans, emit a DC (Direct Current) field when in seawater. This is thought to be caused by electrical potential differences between body fluids and seawater and between different parts of the body. An AC field is also set up by muscular contractions. A wound, even a scratch, can alter these electrical fields.

Diseases of the Lateral Line:

Often the lateral line in fish (marine in particular) will get infections or degenerate from water conditions.

Vitamin deficiencies such as Vitamin C and possibly Vitamin B complex are one cause of degeneration. Proper feeding of foods high in these vitamins such as found in Spirulina Algae will help in this case.

Proper lighting is another (or lack thereof) is another parameter for a healthy lateral line in fish. Full spectrum lighting such as a combination 10,000 K or 20,000 K bulb and Actinic (UVA) bulb will help with this. The thought is that full spectrum lighting aids in the assimilation of certain vitamins, much as in humans and Vitamin D.

An un-grounded aquarium can cause electrical fields that both interfere and degenerate the lateral line in fish. You can test this by using a pocket multi-meter on AC volts with a probe in the wall ground and a probe in the water. To remedy this, you can run a wire from your tank or electrical aquarium equipment to a ground in the wall, or simply by running a wire into a nail or spike driven into the ground outside your home. If connecting directly to the tank, I recommend using a titanium probe in the aquarium.

The Flat-Coated Retriever is not suited to an apartment. She needs at the least, a properly fenced in space to exercise in. She expects to live indoors with her human family. She generally does very well with other pets and loves children. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with any puppy or dog. She makes a good watch dog but may try to make friends with a prowler once she announces him.

Approximate Adult Size

The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the Flat-Coated Retriever is 22 to 23 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 60 to 70 pounds. The female is smaller than the male.

Special Health Considerations

Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Flat-Coated Retriever is no exception. Be on the look out for Cancer (common for this breed), Canine Hip Dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), Patella Luxation (congenital condition in which the kneecap dislocates), epilepsy, diabetes, and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (inherited disease of the retina that can cause vision loss and blindness).This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.

She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.

Grooming

The Flat-Coated Retriever has a straight, flat coat with some waviness possible. Her coat is of moderate length with good luster. She is an average shedder and should be brushed regularly. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat, avoid mats and help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.

Her ears should be checked once a week and be kept clean. If you have her professionally groomed, make sure ear cleaning and inspection is part of the package. No water or excess fluid should get in the dogs ears, and do not try to irrigate the ears. Ear cleaning is too complicated and critical to instruct here. Look for hair growing in the ear canal, excess wax, or moisture. If her ears have a discharge, foul odor or she seems to be in distress and you suspect an infection, or tumor, consult your veterinarian.

Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.

Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally a guillotine type trimmer is the best for this chore and competent instructions to accomplish this can be found on the net.

Life Span

The Flat-Coated Retriever can live between 10 and 12 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.

History

The Flat-Coated Retriever was developed in Great Britain. They were probably developed from a cross between the Labrador, Water Dog, Irish Setter, Newfoundland, Collie and some type of setter. They were first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1915.

Some Registries

• UKC United Kennel Club
• NKC National Kennel Club
• CKC Continental Kennel Club
• APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc.
• AKC American Kennel Club
• FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale
• NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club
• KCGB Kennel Club of Great Britain
• ANKC Australian National Kennel Club
• ACR American Canine Registry

Litter Size

6 to 9 Flat-Coated Retriever puppies

Category

Gun Dog, Sporting

Terms To Describe

Intelligent, friendly, happy, active, affectionate, light hearted, sensible, optimist

SPECIAL GOOD POINTS

• Trains well.
• Good watch dog.
• Good with children.
• Very stable personality.
• Makes a very good family dog.
• Loves to wag her tail.
• Good obedience.

SPECIAL BAD POINTS

• Poor guard dog.
• She needs a lot of human social interaction.

Other Names Known By

Wavy-Coated Retriever

Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.

Your new puppy is a bundle and energy and for the most part a lot of fun, that is until you find your favourite shoe all chewed up in the corner or your children really can claim that the dog ate their homework.

A puppy chewing is a natural part of its growing and much like human babies it’s the way they learn new things and start to understand their surroundings. Having said that there is good chewing and bad, and in this article we going to address the bad chewing.

Puppies will often chew on whatever is laying around the house, and while sometimes this is just an annoyance to you at others it can be quite dangerous for your dog. Certain foods like chocolate or things such as electrical chords can prove to be quite dangerous and in some instances deadly if your pup decides it looks like an interesting chew toy.

Much like other training, consistency is the key, you can’t expect your pup to understand it’s okay to chew up that old slipper but not okay to chew up your $200 pair of shoes, he doesn’t know how much things cost, they look the same to him. If you discover your pet chewing something inappropriate, immediately take it away from him and use a stern “no” do not let it develop into a game. Do not chase your pet when you see it chewing something it shouldn’t they’ll quickly decide this is fun and just keep running around.

If you think your pup’s chewing is excessive or seems abnormal a trip to the vet may be a good idea as sometimes dogs will chew to induce vomiting if they are feeling unwell.

Always try to have recommended puppy chew toys available though, as your pup does need to chew as part of its development.

Training your dog in housebreaking is fairly simple if you follow a few steps. In this article I will go over the things you’ll need in order to be successful.

The first things you will need are a puppy, a crate, some treats, a leash, and a enzymatic cleaner. A crate similar to the one you would carry your dog in while traveling is perfect. You may think placing your dog in a crate for this purpose is cruel, but remember dogs are den animals, and like small enclosed locations.

The dog will also not want to soil the area within the crate. The exception to this are puppies purchased from pet stores, which are allowed to soil their enclosed spaces. This is one good reason you should avoid buying puppies at the pet store.

Buy a crate which is large enough to fit your dog when it is grown, but block off certain parts of it with cardboard. If you don’t do this, the puppy will use the bathroom in one part of the crate and sleep in another. You just want to leave enough space for the puppy to rest comfortably.

If you can’t watch the puppy, put him in the crate. Put toys and things in there with him so it is comfortable and your dog doesn’t think you’re punishing him. If he begins yelping, ignore him until he becomes quiet before letting him out. If you take him out when he yelps, he will think he can yelp whenever he wants to leave.

Take the puppy out to relieve himself after every meal, and after a large drink of water. You also want to take him out after he has been playing vigorously. When the dog sniffs, runs around in circles, or whines, that is a signal he needs to go and relieve himself.

You may want to take him out every 30 minutes during the day and every four hours at night until he can sleep through the night. Make sure you place treats in the area where he wants to relieve himself, and reward him when he does.

If he has an accident, don’t yell at him. You can either take him outside and reward him when he finishes or in some cases you may want to hold his nose above where he used the bathroom so that the smell will make him think twice about using the bathroom there again. After a while he will begin to listen.

You must remember that puppies are babies, and it will take them about 6 months before they can sleep through the night without supervision. They will have to be a bit older before they are able to be fully housebroken.

Dogs are natural carnivores, and have a tendency to chase things which move away from them. This includes people, cars, and other animals. While this may be normal, it can be dangerous, especially when they are chasing people or cars. Training your dog not to chase things is very important, and you want to start this training as soon as possible.

If your puppy is a breed which will get big, you will want to get started while they’re puppies. Many people who are chased by a large dog will become afraid, and will do whatever it takes to protect themselves. If your dog should attack someone, you could be sued or prosecuted. This is a situation you don’t want to find yourself in. This is why it is important to train your dog while it is still a puppy. Some dogs can be trained easily, while others are more challenging. Breeds which have traditionally been used for hunting are the most difficult to deal with.

Until your dog is trained, you should never allow him off the leash. Doing this can put the dog and others in danger. Before taking your dog to a place where he will be likely to chase someone, begin by training him in a secure place like a yard which is surrounded by a fence. The dog should be focused on you, and anything which will distract him should be removed. You will need to repeat the steps so that the dog understands what you want. You will want to start by putting the dog on a leash.

You will now want to stand with the dog at the end of a hallway or room. Take a ball and hold it in front of the dog without allowing him to make contact with it. After this, take the ball and roll it towards the opposite end of the room or hallway. Use the word “off” to tell the dog not to chase the ball. If the dog gets up and tries to chase the ball, gently pull him back with the leash and say “off” again. Repeat this step until the dog doesn’t chase the ball when you roll it. When he does this correctly, reward him with a treat.

Repeat this technique in different rooms of the house. As your dog continues to improve, take him off the leash, but keep him indoors. Once he has shown that he can do this indoors, take him outside and start the whole process over again.

The earliest “Lion Dog” in Tibet had long hair, were small in size and similar to the Maltese in type. As Tibet and China exchanged traditions and beliefs of culture and religion, the exchange of dogs became a two-way affair as well. The Chinese definitely interbred their small dogs, which were of many varieties, with the Tibetans with long hair, and the people of Tibet no doubt interbred their small dog with those from the Chinese people.

The outcome of this interbreeding eventually became the Shih Tzu. The Chinese called the Shih Tzu “Tibetan Lion Dog.” The Apso was also involved with the interbreeding practices. The Tibetans called the Apso, “ApsoSeng Kyi” or “Apso Lion Dog.”

The Chinese tried to retain the characteristics they admired, which was the unnaturally short face and broad head, the wide barrel-like chest and the low-to-the-ground look.

The Tibetans, however, could not hold these same characteristics because of the climate and environment of their land. Tibet is an area of high altitudes. The very short face with restricted nasal development (which incidentally gives many Shih Tzu lovers a great pain to deal with at times) and the heavy body and short legs of the Chinese Shih Tzu would be at a disadvantage in these conditions. They could not breathe and survive in the high altitudes of Tibet. The Lhasa Apso could survive in Tibet. The Tibetans produced a dog slightly modified from the Chinese dog of a similar ancestry which was the Lhasa Apso.

The Tibetan Terrier (also involved in the exchanges between Tibet and China) is probably closes to the basic canine with a long head, compact and natural in conformation. Then comes the Apso, which begins to show the influence of some of the Chinese type. This influence resulted in a smaller dog, shorter on leg than the terrier relative, shorter nose than the terrier, and the teeth and jaw formation revealed a shortening of the face. The eyes are more frontally placed.

The eyes of the Shih Tzu have always been one of its most valued signature characteristics. I have never met a Shih Tzu that did not have a warm expression that radiated through its eyes. Some Shih Tzu has this characteristic greater than others. They are almost human-like.

When comparing the Shih Tzu to the Apso, one can see the most distinct Chinese characteristics. I have had Shih Tzu that look as if you are absolutely looking right at a Chinese in person. I am amazed at how the Chinese accomplished this. It truly was a work of art, as they did not breed according to pedigree as we do. They bred according to a picture of their minds of what they wanted the Shih Tzu to look like. Most of the time, their goal was to create the Shih Tzu to resemble what they thought a Lion should look like, and they apparently also, created Shih Tzu to resemble themselves in the face.

Smallness must have been fashionable and something of a status symbol in both the Apso and the Shih Tzu as well as the Pekingese. The Pekingese were also involved in the interbreedings to reduce size.

It should be noted here, however, that this article addresses the history and development of the Shih Tzu breed. The American Shih Tzu Club’s Code of Ethics clearly states it is against their rules, ethics, standards to breed our present day Shih Tzu with any other breed. It must be understood that this article is not an endorsement of any kind of practice that is against the rules and regulations of The American Shih Tzu Club or the American Kennel Club. This is an article regarding the history and development of our Shih Tzu.

Dog Parks and Starting One in your Community

Dog Parks are becoming more and more popular. They are not only fun for our dogs but , are also a great place for humans to interact. They provide a place for dogs to run off leash and socialize with other dogs, as well as allowing for owners to socialize at the same time.

Unfortunately not all communities have Dog Parks available for our canine friends. If your community does not have a Dog Park available to you here are some guidelines on getting a park started.

First off do some research.

Is anyone else developing a Dog Park in your area.

Find out about rules and regulations that pertain to your community.

Can local parks or recreation departments be of any help.

Talk to people in your community and get some feedback about opening a park in your area.

When planning park keep in mind traffic patterns, neighborhoods, noise, etc

Set up a liaison with city, neighborhood, and dog owners

Assign someone to monitor use

Set up times that park will be available for use.

Rules for using the Dog Park

Present you Community with the benefits of having a Dog Park.

Dogs can socialize and exercise in a safe environment.

Helps to promote responsible pet ownership

Will help to promote public health and safety

Provides a meeting place for dog owners to socialize.

Provides access for people with disabilities to exercise their pets.

Dog Park should include:

At least 1 acre or more of ground and be surrounded with a 4′ to 6′ fence.

The entry should be gated

Regular maintenance should be performed (cut grass, waste clean up, etc.)

Wheelchair access

Plenty of shade and water

A separate parking area

Station to dispose of waste

Benches, tables, trash cans, etc

Complete set of rules for using the Dog Park

With this general guideline you will be well on you way to developing a Dog Park in your area. We hope to see your Dog Park up and running soon.

Article written by Kevin Gawricki

Kevin is owner of Dog Gone Good Stuff which he founded because of the need for a place that caters specifically to dogs and their owners specific needs. Please feel free to visit Dog Gone Good Stuff for all your dogs needs. Web address www.doggonegoodstuff.com