Dogs And Paws

The Native American Indian Dog was also referred to as "wolf" by the Native American Indians.

They are extremely versatile animals bred to work as well as in pulling a sled or hunting whatever game you choose them to hunt.

They serve as search and rescue animals, agility dogs and handicap assist animals.

Their life expectancy is quite long ranging from 14 to 19 years of age.

They have no known genetic faults or defects.

They prefer to be out of doors or your bed or the couch, or where ever their owners happen to be. They are too intelligent of a dog to be a "total" house dog or an apartment dog and do require a back yard to be able to run and play freely at will.

The Native American Dog was used for hunting everything from quail to rabbits, bear to beaver, elk to caribou to moose and were even taught how to fish by the Native Americans.

They were used to babysit the elderly and very young children and used to guard the village from intruders.

They accompanied the women and children while they were gathering berries, roots, herbs and other food sources and protected them from man and wild beast alike.

They played a very vital role in the lives of the original Americans and were their sole beast of burden until the horse was introduced by the Spaniards.

The U.S. government almost succeeded in making this breed of dog extinct in the 1800's.

The Native American Indian Dog has a strong instinct to hunt and herd, and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, this breed is quite fast, and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The Native American Indian Dog must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.

As previously mentioned, the Native American Indian Dog remains very rare world wide and can prove difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, extremely high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.

There are many benefits to owning a Native American Indian Dog, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. This intelligent breed is easy to train and capable of learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks.

The Native Indian Dog is excellent with small children and other pets, often making friends quickly due to its need to belong to a pack. These dogs are very alert and aware of their surroundings, making an amazing watch and guard dog, announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors, and serving as a deterrent to would-be intruders. The Native American Indian Dog is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate, making an excellent family pet and companion alike.

Dobermans have a rich and interesting background. They display amazing qualities that include exceptional intelligence, complete loyalty, and its obvious physical prowess. It is precisely because of these outstanding qualities that a Doberman is a “high maintenance” breed.

Exceptional intelligence is not an exaggeration when describing a Doberman. If given proper care, training, and attention, the Doberman has the capacity to amaze you with their intelligence. They have been used as working dogs by the military and law enforcement for many years because of their superior mental ability. However, for the average person and/or family, learning the specialized and technical skills of a working dog is unnecessary. The Doberman rates very high in their learning ability, particularly in the area of basic obedience. When given proper (and hopefully –early) training, the Doberman easily masters the basic commands of sit, stay, and down. They are also capable of signaling the need to go outside to relieve themselves or when they are hungry. As the Doberman matures, their intelligence and interactive personality can be a source a great pleasure and happiness. They have a sense of humor, wonderfully expressive faces and a curiosity that will make you laugh and love them more then you can imagine.

The physical prowess of the Doberman has been widely popularized. They are sleek, graceful, and powerful dogs. Their body is very lean and muscular. They require quite a bit of exercise. Dobermans also like to play fetch, although they will often tauntingly and playfully challenge you to try and get the ball or stick back. Tug-of-war is also a favorite game. There are many types of rope and pull toys on the market. Chew toys and other appropriate such items are a wise investment for the Doberman.

I have spent much of my life in relationships with Dobermans. I have a genuine love and appreciation for this magnificent breed.

The Doberman has absorbed the good qualities of the breeds that have contributed to its foundation. The exact genesis of the Doberman is not known, but listed below are suggestions that appear to make up the ancestry of the Doberman:

The Rottweiler was used in the development of the breed due to its massiveness and intelligence. This very solid dog also possessed great stamina, and had excellent tracking ability. Sometimes the Rottweiler strain can be seen in a Doberman with a "wavy" coat.

The Old German Pinscher (now extinct) - Black and tan, smooth coat, and energetic. Alertness and aggressiveness

The Black and Tan German Shepherd - Giving the early Doberman a heavy grey undercoat.

The Beauceron contributed size and color to the Dobermann bloodline. The Beauceron was a solidly built dog, very alert, and was known to be intelligent as well.

Sporting Dogs was used to lengthen the head - attentive, loving, and territorial.

Weimaraner - Points, retrieves, good nose for tracking. Possible introduction of the gene for producing the blue Doberman.

Blue Dane - Ferocious - used for boar hunting.

Manchester Terrier - It was used to improve the coat, head type, eye color, and rust markings. This cross was used again six years later.

English Greyhound - Would account for the black in color, additional height, stamina, and the speed of the Doberman.

The Great Dane is a dog that seems to capture attention wherever it goes, stopping traffic and drawing crowds. The qualities and characteristics of a well bred Great Dane reflect the hundreds of years of careful breeding that has gone into the making of this magnificent creature. Great Danes grow incredibly fast. Within a span of one year. Great Danes go from just a handfull of fluffy puppy to being able to stand up on their hind legs and look a 6-foot tall man eye-to-eye. During their rapid growth spurts, puppies can be visibly bigger after a night’s sleep. They really don’t eat that much. A full grown Great Dane eats about 2 cups of dry dog food in a day. Too much protein should be avoided, particularly with puppies, as growing faster than they already do can damage bones and joints. Rather than the high-protein, quick-grow type puppy foods, they should have an adult food with no more than 23 percent protein. Great Danes can be remarkably gentle. That is, once the period of rapid growth passes and they gain full control of their body, bringing an end to accidental injuries due to clumsiness. Many Danes share their homes with small dogs and cats. Great Danes have a well-deserved reputation for being wonderful with children and sometimes work as therapy dogs. However, no animal should be fully trusted with young children, especially one of such a size that a single mistake could be tragic.

They must have people. Great Danes are an extremely sensitive breed and do not fare well without close contact with their human family. Living outside in a doghouse can destroy a Great Dane, make him mentally unstable, depressed, and even aggressive.

Anxiety can kill Great Danes. There is increasing evidence that bloat, a condition in which the stomach gets air in it and twists, or torsions, is related to anxiety. This can kill a Great Dane in less than an hour. Make sure to learn the symptoms and, if considering this breed, consider how much time per day the dog will have to be alone.

They tend to be a lady’s dog. That’s only because of the difference in speech and mannerisms between men and women, however. Great Danes do not respond well to hard correction or training methods, as they are emotionally sensitive creatures.

Great Danes can be shockingly aggressive. Modern breeders have worked hard to eliminate the centuries of breeding for the aggression necessary to hunt such prey as wild boar. While they’ve met with great success, poorly bred Danes can display dangerous throwback temperment traits. Not every Dane is Scooby Doo friendly. Never approach a Great Dane on the assumption of friendliness, especially if the Dane is accompanied by the children in his family, as the drive to protect the youngsters of the pack from perceived danger isn’t something that is so easily bred out.

They are not the tallest breed. Although the current holder of the world record for the tallest dog is a 42-inch tall Great Dane, the Irish Wolfhound is the breed that tends to be tallest, though it is lighter in weight.

Many Great Danes are thrown away. People don’t seem to understand that Great Danes are giant, powerful dogs. One of the commonest periods for this breed to be surrendered to a shelter or rescue organization is after they are 9 months old, as people neglect to factor in the potentials of a still rapidly growing 100-pound dog that, because of his age, still acts like a crazy puppy.

Danes aren't content to just stand beside you. For some reason they like to make contact with their body and lean. They use people, the way people use walls! If you move back a step, they are likely to move right with you!

Another characteristic is that of the tail. The Great Dane gets excited at the drop of a pin and the tail turns into a whip. Watch yourself. :) Danes are wonderful loving companions that need attention and respect.