Gifts, Supplies & Information
One of the most popular dog breeds, the Golden Retriever is loved for its playful personality and gentle nature. With their silky coats and soulful eyes, these dogs will be sure to win your heart. Each month features a big, colorful photo of Goldens at their best.
Golden Retrievers represent all the finest virtues of the canine character. Each of these twelve rich photographs include text indicating a special life lesson that we humans can learn from this wonderful breed. The large format features big daily grids, four bonus months
One of the most popular dog breeds, the Golden Retriever is loved for its playful personality and gentle nature. With their silky coats and soulful eyes, these dogs will be sure to win your heart. Each month features a big, colorful photo of Goldens at their best.
Golden Retrievers Rule! Check out these fun Golden Retriever Calendars featuring one of America’s top 10 favorite breed of dogs.
The 2012 Golden Retriever Dog Calendars are available now! They make great gifts for Christmas.
Making the decision to let your bitch have a litter of puppies is quite complex and requires a huge amount of effort on your part to find the perfect stud dog as this is one of the most important aspects of dog breeding.
Once you have considered the expense involved and upheaval associated with dog breeding and have come to the decision that it is the right choice for you, you can then begin your search for the stud dog that will be the perfect sire for your litter of pups. With the advent of the Internet, finding a stud dog is much easier now than it used to be as many people advertise the services of their stud dogs online.
Many owners may look at show dogs to sire a litter of puppies; they may seek stud dogs with a champion lineage and a long line of awards. However, this can prove to be extremely expensive and for many owners is just not affordable. Making use of a stud dog directory is a good way to find a selection of stud dogs that would be perfect for your bitch, although you must still carry out certain checks to ensure suitability.
Suitability checks
Unfortunately, some dog owners are only interested in breeding to make a huge profit and these owners should be avoided. This type of owner could take little interest in the health and welfare of their dog, which can have an adverse effect on the litter of puppies.
Some breeds have a disposition to certain hereditary weaknesses and care should be taken that the stud dog and indeed the bitch have been thoroughly health checked to avoid these conditions being passed to the puppies. For instance, Golden Retrievers are known to be genetically prone to heart disease, hip dysplasia, cataracts and eye abnormalities plus skin conditions and epilepsy. This doesn’t mean that your Golden Retriever will have these conditions but health screening of dogs will help to avoid the chance of developing these conditions. Many dog breeds have genetic conditions that they should be health screened for, as responsible breeding is the only way to have a litter of healthy, desirable pups.
Arranging to meet
When you contact the owner of a stud dog through a directory it is advisable to arrange a meeting so the dogs become familiar with each other and so that you can ascertain whether the owner of the stud dog has had health checks carried out. Stud dogs that conform to the breed standard may be preferable as any deviation from the breed can be classed as ‘undesirable’ by many breeders of show dogs.
When you visit the stud dog’s owner make sure that the dog is kept in good condition and appears healthy with a happy, laid back nature. If there are other dogs present check that they are well cared for too as this will give an indication of whether the owner has a genuine interest in the welfare of their dogs, and not just looking to make money.
A stud dog directory will make the search for a perfect sire much easier but you should take care that the dog is a suitable candidate for breeding. Viewing a selection of stud dogs will help you make the right choice.
The dog’s skin is the largest organ of the body, yet it has a very limited number of ways in which it responds to trauma. “Hot Spots” or acute moist dermatitis are areas on the dog’s skin due to your dog’s itching, biting and scratching and may often show up quite abruptly. A lot of these spots may become pretty big and may appear anywhere on the dog. I find it quite often in the spring time once the temperatures are hotter as well as the humidity is high. The dogs with the thick undercoat, including Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and rottweilers are susceptible to developing these spots on their face and neck. Quite often, areas located at the base of the tail are more than likely because of fleas since fleas love to gather in these spots. Many dogs happen to be so allergic to fleas, the bite of one flea is sufficient to cause the dog to itch all over. Any type of injury can begin the process which the dog then exacerbates by endless chewing and licking which often creates a vicious cycle and will cause the hot spot to spread.
The dog normally has bacteria that resides on their skin and as long as the skin is healthy, the germs almost never trigger any trouble. However when something develops, such as a fleabite, cut or allergies, the dog starts to lick, bite, chew and scratch which disrupts the defensive layer of the skin. When that occurs, the bacteria on the skin, in addition to the germs in the mouth, set up housekeeping in the skin. This creates a fast spreading infection which may be rather painful. The spot on the skin is red, raw and seems moist because the wound oozes serum and pus. The hair then mats down over the wound and the infection then spreads beneath the hair.
A trip to the veterinarian is often warranted. In many cases the fur has to be clipped away to prevent the spread of the infection. Sometimes, these hot spots are so painful, the dog may need to be sedated in order to have the region cleansed and shaved. Antibiotics are prescribed to manage the infection and follow-up antibiotics are sent home. Sprays, ointments and medicated shampoos can also be prescribed to continue treatment at home.. For some dogs, a special collar may be used to help prevent the dog from chewing at the spots.
The root reason for the insult should likewise be tackled. If fleas are present, then all year round flea control may be recommended.(over the counter flea control is not recommended) Pollen, food, and other allergens can also precipitate an attack. Sometimes special diets with essential fatty acids and a novel protein source for instance salmon, lamb or venison might be recommended to help heal the skin. Blood and skin tests can be preformed to help identify what the dog is allergic to and special allergy injections or prescription diets can be offered.
Check your dog daily for itchy spots and use flea control suggested by your veterinarian year round to help prevent hot spots caused by flea allergies. Daily grooming and brushing can keep mats from developing. If your dog is itching continuously, take him to the veterinarian to handle the itching before the infection can progress.
Shedding in your dog can be drastically reduced by using the Furminator. Any one who owns a breed of dog that sheds can identify with stray pet hairs on your clothes and furniture.
How many times have you gotten all dressed up to go somewhere and before you leave the house, you have to roll the lint roller over yourself to eliminate unwanted pet hairs from tagging along? The Furminator is your answer to ridding yourself and your home of these unwanted pet hairs. This amazing tool was developed by a pet groomer and comes in several different sizes to match your dog. Without harming the top coat, the Furminator quickly and efficiently removes the undercoat, thus reducing the amount of hair your pet will eventually shed. I have used this wonderful tool on all of my dogs, as well as my cats and horses. It does a wonderful job of removing that loose undercoat and leaving the top coat smooth and silky.
The Furminator is the only tool you will need to keep your environment free of unwanted pet hairs. Now when guests arrive unexpectedly, you will have peace of mind knowing that your couch and recliner are not covered in dog hair! Save money on having your dog professionally groomed; buy a Furminator and easily do the job yourself. This tool works well on short haired breeds of dogs like Labradors, as well as dogs with heavier coats like the Golden Retrievers.
For this and other grooming supplies for your dog go to www.luvurdog.com
We have all grown up with at least one hero in our life, but how many people can call their hero Duke or Kiva? The answer- anyone who has had their life saved by a rescue dog.
Whether it is a house fire, tornado rubble, leftovers from an earthquake, or flowing water behind a hurricane front, these specially trained rescue dogs rush in with no concerns for their own welfare, pulling out victims, some dead and some still alive. They do this time and time again.
With a powerful snout and the ability to smell things a human may not, rescue dogs are hard-working and very loyal to doing what is expected of them. And what do they ask for in return? A hug, a treat or a little one-on-one play time. Not a huge reward, however for these special dogs, it is very satisfying.
There are different types of breeds who make better rescue dogs than others. For example, bloodhounds have a talent for prowess and are known for uncovering criminals. Newfoundlands are good avalanche rescue dogs and Labrador Retrievers are good cadaver dogs. Any dog can become a rescue dog as long as they can concentrate on tracking scent, such as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Golden Retrievers.
Before being allowed to track, each rescue dog is put through extensive evaluations. Scent detection training is then started and their skills are developed through regular sessions. In order to track, the dog will pick up on the odor of the person’s skin cells that flake off the body. These skin cells float in the air and hit the ground as a person moves along, and they float to the surface of the water if the victim has drowned.
The men and women behind these furry heroes are all volunteers who are fit, enjoy spending time outdoors, and take pride in training and communicating with their rescue dogs. These men and women may also belong to rescue teams such as SOSARD or SWOSAR, who are called out by the police department and may travel several hours to reach a search site. Along with their rescue dog they search in all different types of weather and terrain for lost children, missing fishermen and hunters, accident victims and injured hikers.
There is yet another type of rescue dog, who can sniff his trail from the air. Air-scenting rescue dogs work directly and specifically from aircraft, tracking the air and searching for victims. These dogs specialize in structural collapses and drowning victims. Because these air-scenting rescue dogs work on scent trailing above the ground and away from handlers, they become very useful in areas that have been contaminated by human searchers, after it is allowed to be aired out for awhile.
In many survivors’ eyes, these furry canines, which make wonderful family pets, make the best heroes of all!
Why not use dog breed checks to pay your monthly bills? We all still occasionally use checks to pay our bills, so use this opportunity to show off your favorite dog breed. Hardly anyone ever uses the plain blue or yellow bank checks anymore. Checks, checkbook covers, and even our wallets can now be cheerful reminders of something we are passionate about, which in this case, our love for our dogs. Classic checks portraying our best canine pals make paying those bills a little less painful when they remind us of our love for our pets.
Many breeds of dogs are imprinted on the checkbook covers to match your checks. Checks now come with matching address labels with colorful pictures of the many breeds of dogs on them. Dress up your envelopes with these beautiful labels. Carry a wallet showing your best dog friend on it as well. These awesome wallets depicting your breed of dog include a secure, magnetic clasp, space for our credit or debit cards and a removable check book holder. Cavalier King Charles, Yorkshire Terriers and Golden Retrievers are just a few of the breeds available on these checks, checkbook covers, and wallets. When ordering, go ahead and order some personal contact cards as well. These cards give your information and also show a picture of your favorite dog on them. Dog breed checks, checkbook covers, wallets, and address labels can all be found at www.luvurdog.com, so check it out today and take the stress of paying bills away!
My Calendar Hangers arrived today and I am loving them. I have the Dachshund in one exam room, Labradors (chocolate, yellow and black) in the other exam room and Golden Retrievers hanging above my sink.
I think I will get another one for my office and at home. Help me pick which breed I should get next.
