The Shih Tzu Tibetan Heritage

There has also been opinions that the Tibetan Lion Dog is the result of a cross between the Lhassa Terrier and the Pekingese. The dogs of each country, the Lhassa Terrier from Tibet and the Pekingese from China had been taken to the other country from time to time. The cross in Tibet that was taken out of that country through India has been called the Apso, while the Chinese cross has more of the Pekingese. It is the opinion of some that all these breeds were interbred to create the first Shih Tzu in China.

When first Shih Tzu imported into England in 1930, the Shih Tzu were classified as Apsos. The two breeds were distinguished as separate in 1934.

The Shih Tzu of Scandinavian background were in an even different category during this same time period. It is not documented anywhere of any of the Shih Tzu Scandinavian lines being mistaken for Lhasa Apso, even after importation into the United States. Their appearance was so different of the Lhasa Apso that there was no likelihood of confusing the Scandinavian Shih Tzu lines with the Lhasa Apso.

There was a considerable amount of fear expressed by the British Shih Tzu Club of potential “disastrous” crossbreedings in the United States. They encouraged future American purchasers to avoid any further confusion between the Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso in the U.S.A.

The American Shih Tzu Club code of ethics plainly states that crossbreeding a Shih Tzu with any other breed, whether it be with Lhasa Apso or the Pekingese breed, is strictly prohibited. This code of ethics should be adhered to by all Shih Tzu Purebred Breeders.

The two breeds of the Lhasa Apso and the Shih Tzu have been kept separate now for many years. A suggestion to help distinquish the two breeds from one another is to always show the Shih Tzu with the long sweep of hair on the top of the head tied with a rubber band into a top knot, the hair above the head then fanning out into a “palm tree.” The Apso has its long hair of the head styled as parted n the center, then mingling with the ear featherings.

The fact that both Shih Tzu and the Lhasa Apso have common ancestry is highly probable according to all the documentations found in our history of the two breeds. However, one should continually look for and appreciate the subtleties of the different characteristics of Chinese Shih Tzu and Tibetan Apso. They have become two quite distinctly different breeds.

The earliest “Lion Dog” in Tibet were probably long-haired and small and somewhat similar to the Maltese in type. As the cultural and religious ties between Tibet and China flowed over the centuries, the exchange of dogs no doubt became mutual between them. The Chinese have been most certainly known to interbred their small dogs, of which were more varieties than the Shih Tzu, with the long-haired Tibetans, and something similar occurred in Tibet without much reason to doubt this fact.

Again, however, I want to emphasize here: The crossbreedings mentioned in this article is a part of our past Shih Tzu History. The Present Day American Shih Tzu Club’s Code of Ethics clearly states that crossbreeding a Shih Tzu with any other breed, is strictly prohibited and against the Shih Tzu Purebred Ethics for a Shih Tzu Breeder of the Purebred Shih Tzu. We must all adhere to this Code of Ethics.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

Weighty Issues

Let’s face it – we could all stand to lose a few pounds – and cats are no exception. But for cats, weight loss should be controlled, gradual and supervised by your veterinarian. Because when it comes to weight loss in cats – a sudden drop could signal some underlying health problems.

If your otherwise healthy cat drops a little weight in the heat of summer, it could be simply because the warm weather has curbed his appetite. Burning more energy to maintain body heat in colder weather may also cause healthy cats to shed a pound or two. Stress caused by things such as moving to a new house – or being placed in a kennel while you’re on vacation, as well as lactation (for new mothers) can also cause cats to lose weight.

Of course, diet plays a key role in keeping your cat healthy, so pay careful attention to what’s in your cat’s food dish. Poor-quality, inedible or spoiled food could result in unwanted/unnecessary weight loss and leave your cat undernourished.

Not all weight loss is a result of dietary or environmental changes – which is why it’s important to work with your vet to develop a healthy weight loss program for your cat.

If a sudden weight loss occurs and your cat hasn’t received a clean bill of health from his doctor, take him in for an exam. The weight loss, according to http://Petco.com, could stem from underlying conditions such as:

? Dental disease
? Gastrointestinal disorders (including parasites)
? Diabetes mellitus
? Liver or kidney disease
? Congestive heart failure
? Cancer
? Hyperthyroidism
? Fever or chronic infections

The best defense against unwanted weight loss is a clean bill of health, nutritious food and plenty of fresh water. So take your cat to the vet at least once a year for a thorough exam and parasite prevention, find high-quality food that he likes (and feed him the proper amount), and give him an unending supply of clean, fresh water. If something pops up in the interim, take your cat to the vet and get the problem taken care of quickly.

Jed Yorkshire is a retired teacher and pet enthusiast who writes about canine health topics, specialty breeds, animal training and grooming. An avid pet lover and breeder, he owns four beautiful Giant Schnauzers. Yorkshire also works as a private pet behavior consultant.

My Puppy Chews A Lot – Mostly On Me

Puppies who chew are normal. Chewing is a natural and necessary puppy behavior. Puppies at about four months of age are more prone to chewing because this is when they usually start teething. Other dogs that chew, especially when you are not at home, may be suffering from separation anxiety. Separation anxiety requires an entire new behavior treatment plan. In this newsletter, I want to give you a few tips for your typical, normal-behaving puppy chewer!

Some things you can do is try to teach your puppy not to chew inappropriate items. You can sit on the floor with him, casually place an object before him like a shoe, or a pencil (something he has chewed on inappropriately). As puppy approaches the object, give a firm “No,” and replace the item with appropriate chew toy. When puppy takes the appropriate chew toy, praise him. You might even offer him a treat to try and reenforce the appropriate behavior and also…..that chewing on treats is alright too.

Have a variety of chew toys on hand. Give him no more than 3 or 4 chew toys at a time. Rotate the chew toys to provide variety and to help stimulate interest. Puppies can be compared to children who enjoy a new toy or returning to a toy they have not played with in a while.

Keep plenty of Bitter Apple Spray on hand and use it on spots where you find puppy has chewed or is about to chew. This has been the absolute best trick I have ever found in keeping puppies/dogs away from objects I don’t want them chewing on.

My Puppy Bites my Hands When we Play!

If you have ever watched puppies playing together or moms playing with their puppies, you will notice how they nip and bite each other sometimes to the point of what sounds like a blood curling scream…..Very Normal Behavior, however. Not so pleasant though when puppy plays with you and attempts the same kind of antics. You will need to teach puppy not to play biting games with you. Try screaming: “Ouch!” Walk away from her for several minutes. You don’t want to give her attention for this behavior. You want to plainly tell her “THAT HURTS,” and I do not like it!!! If she just barely touches your skin with a little nip, just gently say “No.” Try feeding her treats straight from your hand and do not throw them on the floor or leave them out for her to nibble on. Sort of like, puppies/dogs will not bite the hands that feed them, most usually, unless they have some kind of severe psychological disorder. You can also grab her mouth, hold it together firmly and say “NO BITE.”

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Connie Limon. Visit us at http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com and sign up for our FREE newsletters. I raise Shih Tzu puppies in a variety of colors for pet or show prospects at reasonable prices. Also visit our Shih Tzu Article Collection at http://shihtzuarticles.com

Dog Vaccinations Defined

Knowing what to vaccinate for and how often to give your dog vaccines are two very important questions that every dog owner must deal with. It is very important to vaccinate your dog. This is also a very important part of any dog health care program. Regular vaccinations can prevent your dog from contracting many diseases and can possibly save their life. Two important viruses to vaccinate for are canine parvovirus and distemper.

Most vets agree that it is vital to vaccinate puppies at 6 weeks of age and again at 8, 12, and 16 weeks for Distemper, Canine Infectious Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and Coronavirus (DHLPPC). It is also suggested that puppies are vaccinated for rabies at six months of age and then to repeat it annually.

Although your new puppy may squirm or even cry when getting his vaccinations, it is just as important for your dog as it is for your children to receive these “annual shots”. In fact, by keeping up to date on your dog’s vaccinations, you could be saving his life. Basically, dog vaccinations are injections of a small dose of a specific disease, which should prevent your puppy from developing that very disease later in life by creating the necessary antibodies to fight it off.

Some dog owners have concerns whether the repeated dog vaccinations are really necessary and whether they are doing more harm than good. Vaccinations work by stimulating the dog’s immune system, encouraging it to readily produce antibodies to fight against many specific types of bacterias and viruses.

Stimulating the dogs immune system this way does come at a price when the vaccine in the dog’s system leads to illness. Once vaccinations are given to your dog, your dog’s immune system will recognize the presence of a disease and will then create the antibodies needed to fight it off. These antibodies only last from six months to a year, which makes regular vaccinations extremely important for your puppy or dog.

The question on the minds of many pet owners is usually – “is it dangerous to repeatedly vaccinate my dog each year”? Fortunately the experts do agree that the answer to this question is a resounding “no.”

While there are rare cases of dogs that have become very ill or even died as a result of receiving a vaccination, there is no evidence to suggest that this practice poses any real danger generally speaking. Oftentimes, the dogs that are adversely affected to vaccines may have already been sick or have some form of allergy to a specific part of the vaccine.

When using a vaccine that must be mixed first, there are four simple steps to follow. First: mix the vaccine by withdrawing all of the liquid from the appropriate vial and then injecting it into the vial containing the dried portion of the vaccine. Remove the syringe, shake the vial to mix up the vaccination, re-insert the needle and then withdraw the entire 1 ml contents of the mixed vaccination.

Two different types of vaccinations exist which are a Killed Vaccine and a Modified Live Vaccine. A Modified Live Vaccine is the live disease being injected, while having been altered by the drug company to be unable to cause the disease it is protecting against. A Killed Vaccine is when the virus itself has been killed before any injection occurs.

Most vaccinations are administered subcutaneously (by injecting the vaccine just under the skin). One of the best areas is located in the shoulder or neck area. Simply lift a tent of skin into a triangle with one hand, and inject the vaccine into it with the other hand. Note: always use a different sterile needle and syringe for each dog and also for each individual injection, and then dispose of all used needles and syringes in a safe location.

I feel that the best advice I can offer is that dog owners continue vaccinating their dogs according to local laws and the recommendations of their veterinarians. Since the annual vaccines are not seemingly harming dogs in any way, there is no cause for alarm and no harm in continuing the same routine until the veterinary community makes up its mind that a real change is needed in regard to dog vaccinations. In the mean time, a little prevention can go a long way to keep your dog healthy.

Copyright 2007. Debbie L. Ray. All rights reserved.

Debbie Ray, owner of http://www.pedigreedpups.com , http://www.the-website-doctor.com , http://www.pedigreeddogs.com and http://www.total-german-shepherd.com is a lifelong dog owner, teacher and internet business owner. Want to learn how to build a website by yourself? Interested in purebred dogs? The German Shepherd? Promote your dog related website? Let me teach you more.

Dogs Nature

Dog Training – A Dog’s Nature

Dogs are surprisingly complex creatures.

Some official estimates of the number of breeds reaches as high as 800 in Western countries alone. Even given that distinguishing one breed from another can be carried to absurd extremes, the variety is astonishing from a human perspective, who have, perhaps, a dozen ‘breeds’.

Complicating the picture still further is the well-known fact that dogs have descended from wolves but began domestic interaction with humans over 10,000 years ago. As a consequence, there are behaviours that develop regardless of circumstances and some that are as unique as the human the dog is paired with. Still, some common traits stand out.

Dogs are predators.

That doesn’t mean they necessarily hunt and attack every passing cat or rat, but the capacity is always in them. With acute hearing and head muscles that allow precise orientation of their ears, dogs can pick up a range of sounds and locate the source quickly and with high accuracy.

A dog’s field of vision is higher than that of humans. Their field of view has been estimated from 180-270 degrees, by comparison to a human’s 100-150 degrees, allowing them to track events better.

And, of course, there’s that famous sense of smell. Citing figures such as having 25 times as many scent-receptor cells or being able to sense concentrations 100 million times smaller than humans conveys the fact one way.

Another is to report behaviour. Golden Retrievers, for example, can smell gophers through two feet of packed snow and a foot of frozen earth. And, they’ll dig through it to get to the gopher. That’s predatory behaviour.

Dogs are social animals.

That’s common knowledge, of course. But, though known, it’s often ignored. Individuals will often lock a lone dog away in a garage or pen, or on a rope in the yard for long periods. This isolation from contact with humans and other animals invariably leads to fear and/or aggression and other forms of maladjustment. Dogs need companionship in order to develop healthy behaviour.

Isolating a dog for brief periods can be a useful training technique. Fear of expulsion from the pack can incense overly assertive, alpha-status seeking dogs into alignment with the trainer’s goals. In any human-dog pair, the human must be the alpha (leader). The alternative is property destruction, human frustration and unsafe conditions for people and dogs.

But excessive time devoid of social interaction with another dog, the human, or even a friendly cat harms the dog’s psychology and leads to unwanted behaviour. Even guard dogs have to be able to distinguish between external ‘threats’ and members of its own ‘pack’.

Dogs are exploratory.

Like the two-year-old humans at roughly their same mental level, dogs learn by exploring their environment. And like those humans, they can engage in destructive behaviour. Dogs are no respecters of property. Training and an appropriately selected set of objects and suitable area can channel that behaviour into something acceptable to humans and healthy for the dog.

Providing toys with characteristics very distinct from human property, such as rawhide bones rather than rubber balls that are hard to tell from children’s, leads to less confusion and misbehaviour. In many cases, however, the problem is solved by scent. The dog’s toys may look like the child’s, but smell very different.

Some amount of digging may be inevitable as part of the dog’s exploration. Be prepared to patch holes in lawn if the dog is unsupervised for very long. Plants can usually be protected with cayenne pepper paste, bitter apple and other preparations.

Dogs are scavengers

Dogs will eat deer droppings, even when they have perfectly sound and ample diets. They’ll chew on dead rats, eat grass and ingest a wide variety of things that their own experience shows causes upset stomachs. And they’ll repeat the behaviour day after day.

Acknowledging their limited ability to connect cause and effect when those are separated in time is a must in order to keep them healthy and safe.

Recognizing a dog’s nature, and working within in it rather than against it leads to less frustration for both human and dog. Enjoying the beneficial aspects, such as spontaneous dog hugs (leaning into a leg), paw offering and a head laid on the lap are just a few of the rewards.

Valerie Dancer – I have owned dogs for 42 years. Learning to train from my mother who trained to county level. Over the years I have found that the old ways of training are not always the best, that praise is the best form of training, and the younger the dog, the easier it is to train. http://www.dogtrainingproblems.biz.

If You Want To Go Broke As A Web-Developer Let Me Tell You How….

If you want to go broke as a web-developer let me tell you how….

Early on in my web development career I tried to re-invent the wheel… I set up everything from scratch including my customers! I wasted about 5 months and about $20,000.00 on collecting content from them. I heard all the excuses……I will have the content to you by Monday. When Monday would roll around I would hear…my kids had soccer games all weekend and I just couldn’t get to it….I promise I will have my logo’s and word docs to you on Friday.. When Friday came around and I would call, .Oh…It has been such a busy week…I am so over worked right now I promise I will get it to you next week sometime!

I tried to stay faithful to get that original content and graphics from them. Till I was almost short on making my payroll! Then it all came to a complete stop! I decided to hire and farm out the content. Also I implemented a content management system! Genius….and the bank roll came back.

If you are in the web development game let me help you out here….Save your self some time and money…Farm out the content to a content writer for a couple of hundred bucks…It will save you about $2000 in time and expenses. Forget about the emails and the follow up calls and gas over to your clients and the disappointment I guarantee you will always get when it comes to content. Customers don’t have time! When they originally are trying to save costs on web-development and “think” they can cut corners. The only thing that they cut is your profit margin in half! ©

Sept 21, 2006
Serena Murphy
http://www.webcarrots.com
serena@webcarrots.com
Las Vegas, Nevada
1-866-840-5505

Serena Murphy is owner and operator of http://Webcarrots.com a web development company that specialized in dynamic web development and online marketing of websites in Las Vegas, Nevada

How To Have A Happy Worm-Free Cat or Kitten

There are many health related issues to consider regarding the happiness of your cat and the deworming process should be a top priority. In order to effectively deworm your cat you should understand, how often the procedure should be done, the kind of worms that typically infect cats and the ways in which various types of worms can affect you cat’s health. Before exploring theses issues further, here is some background information for you to consider.

Just about all kittens are infected with some kind of parasitic worm at the time of birth, which were transmitted while the kitten was developing inside the mother’s womb. Alternatively worm eggs can be transmitted via the mother’s milk during the nursing stage. Unless the mother is medically confirmed to be worm-free and lives in an immaculate indoor environment, there is a high probability the her kittens will have worms. With that being said, it is important to understand the following conditions as well as the deworming process involved.

All stray kittens will have worms. Don’t assume otherwise. Any stray kitten recovered must be taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible for deworming and other treatments. If your cat is a hunter and catches and consumes small animals such as birds or mice, it is highly likely that your cat will have worms from ingesting worm larvae that commonly exist in these animals.

Indoor cats can also be infected with worms. Chronic heaving and retching behavior is suggestive of a possible worm infestation in your cat. If a cat vomits and the worms are visible, this of course is a clear proof that the cat needs to be dewormed immediately. The most common type or worm to infect cats are Roundworms that look like spaghetti and Tapeworms that are flat and with box shaped sections.

Veterinarian worm testing may not always show a positive result for worms even if they exist. The common fecal test will only show a positive indication of worms if they are active and migrating within the cat. Quite often, worms can exist dormant within the cat’s body for a long time and only manifest themselves in a fecal exam after some sort of stress event like pregnancy or surgery.

Sudden changes in appetite or diarrhea are possible signs of worm infection. Fur that loses its sheen or the developing of a protruding belly are other signs. Cats that are observed eating feces must definitely be put through a deworming process.

Determining the exact type of worm infecting a cat will be critical to successful treatment because medication is specific to the type of worm. For example medication to rid a cat of round worms will not work for tape worms or other types of worms. Generally fecal testing is the best method for determining the type of worm infecting cat.

Worm medications can be in the form of a liquid or a pill and when administering medication to a cat it is vitally important to confirm that the cat actually ingests it. Concealing the medication in cat food or a treat is a simple way to accomplish this. It is also important to understand that it typically takes several deworming treatments to completely rid a cat of worms. This is due to the fact the worms in their various developmental stages will vary in their susceptibility to the medication.

In conclusion, you should subject your cat to a deworming process as warranted by conditions mention earlier. Regular veterinary fecal tests and closely monitoring your cat for symptomatic and behavioral signs of worm infection is the key for determining when and how often your cat should be dewormed.

Ariel Keis is the webmaster of http://www.PawHouseOnline.com The Paw House – a 501(c3) charity dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned and abused animals and restoring them to their rightful place a loving human companions.

The Seven Habits of Highly-Effective Owners of Elderly Dogs

Man’s best friend is living longer than ever. This is due to our beloved canines’ increased status as family member and families becoming conscientious about providing their dogs’ appropriate veterinary care. As a result, we are faced with a variety of health care issues as they age. No matter which health issue you and your elderly dog may be dealing with, there are several components of good pet care you may wish keep in mind.

?The first is to make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise and is not overweight. Much like humans, an overweight elderly dog will not cope as well with conditions common in older pets such as arthritis.

?The second is to provide proper nutrition for the elderly dog. Older dogs do not need the same amount of calories as a younger dog. The older dog slows down a bit and, therefore, should consume fewer calories per day. Depending upon the specific issues facing your elderly dog, you may need to add some supplements to your dog’s meals. Supplements such as glucosamine can be very helpful for elderly dogs with sore joints.

?Third, be aware of changes in your dog’s behavior. These may include variations in food and water intake and elimination, as well as emotional changes such as lethargy. You are the expert on your pet and know best how (s)he behaves when (s)he is feeling good. Make note of subtle events as such as walking into a room and realizing Spanky doesn’t seem to hear you as well as she did; this could be the start of hearing loss. This is common for dogs, as is some diminished sight capacity. Your challenge as the dog owner is to figure out how to best accommodate your dog’s reduced sensory capabilities. Do you need to change your environment to make sure your dog is safe? For the sight impaired dog, a baby gate over a stairway would prevent an accident. For the hearing impaired dog, many simple commands such as “sit,” “stay,” and “stop” have sign language equivalents which will be helpful for them to learn.

?Fourth, note that old dogs can and should learn new tricks! Keeping your elderly dog engaged mentally stimulates them and provides another outlet for their spirit as their physical abilities decline. As a dog owner, you are most familiar with your dog’s strengths. You are able to create games and tricks which help them use their strengths and challenge them in areas where they are not as strong. For ideas, the internet is a vast resource!

?Fifth, veterinarians now recommend that elderly dogs receive checkups every six months. Keep rigorously to this schedule and you will be better able to handle any health issues which may arise. If you do suspect something is wrong with your pet, do not delay in acting. No matter what the health issue, the earlier your pet is seen by the vet, the better chance of proper diagnosis and treatment.

?Sixth, be resourceful. Be aware of not only traditional veterinary solutions for your pet, but also investigate possible holistic alternatives such as acupuncture and herbal medicine. Do make sure any professional practicing these techniques has been appropriately licensed and accredited. If you choose to combine traditional veterinary solutions and holistic solutions for treatment of your pet, make sure each veterinarian with whom you are working understands what the other is doing. Traditional medicine and holistic medicine treatments may not always complement each other. Full disclosure with each vet is very important.

?Seventh, make sure your pet as comfortable as possible. As the aging pet has become a new demographic among pet supply stores, there are more products available to help owners keep their pets comfortable. Items range from ramps for those dogs not able to use stairs to special orthopedic beds for dogs with arthritis.

Ultimately, there will come a time when your pet is no longer comfortable. It is the final responsibility of the owner to decide when your pet’s quality of life has declined to a point where pet euthanasia is absolutely the right thing to do. This decision is difficult and it is the time our pets need us the most. This is not an easy decision to make, but owners should be comforted by the fact they are acting humanely and in the best interest of their pet.

Joanna Garbarini Callahan has been a dog owner and trainer for over 25 years.

Peculiar Pets

People have found shelter and comfort in pets since the beginning of time. Animals have been man’s best friend, protector and a source of great pleasure. Dogs, cats, parrots, birds, rabbits and horses are the most commonly kept pets. In societies people keep undisruptive animals. Hardly any house is left that does not have a pet! Pets are considered no less than family members, and hence are given the same shelter, love, food as any of their family is liable to receive. Human nature possesses an inclination towards matchlessness. Peculiar pets are found across the world and by the passage of time their number is increasing. These animals vary from reptiles, endangered species of birds, snakes, lizards, spiders and so on. Rare animals are now managed and controlled and made pleasant, exuberant companions.

There are many people in this world who are fond of being different from others. They crave for anything that is extraordinary and distinct. Dogs have been kept as pets since the begging of time and there is simply no substitute for them. Over the lapse of centuries dogs have earned their status as the man’s best friend. There are common dogs and these are poodles, hound dogs etc. There are some dogs that can be categorized as rare dogs because people do not keep them as common pets. Bull terriers and Beardies are two species of rare exotic creatures. Beardie is a dog that was used a long time back as a shepherd dog. Bull terriers are vicious looking dogs and they suit people living in countries sides because they are a good source security. These dogs are a mixed breed of a bull dog and an extinct white English terrier. These dogs are highly aggressive and need their space. They are huge and scary and perfect athletes. They can be particularly friendly towards people.

There are monkeys that aren’t still very common but these pets are full of enjoyment. Monkeys can imitate and learn quickly that is the reason people want to keep them as pets now more and more.

There are people who pay thousands to possess boa constrictors and other snakes and keep them as pets, enough to scare a visitor. Spiders such as tarantulas and camel spiders are increasing in number. There are kangaroo cats, iguanas, monitor lizard, etc. Some people also keep panthers, lions as pets and often face dangerous consequences. But however keeping such animals as pets makes people feel extraordinary and distinctive.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://etotallypets.com/ – In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://supershoppingtips.com/ and http://familyinformationsource.com/

The Border Collie: Excelling at Herding, Search and Rescue, Competitive Sports and Much More

Copyright 2006 Carol Stack

Scout is a Border Collie we were given four years ago. He is a beautiful tri-colored dog that is full of energy. The first two years we had him he hardly stopped running.

His family hated to give him up but they had moved from their home with two acres to a house with a very small yard. Scout was going crazy, and driving the neighbors crazy as well.

He loves our large yard and can run the 100+ foot distance from one side to the other in two seconds flat. He is beautiful to watch as he seems to hardly touch the ground.

Scout, like most Border Collies, gets along great with everyone and is never a problem with other dogs. He is also gentle with all the animals we have: cats, chickens, rabbit, guinea pigs and pet birds.

For four years he has been a wonderful companion and excellent pet. Now at six years old he is calming down and enjoys laying around the house for most of the day. He is very content as long as he is with one of us.

Border Collies are amazing dogs. Besides being used to herd sheep they have been used as war dogs, sled dogs, therapy and assistance dogs, in competitive sports, as search and rescue dogs, as hunting dogs and, always, as companions.

They come in various colors: black and white, tri-color, blue merle, red and white, liver, red merle, yellow, or white with small amounts of black, brown or red. They can weight anywhere from 25 pounds to 65 pounds.

Since Border Collies are so highly motivated to work many are enjoying the growing sport of Agility. This sport enhances the relationship between dog and handler and creates a confident, bold and motivated dog.

Border Collies also excel in Fly Ball and Frisbee competitions. In northern climates they make up sled-dog teams that are competitive in middle-distance races.

Like all Border Collies, Scout sheds during the spring and summer months. Ones with thick fur, like Scout, develop thick undercoats in winter which must be combed out at the beginning of summer.

Be careful in the hot summer months. Heat exhaustion is a killer. A typical Border Collie doesn’t slow down in the summer so provide him with a little pool to cool off in when he is outside.

Even though Scout has the choice to be inside or out, if anyone is in the backyard he is out there with them, running and barking for the fun of it. He loves being able to jump into his little pool and splash around for a few seconds before he takes off on another run around the yard.

Scout is a great dog and we are very fortunate to have been given this beautiful and bright creature. But they are not for everyone.

Before you acquire a Border Collie puppy or adult make sure you have the space for them to run and that you want to spend two years training and thirteen more enjoying his high energy.

If you are interested in adopting a Border Collie consider fostering one from a rescue. You’ll learn if a Border Collie is for you, save a life, and maybe even end up adopting your foster dog.

Carol Stack enjoys writing articles about dogs, especially her dogs. She and her daughter are putting together a web site especially for dog lovers that discusses dog breeds, dog care and dog training at http://www.christysdogportal.com