Archive for 2008

Talking Dogs

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

Hilarious clips of dogs talking, or attemping to!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netscape
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

Funny Dog Clips

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Popularity: 5% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netscape
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

Uno the beagle wins early at Westminster

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

NEW YORK - Barking and baying, a precocious beagle called Uno took his first winning steps at Westminster. Uno easily took the best of breed Monday at America’s No. 1 dog show, bounding around the ring and trying to grab the lead out of handler Aaron Wilkerson’s hand.
 
“Snoopy would be proud,” Wilkerson said.

A perfectly trimmed toy poodle, a top Sealyham terrier and prize-winning Akita were among the 2,627 entries. The dogs came in 169 breeds and varieties, and there were four newly sanctioned types — the Tibetan mastiff, Beauceron, Swedish vallhund and Plott.

Tri-colored and nearly 3, Uno moved into Monday night’s judging in the hound group. While best in show will be presented Tuesday night, the playful 15-inch beagle certainly earned one title at Madison Square Garden: noisiest in show.

Uno sounded off every chance he got and clearly became the early crowd favorite, wagging his white-tipped tail and taking a flying leap at one of Wilkerson’s cooked pork loin treats.

“He was being his merry little hound self,” Wilkerson said.

While the movie “Underdog” was a big winner last year, a beagle is always a long shot on the Garden’s green carpet.

The best in show award has been presented 100 times by the Westminster Kennel Club and a beagle has never won. Part of the problem is the breed’s engaging, friendly nature.

“Great show dogs often have an air about them. It’s like this is their world and we’re just living in it,” Westminster TV host David Frei said. “But beagles want to be in our world.”

They also have another disadvantage: They’re far from the fancy-cut, froufrou dogs that often win.

“To some, a beagle may not look as spectacular as the Afghan hound, flying around the ring with all that hair,” Frei said.

With pleading, golden-brown eyes and plenty of tail-wagging personality, Uno could break out of the Westminster doghouse. No beagle has even won the hound group since 1939.

“To have the general public see an average dog going and competing and actually winning would send a signal that everyone can do it,” said Eddie Dziuk, one of Uno’s co-owners.

Uno came with his favorite stuffed frog toy and the fluffy pillow he sleeps on, the one with a Hollywood star. His official name is K-Run’s Park Me in First, and he bested 12 other entries in the 15-inch category.

Beagles also come in the 13-inch variety, though both types can come from the same litter. In show parlance, Uno is a “big beagle.”

Judge J. Donald Jones, former a dean at Emory University, will point to his choice as the champion right before 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Uno already has earned 32 best in show titles, and finished 2007 as the sixth-ranked show dog in the country. He took the hound group at the AKC/Eukanuba show in December.

A Sealyham terrier with a gray splotch over his left eye won that big competition in Long Beach, Calif. Called Charmin, he wound up as the No. 4 dog last year.

Also in contention will be a neatly primped white toy poodle born in Japan. Vikki has won 83 best in show ribbons and enters as the nation’s top dog.

An Akita that reached the best in show ring last year in New York will return. Missing will be James, an English springer spaniel who retired after winning last February.

USA Network and CNBC will split the coverage the first night, with USA doing the second night alone. Frei was hesitant to pick a favorite, though he did offer a prediction.

“What better choice could there be to win America’s dog show than an all-American dog?” he said. “A beagle winning would bring down the house.”

r882296154.jpg

Popularity: 5% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netscape
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

Dogs on Treadmills?

Monday, February 11th, 2008

The next urban fad, dog on treadmills! Are you too lazy to walk your dog, then get yourself a JOG a DOG treadmill. This is hilarious.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netscape
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

Dog Attacks Toilet

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Watch this hilarious video of a dog attacking the toilet. Enjoy!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netscape
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

Dog Whispering- Can Anyone Do It?

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Have you ever wished you could talk to your dog or know what they’re thinking? Well, some dog trainers believe you can through various uses of body language and other “non-aggressive” techniques. “Dog Whispering”, as the training technique is called, has been gaining notoriety among many professional dog trainers, as well as with the general public through the growing popularity of National Geographic’s The Dog Whisperer.

The technique of dog whispering is derived from the concept of horse whispering, developed in the early 19th century by Daniel Sullivan. The prevailing idea of dog whispering is that body language, tone of voice, and other “non-aggressive” techniques are much more effective than “command” techniques. Learning what types of tone and body language to use, as well as what your dog is trying to communicate to you are the first steps to becoming an effective dog whisperer.

Here are some tips and techniques that you can use to help communicate with and train your dog.

• Dogs may understand a few command words, but little more than that. If you want to communicate with your dog, you must do it through the tone of your voice.
• Understanding dog body language and what your body language communicates is a major factor in successfully communicating with your dog.
• When approaching a dog, try coming from the side. Lower yourself to around the dog’s eye level. These actions will show the dog that you aren’t being intimidating or threatening.
• Establish yourself as the “pack leader”. Don’t allow your dog to run things, so to speak. As “pack leader”, your dog will look to you for stability and will be submissive rather than aggressive.
• While communicating with you dog can bring you closer, it is always important to establish rules and boundaries with your dog. Remember that you are the owner, and must take responsibility for your dog’s actions.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netscape
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb

Bulldog back on top 10 dog list after 75 years

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bolstered by its popularity with celebrities and families, the Bulldog is back on the list of the 10 most popular purebred dogs after a 75-year absence, the American Kennel Club announced on Wednesday.

The Bulldog ranked 10th in the Kennel Club’s annual ranking of popular dogs from the 157 different breeds it recognizes.Bulldog back on top 10 dog list after 75 years

Topping the list of most popular dogs was the Labrador Retriever — top dog since 1991 — followed by the Yorkshire Terrier, the German Shepherd, the Golden Retriever and the
Beagle, the Kennel Club said.

The broad-shouldered, stocky Bulldog with its characteristic under-bite and pugnacious gait has long been a mascot of sports teams and military units.

But their docile, even-tempered personality that belies their tough-guy image makes them good pets for families with young children, dog breeders say.

“Their personality is unlike any other dog. They are so expressive. If you look in their eyes you can almost see what they are thinking,” said Tammy Hollock, 36, a part-time Bulldog breeder from Delran, New Jersey.

Bulldogs have been growing in popularity with celebrities including U.S. actors Adam Sandler and George Clooney, adding to their public appeal, Hollock said. The breed is the second-most popular dog in Los Angeles, the Kennel Club said.

The growing popularity of the Bulldog has a downside, according to Hollock and officials from the Kennel Club. Bulldogs can suffer from breathing problems and should only be treated by experienced veterinarians.

They are also unable to swim and breeders typically use artificial insemination and Caesarean sections when breeding the dogs to reduce the high risk of injury caused by the large size of the dog’s head in proportion to its hips.

The elaborate precautions required when breeding Bulldogs puts the cost of a typical purebred bulldog puppy at $2,800, Hollock said.

Coming in at No. 6 on the Kennel Club list is the Boxer, followed by the Dachshund, the Poodle and the Shih Tzu.

bulldogpups1.jpg

Popularity: 3% [?]

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Netscape
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • YahooMyWeb