Any Breed Will Do - What Is A Breed?

What is a breed?

An actual 'breed' of dog doesn't just happen, it is carefully developed over at least seven generations to fix the desired characteristics. Especially when breeding purebred dogs, the puppies must be able to be identified as a member of the breed when compared to the standard and to other adults. In other words, each litter of puppies should resemble its parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so on.

It is important to know and realize that just by sight you can't necessarily prove, even with registration papers, that a dog is purebred. There are shady breeders, and worse even careless ones, that can and will sell crossbreeds of similar looking dogs as purebred when they aren't. Some examples this can happen with are say crosses between Lhasa Apsos and Shih Tzus, any of the small terriers, Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, and quite a few others. Believe it or not, there are genetic tests now available to identify more than three dozen breeds, so really serious buyers have something to fall back on if suspicious...unfortunately it's not cheap, the run about $80 for a test.

The advantage of owning a purebred dog is that the animal's appearance and character are pretty well set by generations of careful selection for particular traits. Puppy buyers can then more easily pick and choose the dog that will fit into their lifestyle and circumstances - active families can opt for energetic dogs; families with children can choose gentle dogs; people who live in apartments can select quieter dogs that need less exercise, etc.

Any Breed Will Do - Oh Really?

So you've decided you want a dog - anything will do as long as it's warm, soft and fuzzy, right?

There are many things to take into consideration before getting a dog, and so far we've covered a good many topics concerning this - however, it pays in the long run to do thorough research before getting your pooch. That's why I'm going as in depth as I can think covering this before moving on to other topics.

Will any breed do? The answer to this question is simply - NO. Just because they look cute or seem to be fun is no justification for adding a new member into your household that could possible turn it upside down due to bad planning. Granted, situations can occur that a furry fuzzball can come into your life quite unexpectedly. You may not always be prepared - but being well informed will definitely help in what to expect and what to do.

In this next series of topics we are going to cover several items:

1. What is a breed?
2. Choosing a breed
3. Dog Source: private breeders
3. Finding a responsible breeder
4. How much should they really cost?
5. Dog Source: shelters
6. Dog Source: rescues for pure breeds
7. Dog Source: preowned by family/friends
8. Dog Source: just a stray
9. Dog Source: pet stores
10. Dog Source: the classifieds

Each of these topics will include as much information and also links with information as I can find - as I expand this blog and cover more topics I hope with your comments and input it can be the best it can be.

Top 7 - Pet Odors

EWWWW!!!! What IS that smell???? Do people know you have a dog even before they even see him?

Many times this is worse with houses that have carpet, then houses with hardwood flooring. There are some things you can do to keep the odor under control and to eliminate it before it can become a problem, and even if it IS a problem.

1. Find all soiled areas using your nose and eyes. You might want to use a black-light, which you can purchase at a home supply store. A black-light will usually show even old urine stains. Turn out all of the lights in the room; use the black-light to identify soiled areas and lightly outline the areas with chalk.

2. Clean the soiled areas appropriately to remove the odors. There are many products you can use to help clean, but it's important to find a cleaner that is enzymatic and will break down the old urine that has carried itself deep into your carpet and furniture.

3. Rule out medical causes for the behavior by visiting your veterinarian

4. Figure out why your pet is urinating and/or defecating in inappropriate areas.

5. Re-train your pet by make the "accident zone" unattractive and/or unavailable to your pet and the appropriate "bathroom" area attractive. Then, show your pet the appropriate place to eliminate by using positive reinforcement techniques.

To be successful, you will need to follow all of these steps. If you fail to completely clean the area, your re-training efforts will be useless. As long as your dog can smell where he's gone before, he'll continue to return to the "accident zone." Even if you can't smell traces of urine, your dog can.

I'm also going to include some instructions for cleaning these stains - this is a direct written excerpt from the Humane Society to help pet owners eliminate the problem as efficiently and thoroughly as possible.

Instructions from The Humane Society of the United States to Eliminate Pet Odors/Stains:

To Clean Washable Items

• Machine wash as usual, adding a one-pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent. It's best to air dry these items if possible.

• If you can still see the stain or smell the urine, machine wash the item again and add an enzymatic cleaner (available at pet supply stores) that breaks down pet-waste odors. Be sure to follow the directions carefully.
• If your pet urinates or defecates on the sheets or blankets on a bed, then cover the bed with a vinyl, flannel-backed tablecloth when you begin the re-training period. It's machine washable, inexpensive, and unattractive to your pet.

To Clean Carpeted Areas and Upholstery

For "new" stains (those that are still wet):

• Soak up as much of the urine as possible with a combination of newspaper and paper towels. The more fresh urine you can remove before it dries, especially from carpet, the easier it will be to remove the odor. Place a thick layer of paper towels on the wet spot and cover that with a thick layer of newspaper. If possible, put newspaper under the soiled area as well. Stand on this padding for about a minute. Remove the padding and repeat the process until the area is barely damp.
• If possible, put the fresh, urine-soaked paper towel in the area where it belongs—your cat's litter box or your dog's designated outdoor "bathroom area." This will help remind your pet that eliminating isn't a "bad" behavior as long as it's done in the right place.
• Rinse the "accident zone" thoroughly with clean, cool water. After rinsing, remove as much of the water as possible by blotting or by using a wet vac.

For stains that have already set:

• To remove all traces of heavy stains in carpeting, consider renting an extractor or wet vac from a local hardware store. This machine operates much like a vacuum cleaner and is efficient and economical. Extracting/wet vac machines do the best job of forcing clean water through your carpet and then forcing the dirty water back out again. When using these machines or cleaners, be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Don't use any chemicals with these machines; they work much more effectively with plain water.
• Once the area is really clean, use a high-quality pet odor neutralizer available at pet supply stores. Be sure to read and follow the cleaner's directions for use, including testing the cleaner on a small, hidden portion of fabric first to be sure it doesn't stain.
• If the area still looks stained after it's completely dry from extracting and neutralizing, try any good carpet stain remover.
• Avoid using steam cleaners to clean urine odors from carpet or upholstery. The heat will permanently set the stain and the odor by bonding the protein into any man-made fibers.
• Avoid using cleaning chemicals, especially those with strong odors such as ammonia or vinegar. From your pet's perspective, these don't effectively eliminate or cover the urine odor and may actually encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area.
• If you've previously used cleaners or chemicals of any kind on the area, then neutralizing cleaners won't be effective until you've rinsed every trace of the old cleaner from the carpet. Even if you haven't used chemicals recently, any trace of a non-protein-based substance will weaken the effect of the enzymatic cleaner. The cleaner will use up its "energy" on the old cleaners instead of on the protein stains you want removed.
• If urine has soaked down into the padding underneath your carpet, your job will be more difficult. In some cases, you may need to take the drastic step of removing and replacing that portion of the carpet and padding.

To Clean Floors and Walls

If the wood on your furniture, walls, baseboard, or floor is discolored, the varnish or paint has reacted to the acid in the urine. You may need to remove and replace the layer of varnish or paint. If you do so, make sure the new product is safe for pets. Employees at your local hardware or home improvement store can help you identify and match your needs with appropriate removers and replacements. Washable enamel paints and some washable wallpapers may respond favorably to enzymatic cleaners. Read the instructions carefully before using these products and test them in an invisible area.