Why does my dog...?

Why do male dogs cock their legs to urinate but females don't?

It's to show their dominance! Male dogs will try to aim as high as they possibly can when urinating to leave a message that they are tall and intimidating. This is also why males will leave their scent over other males.

Some wild dogs in Africa even try to run tree trunks whilst urinating to appear larger.



Harry, showing off his beautiful eyelashes that all the ladies envy!

Gemma & Frodo!

What a crazy week of weather we have had!

It's very difficult to work as hard as we do when it's sunny one minute and raining the next,

but we pull through - because we're tough like that!

We had a great time with all of our guests on the beautiful sunny days and have all been keeping nice and warm when it's cooler snuggled up in our beds or with coats on.

We have been very lucky that our hard work has paid off in our 'arrivals and departures' area, our roofing is on and just in the nick of time! All of guests can stay nice and dry as they travel to and from the car when they check in and depart.. not to mention it looks great! Can't wait to get started on the next part of it!

School holidays is such a busy time for us, we've been greeting everyone as they arrive and making sure everyone is happy - we hope everyone else is enjoying their holidays because our friends down here are having a great time.

As always we've been good to all our Facebook friends and got a picture of our latest project,

Gemma & Frodo!

Pack Leader

More excellent tips on becoming a great Pack Leader;

A Pack Leader doesn’t show any emotional or nervous energy, they are calm and assertive in their manner to influence the dogs around them.

Teach your dog to earn his rewards. This way he will see he must obey to your command in order to get what he wants – not that he will just get it because he wants it. In the wild a pack leader will eat first, the adults and puppies must wait their turn. In a dog’s mind, waiting is a form of work. When feeding, or rewarding your dog with a treat, make them sit and wait before giving it to them. If feeding their meal in a bowl, place it in front of them and teach them to wait for your command to eat it. If you find your dog is very high energy and has difficulty focusing during these tasks, take them for their walks before this time. This will help you to achieve the result you are wanting. Never reward your dog, whether it is with food or affection, until they have obeyed your command and are in a calm and submissive state.

Sweet, old Jessie girl.

For more great information visit;

www.cesarsway.com

The most toxic foods,

Onions, Leeks & Garlic!

Regardless of weather they're cooked or raw, onions, leeks and garlic if our pets digest them they can cause anaemia, resulting in the destruction of red blood cells. The toxic ingredient is Thiosulphate - with onions being the most toxic. If ingested dogs will begin to vomit and have diarrhoea, they will loose interest in food and be weak and dull.

Anaemia is when the red blood cells begin bursting as the travel throughout the body, signs off this will show up as blood in the animal's urine. They will also become breathless as the red blood cells that carrying oxygen are reducing in numbers.
Poisoning does occur a few days after consumption and can be after a large consumption or gradual smaller amounts.

Contact your vet immediately if you have any concerns.

Mishka's BACK!

We had some great responces to the first videos of Mishka posted so we've found another one we thought you might like!

She's such a talented lady!

Boston Muscle.

The Boston Terrier, also known as the Boston Bull are a well muscled, compact dog with a square like appearance. Originating from Boston, Massachusetts, they were originally bred to the size of up to 20kgs and sadly used as pit fighting dogs. They were gradually bred down to their current size, averaging around 11kgs. The bred was created by a cross of an English Bulldog and the now extinct English White Terrier. The popularity of Boston Terriers arose by 1889 and by the 1900’s their pit fighting days had become a thing of the past.

Today they make a great addition to any family, they are alert and very intelligent and generally get along well with other pets, children and especially great with elderly people. Being a small breed, as the same as all small breeds, they cannot be allowed to develop small dog syndrome. They will very quickly begin to run the show and start telling you what to do. They require a gentle, firm but confident pack leader. Either you will be the leader or they will and many behavior problems can steam from a dog that thinks he is in charge – this goes for all breeds, not just the Boston Terrier. They are happy with regular long daily walks.

Boston’s love to learn and are very easy to train as they pick up things very easily. They have also been known to be great watchdogs, only barking when necessary. Their smooth, short coat is very easy to groom. They are an average shedder and only require baths when necessary they do not have a strong doggie odor. The structure of their face does require that their eyes are cleaned daily to avoid build up, they should also have their eyes and ears checked regularly for grass seeds. They are also prone to eye problems due to their prominent eyes. They can also have breathing difficulties and can over heat if pushed to fare. They will also snore or drool.

Moxy, a beautiful little Boston Terrier.

Walking the dog.

 

The dog doesn't know the difference between Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, so I have to walk the dog early those days too!

'Donna Shalala'

Dog scared of rain?

Ever noticed that your K9 pal can be a little hesitate before going out in the rain?

It isn't becuase they are scared or afraid of getting wet, it's simply because the rain amplifies sound and hurts their sensitive ears.

A dogs hearing is much greater then humans and can hear ultra sonic sounds. This is why their ears may somtimes prick up even though you haven't heard a thing. They can even detect something as slight as a rodents sounds or a bat.

Gemma & Frodo

It's the weekend again -

and it looks as though it's going to be a fantastic day today, the sun is shining and we are hard at work as always!

Our Luxury Penthouse Retreat is becoming very popular with many of our guests rushing down to have a look before school holidays began! We are very excited that everyone is loving them as much as we are!

Though we are still working very hard on the Penthouse rooms we thought it was time to start another project - can't have us getting bored now!

We decided it was time to give our drop off and departures area a face lift. Our builders are doing an excellent job at putting it all together - under our watchful eyes - and it's coming along great! We can't wait to show off the end result but as always we've snuck in a quick photo for you all!

Enjoy the start of the school holidays, keep safe and we hope to see you all very soon!

Gemma & Frodo!

Being the Pack Leader.

In all aspects of dog training you will be told,

‘Be the pack leader’

But what does this mean? How can you be the pack leader?

To understand your dog’s behavior best, you need to step back and see things through your dogs eyes. Understand the breed of dog you have, research them so you can have the best knowledge on them possible. This is something you should have done previously to make sure you were getting the right dog for your lifestyle. Dog’s are pack animals, it is in their natural instinct and no matter what breed, they need to understand you are the leader of your pack and that they must listen to you. This does not in any way mean to be aggressive or physically discipline your dog - this will only teach them to be scared of you and could bring out aggressive behavior of their own. Over the next few weeks we are going to cover some excellent tips on how you can be the ‘Pack Leader’ and build a happier relationship between you and your pet.

Create a regular time for walking, stick to this schedule. When walking your dog, make sure he is walking beside you or behind you, never in front. When your dog is walking in front of you he is being the pack leader, in his mind he is leading the way, when he is beside or behind you he is walking where you want him to.

At home make sure you always walk through the door first, never allow your dog to lead the way. Remember to always think in a pack leader’s way – you are the alpha leader.

Scooby, posing for a photo!

The most toxic foods...

Over the next few weeks we are going to cover the most common house hound foods that we may not realise are highly toxic to our pets.



AVOCADOS!

The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of an avacado all contain the fatty acid 'Persin' which highly toxic and dangerous for our pets. The digestion of Persin can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, congestion, respiratory distress and even fluid around the heart. In extremley severe cases they results can be fatal.

For more great information visit;

http://www.aspca.org



Unlikely Animal Friendships,

 

It's amazing how the animal kingdom works,

 

 

 



Italian rocket!

The Italian Greyhound is an ancient breed that has been discovered on 6000 year old Egyptian tomb stones. They are believed to have been found in an ancient  lava flow throughout the city of Pompeii, the ruined and partially buried Roman town. In the 16^th century, like the Greyhound, this breed was brought over to Europe by the Phoenicians civilization and became extremely popular. They were owned by many ‘important’ people including Anne of Denmark and Queen Victoria.

During the 1700’s, Frederick the Great of Prussia, took an Italian Greyhound to war with him. When it died at the Sans Souci Palace, he buried the dog himself and it was his own dyeing wish that he buried next to his dog when his time came. It wasn’t until the 205^th anniversary of his own death that his family moved his remains to Sans Souci so he could be with his dog. Later in the 19^th century, they still proved to be a very popular breed, with an African Chief so fond of the breed he offered 200 cattle in exchange for one single Italian Greyhound

Today they are a very playful, keen and intelligent dog who requires a pack leader owner. They are a generally submissive breed who wants nothing more than to please their owner, though if they know they have the upper hand can become destructive and naughty. They require a calm owner who is stern with their training but can remember that this breed is very sensitive to tone and not to over step the mark. Although they can be quite reserved with strangers they tend to socialize well. They’re slender, fine boned body gives off the impression they are a petite dog that requires gentle handling – not so much the case. They are not as fragile as they appear. They do best in a quieter household but generally get along well with children and other dogs and cats, as long as the humans always display leadership.

Their breed and body structure allows them to be extremely fast and mobile, being great climbers too. They do require decent daily walks and enjoy a good run and free roam. They are an ideal breed for apartments or small living compounds and can live comfortably without a yard – providing they are given daily walks. They are one of the easiest breeds when it comes to grooming, bathing should only be done if necessary and their coat only requires a toweling every now and then as they shed very little hair. The Italian Greyhound is prone to epilepsy and Progressive Retinal Atrophy, although have been none to live for long period of time, with one recorded to live over 19 years of age!

Gus, enjoying the afternoon sun.

Make a fool of yourself,

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.

'Samuel Butler'

Bluey, the Australian Cattle Dog.

The oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey.

Bluey was owned by Les and Esma Hall in Victoria and was born 7th June 1910. He passed away 14th November 1939 at the ripe old age of 29 years and 5 months. In human years, that is more than 160 years old!

With Bluey's record ago and also the unverified ago of an Australian Cattle Dog mixed with a Labrador (believed to have lived over 32 years!) prompted an investigation into the Cattle Dog. The study was discover whether the breed may have exceptional longevity and took over 13 years to complete. The conclusion of the study found that Australian Cattle Dogs are quite a healthy breed and on average lived almost a year longer then most other similar breeds, though the record ages prior were simply uncharacteristic exceptions and a rare case. 

Les and Bluey.

Gemma & Frodo's Penthouse Update

Good morning!

We trust everyone has had an exciting and fun week - because believe us we have!

We've been working so hard this week to keep a watch over the Penthouse's and greeting all our guests we've barley had time to enjoy ourselves, but that what comes with being the boss we guess!

We never forgot about our guests at home though so we've snuck in on our lunch breaks and got some photos for everyone!

Sneaking in through the front!

Watching some T.V on the couches.. I mean checking to make sure they work!



Keeping a watchful eye through the door that leads to the outside exercise yards that are still under construction, the pipes in the walls are ready for the heating and cooling systems to be installed and the silver water bowls are hooked up to main water systems in the walls - wow we've done a good job at putting all this together! Until next week -

Gemma & Frodo!



Aggression on the lead!

With the great response and many questions we've been asked on Lead Aggression and our previous post, we thought we might dive into it a little more and hopefully answer most of your questions.

When placed onto a lead dogs go into work mode, they will always feel like they have a job to do not only when on a lead but can feel this way if they have a coat on or when carrying something in their mouth.

If in a situation where the person holding the lead is not calm and confident that they can control any situations, the dog will then revert to it's natural pack instinct.  They will feel they have to take the leadership role, becoming defencive, aggressive if there is a perceived potential danger.

Your dog will feed from the energy that you project,they will sense the tension through the lead. You will notice a difference in behaviour once they are taken off the lead as they no in a situation to proctect you, only themselves. If you feel tense or unsure of a situation your dog will then feel the need to step up and control it.This way they are not put into a situation where they need to project or control the person holding the lead - they only need to look after themselves and that is an easier situation for them to deal with.

The best way to overcome this problem is to walk your dog confidently. Your dog should always be walked behind or beside your leg, not darting ahead or to the side. This will show your dog you are in control and capable of handling any situation arising. By walking a dog this way their 'job' then becomes to behave and walk the way you want them to. This will create a much calmer, happier experience for both of you. It is a good idea to seek professional help if you are not confident and wanting some tips when walking your dog.

Abbey coming to say hello!

Dog vs. Cat

"If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer."

-Alfred North Whitehead

Meet Mishka!

Meet Mishka the Husky!

She's a very talented talking dog, check out her video!

Frenchie!

The French Bulldog originated in Nottingham England in the 19^th century. They were the result of Lace maker’s wanting a miniature, lap dog version of the English Bulldog. At this time they were known as ‘toy’ bulldogs. When the Industrial Revolution pushed craftsmen to France, around the 1860’s, they took their dogs with them. The toy bulldog then became very popular throughout France and it is there that they became known as the French Bulldog. When the breed eventually made it’s way back to England for dog shows the British weren’t too happy with the change of name, though it has stuck every since.

The French Bulldog is an easy care, playful companion who is alert and very affectionate. They are quite curious and have a comical personality and enjoying playing around, though are not yappy or loud. They are a very intelligent breed that tends to get along well with strangers and other animals. Like most intelligent breeds if they believe they are the ‘pack leader’ or ‘alpha dog’ they may become aggressive to continue to show their dominance They do need leadership and will follow this will, if trained correctly. They thrive on calm but firm reinforcement, this isn’t a breed you want to allow to get small dog syndrome. They are not a breed that can be ignored, they are very much attention needy dogs and like companionship. When they sense anything different they can become quite stubborn and even snappy.

French Bulldogs are quite a clean breed, most cannot swim and will tend to avoid puddles. Though only a small percentage do, some Frechies are known to drool and slobber. They are well known for being great mice hunters and have quite a high energy level. Daily walks are must, a run in a large back yard is not sufficient enough. Their short coat requires very little grooming though occasionally their face made need a wipe. Be cautious in warmer weather, the heat doesn’t slow them down until it can be too late, try to limit exercise in the warmer time, Frechie’s are prone to heart stroke and do tend to wheeze and snore in the heat, this is due to their facial structure. They are a breed that is It is common for them to have respiratory problems, joint diseases and eye problems. Putting them under anesthesia can be risky due to their breathing issues so this is always something to keep in mind.

Hendrix, a stunning little French Bulldog at Dogs Country Club.

To enjoy a dog,

'In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.'

- Edward Hoagland

Weird Dog Laws.

In Palding, Ohio, the law allows police officers to bite a dog in order to quiten it.

Ventura County, California, cats and dogs are not allowed to mate without a permit.

It is against the law, in Iran, to own a dog a pet. The only allowance is that if the owner can prove that the dog is either used for guarding or hunting. It's believed this is due to the fact that rabies has always been an endemic in the Middle East.

Treated to a wink and a cheeky smile from Wal Footrot!

Frodo & Gemma.

Another week gone but boy have we got a lot done around here!

Painting is done inside the Penthouse Suites, 32'' Inch flat screen T.V's are about to go up and the outside exercise yards are coming along great too!

Not that we weren't already extremely busy but we thought it was only right, as 'Site Managers', to try out all the accessories for the Penthouse's. With the new couches arriving you'll be pleased to know they are EXTREMELY comfy! We've spent most of the day trying them in may stretched out positions to make sure they were 100% perfect - and they are!

We also didn't think it was too fair that the Penthouse's were getting all the new treatment so we've treated ourselves with a fresh new haircut too, I'm sure you'll all be very impressed.

We have more couches to test out and work man to boss around,

Talk soon,

Gemma & Frodo.

Very busy testing out the couches.

Showing off our new hair do's!

The greatest pleasure,

 

'The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.'    

 

-Samuel Butler

 

 

Useful Dog Tricks

I wonder if we can all send our dog's to Jesse's house to learn a thing or two?



Kerry Blue.

The Kerry Blue Terrier originated from the Ireland In the county Kerry in the 1700’s, hence the name Kerry and blue from the coloring of its coat.  It is believed the breed is a contribution of the Portuguese Water Dog, Soft coated Wheaten Terrier and possibly every Irish Wolfhounds and Irish Terriers. There is also a writing on Irish dogs discovered from over a century ago that mentions a breed, Harlequin Terrier which sounds similar to the Kerry Blue.

The Kerry Blue is used as an all round hard working and utility terrier, from small game hunting through to retrieving, farm herding, companionship and police work. They are an extremely playful and affectionate dog and are well known for making people laugh. They like to close with their owners and make great watch dogs, although will not attack unless they are provoked. They are very switched on and alert and enjoy rough playing. The Kerry Blue is a very friendly breed and will get along with strangers and other pets if introduced properly.

Being strong minded and a little silly at times, they are another breed that requires a strong pack leader. With firm training this will insure no aggressive behavior which can sometimes come through in this breed if allowed to have the upper hand. With a ‘weak’ owner they will test, learn what they can get away with and push the limits. They are very protective in their nature and will need regular socialization from a young age. With a high intelligence comes pros and cons, they are very easy to train and can be taught to perform tricks. They also enjoy agility but can become bored very easily, if games or sports become routine the enjoyment will soon burn out. They need regular and constantly changing stimulation. This includes daily walks, to keep their body and mind fit, remembering to make them heel beside or behind you, reminding them they are the dog and you are the pack leader.

Grooming is a regular requirement for the Kerry Blue, they should be professionally groomed every 6 weeks and are prone to ear infections. For this the ear hair needs to be pulled as it can cause wax and dirt build up. On top of this they need to be brushed and bathed once a week at home, unlike most other breeds regular bathing will not dry out the skin. Without this, food and dirt will build up in their beard and become extremely smelly. The rest of their coat is practically odorless, even when wet and is great for allergy sufferers as they shed very little hair.

Bart, a very happy Kerry Blue Terrier at Dogs Country Club.

Find more information at;

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/



The future factory.

 

The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.

 

-Warren G. Bennis

Did you know?

Did you know that a dog's body contains 321 bones?!

And an adult dogs always has 42 teeth - while puppies at around 3-4 weeks old will have 28 teeth in total!

Gemma & Frodo's Penthouse Update

Good Afternoon Everyone!

We have been working extra hard over time for the past week, the Penthouse's are a lot of hard work!

We have taken on the role of site foreman (and lady - Gemma!) So bossing all these tradesman around is a lot of work.. but it's all paying off!

Our exercise yards are starting to come together, we have our roofing on and will be continuing that work all throughout next week.

We have painters busy painting, we have TV's getting ready to be mounted onto the walls.. there is so much going on!

We've been lucky enough to sneak you some photos so hope you enjoy!

Until next week -

Frodo & Gemma!

Some sneak peak pictures, the beginnings of the undercover exercise yards!

Keeping a very close eye on everything, Gemma!

Frodo keeps safe guard of the beds!