Natural Pet Health

Shopping From A Breeder: The Small Professional Breeder (Part 2)

Shopping for a new puppy through a small professional breeder is one of the best choices you could make. These breeders offer much more personal help with questions and interests than larger breeder organizations do, and with more respected care for their puppies than you could possibly imagine.

However, as mentioned previously, small breeders are absolutely meticulous with choosing the right family for their pups. Do you have any children? If so, how many do you have and what are the ages? are example questions you will be asked. And these questions are important to the devoted breeder, as in many instances, very young children are unintentionally cruel to small puppies.

One of the most common ailments affecting pets as they age is arthritis. Arthritis is a degenerative condition of the joints where tissue and cartilage in the joint breaks down or becomes damaged, causing swelling and discomfort. When this occurs, your pet’s quality of life often becomes compromised, with pain causing limitations on playful activities and distress even during daily routines.

Unfortunately, arthritis is a very common problem in purebred dogs. Due to selective breeding, some dogs end up developing severe arthritic conditions that often require major surgery to alleviate the pain.

Spotting Early Signs

One of the most common examples of this type of disease is Hip Dysplasia, which occurs in the joint socket where the leg meets the hip.

In the wild, animals will naturally eat what they need and no more. The task of searching for food and other basic necessities involves lots of exercise and so wild animals remain naturally fit and healthy.

The food available to them in their natural habitat is perfectly designed to meet their needs in an environment that has not been tampered with.

Domestic animals are provided with food which they do not have to hunt for and which is not always suited for their bodies. In addition, they are often exposed to a lifestyle which contributes to sluggish metabolism, underactive thyroids and livers which are not able to remove toxins or eliminate unwanted fat from their bodies.

There is no other member of the Terrier Group that is more friendly and affectionate than the West Highland White Terrier, or Westie for short. These adorable bundles of joy are a happy breed, always curious, and thrives on being the center of attention. It makes the perfect house dog for all family types are are wonderful around children.

The fun-loving temperament of the Westie carries over to strange dogs and people, as they are always looking to make new friends. Somewhat reserved around other pets in the house, these dogs quickly bond, making them amiable with every member of the family. At night they make excellent watchdogs, and will bark at any approaching person, animal, or sound.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is one of the most playful members of the Terrier Group. They are a fun-loving breed that look tough on the outside but thrive on love, attention, and lots of human affection. These dogs are amiable, easy to train, and are typically responsive to its owner’s commands.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers need constant human companionship. They are a devoted breed, loyal to its family and although friendly towards other dogs, pets, and strange people, will protect its loved ones at all costs. This dog is generally good around children but may prove to be a little too boisterous with smaller kids.

A Brief History Of The Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Selective Breeding & The Resulting Health Problems Is Your Dog At Risk? (4)

With so much bad breeding practices going on around the world today, how can families choose the right puppy for their home that has as limited health problems possible?

Educate Yourself Before Buying A Puppy

Potential dog owners should undertake a fairly extensive self-education program before committing themselves to the purchase of a pet.

Standard How To Pick A Puppy articles are an excellent place to begin, though too often they tend to rely on AKC registration as the major guide for purchase.

Selective Breeding & The Resulting Health Problems Is Your Dog At Risk? (3)

Most new puppy owners are under the assumption that just because their new companion is registered with the American Kennel Club, it is guaranteed to be a healthy purebred.

Nothing Could Be Further From The Truth

Registration by the AKC means nothing more than that the dog is a purebred, with its ancestry traceable several generations. The slip given with a puppy at sale testifies to nothing more than that both parents were registered. It makes no guarantee about quality, health, or freedom from disease.

Selective Breeding & The Resulting Health Problems Is Your Dog At Risk? (2)

Selective breeding and the unwanted disease and health problems are not just limited to a few breeds. Other congenital problems affect more than one breed.

Hip dysplasia, for instance, has been demonstrated in almost all large breeds and some small ones. This abnormality of the hip joint has been given so much publicity by dog raisers, as well as the veterinarian profession, that the public is generally aware of the condition – though often unaware that dysplasia is not usually evident in young puppies.

The standard guarantee that a puppy comes from X-rayed stock is only fair insurance that dysplasia will not develop during the rapid growth phase or even later in the dog’s life.

Selective Breeding & The Resulting Health Problems Is Your Dog At Risk? (1)

Jock was everything we wanted in a collie puppy bright, playful and affectionate. My children thought Jock was going to live forever, a long healthy life.

What could possibly go wrong?

In time we noticed that he was also clumsy, so clumsy that he banged his head on doors, tripped over small toys, tripped over the baby, and never learned to walk down stairs. But we adored him still!

When he was about three months old, Jock developed a slight hernia and off we went to the veterinarian to have it checked. Feelings of relief that the hernia was unimportant gave way to panic when the vet said, Let me check his eyes while you have him here. We make it a point to check all collie eyes.

What is the dingo? Is he a direct descendant of the wolf or is he a wild dog which was once domesticated, then turned wild again? This puzzle is as frustrating as the proverbial chicken-and-egg progression.

Genetically, the dingo is homogeneous to the pale-footed Asian wolf (canis lupus pallipes), presumed still to exist in certain remote, mountainous regions of Asia. It is believed that he has altered very little from his prehistoric forebears, which were widely distributed throughout Africa.

It is believed further that he came to Australia in a semi-domesticated condition during the last phase of the Ice Age (15,000 B.C.), and that he was in the company of nomadic aborigines who had trekked across the Indonesian archipelago.