Statesman Dog Show Winner!!

Tucker, winner of the Austin American-Statesman Dog Show, is a 7-year-old Shetland sheepdog who lives with Val McNeill. Go to, www.statesman.com for more info on this award winning dog! www.statesman.com

Westminster Contestants: Lillian and "Newton"

"Newton" comes from a line of smart-looking dogs. His grandfather, " Albert", and father, "Einstein", have both shown at Westminster.

Types of Miniature Dogs

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Many people find miniature dogs cute and adorable. These dogs are smaller compared to other dogs, measuring around twelve inches in height on the average. They look like puppies even if they are mature already. There are so many types of miniature dogs all over the world. Some are purebred. Others are mongrel, meaning a mix of two purebreds already.
  
One kind of miniature dogs is the miniature schnauzer. It belongs to the schnauzer family, but is a smaller breed. It is a combined breed of a standard schnauzer and smaller breeds of dogs. The miniature schnauzer was ranked 11th most popular breed of dogs in the United States in the year 2007.
 
Miniature schnauzers have squarely proportioned built. They stand at around 12 to 14 inches in height, and weighs around 11 to 15 pounds. These dogs are double coated. It has an exterior fur with an undercoat. You will find their colors to be either a combination of salt and pepper or a combination of silver and black. There are also pure black. They are called non-shedding dogs because their shedding is very minimal that they are unnoticeable.
 
Let's take a look next at a miniature pinscher. It belongs to the pinscher clan. Most of them are made to hunt vermin or rats. They are labeled the Kings of the Toy Dogs because they look like toy dogs. These dogs belong to the list of the Group 2 Section 1.1 of the international kennel club. Miniature pinscher has a stouter appearance. Its coat is less refined although the earlier breeds had more refined coats. It looks like a smaller version of dobermanns.
 
The miniature bull terrier is also another popular small breed of dogs. It is a result of selective breeding from the bull terrier. Bull terriers have strong build. They have a full body with muscular shoulders. They have egg shaped head, triangular and closely set eyes. They have erect ears and horizontal tails.

The miniature breed of bull terriers has short, fine and glossy coats that are so close to the skin. They have many colors. The least liked color is blue or liver colored coats. These dogs are easy to take care of. They need very minimal grooming. A miniature bull terrier is often mistaken for chihuahua. To differentiate, a bull terrier's weight is proportionate to its height. A Chihuahua is more akin to a miniature pinscher.
 
Another miniature breed is the miniature French bulldogs. These are strong, brave, little dogs with pug noses and square flat heads. They have rounded foreheads and bat ears. They have dark round eyes, soft skin and corkscrew tail. Mini French bulldogs are naturally playful and clownish. They are affectionate, sweet, and immensely funny. They are very sociable and like to have companion always. Thus, they are very appealing to humans, especially children. It can be trained but it will require utmost patience from the trainer.

There are a hundred more different breeds of miniature dogs. They are generally cute and cuddly, and never fail to enliven any home. The wonderful thing about these dogs is that they can be brought inside the home. With their size, they make good companions inside the house without causing much disturbance.

For more information on Pomeranians Miniature Dog and Yorkshire Terriers please visit our website.

Shock Collars Are Cruel To Dogs

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As a springer spaniel named Felicity's Diamond Jim pranced to victory at the recent Westminster Kennel Club dog show at New York's Madison Square Gardens, I was thinking of another springer spaniel named Minnie whose life is quite different from the champ's. Minnie, along with a boxer named Bailey, escaped last month from their yard and fell through the thin ice covering a pond in Connecticut. They might have died in the frigid, muddy water had a neighbor not heard Bailey's frantic barking. An intrepid firefighter braved the icy water and rescued the dogs.

The dogs' brush with death was the result of an invisible fence, which works by administering shocks to dogs via an electronic collar when they approach a boundary. These "fences" and shock collars are a disaster waiting to happen.

They can go haywire and administer constant shocks or deliver no shocks at all when the batteries go dead. Dogs have reportedly suffered serious burns when the collars malfunctioned or got wet. Some dogs may dash through the barrier chasing a squirrel and then become trapped outside, afraid to cross back into their own yards.

Shock collars aren't just unreliable--they also hurt like the devil. At least that's the verdict of people who have actually tested the collars on themselves. Michigan resident Jason Mitchell set up a Web site to show how much electronic collars hurt. He compared the pain of the shock collar to "a mass of black flies biting you all at once." Last July, people who visited Mitchell's Web site could pay either to shock him or to spare him from a shock, with the results broadcast via online video. The fee went higher as the setting on the collar went higher. Mitchell refused to go above level 4―the collar's highest setting is level 7―because he said higher settings produced "painful after-effects." Mitchell generously donated some of the money that he raised to the local humane society.

Shock collars are currently under fire in the U.K., where the Kennel Club and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers are calling for a ban. When the Kennel Club asked members of Parliament (MPs) to test the collars on themselves, they were shocked--literally--at how painful they were. "That really hurt!" said MP Eleanor Laing. "That is positively cruel and I am disgusted." MP Richard Benyon pronounced the experience "horrible ... I definitely would not use one."

Humans can tell us that jolting themselves in the neck isn't a pleasant experience, but what about dogs? A study conducted at the University of Utrecht on German shepherds (not exactly the wimpiest of breeds) found that many of the dogs reacted to shocks with "high pitched yelps, barks and squeals." Indications of stress, such as lowered body posture, continued long after the shocks were administered. Some dogs who had been shocked became fearful merely by being in the presence of their handlers.

People who have used shock collars report that their dogs developed unexpected behaviors in response to being zapped. One dog became fearful of leaving the house, knowing that a painful jolt awaited him outside. Another developed aggression at passing joggers, thinking that they were the ones delivering the shock. One dog whose owner used a shock collar in obedience class became fearful of large groups of people and dogs.

Electronic training devices are simultaneously the laziest and most painful ways to train your dog. No one should entrust his or her best friend's safety to a battery-operated barrier. There is simply no substitute for proper training using positive reinforcement. It may take a little bit more time, but you'll end up with a happier companion who is eager to please instead of being afraid not to.

Alisa Mullins is a senior editor with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; http://www.helpinganimals.com

Tigger Watches the Westminster Dog Show

Tigger loves to watch the Westminster Dog Show. He will be giving his comments on the winners tomorrow, after he watches the second half of the competition.

The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live

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The Top 100 Sporting Events to see Live.....

1. Masters

2. World Cup

3. Super Bowl

4. Summer Olympics

5. Army vs. Navy Football Game

6. New York City Marathon

7. World Series

8. Winter Olympics

9. Red Sox vs. Yankees at Yankee Stadium

10. UNC vs. Duke Basketball Game at Cameron Indoor Stadium

11. Wimbledon

12. Stanley Cup

13. Tour de France

14. Cubs Game at Wrigley Field

15. BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans

16. Liverpool vs. Manchester United at Old Trafford

17. Michigan vs. Ohio State at The Big House

18. NFL Conference Championships

19. Daytona 500

20. Final Four-NCAA Men's Basketball

21. Ryder Cup

22. Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

23. Harvard vs. Yale at Yale

24. Kentucky Derby

25. UEFA Champions League

26. Rose Bowl

27. British Open

28. Horse Racing at Saratoga

29. Late Season Green Bay Packers Game at Lambeau Field

30. Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs in Toronto

31. Indy 500

32. Professional Bull Riders World Finals

33. Dubai World Cup

34. Hong Kong Sevens

35. Monaco Grand Prix

36. Running of the Bulls

37. Rugby World Cup

38. Red River Shootout

39. Notre Dame Football Game

40. MLB All-Star Game

41. Iron Bowl at Alabama

42. Epsom Derby

43. Calgary Stampede

44. Koshien Baseball Tournament

45. Special Olympics

46. Soccer Game at Maracana Stadium in Rio

47. Texas Football Friday Night Lights in Odessa

48. U.S. Open Tennis Tournament

49. USC vs. UCLA Basketball Game at Pauley Pavilion

50. Le Mans 24

51. Ironman World Championship

52. Iowa vs. Iowa State Wrestling Meet at Iowa

53. Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden

54. French Open

55. Baseball Game at Fenway Park

56. Belmont Stakes

57. Kangaroos Australian Football Game

58. Heavyweight Title Fight at Madison Square Garden

59. All Blacks Rugby Game

60. ACC Basketball Tournament

61. Caribbean World Series

62. FA Cup

63. Indiana High School Basketball Tournament Finals

64. U.S. Open Golf Tournament

65. Midnight Madness at University of Kentucky

66. Preakness Stakes

67. NFL Draft

68. National Finals Rodeo

69. Basketball Game at Phog Allen Fieldhouse

70. Basketball Game at Madison Square Garden

71. Prefontaine Classic

72. MLB Opening Day in Cincinnati

73. Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

74. Iditarod

75. Little 500

76. Basketball Game at Rucker Park, Harlem, NY

77. Boston Marathon

78. Cowboys Monday Night Football Game in Dallas

79. Head of the Charles Regatta

80. Florida vs. Georgia Football Game

81. Lady Vols Basketball Game

82. NBA All-Star Game

83. Pipeline Surfing

84. Australian Open Tennis Tournament

85. Baseball Game at Rickwood Field in Alabama

86. Harlem Globetrotters Performance

87. Spring Training Game at Tigertown

88. Backyard Brawl in Morgantown

89. London Marathon

90. Penn Relays

91. Presidents Cup

92. World Junior Hockey Championship

93. Westminster Dog Show

94. NFL Hall of Fame Induction

95. NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship

96. College Baseball World Series

97. Beanpot Hockey Tournament

98. Bayou Classic

99. Little League World Series

100. UFC Title Fight

As the founder of the global leader in sports event travel, TSE Sports & Entertainment, Robert Tuchman has finally compiled the list of 100 sporting events that every sports fan must attend in his or her lifetime. Tuchman also maps out your travel and ticket options, recommends the best hotels, details restaurants and nightlife and relays tips guaranteed to make each trip a success. Check out the website, http://www.100sportingevents.com, and purchase the book.

American Bulldog Training - Picky Eaters

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Your American bulldog can become fussy eaters just like you. Sometimes they will hold out until they get what they like. This can leave them less than 100% for training.

Dogs have taste buds just like people do. They like certain foods better than others. Do not worry though, as your pet will not go as far as starving himself. He will eat eventually but reluctantly. Not even the most stubborn dog will pass a meal.

Give your dog a well-balanced meal everyday. Make sure you use the same ingredients so it tastes the same. Chances are he will get used to this same taste. Also, do not over feed him with dog treats. Think of these as junk food.

Do not force your dog to eat. Put the food away until he is ready to eat. When he does go hungry, he will approach and let you know. If each meal tastes the same, he will not be expecting anything else and will eat it right away.

Avoid feeding him "people food" as much as you can. Make sure that he does not steal food from the counter either. He may look for the taste which is not the same as dog food and make him a picky eater.

If this keeps going, you might want to consider that something is wrong with your dog. A quick visit to your local veterinarian should help put your mind at ease.

Remember to feed your dog a healthy meal on a regular basis.

Your dog may lack the energy for American bulldog training or Alaskan malamute training if he does not eat. Know how to solve this in this short article.

If you are interesting in learning about American Bulldogs, specifically training American Bulldogs, check out this website => American Bulldog training