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Last updated: 2010, March 14
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SiriusDog Canine Resource & Classifieds - Articles
SiriusDog.com - A resource for the canine enthusiast

SiriusDog.com - Learn about calming signals
The term 'calming signals' has been used because dogs can use the signals to resolve conflicts by calming others in the pack as well as calming themselves. The signals are actually used to prevent confrontation in order to avoid conflicts...

SiriusDog.com - What Do I do...When My Dog Pulls On The Lead?
Pulling on lead is possibly one of the biggest complaints that pet owners have, aside from not coming when called. Strangely enough, the number of training techniques as well as the published material available is not especially varied or unique. The training bits are usually buried deep inside...

SiriusDog.com - Calming Signals - The Art of Survival
For species who live in packs it�s important to be able to communicate with its own kind. Both in order to cooperate when they hunt, to bring up their offspring, and perhaps most importantly: to live in peace with each other. Conflicts are dangerous - they cause physical injuries and a weakened pack, which is something that no pack can afford - it will cause them to go extinct...

SiriusDog.com - The Puppy and the Young Dog - About Growing Up
Dogs who raise puppies, raise their offspring into perfect dogs. Wolves who raise wolf puppies, raise them into perfect wolves who are prepared for a life as �survivors�. When humans raise puppies into dogs, they run into trouble. Why? First of all, we don�t allow the puppies to get the natural upbringing that they would and ought to receive had they been brought up by other dogs. Secondly, we expect the dog to respect our human rules, which are often meaningless to the dog, and we fail to take into consideration...

SiriusDog.com - How dogs communicate
Dogs communicate with each other and humans in three ways. By sound, scent and body/facial expressions and movement. They are excellent at reading the facial expressions and body postures of one another as well as humans. Dogs are always reading our body language and they know how we are feeling or what mood we are in by our body language and tone of voice...

SiriusDog.com - Urinary incontinence:
There can be several causes of incontinence. By far the most common cause I see in the clinic is from spaying. Bitches who have been spayed can later develop incontinence. It is generally a matter of strengthening up the sphincter of the bladder and the problem is solved for the most part.

SiriusDog.com - Focus, Food, and Fun Philosophies
Patty Ruzzo was a competition obedience winner using traditional training methods in the 1980s-early 90s, when she decided to(as she put it)

SiriusDog.com - Handling for Teamwork

SiriusDog.com - Let Them Eat Cookies!
There is a colossal amount to learn and assimilate about training competition dogs with positive reinforcement. Exchanging food for behavior is at the heart of it. For the purpose of this article, we have decided to address the three most commonly asked questions about food training...

SiriusDog.com - Tell Me About Your Dog! Part II
I believe that reading dogs is one of the most important parts of dog training. In part one of this article I tried to address general qualities in dogs that we hear often when dogs and their training are discussed. I deliberately limited myself to traits that deal with perception and reception of stimuli. In this part I would like to tackle the active side of dogs' characters and talk about the traits that determine how dogs respond. As always my intention is to share ideas and provoke thought...

SiriusDog.com - Tail Wagging Secrets You Need To Know (Part 1)
Dogs are amazingly social animals that have evolved a pattern of behaviors that are meant to communicate their feelings and emotions to the living things around them. While humans rely mostly on vocalizations and the tone, cadence and volume of their speech to communicate their mood ...

SiriusDog.com - Tail Wagging Secrets You Need To Know (Part 2)
By noticing your dog's tail in different types of settings, activities and environments you can quickly learn to distinguish what your dog is signaling just by the position and movement of the tail. Keep in mind that dogs with docked tails or very short tails, or breeds that carry their tails curled up tightly on their backs such as the Pomeranian, Spitz and Malamutes will have a slightly different method...

SiriusDog.com - Just How Smart Is Your Dog?
As humans we all know that everyone learns differently and there are many different types of intelligence. While most people would agree that dogs are not the same type of

SiriusDog.com - Dog Training For Proper Dog Behavior
There are many reasons for teaching proper dog behavior, and teaching such behavior has many benefits for both the human and canine partners. Dog behavior training is vital to such life and death issues as preventing aggression, controlling dog on dog aggression problems and teaching dogs to interact properly with both their handlers and...

SiriusDog.com - Raising Your Dog - Important Steps to Take From 6 Weeks to 2 Months of Age
At the beginning, the puppy is being nourished half by nursing and half by feeding. At 2 months the process is completed, and he can leave his mother. Between 6 and 8 weeks is a good time for...

SiriusDog.com - Raising Your Dog - Important Steps to Take From 1 to 3 Years of Age
Physically, he is in his prime, and will continue to develop heavier bone, a deeper chest, a fuller coat, as well as greater strength and endurance...

SiriusDog.com - A Dogs Communication - Could Your Dog be Trying to Tell You Something?
Dogs exchange information among themselves less by voice than by a wide range of facial expressions, body postures and gestures, as well as by...

SiriusDog.com - Your Dogs Intelligence - Could Dogs Be Smarter than Their Owners?
The intelligence of the dog is among the highest of all the animals, maybe higher than we give him credit for. Although his brain is proportionately only half as large as ours, he is certainly the most intelligent of...

SiriusDog.com - Playtime With Your Dog - Could Be Just as Beneficial to You as it is to Your Pet
Play is one of the best forms of exercise for a puppy. Fifteen minutes of vigorous play can be equivalent to an hour's walk. Many owners do not realize that games are also good...

SiriusDog.com - A Dogs Communication - Could Your Dog be Trying to Tell You Something?
Is barking a form of language among dogs with precise significance, or just playful noise? Dogs exchange information among themselves less by voice than by a wide range of facial expressions, body postures...

SiriusDog.com - How to Understand & Prevent Dog Fights
Dogs are very active creatures that enjoy being able to run and jump and play. This need for physical activity is usually satisfied by being able to be outside for a specific time every day. Some dogs have no problem...

SiriusDog.com - Dogs That Refuse to Eat - What Causes This and How Can it Be Resolved?
When a pet dog refuses to eat, the problem is either physical or psychological. When a pet dog refuses to eat, his owner pleads with him and tries to tempt him with food fed by hand. If the dog is sufficiently neglected and bored he may try this to get attention. An intelligent owner will counter this common canine play by...

SiriusDog.com - Your Dogs Instincts - A Modern Day Pet or Primal Beast?
A dog's behavior is influenced by certain basic instincts which you should be aware of if you want to understand your dog. Some of them have been lessoned by the protected life led by modern pets. In fact, the dog as a species...

SiriusDog.com - Stop Dogs Eating Dog Poop (Coprophagia)
Although dogs eating their poop is probably a natural behavior it's still a disgusting habit to have! I mean, why would your dog eat his poop when you are feeding him perfectly good food?

SiriusDog.com - Stop Dog Chewing - Dog Behavior Training.
If you own a dog there's every chance you will encounter dog chewing problems. This article outlines the common reasons why dogs chew, and also how to stop your dog from chewing.

SiriusDog.com - Dog Behavior Training - Stop Your Dog From Jumping Up On People
Dogs jumping up on people is at best an embarrassing and annoying habit, at worst a danger for all involved.What starts out as a cute habit in young puppies can escalate into a big problem that can be difficult to correct.

SiriusDog.com - How to Establish Your Role As The Pack Leader With Your Dog
Most dogs have what has been termed a team spirit, or

SiriusDog.com - 5 Tips To Easy Puppy Potty Training
The sooner you potty train your puppy the better. You want to establish good habits from the start. And, a dog who has never gone potty in the house will never consider the house a place *to* go potty. I�ve always found the puppies we purchased from actual working farms (NOT puppy farms) were the easiest to house-train.

SiriusDog.com - Resolve Your Dog Separation Anxiety
Dogs do misconduct when they are going through separation anxiety. Some of this misbehavior can be very negative and unsafe to the dog or even the public around them. Behavior problem connected to separation anxiety includes, excessive barking, chewing, destroying things, scratching, out of place urination, defecation, and other self damaging behavior.

SiriusDog.com - Have An Easier Time Training Your Dog

SiriusDog.com - Puppy care tips
Puppies try to jump at anything and everything during their first year of life. It is worth knowing that this behavior will remain the same when the puppy grows into am adult dog.

SiriusDog.com - Your Dogs Instincts - A Modern Day Pet or Primal Beast?
A dog has many instincts, and as a pet owner you must understand these instincts to fully understand your dog.

SiriusDog.com - Raising Puppies: Be Positive
Bringing home the puppy home is one of the most enjoyable things that you can enjoy with the young puppy. After that, you are now thrusts into the role of a mother hen or an alpha male type of owner to raise the dog properly.

SiriusDog.com - The Courage Test at the Sieger Show.
The history and the Standard of the German Shepherd Dog are, and should be, intimately related to the �parent club� of the breed. If one does not agree with that underlying principle of almost everything concerning the breed, then unity in the sport and identification as a breed will suffer. An English Springer Spaniel that does not look anything like the historic or the British dog perhaps should have �English� dropped from its name in countries where breed type has strayed significantly. The Australian Cattle Dog, if it starts looking like a Whippet after drifting in Transylvania, should not retain that name. If some of the Yanks or the Brits want a different breed than the internationally traditional GSD, let them call theirs the Alsatian or something else, rather than the German Shepherd.

SiriusDog.com - DOGS THAT BITE
Dogs that bite might be broadly categorized into two groups: dogs that think they can; and dogs that think they must. Dogs in the first group think they can at the dog's discretion. Dogs in the second group have, in the dog's perception, been put into the position that it feels it has no other choice. There is a big difference in the approach to dealing with each group, and a lot of variation within the approaches to the individual dogs.

SiriusDog.com - Management
Management is another word for controlling the environment. It involves making changes in your dog�s immediate living conditions and situations. Management will help you to PREVENT some problems from happening, especially with a puppy or young dog.

SiriusDog.com - THINK DOG
Your dog sees the world differently than we do. If we learn to

SiriusDog.com - SEPARATION ANXIETY
Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit extreme behavior problems when they are left alone. The most common behaviors are destruction of property (sometimes injuring themselves in the process), especially around doors or windows, howling and barking, and urination and defecation from distress.

SiriusDog.com - CRATES
The problem with dog crates is convincing people that crating a dog is not cruel and unusual punishment!

SiriusDog.com - PLAYING TUG WITH YOUR DOG
Tug can be a great game for your dog - IF played by the rules. Tug is a good substitute for body-slam wrestling. It is also a good way to use up energy when you can't get the dog outside due to bad weather.

SiriusDog.com - DRIVES
The term, drive, when used in dog training is a departure from the behavioral scientist's understanding of the concept.

SiriusDog.com - OBEDIENCE
Discussions over the last few years regarding the protection phase center around active and reactive aggression. In these discussions the importance of having a dog initiate the work is generally agreed to by most.

SiriusDog.com - Introducing a Dog to a New Baby
You or your family is expecting a new baby; however, you already have a

SiriusDog.com - DEFENSE BEHAVIOR
Unlike most dog events, working dog competitions are not so much a test of how well a dog can do a particular exercise, but a more fundamental examination of the dog's temperament.

SiriusDog.com - Do You Know the Basic Steps?
Tired of tired obedience or a dog having a nervous breakdown on the track? In this article I would like to go back and question the very fundamentals of how many dog trainers approach their task and see just where the problem is.

SiriusDog.com - Simply Obedience: Sit means sit.
I have created my own philosophy in obedience. (Although I am sure I just reinvented the wheel.) When teaching people in my club, I have found this to be the best way to explain what I need from them. This obedience theory is good for all three phases: obedience, tracking, and protection. I will address obedience in this article. There are many good and great obedience trainers that use a myriad of different methods.

SiriusDog.com - LEADERSHIP
Dogs are social animals that live in a pack, or family. When you bring a dog into your family you become their pack. Even if you are a single person with one dog, you are a pack.

SiriusDog.com - CANINE STRESS SIGNS
Some stress signs may be difficult to see, while others are very noticeable. Some signs relate to an increase in activity, as in acute stress - body and mind go into

SiriusDog.com - Canine Behaviour
Travelling in search of information on training has provided many opportunities to broaden my understanding of canine behaviour.

SiriusDog.com - Changes in Behavior Associated With Aging in Dogs
An old dog is a special friend. We remember the times we shared and are often saddened by the changes we see. As our companions age, they undergo both physical and metabolic changes that affect our interaction with them. These physical and metabolic changes can often manifest themselves as behavioral changes. Understanding these changes can help increase our enjoyment of the

SiriusDog.com - SUBMISSIVE URINATION
Submissive urination is NOT a house-training problem. It is exhibited during greetings, either because the dog instinctively feels a need to show submission, or when the dog loses control due to being excited.

SiriusDog.com - TEACHING YOUR DOG TO "GIVE"
First of all, recognize that you have an obligation to prevent problems by using good management of the environment. A puppy sees the whole world as her chew toy. You need to puppy proof the area where your young dog will be, and to provide appropriate chew toys for her.

SiriusDog.com - Digging
Dogs dig for a variety of reasons -- to bury or recover bones, dig up prey, to make cooling pits and even as means of escape from a boring environment.

SiriusDog.com - Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a common and serious genetic problem in purebred dogs.There is virtually no breed of dog unaffected.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Behaviour
Travelling in search of information on training has provided many opportunities to broaden my understanding of canine behaviour. Understanding canine behaviour is the essential ingredient in developing training programs which will produce a dog that works correctly and enthusiastically.

SiriusDog.com - PUPPY MENTALITY - A Trait for Life?
Mentally, puppies are like a sponge in that they soak up everything, and if they've been properly raised will approach almost anything without a preconceived attitude. As they mature, some of this predisposition to "I wonder what that is, it might be interesting" attitude wears off, and the "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" concept leads most owners to treat the dog in just that manner.

SiriusDog.com - Is your dog hypothyroid?
Here is a list of symptoms that may mean your dog is hypothyroid.

SiriusDog.com - SOME BASIC TRUTHS ABOUT DOG TRAINING
Your dog is always learning, by observation, trial and error, 24 hours a day whe her you are with him or not.

SiriusDog.com - PACK DRIVE
A way to increase pack drive is to keep the dog with you. House dogs are part of the family, they develop many interactive behaviors with you, and they feel they belong.

SiriusDog.com - MANAGEMENT
Management is another word for controlling the environment. It involves making changes in your dog�s immediate living conditions and situations. Management will help you to PREVENT some problems from happening, especially with a puppy or young dog.

SiriusDog.com - Introducing a Dog to a New Baby
You or your family is expecting a new baby; however, you already have a

SiriusDog.com - KIDS AND DOGS - SAFETY FIRST
Very few bites happen without provocation - but the provocation may exist only in the dog's mind! We need to realize that dogs are not little people in furry costumes. They don't think in the same way that we do.

SiriusDog.com - Lou's Stake Out Test
My Stake Out Test is designed to test the potential canine (k9) to see what drives he operates in during stressful situations.

SiriusDog.com - In Praise of Working Dog Temperament
What started as an ordinary interest in and liking for German Shepherd Dogs has become an obsession to understand the marvelous character of the working German Shepherd Dog because its versatility and greatness seems to surpass all the rest.

SiriusDog.com - House Training Puppies.
House training your puppy begins long before you bring him/her home. Not soiling his quarters is both an instinctual quality as well as a learned behavior.

SiriusDog.com - FAQs About Selecting a Working Dog Puppy
This FAQ is designed to help you select a promising pup for working in Schutzhund, and can be adapted to many other levels of dog sports.

SiriusDog.com - BEHAVIORAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH THYROID DYSFUNCTION IN DOGS
In North America, the principal reason for pet euthanasia stems not from disease, but undesirable behavior.� While this abnormal behavior in dogs and cats can have a variety of medical causes, it also can reflect underlying problems of a psychological nature.

SiriusDog.com - Sensory, Emotional and Social Development of the Young Dog Part 3

SiriusDog.com - Sensory, Emotional and Social Development of the Young Dog Part 2

SiriusDog.com - Sensory, Emotional and Social Development of Young Dog Part 1
In our Western culture, the relation between humans and dogs is played out in a historical and socio-economic context that fosters the emergence of behavioral dysfunctions in animals (the discrepancy between the imagined dog and reality).

SiriusDog.com - SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Throughout the dog's twelve thousand-year relationship with man, its behavior has been carefully molded to distinguish the dog from its wild ancestor, the wolf.

SiriusDog.com - Volhard's Puppy Aptitude Test
This is the Volhard's Puppy Aptitude Test. You can download a printable copy as well.

SiriusDog.com - Inheritance of Temperament
Behaviorally, interdog aggression is separate from aggression to humans. (Which would obviously make it genetically different).

SiriusDog.com - Educating the Infant Puppy(Birth to Nine Weeks)
We have developed a series of tests and exercises for baby puppies, which both educates and evaluates each puppy as it grows and develops.

SiriusDog.com - Crate Training
When you bring your puppy home for the first time, pick out a location for the puppy's bed that is safe and comfortable. One of the best house breaking and containment methods is to put your puppy in a crate. Some people think a crate is mean or cruel

SiriusDog.com - Picking a puppy for a working program
As always, I will start by saying that the following is a way of picking puppies for a working program. This by no means is the way for making your selections.

SiriusDog.com - Humor in Domestic Dogs
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.

SiriusDog.com - Puppy Socialization
Starting one week after you get your puppy (age 8 or 9 weeks), get him out one day a�� week to a new situation he has never seen before.

SiriusDog.com - How Dogs Think?
Have you ever seen a device or a program designed to correct a dog behavior problem that explained how smart dogs are and how they think? Most plans or gadgets enable owners, literally, to declare war on their hapless pets. Little or no concern is afforded to what the dogs happen to think about them. In fact, the implication is that dogs don't think at all ...

SiriusDog.com - K�rordnung (SV Breed Survey Rules) in English
The Verein f�r Deutsche Sh�ferhunde (SV) e.V. [Club for GSDs Inc.] is the parent club for the breed, and has responsibility for it and its Standard, which is acknowledged by the German (VDH) and international (FCI) Kennel Clubs. The K�rordnung [breed survey regulations] of the SV serve the advancement of the controlled breeding of the German Shepherd Dog race in both varieties: the �Stockhaar� (straight-haired, medium length topcoat) and the��Langstockhaar� (longer topcoat but also with undercoat)

SiriusDog.com - The Judging of Tooth Faults in Conformation Shows and Breed Surveys

SiriusDog.com - Cryptorchidism
The most common congenital* anomaly of the scrotum and testicles is the apparent absence of one or both gonads. I use the word "apparent" because the missing testicle(s) usually are actually present inside the body cavity of the dog. The Greek kryptos means hidden, secret, or covered, and the Greek orchi - is a combining form referring to the testicles. The condition is therefore called cryptorchidism and the dog so afflicted is called a cryptorchid. If one testicle is retained, he is a unilateral (one-sided) cryptorchid and if both, a bilateral cryptorchid. A word commonly applied to the former is monorchid but this is a misnomer, as monorchidism would mean the presence of only one testicle anywhere in the body, not just in the scrotum. True monorchids are quite rare, as are anorchids (males with no testicles), and either condition can be verified only be extensive surgery.

SiriusDog.com - INBREEDING AND DIVERSITY - PART 5

SiriusDog.com - INBREEDING AND DIVERSITY - PART 4

SiriusDog.com - INBREEDING AND DIVERSITY - PART 3

SiriusDog.com - INBREEDING AND DIVERSITY - PART 2

SiriusDog.com - INBREEDING AND DIVERSITY - PART 1
Jay Lush, father of modern animal breeding, stated that variation is the raw material with which breeder works. The focus of this article is on the use of variation and measures of variation, in making breeding decisions.

SiriusDog.com - SABLES: GENETICS AND MYTHS
Some time ago, a GSD breeder-judge in Germany wrote an article that was carried on the Internet, entitled �The Sable Shepherd� A Museum Piece?� (liberal translation).

SiriusDog.com - Stages of Whelphing a Litter of Puppies
Your dog being pregnant can be a nerve racking time for owners who have not had the experience before. Just like with human babies the first is the most challenging and if you intend on doing this often � don't worry it gets easier with practice...

SiriusDog.com - ORTHOPEDIC PROBLEMS IN HOCKS - Revised 2007
Osteochondrosis is a term applied to a number of similar disorders of the joints where bone (osteo-) and cartilage (chondro-) are involved. If they are inflamed we use the term osteochondritis. It is now a fairly common diagnosis in young limping dogs, the defects being found in one or more of those joints...

SiriusDog.com - Will the True Working Dog Disappear?
As most of you know, I have been involved with the German Shepherd Dog since 1947 as a trainer, breeder, judge, author, and teacher. My love for the breed is unquestionable and I count it an honor to have fought for its welfare and preservation for all these years. In my zeal for one of God's great gifts to man, namely, the companionship and utility of dogs, I may step on some toes once in a while. But it never from spite or greed or self-aggrandizement that I call a spade a spade, and wish to correct error. Lately I have been railing against the deterioration of character in the show dog and the unwillingness of the working-only faction in the sport to make peace and use

SiriusDog.com - The Gap Widens
In the German Shepherd Dog world, and echoed elsewhere, we have long heard (and voiced) complaints about the schism that exists between the

SiriusDog.com - Immune System Problems in the Canine
The German Shepherd Dog is a very popular breed. In fact, it is Number One worldwide although in the U.S. it ranks much lower partly because of AKC clubs' non-adherence to the international Standards - usually in the AKC top ten, though. As a result of there being so many GSDs, veterinarians and others typically see more cases of most disorders than they do in other breeds. Popularity has its drawbacks, and undeserved notoriety is one of them.

SiriusDog.com - LEGG CALV� PERTHES DISEASE
A disorder sometimes easily mistaken for hip dysplasia is Legg-Calv�-Perthes disease, perhaps more frequently referred to by the dog fancier as

SiriusDog.com - Hip Dysplasia, the LMX Formula
Many German Shepherd lovers have seen, known, or loved a dog that suffered great pain, even had to be put down at a young age due to Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). Though we love this huge breed, the question begs to be asked-Is it worth the risk to purchase and fall in love with a dog only to watch is struggle to stand up when it should be in the prime of its life?

SiriusDog.com - Registration does not mean breeding rights and responsibilities.
The genealogical table that we call a pedigree or Ahnentafel also contains a summary of the K�rschein (K�rung report � if it exists) for that dog. Included is the description of the dog, with its advantages and disadvantages, the good and less-than-good characteristics listed.

SiriusDog.com - HD in the German Shepherd Dog � a Statistical Study
HD in the German Shepherd Dog � a Statistical Study. Jan Demeyere study & presentation of H�ftgelenksdysplasie (HD) in German Shepherd Dogs. Translation by Fred Lanting, approved by Jan Demeyere, and Fred�s own notes were then added:

SiriusDog.com - Basic Genetics of Chocolate (Liver) Coloration in the Canine.
Most black, brown, and yellow colorations are due to the presence of melanin class pigments. The word melanin is derived from the Greek word for black, and is commonly used to refer to the two or three known chemicals similar to each other, which produce the above color families.

SiriusDog.com - Requirements for Breeding in and outside of Germany.
There has been some heated discussion recently (late 2005) about clubs in the UK, USA, and Australasia adhering to the rules of the SV, the perpetual extending of the SV's "deadlines" to conform to world Standards, and allied topics. A K�rung classification is required for registrable breeding in Germany, and it has always been encouraged for other members of the WUSV. If I may, I'd like to offer (my translation of) the rules as they pertain to a couple of the key arguments or statements in the current exchanges; I am sure these will clarify the matter in the minds of some of the people who've been in the middle of the discussion:

SiriusDog.com - NASS - 2005 North American Sieger Show
The largest Sieger Show in North America to date was held outside of Pittsburgh October 14-16, 2005. Known as NASS, for �North American Sieger Show�, it actually is one of four Sieger Shows held in North America, by as many �national� GSD clubs. If one were to give the pedigree (or �father-line�), acknowledging the sponsoring club, one might have called the event �the NASS of the WDA/GSDCA/AKC�, since that is the hierarchal lineage. The other U.S. club is the USCA (also known as USA, for United Schutzhund Clubs of America), older in holding Sieger Shows, but slipping behind WDA in recent years because of management and personality problems. Their pedigree is USA/WUSV/FCI but as a bastard offspring, because they failed to secure full WUSV membership in the beginning, forfeiting that honor to the GSDCA. There are also independent North American Sieger Shows held in Canada (GSSCC) and Mexico, which last I heard was still part of North America.

SiriusDog.com - The Shoulder in the Working Dog
When we speak of a shoulder in a dog, we usually include a lot more than just the scapula (shoulder blade) � although the flat, broad bone is often the center of attention. No part of a dog exists alone, not even those �floating� bones such as...

SiriusDog.com - Options in Treatment for the Dysplastic Dog
I am frequently approached by people who have bought �the love of their lives� or a show or working-prospect puppy, only to find out it does not have what most responsible fanciers would call �breedable� hips.

SiriusDog.com - The Nature of Genetic Disease
Many people label any problem that appears to be inherited a

SiriusDog.com - ELIMINATING MUTATION: THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
Though it is not practical to eliminate all deleterious mutation, the incidence of affected individuals may be significantly reduced through a combination of intelligent breeding practice and the development of DNA tests.

SiriusDog.com - Birth Defects: Cleft Palate Why and When
Hope that you never have a litter with cleft palates. But if you do, this may explain the cause of at least some cases.

SiriusDog.com - Breeding Schemes
Breeders often talk about inbreeding and outcrossing as though they were the only possibilities -- and generally with negative comments about the latter. There are other possibilities, and I have long been a proponent of assortative mating. It is not a theoretical concept that doesn't work in practice; I know several breeders who do it and achieve good results. This essay will attempt to explain why it is a good idea, but first I need to define the aternatives.

SiriusDog.com - Purebred Dog Breeds into the Twenty-First Century: Achieving Genetic Health for Our Dogs
A correct and full understanding of these simple truisms is vital to the proper functioning of the entire canine fancy and to the health and well being of the animals which are the object of that fancy.

SiriusDog.com - Back Pain in Dogs
Disorders of the spinal vertebrae and their associated backaches belong therefore to any list of most frequent illnesses in many breeds, particularly the German Shepherd Dog.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Autoimmune Thyroid Disease And Symptoms Of
Most of the confusion about the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease in purebred or mixed breed dogs today stems from the expectation that affected animals must show clinical signs of inadequate thyroid hormonal production (i.e. hypothyroidism) in order to have the disease. The term hypothyroidism has been loosely applied to describe all stages of this disease process whereas strictly speaking it should be reserved for the end-stages when the animal's thyroid gland is no longer capable of producing sufficient hormone(s) to sustain clinical health. At this point, the dog can express any number of the non-specific multisystem signs of thyroid dysfunction. But let's start at the beginning.

SiriusDog.com - Autoimmune Diseases
The term

SiriusDog.com - Angles Front and Rear
The Front variously called the front assembly, forequarters, or shoulder, the whole combination made by the shoulder blade (scapula), upper arm (humerus), breastbone (sternum), and their related soft tissues is at the heart of much poor movement in German Shepherd Dogs the world over.

SiriusDog.com - Anatomy of the German Shepherd
For breed judges, Koermeister and breeders the evaluation of the German Shepherd dog is a daily activity. For all others, it is likely of interest to know how a dog - especially your own - is evaluated.

SiriusDog.com - HERPES MORE THAN A NEONATAL RISK?
Until relatively recently, canine herpes seemed to be a problem only in the whelping boxes maintained by rank novices in breeding dogs.

SiriusDog.com - "Swimmers"
An infrequent, puzzling phenomenon is the litter in which many, if not all, of the whelps become strangely deformed sometime in the first two weeks of life. A flattening of the thorax and abdomen, top to bottom, becomes evident about a week after birth from some unknown cause. It happens most often in the dwarf (chondrodystrophic) breeds but has been seen in the German Shepherd Dog and other breeds. Instead of the thorax developing normally into a progressively deeper tube from the prosternum/neck area to the diaphragm, it forms more of a flattened cylinder with the height from floor to spine about the same all the way back to the loins, and perhaps even lower midway down the back. The forechest, instead of dropping from the prosternum to the last sternal vertebra, may even be concave, and as time goes on the puppy becomes even more pancake shaped...

SiriusDog.com - Update on Hip Registries, 2003
This article is slightly more than an update on the hip registries operating in the U.S. (and Canada, to a great extent).

SiriusDog.com - First Presa Canario National Specialty Part 2

SiriusDog.com - First Presa Canario National Specialty Part 1
The first national specialty show of the reorganized Presa club in America known as the United Perro de Presa Canario Club was held on the grounds of Purina Farms near St. Louis, MO.

SiriusDog.com - Another Look at Dewclaws
Some breed magazines a few years ago carried a short article by Doctors Foster and Smith on dewclaws.

SiriusDog.com - Let�s Talk Breeding and Training
The title of this article stems from a discussion list or website group in the U.K. with the name �Let�s Talk Breeding�. One of its subscribers said she couldn�t �sit by and listen to foolishness without speaking up.�

SiriusDog.com - Fred Lanting "curriculum vitae"
SEMINARS & LECTURE INFORMATION ON FRED LANTING

SiriusDog.com - Update on North American Hip Registries 2002
This article is slightly more than an update on the hip registries operating in the U.S. (and Canada, to a great extent).

SiriusDog.com - The Ins and Outs of Pedigree Analysis, Genetic Diversity, and Genetic Disease Control
As dog breeders, we engage in genetic

SiriusDog.com - The use of Oxytocin during the Whelping of a litter.
First, let me say that at this time, I am an infrequent breeder of working GSDs, having had 8 litters in the past 10 years.

SiriusDog.com - BREED VALUE ASSESSMENT : HD What is it?
The right answers to the most prevalent questions.

SiriusDog.com - BREED VALUE and the GSD - The SV Zuchtwert Program Part 3
The application is very simple for the breeder. For his bitch, whose HD breed value he knows, the breeder can select from a broad offering of dogs that are qualified to breed � suitable stud dogs that also complement his wishes in reference to form and performance.

SiriusDog.com - BREED VALUE and the GSD - The SV Zuchtwert Program Part 2
Wide implementation of the method of Breed Value Assessment has been effective in the commercial animal breeds (food and textile).

SiriusDog.com - BREED VALUE and the GSD - The SV Zuchtwert Program Part 1
Many GSD fanciers (yes, unfortunately even breeders) have either not heard of the Zuchtwert program or have almost no idea of what it is.

SiriusDog.com - Hip Dysplasia
Canine hip Dysplasia (CHD)---the most common orthopedic problem in dogs---is caused by a loose hipbone-thighbone connection.

SiriusDog.com - Dealing With Wrong Ideas about Hip Dysplasia
The important thing about hip-joint laxity that the people of Schnelles day knew intuitively in the 1930s, the OFA proclaimed via deductive reasoning...

SiriusDog.com - The Genetic Cul-de-sac Dogs as an endangered species Part 2
If both copies of the gene are mutated, then each gene can make the right protein about 5 to 10% of the time. Affected Dobermans are thus producing von Willebrand factor.

SiriusDog.com - The Genetic Cul-de-sac Dogs as an endangered species Part 1
Why the dog opted to share his fate with men, may never be known, we suspect it had something to do with filling his stomach, but when he did, mankind took on a moral and ethical obligation.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part VIII Surgical Management of Canine Hip Dysplasia-Part II
This is the eighth and final article in a series on canine hip dysplasia. What follows is written from the perspective that the readers of the series are serious and conscientious breeders who are the guardians of the genetic pools that constitute their breeds.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part VII Surgical Management of Canine Hip Dysplasia
Surgery may be recommended for suitable candidates, taking into account expected activity level, longevity and use and value of the dog.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part VI
Treatment of this disease must be tailored specifically to the needs of your pet, whether using conventional or alternative medicine.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part V
An evaluation method is needed that is not only diagnostic but which can predict the probability of canine hip dysplasia.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part IV
The Role of Orthopedic Registries in Fighting Canine Hip Dysplasia; Registries, although essential in documenting CHD, have not been used to their full potential.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part III
The authors assess the pros and cons of standard diagnostic methods for hip dysplasia.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part II - Causative Factors of Canine Hip Dysplasia
Owners must separate fact from myth when examining theories on genetic, nutritional and environmental factors that influence CHD.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Hip Dysplasia Part I
To understand this genetically transmitted disease, we must first understand the workings of the normal canine hip.

SiriusDog.com - So You Are Looking for a Brood Bitch? Part 2
Your candidate�s Breed Survey should also be scrutinized to learn more about the potential purchase. When the survey was done and when it expires (in the case of a young bitch)are important details. A young female with her first survey under her belt will have to appear again before a K�rmeister to be evaluated one more time before she receives the final survey �for life�.

SiriusDog.com - So You Are Looking for a Brood Bitch? Part 1
I once had a dog, an expensive dog, she was. An import, yes siree. Superb specimen she was, with an immaculate family tree, starting with a famous father and a mother who in turn was a daughter of another famous one. How could one go wrong?

SiriusDog.com - THE DOWNSIDE OF INBREEDING:IT'S TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH
Inbreeding (which, for the purposes of this article, includes

SiriusDog.com - THE BREEDER/BUYER RELATIONSHIP: GUARANTEES AND ETHICS
The possibility of crippling HD manifesting in later months of a puppy�s life or past the dog�s middle age has been a bugaboo to breeders for a long time.

SiriusDog.com - The World Union of German Shepherd Dog Clubs (WUSV) Breed Standard
The German Shepherd Dog is medium sized. With the hair pressed down, the height at the withers is measured by stick along the vertical as it follows the line of the elbow from the withers to the ground.

SiriusDog.com - Breed Value Procedure for HD
The delegates at this year's SV National Meeting in May unanimously decided on the introduction of the

SiriusDog.com - Diseases of Puppyhood
Breeders� responses to early puppy deaths vary. Some expend a great deal of effort, while others �let nature take its course� and stoically hope the next breeding will be more successful.

SiriusDog.com - Constancy and Repeatability in Hip Evaluations
Some questions have been raised about how long the PennHIP reading, and the two-year-old OFA (or one-year old

SiriusDog.com - You be the Judge.
PennHIP: Misconceptions and Misinformation, OFA Update: The Issue of Joint Laxity and Stress Radiography.

SiriusDog.com - What is a Breed Survey?
For most people involved in the sport of Schutzhund, breeding is a secondary priority to training for and obtaining titles. Those with females may breed one litter a year, while the males may be used mainly for breeding to bitches within the same geographic area.

SiriusDog.com - BREEDING CULTURE PROGRAMS AND PROBLEMATIC INFECTIONS FOR DAMS SIRES AND PUPPIES.
The problem first became apparent when a champion bitch, 55 days into whelp, started producing green vaginal discharge. The bitch was rushed to the vet for a caesarian section; two of three puppies survived.

SiriusDog.com - The 1997 WUSV German Shepherd Dog Standard
Since the official establishment in Augsburg, within the German Canine Association known as the VDH (German

SiriusDog.com - Heritability
Perhaps no term is more misunderstood by dog fanciers when talking about inherited characteristics and environmental effects than the concept of heritability.

SiriusDog.com - BASIC GENETIC CONCEPTS
Most of you are undoubtedly aware that color and certain diseases such as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) are inherited � that is, passed down from one or both the parents.

SiriusDog.com - Zuchtschauordnung (SV Germany) Conformation Show Rules
Breed Show (SV Conformation Show) Rules, Germany 1997 version, translated by Fred Lanting.

SiriusDog.com - Looking at OFA and PennHIP in 2003 and 2004
Back in the early days before PennHIP had many years and studies under its belt, the first and third statement may have had a little credence, but never has the second, even though for a time...

SiriusDog.com - Purebred Dog Breeds into the Twenty-First Century: Achieving Genetic Health for Our Dogs Part 3
The foregoing prescriptions may sound like a canine revolution. If so, the revolution would consist mainly of integrating many facets of the fancy which now exist in ghetto isolation, or of importing good ideas from other parts of the cynological world.

SiriusDog.com - THYROID CAN ALTER BEHAVIORBIZARRE BEHAVIORAL CHANGES?CHECK YOUR DOG FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM
Abnormal behavior in dogs can have a variety of medical causes; it also can reflect underlying problems of a psychological nature.

SiriusDog.com - DDR Sieger & Siegerin
DDR Sieger & Siegerin 1949 - 1989.

SiriusDog.com - SG Lord vom GleisdreieckSch3 FH3 KKL1a

SiriusDog.com - Gento v. Haus LarwinKNPV 1 Met Lof PH 1 IPO 1 Kkl 2 HD-A Normal

SiriusDog.com - Dina von der Sch�ferhafen

SiriusDog.com - Resi von der bösen Nachbarschaft

SiriusDog.com - V Boris vom Trogenbach

SiriusDog.com - Blacky vom Gleisdreieck

SiriusDog.com - SG�Alk v. Osterburg Quell Sch3 DPO2

SiriusDog.com - Xato von der b�sen Nachbarschaft

SiriusDog.com - Omo vom Geiersnest

SiriusDog.com - Gary vom K�rbelbach
SchH3 IP3 FH KKL 1'a' normal

SiriusDog.com - Fina von der Sigisliebe
Medium tall, medium strong with a slight dip behind the high withers, firm back, short croup. Upper arm should be positioned more steeply, the rear is well angulated, almost straight front, even chest proportions. Walks straight, good fluid gaits with powerful push, front reach should be more effective. Sound temperament, hardness, courage and fightdrive pronounced, does out

SiriusDog.com - Siggo v d Nidderreiche

SiriusDog.com - Robby vom Glockeneck

SiriusDog.com - V Dax v.d. Kesmarker Tr�nke

SiriusDog.com - Arek vom Stoffelblick

SiriusDog.com - Aik vom Haus Cindy

SiriusDog.com - Umsa vom Bungalow

SiriusDog.com - Orfey von Haus AntverpaIPO 1 OFA Good

SiriusDog.com - Natan v Busecker Schloss

SiriusDog.com - OTCh Nora vom Leerburg UD TD AD OFA Good
OTCh Nora vom Leerburg UD TD AD OFA Good

SiriusDog.com - V Gildo vom K�rbelbachSchH3 IP3 "a" normal SZ 1498385

SiriusDog.com - V Harro aus der LechrainstadtSchH 3 IPO 3 Kkl 1a Lbz

SiriusDog.com - V 4 Jeff vom Fl�mings-Sand SchH2

SiriusDog.com - V Greif zum LahntalSchH 3 FH INT Kkl. Ia normal

SiriusDog.com - Held vom RitterbergSchH3 5546/44

SiriusDog.com - Ingo v Rudingen

SiriusDog.com - ELECTRONIC ( INVISIBLE ) FENCING
Electronic fences (also known as

SiriusDog.com - ELECTRONIC COLLARS - WEANING THE DOG OFF THE ECOLLAR
The reason that dogs don't obey all the time is that they are gamblers. Let's see if I can do what I wanna do THIS time!

SiriusDog.com - ELECTRONIC COLLARS - THREE TYPES OF TRAINING WITH ECOLLARS
There are three general types of training with the Ecollar.

SiriusDog.com - ELECTRONIC COLLAR - TRAINING THE SIT
Before we start remember to look for signs that the dog is getting stressed by the training.

SiriusDog.com - Electronic Collar - CRITTERING AND DOG TO DOG AGGRESSION
The technique outlined below works well to stop a dog from chasing unwanted game, commonly known as

SiriusDog.com - Electronic Collars - THE RECALL
This chapter assumes that you've already set the Ecollar on the dog's

SiriusDog.com - PROOFING THE BEHAVIORS
Each of the various behaviors (the recall, sit, down, place, etc.) that we train must be proofed. The basic proofing is similar for all of the behaviors; it just gets modified in its form slightly.

SiriusDog.com - Working With Puppies (E-collar)
One of the most difficult challenges in working with the Ecollar is working with a puppy. Puppies are the hardest because everything is new to them their distraction level is nothing one second and then at a peak the next.

SiriusDog.com - FITTING THE COLLAR TO THE DOG
When fitting the Ecollar on the dog it must as high on his neck as it can go, just beneath his jaw. The strap must also go very high, just behind the dog's ears.

SiriusDog.com - HOW TO FIND YOUR DOG'S WORKING LEVEL OF STIMULATION
You want to work the dog at the lowest level of stimulation that he can just perceive.

SiriusDog.com - Food Refusal Training
This is a common use of the training collar, aversion training with a twist. The twist is that you not only want the dog not to eat stray piece of food, but that you also must train that it�s O.K. to eat under certain circumstances.

SiriusDog.com - Discovery of the canine narcolepsy gene
For the first time, life science researchers have isolated a disease gene in dogs that provides clues to the origins of a disorder also found in humans. A 10-year hunt for the gene responsible for canine narcolepsy culminated in the discovery of a gene named...

SiriusDog.com - Osteochondrodysplasias Leg Deformities and Dwarfism - in the Canine
There has been renewed interest in the subject of "abnormal" bone lengths, joints, angles between limbs, and related phenotypic variations from what I have called "the ancestral type". We need to establish some definitions of terms before entering into a discussion of the subject. The "ancestral" phenotype in my arbitrary definition (which, however, is in line with the views of many...

SiriusDog.com - Pituitary Dwarfism in the German Shepherd Dog
Dwarfism is a condition of abnormally small stature, and usually is characterized by altered body proportions. Dachshunds, Basset Hounds, and Corgis are examples of achondroplastic dwarfs; they have more or less normal-sized torsos and heads but shortened limbs, and are accepted as typical of their breed. Alaskan Malamutes, on the other hand, are not considered acceptable if...

SiriusDog.com - Guide to Hereditary and Congenital Diseases in Dogs Part 2

SiriusDog.com - Guide to Hereditary and Congenital Diseases in Dogs
A list of 148 purebred dog breeds, each of which is accompanied by a number or series of numbers that correspond to the genetic diseases identified and described in Section II.

SiriusDog.com - TREATMENTS FOR ELBOW DISORDERS
Often, the dog that is diagnosed with mild ED of one sort or another belongs to someone active in the sport end of the dog game, having no plans to breed but wanting to do obedience or schutzhund work.

SiriusDog.com - Purebred Dog Breeds into the Twenty-First Century: Achieving Genetic Health for Our Dogs Part 2
The difference between the fittest genotype of a population and the average fitness of that population is known as genetic load. [Muller, 1950] It is, of course, caused by the presence of lethal, sublethal and subvital alleles.

SiriusDog.com - The New Knowledge of DM (�GSD Myelopathy�)
Chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy (CDRM) is a well-recognised neuro-degenerative disease of unknown aetiology which affected large breed dogs, primarily the German Shepherd Dog (GSD).

SiriusDog.com - POPULATION GENETICS AND BREEDING
When Mendel's work was rediscovered at the beginning of the twentieth century, the new field of Genetics went in several directions.

SiriusDog.com - HYPERTROPHIC OSTEODYSTROPHY (HOD)
The pup the Smiths bought was a very promising individual with a great pedigree. Here, they hoped, was the foundation of their successful showing and breeding future. But in a matter of a couple of weeks, a previously unnoticed cowhocked condition developed and worsened.

SiriusDog.com - Special to the Swiss SENNtinel
Better progress can be expected when leaders of various major breed clubs take their blinders off and encourage selection for control of these disorders of the elbow.

SiriusDog.com - Looking at Hips � How Various Organizations Do It
Since the 1950s, there has been a growing awareness of the genetic nature of HD (hip dysplasia, often called CHD or canine HD by vets in order to distinguish it from HD in man and other species, although very little difference exists).

SiriusDog.com - Elbow Disease In Growing Dogs
Elbow disease is the preferred term to be used when talking about elbow problems in growing dogs. Unfortunately

SiriusDog.com - The Genetic Tide Continues to Swell:
The tide of concern about genetic health continues to swell within the purebred dog fancy, driven on by scrutiny from without. The threat of punitive legislation, already a reality in Europe, is widespread in the USA and the contagion seems certain to reach Canada as well.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Genetic Primer
The purpose of this article is to provide a mini-course in genetics that will serve the reader well during upcoming articles on open registries and the Canine Genome Project, and why they are so important to the future of the breeds we love.

SiriusDog.com - THE PRICE OF POPULARITY:POPULAR SIRES AND POPULATION GENETICS
Consider the hypothetical case of Old Blue, Malthound extraordinaire. Blue was perfect: Sound, healthy and smart.

SiriusDog.com - Genetic Testing: A Guide for Breeders
By now today's breeders have heard about genetic testing, and DNA, but what is really involved in finding a mutation, and what do the results of the test mean? What is a gene?

SiriusDog.com - BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO GENETICS
Nature prevails enormously over nurture ...English scientist Francis Galton in the late 19th Century.

SiriusDog.com - Eliminating Genetic Diseases in Dogs: A Buyer's Perspective
This article is intended to be an objective exposition on the subject of genetic diseases in domestic dogs.

SiriusDog.com - Your Dog On A Diet
Given how much publicity the human obesity epidemic has received, you might expect to find a similar awareness about overweight in pets. But in 2006, when researchers questioned 1,104 pet owners about their pets' health, only 6 percent of the owners (67 individuals) believed that their pet was obese, and only 3 out ....

SiriusDog.com - CARPAL SUBLUXATION and WEAK PASTERNS
There are two pastern disorders that are often confused until one actually has seen the extreme type. The severity of weak-by-genetic-neglect wrists seen in many German Shepherds can approach the other type at first impression. In addition to these two, there are cases of retained cartilage and the unequal or asynchronous growth of the two bones in the lower forearm, but these are not included in the subject of this section. I constantly see variable expressions of pasterns changed by growth plate disturbances, with some dogs having a valgus (turned-out) deformity of only one carpus, some with little turning out, many with both feet pointing east-west.

SiriusDog.com - Rabies Immunization for Dogs
This article is is for the benefit of those residing in Ontario, Canada. I hope to inform residents of what the law actually states in regard to rabies vaccinations, as opposed to what popular (mis?)conception may be.

SiriusDog.com - Vaccine Damage
You may have studied canine behaviour in order to understand why dogs do what they do, and how their behaviour can be modified. I wonder if you�ve studied human behaviour, as I have, to understand why people treat their dogs so badly, and how they can be encouraged to look after them better?

SiriusDog.com - FDA Continues To Receive Complaints about Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs and Cautions Consumers
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats...

SiriusDog.com - Hypocalcemia and Eclampsia in Cattle and Dogs
Hypocalcemia is defined as an insufficient level of calcium in the blood. Eclampsia, once also called puerperal tetany, is one of the results � in fact, the most important one. In cattle, eclampsia has been known in some areas as �grass staggers� but it occurs in...

SiriusDog.com - The truth about painkillers
If either you or your pet suffer from arthritis, you will be familiar with NSAIDs. They have become a part of life in most Western countries. Some examples are Aspirin, Advil, Aleve, Excedrin, and Motrin to name just a few. They are a favourite of doctors when prescribing pain relief for osteoarthritis...

SiriusDog.com - Mental and physical changes affect most older dogs
The average life expectancy of a dog is around 13 years, depending on the breed. Old age begins around 8 years of age but this can happen earlier or later depending on the breed, health, environment and genetics. Changes in the dogs metabolism do occur but if we attend to the changes as they progress, we can help the dog to feel younger, fitter and as comfortable as possible in his later years...

SiriusDog.com - Aluminium toxic to dogs and owners
Aluminum in our soils and in our foods can cause toxic reactions and deficiencies (by blocking the absorption of some foods). Plants take up not only minerals but heavy metals in the soil as well. If these levels reach toxic point, the health of animals and people are in jeopardy...

SiriusDog.com - Acupuncture - it's worth a try!
In recent years when money seems to be a scarce commodity worldwide, people also seem to be drawing closer to the family dog and when something goes wrong they want it fixed, no matter the cost. Dogs can be stricken with most of the types of illnesses that people get, especially as they grow older

SiriusDog.com - Goodbye to pet allergies
Two revolutionary new lotions have been developed by a Welsh company and are claimed to prevent pets transmitting allergies to their owners. More than 14 million people in the United Kingdom are allergic to cats, and an increasing number, including children, have puffy eyes, skin irritations, coughs and breathing difficulties caused by their pets. Airborne allergens frequently cause asthma sufferers to...

SiriusDog.com - Brucellosis often shows few visible symptoms
BRUCELLOSIS is a bacterial illness that not only affects dogs, but many other farm animals as well - cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and even humans. It is usually farm dogs that contract the disease through contact with an infected aborted animal foetus, by eating contaminated meat, or by...

SiriusDog.com - Natural versus chemicals - a solution?
MORE and more frequently we hear of dogs with cancer, with skin problems, ear problems, digestive problems, kidney or liver disease, and we casually wonder whose fault it is but the question on our minds is...

SiriusDog.com - PARASITE CONTROL IN THE DOG, NORTH AMERICA
Most worms (nematodes) settle and grow in the small intestine, though some species are found in the cecum, heart, lung, and other tissues in various stages of development. The intestinal nematodes produce eggs, which are carried with the digestive products to exit in the feces. But since the egg-laying does not always coincide with the dog's bowel movements, stool samples may not show the presence of worms. A 5 day sampling will probably reveal some eggs if hookworms or roundworms are present...

SiriusDog.com - Vigor and Longevity as a Matter of Choices
There is no one �secret to a long and healthy life�, although many make money by selling books, products, and programs based on such a title and concept. But there certainly is a combination of ignorance and lack of will that inhibits most of us from reaching toward that goal...

SiriusDog.com - EWWW! Urine Samples, Anal glands, and Dandruff
When most people get a dog, they think of the fun times they will have with their new furry companion. But there are many things that aren't so pleasant that we as dog owners must consider to keep our friends happy and healthy...

SiriusDog.com - Basic Care and Maintenance for Your Pup's Pearly Whites
Many people do not realize the importance of caring for their dog?s teeth. As dogs age, the need for dental care increases. The best way to ensure proper dental health...

SiriusDog.com - Chill Out: Keeping Your Dog Cool in the Hot Summer Sun
Summer is typically a time of great family fun and activity. The days are long and warm, the kids are on vacation, and the sun worshipers are out in full force. Unfortunately, the season also brings with it some very specific hazards...

SiriusDog.com - Did You Just Eat That?
Did you just eat that? 10 things found in your home that can kill your dog. Dogs are very curious animals and as omnivores and natural scavengers, can get into and eat just about anything. However, there are many toxic substances found in your home...

SiriusDog.com - Does This Collar Make my Butt Look Big?
any owners think their pudgy dogs are adorable, when in fact they are extremely unhealthy. Overweight dogs can develop the same kinds of problems that overweight humans can...

SiriusDog.com - Treating Ear Crud
This article deals with ear problems in dogs (and, I�ve been told, in some cats) in which redness, tenderness, and possibly swelling accompany a build-up of smelly, dark crud in the canal.

SiriusDog.com - Natural Treatments to Rid Your Dog of Ticks and Fleas
Not only are ticks and fleas an annoyance for your dog and for you, unfortunately they can cause health problems. There are many different powders and sprays out there, but with their chemical-based formulas, they could be harmful to the pet�s health or to yours.

SiriusDog.com - Make Sure You Take Care Of Your Dog's Teeth
Of course your dog has become a very important and loved member of your family. He provides companionship and devotion to you without asking for very much in return. Like me you want your dog to stay around for as long as possible, so keeping him healthy is important isn�t it?

SiriusDog.com - Why Does A Dog Get Arthritis?
It comes as a surprise to many people to discover that dogs are not immune to the arthritis problems which so many humans are familiar with. However, when you think about it, dogs have almost the same muscular and tissue structure in their joint areas as humans do, so arthritis can rear its ugly head for them as well.

SiriusDog.com - Anal-sac Disease - How To Deal With Anal-sac Disease At Home
Is you dog or cat scooting, licking and smelling their rear exit? If they are exhibiting such weird behavior then there must be something wrong with their anus or their anal sac. An animal's anal sacs are strategically located on both sides of the anus cheeks, just under the skin in the opening.

SiriusDog.com - How To Help Your Dog's Painful Joints
Dogs are a man's best friend because they simply make excellent companions and remain constantly loyal. They share many of our joys and can alleviate our sorrows. However, that is not all they share with humans. Just like humans, dog's can have arthritis too and it is just as painful and as debilitating for dogs as it is for humans.

SiriusDog.com - Choosing The Right Joint Supplements For Your Pet
The muscles in human body weaken due to age. This is the reason some people have a hard time holding things or standing up straight. Such symptoms are also seen in dogs and cats so those who own one should know how to choose the right joint supplements for your pet.

SiriusDog.com - Got Fleas? 7 Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Them
Fleas are pesky critters that can transmit a variety of diseases and illnesses and make life miserable for your pet as well. Getting rid of these pests is essential for a healthy, happy home for all of its two-legged and four-legged inhabitants. Here are seven easy ways to prevent and control the flea population around your house.

SiriusDog.com - How To Help Your Dog When It Has Had A Stroke
It may come as a shock to you to find out that your dog has suffered from a stroke. Unlike humans, when a dog has a stroke, he often won't become paralyzed or display any of the human signs of stroke. In fact, with the right care and attention, chances are he will bounce right back within a short period after suffering from a stroke, especially if he has a little help.

SiriusDog.com - How To Treat Eye Infections In Pets
Pet owners want the best for the pets and that includes keeping their pets healthy by trying to prevent diseases and illnesses and treating them when they occur. Unfortunately eye infections are fairly common in pets. They can crop up on their own or occur when something lodges in the eye. They can also occur when the surface of the eye, called the cornea, gets scratched.

SiriusDog.com - Canine massage & stretching
Massage is an enjoyable way of strengthening the bond with your family dog. Apart from the physical and psychological effects, you familiarise the dog with being handled and this can be of great value in other situations.

SiriusDog.com - Ear Infection In Dogs - Symptoms and Causes
Brian Kilcommons relates a terrible story about a beautiful golden retriever dog who was usually very gentle and kind with children. It's owners had a girl aged 3 1/2, and they normally got along very well.

SiriusDog.com - Bones for Your Dog - Delicious Treat or A Deadly Snack?
Lets face it, dogs love bones, they always have and always will. But, could they spell disaster for your best friend?

SiriusDog.com - Pugs: Diet Do's and Don'ts
Be careful what you feed your family member the Pug. They have a lot of gastric type upset so you should know what to feed and also the manner in which your Pug is fed. This can make all the difference on how your Pug feels.

SiriusDog.com - Lung Worms
Outdoor pets in certain geographic areas of North America and elsewhere are predisposed to respiratory parasites. Infection typically occurs from exposure to the hosts that carry the parasite. The lung fluke (Paragonimus) is found near lakes that harbor the intermediate host (crayfish and snails) or the racoons that eat them. Dogs that hunt and eat raccoon meat may be at risk.

SiriusDog.com - HEART DIAGNOSTICS
Murmurs are described as gentle, blowing auscultatory sounds. They are caused by changes in the way blood flows through the heart and are by far the most common sign of heart disease.

SiriusDog.com - WOBBLER SYNDROME (CVI) IN DOGS
There is a disorder (it may actually be two or three) in the canine similar to the �wobbles� in thoroughbred horses. Much has been written on this, with various descriptions such as cervical vertebral instability (CVI), cervical spondylopathy, stenosis of the cervical vertebral canal, caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy, and even the mouthful, caudal cervical vertebral malformation/malarticulation.

SiriusDog.com - STRESS INFERTILITY AND HERPES INFECTION
Our most frequent discussions about Herpes in dogs occur because of neonatal puppy death. Herpes causes puppies to die in the first two to three weeks of life, when puppies cannot regulate their body temperature.

SiriusDog.com - The Effects of Jumping on Forelimb Injuries
When jumping over obstacles, dogs land with significant force applied to their forelimbs. If this is an infrequent event, then the impact is usually of little concern, but repetitive jumping over many years may have significant consequences. Repeated impact loading has been documented to cause some overuse injuries in human athletes.

SiriusDog.com - THE CASE FOR PENICILLIN PROPHYLAXIS OF CANINE STREPTOCOCCAL TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME
There is no question that if this were a human disease penicillin prophylaxis would be near universal. Imagine sending a healthy child to school in the morning, being called because of collapse and high fever around noon, and having the child die on the way to the emergency room or shortly after arrival.

SiriusDog.com - NUTRITIONAL APPROACHES FOR A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM
Wholesome nutrition is a key component for maintaining a healthy immune system and resistance to disease.

SiriusDog.com - Dog Eat Dog - The Grisly Truth
There 's a retail boom going on in in North America. While consumer spending is down in many areas, savvy companies have learned that there is very little the doting owner can deny their pet.

SiriusDog.com - Calcinosis Cutis, Calcium Circumscripta, Canine Gout
The subject ailment is an imbalance in mineral assimilation resulting in abnormal deposits, sometimes between bones, often in layers of the skin or integument. Calcium deposits in the skin can be the result of injury, of metabolic changes, or of unknown factors.

SiriusDog.com - CANINE STREPTOCOCCAL TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME
New more invasive strains of streptococci have recently appeared, resulting in frightening new diseases in both humans and dogs.� Both humans and dogs can develop streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, with the rapid development of symptoms of shock, high fever (104 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit), cough, abnormalities of coagulation and rapid death.

SiriusDog.com - Conditioning for the Ausdauerpr�fung (AD)
This article outlines an example program and provides some tips for preparing for and participating in the AD (Ausdauerpr�fung)with your schutzhund dog.

SiriusDog.com - Mad Cow Disease is Killing Europe's Pets
In 1985, the world began to hear about a disease that was affecting cattle in the UK - bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.

SiriusDog.com - Panosteitis
When I was about 5 1/2 months old, I started to limp a lot. The limping was always worse after walks and play sessions.

SiriusDog.com - LEGG CALV� PERTHES DISEASE
A disorder sometimes easily mistaken for hip dysplasia is Legg Calv� Perthes disease, perhaps more frequently referred to by the dog fancier as Legg Perthes.

SiriusDog.com - Dog Food May Carry "Mad Cow Disease"
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that a Canadian cow that tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as �mad cow disease�) may have been used to manufacture dry dog food, some of which was reported to have been shipped to the United States.

SiriusDog.com - PET FOODS' INSIDIOUS CONSEQUENCES PART 4

SiriusDog.com - PET FOODS' INSIDIOUS CONSEQUENCES PART 3

SiriusDog.com - PET FOODS' INSIDIOUS CONSEQUENCES PART 2

SiriusDog.com - PET FOODS' INSIDIOUS CONSEQUENCES PART 1
A recurring theme is that both content and form of the pro-pet food argument is flawed, making invalid conclusions the rule.

SiriusDog.com - The Enemy Within
One woman's fight against GSD Myelopathy and the apathy of the GSDCA.

SiriusDog.com - PET VACCINE MYTHS
Catherine O'Driscoll discusses many of the myths regarding vaccinations of our pets.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Digestive Tract Disorders Polyps Megaesophagus Torsion Bloat (Volvulus) Pancreatic InsufficiencyPart3
Intussusception � In very young pups (and other animals including humans) the intestine can invaginate (one part slips inside another). The condition, also referred to as �telescoping intestines�.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Digestive Tract Disorders Polyps Megaesophagus Torsion Bloat (Volvulus) Pancreatic Insufficiency Part 2
Torsion, commonly called bloat, sometimes described as gastric dilation/volvulus (GDV), this is a terrifying and frequently fatal disorder that German Shepherds and many other deep chested dogs experience.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Digestive Tract Disorders Polyps Megaesophagus Torsion Bloat (Volvulus) Pancreatic Insufficiency PART 1
After skin problems, the next most common and next most frustrating set of disorders to the dog owner and the diagnostician are those of the alimentary canal.

SiriusDog.com - ORTHOPEDIC PROBLEMS IN HOCKS
Osteochondrosis is a term applied to a number of similar disorders of the joints where bone (osteo-) and cartilage (chondro-) are involved.

SiriusDog.com - THE BIG SCAM--RABIES VACCINATION
I would like to give you, the reader, the truth about the so called required vaccinations, particularly rabies.

SiriusDog.com - Ceroid Lipofuscinosis in The Border Collie inherited
Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (C.L.)in the Border Collie is a rare disease which affects...

SiriusDog.com - IN SUMMER'S HEAT, PREVENT CANINE HEAT EXHAUSTION
It's not just the canine athletes -- the Frisbee leapers, the runners and jumpers -- that are susceptible to heat exhaustion. Every dog is a potential victim of summer's heat.

SiriusDog.com - Ehrlichiosis � Not Just for German Shepherds
It�s been around a long time, and it�s not going to go away. Once considered an exotic or tropical disease, later associated specifically with German Shepherd Dogs but not your little Fifi, Ehrlichiosis is a disease that can range from stubbornly persistent to downright fatal.

SiriusDog.com - VACCINE PROTOCOLS FOR DOGS
The challenge to produce effective and safe vaccines for the prevalent infectious diseases of humans and animals has become increasingly difficult. In veterinary medicine, evidence implicating vaccines in triggering immune-mediated and other chronic disorders (vaccinosis) is compelling.

SiriusDog.com - TVS, CAUDA EQUINA SYNDROME, AND SPONDYLOSIS
There has been a flurry of questions in recent years about conditions known as TVS and APA (asymmetrical pelvic attachment), which makes me wonder if it is the incidence or the diagnosis that is on the rise.

SiriusDog.com - Thyroid Testing In Dogs
Hypothyroidism is a relatively common endocrine disease of dogs which results from progressive loss of functioning thyroid tissue.

SiriusDog.com - SPONDYLOSIS DEFORMANS
Spondylosis deformans is a condition in which bridges are formed along the ventral (bottom)parts of the vertebrae.

SiriusDog.com - Summary of PennHIP Research
The following is a summary of PennHIP-related research published by Smith and colleagues. References to the actual publications are given at the end of each section.

SiriusDog.com - PANOSTEITIS
One of the main reasons for a young dog to be �pulled� from a show, or excused from the ring, is the sudden lameness of a condition known as panosteitis.

SiriusDog.com - Dogs able to sniff out cancerous melanoma
Specially trained dogs can detect melanoma in moles on people. Dogs can detect by scent changes in moles.

SiriusDog.com - Lyme Disease
LYME DISEASE has been recognized in Europe for almost 100 years but was not described in humans in the United States until 1975.

SiriusDog.com - ETHOXYQUIN AND OTHER ANTI-OXIDANTS
Anti-oxidants are added to pet foods to protect fats from rancidity.

SiriusDog.com - RABIES REVACCINATIONFOR COMPANION ANIMALS:CANADIAN DATA
Rabies is widespread in Canada, although, traditionally, the majority of reported cases have occurred in Ontario (85%), and to a lesser extent, in Saskatchewan (10%).

SiriusDog.com - PATELLA LUXATIONS
The knee is an engineering marvel, extremely complicated and concise, able to move in multiple combinations of direction, and normally able to withstand considerable torque forces.

SiriusDog.com - Milk Thistle:The Herbal Wonder
I would like to tell you about a wonderful herb and a must for every pet owner's natural medicine chest.

SiriusDog.com - The Canine Immune System and Disease Resistance B-Cell Immunity T-cell Autoimmune Immune-Suppressant Viruses Thyroid Genetic Screening Hormonal Modified Live Vaccines Cancer and Immunity Tumor
This article discusses the essential role of the canine immune system in maintaining the body's overall general health and resistance to disease.� The focus will be on environmental factors or events which may cause or trigger immune dysfunction leading to either immune deficiency or immune stimulation (reactive or autoimmunity).

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Vaccinations
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate has certainly become the question in many pet owner circles. With so much information around regarding yearly boosters, it is hard to tell what is the best program for your particular animal and situation.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are an important part of a human or pet's diet.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Ears
Ear problems are unfortunately very common among our furry friends. While others may suggest using a chemical solution or immune-suppressive drugs, I prefer to try to treat ear problems in a more natural way.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Allergies
Have you ever been told your animal companion has allergies, or maybe suspected she did?

SiriusDog.com - DETOXIFICATION
Detoxify means to rid of poisons or the effects of poison. Poison is defined as any substance that has an inherent tendency to destroy life or impair health.

SiriusDog.com - Degenerative Myelopathy of German Shepherd
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) was first described as a specific degenerative neurologic disease in 1973. Since then, much has been done to understand the processes involved in the disease and into the treatment of DM.

SiriusDog.com - Use of Dairy Products for Dogs and Cats
This post is designed to give you facts about feeding dairy products of all kinds to your carnivore (cat/dog). I do not advocate feeding dairy products at all, and you may find the same for your own diet as well.

SiriusDog.com - What is Limber Tail Syndrome?
Limber tail syndrome is a condition known to people who work with hunting dogs, but most veterinarians are not familiar with this disease. We first became aware of limber tail from trainers of English Pointers, but other working breeds such as English Setters, Foxhounds, and Beagles can be affected.

SiriusDog.com - Hearing in Working Dogs
The hearing range and sensitivity of an animal can best be depicted with an audiogram, which is a graph indicating both sensitivity (vertical axis) and frequency (horizontal axis).

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Worming
Most animals get worms at some point in their lives. The key to successfully getting rid of worms and preventing their return is a healthy immune system.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Hotspots
Hotspots are common in every breed - and in mixed breeds of dogs.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Fleas and Ticks
Fleas are such a pain! In some parts of the country, they are a horrible menace, and in others hardly a flea is around. Here in Kansas, we aren't overrun but we do get our fair share.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction To Canine Hip Dysplasia
Canine hip dysplasia is a terrible, painful disease. I wish that no dog would have to go through it, but we can make them more comfortable by diet, supplement, and lifestyle changes, with or without surgery.

SiriusDog.com - WOBBLER SYNDROME
There is a disorder (it may actually be two) in the canine similar to the �wobbles� in thoroughbred horses. Much has been written on this, with various descriptions such as...

SiriusDog.com - Treatment of Snakebites in Field Dogs
Rattlesnakes account for 80 percent of dog envenomations, while cottonmouth, water moccasin and copperheads are responsible for the remaining 20 percent.

SiriusDog.com - ETHOXYQUIN
In the US there has recently been a controversy brewing over the use of ethoxyquin as a preservative in pet foods. This is an ingredient which used as a fat stabilizer and preservative and is found primarily in the premium pet foods which have high fat levels although there are other pet foods which contain it as well.

SiriusDog.com - Limber Tail Syndrome in Hunting Dogs
Typically, young adult Pointers temporarily lose control of their tail to the extent that they have a lower than normal tail set, thereby eliminating the dog from competition. Just as there are multiple causes of lameness in a limb, there probably is more than one cause of tail dysfunction.

SiriusDog.com - Badge on My Collar: A Chronicle of Courageous Canines
How does one fully explain the symbiotic relationship between dog handlers and their dogs? That was the focus of my recent book, Badge on My Collar�A Chronicle of Courageous Canines. The more I interviewed officers and watched their interaction with their dogs, the more I saw the almost uniform relationships reflected by all of them.

SiriusDog.com - Two Sides to Everything - Part 2
I would say that the easiest exercise to practice with an arm on the right is the hold and bark. It does not involve a lot of mechanics from the helper. The picture of the helper with the sleeve on the left is a familiar one.

SiriusDog.com - Two Sides to Everything - Part 1
A good foundation is where everything starts. I've covered foundation topics over the past few months and looking back, I think I missed something. The reason for that is probably because what I will discuss in this article may not become an issue until later in a dog's career.

SiriusDog.com - Tell Me About Your Dog! - Part 5
This brings me to the end of the discussion of fighting ?drive?. The major contributing components I have been able to isolate are the six I just described: prey drive, defense drive, frustration aggression, social aggression, dominance behavior, and rage.

SiriusDog.com - Tell Me About Your Dog! - Part 4
There are a few more points I'd like to mention regarding defense drive. I strongly believe that these three defense drive categories are pre-determined and that this predetermination sets limits to how much we can change through training. Comments like we need to put more defense into this dog make me cringe and feel sorry for the dog.

SiriusDog.com - Tell Me About Your Dog! - Part 3
I believe that reading dogs is one of the most important parts of dog training. In part one of this article I tried to address general qualities in dogs that we hear often when dogs and their training are discussed.

SiriusDog.com - Tell Me About Your Dog! - Part 2
Nerve has become a catch phrase for almost everything. Good nerve, bad nerve, weak nerve, strong nerve, thin nerve, thick nerve. Where do these terms come from? And more importantly, what do they mean?

SiriusDog.com - Tell Me About Your Dog! - Part I
The SV celebrates 100 years this year, so for all intents and purposes Schutzhund training has been around for close to 100 years as well. In that time countless books have been written, and even more seminars have been taught, and let's not even start on how many conversations and discussions were held late into the night on the topic of dog training.

SiriusDog.com - Helmut Raiser's View on Which Drives Are Useful During Protection Training
Prey-drive, defense-drive, fighting-drive, etc. are the catch phrases of modern protection training. They are thrown around at every seminar we attend, they are the subjects of countless articles, but rarely do people agree on what is being said about these

SiriusDog.com - Protection Obedience: a Closer Look - Part 2
The dog needs to learn to accept guidance from the handler. The key word here is guidance. The way many dogs act the first time an obedience exercise is asked of them in protection, I would say it is not disobedience that is happening.

SiriusDog.com - Protection Obedience: a Closer Look - Part 1
Again, I have to go by my observations on the training field. Once protection training begins, obedience is not given very much thought. Oh, don't misunderstand me, we all demand it. Hell, we need it to get our titles. The dog needs to be obedient during protection, we all know that.

SiriusDog.com - Problem Solving in the Hold and Bark
After my last article I was really stumped for my next topic. There are so many things one can write about. But with a lot of topics I found that a magazine article would either be too general and not of any great value or way too long and detailed to go into a magazine.

SiriusDog.com - Defense Drive Promotion
In the last two articles I had the opportunity to discuss Prey Drive Promotion. I feel that protection training should always begin there.

SiriusDog.com - Building Drive in Obedience
Discussions over the last few years regarding the protection phase center around active and reactive aggression. In these discussions the importance of having a dog initiate the work is generally agreed to by most.

SiriusDog.com - Bitesuit-work for Schutzhund Dogs
A few weeks ago I got into a bit of a debate with another trainer over the fact that I did bitesuit work with a dog who is destined to be a competitive Schutzhund dog.

SiriusDog.com - Only the NOSE really KNOWS Part 4
Restraint, tapping, sniffing, platz, reward.Be sure to maintain the restraint part of the set up. Handlers sometimes get a little rushed and let go of it too fast.

SiriusDog.com - Only the NOSE really KNOWS Part 3
Part 1&2 of this article was a discussion of the fundamental concepts of tracking and teaching tracking. I'd like to focus part 3 on a crucial part of Schutzhund (or VPG) tracking, articles.

SiriusDog.com - Only the NOSE really KNOWS Part 2
I call this my colored dot concept. Let me be clear here, this is totally made up and only an aid to help people understand things a little better.

SiriusDog.com - Only the NOSE really KNOWS Part 1
Tracking books, videos, articles, and seminars have one thing in common. They are written, produced or taught by people.

SiriusDog.com - Police officers form tight bonds with their canine partners
Lodi Police Officer Dee Dee Dutra said goodbye to her partner for the final time last week.

SiriusDog.com - The Dumbbell Retrieve:
First off, the dumbbell is an incredibly important part to the obedience phase of a schutzhund routine. Out of a 100 point Schutzhund 1 obedience routine, the dumbbell is worth 25 points. In the Schutzhund 2 and 3 it is worth 40 points out of a 100. This just demonstrates the importance of a good dumbbell retrieve.

SiriusDog.com - Getting a Grip
At my seminars, I like to address specific training issues the dog handlers feel is their dogs' weakest point in protection. I would say that with the dogs who have already had some protection training, the single most mentioned problem is the issue of gripping technique.

SiriusDog.com - Prey Drive Promotion, Part II
Like everybody else who has been involved with dogs for a while, I am certainly aware that training does not always follow the steps outlined in books or videos.

SiriusDog.com - Prey Drive Promotion, Part I
I like to start prey work as early as possible with puppies, usually around ten to twelve weeks old. This allows me to work with all the unspoiled inborn instincts of the dog. I start young puppies the same way I start late starting adults, with a rag or a sack.

SiriusDog.com - DRIVES
The term, drive, when used in dog training is a departure from the behavioral scientist's understanding of the concept.

SiriusDog.com - GETTING STARTED TRACKING VARIABLE SURFACES
You take your dog out of the car, attach his harness and approach the track. The dog takes the scent from the bandanna left at the start and, nose down, begins tracking along the edge of the parking lot.

SiriusDog.com - Scent - Pheremones and Odor
Compare the canine's nose Inside) to the human nose--it is much longer. The olfactory lobe of the canine is many times larger. Therefore, his brain's ability to register different smells is many times greater than ours.

SiriusDog.com - Canine Heroes Not to be Forgotten!
Dedicated to the memory of all those who served in Italy, France, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Great Britain all have formal monuments and decorations dedicated to war dogs by the military organizations under which they served.

SiriusDog.com - The Trial Helper
It is a thankless task! If, in a trial, a handler receives 100 points in protection, he has done an excellent job of training the dog.

SiriusDog.com - Serpentine Tracks
All the existing literature on tracking introduces tracking by beginning with straight line tracks with a reward and/or article at the end.

SiriusDog.com - The Schutzhund Sport
SCHUTZHUND is a German word meaning

SiriusDog.com - Random Patterns and Events
Many would say that I am a person of questionable dog-interest and background.�For me, there�s something about all that invasion of personal space, need for attention and dog slobber that generally turns me.�Yet a few months ago, while on a solo trike/cycle trip of Oahu a terrible incident occurred and I found myself with no place to stay yet needing to recover.�Complete strangers stepped up and took me in.�They had two dogs.�Dixie, a seasoned well-mannered sleek golden lab and Brodie, a fresh and energy filled tawny brown 9-week old Pug.�It�s hard to admit to but I fell for these two canines.�Their innate sense of care and protection kicked right in despite...

SiriusDog.com - Dogs in the Heavens
In the

SiriusDog.com - Starting in 2009, Make Vgor and Longevity a Matter of Choices.
There is no single, simple

SiriusDog.com - Human need for pets well documented.
THE National Alliance to End Homelessness report of January 2007 stated that between 744,313 and 804,212 people in the United States experienced homelessness in January 2005 on any given night. But more disturbing were the figures for the unshielded during that time, a record 322,050. Reasons are across the board as to why - from the economy, shortages of shelters and money to run them, low-income housing shortages, the disabled, to drug and alcohol addictions, spousal abuse and more.

SiriusDog.com - Dogs need love and respect
HAVE you ever seen a dog who obviously lives in the area out walking on the street or playing in a nearby field without anyone accompanying it?

SiriusDog.com - Adoption: What to Expect From Your New Dog When Adopting
When considering the birth rates among animals, it?s not hard to understand why animal shelters are always filled with animals waiting to be adopted. Shockingly, it has been calculated that over a seven year period, one female cat and her offspring will produce approximately...

SiriusDog.com - Animal Assisted Therapy: Can it help you?
The term 'animal assisted therapy' is to be distinguished from the more familiar practice of 'animal assisted activities', which refers generally to pet visitation at hospitals and residential care facilities. Animal Assisted Therapy is part of a formal and carefully designed treatment program...

SiriusDog.com - Choosing the Right Dog for You
Getting a new dog is one of the greatest joys in the world. Make this great time even better by knowing exactly what kind of dog will complement your family's lifestyle...

SiriusDog.com - Dog Breeders Gone Wild: 5 Things to Look Out For
New dog owners should always make sure that their purebred pup comes from a reputable and responsible breeder. This is really is the only way to ensure that the animal will be free of any medical or behavioral problems. If a breeder you speak with displays any of the following 5 behaviors...

SiriusDog.com - Looking for a gift item for your veterinarian or �doggie� friends?
GREAT NEW BOOK FOR DOG-OWNER FRIENDS OR YOURSELF...

SiriusDog.com - Choosing a Dog - Things Everyone Should Look For
When the moment arrives for selecting a dog of your own, you should have a good idea of what you are looking for. If you are primarily concerned with finding an average dog, we highly recommend...

SiriusDog.com - You Love Your Dog! So What Would Happen To Your Dog In An Emergency?
In today's world the possibility of an emergency requiring evacuation of your home has become a reality we all have to live with. So we really need to think about what would happen if our family faced an emergency!

SiriusDog.com - Caring For Your Dog
Dogs are social animals that have worked with humans for thousands of years. They have played an important role in various different cultures.

SiriusDog.com - Choosing a Dog - Things Everyone Should Look For
When choosing a dog, there are certain things everyone should look for and avoid. This article can help potential pet parents with their choice.

SiriusDog.com - The Sieger Show Courage Test � Origin and Purpose
Taken for granted in almost all WUSV-member GSD clubs worldwide, and with similar tests in other breeds, the courage test that makes up about a third of the activities at the annual BSZS (Bundessieger Zuchtschau, or German Sieger Show) is treated differently according to country. Some countries� national breed club require the test at every specialty show, some at just the major shows during the year, some just at the �annual national� show. And in some countries, clubs somehow manage to hang onto WUSV membership despite the facts that they ignore the mandated test or are forbidden to use it, by their nation�s government-run or government-pressured all-breed club.

SiriusDog.com - The Changing Face of China
Special to Canine Chronicle - The Changing Face of China. I was asked to give organizational advice for clubs and show superintendents. As a canine training consultant, I also toured one of the police dog training centers and discussed techniques. Many of the police dogs in the province were also entered in the show, something I had not seen since I judged in Pakistan a few years ago.

SiriusDog.com - The Dog That Could Not Swim.
To claim that a particular dog cannot swim is akin to saying that one knows of a certain duck that cannot float. But it was my singular fate to have bred and trained such an animal. I speak of the dog, of course, since the only ducks I have ever come close to claiming as pet, property, or tax dependent, have been only temporarily �owned�, on the table or on their way to the plate.

SiriusDog.com - RETRACTABLE LEASH SAFETY
Retractable leashes can come in very handy for exercising your dog in safe places. They let your dog run around a bit at a distance while still being attached to you, without the leash getting tangled. But you need to be aware that they do have a dangerous aspect.

SiriusDog.com - German Names for German Shepherds G H I J K L

SiriusDog.com - General Aspects of Behavior by Lost Persons
People who are lost may experience differing types of reactions. They may panic, become depressed or suffer from

SiriusDog.com - The Pet Food Industry and its Questionable Practices
The pet food industry must be regulated to ensure that foods destined for our pets are safe, contain only ingredients fit for human consumption, and involve no animal experimentation.

SiriusDog.com - SV Rules for the Breeder Part 2

SiriusDog.com - SV Rules for the Breeder Part 1

SiriusDog.com - PERSPECTIVE
Many have spoken about the GSD Breed Standard in many places, but some have not been allowed to add their voices in the official journal of the GSD Club of America.

SiriusDog.com - When Judges Get LostBreeders Will Too
Denny Kodner has unfortunately given us cause for using mixed metaphors she has not only missed the boat, but she has gone off the deep end.

SiriusDog.com - Food and Drug Administration/Center for Veterinary Medicine
The low levels of exposure to sodium pentobarbital (pentobarbital) that dogs might receive through food is unlikely to cause them any adverse health effects, Food and Drug Administration scientists concluded after conducting a risk assessment.

SiriusDog.com - Poison your pets with multinational offerings
Veterinarian Tom Lonsdale is selling plenty of his book Raw Meaty Bones n the US but the Australian media seems to have blacked him out because the multinational pet food companies don't want their dodgy doggy tucker exposed.

SiriusDog.com - MANAGING A MULTIDOG HOUSEHOLD
The steady beat of traffic flows past Alan's apartment 24 hours a day. He lives in the heart of Park Slope, a yuppie neighborhood on the west side of New York's Prospect Park.

SiriusDog.com - Theory of Scent
Under ideal conditions, a track footprints) across a nice grassy field with a sufficient delay in time to allow bacteria reaction on the soil causing a good odor is probably the best type of track to have.

SiriusDog.com - A LOOK INSIDE A RENDERING PLANT
Rendering has been called

SiriusDog.com - German Names for German ShepherdsT U V W X Y Z

SiriusDog.com - German Names for German Shepherds M N O P Q R S

SiriusDog.com - DOG ORGANIZATIONS: STRUCTURE AND STRIFE
The attempts to get this article written remind me of my childhood attempts to catch fish in my hands, in the steam near our home.

SiriusDog.com - The Dark Side of Rendering Plants
Death is the number one commodity in a business where the demand for feed ingredients far exceeds the supply of raw product.

SiriusDog.com - Skunk Remedy
This is one of the best remedies to remove the scent of skunk from your dog after being sprayed.

SiriusDog.com - German Names for German Shepherds A B C D E F

SiriusDog.com - A PARABLEby a devotee ofRudyard Kiplingin America
In the High and Far-Off Times the German Shepherd Dog, Oh Best Beloved, did not suffer from today's extremes and weaknesses.

SiriusDog.com - Canine diet
Nature has developed a diet for dogs that has kept them on the planet for millions of years. Processed pet food, on the other hand, has only been around for just over a hundred years: and it�s now that we�re experiencing chronic illness in our dogs. More accurately, they�re not actually ill: they�re malnourished. If you want healthy dogs, you absolutely must get the diet right. It�s the foundation of good health...

SiriusDog.com - An egg a day okay for pets.
WHOLE eggs (raw or cooked) fed daily to pets offer numerous health benefits, according to Dr Ian Billinghurst B.V.Sc (Hons), Bsc. Agr, Dip. Ed, Australian veterinary surgeon, author and long-time advocate of feeding raw whole food to pets...

SiriusDog.com - B.A.R.F. Diet: Sounds yummy but what is it?
It actually sounds kind of gross, but BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food. Many health conscious veterinarians are huge advocates for this diet which can completely replace commercially prepared dog food...

SiriusDog.com - Your Dogs Diet - Feeding Fables That Every Dog Owner Should Know
Canine nutrition hasn't become as laden with diet fads as have human meal planning. But it has accumulated a number of myths which survive the ridicule of the veterinary profession. As you acquire a dog, your more experienced friends will shower you with advice, which may include some of the following affirmations...

SiriusDog.com - Your Dogs Water and Beverages - Things Pet Owners Should Consider
A dog can go without food for a surprisingly long time, but if he is deprived of water, he can't survive for more than...

SiriusDog.com - Feeding Your Dog - Could You Be Feeding Your Dog the Wrong Things?
Canine nutrition has been the subject of much research in recent years. Since prepared dog food accounts for a greater volume of supermarket sales than any other single grocery item, the commercial incentive is tremendous.

SiriusDog.com - Your Dogs Water and Beverages - Things Pet Owners Should Consider
A constant supply of fresh water is essential to your dog's good health and comfort. Water is very important, representing an estimated...

SiriusDog.com - Feeding Your Dog - Could You Be Feeding Your Dog the Wrong Things?
Dogs have very specific needs when it comes to their diet. This article talks about many of the different needs for different breeds.

SiriusDog.com - Commercial Dog Food Diets for Your Dog - Could They be the Right Choice?
When choosing a commercial dog food there are hundreds of choices. Be sure that you know which one contains the right ingredients for your dog.

SiriusDog.com - Could A Homemade Diet Be Best for Your Dog?
When choosing a dog food there are hundreds of choices. For lots of pets, none of these choices are the right one.

SiriusDog.com - Building a Good Foundation . . . Naturally
There are many ways in which Nature can assist in one of the most natural processes; the miracle of birth. Before you breed your dog, she should be in excellent health and condition.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Acidophilus?
Lactobacillus Acidophilus is a type of 'friendly' bacteria (AKA the garden within) that assists in the digestion of proteins, a process in which lactic acid...

SiriusDog.com - PET FOODOUR PETS ARE DYING FOR IT
The multi-billion dollar pet food industry is killing our pets. With millions of dollars to spend on promotion and hype, pet owners have become victims of their marketing ploys.

SiriusDog.com - THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS
The pet food industry, a billion-dollar, unregulated operation, feeds on the garbage that otherwise would wind up in landfills or be transformed into fertiliser.

SiriusDog.com - HEALTHY PETS - NATURALLY
At the recent American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Conference, I discovered that I am not the only one questioning the use of grains in commercial and home-prepared pet foods.

SiriusDog.com - To Feed or Not To Feed...Grains.
I believe cats & dogs should be fed 75% meat and 25% vegetables. The following article is one of the reasons I no longer feed grains.

SiriusDog.com - Feeding Canine Athletes
Athletic performance depends on genetics, training and nutrition. A deficiency in any one of these factors limits performance: therefore, each factor must be assessed in light of the type of exercise done by the individual.

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Natural Immune Boosters Holistic
A properly functioning immune system is absolutely vital for good health. Problems arise when the immune system isn't running well (infection) or when it is over-reacting (allergies).

SiriusDog.com - Introduction to Feeding Naturally
Feeding naturally has become one of my obsessions - I truly believe in it and think that everyone, no matter how poor or how busy, can make a natural diet work for them.

SiriusDog.com - FOOD NOT FIT FOR A PET
The most frequently asked question in my practice is,

SiriusDog.com - Dealing With House Training Issues
The best house training uses the dogs own instincts to avoid soiling its bed to train the dog where and where not to eliminate. That is the basis behind crate training, in which the dog is confined to its crate in the absence of the owner...

SiriusDog.com - Toys for Your Dog - Could Some Toys be Potentially Deadly?
Until he has been weaned, a puppy plays with his litter mates and playthings aren't necessary. They are even uninteresting and possibly dangerous. From the age of 6 to 8 weeks, he starts to take an interest in...

SiriusDog.com - Training A Puppy To Walk On A Leash
The good thing about training a puppy to walk on a leash is that you can prevent any problems before they eventuate. It's much easier to start leash training early on with a puppy, than to re-train an older dog with established leash behavioral problems.

SiriusDog.com - Making Sure You Are Ready To Bring Your New Puppy Home
It's really exciting for you and your family when you bring a new puppy home isn't it! However, in the excitement don't forget to address the basic needs of your puppy. The way to make sure this does not happen is to have your puppy's supplies already bought and on hand before the big day.

SiriusDog.com - The Five Things That You Need to Know Before You Begin Training Your Puppy
Believe it or not there is a lot of work that goes into being a good dog trainer, and the majority of it is a mental thing. Just like you and me, puppies have spirits too, that need to be understood, and encouraged in a way that makes sense to your puppy.

SiriusDog.com - How to Deal With a Puppy That's a Tinkler
Is your puppy a tinkler? If he is you are probably wondering if he will ever grow out of it. Well, the answer is yes and no. Yes he will get over it if you deal with the problem correctly, and no if you don't.

SiriusDog.com - Tips to Help You Deal With Your Puppies Separation Anxiety
One thing that puppies really hate is separation. If it was up to them they would be by your side at all times. But as much as we wish that they could be, alas they can't go with us everywhere. Puppies that are suffering from separation anxiety have a tendency to chew destructively, soil the house, bark excessively, or act out in other ways that are destructive.

SiriusDog.com - Important Tips to Help You Successfully Housebreak Your Puppy
The Importance of through housebreaking cannot not be overemphasized, because anything less will deteriorate the relationship between the puppy and its owner. Although some dog breeds are more difficult to house break than others, however all healthy puppies should be able to master this basic skill with proper training.

SiriusDog.com - The Do's and Don't of Puppy Potty Training
Like most new pet owners, I'm sure that you are dreading potty training your puppy. Potty training is the first step that needs to be mastered, when you undertake the grueling task of training your puppy.

SiriusDog.com - We all love a well behaved dog
We all love puppies, but once we get them home there is a lot of work to be done. Consistency is the key to a happy and healthy puppy.

SiriusDog.com - The Dos and Donts When Bringing Home a New Puppy
When bringing home a new puppy what steps should be taken? This article can help explain.

SiriusDog.com - Teach the Retrieve with Clicker
Here is my method of teaching fetch to a puppy using a clicker.

SiriusDog.com - CRATES AND HOUSEBREAKING
Why use a crate?? I certainly wouldn't want to spend hours locked up in area barely big enough to stand up and turn around in. BUT --- I am not a dog, and neither are you. A dog is a den animal. If you look at where your dog chooses to spend his sleeping time, you will most likely find that it is behind a chair, under a table, or in a secluded corner. He wants and needs a bed of his own, a den, someplace where he can be alone.

SiriusDog.com - Dealing with a chewing, mouthing, biting, nipping puppy.
Biting and mouthing behavior in puppies can be a very frustrating time during puppy development. It is important to keep in mind this is a phase and will not last indefinitely. Our goal during this difficult time is to understand why the behavior exists and how to deal with it in an effective and positive way.

SiriusDog.com - CONTROLLED WALKING
One of the most important things for your dog to learn is to walk on a leash without pulling. This makes walking the dog much more enjoyable for both you and the dog. If the dog is pulling walking is unpleasant and he gets walked far less often -- this makes him pull all the more because he needs the exercise even more. A vicious cycle.

SiriusDog.com - LEADERSHIP TRAINING
Dogs are pack animals with a highly developed sense of social structure. One reason they make such wonderful companions is be-cause they instinctively accept their human family as their pack. However, dogs are also born with the instinct to try to become the pack leader, and if you and your family do not assume a leadership position over the dog, he is likely to try to take over and rule you, his pack, by himself.

SiriusDog.com - The Best Doggy Biscuits!
These biscuits are so good!! I love this recipe. Just try it - I am positive you will love them (and your dogs will too)

SiriusDog.com - Training is its own reward : Tracking
In a small wood belt to the south, bordering a dry creek, a flock of songbirds sing in praise of the coming sunset. Orange and blue are the primary colors, with long, wispy clouds that draw the eye and the heart towards the heavens. Between the trees and the tilled field, just to the north, the tall grass rattles in the light breeze.

SiriusDog.com - The Making of a Sieger
I drove around to the back entrance of the Wienerau Kennels. The narrow, bumpy dirt road lined with tall trees and lush vegetation suddenly widened to allow parking for a few cars. As I walked to the gate I was greeted by four of the most beautiful Shepherds I have ever seen. This growling, barking, raised-hackled welcoming committee was composed of none other that the Sieger, The Siegerin, the V4 and the V23 dogs at this year's Sieger Show.

SiriusDog.com - The Sable Shepherd�"A Museum Piece"?�
Especially in the southern European countries the sable shepherd is not particularly popular, especially among breeders of the so called Show Lines. I cannot tell you why this is so. Still, I would like to try to get rid of some of the prejudices...

SiriusDog.com - 2008 Sieger Show Impressions
For newcomers, it must be said that the international German Shepherd Dog

SiriusDog.com - Report on Broward (Florida) SchH Club Trial and Conformation Show Dec 2007
It was again a privilege and pleasure to associate with fun-loving fanciers of the German Shepherd Dog and to enjoy the beauty of the breed, when I went to South Florida to handle dogs in a WDA show sponsored by the Broward SchH Club. The show ran well under the firm hand of Miriam Barkus, although not always �on time�. I did not take part in the trial portion, except to watch and offer encouragement, but I was kept very busy handling one nice dog after another...

SiriusDog.com - 2007 Sieger Show Impressions
As always, my report on the international German Shepherd Dog �Sieger Show�, the main event for the breed that is held annually in Germany, consists of two parts, and you might only see part of the whole �picture�...

SiriusDog.com - 3 Shows in China
Travel broadens one, they say. While that epithet was meant to refer to the mind, it has a d�uble-entendre for me, in that it tends to broaden my waistline as well. As a roving technical representative for some 30 years, I had opportunity to �wine and dine� on company (expense account) money, which meant that I could afford to develop into a gourmand and connoisseur. Since the mid-1980s, I have also globe-trotted in my avocation of judging dog shows and lecturing on cynological topics. As Keats put it, �Much have I traveled in the realms of gold, and many goodly states and kingdoms seen.� I have yet to stand, like Cortez, upon a peak in Darien, but I have experienced his �wild surmise� in 50 U.S. states and some 30 countries so far, several of them many times. One recent assignment was a return to China � a different part than I had seen before.

SiriusDog.com - Impressions of the 2006 Sieger Show and Tour
The 2006 show in Oberhausen was certainly not as large as the SV�s 100th Anniversary show in Karlsruhe back in 1999, when massive publicity and encouragement brought 50,000 people into the stadium, but the Sieger Show is still the world�s largest single-breed event. It is getting more difficult every year to secure the venue. After all, a contract for dozens of soccer games per year is more lucrative than a single weekend of dog shows.

SiriusDog.com - 2005 Sieger Show in Ulm Impressions
It was my great pleasure to again lead a successful tour of Bavaria and a little bit of Austria, the occasion being the annual Sieger Show of the SV, the largest specialty show in the world, with typical spectator attendance of around 40,000. The largest was the 100th anniversary in 1989 with 50,000 people and an entry of nearly 3,000 German Shepherd Dogs, each of whom had a minimum age of 12 months.

SiriusDog.com - Interactions between the �Show lines� and �Working lines�
The possibility of selecting a subject with excellent morphological attributes (structure and form) coexisting with an equally high quality of character, is presented these days as not attainable. The dichotomy between the various (genetic) selection pressures seems to generate a more and more obvious division between the developing types in regard to selection for training and/or anatomy.

SiriusDog.com - 2004 Lanting Sieger Show Tour - Part 1
The 2004 Lanting Sieger Show Tour was wonderful experience. We had a group of great dog people, great bonhomie and we learned a great deal from traveling together. Born in Hawaii, I left the islands at age 20 and I never saw much reason to vacation anywhere else! Going to Europe was a something totally different for this �newbie� GSD owner. I had a blast on the trip and learned way more than I thought I would.

SiriusDog.com - 2004 Lanting Sieger Show Tour - Part 2
Part 2. On Sunday, we hurried back to show to grab good seats in the stadium where the finals of each class were held. The finals of the youth classes featured both sexes gaiting simultaneously on their separate halves of the stadium field.

SiriusDog.com - 2004 Sieger Show Impressions.
The show itself, a 3-day affair and this year with about 2,200 GSDs, is the experience of a lifetime for many fanciers. A few join my guided tour group (the only non-profit one going) again, but most are first-timers; many additionally are novices in both European travel and in the breed, so everybody gains a great deal. The relative uniformity of the international-style GSD (which by definition excludes most of the �Alsatians� and �AKC-types�) is marvelous to behold. The novice finds it hard to tell them apart until someone points out subtle differences.

SiriusDog.com - The 2004 SV/WUSV/FCI Rules for the BH Qualification
Participants who for the first time enter a BH trial and who have not furnished appropriate proof of this special experience, must pass a specified written examination before the date of the event, to the satisfaction of the trial judge, before they and their dogs are tested in the practical part.

SiriusDog.com - 100 Years of the German Shepherd Dog
They started with utility, and von Stephanitz kept stressing that concept. Even today, the president of the SV echoes him by re-stating it: The German Shepherd Dog is first and foremost a working dog!

SiriusDog.com - Judging the �Total Dog� in Trinidad
It was an honor and a pleasure to be invited back to again judge in the Caribbean country of Trinidad & Tobago, this time by the German Shepherd Breed Club of T&T, the previous assignment having been sponsored by the Rottweiler Club.

SiriusDog.com - Protection for the Working Class
The following outline will hopefully make the protection phase for the Working Class dogs in the show more consistent and allow handlers to know exactly what is expected.

SiriusDog.com - German Sieger Show Bremen 2000
I recently led a tour of Europe for a small group of people from all over the U.S. and even one from Germany. The center of focus was the German Bundessiegerzuchtschau (�Bunde� can refer to a German club, you know that �Sieger� means �winner�, and �zucht� means breed or, in this instance, conformation), where representatives from most.

SiriusDog.com - The 2004 SV/WUSV/FCI Rules for the BH Qualification
COMPANION DOG AND BEHAVIOR/TEMPERAMENT TEST, WITH TRAFFIC SURENESS AND OTHER SPECIAL EXPERIENCE(Begleithund & Verhaltens Test, BH/VT)

SiriusDog.com - Schutzhund-Versatility Test Level-1 (SchH-1/VPG-1) for working dogs.
This is a translation by Fred Lanting of the official Schutzhund-Versatility Test Level-1 (SchH-1/VPG-1) for working dogs.

SiriusDog.com - Peru Sieger Show 2003
At the end of November, on my way to judge in a neighboring country, I was pleased to be invited into the ring to take pictures and converse with the officers and judge of the 2003 Peru Sieger Show.

SiriusDog.com - Impressions, 2003 USA Sieger Show
For a number of reasons, this year�s United Schutzhund Clubs of America (USA) Sieger Show was smaller than usual, though there were sufficient world-class dogs there, that anybody would be proud to own.

SiriusDog.com - 2003 Sieger Show Impressions
There has been a political revolution in the metaphoric halls of the SV recently, and many have wondered how it would affect the dog itself.

SiriusDog.com - Judging in Tense TimesWorld Tension and the Dog Show
It seems that every other trip I make to Taiwan coincides with renewed national (or nation-to-nation) turmoil.

SiriusDog.com - A Matter of Proportion
As of early 2003, there is an argument in the circles of Vizsla fanciers in the Vizsla Club of America, VCA.

SiriusDog.com - How to Be a Ringside Judge
Sometimes the seasoned exhibitor fails to remember how long it took him to get the hang of things when he was first going to dog shows.

SiriusDog.com - Bolivia Sieger Show 2003
At the beginning of December, after attending the big camelid (alpacas, mostly) festival in Arequipa and the 2003 Peru Sieger Show in Lima, I traveled to a new country for me, Bolivia.

SiriusDog.com - GSDs in China a report of two specialties April,
It was a long time in coming, but I finally was able to get to mainland China to judge. I was originally scheduled to judge China�s first Sieger Show a few years ago, but at that time, political tempers on both sides of the Taiwan Straits flared, as they do all too often.

SiriusDog.com - Jamaica GSD SpecialtySept. 2002
Every day seems to be summer in Jamaica, and since I retired from regular hours in the chemicals business, every day is like Saturday or a summer vacation to me.

SiriusDog.com - Puebla Mexico GSD Show
The term Pre-Colombian refers to artifacts and cultures that existed in the New World (Western Hemisphere) before the arrival of Christopher Columbus...

SiriusDog.com - The White Shepherd: International Dog
What constitutes a �new breed�? Since all members of the canine family are related, the line between breeds is not always distinct.

SiriusDog.com - German Lines? The Case for Outcrossing
We in North America have seen a great growth in the GSD population with recent German bloodlines and first-generation imports.

SiriusDog.com - G.S.D. SPECIALTY SHOW, IN CONJUNCTION WITHINDIA SIEGER SHOW AND THE FCI-AKU-KCISHOWS OF JANUARY 8 & 9, 2000
The over-all quality shows that India has made good progress in both importing and breeding.

SiriusDog.com - POSING TO WIN
I was sitting down to write an article for the Los Angeles County GSDC so they might be a little better prepared for my judging their show Apr. 25, 1999, but then realized most exhibitors will not be members.

SiriusDog.com - K�rordnung (Breed Survey Rules)
The Verein f�r Deutsche Sh�ferhunde (SV) e.V. [Club for GSDs Inc.] is the parent club for the breed, and has responsibility for it and its Standard, which is acknowledged by the German (VDH) and international (FCI) Kennel Clubs.

SiriusDog.com - Fun nosework with Anne Lill Kvam
We cannot begin to comprehend how well developed this sense is. A dog can also discriminate between so many smells on the ground and in the air, choosing one scent among dozens of others to follow...

SiriusDog.com - How dogs use their senses
Dogs have the same five senses as man. The sense of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste...

SiriusDog.com - Note on Tracking from the ART List
I am pretty careful with tracking because I believe that we don't ever know 100% what is going on in the dog. So a lot of evaluation is necessary to see if a dog is ready for influences that can reduce drive. I spend a lot of time studying the dogs to get a good read on whether they are tracking, comparing, solving a problem, or going off onto another scent. It is absolutely crucial...

SiriusDog.com - Trial Handling Tips for Rules as of 2004
Why are some people good handlers? This question is asked all the time. Some people are more coordinated than others, some do many tasks at once, some people can see mistakes or problems and correct them at any given notice or through training, and some people retain more knowledge. All of these things and more make any one person a good handler. Here are some hints on successful trialing.

SiriusDog.com - Problem Solving in the Hold and Bark
There are different philosophies out there on how to teach the hold and bark exercise. I'm not going to get into which one is right and which one is wrong. The truth is there is more than one way to start and teach the exercise and they all have merit. The problems generally start creeping up when we think the dog has learned what we wanted him to learn...

SiriusDog.com - Tell Me About Your Dog! Part One
Being one of those people that often talk late into the night until I lose my voice, I have discovered that very few things in training are quite as diverse as the interpretations of terminology. Why is that? Many terms used in dog training today had a certain meaning assigned to them through the way they were used. But often as the use of the word changed, so did its meaning. One of the most difficult things in discussions about training today is to establish a basis of understanding and interpretation of terminology. Usually once the people who are having the discussion are

SiriusDog.com - Revised 2008 Schutzhund Trial Handling Tips
Why are some people better handlers than others?�This question is asked all the time.�Some people are more coordinated than others, some people can do many tasks at once, some can see mistakes or problems and correct them on the fly, and some people prepare themselves for trials.�All of these things and more make any one person a good handler.�Here are some hints on successful trialing.

SiriusDog.com - Training a Working Dog
In today's world, working dogs are a fact of life. These dogs selflessly provide a service to their masters and their communities and are rewarded with adoration and praise. Police dogs provide such an important service that, in some areas, the killing of a police animal is just as serious an offense as murdering an officer of the law....

SiriusDog.com - Teach Your Dog Not To Bark
Unwanted barking is one of the most common behavior problems in dogs. It is normal for dogs to vocalize and bark from time to time but many times this behavior escalates much to the frustration of many dog owners. There are many causes of unwanted barking. First you must determine why your dog is barking before you can begin a program of retraining...

SiriusDog.com - Dog Obedience: The Basics
Teaching basic obedience skills to a dog can be exciting as well as challenging. Having problems on where to begin? Start by doing your homework. A student can only be as good as his trainer, right?...

SiriusDog.com - Dog Training - Leash & Collar Training
There are many different styles of dog training, and finding the one that works best for you is important for creating a dog that is a talented, loyal and faithful member of the family. All successful methods of dog training work to...

SiriusDog.com - Dog Training - The Basic Commands
There are of course many reasons for owners to want a calm, obedient and faithful dog. For one thing, obedient and trained dogs are happier dogs, less likely to get into tussles with people or with other dogs...

SiriusDog.com - Dog Training With a Head Collar
The head collar has become an increasingly popular dog training tool in the past couple of years. Two of the most well known brands of head collar on the market are the Gentle Leader and the Halti...

SiriusDog.com - Dog Training With a Training Collar or Choke Collar
The basic dog training collar goes by many names, including choke collar, choke chain, training collar, correction collar and slip collar. These training collars are among the most popular and most...

SiriusDog.com - Field Trials For Your Sporting Dog
For those of you who aren't too familiar with the term field trials, it is a sport in which the sporting dog competes under hunting conditions. The dog can pick up the scent of a rabbit or small animal and follow the trail until he's found it. There is also the bird trials where the animal retrieves...

SiriusDog.com - Choosing a Training Collar: How to Decide
Many dog owners find that their efforts toward training their pet are greatly aided by the use of a training collar. There are many types of collars available and each employs a different mechanism meant to...

SiriusDog.com - Winter Dog Agility Training
Depending on where you live, there might be snow on the ground from November through March, but thats no reason to give up your agility training. Bring your training indoors, right at your own home...

SiriusDog.com - Dog Agility Training for Your Puppy
You may be thinking, "When can I start agility training with my new puppy?" You can start immediately, with certain recommendations...

SiriusDog.com - 4 to 8 Dog Agility Jumps Makes Ideal Training
How many jumps should I start with?

SiriusDog.com - Teaching Directional Commands for the Dog Agility Beginner
Playing, training or working your dog is incredibly rewarding. Dogs are generally friendly, responsive, and quick-to-learn. Agility training is a healthy sport...

SiriusDog.com - Puppy Agility Training
You may be asking,

SiriusDog.com - Facts about Dog Agility
Dog agility trials are becoming more and more popular the world over. They began in England, as so many good things, do, but

SiriusDog.com - How to Correct Your Dog's Stay on the Agility Starting Line
Does your Agility Dog Stay everywhere but on the starting line? My

SiriusDog.com - Agility Builds Confidence in Your Dog
Is your dog timid around people or other dogs? Is your dog sensitive to sounds? Agility training can provide the environment and structure to build confidence in your dog...

SiriusDog.com - Why Training Your Dog Could be the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Pet
Every observant dog owner can see for himself that his dog gets greater satisfaction from the praise rewarding a well- executed command or good behavior than he does from the momentary excitement of disobeying...

SiriusDog.com - The Basics of Training Your Dog
Canine training is the same as for all animals, you communicate to your dog what you want him to do; when the dog has performed as desired, you reward him. You immediately repeat the exercise a few times and review it frequently until the dog�s response to the command is practically automatic. But of course it isn�t quite as simple as it sounds...

SiriusDog.com - Why Training Your Dog Could be the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Pet
Most dogs enjoy listening and are proud of the knowledge and skills they acquire. Untrained dogs are seldom as happy as trained ones, and lead much less interesting lives. Many dogs also get a sense of security from obedience and discipline, especially....

SiriusDog.com - Training Your Dog To Sit And Stay
One of the first dog obedience commands you will teach is training your dog to sit and stay. This is an important command for you and your dog to master. It will clearly define you as the dominant one in the owner-dog relationship, and will provide a solid foundation for more advanced training later on.

SiriusDog.com - The Secret to Successfully Training Your Dog
Do you have a dog or puppy that is out of control? Do you feel like your living in an expensive dog house under your dogs rule? Well you are not alone, thousands of new puppy and dog owners experience this every year.

SiriusDog.com - Turn Your Dog into the Perfect Family Companion
Whether you are training your dog yourself, or hiring someone else to train it, there are 5 basic commands that every dog must master. These include sit, stay, down, and heel. One of the most important ones, however......

SiriusDog.com - Dog obedience training
Which dog owner won't feel proud of his disciplined dog? Reversely, who won't feel ashamed of an unruly dog?

SiriusDog.com - COUNTER CRUISING
Several of my students have asked how to manage a dog that jumps on the counter when the owner is either in or out of the room, and clears all the contents.

SiriusDog.com - Trial Handling Tips for Rules as of 2004 - Part 11
Tracking for the SchH 3 is 600 paces and laid by a stranger with four corners and five legs. Points for the articles and corners on the SchH 3 track are different and you should understand these changes.

SiriusDog.com - NBHA Amateur Championship Trial
In Alabama for the first time, the National Bird Hunters Association, NBHA, got together at the Parches Cove Hunting Preserve, outside of Union Grove. Hunters from all over the South and Midwest, as far as the eastern seaboard, Texas, and Iowa, drove their horse trailers and dog carriers to this beautiful valley to compete in one of their most important annual events.

SiriusDog.com - Training Tables - A Place for Learning
Training tables have been around in one form or another for longer than any one can document. Some caveman, tired of bending over to get to a pup, probably hoisted it onto a rock and gave it a pet or a bit of food, and the training table concept was born. Well, maybe that's a stretch, but then fact is often stranger than fiction.

SiriusDog.com - MOUTHING
OUCH! Does your pup leave teeth marks on your hands from play? A young dog often tries to play with his human family the same way he would play with other dogs.

SiriusDog.com - JUMPING UP
Let's look at this from the dog's point of view. Fido is so happy to see you, and he naturally wants to get close to your face, so he does what comes naturally -- he jumps up. And guess what - chances are, he has been rewarded many times for his jumping behavior!

SiriusDog.com - Pat's "NO FREE LUNCH" Program for Problem Dogs
This program is intended for any dog that has an

SiriusDog.com - Training & Development - Prey Drive Promotion
Following the popular response to Armin Winkler�s introduction to drives in protection training published in a previous issue he was asked to continue discussing the drives used in protection training in a series of articles.

SiriusDog.com - PREY BEHAVIOR
In the first installment, defense in its many forms was examined with the conclusion that this very complex behavioral response demands the highest skills from the protection trainer.

SiriusDog.com - The Gap Widens
In the German Shepherd Dog world, and echoed elsewhere, we have long heard (and voiced) complaints about the schism that exists between the

SiriusDog.com - LEGG CALV� PERTHES DISEASE
A disorder sometimes easily mistaken for hip dysplasia is Legg-Calv�-Perthes disease, perhaps more frequently referred to by the dog fancier as

SiriusDog.com - Dogs in the Heavens
In the

SiriusDog.com - 2008 Sieger Show Impressions
For newcomers, it must be said that the international German Shepherd Dog

SiriusDog.com - The Gap Widens
In the German Shepherd Dog world, and echoed elsewhere, we have long heard (and voiced) complaints about the schism that exists between the

SiriusDog.com - LEGG CALV� PERTHES DISEASE
A disorder sometimes easily mistaken for hip dysplasia is Legg-Calv�-Perthes disease, perhaps more frequently referred to by the dog fancier as

SiriusDog.com - Dogs in the Heavens
In the

SiriusDog.com - 2008 Sieger Show Impressions
For newcomers, it must be said that the international German Shepherd Dog