You can adopt a dog by purchasing a puppy from dog breeders or take one from an animal shelter. Most animal shelters will have varied dog breeds and consists mainly of rescued animals. There's one problem with adopting a dog from an animal shelter: The selection of available dog breeds as pets can be quite overwhelming. After all the fact of the matter is that man's best friend comes in different shapes, sizes, color and personalities.
One of the good things about shelter dog is that they make wonderful pets and lifelong companions for you as well as your family. The bad part is that some of these dogs might not be as good and may be moody and grumpy as well. The key lies in knowing what dog breeds you should look for. Here are some of the things that you should know:
Examine
You need to examine a particular breed on the basis of the fact that whether it can match your lifestyle or not. If you are living alone in a small or compact second-floor apartment then adopting large dog breeds like the German Shepherd Dog or the retrievers will definitely not be the right choice. Alternatively, if you have a family of four and are looking for a pet who can match up to your active lifestyle then retrievers or a GSD will be perfect. The points you need to consider include the size of the dog, friendliness, temperament, exercise requirements, assertiveness, and his compatibility with children.
Different Breeds and Mixes
So how can you find one particular dog from different dog breeds who has the qualities that you are looking for? The best way to know that is by getting as much information as possible like you can learn about different dog breeds, or visit an animal shelter and speak adoption counselors there for more guidance. Most dogs fall into 2 basic categories: mixed breeds and purebreds. Most of the animal shelters will have plenty of mixed breeds and purebreds. The significant difference between the mixed breeds and purebreds is that purebreds because of their ancestors, parents and history are members of the same breed and display a specific "breed standard." This basically means that if you were to adopt a purebred puppy, then there is a good chance that you will know about what his size will be or particular behavioral characteristics as well as diseases that he might be prone to.
Mixed dog breeds also offer quite a few advantages over purebreds. If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed, then you can be assured of the combined traits of two or more dog breeds. You will also get a dog whose probability of being free from various genetic defects will be higher as compared to purebred. One of the best things about mixed breeds is that they are considered to be the more "natural" dogs. They make unique companion, offer loyalty and love and can adapt to any environment without too much of a fuss.
All About Dog Breeds
A hunting dog is any type of dog who helps humans when they go hunting. Each breed of hunting dog has their own particular skill, so a hunter would choose their dog according to which kind of hunting they prefer. True hunting dogs get huge satisfaction from what they do and a good dog can make all the difference on a hunt. Let's take a look at the different hunting dogs.
Hounds
There are three main kinds of hunting hounds: Sighthounds, scent hounds and lurchers.
Sighthounds, like the Whippet, have amazing eyesight and are extremely fast runners. Their way of hunting is called 'coursing'. They see their prey - often from a huge distance - then they stalk, chase and kill it. These dogs are athletic, fast, very quiet and extremely independent. They are very affectionate and loyal to their owners and are good with small children. They make hopeless guard dogs as they're so trusting!
Scent hounds, as you would imagine, use their sense of smell for hunting. Beagles, Basset Hounds and the American Coonhound all use their noses to track the prey. They very often hunt in packs and can chase game for a very long way before cornering it or killing it. These dogs have characteristic booming barks and soulful expressions.
Lurchers are primarily some kind of sighthound bred with a working dog.
Gun Dogs
Hunters take a gun dog along with them to bring back whatever has been shot. Retrievers are very good at remembering where prey has fallen and love to retrieve ducks or geese that have been shot and landed in water. A typical gun dog is very well trained and can follow commands from a long distance away. They are renowned for their 'soft mouths' which means that they don't leave a mark on the game that they have retrieved.
Spaniels are excellent for finding game and flushing it out of any hiding place. They are also greats swimmers, good family dogs and fiercely loyal.
Pointers are also loyal. They're happy and affectionate dogs. Although they are bred to hunt, they make great pets as long as they get sufficient exercise. When they are hunting, they literally point! They find the game and then stop dead, letting the hunter know where it is. Once they are commanded, they flush the prey out for the hunter to shoot. Setters are good pointers.
One of the most famous pointers was Judy, a ship's dog during the Second World War. Her special skill was to point where Japanese planes were coming from - long before any of the humans on board could even hear their engines! Judy was awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross (the Dickin Medal) in 1946.
Terriers
Most of the animals that terriers help to hunt for are pests. For example, Jack Russells go after ground hogs and foxes in America and Terriers hunt badgers in the UK (legally and illegally!). Hunters who work with these dogs are called terriermen.
Curs
These are used in a similar way to terriers but the game that they hunt is usually larger, such as boars, raccoons and even cougars. Staffordshire Terriers and any other kind of hunting dog are often bred together to produce hunting curs.
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