Euro Puppy BLOG

A large number of Presidents of the United States have had dogs. Not all of them have had one, but there's no denying that it's an informal tradition of sorts. Today we look at President Hoover and his dog Weejie (Sometimes spelled Weegie).



The Norwegian Elkhound (that was Weejie's breed) is widely held to be one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. They were originally bred to keep the moose at bay and hold it till the hunter could come close enough to shoot.

Norwegian Elkhounds love to exercise in cold weather. In fact, without proper exercise, they can become destructive which is never a good thing. They make superb tracking dogs when trained correctly and their loud bard makes them excellent at watchdog duty too!



They are a dog breed with very few health problems and can live from anywhere between 12-16 years. Unlike lots of dog breeds, their tail is tightly curled up as seen in the picture.

Many dog owners ask whether or not they should cut their dog's toenails (or paw nails). It's true that cutting the nails of dogs is very common though it requires a little bit of judgment as to how much to cut as it is very easy to cut a bit too deep and cause a lot of pain to your dog.



In my experience, dogs that get a lot of exercise on rough surfaces like a terrace or a road will not have claws that need trimming at all. This is because the nails naturally trim down due to rough usage. It makes sense if you think about it - after all, who cuts their nails in the wild? (You may ask the same thing about brushing their teeth as well, but that's slightly different).

However, if you feel that your dog's nails do need cutting, you can achieve this with a pair of clippers that you use for gardening. Also, you might want to trim your puppy's nails from the beginning otherwise they will be not too pleased to have it done to them later on, and keeping them still while you perform this delicate operation isn't easy.

How often do we stop to admire the unique qualities of our dogs? On the one hand, they are completely loyal to us and on the other, they put up with all our faults.

In the modern day world, the qualities of our dogs are to be greatly admired, and perhaps we can learn something from them too. Aren't you amazed at how easily they can relax and not worry about their problems? Even street dogs don't think about their next meal if they're full and you can see them relaxing on the pavement though their food supply is far from being set.

Let's look at what a dog owner has to say about our dogs.....

Whoever got the idea that our dogs can understand what we say? Like the well meaning gentleman in the cartoon below, we often rattle of stuff to our canine friends.

However, our dogs do listen to what we say. They just can't understand it. Sometime the intelligent dogs pick up our meaning from our voice and emotions. But that's not always true :)

Rudolph Valentino known as the "Latin Lover" at one time was one of the most famous stars in the world. He projected an image of extreme femininity and this both drove women wild, as well as men who thought he was promoting femininity in men!

But for a man who was feminine, he sure had a huge dog. He had Irish Wolfhound called Centaur Pendragon. Irish Wolfhounds are sight dogs that were used in the past for Wolf hunting. Thus the name. They are the tallest dog breed in the world.



However paradoxically, they are an extremely gentle breed. Though one can forgive an intruder for being afraid of their size, they are apt to welcome anyone into their home with open paws as a friend! This gentle nature makes them ideal for children and for the family, though they're not recommended for those who have no prior experience with dogs.



At one point in time, only royalty could have the privilege of owning an Irish Wolfhound, and this made them almost extinct at a certain point in time. However, they have been rebred and are known as "Gentle Giants."

We all know that dogs have been with Mankind since time immemorial. However, did you know that far from being passive watchers of humans, they have instead sometimes helped shape human history itself?



For example, they have served with distinction in several famous wars, as well as saved the lives of countless individuals under different circumstances. King Buck - a Labrador Retriever was the first dog to ever feature on a US postal stamp and Robot, another member of the Canine family discovered the cave paintings at Lascaux.

However, there is one documented case of a dog causing the extinction of a famous family. The last surviving member of the Bonaparte family Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte was killed when he tripped over his dog's leash! This was as late as 1945. A noble family that once dominated Europe and had survived for around 200 years came to an end (albeit accidentally) because of a dog. Perhaps the dog shouldn't have been on a leash :)

There is plenty of press coverage for the fact that President Obama has to now get a dog for his daughters. Apparently, he had promised them a puppy regardless of the outcome of the election. The public got wind of this during his speech in Chicago.

So what sort of a dog should the President get? Rumors from the White House indicate that this president might go for a mixed breed favored by his daughter. The mixed breed that is most favored by her is the Labradoodle - A mix between the Golden Retriever and the Poodle!




Nonetheless, the American public voted for the type of dog for the President, and the results were startling - The Poodle! Also ranking high on the public perception of dogs, were the Miniature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise, and Chinese Crested. Poodles are the eighth most popular dog in the United States.

Whatever breed is chosen, it must be hypoallergic since one of his daughters is hypoallergic.

Dogs, just like us can feel pain. Sometimes it's obvious when they give a little yelp if the pain is sudden. However, when the pain is gradual and constant, like joint pain, or breathing trouble, the poor creatures never express it in any way that immediately alerts the owner.



Nonetheless, owners should need to discern certain signs by means of which they can realize that a dog is in pain and take it from there. Dogs will keep the pain to themselves, and only by subtle changes in behavior will you know that they need care.

For example, a hesitancy to jump over a wall or onto furniture where previously they would have bounded up, or a slight slowness in circling or sitting down. Or even restlessness and heavy breathing - all of these can indicate that your dog is in pain and that it's time to pay some attention to what could be wrong.

One has to be sensitive to such changes, as your dog is not aware that you can help them and will not try and show it to you. By early detection, you can ensure that your dog is saved from suffering in silence.

The more one lives with dogs, the more one realizes their amazing qualities. Qualities, which if possessed by a human would raise them to dizzying heights. As Lord Byron recites in the following poem, such praise if bestowed on a human would have to be flattery, but when bestowed on a dog are fair tribute.

I believe it has mostly to do with ego. A dog doesn't connive and scheme at any level, and so there is very little scope for malice. Premeditated thought is what corrupts the noblest ideals of man, and it is precisely the lack of this that makes our dogs so appealing.

I'm sure all of us dog lovers can sympathize with this scenario. Dog barks at falling leaves. Dog barks at the car approaching. But said dog doesn't bark where it's necessary!

The cartoon below shows this beautifully!



Hilarious :)

Euro Puppy's dogs and puppies are temperament tested. The following video speaks for itself.



Presented by Your Expert in Exotic Live Animal Events!

Eric Banks - Child turned Norfolk Terrier

In Allan Ahlberg's delightful book "Woof!", 10 year old Eric Banks is magically transformed into a Norfolk Terrier. The book explains life through they eyes of a dog and when he becomes a boy, he has to prepare for it to happen again!

This children's book is well known in modern day literature, as Eric soon finds out that all is not well. The style of writing is very curious as Alhberg tries to mingle the thought processes of a dog with that of a boy!



Norfolk Terriers are said to be completely fearless despite being the smallest of the working terriers. True to the terrier form, they enjoy chasing down small prey like mice and rats. They enjoy being in regular contact with humans throughout and make excellent pets.

Norfolk puppies are in great demand due to these qualities.

Did you know that chocolate is toxic to dogs? I wish I knew this when I had my first dog Steffi. She used to love chocolates. And which dog wouldn't? Dogs have a sweet tooth (unlike cats who don't have 'sweet' taste buds) and any dog would gulp down chocolate immediately given half a chance!



But be wary. Chocolates contain theobromine which is toxic to dogs as they metabolize the chemical more slowly than humans. Merely 25 grams of bakers chocolate would be sufficient to bring about toxicity symptoms in your dog. Be wary!

Heart attacks, and arrhythmia are common causes of death in dogs who are subjected to Theobromine poisoning. The initial symptoms though are nausea and vomiting. Note that dark chocolate contains significantly more theobromine than white chocolate.

If you have accidentally fed your dog chocolate, or if your dog has managed to break into the the chocolate box (happens frequently :) ) and you notice any of the symptoms like diarrhea and increased urination, called the vet immediately.

The former host of VH1's top 20 Video countdown is now a comedian! And she has the most adorable Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)! His name is Dignan. In the picture below, you can see that Alison has cut his hair short. She's mentioned that on her blog, as well as the fact that he's not a "Teacup" Yorkie.



Yorkshire Terriers are plucky dogs who retain their courage and self esteem in spite of the fact that they can have a small size. The breeding standards don't mention ideal height for the Yorkie, and so they can be extremely small, or sort of medium sized like Alison's.

Yorkshire Terriers are also more intelligent than most other dogs. They have a fantastic ability to remember commands and understand what they person is saying. As such, they are excellent candidates for jobs where such skills are required.

The tails of Yorkies are traditionally docked. However, there have been growing movements to stop this practice. It depends on the state you live in as well as the preference of the individual owner.

Ok this was a new one for me. I always thought that dogs were color blind. I don't know where I got that idea from, but it stuck. Looks like I was wrong all these years. Research conducted by Neitz J, Geist T, and Jacobs G H shows that while dogs see less color than we do, they are far from being unable to distinguish colors at all.



Apparently, dogs have a form of color blindness called deuteranopia which translates into red and green color blindness. So while they are able to clearly distinguish between say blue and yellow, they have trouble telling red from green.

Apparently, this is a bit like seeing the world at night. Dogs were not meant to rely on vision alone for their survival. They are meant to use a totality of their senses including smell and hearning, and that is why they haven't developed the detail and sharp eyesight that humans have. It's more important for them to detect motion.

Dog obstacle courses have blue and yellow themes for this reason. Nice to know that my canine companion doesn't see me as black and white!