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Also called Labrador or Lab for short, a Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed in the United States, United Kingdom and also Australia. They are the most popular as family pets, as assistance dogs and as detectives to assist policemen. Their almost insightful intelligence, sociability, keen sense of smell and trainability makes them the best candidate for drug and arms detection at airports and high security areas. The patience that this breed shows also makes them extremely good working dogs with people on wheel chairs or for pet therapy. A trained Labrador is one of the most dependable animals that there can be. They do not have any of the negative traits that some of the other breeds manifest and are free from territorial aggression, destructive nature, insecurity or pampered behavior. They can also be used as a protection dog. Labrador Retriever puppies are simply adorable.

Feeding and Grooming

The Labrador breed is the ‘foodie’ among dog breeds and they enjoy their food to the fullest. They eat almost anything that is placed before them – ice creams, biscuits, meat, cereal, dog treats and even scraps from the table. This tends to make them extremely susceptible to obesity and therefore a regulated diet is what you should limit the intake to. An overweight Labrador can become extremely lazy and slow. To regulate the quantity of food offered to your Labrador, it is important to note that a 60 pound Labrador requires about four and a half cups of food. The meal should have adequate levels of calcium, especially in the growing phase. This is important due to the heavy bone structure of this breed.

With average levels of shedding on normal days that gets heavier twice a year during the season, Labradors are easy to maintain. Brushing twice a week is required and you might need to use a soft bristle brush. This also activates the skin glands allowing for protective secretions. A bath is required only once a fortnight.

Exercise

Since the Labrador is a heavy eater, adequate exercise is a must for this breed. Swimming and retrieving are a Labradors favorite activities and playing fetch in a large park or the yard are good additional ways to exercise your Lab other than walks. This breed also enjoys the training process and therefore training should be base don rewarding more than punishment. It is important to understand that higher levels of exercise are required only once the dog is six months and older. Excessive exercising for young Lab pups can damage their bones.

Special care and health concerns

The life expectancy of a Lab is between 12 to 13 years.

- Hip or elbow dysplasia – Since the Labrador is a large breed, it is prone to hip or elbow joint dislocation and loosening. In this condition the dog feels uncomfortable while moving and can also experience pain and swelling. The severity of the pain depends on the level of movement, weight of the dog and extent of dislocation. Dysplasia can be treated with prescribed medicine and only in serious cases surgery is prescribed. Some Labradors can also suffer from luxating patella.

- Ear infections – All breeds that have floppy ears that are not cropped, ear infections can eb a major cause of trouble. This is because moist air gets trapped in the outer ear causing mites, fungus or bacterial infections. Prevention is better than cure and such instances can be avoided by cleaning the ear regularly with a cotton swab.

- Obesity – Since Labs are prone to overeating, they tend to gain excessive weight if the intake is not regulated. Obesity can increase the chances of dysplasia and also cause diabetes.

- Gastric troubles – Labradors are extremely prone to fall prey to upset stomachs, vomiting and loose stools from time to time. To maintain good gastric health, it is essential that only high quality commercial brands or home food be given to your pet.

- Swim tail – This is an extremely unique condition that Labradors may face, especially if your dog likes water. The tail basically becomes sore due to overuse and swells up and is akin to a ‘tennis elbow’. The tail develops a slight crimp but adequate rest can solve this issue relatively easily.

- Eye conditions – Older Labradors can develop retinal atrophy, cataract, corneal dystrophy and retinal dysplasia.

Doberman Pinschers are extremely intelligent dogs and are alert all the time. Unlike popular belief Doberman Pinschers are extremely loyal and can make good guard dogs, watch dogs and police dogs too. The most prominent thing about Doberman Pinschers is the fact that the image of this breed has been marred by ferocious portrayal of the breed in movies and otherwise. While the Doberman is a dominant and aggressive breed, but they are very friendly animals, espeically doberman pinscher puppies. They also make a great protection dog.

Feeding and Grooming

Muscular as they are, Doberman Pinschers do not eat too much. However, as with all pure bred dogs, you should discuss the specific requirements of your dog with the veterinarian so as to be sure that you are giving your dog breed a customized balance diet. A diet rich in protein is recommended. Home food consisting of lean meat and vegetables is preferred for Doberman Pinschers since many Doberman Pinschers are allergic to the high amounts of cereal that are added in commercial foods.

The maintenance required for the coat of a Doberman is extremely low. Brushing twice a week is sufficient and wiping with a damp cloth and a soft brush are adequate grooming techniques. Clipping toenails and cleaning ears should be done regularly to keep your dog healthy and fit.

Exercise

A Doberman Pinscher is extremely energetic and needs a lot of exercises. Lack of exercise can make a Doberman temperamental and frustrated. Walks on a long leash or free runs in a safe area are great for this breed. Training should start early in life and interactions with other animals and humans at an early age shall ensure that the Doberman grows to be more sociable.

Special care and health concerns

On an average, a Doberman Pinscher lives anywhere between 10 to 14 years. As compared to other breeds, Dobermans are prone to a larger number of diseases.

- Dilated cardiomyopathy – This condition is a major cause of death among Doberman Pinschers and out of all the dilated cardiomyopathy cases detected, 40% are Doberman Pinschers. The condition may be the attenuated wavy fiber type or the fatty infiltration degenerative types.

- Wobbler’s syndrome – Dobermans are also prone to congenital heart disorders and cervical spondylitis or Wobblers syndrome. These issues occur due to issues with the vertebrae and the soine.

- Prostatic disease – Bacterial prostatic, prostatic adenocarcinoma and benign hyperplasia are some of the prostatic conditions that Dobermans have been known to show. Spraying and neutering can reduce the risk of such problems.

- Hypothyroidism – This is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce adequate levels of hormones. Since these hormones are responsible for regulating metabolism, the same is affected adversely if this condition arises.

- Hip dysplasia – Being a large dog, the hip ball and socket joint can be dislocated relatively easily. This causes a lot of pain and swelling too.

- Retinal atrophy – Something that can ultimately lead to complete blindness.

- Bloat – Deep-chested dogs like the Doberman Pinschers can also get bloat if they drink water too quickly or gulp down large chunks of food. This condition can actually be life threatening and therefore smaller portion are recommended.

- Allergies – This breed is prone to cereal allergies and wheat, corn and soy products should be avoided. If severe, the allergies can cause various kinds of skin infections.

- Kidney failure – One of the most recent health conditions that have developed in the past 15 to 20 years is kidney failure. It is thought that the failure is caused due to grape toxicity. It has been observed that dogs that ate grapes vomited and showed symptoms of abdominal pain.

With many hundreds of different dog breeds to choose from and thousands of different personalities as well to have to deal with, you will have your hands full locating an ideal puppy and your efforts will require doing more than simply browsing dog breeders that offer puppy for sale. To get the best deal in regard to your puppy you need to do a lot of research and you should also look beyond appearances when checking out a puppy for sale advertisement.

Looks Are Great, But Not Everything

Looks are great but they are not everything because you will also need to ascertain the prospective puppy’s behavior and other breed characteristics. So, before you start your hunt for a puppy and before responding to puppy for sale ads you need to find a reliable source where the complete breed profile facts will be given. Next, you need to be sure that the breed that you chose is compatible with your personality and lifestyle.

Having done this preparatory work you can then begin your search for puppy for sale breeders or ads and you should also use the keyword “puppy for sale” when making online searches. In addition, you will need to check out local sources within your city where puppies are being sold or given away. It also pays to compile a complete list of dog breeders that sell the type of dog breed that you wish to own. In addition, you must also check how passionate the breeder is in caring for the breed and a breeder that puts up more than a few different dog breed puppy for sale is to be avoided. Passionate breeders generally are known to only deal in one or two different dog breeds.

Having found a suitable puppy for sale advertisement you then need to check things such as the puppy’s health and his temperament. Also, you need to get a health guarantee in writing from the breeder and finally, you must also check the parentage of the puppy. It pays to avoid dealing with puppy mills as well as puppy brokers as too backyard breeders who put up puppy for sale advertisements with the sole objective of earning a profit and so will generally not pay too much attention to safeguarding the breed’s standard.

If you have decided on buying or bringing home a teacup puppy you should then also learn a few things that will ensure that this breed thrives in your home. By ensuring that you only respond to puppy for sale advertisements from reputable breeders you will be assured of getting the best puppy and you will also find that the puppy you bring home is trusting, confident as well as easy to train.

For more about puppies please visit www.puppycareblog.com