Time for Nero

It has been a long time since I have published something about our german shepherd. Nero was 7 years old this October. It was a beautiful day on his birthday (and one of the last worm days before the winter), so I decided to take some photos of him. Like every time, he was very cooperative and a great model. You can see the results at the pictures below...

 Nero on his 7th birthday

Enjoying in the nature

Choosing a name for your dog

After going through the many hurdles to prepare for a dog, it is surely an exciting time when the dog finally arrives home. Everyone wants to play with them and get to welcome the new visitor. One thing that is also important to learn of is the name to choose for the dog. The choice of dog name is quite important, as it to a large extent shows the type of dog owner that you are. Some names might be appropriate for you to use indoors but when you go out to the public, you might feel embarrassed calling out the dog. 

Choosing a dog name is not as easy as it may seem. It is important to factor in several ideas so as to select the most ideal name. If you choose an ideal name that is quite common, it is highly possible that you might run into several other dogs with the same name while you are out in the public.

For the best results, ensure you go for a participatory approach when choosing the name of a dog. If the dog will be a family dog, seek input from everyone to ensure that there is consensus when the final name is chosen.

Having chosen a name, do take care when you are changing a dog’s name especially when its older. If a name must be changed for an older dog, the vowel sounds ought to be the same.  The consonants can change. The dog picks up vowel sounds easier than consonant sounds. After selecting the agreed upon dog name, do test it for a day and see the response of the dog.

It is advisable to make use of positive reinforcement whenever they respond positively to the name chosen being called out. This reinforcement can come in form or a hug, positive words or even a treat. This indicates to the dog that you are really happy and they work hard to be keen to listen to you whenever you speak.

Also, make sure the name chosen for the dog is not among the list of commands that you expect to teach it.  If you choose commands as a name for the dog such as ‘sit’ or ‘come’, confusion will reign over the dog as it will not understand on whether you need to have the action performed or you are calling it.

Your choice of name can depend on the sex of the dog. Among the most common male names for a dog include:

Bailey, Bear, Buddy, Buster, Charlie, Cody, Cooper, Duke, Harley, Jack, Jake, Lucky, Max, Murphy,Oliver, Riley, Rocky, Sam, Ticker, Toby.

On the other hand, there are numerous names for a female dog that you can try and choose from. Among the names that are included as the most popular fro the female dogs include:

Molly, Bella, Lucy, Maggie, Daisy, Sadie, Chloe, Sophie, Bailey, Zoe, Lola, Abby, Ginger, Roxy, Gracie, Coco, Sasha, Lily, Sam, Princess

You can also base the name of a dog based on a particular time, such as the day they were born or out of something they did. It all lies on what you feel most comfortable using. As earlier indicated, you can choose on the name that you feel that grows on you best after a day of use. Other ideas that you can use to choose a dog name include the appearance of the dog, personality, dogs in movies, sports teams and players and names you personally love.

Animals eating like persons

There is a lot of funny animal videos on the internet and today I decided to show you some of the dogs that eat like humans. 

The first video that I saw on this subject was Two dogs dining, which was made by Charlotte & Kristian Septimius Krogh. The two dogs in the video are a Yellow Labrador and Broholmer. They are having a meal at a restaurant and have their personal waitress. It made me laugh so much when I first saw this :)

The other very funny video features a German Shepherd dog Odi, who is also eating like a person. He has a very nice suit and I think he is eating some delicious peanut butter, that he seems to enjoy very much. The video is also funny because of the guy in the background (I guess the one who is filming the tape), who can't stop laughing at Odi :)

The next dog eating like a human is a cute yellow retriever Ginger. She is having a breakfast at her home. You can watch her drink "coffee", eat "cereals" and also eating a banana! Ginger is especially cute as she is one of the few female dogs that you can find eating like people :)

I hope you enjoyed looking at this videos and that they made you laugh :)

Dog breeds by FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale)

Choosing a dog may be a challenging adventure, if you do not know much about the types of dogs. If you want a dog with pedigree, the Federation Cynologique International, also referred to as the World Canine Organization can help you get more familiar with the breeds, as it has proposed a simple grouping system, in which most dog groups are classified into. Using this classification, dogs are generally grouped into 10 groups depending on their physical appearance, geographic distribution, behavior and common tasks for which the dogs are used for. This can be said to be the easiest and most direct way through which dogs are classified in, even if it may have a few anomalies.

FCI 1: The first group of dogs is sheep dogs.  These are dogs that were (and somewhere still are) used for herding sheep, goats and cattle in European areas. The specialty of these dogs is shepherding. The most common dogs here will be sheepdogs and cattle dogs. It is important to note that the swill cattle dogs are not included in this class of dogs. 

FCI 2: The next group of dogs is the group of Pinch, Schnauzer, Mollosoid dogs and Swiss Mountain Dogs. Examples of dogs in this class include the Swiss cattle dog, the Pinscher, Schnauzer and the Mastiff commonly referred to as Mollosian. 

FCI 3: There are also numerous varieties of the terriers. The size of the terrier in this group is what determines where it ought to be classified. There are Large Terriers, Small Terriers, Toy Terriers and Bull Terriers.

FCI 4: Daschunds are the next class of dog in the FCI classification.  The dachshund is also referred as the Teckels which are both miniature and of a standard size which is slightly larger.

FCI 5: The Spitzes follow in the classification and here, there are numerous varieties of dogs that are classified here. In this class, there are Nordic Sled Dogs, Nordic Watchdogs and Hunters, Nordic Hunting Dogs, the European Spitz, the Thai Ridgeback, Caanan dog, Basenji, hairless breeds, Asian Spitz and the Podengos, a primitive type of hunting spitz.

FCI 6: The next class of dogs is the scent related breed of dog. In this classification, there are Scent Hounds, Dalmatian, Rhodesian Ridgeback and Scent Hounds Hunted on a leash. 

FCI 7: Another class in the FCI classification is Pointer dogs. These are dogs used in acquiring bearing and guiding you in the right direction. Among the commonly found breeds include Continental Pointing Dogs and the United Kingdom Pointing dogs.

FCI 8: Retrievers, Waterdogs and Flushing Dogs that are mostly used in search and rescue is a class in the list. Here, dogs included in the list are dogs used mainly in search and rescue, those that are adapted for swimming and getting into narrow spaces.

FCI 9: Companion and Toy dogs are also included in this list. These dogs are those whose function is only for keeping one company and are generally small. The breeds of dog included in this class is a Bichon, Poodles, Tibetian breeds, Small Belgian Dogs, Chihuahua, Japanese Chin, Pekinese,  English Toy Spaniels, Continental Toy Spaniels, Small Hairless Dogs and Toy Bull Breeds.

FCI 10: The last class of dogs in this classification is the Sighthounds and the Windhounds. This class specifically groups dogs that have a Superior sense of sight and hearing. Among dogs that are found in this class include the Long Haired and Fringed Windwards, The Short Haired Windhounds and the Wire Coated Windhouds. 

So, there you have it, a well elaborated guide of the top 10 dog’s classification as outlined by the FCI. You now have the knowhow of what breeds to consider when choosing your dog, if you do not decide for an adoption!

How to choose a dog?

Owning a dog is one of the simple things done in life and it can help you grow as you forge a bond with the dog. In as much as selection of a dog comes to play, you must realize that choosing the right dog can help you enjoy an amazing time. Before deciding on the dog to have, it is important to have some essentials checked to ensure that you lay a road that you will enjoy.

First off, you must choose a dog that you love, from the first impression you get. The dog that warms your heart most will in most cases be the best fit for you. Choosing a dog because of its traits and not necessarily a dog that you love is not a guaranteed method that you will love the dog. To get the best dog possible, take a few hours learning about the dog before settling on a final choice.

The health of the dog is also of paramount importance. Ensure that the dog has a checkup from the vet prior to taking them home. The importance of a checkup cannot be downplayed as it helps reveal any preexisting health conditions that it may have and the general status of health.

Another important parameter that you ought to learn about the dog is the history. Where is the dog from? How old is it? When were the last vaccinations done? How many times has it given birth? The more details you are able to gather about a dog, the higher the probability that you get to have an amazing relationship with the dog and understand it better.  If you are dealing with a puppy from a litter, the general history of the litter should suffice to give you an indication of what is required.

Before settling on the dog of choice, it is advisable to use your senses to make a determination on whether the choice is right or not. Some of the things that you ought to note is the temperament. An overly aggressive dog might be cumbersome if you are looking for a house dog. It is also advisable to check if there is any discharge coming off the nose or eyes.

The coat of the dog ought to be smooth with no scales on the skin. Hair shedding if any should be at a minimal. Also, a healthy dog would have a shiny looking hair coat, not one that is dull. External parasites such as fleas and ticks are also not desirable in a dog. Body odor should not be present in the dog. A body odor could point to a dog that has not had a wash for some time or a dog having a bacterial or even fungal infection. Bring to the attention of the vet any wheezing or coughing sounds as this could point to a pre-existing disease in the body. It is important to note that the heart beat of a puppy will normally be faster than that of an adult so if you note it, it is a sign that the puppy is in good health.

A dog’s behavior can also tell you if it is well. Among the warning signs that you should look out for include the gait of the dog. Different dogs have different gaits, so it is advisable to check on the actual gait for the specific breed of dog required. Other pointers to an impending problem include:

- Walking with a limp

- Lack of appetite

- Excessive aggressiveness

- Bleeding

- Constantly going round in circles

Having checked and verified that the dog passes through the mentioned steps, go ahead and choose the one that most appeals to you and your needs. Do make sure to continue their diet for a while, rather than making a drastic change to an all new diet when you get them.

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Summer

... is exhausting if you are a dog :)

It is very hot here, but Nero doesn't like being in the shadow. Here is he sleeping on the sun on the comfortable grass.

I also got a new camera and I hope that you will enjoy the pictures of Nero and his friends that I will take with it.

Spring

Spring is here:) Grass is green, flowers are growing and sun is shining.

It is really nice to see some beautiful colors of nature, after so many misty mornings.

As you can see, Nero likes sun too. When he can, he is always rolling around the grass and smiling around. You can feel the sense of nature waking up...

Walking on the leash

Spring is finally starting to show, so we can enjoy long walks in the nature. On this picture you can see Nero with his blue bandana, that makes him very cute.

Nero is very nice and obedient dog, so he can walk without the leash most of the time.

However, when we go somewhere that we have to put him on leash, he is very proud and behaves very good.

It is very important to teach your dog to walk on the leash at a very young age, so he can get comfortable with it trough the time. Even if you don't like the leash, there are places where dogs can not be unsupervised, due to many reasons. So start familiarizing your puppy with walking on a leash at an early age and try to socialize it as much as you can. If you don't know how to do it yourself, there is surely a specialist or a K9 school in your district, where you can look for help.

Sleeping in the bed

A lot of people don't understand that some people let their dogs sleep in the bed.

The bed gets all hairy and you have to change the sheets more often. But when you see the dog's pleased face when you let him to bed, it is worth all the extra work. Nero is not happy sleeping on the floor, he wants to sleep on the comfy bed, just like his owners.

You can see how calm and relaxed a german shepherd is on the bed :)

Snow measurement

As I said before, this year we have really a lot of snow in Slovenia. The elders say, that we didn't have winter like this in 30 years.

Nero is a big german shepherd dog and as you can see, the snow is almost completely covering his legs. This is his dog house, that he never uses, but he did pose for a snow measurement photo.


He really likes the snow, but me... I am waiting for the summer. This years winter was too much for me.

Snow Angel

As I mentioned before in my posts, Nero is very photogenic. Here you can see him posing on snow. He is really cooperative and poses patiently when I try to get the best photo. But to get that special look on his face, I have a special trick - snow balls. Here he looks like an angel in the snow. Do you like this photo?