INTRODUCING ST. BERNARD

Bred for centuries in Switzerland by the monks from the St Bernard Hospice, some 3,000 metres up in the Swiss Alps, this breed is famous for its legendary rescues. The St Bernard's sense of smell enables him to scent a human against the wind up to two miles away, and sense blizzards and avalanches up to 20 minutes before they occur. His ability to locate bodies buried in as much as 3 metres of snow has resulted in him finding countless travellers trapped in drifts and leading them to safety.

Affectionately known as a Saint, the St Bernard is the genial gentleman of the canine world - very powerful but extremely placid. He adores children, and makes an intelligent, loyal and affectionate companion dog. His deep resonant bark is a marvellous deterrent to burglars. His hallmark is his huge, majestic head and benevolent dignified expression. He may be either rough or smooth coated.

Naturally a dog of this size requires room and is expensive to feed. But the rewards of owning one of these gentle giants more than compensates - just ask any St Bernard owner!

FIBROUS PORTION OF THE DOG DIET

The vegetables cells present in the cellulose of the membranes constitute the not digested fibrous portion of the diet, direct or indirectly, by the non-herbivores mammals. This crosses the digestive conduit and provides volume and consistency at the excrement. When the dog receives a meat diet, lacking of fiber, the dog's excrements are a tarred color, soft and with bad scent. It is substance of the diet contains about 2% of coarse material (or better know as fiber).

Balanced dog diet: A balanced diet is that one that provides the correct quantities of nutrition use for a good reproduction, maintenance, work or growth of the animal. The dog's digestive capacity is extremely flexible, that even though if the diet differs in their composition, it will still be a balanced diet for the animal.

INTRODUCING CHIHUAHUA

Although the origin of the Chihuahua is shrouded in mystery, we do know that it is a very ancient breed. It was not until late last century that he came to prominence in Mexico and, in due course, became officially recognised as a pure breed. It is believed that the Long Coated variety was subsequently developed in the United States by crossing the Smooth variety with other Toy breeds, thought to have been the Papillon and Pomeranian. Even the Pekingese, Yorkshire Terrier and Toy Poodle have been mentioned as possibilities.

The Long Coat Chihuahua is basically the same dog in all respects as the Smooth Coat Chihuahua, with the obvious exception of his coat. In fact both types sometimes appear in the same litter, even though they are classified as separate breeds. His coat is long and either flat or slightly wavy with a soft texture. As with all coated breeds, the Long Coat Chihuahua requires regular grooming to keep his coat tangle free.

Like the Smooth Coat variety he is a "big dog" in a small body who completely forgets about his lack of size. Not only does he refuse to be intimidated by larger dogs, but his alert nature makes him an excellent household watchdog. He adores his owners but may be nervous with strangers, and is good with older children provided they do no use any rough-house tactics.

OUR GUEST - AIREDALE TERRIER

Origin:

The Airedale had its beginnings in 1853 when some working men in Yorkshire, England, mated an Otterhound with a rough-coated Black and Tan Terrier. Otters abounded in the nearby Aire and Wharfe rivers and rats were an everyday problem. Ideally, a sporting dog such as the Otterhound would be used to take on the otters, while a couple of terriers would tend to the rats. Rather than keep and feed a kennel of dogs, the originators of the Airedale elected to combine the two types to come up with one dog that could handle all tasks. Continued crosses over the next dozen years resulted in the Waterside Terrier, which later became known as the Airedale. As the breeders envisioned, the Airedale became a most versatile dog, used to hunt, retrieve, dispatch vermin, herd and guard.

Temperament:

Dubbed "King of the Terriers," the Airedale maintains a steady disposition as befits nobility. It is alert and makes an excellent watchdog. A multi-talented dog, the Airedale can do well in obedience work.

Activity Level:

Moderate. Though its terrier heritage is evident in its demeanour, it is neither hyper nor yappy. However, a daily walk or other regular activity is definitely recommended.

Height/Weight:

The average height for a dog is 23 in (58 cm) at the shoulder. Weight should be in proportion for a sturdy, well-muscled dog.

Coat:

The dense coat is composed of a harsh, wiry outer coat and softer undercoat. It may be crinkled or slightly wavy.

Color:

The coat is tan with a black or dark grizzle 'saddle' marking.

Grooming:

For show purposes, the coat is groomed by plucking the hairs, using your fingers and a special knife. However, for pets, clipping is the easy way to keep the coat looking smart.

20 Mineral Elements for Your Doggie

As well as the rest of other mammals, the dog requires of some 20 mineral elements in his diet. Most of them are necessary in very small quantities, forming part of catalysts like hormones and enzymes that regulates all the corporal process. In the minerals named "vestigial elements" we include: cobalt, copper, magnesium, selenium, zinc and probably chromium, molybdenum and vanadium. The magnesium is also a component of the bone. Any mix diet formed by foods of animal and vegetable origin provides these elements in enough quantities. They need sulfur only because it is an intrinsic component of the corporal protein and automatically contributes by a suitable protein diet. The important minerals are calcium and phosphorus (combine like calcium phosphate as well as sodium, and potassium (in a chloride form), and iron, and iodine. The sodium chloride and the combine iodizes will appear in many foods,although if there is some doubt, you can add a 0.5% of iodide salt. The potassium is present in all life cells as well as all the meats, cereals and vegetables. The substance in iron is adapted if the diet contains a logical amount of meat or spoils. The calcium phosphate can be given in form of whole bones since is the main mineral component, or in a mineral phosphate form if you have one. The proportion between the calcium and phosphorus is important and it will oscillate between 0,7 – 2,0 in calcium parts per 1,0 in phosphorus part. The phosphate carries out other functions in the metabolism and in the corporal tissues, they also appear in many foods. It is important that in the practice you include an approximate 3% of calcium phosphate or bone flour sterilized for the benefit of the dogs growth, gestation and nursing.

Our Guest - Afghan Hound

Today we take a close look at Afghan Hound

Origin:

An ancient member of the greyhound family, the Afghan was believed to have been brought from Arabia and Persia to Afghanistan where the breed's long coat developed in response to the harsh climate. It was there on the border between Afghanistan and India that the breed attracted the attention of British soldiers in the latter part of the 19th century. As a result, some were brought back to Britain and were first exhibited in a show in 1907 as "Oriental Greyhounds."

Temperament:

As befitting its aristocratic appearance, the Afghan is aloof and dignified but is also good-humoured.

Activity Level:

Bred to course game such as the swift gazelle, the Afghan is an athlete that requires lots of outdoor exercise.

Height/Weight:

Dogs stand about 27 in (69 cm) at the shoulder and carry around 60 lb (27 kg) on their lean, active frames.

Coat:

The fine, silky, long and flowing coat is the Afghan's crowning glory. It is topped with a natural, short-coated saddle running from in front of the shoulders down the length of the back. The head is crowned by an impressive topknot that frames the smooth-coated face. The picture is completed by a lightly feathered tail carried in a ring at the end.

Color:

All colours are permissible but white markings are considered undesirable.

Grooming:

Ouch! That glamorous coat won't stay beautiful on its own. It requires frequent bathing, and brushing on a regular basis, to maintain its pristine condition.

Dog Water Intake

The water represents two thirds of the dogs' weight. To maintain a healthy life it is essential an adequate consuming of water in which could be partially or fully provided through the meals. We must take in consideration that the body's main necessity is drinking water. It is impossible to determine an exact quantity of water needed by a dog since dogs vary in their diet, exercise and weather situation.

Dog's energy: We all know the all animals obtain their energy through food, which helps them to grow, to maintain a corporal processes, to reproduce and to move. Mammals are animals with hot blood and they need energy to maintain a constant corporal temperature. How much energy an animal may need depends on its weight and size. The smaller the animal the bigger his corporal surface when measuring his weight proportion, as per consequences, the dog will experiment a big lost of heat needing more energy per unit by his weight to maintain his corporal temperature. The lost of energy can also be related to an activity and increases with exercise and work. Age, individual nature, gestation, nursing and other conditions control the quantity of food as part of the energy. The food provides energy by means of the digestion of proteins, fatty and carbohydrates. The carbohydrates and proteins, if they digested correctly, they can provide some 4.1 kcal per gram, while the fats can offer 9.3 kcal per gram. This metabolize energy is obtained by this procedure.