The Beauty of Hybrids aka Designer Dogs

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Have you seen or heard of a Goldendoodle, Pug-Zu, Goberian, and Alusky? Sure sounds like names of strange animals but if you’re not seriously in to dogs, you wouldn’t even know what they are. Well, those animals are Designer dogs or Hybrid dogs. It’s a cross between two purebred canines.

A Hybrid or Designer Dog is different from a mutt. Generally, a mutt is a mixture of multiple breeds of uncertain ancestry while designer dog has recognized purebred descent, and one knows precisely what it is. When you breed two different types of pedigree dogs, you can get a combination of any of the characteristics found in either breed. It’s similar to making a cocktail drink when you mix pineapple juice with vodka you create the taste of bitter sweet liquor.

Cross breeding is like customizing, you want to create a mixture of your choice breed, so all the good qualities you admire from each dog would likely appear in your Hybrid canine. However, it’s not a guarantee that all the best characteristics you expected would emerge. Just the same with genetic health issues that comes with the package. It may or may not solve the inherited health problems that came from the stock. Although, Some people believe that the percentage of hybrids being healthier is pretty much higher than that of the purebreds.

And so, if you’re thinking of owning a dog, you might want to check the pack of Hybrid first. Who knows? It could just be the perfect dog you’re looking for.

Here are some of my favorite Designer dogs:

(Photos courtesy of Dogbreedinfo.com)

GOLDENDOODLE

Cross between Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle

BOWSER

Cross between Basset Hound and Mini Schnauzer











BULLMATIAN

Cross between Bulldog and Dalmatian

















CHIMATION

Cross between Chihuahua and Dalmatian















BERNEDOODLE

Cross between Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle

From Service Dog to SURFice Dog

Have you seen the inspirational YouTube video "From service dog to SURFice dog" yet?

Most people have shed tears while watching. They said that "it's one of the best inspirational YouTube videos ever, this is what YouTube videos should be, what a wonderful story, heartwarming, it's a tear jerker, have your kleenex ready, touching. It seems each person finds an individual message in it, and it touches them on many different levels.

And this is what dog blogging is all about, creating awareness, and inspiring more people. Thank you to www.surfdogricochet.com for sharing this video.

Here's the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4

Meet My Padawan Siberian Husky - "ROWDY"

Meet my new Padawan “Rowdy” a 4 year old Top Notch Siberian husky owned by a very dog loving family whom I got the opportunity and trust to handle and give their handsome canine a refresher course in obedience training. Perhaps you’re wandering, why is he taking the training again? Did the dog forget what he learned? Or it is something else?

Dogs don't really forget, they just have a short attention span. Kind of like a young child. They are doing something one minute, and then something else gets their attention and they forget what they were doing before. Dogs have a great sense of smell, and that triggers a lot of memories. Dogs recognize people and their experiences with them because of that powerful sense, you just need to consistently remind them. However, there are cases that dogs tend to forget which can be a medical problem, because dogs can get something like Alzheimer's disease when they age, just as humans do. Cognitive dysfunction syndrome, as it is called in dogs, produces a cluster of symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's patients, including disorientation and confusion, memory loss and personality changes.

I know what you’re thinking, but definitely that is

Image via Wikipedia

not our case. In fact, Rowdy is a fast learner and remembers the new things I just taught him. He is the kind of dog that every owner and handler would love to have and be proud of. Siberian Huskies are loving, gentle, playful, happy-go-lucky dogs who are fond of their families. Keen, docile, social, relaxed and rather casual. They are dogs with so much energy. Good with children and friendly with strangers, they bark little and love everyone, not a good quality for a watchdog though. Huskies are very intelligent and trainable, yet, they will only obey a command if they see the human is stronger minded than themselves. If the handler does not display leadership, they will not see the point in obeying. It takes patience, consistency and an understanding of the Arctic dog character to make training effective for the Siberian Huskies. If you are not this dogs 100% firm, confident, consistent pack leader, he will take advantage, becoming willful and mischievous. These dogs should not be left alone for a long period of time without a great deal of exercise beforehand. A lonely Husky or a Husky who does not get enough mental and physical exercise can be very destructive. And this is really the main reason why Rowdy has to undergo training again, to release all his stress, mental & physical energy that have been stacked for quite a long while. He needs to experience long hours of walk, giving him the liberty to explore what surrounds him, letting him play yet setting boundaries, limitations and still having full control of the situation. Obedience training is one of the best things we can do for the relationship between us and our dog. Obedience training needs to be looked at as a foundation to problem solving, and will teach you how to resolve most issues with our pet. Communication can be increased through obedience training, and enhanced communication is a necessary step towards having our dog abides by what we want. Teaching Rowdy the Basic Obedience Commands is not only a very good physical and mental exercise for him, but such activities will also redirect his natural animal behaviors to a socially more accepted manner.

Remember that the Husky is a sled dog in heart and soul. Siberian Huskies can make wonderful companions for people who are aware of what to expect from these beautiful and intelligent animals and are willing to put the time and energy into them.

Thanks to http://www.dogbreedinfo.com for the vital piece of information about Siberian Huskies

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NEED YOUR VOTES- 2010 DOG BLOG AWARD

To everyone who visits and supports my dog friendly blog, I just like to express my sincere thanks for giving me the inspiration and enthusiasm to write about our four-legged friends, one of the best living creatures that we should love, and care about. I always believe with what Josh Billings said that “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” And because it’s so true, writing and thinning out the good things about them is a small favor they truly deserved.

Finally, the greatest news that I would also want to share is that… the small favor I rendered came out to be my golden ticket to the Best Dog Blog Contest - TrainPetDog.com 2010 Dog Blog Award. It is the first time in the history of the Internet that a contest is being held to identify the 20 best dog-related blogs on the web, and pawsandbones.blogspot.com is one of the lucky sites that has just been invited to participate.

So, once again I’m wishing for your support by voting for my blog. Simply go to www.TrainPetDog.com homepage and enter my voting code which is 5tbrJ in the voting box and click on the Submit button.

Vote my blog and help me propagate my dog advocacy. Mahatma Gandhi once said that “the greatness of a Nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” and our best friend "Dog" is one of them.

Please visit http://www.trainpetdog.com now and vote.

"Raki" The Showbiz Dog

Merry Christmas! But it's not yet over, we can still feel the fun and joy of the season, in fact we are not done celebrating, it’s been a busy tiring week yet we really are enjoying it. Just yesterday, me and my family went to Tiendesitas to shop and visit the famous Pets village that showcases the most exciting breed of dogs and other pets for sale. It’s a very pet friendly spot and a lot of passionate dog owners go to the place not just to shop but to socialize with other dog lovers as well. During my visit in Tiendesitas, I got the chance to meet Gio Marcelo and his amazing Belgian Malinois Dog “Raki”. Gio is a local showbiz personality who has an enormous passion for dogs, and that passion led him to become a successful professional dog trainer, together with Raki who seemed to follow Gio’s showbiz footsteps has made various TV appearances, like in ABS-CBN’s morning show “Umagang kay Ganda” and TV Drama Series “May Bukas Pa”. Raki also appeared in Dingdong Dante’s Movie “One True Love”.

Raki is a fully-trained reality, off-leash, companion and protection dog with excellent agility who can perform amazing tricks. He has perfect temperament and is impervious to all distractions and this is the result of Gio's mastery of the Art of Dog Training. You can learn more about Gio's Dog Philosophy and his services at K9Manila.com

The 5th Annual World’s Coolest Dog & Cat Show Winners

Curious to see who took home the titles of Best Slobber, Best Costume, Naughtiest Dog, Best Purse Dog or the much-coveted Best in Show prize? Well, see the winners of the 5th Annual World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show presented by Dogster and Catster

Skye won Best Dog in Show!

Ball or Frisbee Player

Tongue/Slobber

Patriotic

Sports Fan

Naughtiest Dog

Purse Dog

Best Friends

Smiles and Grins

Craziest Tail

Costumes & Shades

Jumper

more: dog pictures & breed info
World's Coolest Dog Photo Winner!

Sleeper

Car Dog

Working Dog

Water Dog

PIDOE Says: The Dog Won't Eat Dog Food

Hi Pidoe! Nice site, very interesting and quite helpful, and I just found out that you are a Filipino too, Kamusta? (How are you?) I’ll talk in English so as to be fair with your foreign readers, lol..anyway, you’re just the right person to seek, since I have an Askal type of breed which you can perfectly relate to when it comes to their characteristics and preferences. My dog’s name is Brutus, he’s already 3 years old, I got him from my uncle who owns lot of dogs, all of them are mix of unknown breeds in short “ASKAL”. But I like Brutus, he’s different from the rest, tri colored, heavy boned, he has the looks and physique of a mastiff and so I took him, the thing is, he’s quite malnourished and needs to gain weight so I tried to feed him with high protein dog food and that’s where the problem comes in, he is not accustomed to eating dog food, he only likes human food, the typical left over foods with the tasty sauces, gravy, rice, etc. and this is what most Filipinos normally feed their ASKAL pets. They said that starving him will surely make him eat anything, so I tried that for a couple of days, but still he won’t eat. I don’t want to prolong the days just to make him starve because I’m afraid that he might get sick.

Is there a chance that Brutus will eat dog food? What will I do to make him eat real dog food?

Thanks and good luck on your blog.

-Michael-

PIDOE K-9 ADVISOR SAYS:

Hi there Michael, and thanks for the compliments. It’s good to hear from a good fellow “kababayan” or Filipino who reads and appreciates my Dog blog. First of all I admire your kindness to Brutus, because, not everyone cares as much about “ASKALS” (An abbreviation for Asong Kalye or Street Mutt translated in English)many rather give most attention to purebred dogs. And by the way they shouldn’t be called Askals in the first place; the best term would be ASPIN (Asong Pinoy or Filipino Native Dog). It’s true that normally, ASPINS, as I prefer to call them are not trained by most Filipino owners in eating commercial dog food. They think that dog food intended for ASPINS is expensive and impractical thus they chose to feed them with human grade left over foods that can be unhealthy and harmful to some dogs as well. But take note that its not always the commercial dog food you can purchase from the pet stores that brings the best nutrition for your dog, in fact it can be contrary to what we believed. Some owners prefer raw food for their pooches, while others consider organic food in their dog’s diet. But still, I would suggest that you consult first your veterinarian regarding the food that’s best for your dog.

So since your dog has mostly been in a diet of human food, it might not be a bad idea to phase it out in your case but this should be done gradually. Start adding a few kibble to his usual diet, and while he gets used to it try adding more and reducing human food at the same time then just follow thru with the program, transition may take long until your dog appreciates 100% kibbles. While dogs are survivors and will go without for a while, they won't starve themselves when they realize that mealtime is when it is and this is what's available to eat. If they do, then there might be a medical problem.

Just don’t rush him and soon Brutus will like it and perhaps beg for it when he’s hungry. Be patient and good luck!