These dogs or at least their ancestors have been around as man’s best friend for over a millenia and still attract interest because of the characteristics that they have acquired over the ages.

1. Xoloitzcuintli or Mexican hairless

When a breed’s named Xoloitzcuintli, it has to be rare and exotic and this particular breed certainly is. It is also the official dog of Mexico, of which country it is a native. Xolos are gaining in popularity and can command a price of around $2500.

The dog is one of the world’s oldest and rarest breeds. The Aztecs prized these animals. Their ancestors brought the Xoloitzcuintli with them when they came over from Asia. They were called Biche by the Aztecs, which meant “naked”; this was a reference to their hairless bodies. Statues, clay figures and remains of Xolos have been found at 3000 year old Maya burial sites. The Xolos experienced a population crisis in the 1940s and were in danger of extinction. The species was kept alive by remote Indian tribes and later on through the efforts of Mexican breeders.

Xolos comes in three sizes, Toy, Miniature, Standard, and two varieties: The coated and the hairless. Xolos have upright bat-like ears and bright almond-shaped eyes. The dogs are tough and exceptionally hardy and can live up to twenty years. Xolos make excellent companion dogs; they bond well with the family and prefer to be aloof with strangers. Loyalty, intelligence, and alertness are their hallmarks.

A Xolo is a low-maintenance pet although pups require a lot of exercise and attention to keep them out of mischief. Xolos also require protection from severe heat and cold.

2. Neapolitan Mastiff or Italian Mastiff

Another ancient breed of dog, now used as a guard dog. However during Roman times, it was used in war campaigns and also in the arenas against leopards. Neapolitan mastiffs have loose skin on their bodies; they are shorter than English mastiffs. These mastiffs can weigh up to 68 kg.

A large broad forehead, a rolling gait, large flews and a dewlap are distinctive features of the mastiff. Temperament-wise it is relaxed with its owners but can be a little stubborn. They can get over-protective of their owners and are very considerate with children.

The Neapolitan mastiff traces its ancestry to the ancient Greek Molossus that originated with the Molossis people in the mountainous regions of northwest Greece. The Molossus is thought to be the common ancestor of all mastiff breeds in Europe. The mastiff was thought to have become extinct but was rediscovered in Naples in the 1940s.

Italian mastiffs are not keen joggers and rightly so. Their weight makes the effort stressful on their joints. These dogs have a lifespan of 8-10 years. They are prone to ailments such as hip dysphasia, eye disease and eyelid problems, such as a cherry eye, and cancers.

These dogs do not require a lot of exercise but because of their excessive wrinkles they need special care while bathing. Also, the drool should be cleaned periodically to prevent smell and infection.

3. Norwegian Puffin Dog or Lundehund

The lundehund traces its origins to the 1500s. The breed was developed specifically to hunt puffins, which were an important source of winter food for the Norwegians. The Norwegian Puffin Dog was exceptionally flexible; it can bend its head entirely backwards, touching the top of its head to its back. It has at least six toes on each foot, and has the ability to close its ears to keep water out. And hey!! These dogs also look cute.

The dog is a polydactyl; unlike other dogs that have extra vestigial toes, the toes on the lundehund are fully functional and help it to grasp the slippery sides of the cliffs on which the puffins reside. Along with the reindeer, the lundehund is the most flexible quadruped around. These dogs are finely adapted to their job – flexible backs, the ability to stretch out their forelegs to the maximum, extra digits, the ability to close ears and prick each ear open separately mean that this breed is the champion as far as dog spelunking goes.

The Lundehund has been classified as “vanishingly rare”. In 1942, canine distemper wiped out all but one lundehund in Norway. Today, there are around a thousand remaining all over the world.

The lundehund has an ancient ancestry, traceable to the 5000-year old Varranger dog that was found in Lapland. Lundehunds are known to suffer from Lundehund syndrome in which the animal is unable to absorb nutrients from what it eats, this happens due to an overgrowth of digestive bacteria in the stomach of the dog.

4. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever is a gundog and a very unusual one at that!! It helps its master by prancing and frolicking at the water’s edge and thereby piquing the waterfowl’s interest which then come close to investigate and is hunted down by the hunter. The toller then goes to retrieve the fowl. The dogs are called tollers because of the act of “tolling” that they perform – enticing and luring game to come within range.

This breed came into being in the early 20^th century in Nova Scotia. The dog shows characteristics of cocker spaniel and Irish Setter; it is possible that these breeds have contributed to defining this retriever breed. Tollers have a strong compact muscular body, a thick coat that is water-repellant.

Tollers make intelligent pets, are loyal companions, and they have the energy required to make efficient decoys and retrievers. They weigh between 17-23 kg; they require a cold climate and a lot of physical exercise.

5. Chinese Sharpei

Once named the rarest dog breed by Time magazine and the Guinness Book of World Records, as late as 1973 the dog was in danger of disappearing completely, the dog is doing reasonably well now. It is also known as the Chinese Fighting Dog.

Images of Shar pei can be found on Han dynasty pottery dating back to 200 BC. Back then, the dog was bred as a companion dog and a guard dog.

Sharpei are considered to be amongst the most ancient dog breeds still going around. They are originally from the Guangdong province of China and in the olden days, they were used by the royal family as guard dogs. Their small ears and deep-set eyes coupled with their folds of skin made them ideal for combat. These days they can be seen as family pets. Shar pei have a loving and devoted nature, though they may tend to be a little reserved and aloof.

The dog has a life expectancy of up to 10 years; the dog has a padded head and therefore is sensitive to heat. It needs access to shade and water.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Pets are susceptible to heat-related problems much like humans. It is our responsibility as pet owners to ensure that the summer season does not lead to discomfort or worse for them.

* On hot days, do not leave your dog in the car. Dogs dying of heat exhaustion in cars are a fairly common occurrence. Cars can get heated up fast.

* Take your dog out for a walk when it’s cool, either in the morning or evening. Pavements get hot during the day and can burn the animal’s paws.

* A wet bandana around your dog’s neck when you take him for a walk will make him look and feel cool. Sunscreen on the dog’s nose is a must as that is one part of the animal’s body not protected by fur.

* Ensure that your dog has access to plenty of cool and fresh water; do not shave the animal’s coat.

Popularity: 14% [?]

The internet has led to the mushrooming of large-scale dog breeding operations or puppy mills that are fast becoming a concern for animal welfare activists.

The reason for this is that online pet sellers do not classify as wholesalers and can therefore skirt federal licensing and inspection issues. This leaves the prospective owners with no-one to turn to should their new acquisition have a health problem. The absence of puppy lemon laws in many states does not help pet owners either.

Poor breeding practices and unhealthy kennel conditions lead to sick pups that buyers get suckered into buying. When buying pets, it is important that buyers go and check out the operations on-site; this is however not easily done when conducting online purchases. The most we can do is look at pictures, read testimonials, and get in touch with those who have made an online pet purchase.

Popularity: 42% [?]

The article below consists of short biographies of two very noble dogs.

Sergeant Stubby: This canine made his owner and country proud and left behind a legacy that both men and dogs could do well to emulate. Stubby was promoted to Sergeant because of his exploits in combat during WWI.

Stubby’s journey to eventual stardom started when he was found in 1917 on the Yale campus by John Conroy. Stubby lived for 20 years, his pedigree is debatable but he is generally considered to be a bull terrier. Stubby arrived in wartime France with Conroy’s unit. He was smuggled by his owner aboard the USS Minnesota.

In France, Stubby saw action with the 102^nd Infantry. He took part in an incredible four offensives and 17 battles over a period of 18 months. Stubby received a wound in the foreleg from hand grenade shrapnel. He was sent behind the lines for convalescence and he returned to the trenches when he recovered. Stubby offered invaluable service by warning his unit of poison gas attacks and impending artillery fire. His dog ears were able to hear the whine of the artillery shells much before humans did and he was a useful advance warning system. His heroics include the capture of a German spy and locating wounded soldiers in no-man’s land.

After the war Stubby led a relatively quiet life as Conroy’s pet. He attended Georgetown University with his master and also took time out to take part in parades across the country and shake a paw with Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge.

Smoky: A female Yorkshire terrier that stood a mere seven inches tall and weighed four pounds. She was found in an abandoned foxhole in New Guinea by an American soldier. She changed hands for two Australian pounds and became the property of Corporal William Wynne.

Smoky took part in twelve battle missions and won eight battle stars. Her most famous achievement was in helping engineers build an air base at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. Smoky waded though a seventy foot pipe half-filled with sand with a telegraph wire attached to her collar. Smoky achieved in minutes what would have taken the engineering team three days to achieve. It also meant that 40 United States Fighter and Reconnaissance planes did not have to be moved from the taxiway; doing this would have exposed them to enemy planes.

Smoky is credited as being the first dog on record to have been used as a therapy dog. She continued with her therapy work even after the war. Smoky broke the mould in that she was a lap dog but with her efforts she achieved what most dogs bred for labor and hardships can scarcely hope to achieve.

Smoky has monuments to it in Eastlake and Columbus, Ohio and, Missouri, Hawaii, and in Tennessee.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Commercial pet food that purports to be nutritionally balanced food for your dogs has the following ingredients in it - cow brains, sheep guts, chicken heads, road kill and rancid grain. This is the extent of pollution in pet food. Investigative reporter John Eckhouse of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote an expose “How Dogs and Cats Get Recycled into Pet Food.” in which he writes “Each year, millions of dead American dogs and cats are processed along with billions of pounds of other animal materials by companies known as renderers.

The finished products - tallow and meat meals - serve as raw materials for thousands of items that include cosmetics and pet food.” Inspite of denials by the pet food companies, this fact has been borne by the FDA, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association. The big problem is that in the absence of any government agency setting quality standards pet owners cannot get any real assurance of quality in pet food. Governments in the USA and Canada limit themselves to regulating the food label, company details, product weight and whether it is dog food or cat food.

The unwholesome elements of pet food get brushed under headings such as “meat meal” and “meat by-products”. The terms however are misnomers because there is very little meat in the byproducts; it is basically offal and viscera - bones, blood, pus, intestines, ligaments, subcutaneous fat, hooves, horns, beaks, and any other parts not normally consumed by humans. Not to mention the fact that pets are forced into cannibalism as euthanized dogs and cats and those culled at animal centers are also dumped into the renderers. Often the same brand of commercial pet food but from different batches causes a physical and behavioral change in dogs. This includes diarrhea, increased flatulence, a dull hair coat, intermittent vomiting, and itching. A fact that cannot be ascribed to mere coincidence is that most pet food companies are actually subsidiaries of multinational food product companies. From a business point of view, it’s an excellent relationship for the two entities but little attention is paid to the consumer’s needs.

All the waste generated at the food processing sections of companies like Heinz and Nestle is channeled to the pet food manufacturing section. Absolutely nothing goes to waste. Anything rejected for human consumption is good for your pet. This includes the 4-D animals – dead, diseased, dying, disabled. Apart from unhygienic meat, ear tags, cancerous tissue, and plastic that make their way into pet food, there are also the sterilizing and denaturing agents added so that the stuff does not make its way back into the human food chain.

These agents include phenol and creosote both of which are highly toxic. Fuel oil, kerosene, and insect repellants are also added as denaturing agents. These find their way into your pet’s stomach. In order to make the stuff palatable, the pet food companies add restaurant grease and fat to the pet food which makes the naturally revolting stuff appealing to dogs and cats which cannot resist the smell of the fat. The nutrition offered by commercial pet food too is questionable. In 1994, feed tests conducted by the New York State Agriculture Department showed 7 percent of all pet foods analyzed failed chemical analyses for guaranteed nutrients.

Processed pet food does not take into consideration nutrition requirements that vary with breeds, worse they can actually exacerbate or even cause degenerative diseases in pets. occurs due to the concentration of protein in the food as well as various toxic elements present therein. Vomiting, loss of appetite, uremic poisoning cancer, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, obesity, dental disease and death are some of the consequences that can result from a diet of processed pet food.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Annabella the Dog Saves the Day | TimesRecordNews.com >>>

A chocolate lab in Graham, Texas, became her care giver’s hero this past Memorial Day – making the occasion a truly memorable one for Ken Herrington and his wife, Patina.

The 4-year old lab, Annabelle, knew her caregiver and long-time friend was in serious trouble when Herrington suffered a seizure dangerously close to the water’s edge near the dock behind his house.

“I was just cleaning the kitchen, and Annabelle jumped up on the glass door – which…she doesn’t do that,” said a grateful Mrs. Herrington.

After tense rescue attempts, a flurry of activity, and the help of other heroes of the day, Harrington’s ordeal ended happy. For more information, read the full news item.

Popularity: 2% [?]

$14.99 | Personalized Adjustable Nylon Dog Collar >>>

Ensure your pet’s quick and safe return with a personalized dog collar. Beautifully embroidered, individually-stitched block letters spell out your pet’s name and your phone number.

Rugged, nylon personalized dog collar adjusts quickly for a perfect fit and has a touch-lock clasp for opening and closing ease.

Allow an extra 3-4 days for personalization.

Merchant: PETsMART

Popularity: 3% [?]