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Faiths Dog Information Blog

Catahoula Leopard Dog

The Catahoula Leopard dog originated from the Nordic wolfhound. In 1979 the Catahoula dog was made the state dog of Louisiana. You will find the Catahoula leopard dog is considered a herding dog. There typical features are white and black further that is rather spotty. They have a sleek form, with plenty of muscle. These dogs have a long tail, thin legs, and droopy ears. They can be white and tan as well. The coat is short, coarse, and usually tight to their bodies. You may mistake them for a mixed Labrador based on their appearance and frame. The Catahoula leopard dog is usually 55 to 80 pounds making them medium sized. You will also find they are 20 to 26 inches in height.

Like most herders the Catahoula leopard dog offers a wonderful temperament for families. They are independent, protective, and territorial, but extremely affectionate with their family. Their characteristics make them good for herding and watch dogging. You will find they are aloof with strangers. Since they can be independent they are not recommended for new dog owners or lax owners. They are best with an active master they can get respect from. You will also want to check with a dog breeder regarding children and other pets with the Catahoula leopard. Their temperament typically asks for older children, and only larger dogs rather than small pets.

Grooming and other care is very important for any dog. You will find that for the Catahoula leopard dog grooming is often easy. The short coat just needs to be brushed once a week to remove dead or loose hair. They can be bathed twice a year if they get dirty. You should trim their nails on a regular basis and check their teeth. You will find the Catahoula leopard dog sheds an average amount of hair a year.

When you provide the proper care for your Catahoula leopard dog you will find they live for about 12 to 13 years. Some health ailments they are prone towards include hip dysplasia and deafness. You will also find that they can have eye issues such as tunnel vision. In some cases these dogs have contracted cancer, but they are not considered genetically predisposed. For proper care you need to provide a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Since the Catahoula dog was breed for herding they require a pretty high protein diet. You should check with a breeder or your vet for the best food. A dry food that is high in protein or a natural diet may be best.

For exercise you will want to ensure that they have daily walks and a yard. They do not do well in apartments for the most part. They need to get at least an hour of exercise if not more than that on a daily basis. The Catahoula does not do well when they have been tied up to a runner or placed in a kennel. It is best to spend a lot of time with this breed and avoid eight hours of being gone. The dog does better when you provide them with a lot of attention both indoors and out. Exercising should be a combination of things such as toys, running, jogging, and walking. Training is also important. They need to be socialized early as well as given obedience training. You may take a combination of training, play, and walks to help get the proper exercise.

Understanding Your Older Dog

Have you ever noticed that when your dog gets older there are behaviour changes? It really is like people. As your parents get older or you get older you notice that there are changes in behaviours and of course health, which is just like what your dog is going through. This article is going to examine the various changes an older dog can go through. We will look at maturity and aging to help you understand your dog a little better. The genera life span for any dog is going to be 9 to 15 years. Part of the reason for such a short or long life span is the breed, but it is mostly the actual care they have received in life. It’s just like a human. Someone who smokes is usually going to have a short lifespan than someone who didn’t. In the same the more exercise one typically gets the longer you will live. So when you think about your dog’s life span consider their lifestyle and health throughout your care. It is important to have preventative care over fixing each problem as it arises.

Aging of course is not preventable. Every dog is going to age. There are some breeds that have more diseases that are common to their health and sometimes those can’t be prevented, but knowing the possibilities can at least help you take the proper care. Part of prevention is making sure they have their vaccinations on a regular basis. Some of the vaccinations are going to be your choice. For information on those you should seek an article dealing with vaccinations and the proper schedules. There are some vaccinations that are state mandatory. Vaccinations are just part of prevention. Good nutrition is another method. If you are providing the healthy foods at all stages in life your dog is generally going to be healthier. This means that you take care for the proper food such as protein, carbohydrates, and the minerals your dog needs to grow healthy. Some of the generic foods are not going to have what is needed. So just double check the label.

Exercise is of course very important. When you offer daily exercise for the type of dog you have you will see their health continue. Basically all dogs require a certain amount of exercise. Some of the dogs require just short walks and playing around the home, while others need at least a half a day of playing outside in a large field. The proper exercise even for an older dog can help keep up the health. Old dogs do like to play and walk, but sometimes they may have health issues that take away from the length of exercise they can handle. While you may feel you are doing them a disservice by making them exercise you are actually helping them even when they are a little ill or have arthritis. They need the little bit of play and exercise. You just don’t want to go overboard.

The other part of preventative care is going to be cleaning their teeth, grooming them and checking their ears. First with the teeth you want to make sure they are not getting gum disease from a lack of proper cleaning. Gum disease can lead to the falling out of teeth and while this is common in older dogs, a healthy diet and care can make this happen less frequently. Grooming your dog is very important as well. As long as you can keep his skin and coat healthy you will avoid skin infections. When the skin begins to look dry, thin, or brittle they can experience health related diseases. You will usually find sore spots and body odor from not taking care of your dog.

Agility Training for Dogs

When you are training for agility there are a few tips that will help you and your dog succeed. We all know that some training is required for obedience as well as socialization, but agility is a specialized training that can take you and your dog further. There are some dogs, small and large, that have more ability for agile work or play. When you offer the obstacles, jobs, and other exercise they tend to be happy dogs because they are getting what their intelligence requires. Often agility training is thought to be for dog shows, police dogs, or even for guard dogs, but the truth is it can be for any dog you want to make happy and have fun.

The first tip for agility training is that you should work the dog on both sides of the handler. In other words you are going to make sure the dog watches you from both sides and that in one segment you practice with the dog on your left and then switch this can give them the mental capacity to be able to move with more fluidity. For example when you are working with examples you don’t want the dog to understand where the owner is in relation to the obstacle. Instead they need to be shown the owner can be anywhere.

Often times your dog is going to be very excited during training. This can work against you in some cases. You want to make sure they follow your lead and you need to make sure they stay at the same pace. You want to make sure the dog can handle the obstacles and the course, but don’t let them push you through the work and don’t push them. Some dogs need more time to grasp concepts. Patience will always win out over irritation when you have commands and agility they need to perform and understand.

Motivating your dog is very important as well. Some dogs need more motivation. There are several ways to provide motivation. You can change out the obstacles and the course for a highly intelligent dog that gets bored, you can provide treats for a job well done, or you can offer toys to get them going.

Consistency in agility training is needed. Some dogs lack the confidence to perform, but they tend to do so for their owner. The more work you provide and the more you are affectionate and caring when they complete a task right the more they can feel proud and begin to improve. Dogs can be very sensitive and they pick up on disappointment. Always try to help your dog feel the best.

You also want to watch that you don’t over train. Overtraining when a dog experiences issues with an obstacle can make them avoid the course, get discouraged or provide less enthusiasm. It is best to work a course and work on problems at a good pace, but also to realize when the dog needs a break from something they don’t get right away.

When you are working with agility training it is important to remember that a dog will only remember the training as long as you continue to work with them. It is not a good idea to provide just one day a week with agility training. You should supply two or three sessions a week that are short. You don’t want to over work the dog either. It can be both stressful and become boring.

For agility training you will find that it is not necessary for all dogs or proper care, but for those dogs who love to play, and have jobs agility training can keep them happier and more fit.