Meet the breed Corgi

Our pretty little girl, Cuddles, is a Corgi mix. We are not sure exactly what other breeds make up her heritage but, we know she is part Corgi.

The cute little guy in the pic here is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. You can not really tell in Cuddles picture but their tails are similar .

The handsome guy in the picture here is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He bears the most resemblance to our little girl, Cuddles. However, a major difference between the Pembroke and the Cardigan is that the Pembroke does not have a tail.

The adult male height is 10" to 12" with the female being slightly smaller. The adult male weight is approximately 25 pounds with the female being slightly lighter.

Some Corgis, as with our little girl Cuddles, are born with longer hair than the guys in our pictures here. People who are familiar with the breed call these "long hair" or "fluffy" Corgis.

The Corgi is very likely descended from several breeds including: Keeshound, Pomeranian, Schipperkes, and Swedish Vallhund.

As you may have guessed, the Corgi breed originated across the pond in the area that we now call the United Kingdom.

The Cardigan is the older of the two Corgi varieties. The Cardigan, is believed by some to have originated with the Celts as early as 1200 BC. The Pembroke is believed to have originated with a group of Flemish folks who were employed as weavers to the Celts. This probably occurred in the 1100s BC. For those of you who attended public school within the past 10 years,  1100 BC is later than 1200 BC (it is beyond the scope of this post to explain this but, just trust me :) )

Corgis are part of the classification of working dogs that we call herding dogs. They were likely first brought to the USA in the early twentieth century (AD). They were used for driving cattle. They were also used for hunting small game and for guarding livestock.

The Corgi is especially well suited for livestock herding due to its relatively low stature. It can nip at the heels of the livestock and easily roll out of the way to avoid being stepped upon.

These guys are very loyal dogs. They can be pretty intelligent as well. They are very protective of their people. Believe it or not they make pretty good watch dogs as well. Our little Cuddles lets us know whenever any intruder is anywhere near the property here at the Dog Trainer Shack. She is also very protective of The Lovely Shane!

The Corgi is very prone to unwanted guarding behavior as well. Cuddles, for instance, tends to guard her food bowl ( a habit we are working to break in her). They tend to naturally, perhaps even instinctually , be wary of strangers. For this reason. it is important that they be properly socialized at a very early age!

The Corgi, as is the case with most dogs from the herding groups, tends to try to herd people. They will nip at your heels, etc. in an effort to move you along. For this reason, it is very important that obedience training begin early. The Corgi needs to see the human as being in charge. This needs to be taught, through proper positive reinforcement training methods, at as early an age as possible.

It is important that the Corgi get plenty of exercise. Because it is naturally a herding dog, this is very important. The Corgi will not be happy of he is not exercised properly.  I strongly encourage Corgi owners to walk their dogs at least once a day using proper loose leash walking technique. It is important that the Corgi knows that the person is in control of the walk and not vice versa.

My experience with this breed is that they can be easy to train if the training begins early. It is always important, with any dog, that training be consistent and routine. This is even more important with the Corgi than some other breeds. They really need the structure. These guys are generally eager to learn. They can also be very strong willed (however, this varies from dog to dog).

Corgis are generally good with other dogs. However, they do not like other dogs invading what they perceive as their space. I have also found that, particularly in Cuddles case, and generally with most other Corgis, they get along best with dogs their size or smaller.

Cuddles gets along well with Cody the Little Beagle and Penny the Tiny Beagle but, she does not get along as well with Copper the Whopper Beagle. The Lovely Shane and I really believe that this is because of Coppers size. Penny and Cody are both a little smaller than Cuddles. Copper is a little larger than Cuddles. Cuddles will bark at Copper when he gets to close to her food dish or just generally too close to her. Often Copper barks back and I have to intervene to get them to be quiet. We are working on this and it is getting better but, it never happens with Cody or Penny.

So, in summary, the Corgi is a very loyal dog. They are generally good with their own people but tend to be wary of new people. They are generally good with other dogs of their size or smaller. They are very protective of their people. They require a lot of exercise but because of their small size they can be a viable consideration for apartment dwellers.

If you are looking for a new member of your pack the Corgi may be a good choice if you can devote the time needed for training and exercise. They can be very sweet and loyal little guys and girls!

As always, if you are looking for a new member for your pack, please, please consider adoption! There are may sweet little guys and girls (some of them Corgis or Corgi mixes) who desperately need good forever homes!

Please understand, I am not necessarily against breeders. There are some great ones out there. I will not be mad at you if you patronize a good breeder. I simply ask that you consider adoption first. By the way, I always offer discounted training services for adopted dogs and their new people!

If you are considering adoption and need the names of local rescue groups please contact me and I will be happy to get you together with someone who will be happy to help you find the perfect dog for your pack!

Please also contact me with your training needs or with any dog related questions or concerns!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com
678-702-4791

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Meet the breed Plott Hound

Today I thought I would start something new. I am going to regularly write posts about different breeds titled "Meet the Breed".

I will give you some information about my experiences with dogs of the breed or mixed with the breed and give you some of the general characteristics of the breed.

My intention here is to provide you with information regarding different breeds. Perhaps this will be helpful to some of you who are considering adopting or purchasing and new member of your pack.

Todays topic is the Plott Hound. This breed is very popular in the Carolinas. It is a scent hound that was bred for hunting mostly larger game. I understand they are used a lot to hunt wild Boar. Although I am told they make great coon hounds too.

An interesting bit of trivia: I am told that the Plott Hound is the only American Hound Breed that does not have British ancestory. It is actually German in origin. In the 1750s just before the war of northern aggression :) , a guy name Jonathan Plott decided he wanted to move from his home in Germany to the USA. The story goes that Jonathans brother came with him but, tragically, died in route.

Jonathan brought with him five Hanoverian Hounds. Jonathan settled in North Carolina. There he began breeding his dogs with some of the local dogs. It is said that Bloodhounds were one of the breeds that he mixed with his dogs. Eventually his dogs became the Plott Hounds that we know today.

You can read about the AKC standards for this breed at http://www.akc.org/breeds/plott/index.cfm .

There are a variety of markings and colors in the Plott Hound breed. I am partial to the brindle pattern of the dog in the picture.

The adult Plott Hound is generally about 22 -24 inches high and weighs about 45-55 pounds. I have seen a couple of them a little bigger than that though.

These guys are beautiful, muscular hounds. They are very energetic. They learn very quickly and generally really want to please their people.

Like a lot of hounds they are quite vocal. So, they may not be a great choice for the apartment dweller.

They are generally very affectionate to people and good with children.

The voice of the Plott Hound is oddly high pitched. It is not what you would expect from a dog of its size but it is a really cool sound (to me anyway, but I am quite partial to the sound of a hounds voice).

These guys, even as adults, are extremely energetic. They need a lot of exercise.

Because they are so energetic, it is important to socialize them at an early age and to get the obidience training. They can be taught at any age and can be very well behaved and polite little guys but you have to be consistent and work at it. The earlier you start the easier it will be.

As with a lot of the hounds, these guys do not do well off leash. They will wander off on the trail of game or something and it will be difficult to call them back.

I had a female Plott Hound Puppy named Sadie to attend my Puppy 1 and Puppy 2 classes when I worked at Petco. This was one of the most intelligent and easy to train dogs with which I have ever worked. She was energetic and at first loved to pull the leash. But by the end of the classes she was doing very well! Her desire to work and please the people was remarkable. But her people exercised her a lot! That is a requirement that I can not stress enough.

If you want a really sweet, loyal and energetic companion. The Plott Hound is certainly worth consideration.

If you have any questions about a suitable dog for your pack or if you have training needs, please contact me at any time.

-Till Next Time-

William

William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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Meet the Breed Labrador Retriever

 The Labrador Retriever, or simply abbreviated as "Lab", is one of my favorite breeds.

The cute little girl on the front seat of the truck belongs to my brother Stan Moore. (By the way, if you need a sign of any type, he is about the best in the business). This little girl is Bailey. She helps my brother with his sign business. She is very often on the front seat of the truck next to him or in the shop supervising his work.

The black Lab in the other picture with her belongs to my niece, Olivia and her fiancee, Dale. His name is Buck.

The Labrador Retriever is a member of the group that we refer to as sight hounds. They were bread to retrieve birds.  Generally they love nothing more than chasing things. They love to play with tennis balls and flying discs. They are generally very energetic little guys/girls.

The adult male Lab height is about 23 inches. The females are generally a little smaller. The adult male weight is generally about 70 pounds with the females being slightly lighter.

There are four colors of Lab. They are Black, Yellow, Chocolate, and Silver. Buck is a Black Lab, Bailey is a Yellow Lab, and the patriotic pup in the picture is a Chocolate Lab. The little guy standing in front of the privacy fence is a Silver Lab.

In my experience, these dogs are generally great fun to train. For the most part, the ones I have had the pleasure of working with, have been very intelligent. They are generally very eager to please the people. They seem to really want to learn.

They also seem to really need the dog/human interaction. They love people and are loyal. They are also generally very affectionate and good with human children.

Because they are so energetic and affectionate, it is really important to begin socialization and training early. They are good with people but sometimes, as puppies, they can be a little nervous around people so, the socialization needs to begin early.

As puppies, these guys have, in my experience, been very easy to housebreak.

In my experience, the adult lab (male or female) is pretty strong. For this reason, it is important to train them to walk properly on-leash early. It is also important to address the typical puppy behavior (nipping, jumping on people, etc.) early while they are still relatively  small physically.

These little guys need a lot of exercise. They also need the person to be in control. They really look for the leadership of people and they need this leadership.

Please understand, by leadership I do not mean be abusive, violent or physical with them. I simply mean that it is important that you remain assertive. For instance, the Lab loves to play. You have to be consistent about not letting them jump on you or do any other impolite behaviors. I can teach you methods to control them and make them polite dogs without hurting them.

Since the Lab is a relatively large dog and needs a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation, it may not be the best choice for apartment dwellers.

I tell people that the Lab remains a puppy for several years. I do not mean that they are physically a puppy this long. What I mean is they act like a puppy for several years. They remain very energetic and playful well into adulthood. This is one reason I like the breed so much!

Because these dogs learn so quickly and are so eager to please, they are often trained as service and therapy dogs.

If you are searching for a dog that is easy to train, fun to play with, and very loyal, the Lab is certainly worth consideration for an addition to your pack.

I have found that mixed breed dogs that are part Lab generally keep most of the Lab traits (of course this varies from dog to dog).

I could not end this post without a picture and mention of one of the sweetest dogs I ever had the blessing to have in my pack. The dog on the bed in the picture is my old buddy Critten. Critten was a Lab mix. We think she was mixed with one of the so called "Pit-Bull" breeds. Although we were never certain of what her ancestry consisted.

Critten was full of energy well into her adult years. She was also about the most obedient and easy to train dogs I have ever seen.  I had to exercise her a lot! She loved to play fetch with anything and could literally play for hours.

Well, as I always tell you, if you are considering adding another member to your pack, please, please, please, consider adoption. There are many really good Labs and Lab mixes that need forever homes and would love to go home with you and join your pack!

There are plenty of good Labrador Rescue Groups, if you want a purebred Lab. There are also plenty of good general Canine rescue groups. See my earlier posts on the heroes of dog rescue for more information.http://fayettedogtrainer.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-local-heroes-of-dog-rescue.html and http://fayettedogtrainer.blogspot.com/2013/06/another-local-dog-rescue-hero.html

Please understand, I am not bashing breeders here. There are some very good ones. And like with any other business there are also some very bad ones. If you decide to buy from a breeder please research them well. Talk to other people who have bought dogs from them. Visit their facility if possible. Ask to see the parent dogs.

When you get your new pack member, please contact me for any training needs or other questions that you may have. I specialize in adopted/rescued dogs and would love to help you and your new pack member! I also have a great deal of experience with new puppies so, if you buy from a breeder, feel free to contact me at any time as well!

Till Next Time

-William -

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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Meet the Breed Beagle

 Okay, those of you who know me well know that I could not put off writing a "Meet the Breed" about my favorite breed, The Beagle.

I have raised, trained, owned, and been around these little guys for most of my life. Let me begin by stating that even though I really love them, they are not a breed of everyone. Let me tell you a little about these adorable little guys:

This breed has been around for a very long time. There is some controversy over the precise origin of the breed.

As with the almost all hound breeds in this country, their origin can be traced to England. I will not go into all the details of the history of this breed here. There is some very interesting information on the Internet. A good place to start, if you are really interested, is wikipedia.

The Beagle is a part of the group that we call scent hounds. They use their sense of smell to track game. In this part of the world (Georgia and the Southeastern USA) they have long been used to hunt rabbits and small game.

The AKC has recognized the Beagle since 1885 ( a couple of decades after the war of northern aggression :) ). The official standard for the breed has two sizes. An adult height of 13 inches and an adult height of 15 inches.

The AKC lists a variety of coloring and markings.In my experience, it seems that, by far the most common is the tri-color black tan and white. That seems to be the marking and coloring of both of the guys in my current pack. Copper also has some ticking. He is also bigger than 15 inches so it is possible that he is a mix of something other than Beagle (but dont tell him that).

The physiology of the Beagle is interesting. They are capable of sounding in at least three different ways. They can bark like any other dog. They can howl like other dogs. They can also bay. To do this they sort of stretch out the throat by holding the head up. A really cool gift that God gave the Beagle is that each Beagle has a slightly different baying voice. This makes it easy to identify which dog is on the trail when they are in the field. Rabbit hunters really like this about Beagles.

This is also one thing that makes the breed not a good fit for everyone. Most Beagles are quite vocal. And they do not really have a low or inside volume. It is a really pretty sound to those of us who have an affinity for the breed but people who have close neighbors, like those of you who live in apartments, may not find the sound quite so pretty.

These little guys are generally very affectionate. They are good with people and usually good with children. They are loyal.

Most of the Beagles that I have encountered are pretty good with other dogs as well. This can, however vary from dog to dog. Boomer, a Beagle that I had years ago was abused as a puppy. I adopted him when he was 9 months old and kept him until he died around 16 years old. He was never great around other dogs or around children. But, I suspect this was due, in large part, to his abusive puppyhood.

Many people refer to the Beagle as "determined" in most cases, I think "determined" is hardly a strong enough term. Most of these little guys are downright stubborn. They are sweet but can be very stubborn.

I realize that as a professional dog trainer, this may sound like self-promotion but, what I am about to tell you is the Gospel truth about these little guys. They require a great deal of mental and physical stimulation. And because they can be so "determined" or stubborn they require consistent training.

These guys are generally really happy when they are training. They can learn new behaviors and they actually learn pretty quickly with the proper motivation (treats).

The Beagle like most scent hounds is ruled by his nose. These guys love food! They are constantly searching for food or for something interesting to track and chase. This is really the Beagles life. It is instinctual and at times really cool to watch.

Because they constantly search for food, you must beagle proof your home. If you dont you will regret it. See my previous blog post about Beagle-proofing.

As adults, when the Beagle is not searching for food or game he is resting or sleeping. These little darlings do not exercise on their own. The combination of this determined drive to find food and equally determined drive to not exercise is why you see so many overweight and frankly obese Beagles.

You must provide exercise for your Beagle! It is not enough to just let him out in the fenced back yard. He will sniff around out there for a while... maybe chase a rabbit or chipmunk.. then he will lie down and sleep. I have seen this many times :). You really have to take them out on the leash or do some sort of interactive exercise in the fenced yard. This is another reason that the Beagle is not for everyone.

Also, because the Beagle is so driven by his nose, once he gets on the trail of something, he sort of has tunnel vision. He is also very good at escaping a fence or containment device. I strongly recommend that you not, under any circumstances leave your beagle unattended in a fenced back yard. He will find his way out. Boomer once scaled a six foot chain link fence. He just climbed right over.

The Beagle can be one of the most affectionate breeds you will ever encounter. As I have written before, my guys know when I am sick and will not leave my side until I feel better. It is really a cool thing to see. These guys also have quite the personality. Some are outgoing and very friendly like Copper. Some are a little more reserved but affectionate like our little Cody.

If you can live with the cons that I have mentioned here, the Beagle will be one of the best little buddies you could ever hope for.

Remember, if you are seriously considering an addition to your pack. Please, please, please consider adoption. Also consider adopting an adult dog (these guys are generally wonderful and do not get homes as quickly as puppies). If you need the names of some good rescue organizations contact me or see my previous posts on the heroes of dog rescue.http://fayettedogtrainer.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-local-heroes-of-dog-rescue.html and http://fayettedogtrainer.blogspot.com/2013/06/another-local-dog-rescue-hero.html

Let me be clear. I have nothing against breeders. There are some great breeders out there. I will not be mad at you if you use one. I just ask you to consider adoption. There are so many really good guys that need a home and many of these sweet little guys are euthanized every day because no one will give them a home. And I provide discounted Dog Training Services to all adopted/rescued dogs, perhaps that will be an incentive to you as well :) .

If you have questions about the suitability of a Beagle or any other breed to your pack, please contact me anytime.

Till Next Time


-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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