Pets World Blog

Know how thyroid affects your dog’s health…

A Great Dane could possibly suffer a disease called hypothyroidism. Aside from Great Danes, this disease is suffered by most mid-size to large breeds such as Boxers, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers and German Shepherds.

Just like the human body, a dog, has various endocrine glands that secrete chemical substances called hormones. The thyroid gland, the two small butterfly-shaped lobes located in the neck is the master gland. This gland has a number of functions but is well known for regulating the dog’s metabolic rate. If the thyroid gland is malfunctioning, every cell in the body is affected.

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland malfunctions and unable to produce not enough hormone called thyroxin. As stated, this gland is important in regulating the dog’s metabolic rate. It controls the growth and development and maintains normal protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The disease usually occurs to dogs two to six years of age. While it has been said that thyroid disorders are inherited, diet and environmental factors such as pollutants and allergies are also culprits for the occurrence of this disease.

Discover effective housebreaking tips to help you achieve positive results in housebreaking…

Housebreaking a Great Dane can be a discouraging task especially if you are dealing to an adult one. But never let discouragement hinder you in housebreaking your Great Dane for this is one of the most important parts of his life. A well-trained dog rarely or never commits accident and thus loved for that. No matter how discouraging, you will definitely not be discouraged if you know the training progresses and will achieve successful training results in no time.

Try to adhere some tips below to help you achieve results that you desire- a well-trained dog and a stain-free carpet…

- Start the training at an early age. Puppies are easier to train since they do not have undesirable habits to unlearn. Supervise and observe them closely for signs prior to urinating or defecating.

By having a pet insurance, your pet is guaranteed to be properly treated when they get sick or injured…

Some people fell in love with a Great Dane at first sight. As each breed is distinct from the others, a Great Dane is known for it’s giant size yet gentle temperament imposing a friendly nature. The distinction is not only limited to looks and appearance, the needs are distinct too. Perhaps some may think that a Great Dane is highly energetic and needs a lot of exercise and strenuous activities to keep him fit. But astonishingly, the energy of a Great Dane is not as high as other breeds and only needs half an hour walk in addition to some running few times a week.

Canine separation anxiety is a common problem affecting dogs. It should be treated else before it gets worst…

What do you think is the role of your Great Dane in your life? Is he one among your many possessions that you can get rid of anytime you want? Or do you consider him as part of your family? Dogs, regardless of breed, are now commonly regarded as part of the family. They are loved, cared and pampered just like a mother to her children. There is really nothing wrong about it. In fact, these creatures deserve to be loved, cared and pampered after all the happiness and companionship they offer you. However, too much of these things aren’t good anymore when problems arise. Probably some might wonder how problems could arise because of too much love and all the good things a dog really wants.

There are many ways to bond with your dog. Here are some ways to do it…

Are you looking for ways on how you are going to bond with your Great Dane? Good thing that you found this page. You can try one of these enjoyable activities to create a strong bond with your dog leading to lasting friendship and loyalty.

Walk for a cause.

Walking is a great form of exercise both for you and your dog. Take your dog for a walk daily or at least every other day. It’s a great time for you and your dog to bond as well as remain healthy. You will also meet new people along the way and eventually become friends.

Go hiking.

Head for a hiking trail that allows dogs on a leash. Make sure that your dog is protected against fleas and ticks. Bring enough water as well as lunch to keep you and your dog fueled and go on with the hike.

Feed your pet correctly to prevent nutritionally related problems as well as huge vet bills…

One problem that could probably arise in the mind of a Great Dane owner is the food to feed the animal. This breed grows into a giant dog in a matter of year so owners must take into careful consideration the diet these animals should get.

Each breed is distinct from the other. As to a Great Dane, its giant size but gentle personality makes him different compared to other breeds. The long and narrow head with an accentuated frontal stop, the deep set eyes with lively expression, the cropped ears and the perfectly straight front legs complement the picture of a beautiful giant yet so gentle and friendly.

Facts you should know about Great Danes…

It has been said that Great Danes are descendants of Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound and Bullenbeisser. Years of careful breeding resulted to this tall, chiseled dog, so robust yet so gentle, so regal and elegant. Great Danes possess remarkable characteristics that capture attention and admiration wherever it goes.

Probably some people think that this breed won’t make good household pets (especially those who are living in apartments) because of their giant size. Their height ranges from 30 to 40 inches and the typical weight for males ranges from 54 to 90 kg. and 45 to 68 kg. for females. In fact, a Great Dane named Gibson holds the title as the world’s tallest dog in the Guinness World Records in 2004. But despite their giant size, a Great Dane can manage life in an apartment quite well. Their energy is not as high as other breeds and only need half an hour walk and some run few times a week.

Discover how wonderful these gentle giants are…

Some of us may not notice but a lot of Great Danes are included in various films and television shows. Do you know that the famous cartoon character Scooby-Doo is a Great Dane? This animal character of the popular television series was created based on a Great Dane. But, Scooby-Doo is not the only popular Dane. In fact, Great Danes have been in various films and television series even during the 19th century. So what makes this breed so popular to be sought after by various film makers?

This domestic dog is known for its giant size and gentle personality and is often referred to as the “Gentle Giant and the “Apollo of all breed”. Along with the Irish Wolfhound, Great Danes are considered the tallest dog breed with the height ranges from 30-40 inches (76-100 cm.). The males typically weigh 54-90 kg. (120-200 lbs.) and 45-68 kg. (100-150 lbs.) for females. This breed’s giant and powerful body is covered with short, soft, thick and shiny close fitting hair in six show-acceptable colors. The colors are fawn, brindle, blue, black, harlequin and mantle. Other colors such as white, fawnequin, merle, merlequin and fawn mantle may occur occasionally but are not acceptable in the show ring.

Cropping of the ears is purely the owner’s choice…

Picture of giant dogs will surely appear in one’s mind when talking about Great Danes. But they are not only known as large dogs. Another distinctive characteristic of Great Danes is their cropped ears. Ear cropping began centuries ago as a preventive measure. Yes, you read it right. Ears were a problem in hunting that is why they are cropped to prevent wolves and wild boar from grabbing hold of the ears.

Cropping refers to the removal or amputation of the ears. So why deem it as a preventive measure when the process itself induces pain to the animal? Since hundreds of years ago, different dog breeds were used as hunting dogs. Ears were a problem in hunting and one way to address the problem is to have the ears cropped. Cropping of the ears was done to prevent wolves and wild boar (often the objective of Great Dane hunt) from grabbing hold of the ears.

Great Dane dogs are generally considered to be the largest dog in the world. That statement is debatable since dog breeds like the St. Bernard and the Mastiff tend to weigh more, but the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound are the tallest. With long running cartoons characters like Scooby Doo and Marmaduke, this dog breed remains very popular in the eyes of many.

In 16th Century Denmark the rules of the Deer hunt changed so that the Deer hounds were not allowed to kill the animal they chased down, but rather hold it down until the hunters arrived. They soon found that the hounds they had been using for centuries were too light to do this, so King Frederick II of Denmark sent a ship to England to bring back the “English puppies” which were much heavier. These were, of course, the English Mastiff puppies. These new dogs were bred with the Deer hounds that had been used for centuries in these hunts. The new breed was the foundation for the present day Great Dane dogs. An interesting piece of trivia is that in 1937, the Nazi government in Germany claimed that the Great Dane was of German origin and demanded in writing that any use of words that identify the breed as anything other than of German origin must cease. Denmark, of course was successful in refuting this claim and was able to produce evidence that they had indeed bred the Great Dane.