The Weimaraner has a fascinating history. The breed started in Germany by the aristocracy who wanted an excellent guard dog, watch dog, hunter and companion.

Today's Weimaraner is all of these things. They are very fast, incredibly alert, and love to be indoors with their owner. Our female Weimaraner will stand like a statue on our patio patiently waiting for the pigeons to get too close or too lazy. Thankfully she's only caught a couple, but the birds have learned to be cautious.

Weimaraners need a lot of exercise, but can be quiet and calm indoors. They shouldn't be left outside in the cold or on hot summer days, since they have a very short coat and can't tolerate cold or heat.

Young Weimaraners need to be trained to not be rough with children or they can treat the child as a play thing and might unintentionally hurt a young child. The Weimaraner also needs to be socialized at a young age to get along with pet cats and other smaller pets.

They are very intelligent and can make fantastic pets if they are trained and given plenty of exercise. They are great hunters and also are excellent

Our female Weimaraner is 14 months old, which is called the teenage time. Since we were given her when she was about 10 months old, we didn't have a chance to socialize her with our cats, but she's pretty good with them. She wants to chase them, but will hold back. The worst she does is try to control where they go.

We somehow house trained her in a very short time. She never really had any accidents in the house, but until she was about one year old she would wet inside if she was nervous (which is not unusual for many dog breeds).

They are great jumpers. We were given this Weimaraner because she kept jumping her fence to get into our yard. No matter how tall her owner made the brick wall, she found a way to climb over. Finally, her owner got tired of adding bricks and gave her to us, since she prefered our yard.

What made our yard better? We spend time outdoors (our neighbors are gone a lot), and these dogs love to be with people. Also, we acquired an American Bull Dog a few months after the Weimaraner started jumping the fence and the two dogs quickly became best friends. They will play tag, tug-of-war, and race around the yard from one side to the other to look through the front fence.

When indoors, our Weimaraner lays quietly by someone's feet. We've never had a problem with the dogs racing around indoors, but we've had to train her to not try to grab food off the table or from our hands.

Overall, she's a great dog. I had never met a Weimaraner before, and I've been very impressed with this breed. The Germans bred this dog to be a great overalll dog, and they succeeded.

For more information about this amazing dog breed, check out the Weimaraner Club of America.

The Scottish Deerhound is one of the most decorative of dogs. Impressively stately and picturesque wherever he is seen, whether it be amid the surroundings of the baronial hall, reclining at luxurious length before the open hearth in the fitful light of the log fire that flickers; out in the open, straining at the leash as he scents the dewy air, or gracefully bounding over the purple of his native hills. Grace and majesty are in his every movement and attitude, and even to the most prosaic mind there is about him the inseparable glamour of feudal romance and poetry.

From remote days the Scottish nobles cherished their strains of Deerhound, seeking glorious sport in the Highland forests. The red deer belonged by inexorable law to the kings of Scotland, and great drives, which often lasted for several days, were made to round up the herds into given neighborhoods for the pleasure of the court, as in the reign of Queen Mary.

Head:-

The head should be broadest at the ears, tapering slightly to the eyes, with the muzzle tapering more decidedly to the nose. The muzzle should be pointed, but the teeth and lips level. The head should be long, the skull flat rather than round, with a very slight rise over the eyes, but with nothing approaching a stop.

The skull should be coated with moderately long hair which is softer than the rest of the coat. The nose should be black (though in some blue-fawns the colour is blue) and slightly aquiline. In the lighter-coloured dogs a black muzzle is preferred. There should be a good moustache of rather silky hair, and a fair beard.

Ears:-

The ears should be set on high, and, in repose, folded back like the Greyhound's, though raised above the head in excitement without losing the fold, and even, in some cases, semi-erect.The ear should be soft, glossy, and like a mouse's coat to the touch, and the smaller it is the better.

It should have no long coat or long fringe, but there is often a silky, silvery coat on the body of the ear and the tip. Whatever the general colour, the ears should be black or dark-coloured.

Neck and shoulders:-

The neck should be long that is, of the length that befits the Greyhound character of the dog. The nape of the neck should be very prominent where the head is set on, and the throat should be clean-cut at the angle and prominent. The shoulders should be well sloped, the blades well back, with not too much width between them.

Stern:-

Stern should be tolerably long, tapering, and reaching to within 1-1/2 inches of the ground, and about 1-1/2 inches below the hocks. When the dog is still, dropped perfectly straight down, or curved. When in motion it should be curved when excited, in no case to be lifted out of the line of the back. It should be well covered with hair, on the inside thick and wiry, underside longer.

Eyes:-

The eyes should be dark: generally they are dark brown or hazel. The eye is moderately full with a soft look in repose, but a keen, far-away gaze when the dog is roused. The rims of the eyelids should be black.

Body: The body and general formation is that of a Greyhound of larger size and bone. Chest deep rather than broad, but not too narrow and flat-sided. The loin well arched and drooping to the tail.

Legs and feet:-

The legs should be broad and flat, a good broad forearm and elbow being desirable. Fore-legs, of course, as straight as possible. Feet close and compact, with well-arched toes. The hind-quarters drooping, and as broad and powerful as possible, the hips being set wide apart. The hind-legs should be well bent at the stifle, with great length from the hip to the hock, which should be broad and flat.

Coat:-

The hair on the body, neck, and quarters should be harsh and wiry, and about 3 inches or 4 inches long; that on the head, breast, and belly is much softer. There should be a slight hairy fringe on the inside of the fore and hind-legs, but nothing approaching to the feathering of a Collie. The Deerhound should be a shaggy dog, but not over coated.

Color:-

Colour is much a matter of fancy. But there is no manner of doubt that the dark blue-grey is the most preferred. Next come the darker and lighter greys or brindles, the darkest being generally preferred. Yellow and sandy-red or red-fawn, especially with black points i.e., ears and muzzle are also in equal estimation.

Height:-

From 28 inches to 30 inches, or even more if there be symmetry without coarseness, which, however, is rare. Height of bitches: From 26 inches upwards. There can be no objection to a bitch being large, unless she is too coarse, as even at her greatest height she does not approach that of the dog, and, therefore, could not well be too big for work, as over-big dogs are.

History of the Rhodesian Ridgeback

The Rhodesian Ridgeback originates in Zimbabwe, Africa. The South African dog was historically a hunter. They were sent out in pairs or larger groups to hunt down lions. Because of this, they have also been called the African Lion Hound.

In 1922, European settlers who came to Rhodesia cross-bred them with their own dogs to get the characteristics needed for a lion-hunting dog. Some of the possible contributors to the gene pool are collies, greyhounds, Irish terriers, Airedales, bulldogs, pointers, mastiffs, Great Danes, and Deerhounds.

Ridgebacks were first admitted to the American Kennel Club in 1955. In addition to being used as hunting dogs, this breed has also been used for guarding property and children.

Physical Characteristics and Temperament

The Rhodesian Ridgeback gets its name from the long ridge of hair running along its back in the opposite direction of the rest of its coat. The hair is a light reddish brown color with a few traces of black or white. It is a strong, muscular dog known for its endurance and speed.

The male Ridgeback is very combative with other males, but they can be well-trained. They are agile, intelligent, loyal and very independent.

They do not always make great pets, unless they have been well socialized from an early age. They have great protective instincts which can make them good guard dogs. However, they do not naturally show aggression towards people.

Grooming Needs

Rhodesian Ridgebacks do not require much grooming. Some minimal brushing to remove dead hair may be necessary on occasion. The same dental and toenail care that apply to other dogs also apply to the Ridgebacks.

Training and Exercise

Ridgebacks love to run and therefore need lots of daily exercise to keep from becoming frustrated. They will accept correction as long it is justified and coming from someone they know and trust.

They thrive with reward based training and consistency. Ridgebacks have a sensitive side, therefore, harsh training methods are not effective.

They can be very destructive if left unattended, so they should be kept under supervision until training is well intact. Lack of exercise also contributes to their destructive behavior.

Health Problems

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is considered to be a healthy breed. Because of their African heritage they are able to withstand dramatic changes in temperature. They are not sensitive to bug bites and can go for a day without food or water.

However, they are known to have dermoid sinus problems, cysts, and Canine Hip Dysplasia, which can lead to arthritis and eventual lameness. With proper nutrition and medical attention the Ridgeback can live 10-12 years.

The experience I have had with one Rhodesian Ridgeback was that they are playful, energetic, and want to be around people.

This dog was adopted from a shelter, so we do not know what kind of early life he had, or if he had been socialized at a young age. But he was very friendly, and when his owner could not keep him, he was adopted by a couple who had ten acres for him to run around on in Northern California.

I'm so glad that despite a rough start, he is now able to enjoy life.

Overall, Rhodesian Ridgebacks tend to rate:

Energy and exercise requirement level - 3 out of 5

Affection level - 3 out of 5

Watchdog ability - 4 out of 5

Heat tolerance - 3 out of 5

Cold tolerance - 3 out of 5

If you've ever gotten a chance to play with an Old English Sheepdog, you already know that their fluffy, soft fur matches their sweet demeanor and their intelligent personalities.

Although these dogs are known to be very hard workers, they have adjusted very well to lives as family pets. Sheepdogs are very friendly and when given the proper love and attention, and they provide excellent companionship to their human families. Take a look at some information for this sweet-tempered breed, and you can easily see why they are so popular both in the country and in the cities.

Old English Sheepdog History:

They were developed in western England during the early part of the 1900's. As the name states, this dog was bred for the herding and protection of sheep. It can be seen that the breeders succeed, having created a dog that intelligent, hardy, and protective of its charges.

Old English Sheepdog Temperament:

Due to their hardy ancestry and their working roots, they need plenty of exercise, both in terms of being able to run around outside as well as being stimulated mentally. When they are in high gear, they are extremely playful and sweet, and they are excellent companions for children and other dogs. Given the fact that they are quite intelligent, you can also expect that they can sometimes be a little bit headstrong and stubborn about things.

Old English Sheepdog Care:

Because they were originally intended to herd and protect sheep, these are dogs that are quite dependent on having something to take care of and be with. They have naturally loving temperaments, but they will suffer if they are neglected. Old English Sheepdogs thrive and do their best when they are surrounded by loving attention, so make sure that you are ready to give it the care it needs

Old English Sheepdog Grooming:

Despite their long, fluffy fur, taking care of this dog breed’s coat is not much more difficult than taking care of a dog with a shorter coat. When they are young, the puppies should be brushed regularly to help them get used to this action. When they are adults, they will need a thorough weekly brushing. Because this can take upwards of an hour, many people simply clip their Sheepdog's fur down to half an inch and let it grow back in for winter.

Overall, this is a great family dog if you have a large yard or have plenty of time to give this dog the exercise they need.