The French Bulldog was originally from England where some lacemakers of Nottingham began selectively breeding a smaller Bulldog as a lap pet near the end of the 19th century.

When the Industrial Revolution displaced the lacemakers from their jobs they moved to France, taking their small bulldogs with them. In Paris some well-to-do Americans saw the little dogs and brought some to the United States, where in 1897 the French Bull Dog Club of America was formed.

These little dogs are remarkably intelligent and make good watch dogs.

French Bulldogs get along with considerate children and so can be a great family dog, but they are exceptional pets for older people as they are quiet, clean and generally do well living in small quarters. They make fantastic companions and are fun, entertaining and loving. These little dogs want to be with you at all times, and to sleep in your bed.

At the French Bull Dog Club of America web site they have a quiz you can take to see if one of these little dogs is right for you. I highly recommend it, since it does a great job of describing what it would be like to have a French Bulldog.
It is best to crate train them since it makes it easier to housebreak them. They enjoy the crate as a safe haven and home. It also makes traveling easier since they will be happy to travel in their crate.

Few of these dogs can swim so if you have an inground pool it must be fenced and inaccessible for your French Bulldog.

With the short face they have more trouble breathing and therefore are less tolerant of heat, exercise and stress, all which increase their need to breath. So if you have a French Bulldog and live in warm climates it is a necessity to have air conditioning.

This little dog breed should be less than 28 pounds and so is a small dog breed.

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The English Springer Spaniel is cheerful, affectionate, and are generally good with children and so make great family dogs. Most make excellent house pets. Some are very active and others are more laid back, depending on the individual dog.
We had some friends who had an English Springer Spaniel named Duchess. She was beatiful, but what I remember most was her energy. These dogs were bred for endurance and agility to be able to keep going on long hunts over the British countryside.

Springer Spaniels are great sporting dogs whose one purpose is to hunt and find game. He is built to cover rough ground with ease so breeders are to keep these spaniels to a certain size: 20 inches high at the shoulder for males and 19 inches for females.

If you want a dog for show they must not be more or less than one inch from that required height. They also must be the right color. Lemon, red and orange are not allowed to place.
A medium dog breed the males weigh about 50 pounds and the females weigh about 40 pounds.

English Springer Spaniels make friends with everyone, so they are not guard dogs. They want to be with you at all times and are very unhappy when left alone. For this reason, if your house sits empty all day while you are at work and the kids at school, they might not be the dog for you.

Springer Spaniels were bred to be companion dogs. These dogs thrive on socialization and positive training and without it they can become pushy and obnoxious. The typical Springer Spaniel is friendly, quick to learn and willing to obey.

They require a certain amount of weekly grooming and trimming to control shedding and keep their coats free from mats. Their ears need regular ear care, like all breeds with ears that hang down. We have an ear wash from our vet that we use on our Cocker Spaniel to keep his ears clean and healthy.

If you ever make it to Guam be sure to visit the war dog cemetary at the U.S. Naval base in Orote Point. There you will see the life-size bronze statue of the dog Always Faithful who symbolizes all the Dobermans who gave their lives in World War II while serving with the U.S. Marines.

The statue is a special tribute to the 25 Dobermans who gave their lives liberating Guam in 1944. They served as sentries, messengers and scouts and were used to explore caves and detect mines and booby traps. It’s a very touching story.

Some of these dogs might have been beloved pets donated to the war effort since many families gave their pets to the military to help win the war. Their sacrifices did help. The dogs saved the lives of hundreds of our soldiers.

In foreign wars, as police dogs and as family pets the properly bred and trained Doberman has proved itself to be a great friend and guardian. They posses a keen intelligence that helps them absorb and retain training.

They are very alert watchdogs and are guarddogs by nature. Stubborn and bold, they respond well to firmness, affection and praise and respond badly to impatience, anger and fear.

If chosen carefully, a well-trained Doberman is a good family dog - handsome, playful, and properly protective - if it has been with children from puppyhood. They tend to be one-family dogs, and a few are found to be one-man dogs.

Doberman Pinschers require a lot of outdoor exercise or they will become restless indoors.

They are a large dog breed. Males grow to weigh 70-75 pounds, females to 60-65 pounds.

Their short, smooth coat makes them sensitive to cold.

If you want to read more about the war dog memorial on Guam visit: Doberman Wardog Memorial

Here is a great video that gives you lots of information about Doberman Pinschers.

Every year the American Kennel Club releases the number of dogs registered for each dog breed, and that information is used to discover the favorite dog breeds in the United States for that year.

• Labrador Retriever (137,867)
• Golden Retriever (48,509)
• Yorkshire Terrier (47,238)
• German Shepherd Dog (45,014)
• Beagle (42,592)
• Dachshund (38,566)
• Boxer (37,268)
• Poodle (31,638)
• Shih Tzu (28,087)
• Miniature Schnauzer (24,144)

Compare this list with the top ten dogs from the United Kingdom’s list:

• Labrador Retriever
• English Cocker Spaniel
• English Springer Spaniel
• German Shepherd Dog
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Golden Retriever
• West Highland Terrier
• Boxer
• Border Terrier
It is interesting that there are several dog breeds in the U.K. top ten list that are not near the top ten in the United States.

In the United States the Labrador Retreiver has been in the number one position for 16 years in a row. Meanwhile the Chihuahua slipped from 10th place to number 11, replaced by the Miniature Schnauzer.

It’s not surprising that the two most popular dog breeds in the United States and Canada are the Labrador Retriever and the Golden Retriever. Both are such wonderful dogs to own with their easy-going nature and high intelligence. These two dog breeds, along with the German Shepherd Dog, made the top ten dog list in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

The Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever make great dogs for families and are listed in a top ten list of dogs for children. In the same list of “child-friendly dogs” are the Beagle, Poodle, French Bulldog, Pug, Cairn Terrier, Old English Sheepdog, King Charles Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel, several of which made the AKC top ten dog list.

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