Pomeranians

So since my friend asked me write about either Pugs or Pomeranians, and I''ve already written about Pugs, I thought I would write about Pomeranians. I've known only one Pomeranian in my life, and she hasn't left the best impression of them on me.  Her name is Patty, and she is my aunt and uncle's dog.  Patty is a yipper.  She doesn't bark; she yips.  And it can completely drive me crazy when I go to visit my aunt and uncle.  She's also a little standoffish until you've been there awhile and she really knows you, so playing with her is hard.  And that's what I want from a dog!  One that will let me pet it and hold onto it.  Perhaps she's the reason I don't hold a special place in my heart for Pomeranians.  But, let's look more into them.

Patty on Christmas 2009

General Information:

• Survived the Titantic
• Small, yappy, and energetic (definitely Patty)
• Independent and Inquisitive
• Short, triangular ears
• Athletic dog
• Can bark excessively
• Great lap dog
• Stubborn
• Average Height: 7-11 inches
• Average Weight: 4-6 pounds

Health:

• Even though it's small, it still needs exercise!
• Prone to early tooth loss (Feed dry food)
• Slipping knee caps
• Heart problems
• Average Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

Grooming:

•  Double coated fur
• Heavy, constant shedders, so must brush daily
• Must trim nails, check ears, and go to groomer every 4-6 weeks

Environment:

• Can live about anywhere with exercise

Type of Owner:

• Great for most, but not for families with young kids because of how small they are
• Train early and consistently

Well it seems that I judged Patty prematurely.  She was never taught not to bark, so she does it constantly.  And perhaps she only seems stand-offish because she is so hyper and ready to play.  I may be a little more willing to play with Pomeranians now, but if they haven't been trained not to bark so much, I hold the right to stay away!

(Not Patty)

(Thanks to Dogs101 and DogBreedInfo!)

Pugs

Be warned; I'm about to talk about another dog that I don't particularly love.  I just can't love its face as much as I do the bulldogs.  But I'm going to talk about it because, well one of my friends asked me to, and, I hate to admit it, I did fall for one of these. What dog am I talking about? The pug. Friday night I was at a friend's house, and this friend has a little dog named Skittles. Now Skittles is one crazy dog, kinda like Nub the Mountain Feist, but she sure did love being rubbed. I don't particularly love Pugs because they've never seemed that cute to me, but this little dog won me over. I didn't think about using it as one of my posts until a friend asked me to write about Pugs or Pomeranians. Well guess what? Skittles is a mix of those two breeds. I guess it was fate. So, I decided to write about Pugs.

(Not Skittles)

General Information:

• "Smushed in face"
• Have short noses 
• Face wrinkles
• Aims to please
• Curly tail
• Typically a lazy dog, but will become active if owner is
• Playful and charming
• Weight: 14 to 18 pounds
• Height: 10-14 inches

Health:

• May have trouble breathing, especially in warm weather
• Eyes may pop out, especially if collar/ leash is too tight
• Be careful not overfeed
• Exercise every day, but don't let them overheat!
• Life expectancy: 12-15 years

Grooming:

• Minimal, but do shed some
• Must clean wrinkles on face

Environment:

• Good for apartments because of its small size

Type of Owner:

• Great for families
• Get along with other pets and with visitors

Now after reading a little bit more about Pugs, watching a video, and meeting Skittles, I think I have to rethink my opinion about this dog.  They may not look the cutest in pictures, but their personalities more than make up for it.  But it scares me a little that its eyes may pop out!  That's something I'll have to consider...

(Thanks to Dogs101, AKC, and DogBreedInfo!)

Newfoundland

So I know any guys reading my blog are probably going to stop reading this as soon as I say it, but how many of you have seen Must Love Dogs? I simply love this movie. It has a great story, even if it is about a woman after a divorce. But one of the best parts of this movie is the dog. Sarah, the main character, has a brother. This brother, Michael, has a Newfoundland named Mother Teresa. Now this is about the most adorable dog you've ever seen. She's afraid of a little yapping dog, and of the water, yet she's huge! I just had to look more into this gentle giant.

General Information:

•  A LARGE dog
• Calm, patient, courageous
• Trained to pull in things to shore, rescue people, and rescue anything that needs saving!
•  Waterproof double coat (keeps them warm)
• Large lung capacity
• Droopy lips to help him breathe from the side
• Know that they drool!
• Average Weight: 110-160 pounds
• Height: 26-28 inches

Health:

• Orthopedic Issues
• Not so good in heat
• Heart Disease (sub-aortic stenosis)
• Hip Dysplasia
• Life expectancy: 9-15 years

Grooming:

• Groom twice a week
• Constant brushing!

Environment:

• Okay for apartments because they don't mind being a bit lazy
• But be careful they're not too lazy; just like any other dog, Newfies need exercise

Type of Owner:

• Great for families with kids, even small children
• Take to training well

Knowing that this dog is so gentle with kids just makes me love it even more.  It may be a large dog, but it seems to adapt well to small spaces and lazy atmospheres.  Maybe this will be a dog in the running for me one day...if I have a big enough house!

(Thanks Dogs101, AKC, and DogBreed Info for their help!)

West Highland White Terrier

Most people know this dog as a Westie, and I know it as the Cesar dog. The other night, the Cesar dog food commercial came one the T.V. and my roommate and suitemate both just went crazy. My suitemate is a dog lover, and my roommate, though she's generally is a cat lover, just loves these little dogs.  She plans to have one one day and name it Oswald.  She probably loves it because it is so small, but let me tell you some more of its characteristics.

General Information:

• Happy, curious, affectionate, and stubborn dog
• Dislikes smaller dogs or other animals
• Undocked tail
• Double coat
• Love to dig and bark
• Height: 10-12 inches
• Weight: 15-21 pounds

 Health:

•  Globoid cell Leukodystrophy, Legg- Perthes
• Copper toxicosis,  cataracts, patellar luxation
• Sometimes deafness
• Skin problems
• Life expectancy: 12-14 years

Grooming:

• Coat combed two or three times a week
• Shape the coat every three months
• Bathe when necessary
• Sheds little hair 

Environment:

• Okay for apartment life or for life with a large area to roam
• However, if living in apartment, needs daily walk and area to play outside

Type of Owner:

• Someone that can keep up with this dogs energy and put in the time to discipline 

Westies are the epitome of cuteness and are definitely in the running for my future pet. I just wish I had a choice of color other than white! I think this dog would definitely find a way to get dirty.

(Thanks to Dogs 101 and DogBreedInfo for their information!)