Four Paws Acupuncture » dog breeds

Proud to be part Border Collie!

jeanie — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:44:33 +0000

Supposedly i am part Newfie and part Border Collie. Everyday my pet humans notice more and more Border Collie traits in me. I try to herd them into the same room when ever possible. Herding the cats has not been successful and can be dangerous so i am smart enough to not even bother. I do wish they would fill the yard with sheep… and more squirrels.

Here is the Wiki article on Border Collies. I’m proud to be one. Next post i will talk about being part Newfie!
Stay cool,
Quan Yin

The Border Collie is a dog breed, often cited as the most intelligent of all dogs. They can be fairly energetic, and are used on farms to assist with the herding of livestock. Border Collies are also companion animals.

History

The Border Collie is descended from droving. It was believed that these dogs came from the border between Welsh and English borders, but nothing to do with Welsh. Turned out Scottish-English borders. Mention of the “Collie” or “Colley” type first appeared toward the end of the 19th century. Many of the best Border Collies today can be traced back to a dog known as Old Hemp. It was believed that these dogs came from the border between Wales borders, but actually just Scottish-English borders.

In 1915, James Reid, Secretary of the International Sheep Dog Society in the United Kingdom first used the term “Border Collie” to distinguish those dogs registered by the ISDS from the Kennel Club’s “Collie,” which originally came from the same working stock but had developed a different, standardized appearance following its introduction to the show ring in 1860.

Border Collies are an intelligent breed. The breed has an instinctive desire to work closely and intensely with a human handler.[citation needed] Although the primary role of the Border Collie is that of the working stock dog, dogs of this breed are becoming increasingly popular as pets.

True to their working heritage, Border Collies make very demanding, energetic pets that are better off in households that can provide them with plenty of play and exercise with humans or other dogs.

Border collies are happiest with a job to do. However, a job to a border collie isn’t necessarily working livestock. An activity such as Frisbee, chasing and retrieving a ball, or just simply playing chase will suffice.

As long as the border collie is in the herding/working position (crouched down, tail tucked between legs, eyes firmly fixed on the matter in hand) it considers it work. Their tails are about as long as their body.

A Border Collie’s tail, based on position, shows the mindset the dog is in. A raised, wagging tail is called a “gay tail” by shepherds because it usually indicates the dog is excited and not concentrated on work.[citation needed] The tail lowered or tucked between the legs indicates the dog is focused and ready to listen/work.

Announcing New Book & Class! The Woof & Warp of Canine Pain

jeanie — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:15:02 +0000

Treating Dogs with TCM
by jeanie mossa kraft, L.Ac. with Norman Kraft, L. Ac.

We did it! Our book is at the publishers and we are anxiously awaiting the proof copy for final editions. This book should be available to TCM practitioners by the first week of May.

This is a guide for the acupuncturist practitioner on the treatment of arthritis, pain and bi syndromes in dogs.

Includes:
Diagnosis
Western Veterinary Medication
Chinese Herbal Medicinals
Acupuncture
Canine Nutrition
Supplements & Lifestyle Recommendations
Laser Acupuncture
Tips on Working With Dogs and Their Owners

If you are interested in ordering a copy of this book or would like info on the recently approved NCCAOM class “Treating Painful Canine Disorders with TCM” please email us at woof at fourpawsacupuncture dot com.

The class is 3 CEU/PDA units and will be available to licensed acupuncturists late May. We will have more information on the cost soon.

Taya the Pit Bull on Pins and Needles!

jeanie — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 20:13:31 +0000

Taya American Pit Bull Terrier gets Acupuncture

This picture was taken during Taya’s treatment with a blackberry- thus making it difficult to see the needles. During the session, Taya also received a laser treatment, warming infrared heat on her back, knees and elbows and a Tui Na massage with Zheng Gu Shui. (aka stinky herbs which she does not like the smell of!) After her treatment Taya took a nice nap and it was reported that there was snoring too! This is a pit bull with a sense of humor.

Approximately, 4-5 months ago, my 10 year old, American Pit Bull Terrier, Taya injured her back. Since her injury, most days her tail hung down off her back, lifeless. This being the biggest sign of her discomfort and pain but also she would injure herself again and again, simply playing. After many Vet visits and medication our Vet recommended acupuncture.

It’s been 3 weeks and 3 visits since Jeanie Marie began working on my baby. She recommended a change in diet and some Chinese stinky herbs, and I adopted them. For the past two hours, Taya and I have been playing with her toy. Her tail is curled up pointing to the sky and she is peppy and happy like she was before her injury. I’m simply amazed and thankful.”
Michelle M

Seppala Siberian Sleddogs

jeanie — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:04:31 +0000

Thanks to the Salem Woo Crew – (my favorite group of local huskies) for sharing this site! Stunning photographs of magnificent Seppala huskies.
http://galleries.seppalasleddogs.com/index.htm

More Canine Lunar New Year Art

jeanie — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:35:21 +0000

Year of the Dog 2006 USA postage stamp

Year of the Dog stamp from Gambia

Year of the Dog stamp from Dominica

Micronesia’s Year of the Dog Stamp

jeanie — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:42:43 +0000

Wolf Dog like a German Shepard Souvenir Sheet of Art by Liu Jiyou 1918-1983 for the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dog Puppy Wolf or Canine for 2006 from Micronesia

K9 Acupuncturist Bit by the Mushing Bug!

jeanie — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:57:37 +0000

Well I have to admit that I am totally smitten with the idea of having a team of huskies and a sled.

The mushing bug bit me during the Myopia Sled Dog Races. Not sure if there is a cure for it. The AMA does not recognize it as a disease. The symptoms include nonstop talking about sled dogs along with the sound of happy dogs screaming oaaawooowww Let’sGooooooooooahhhhhooooooooo repeating in my head on a continuous loop over and over. It certainly beats having one of those silly Paul McCartney tunes stuck in the brain waves. The urge to buy unfashionable snow gear and a wicker sled consumes me. I no longer care about hat hair.

Western Medicine would only prescribe medication, usually used for those who suffer from delusions and suggest a therapist. Traditional Chinese Medicine would probably diagnose this as shen
disturbance and prescribe one of the more stinky herbal concoctions to anchor shen, calm the heart, and induce gagging fits. (Perhaps this sled dog syndrome has caused perhaps a bit too much joy… not something I have been familiar with lately.) So, I am not sure if I really want this new bug to go away.

At the event, there were a variety of unexpected dog breeds pulling sleds and skiers. Contrary to what I expected, not all were huskies. It was so refreshing to see several hound-dog teams (not to mention the howling of excited hounds!). Can you imagine the sound from a team of baying beagles? If only….

These dogs were having so much fun and all appeared to be taken very good care of. They loved being sled dogs….LOVED it. This was a major concern of mine before attending the races. I was so relieved to see that the dogs seemed to be in good health and so happy. Maybe this is due to the fact that these races are for fun, and not for profit like the Iditarod.

Thanks to the Boston Snow Dog folks for posting YouTubes and being a part of this event.

Until I actually manifest a team of dogs, my latest obsession is learning as much as I can about these dogs and the races. Here are a
few tidbits from Wikipedia:

Sled dogs, known also as sleightman dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs are types of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a
sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.

Several distinct dog breeds are in common use as sled dogs, althoughany medium-sized breed may be used to pull a sled. Purebred sled dog breeds range from the well-known Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute to rarer breeds such as the Mackenzie River Husky or the Canadian Eskimo Dog (Canadian Inuit Dog). Dog drivers, however, have a long
history of using other breeds or crossbreds as sled dogs. In the days of the Gold Rush in The Yukon, mongrel teams were the rule, but there were also teams of Foxhounds and Staghounds. Today the unregistered hybridized Alaskan husky is preferred for dogsled racing, along with a variety of crossbreds, the German Shorthaired Pointer often being
chosen as the basis for crossbreeding. From 1988 through 1991, a team of Standard Poodles competed in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Sled Dog Breeds
Alaskan Husky
Alaskan Malamute
Canadian Eskimo Dog
Chinook
Eurohound
Greenland Dog
Greyster
Labrador Husky
Mackenzie River Husky
Northern Inuit Dog
Sakhalin Husky
Samoyed
Seppala Siberian Sleddog
Siberian Husky
Tamaskan Dog
Utonagan ”

More to follow………

Film Exposed Pedigree Standards by Kennel Club

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:17:51 +0000

Long way to go’ after dog inquiry

A report on pedigree dogs calls for breeders to make sweeping changes to improve the animals’ health. The inquiry follows concerns highlighted in a BBC documentary.
Jemima Harrison, the film’s producer/director, welcomes the recommendations but believes they may not be implemented fully.

The Kennel Club’s 137-year-old self-appointed role as the governing body of dogs has come to an abrupt end.
The eagerly-awaited Bateson Inquiry recommends that responsibility for the health and welfare of pedigree dogs is devolved to an independent body. The Kennel Club has been sent to the doghouse.
The inquiry is the third to publish since our Pedigree Dogs Exposed, the film we made for the BBC in 2008 that lifted the lid on the extent of health and welfare problems in pedigree dogs – what we dubbed “the greatest animal welfare scandal of our time.”
In graphic detail, we showed what more than a century of inbreeding and selection for the show-ring had done to some breeds and it was not a pretty sight.
Well, other than to those judges who seemed to think that a German shepherd is supposed to look like a frog.

The film provoked uproar from the public – and denial from the Kennel Club, although they have since introduced changes, including the revision of many breed standards, a ban on mother/son and brother/sister matings and a specific decree that no healthy puppy can be put to sleep on purely cosmetic grounds (a practice that we highlighted was still going on). ”
To read more http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8460012.stm

Dog of the Week: Great Pyrenees

jeanie — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:23:53 +0000

Great Pyrenees
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“The Great Pyrenees is a very old breed, and has been used for millennia by shepherds, including those of the Basque people, who inhabit parts of the region in and around the Pyrenees Mountains of southern France and northern Spain. More recently, the breed served as the official dog of the royal French court (whose prominence began circa the Middle Ages, and lasted until the middle of the nineteenth century). During World War II the dogs were used to haul artillery over the Pyrenean Mountain range to and from Spain and France.

Males grow to between 110–120 pounds (50–54 kg) and 27–32 inches (69–81 cm), while females reach between 80–90 pounds (36–41 kg) and 25–29 inches (63–74 cm). They live to between 10–12 years of age.

Their coats are white and can have varying shades of gray, red (rust), or tan around the face (including a full face mask), ears and sometimes on the body and tail. As Great Pyrenees mature, their coats grow thicker and the longer colored hair of the coat often fades on those dogs that were not born completely white. Sometimes a little light tan or lemon will appear later in life around the ears and face. Being a double-coated breed, the undercoat can also have color and the skin as well.

All white dogs are not preferred by top breeders for many reasons. White dogs in most breedings are less frequent. It’s not unusual that breedings that result in a high incidence of all white puppies do not have the required jet black pigment on the nose and eye rims. These breeding lines are therefore not, as a rule, desirable in well-bred stock. There are generally all white puppies in most litters. This is normal and these all white puppies can be bred successfully in the hands of a competent breeder. The rear leg bilateral double dewclaws are required.”

The Great Pyrenees sometimes suffer from hip dysplasia and arthritis because of their size. Both conditions can be managed with acupuncture, herbs and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

If you would like to adopt a Great Pyrenees visit the rescue sites:
www.petfinder.com or www.bigfluffydogs.com

Rogue Chaz Needs a Home!

jeanie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:25:02 +0000

Meet Rogue Assault, AKA Charlie, Charles, Chazz Michael Michaels: The Lone Wolf (not because he’s antisocial, but because he’s one greyhound in a pack of Siberian Huskies). This young, svelte, boy is extremely happy and puppy-like in personality, but nevertheless always dressed to impress in a shiny, soft, black tuxedo. Rogue enjoys the company of other dogs, but as he’s only two years old, he can be a little too rambunctious and has a tendency to steal the show. On the other hand, Rogue lives with four kitties who seem to be alternately fun to nuzzle or scary monsters that he should steer clear of (this appears to depend on what color package they come in). Being a young dog, Rogue is incredibly inquisitive and playful. His favorite toy is a squeaky green ball that he will toss in the air forever if you let him. But in Rogue’s world, nothing tops the love and affection of a human being, so if you’d like to add him to your family, you’d better make sure you have a big lap. His favorite time of day is anytime someone is paying attention to him, and in return for your affection, he will show you his happy dance and then settle into a nice lean.

I’m sure it’s quite obvious that Rogue is a very special boy, and one of his most impressive qualities is his uncrushable spirit in the face of adversity. At a very young age, Rogue sustained an injury to his right rear foot that did not heal properly. As a result, when he came into foster care he was unable to walk properly and was experiencing quite a bit of pain. He was also very weak and very thin. His weight issue was addressed by putting him on a proper diet, thanks to the donated help of a canine nutritionist. Greyhound Welfare found a fantastic orthopedic surgeon to operate on Rogue’s foot, reducing his pain and enabling him to live a fairly normal life. He’s recovered well and quickly, and is ready to steal your heart — if you’ll let him.

As you might guess, such a extraordinary boy is looking for an extraordinary home. Because of his injury, he must wear a boot to protect his foot. He will NOT do well as a running partner. In addition, he has food allergies and must eat a special food, which as an added bonus makes his coat beautiful and as shiny as Orion’s Belt on the ice. Despite what he’s been through, Rogue may be one of the happiest and loving greyhounds you will ever meet. If you enjoy short walks on the beach, living in the here and now, and cuddling on a rainy afternoon, Rogue just may be your perfect match! Apply to meet Rogue today, and maybe YOU will become the wolf who runs with the lone wolf, so the lone wolf never has to be alone.

Please note that adoption MUST go thru GW: www.greyhoundwelfare.org

THANKS SO MUCH!!
If you are interested please email Jo at jo@wigglebums.com
The adoption must go through:

www.greyhoundwelfare.org