Learn Why Great Danes Are Attracted To Vertical Objects When Roaming The Outdoors

When people and Great Danes go for walks, it’s almost as though they’re on completely different trips. We see all the same things we saw the day before - the same trees, the same mailboxes, the same fire hydrants. However, our dogs are “seeing” with the nose. The scents he encounters are changing all the time.

A tree by the sidewalk, for example, contains hundreds of scents humans don’t know exist. But dogs recognize them as clearly as we see the branches and the leaves. They’re especially attuned to the smells of other dogs. A quick sniff tells them who’s been there before them, how big and dominant they were, whether they were male or female, even if they were in good health. A tree, for example, might as well be a signed guest book!

The reason vertical objects such as telephone poles and fire hydrants have so much appeal is that they provide a canvas for Great Danes to project their social aspirations. In their world, size makes a difference. Bigger dogs can “claim” more territory than smaller ones. The thinking seems to be, The higher I urinate, the bigger other dogs will think I am. Some dogs go so far as to choose the highest tree on a hill, and then try to mark the highest spot on that tree.

Some Great Danes are so determined to get their marks up high that they get downright athletic. Some raise their legs over their heads in order to An essential part of this golden retriever’s routine is checking out who’s been visiting his district. It makes his daily patrol around his territory more interesting. achieve more upward trajectory. Others back up to trees with their hind ends in the air. Some even stand on their front legs in order to get extra height. Their efforts don’t go unnoticed by other dogs. Even dogs who don’t leave a mark of their own usually want to stop and investigate who’s been around.

For Great Danes who have been neutered, hydrants and other vertical objects are mainly an opportunity to share some gossip - their mating instinct isn’t very strong. dogs who are intact, however, have a very practical reason for aiming high. Big dogs tend to be the most dominant, and dominant dogs are more attractive to the opposite sex. For males, hitting a high spot on a tree is an opportunity to announce their availability as well as their status. For females, sniffing the different levels gives them a variety of mates to choose from.

Learn The 4 States Of A Female Great Dane’s Reproductive Cycle

The age at which Great Danes reach sexual maturity depends to a large extent on their breed. Small breeds tend to mature faster than large breeds. In general, male Great Dane puppies become fertile after six months of age and reach full fertility by twelve to fifteen months. Healthy stud dogs may remain sexually active and fertile up to eight to ten years old or older. Adult males are able to mate at any time. Females experience their first estrus (also known as season and heat) sometime after six months of age, although a wide variation occurs, with eighteen months not uncommon in some larger breeds. Estrus recurs at intervals of six to seven months on the average, depending on the breed and individual, until late in life. During the estrus period, the female is fertile and will accept the male.

The reproductive cycle of the female Great Dane is divided into four stages:

1. Proestrus: This is the time when males are attracted to females. A bloody vaginal discharge is observed, as well as distinct swelling of the external genitalia. Proestrus lasts approximately nine days; the female, however, will not allow mating at this stage.

2. Estrus: Estrus also lasts approximately nine days. During this phase, females will allow males to mount. Ovulation usually occurs in the first forty-eight hours; however, this is extremely variable. Fertilization can take place during estrus if she is inseminated by a fertile dog.

3. Diestrus: The third stage, lasting sixty to ninety days, occurs when the reproductive tract is under the control of progesterone. This happens whether or not the female becomes pregnant. False pregnancy, a condition in which the dog shows all the symptoms of being pregnant although she has not conceived, is occasionally seen during diestrus.

4. Anestrus: This is the period following diestrus when no sexual activity takes place. It lasts for three to four months.

There are many schools of thought regarding when to begin breeding a female Great Dane. It is customary, however, not to breed at the first heat to avoid imposing the stress of pregnancy and lactation on a young, growing animal. Another common practice is to avoid breeding a dog on consecutive heats, to allow sufficient time for recuperation between pregnancies. If breeding on the first heat or on consecutive heats occurs, extra attention and care are mandatory to reduce the risk of potential problems. Ask your veterinarian for advice on this subject.

Pet briefs 

Through Jan. 2, more than 2,400 animal shelters and rescue groups around the world, including 88 Indiana groups, will join PAWs for Home 4 the Holidays 2006. This international pet adoption campaign is designed to match orphaned pets with loving families so they don’t spend the holidays in shelters and can avoid euthanasia.
Source: www.nwitimes.com

Capsule reviews of recently released movies 
A Good Year, Harsh Times …
Source: tampa.creativeloafing.com

Pet briefs 
Third annual Allbreed & Household Pet Cat Show, presented by Fantasticats, will take place 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Oakwood Grand Hall at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road. Show features purebred cats, household pets, cat supply, gift vendors and food concessions.
Source: www.nwitimes.com

A dog’s story: Rescue group helps Zephyr find his ‘forever family’ 
He’s safe now. But when Zephyr was 6 months old, he was abandoned at the Fort Lewis animal shelter. “He was duct-taped inside a shoebox - no air holes or nothing,” said Marty Borden, 50, of Olympia. “When they found him, he was covered in feces. … And he was skin and bones - totally malnourished.”
Source: www.theolympian.com

Learn How To Train Your Great Dane Not To Cross Streets Or Driveways Without You

Would you like to train your Great Dane puppy to automatically stop at the street without any verbal cue from you? This can be done by you starting to walk five feet from the street with your dog heeling at your side. As you walk toward the street, give no indication that you are going to stop. What you want to happen is for your dog to automatically stop and sit, since she recognizes this as a street even though you continue to walk past the curb and out on the street. When you do stop, both of your feet are on the street though your puppy is sitting at the curb.

You need to give yourself some leash room because you are increasing your speed as you move into the street - so you’re adding a little more distance between you and your Great Dane. You are adding more leash because you don’t want to inadvertently jerk your dog onto the street. If your dog follows you onto the street, turn around and pop the leash and say, “No! Back! Street!” Your hands should be over her right ear where all the pops take place. Later you can control her if she starts to enter the street by quickly turning around and saying “Back-Street Sit!” Practice this on as many street corners as possible. As your dog begins to identify streets on her own, you will notice that she will stop at driveways as well.

Next as you take your training further, you will step even further out into the street - a full car width away from the curb. Also at this level, you can drop the leash from your hands; however, make sure the leash is just in front of your feet so that you can quickly step on it just in case your puppy decides to bolt across the street. You can use a ten-foot leash for this level - with a longer lead you can more easily step on it if your pup starts to run away.

You want your puppy to get used to the idea that you are standing even further into the street and that she can’t join you unless you give the command to bring her to your side and sit. If she follows you onto the street, don’t panic or react with fear by screaming at her. This is a new exercise and her instinct will be to stay at your side. Stay calm. Turn this mistake into a positive training session. Direct her back to the curb while you say “Back” as you initiate your movement backward with your left foot while your left hand chops the leash toward your waist. When her front paws hit the curb, say “Street,” and when her hind legs hit the curb say “Sit.”

Once your puppy is safely back on the curb, then step back out onto the street a full car width away from the curb. Because this exercise adds distance from your pup, she will increase her focus on you. This is what you want - to be seen as the leader of your pack on the street.

This exercise is not only good for Great Dane dogs, but for owners as well. Many owners are nervous being in the street with their dog, so they tend to rush across the street. But rushing across the street sends a bad message to your Great Dane. She is learning that it’s okay to blindly rush across the street. And if she does it with you, she will do it on her own someday if she gets loose from you.

Learn How To Test A Great Dane Puppy From The Litter (Part 2)

When deciding on choosing a Great Dane puppy from the litter, pick one and hold the puppy in three different positions that will make her feel submissive to you and establish you as an authority figure. These are exercises that closely approximate what a mother dog might do to her pup, or what an “alpha” wolf might do to a lesser pack member. They don’t hurt, but they do put you temporarily in charge of the puppy’s movements, and her reactions will tell you something about her willingness to accept your leadership.

To begin, sit down and pick the Great Dane (we suggest sitting on the floor just in case she wriggles out of your hands). Hold her in front of your face, being sure to support her completely from beneath the rib cage; don’t hold her by the arms or shoulders, or she’ll justifiably squeal in protest. Look into her eyes and smile at her. Does she struggle, grumble and whine, or does she hang limply? A dominant puppy will fight to get free, while a submissive one won’t offer any resistance at all. (If she fights you, give her a little shake and say “Hey!” or “Ah-ah!” and see whether she calms down or only grows antsier.) A happy medium is a puppy who wriggles a bit at first but then settles down and makes eye contact with you.

Then - provided the puppy is small enough - cradle her on her back in your arms; support her head as if she were a human baby. Look into her eyes and talk pleasantly to her. Again, note whether she kicks and screams, goes limp or something in between.

Finally, place the puppy on the floor and gently roll her onto her side, into “play-dead” position. Use one hand to stroke her head and the other to keep the rest of her body in place; don’t pin her to the ground like a wrestler, but do encourage her to stay still and let you pet her. Does she struggle to get up, or does she become a rag doll under your hands? You probably know by now that what you’re looking for is something in the middle: a Great Dane puppy who may thrash around a bit at first but then lies quietly and accepts your authority.

By now you should have a pretty fair idea of how bossy or demure this Great Dane is going to be. If she’s at one extreme of the spectrum or the other, she may very well be more of a challenge to train than you want, unless you’re very experienced with dogs of her disposition. If she’s somewhere in the middle, she’ll probably turn out to be a great puppy for you.

Learn How To Test A Great Dane Puppy From The Litter (Part 1)

Many articles have been written about how to choose a Great Dane puppy that is right for you, how to determine which kind of dog breed would best suite your lifestyle, and how to welcome your new Great Dane puppy at home but very few people discuss how to test a puppy from a litter that you are viewing for selection.

First of all, play with the puppy that you are considering bringing home! Sit on the floor so that you’re a friendly, non-threatening figure, and talk to her in a sweet voice; let her come to you, climb into your lap, sniff you, get used to your presence. Use a toy or a treat to break the ice, if necessary.

Already you’ll be able to tell a few things about her personality. If she runs or slinks away and you can’t coax her to you, she’s probably going to be a shy and submissive dog who will need lots of patient training and reassurance if she’s to have a normal social life. If she’s at the other end of the spectrum and trounces you merrily while chewing on your clothes, biting at your hair and barking, she’s likely to be a dominant, brassy dog to whom you’ll need to lay down the law firmly.

Ideally, either she’ll come right to you and play gently, or she’ll start off timidly but grow accustomed to you in a minute or so. If she nips or mouths a little bit, don’t hold it against her; that’s a normal puppy behavior, and she only needs to be taught to keep her teeth to
herself. But if she’s obnoxiously overbearing, or if she bites hard, be wary.

If she’s worried about you at first, that too may be a completely normal response to this new situation. But if she’s so scared that she shakes, growls or hides, she may not be the one for you. You want her to be curious and confident; she should accept your petting, scratching and cheerful talking without biting you or cowering. Watch for a wagging tail and a head held high!

Next, get up and walk across the room, patting your leg or clap-ping your hands encouragingly as you go. If she follows willingly, that’s a great sign. If she follows so willingly that she feels the need to bite your ankles or attack your feet, that’s another indication of a dominant, demanding disposition. And if she stays put or heads in the other direction, that’s a sign of shyness or just plain lack of interest. You want her to be responsive and intrigued, not over-bearing, scared or bored.

Pet Briefs 

Genesis Allbreed Cat Club, associated with the American Cat Fanciers Association, holds its annual cat show 9 a.m. until all cats are judged (about 4 p.m.) Saturday in the Industrial Arts Building at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 889 S. Court St. Purebred and household companion cats are judged separately.
Source: www.nwitimes.com

Pet briefs 
October is Adopt a shelter dog Month and many dogs are currently available for adoption at South Suburban Humane Society, 1103 W. End Ave.
Source: www.nwitimes.com