The St. Bernard is a well-known large dog breed around the world because of its valiant ways and adorably massive frame. This breed has been the search and rescue dog of the Swiss Alps for many centuries and many heroic stories can prove to this dog's long search and rescue history. Today, however, more than a rescue dog in the Alps, this dog is very popular among families as a dependable and loyal pet.

This breed is said to have come from the massive ancient Molossoid dog breeds and Sennenhunds, a herding and hunting breed of the Swiss. Today's appearance of the St. Bernard however is not exactly of the classic St. Bernard because there came a point when this breed almost vanished because avalanches swallowed many of the dogs. With the use of the Newfoundland breed the St. Bernard was saved from extinction.

The name of this dog was given by travelers who sought refuge at the hospice at St. Bernard Pass, a treacherous pass in the Western Alps. The travelers saw these massive dogs that were used on many rescue operations and so to identify them, they called them St. Bernards. The breed's and the pass' name was of an 11th century monk named Bernard Menthon who is also the founder of the hospice.

Before being called St. Bernard, this dog was known as Saint Dog, Noble Steed, Alpenmastiff and Barry dog. Additionally, a St. Bernard named Barry became very famous when he rescued 40 to 100 people from certain death. Because of this, he was founded a monument at the Cimetiere des Chiens and his body was preserved and displayed at the National History Museum at Berne.

The St. Bernard is a heavy and gigantic breed of dog that weighs as much as 160 to 260 pounds and stands 27 1/2 to 35 1/2 inches at the withers. The tail of this dog is usually long, heavy and low set but turns up slightly. The eyes are innately tight lid and the face and ears are usually shaded in black.

The coat of the St. Bernard can be smooth, close to the body and flat. It can also be rough, flat and dense especially around the neck and legs. Common coat colors for this breed are red with white or mahogany brindle with white.

As a house pet, the St. Bernard is reliable, hardworking and eager to please. It is also understanding and patient with children and if it is properly socialized when small, it can be tolerant with smaller animals too during adulthood. This breed is also not so hard to train because it is intelligent and obedient.

The St. Bernard is not rough nor excessively active but actually very gentle and affable. It is not very active indoors and so an urban type of dwelling would suffice him. To keep his mental and physical health fit, daily walks should be done for this dog.

Posted under Dogs

Congratulations on your new found friend. You sure did pick an amazing creature. In fact, I believe you are going to have a lot of fun. I also hope you were completely ready when you picked out the pet, because there are many dogs in the animal shelter that lose their life everyday all because people who were not fully capable of taking care of them picked them out. Speaking of taking care of them, you will also need to make sure you look into dog health problems. Within this article, we are going to talk to you about dog health problems and what you should know to prevent them.

You should take note that certain breeds of dogs are more prone to certain health problems. Take the pit bull as an example, they are more prone to having hip dyspepsia while the boxer is more prone to having eye problems. As we continue this article, we are going to tell you what to do for all breeds of dogs. That's right, this article is for Pit Bulls, Boxers, Rottweilers and even those small critters.

Making sure that your dog is well trained will keep him happy and healthy. By properly training your canine, you will make him smart and smart dogs have a habit of staying healthy. If you care about your dog's well-being, you will begin his training as soon as possible. You should begin by leash training him and teaching him his name. By doing this, you will have more control of him which will allow you to keep your canine out of trouble. Teaching your canine that the road is a dangerous place would also be adviseable because many innocent dogs have died on the road.

If your dog has a health problem, you need to seek out the best vet that can help you resolve the problem. One of the major health problems your dog can have is heart worms. The heart worms can have your dog going through a hard time in their older years and more than likely not make it through. So, if you see your dog coughing, this could be a sign of heart worms and needs to be looked into by a professional. Luckily, there are various preventive measures for heart worms that can help a dog live a long and healthy life. If you detect the heart worms in the dog when it is too late (heart worms have spread throughout the body and grew all over the heart), then you may lose your four-legged friend.

To watch out for problems, you should watch for those that are the most common. The most common health problems involve fleas and ticks. To get rid of the ticks and fleas, you should look into a good type of flea prevention and tick prevention. There might also be parasites and bugs on the body which can also have a negative effect on the body. Parasites can feed on the body leaving it weak and can also cause problems with the heart.

When a dog has problems with his skin he can be left with mange. Mange is a common health problem that is found in dogs that spend a lot of time in the outdoors and don't take baths on a regular basis. Most dog health problems occur because you are neglecting them or not visiting the vet enough.

Some dog health problems such as bone problems can be difficult to avoid. Many canines with hip problems and other problems with their bones will have a difficult time when they get older. They will not have an easy time moving around and they will have to endure some pain. The best thing a veterinarian can do to alleviate the pain is to give them pain medicine and/or joint supplements.

You should make sure that you provide your dog with the right type of health supplements and/or vitamins. Your pet needs to have nourishment. You will be able to improve his health by giving him some dog health supplements and/or vitamins. However, you need to make sure that you are dealing with the brand of supplements and/or vitamins that are tested. In order to know if they are trusted, you will need to speak with a reliable veterinarian on this subject. If you give your dog the incorrect supplements and/or vitamins, it could have negative effects on his health.

I highly recommend you see that your dog gets a good amount of exercise. There are some dogs that are not so active, but they still need to be exercised. When you exercise your dog, you are strengthening their stamina as well as preventing them from becoming overweight. When it comes to the type of exercises for your dog, it all depends on the breed you have. You will be able to ask your vet for some assistance on this issue.

Just as human beings need to get vaccinated, so does your dog. This is why you should pay attention to his vaccination schedule. There are vaccinations that can prevent infections and viruses from destroying your canine's health. Some of these vaccinations may require a follow up either a couple of months or a couple of years later as your canine grows up.

It is important that you take your four-legged friend to the vet each year. The vet will check him or her over and at this point, if you have any dog health questions, it would be the best time to ask. The experience and knowledge of your veterinarian will help you understand your dog's health a bit better. So there you have it. How to avoid your dog's health problems all has to do with you and how you care for him.

Posted under Dogs

Why would you even want to have a pet insurance package for your pet in the first place? I know there are lots of pet owners out there that think that it isn't necessary to have a pet insurance and for some of them it will definitely be true.

Having to face not being able to pay the bill for pet surgery or for life long medication and therefore having to put your pet to rest is not something you would want to experience but it can be the harsh reality without a pet insurance.

The points mentioned below will give you something to think about in case you haven't truly made up your mind about whether a pet insurance will be the right solution for you. Whatever you choose is great as long as it has been a thought through decision.

An insurance company is a business and the only way they make money is if they get more in than what goes out. But sometimes money does flow and that is when pet owners have made an insurance policy for they pet and the pet is in an accident and needs treatment and medication.

Security is one of the main reasons that people get a pet health insurance. Insurance will give you a feeling of security and will help you sleep better at night because you know that whatever happens to your pet you will not face huge medical bills and not being able to afford surgery for your cat or dog.

For a small monthly fee you can feel financially secure because you know that if your pet get into an accident or get a serious condition you have the insurance company covering your back and paying for the treatment and the medication needed.

It is one thing to get into an accident or to become ill but being healthy and fit is also a large part of living a great life and that is why most pet insurance packages today offer extra health benefits for the pet such as programs for optimal exercise and similar offerings.

Pet insurance is not for everyone and it never will be. Some like taking risks and they'll sometime win and think that they made a great choice. And in the given situation they did. But if you look at all the people that took the same risks but failed you might want to ask yourself whether you want to bet your pets health on your luck?

Posted under Dogs