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Puppy Teacups

The Cutest Little Dogs

by Lily Evans

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Bichon Frise had made their marks in the canine world as superb companion dogs. What happens then if people start crossing them? The outcome would be the Cavachon, an entirely new breed and seemingly another superb companion dog.

The Cavachon belongs to what breeders call the designer dogs group, taken from the fact that it is a product of this modern era's interbreeding. This dog is mostly found living among the city people because apartment life suits it very well. Additionally, it is also hailed as a hypo-allergenic dog that's why many people with sensitivity to dog hair and dander opt to adopt it.

The Cavachons temperament and appearance may differ from each other depending on what parent breed they took it after. This little dog has large inquisitive eyes that express intelligence and indeed, this breed is notable for having a high intellect. Its body, albeit being wrapped delicately with soft fur, still manages to appear athletic and strong.

Additionally, the Cavachon also looks sturdy, is completely energetic and animated. It is mostly active indoors but can be placid at times in order to spend some quiet time with the master. Outside, this dog needs to be freed in a fenced area or leashed when needs to be taken for a walk.

The Cavachon makes a good house pet as it is friendly with humans especially children. It gets along well with other dogs and you can always count the Cavachon to dwell peacefully with other people or creatures in the house. However, this dog can be cautious and alert and this is manifested through its signaling of the household whenever it hears a strange sound or sees a stranger approaching.

Moreover, this dog is very loving, active and gentle but should not be left alone or ignored for long periods of time. The Cavachon is also intelligent and very easy to train but it is utterly difficult to housebreak. In this case, as early as possible, it is best to train it in obedience and socialization.

When it comes to size, the Cavachon range from small to medium, and 12 to 20 pounds in weight. Its fluffy and smooth fur comes in combinations of colors such as peach and white, sable and white, black and white, red and white, lemon and white, and tri-color (combination of black, white and tan). Surprisingly, however, the young Cavachons with tri-colored coats turn lighter as they age while the black and white colored puppies remain the same as they grow old.

Keeping the Cavachon clean and neat require regular grooming in forms of daily coat brushing, professional clipping, and regular cleaning of the ears. Dental hygiene of this dog shouldn't be neglected as well as it is prone to teeth loss at an early age. This dog is also susceptible to many health concerns and these include various skin problems, heart problems, hip dysplasia, allergic reaction to flea bites, and ear infection.

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by Albert Barkley

The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a crossbreed of the Tennessee Lead, a dog with an unknown origin, and the Walker Hound. It was not officially recognized as an independent dog breed until the mid 1940s. The breed directly descended from English Foxhounds which were first brought by Thomas Walker in Virginia in the year 1742.

The importation of foxhounds to Virginia was Thomas Walkers attempt to introduce the New World to the English foxhunting tradition. But the tradition did not become a popular practice until a couple of years later. Treeing Walker Coonhounds are natural born hunters.

They are especially known for their ability to "tree" any prey. They are natural hunters and if they are trained well, they will learn to let out a distinctive howl to let the hunter know that the prey has been cornered and that the chase is about to come to an end. They may not be the best urban or suburban pets but they sure are the best in doing what they are seemingly designed to do " hunting.

Coonhounds are naturally affectionate and are completely efficient aside from being unstoppable and untiring. They are natural athletes and are a lover of warm climates and they love to run around and swim. Agility is one of their most remarkable traits so you would rarely see them lying around to sunbathe or take naps.

Average people would often mistake Walker Coonhounds for oversized beagles. Their shoulders are sturdy, legs lean and straight; their coats are of two or three colors and are typically short and smooth. Body width is usually at 20-28 inches and weight is at around 50-70 pounds and their ears are larger than their heads.

Coonhounds become restless when they lack physical and mental exercise. Owners thus have to make time taking them to walks or to a dog park where they can play and run around. Because they are lovers of the outdoor and outdoor activities, they are not very suitable for life in apartments.

Training Walker Coonhounds are good companions aside from being excellent working and hunting dogs. Although they are fast learners and can catch tricks and routines through examples, they can ignore their trainers to follow their noses at times. As scent hounds, they have an excellent sense of smell and they have distinctive howls so they can be easily identified by their owners.

The average life span of Treeing Walker Coonhounds is at 12 to 13 years. Although they are not prone to major health issues, their ears should be regularly checked and cleaned to prevent infection. They also have to be bathed occasionally and the need for grooming is minimal for this particular dog breed.

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by Arthur Clark

There are many disputes that surround the existence of the new addition to the dog breed world, the Golden Labrador. Hearing its name, you might think that this breed is either a golden colored Labrador or a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever. One of these assumptions is true while the other is not.

But the term golden-colored Labrador holds conflicts between Labrador enthusiasts and the official kennel clubs. Could it be possible that the supposed golden Labrador is just actually a yellow variant of the Labrador Retriever? The experts warn, however, that there is no such breed as a golden-colored Labrador so it is best not to believe this hype.

There are only three colors accepted for the Labrador Retriever and these are: black, chocolate and yellow. Golden is an unacceptable variant and is said to be non-existent. Golden-colored Labrador is a name supposedly coined by breeders who found a strong-yellow-colored Lab in from a Labradors litter.

If breeders insist that there is such a thing as a golden Labrador but wishes to sell one, authorities advise to steer clear from them because they most probably are scammers. There have been instances where buyers who indeed bought the said golden Labs were surprised to realize that their golden Labs and yellow Labs are just the same variant. Some deceitful sellers would even state that DNA testing has been done in order to prove the existence of a golden Lab but experts say there is no truth to this.

Now that it's clear that there is no such thing as a golden Labrador, the question now remains as, "What then is a Golden Labrador?" Just like what the other assumption stated, a Golden Labrador is the result of mixing a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever. These parent breeds are one of the most popular dogs around the world and practically millions of people own them. Their hybrid offspring, the Golden Labrador, is beginning to be another phenomenal breed for it is gaining popularity by the day around the world.

Generally, a crossbreed of two or more purebreds will come out having the different traits, both physical and temperament, of the parents. The distribution, however, will not likely be 50-50 but could be 40% from one parent and 60% from the other; depending on how much did the hybrid inherit. The characteristics of the hybrid may be inherited from both parents or could be its own developed character.

The Golden Retriever is a well-known water retriever and is an excellent swimmer. The hybrid Golden Labrador may get this skill from the Golden Retriever but may not be as excellent. On the other hand, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular pet in the US for reasons that it is highly trainable, gentle and amiable. It is also great in scent detecting and in fact, is used in many police and military works.

The crossbred Golden Labrador may sometimes come out as an excellent detector too but there will be instances when it will be a superb swimmer more than a smeller. Hybrids are not well established in terms of characteristics therefore breed standards cannot be created for them yet. In terms of physicality, a hybrid may appear to be a look alike of one of its parents but there are instances also when it looks exactly like the combination of its two different parents.

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