Bradenton Dog

American Kennel Club

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Breed Profile: American Cocker Spaniel

By Alisha Corsi

With their ever-wagging tails and bubbly personalities, it’s no wonder that the American Cocker Spaniel has held the title of America’s most popular breed for a total of 18 years! Their love for people and animals has endeared them to several presidents, including Richard Nixon (who could forget his famous “Checkers Speech”), Rutherford B. Hayes, and Bill Clinton.  Originally bred as hunting dogs, Cocker Spaniels are now generally bred as family pets, and make great companion animals.


Physical Traits

Size & Weight: The Cocker Spaniel is the smallest member of the Sporting Group of dogs, measuring around 13-15 inches at the shoulders (with females being at the shorter end of the scale). Cockers weigh in between 15-30 pounds, making them a medium-sized dog. Their distinctly shaped heads make them immediately recognizable.

Coat & Color: Cocker Spaniels have medium length silky fur on the body and ears, with feathering down the legs and bellies. Color can be any solid or multi-color variety.

Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

Temperament

Often referred to as the “Merry Cocker,” these are cheerful, gentle dogs that are equally well suited for life as a household pet or gundog. Known for their happy dispositions, Cockers are social butterflies who love everyone, and are extremely devoted to their pet parents. They are best suited for living indoors, where they can spend most of their time with the people they love.

Something to Bark About:The term “Cocker Spaniel” actually refers to two different breeds of dogs, the American Cocker and the English Cocker. Both are simply referred to as Cocker Spaniels in their home countries. While similar in stature, American Cockers generally have shorter backs and muzzles than their English cousins. Since their official recognition by the American Kennel Club in 1878, the American Cocker Spaniel has won Best in Show at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on four separate occasions.

Wags:

  • Cockers are great with adults, children, and other animals.
  • They are generally easy to train.
  • Fiercely loyal, Cockers remain faithful to their human families for life.

Yelps:

  • Cockers who are left to their own devices for too long can become bored and destructive, so if you’re out of the house most of the day, this may not be the dog for you.
  • Because of their popularity, Cockers have frequently been bred in puppy mills, leading to increased numbers of breed-related health problems in certain bloodlines.  These include ear infections, eye problems, and heart conditions.
  • Because of their unique coats they require regular grooming.

Do you think the American Cocker Spaniel would be the perfect addition to your family? Check your local animal shelter or contact Florida Cocker Spaniel Rescue.

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Breed Profile: Boston Terrier

By Alisha Corsi

With their refined personalities and dapper tuxedo markings, Boston Terriers are known as the “American Gentlemen” of dog breeds. Originating in the stables of Boston (where else would they?), Boston Terriers were the first US breed to be recognized by the American Kennel Club, making them the all-American dog!

Physical Traits

Size & Weight: Boston Terriers stand between 15-17 inches at the shoulder, and weigh between 10-25 pounds. They are small, compact dogs with short muzzles and square faces.

Coat & Color: Boston Terriers have short, smooth coats that are most often brindle, seal, or black with even white markings on the face and chest. “Seal” is a color that is exclusive to Boston Terriers, and refers to a black color that reveals red highlights in the sun. Boston Terriers can also be liver, brown, cream, or red, but these are rare.

Life Expectancy: 11-13 years

Temperament
Boston Terriers are gentle, well-mannered dogs with happy-go-lucky personalities. They love their human companions, and are always eager to please. Highly intelligent dogs, Boston Terriers are easy to train and are usually enthusiastic about learning new things. Because of their affectionate personalities and excellent character, Boston Terriers are extremely popular in the United States.

Something to Bark About: The American Kennel Club breed standards state that Boston Terriers should be wrinkle-free—be grateful that we’re not all held to that standard! The Boston Terrier serves as the mascot for not one, but two institutions of higher education in the US—Wofford College in South Carolina, and of course, Rhett the Boston Terrier at Boston University.
Wags
• Boston Terriers get along well with children, elderly people, and animals.
• Boston Terriers are easy keepers who require only a moderate amount of exercise and a minimum amount of grooming.
• Boston Terriers learn very quickly, and have very affable personalities.

Yelps
• Like most pure dog breeds, Boston Terriers are prone to some health issues, including eye problems, heart murmurs, and allergies.
• Their compact body type causes a few challenges that can also be seen as endearing—they can be quite flatulent in the absence of a proper diet, and their shortened muzzles make them prone to snoring. Nothing a little Febreze and ear plugs can’t cure!

If you’d like to learn more about adoptable Boston Terriers in your area, visit Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida for more information.

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Breed Profile: Welsh Corgi

by Lauren R. Tharp

As the old Welsh term “cor gi” roughly translates to “dwarf dog,” is it any wonder that this lovely herding breed is known primarily for its squat stature?  Popularized in modern times by Queen Elizabeth II and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1934, the Corgi has been making itself memorable over the years in books, movies, and even anime.
Physical Traits

Size & Weight:  Both male and female Corgis measure around 10-12 inches at the shoulder, and weigh 20-30 pounds.  This breed is “medium” in size.  They’re low to the ground, but long of body.

Coat & Color:  This breed sports a double coat: They have a medium-length, coarse, water-resistant overcoat with a shorter, plusher, undercoat.  Welsh Corgis come in all colors, but the most common are tan, black, red, sable, or fawn—with or without white markings.  And they have naturally short tails!

Other:  While, as a whole, this breed is known simply as “Welsh Corgis,” there are actually two distinct breeds in the group: Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Cardigan Welsh Corgi.  Both breeds originate from Wales and have only slight differences in coat texture and colors.  As you may have guessed, the differences are so minimal that (for other than show dog breeders) they’ve been lumped together into the same group.  However, this remains a fun fact to pull out at parties!

Life Expectancy:  12-15 years.

Temperament
A member of the Herding Group, the Welsh Corgi has been known to herd cattle, sheep, ponies, geese, and sometimes their owners!  This breed is bold, confident, and loyal to the end.  As the 11th most intelligent purebred dog breed in existence, Corgis are quick to learn and highly obedient.

Wags

  • Suitable for first-time owners.
  • Great with children.
  • Responds well to obedience training.

Challenges

  • They bark.  A lot.
  • While great with humans, they can sometimes be aggressive with other animals if not properly socialized with them early on.  Some male Corgis will remain aggressive toward other males even after socialization.
  • They require a fair amount of exercise. You may find them nipping at your heels with a “go go go” attitude if not sufficiently worn out throughout the day.

Does the Welsh Corgi sound like your ideal mate? Contact the Florida Corgi Rescue to find an adoptable Corgi in our area.

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Poodle Profile

By Lauren Tharp

The perfect mix of beauty and brains, the Poodle has rightly earned its spot as the 8th most popular breed in America and the 2nd most intelligent by the American Kennel Club.  The Poodle, originally used as a hunting dog, has had an ever-changing role throughout its history.  Being employed as anything from a guide dog to an Army working dog to a circus performer, Poodles are now known more for their haircuts but one thing has never changed: How much their owners love them.

Physical Traits

Size & Weight:  This wonder dog comes in all sizes: Standard, Miniature, and Toy!  Standard Poodles are 15-20 inches at the shoulder and weigh 45-70 pounds.  Miniature Poodles are around 10-14 inches at the shoulder and typically weigh 6-10 pounds.  Toy Poodles, the smallest of them all, measure 10 inches or less at the shoulder and weigh an itty-bitty 4-6 pounds.

Coat & Color:  Poodle coats are curly or corded.  They’re available in nearly all solid colors including white, black, cream, blue, gray, silver, brown, and apricot.

Other:  Poodles don’t shed; their hair grows and grows and grows.  It’s because of this that the breed has their hair clipped on a regular basis.  However, the classic “poodle cut” was originally designed to help the dogs move through water more efficiently when on hunting trips with their masters.

Life Expectancy:  12-17+ years.  Life spans for Poodles vary.  As a general rule: The smaller the dog, the longer the lifespan.

Temperament

Never shy.  Quite the opposite, really.  Poodles are bold, confident, and highly intelligent.  Highly “people-orientated,” this breed loves (and needs!) human companionship.  They follow orders extremely well.

Wags:

  • They’re fantastic at obedience training! They learn quickly and they retain what they’ve learned, making them well-suited for old pros and first-time owners alike.
  • Great with children.
  • Considered by many to be more “hypoallergenic” than most breeds due to is lack of shedding.

Challenges:

  • Requires regular professional grooming.  This can be expensive and time-consuming.
  • Due to their strong hunting instinct, they’re not always the best breed to mingle with smaller animals.  Birds in particular could be in danger if your poodle isn’t introduced to them early enough.

Can grow to be high strung or mischievous if not physically exercised or mentally challenged on a regular basis

If you are considering adding a poodle to your family, please consider contacting one of our local rescue group or Florida Poodle Rescue.  Need some gear for Poodle?  Check out this cool site CollarPlanet.com or for breed specific Poodle goodies, RamonaLovesDogs.com.