Are you considering adopting and raising a Black Mouth Cur? Taking that you even know what it is, you’re going to have to learn more about its history, character, and the jobs that it was “meant” for. The Black Mouth Cur is one of the best hunting dog breeds on the face of the planet – they have skills that others don’t have, and similar ones that are of greater “refinement”. This pooch has been known for its neck-snapping speed, as well as its eye-popping agility. It can get through obstacles, such include trees, vines, etc., in the hunting environment it was placed in.

The build of it is ideal for that kind of scenario – athletic, strong and a flexible body weighing anywhere from 40 to 80 pounds and standing up to 28 inches. With that physical prowess and structure, it was no wonder that it was able to run after and kill medium to small sized critters with ease. But its abilities didn’t just limit itself to catching small game; it had a knack for the big ones. Be it a deer or a bear, the Black Mouth Cur could easily sneak up on it, catching it off guard. From there it would be able to alert the hunter of the prey it found, or if necessary keep it busy till the hunter arrived.

Killing animals, tracking them down, or holding them at bay was one of its many specialties. Aside from that, it made a good sheepdog – guarding herd, keeping them in order, and warding off predators was the standard operating procedure given to it by the farmers. That’s how the Black Mouth Cur is, and that should never be forgotten while raising one. With that in mind, having one as a family pet would be great. They are very protective and have the tendency to treat the family as its “herd”. Unwavering loyalty to the lucky owners of the pooch will be given without hesitation.

It’s also known for its kindness towards the people it loves, especially the ladies (it’s a fact). Black Mouth Curs also get along very well with the children of the family – they just love playing with them and keeping them under “surveillance”. But they don’t get along with other kinds of animals, such as raccoons and smaller animals. The other pets in town could also trigger its “hunting instinct”. Remember these are very proficient killers, having one in the town may lead to “mysterious disappearances” of other peoples pets. Giving it thorough canine behavioral lessons and “socialization classes” is very important if you don’t wanna be the owner of a serial killer.

Let it meet the other mammals and people around, preferably at an early age. Giving it nutritious dog food is also important – its best that you give it three meals a day, instead of one big one. This will help out with its digestion and avoid the rise of any “overfeeding” related disorders. Have it exercise often, like everyday to keep it in good shape. Most importantly, give it love and attention – don’t treat it as if it were a piece of property or whatever; treat it as if it were a member of the family.

The German Shepherd Dog is a very noble breed with excellent working abilities. These dogs are capable of performing long hours of physical exercise without showing signs of extreme exhaustion. They are often used as police dogs, guard dogs, search and rescue dogs and also therapy dogs. The German Shepherd Dog is one of the best examples of a perfect working dog.

The German Shepherd Dog is also one of the most popular family and pet dogs because of its many good properties. Owning a German Shepherd Dog comes along with a great responsibility to train the dog. It is very important that the owner shall at least do basic obedience with their dog. That includes sit and down on command, sit and down stays and loose leash heeling. The recall command is probably the most important command of all for any dog, but even more so with the German Shepherd Dog.

German Shepherds are very strong dogs and you do not want to be dragged around the block when you take it for a walk. You need to be in control. When you have visitors, you do not want your German Shepherd to jump up against your friends. It is essential that you start training your German Shepherd puppy the moment it arrives at your home. From day one you should establish the packing order. Your puppy should not for one moment get the idea that he must fulfil the role of alpha.

Things your German Shepherd puppy should not be allowed: ? Your puppy will be very cute and beautiful, they all are, but he should not be allowed on the bed or on the couch. ? He should not be allowed to play bite any human. If he wants to bite your hand, say “NO” in a growling voice and give him a chewable toy.

The most essential thing you should do with your GSD puppy: ? Your puppy should be well socialized especially the first few months of its life, but preferably for the rest of its life. Take him with you wherever you go. Let him meet other dogs, people and especially children

German Shepherd Dogs are such clever dogs and easily trainable and so willing to please their owners that it is really sad when owners do not train their dogs.

There are so many disciplines in which their dogs can excel for example: ? Obedience ? Tracking ? Protection work ? Agility ? Therapy work (depending on the temperament)

Which method should be used for training the German Shepherd Dog? It is wrongly believed that because the GSD is such a strong dog, that you should use strong and harsh methods to train the dog. Actually it is just the opposite. GSD’s are sensitive dogs and so clever that they learn very fast when you use positive reinforcement methods with lost of treats and praise. Clicker training is ideal for training any dog but also the GSD. You still have to be very firm especially when it is a male dog going through his hormonal phases, but the key is consistency and patience. If properly trained your German Shepherd will be a joy and companion for many years.

MS du Toit has been training dogs for ten years. Please visit her Dog Training Page at http://www.dogtrainingtipsforfree.com

There is no doubt about it, the knitting craze has needled its way into pop culture and is here to stay. But for those knitters who have ideas that surpass the knitting patterns available to them, a new revolution in knitting is finally on the horizon. With Teach Yourself VISUALLY Knitting Design (Visual, an imprint of Wiley; January 2007; $ 24.99), today’s creative knitters can break free of pattern dependency. This handy book provides all the tools a person needs to create garments that match his or her personality, shape and style. Now you are free to stretch your imagination as far as the yarn.

Author Sharon Turner (Teach Yourself VISUALLY Knitting) starts off with the basics — such as checking gauge, using master patterns in multiple gauges, choosing appropriate yarn and calculating yarn yardage. Armed with these basic tools, you will be able to create your own unique designs. With color photos to guide you every step of the way, Turner provides pattern instructions for hats, sweaters, mittens and scarves and then moves on to a variety of ways to customize the garment, from changing yarns and shifting structures to adding creative embellishments. With a special reference that provides stitch patterns, garment sizing charts and pages to sketch designs on, it’s never been so easy to knit outside of the box.

This innovative book is the only tool knitters of all levels need to create something completely unique that matches their tastes. With step-by-step instructions each accompanied by a detailed photo, knitting ideas to life has never been easier. And the best part is you won’t need to wade through complicated text to get there.

Recent studies have concluded that up to 40 percent of all adults may be “visual learners” who learn faster by seeing and imitating, rather than simply reading. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Knitting Design takes readers on a visual journey from mastering basic designs and patterns to adding personal flourishes, to designing your own unique knits. The designs of the future are in your hands.

Knitting Design: Teach Yourself VISUALLY

By Sharon Turner

ISBN: 978-0-470-06817-5

$ 24.99 U.S. / $ 29.99 CAN

293 pages; paperback

VisualTM an imprint of Wiley

VisualTM

Combining clear, step-by-step screen shots with minimal text, Visual guides are the ultimate resource for visual learners, who represent up to 40 percent of the world’s population. Written by top experts, the Visual guides are perfect for everyone who wants to avoid long-winded explanations and jump right into a new skill or hobby. Visual guides teach a wide range of topics — everything from computer graphics to guitar playing to knitting to dog training to mastering software to practicing yoga. For more information, visit wiley.com. Visual is an imprint of Wiley.

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The Boerboel mastiff has the distinction of being the dog bred to protect their masters. The natural protectiveness found in Mastiffs has been strengthened in these dogs through years of breeding and training them for this sole purpose. Because of this trait alone, this dog breed might prove to be the best guard dog you can get for your family.

Physique

The Boerboel mastiff is a large and impressively muscular looking breed. Their faces don’t have as much wrinkles like other mastiffs, so they may look less menacing and beastly. With their well muscled bodies, they can also move with more fluidity and are actually very athletic, unlike other large dogs who might seem a little hulking.

Temperament

Adding to its list of good traits is its innate intelligence and its eagerness to work with its owner. The only hurdle you’ll have to pass is for it to get to accept you as its owner.

This is done by simply being confident in your commands and being firm and consistent with the rules you set on it. Once you’ve established this, you will have little problems in trying to teach your dog, since it will learn things fairly quickly. 

Because of its sheer size and strength, you must have it under control all the time. Otherwise, it might become a very dangerous animal because its naturally protective nature.

They are very wary of strangers and will not hesitate to bark and even try to overpower a marked intruder – for the Boerboel mastiff, this will prove to be easy.

Training for Best Results

The Boerboel mastiff is among the breeds that you really have to train. However, due to their intelligence and willingness to please it will actually prove to be an experience you’ll enjoy; instead of being troublesome.

It is actually best that you mix training and exercise as it will help your boerboel bond with you through play and concentrate on the lesson that they are to learn.

In short the boerboel mastiff is certainly made to be the best guard dog out there but if it is or not, is up to you and the training your provide. Good luck.

Do you have a new puppy or dog that you want to make sure is well behaved and obedient? I’d like to recommend that you get started the right away by following one of the excellent on-line video dog obedience training courses. If you like to learn best from watching and listening to an expert teach you, rather than trying to learn something new from a book, you will really benefit from getting yourself a copy of an on-line video program.

By starting to train your dog with the expert advice you can get through a great dog obedience training program, you will be getting started the right way-that way you can avoid the mistakes nearly everyone makes, which make it much more difficult to train their dogs themselves. Avoiding the mistakes of bad training techniques is almost as important as teaching the exercises themselves as far as getting quick and long lasting results. By watching an expert training a dog on a good dog training video you can really get a good feel for the training, and how you should go about training your dog.

By listening to the expert’s voice on the video, you will find that the tones of voice you use, as well as your body language, are important tools in your training effort. You will learn that you must use an upbeat and cheerful voice and lots of praise to get the great results that positive conditioning creates. On the other hand, if your dog isn’t behaving properly, you will learn what tones of voice to use to correct your dog-and why raising your voice to yell at your dog is a big mistake that will set back the training. In a book you are told what tone of voice to use, but with a dog training video you can actually hear the right vocal tones.

Dog training videos are great for those of us who seem to learn better by watching and listening than merely by reading or through just a vocal explanation. I know that I learn best when I can actually see how something is done, as well as listen to an explanation, so dog training videos really appeal to me.

I like to watch the dog videos on the Internet for good ideas and also for the entertainment. If you have watched some of these you can see everyone seems to have their own way of going about it. I have noticed that all the best trained pups and dogs were trained with positive training techniques.

However, I wouldn’t recommend trying to learn everything you need to know about obedience training and raising your dog from watching homemade Internet dog training videos. Anyone who wants to learn to train their dog using dog training videos as a guide really needs a complete program of step by step dog training videos that take you on a logical course from puppyhood basic training steps, and then through all the more advanced tricks as the puppy matures enough to absorb further training.

Adopt Buster for Any Price You Choose!

The SPCA of Brevard is bursting at the seams, so it invites the community to adopt any pet and pick the adoption fee too, during the month of September. Thats right, states SPCA Adoption Coordinator, Debra Cantwell, you can pick any age or size pet from any of our locations, and pay any price youd like to adopt that pet. There are over 120 animals that are available for adoption right now through the organization. We want to see all these dogs and cats in loving homes where they belong, that way we can save even more homeless pets in our community.

The Pick Your Price adoption promotion applies at all SPCA of Brevard locations, including its new adoption center at 6035 Sisson Road in Titusville, both cat adoption centers at the Melbourne and Merritt Square Malls and any off-site adoption events during the month of September. For the first time ever, pets of any age, including puppies and kittens, are eligible for this promotion for one month only.

All animals adopted from the SPCA have been spayed or neutered ($ 25-$ 90 value), are up-to-date on required vaccines ($ 30 – $ 50 value), have been de-wormed ($ 9 and up value) and have been tested for feline leukemia/AIDS or tested for heart worms ($ 25 value each). They have also been micro-chipped ($ 10 value) and receive a free wellness exam certificate at the SPCA Clinic ($ 30 value). Plus, any dog adopted in Brevard is also eligible to receive one free training session, courtesy of Brevard Dog Training by Paws for Veterans, Inc. All this can add up to a value of over $ 200. Knowing that you are giving a homeless pet a family to love, however, is priceless!

For more information about this adoption promotion, contact 321-567-3615.

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About SPCA of Brevard The SPCA of Brevard is a private, non-profit organization with the mission of protecting and providing a voice to the homeless animals of Brevard County. It receives no funding from the government and relies on private donations to be able to serve the community. It operates thrift stores in Titusville and Merritt Island, which are stocked solely with donations for resale to help fund adoption center locations.

Founded in 1979 in Titusville, Florida, the SPCA is the largest private no-kill animal rescue group in Brevard, will find homes for more than 2000 animals this year. It is the first adoption facility with free-roaming cat rooms in the County, allowing adopters to interact with the cats in a more home-like setting. Its new Adoption Center in Titusville is over 11,000 square feet and sits on nearly three acres. Additionally, it operates two satellite Cat Adoption Centers in the Melbourne and Merritt Square Malls, which have contributed to a 241% increase in adult cat adoptions. Additional adoption statistics can be found here. The SPCA of Brevard Clinic also provides reduced-price vaccines to the public and has performed more than 55,000 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries since 1999.

For more information, visit http://www.spcabrevard.com.