So you think you want to adopt an Airedale puppy? Wait a minute! Have you owned an Airedale before? If you have, you know that any other breed is just a dog! That’s because as a group we’re known to be keenly intelligent, joyfully exuberant and playfully mischievous.

OK, I know I’m biased, but it’s not just me. President Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying, "An Airedale can do anything any other dog can do and then lick the other dog, if he has to." Also Laddie Boy, the Airedale who occupied the White House with Warren G. Harding, had his own chair so he could sit in on Cabinet meetings. So if I tell you Airedales are smart, I’m not just saying!

Who couldn’t fall in love with our expressive bearded faces, our stoic perseverance and our clownish antics? However, if you’re expecting a dog who will lounge at your feet like a bear skin rug, we’re probably not the breed for you. You see, we were originally bred by Yorkshire working class folks who didn’t want to have one dog for tracking on land, another for digging out prey and another for retrieving in water. Airedales were the original "3 in 1 dog" -fearless hunters, steadfast guardians and loyal companions.

During World War I, my ancestors were used extensively to carry messages to soldiers behind enemy lines, transport mail and to help the Red Cross to find wounded soldiers in the battlefield. There are many accounts of Airedales heroically completing their duties despite terrible injuries. This stoicism makes us tireless workers and great heroes, but it also often makes our illnesses and injuries go unnoticed until it becomes quite serious.

The demand for Airedales in the United States peaked during the 1920’s, which led to some indiscriminate breeding. This is when a larger variation was bred to 70-100 lbs. rather than the standard of 50-65 lbs. Though the larger variation stills exists today, it is not recognized by the AKC and most breeders are returning to the medium size standard of our origin. I think we’re better at the standard size because the larger size makes us more prone to medical problems like hip dysplasia.

Airedales do make great family pets. People say we have a twinkle in our eyes and it’s true that we smile and laugh. We love to play; we shed very little; and we are very protective of our people. Even with our athleticism and determined nature, we can also be delicate and graceful. Our families are always sharing stories that highlight our unique abilities–like the time the family Airedale grabbed the baby by the diaper to keep her from plummeting down the stairs.

It is also true that we like to be the boss. If you’re not willing to exercise with us regularly and provide appropriate training, then you’re going to have a very powerful and unruly housemate. Also, we like being in the middle of things so if you abandon us in the backyard, we’re either going to dig our way to freedom or we’re going to make a mess of your garden.

However, if you know all these things and you’re willing to accept the responsibilities, then you won’t be disappointed by an Airedale. There’s no dog that is more loving or lovable; willing or willful; more fun or funny. Take it from me, Max, you can bark my word on it. After all, how many dogs do you know who can write?

When Robin Reynolds had to have the family dog put down, she wanted to do something to celebrate his life. The end result is Life to the Max: Maxims for a Great Life by a Dog Named Max — a whole life journey told from the perspective of the family dog. To learn more about Max’s maxims, visit http://www.lifetomax.com

Numerous people across the world love to keep dogs as their pets. They will do everything to keep their dogs in the best of health. These people also like to breed their dogs, either to increase their numbers or to make money out of them. However, most of them do not have a fair idea of how to breed healthy dogs and land themselves into problems. Therefore, if you are one of them, and if you need to know about the ways to breeding healthy dogs, you must follow some good advice.

Photo: shellysshar-peis.com

One of the foremost things is choosing the right mate for your dog. While choosing the right mate, you must see whether it is compatible and possesses good temperament. Both the male and the female should be healthy and must have no genetic faults, which may potentially jeopardize the health of their puppies. Moreover, you must be sure whether the female dog is healthy, as it will determine her pregnancy and the process of birth. In this case, you must support the female dog with healthy supplements and nutritious food to ensure healthy birth. Better health will enable them to stay healthy during pregnancy as well.

You must determine the breeding history of both the female and male dogs. A good breeding record is very essential for successful breeding. Prepare the record of the medical history for your female dog, when it is going into heat, changing its behavior or different medical issues. There are various kinds of dogs, and so it is essential to have the knowledge of the kind of spices that you have. If you find that your dog is the rarest of its type, you may find difficult in getting a compatible dog for matting. However, in this regard, if you want to mate with different species, be assured about the history of the dog, and about its health and temperament. You must as well know your dog’s family of breeds.

If you can get the information about your dog’s family of breeds, you can easily know the stature of your own dog. In the case of female dog, there are more complications in respect to the male dogs, as it is little bit hard task to find the history of the female dog. However, in this case you can consult your nearby vet. It has been seen that failure in conception is mainly due to the female dogs. It can be due the hormone problem or wrong timing, or some thing like that. It takes nearly 2 years for the female dogs to be fully-grown as well as developed. Therefore, do not consider her for mating before her age. If she is mated before her full development, she may face problems in conceiving and it may put your dog into danger.

Before breeding, you must get your bitch or stud checked to make sure whether s/he is free from brucellosis. This disease can cause sterility in both the sexes and it can further cause the puppies to be aborted just after birth. Moreover, this germ is occasionally passed through sexual intercourse among the dogs, and it can infect the whole kennel.

This article comes to you from dog lover John Pawlett who is currently building a community site for dog breeds and breeders http://www.dogbreedclub.com
 

Von Willebrand Disease (vWD) is a common health issue in Dobermans. It is a bleeding disease just like hemophilia in humans that can put Dobermans life at risk from surgery or injury. Although it exists in other breeds, such as Poodles, Shelties, Scottish Terriers and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, it is most common in Dobermans. In a study of 15,000 Dobermans screened, 70% were carriers. Most of these dogs were not clinically affected.

Photo: familyfactor.net

Some of the symptoms of Von Willebrands Disease are excessive bleeding, nosebleeds, bleeding from the gums and bloody stools or urine. This requires special consideration before surgery and special attention to injuries. Physical and emotional stress can worsen bleeding. The treatment for a bleeding episode is a blood transfusion. Certain drugs should be avoided in dogs with Von Willebrand Disease. These include, aspirin, antihistamines, sulfur based antibiotics, ibuprofen and amoxicillin. Your Veterinarian will know how to handle treating your dog.

There are 3 types of vWD. Type I is the mildest form of the disease and is the type most common in Dobermans. Type 2 is more severe and is more common in German Shorthaired Pointers. Type 3 is the most severe form and is usually found in Scottish Terriers and Shelties, although as mentioned above, there are several other breeds that can carry this gene.

Besides, surgery or injury, Dobermans are at risk for excessive bleeding during whelping and during the docking of the puppies tails. It is so important to know that your Doberman and his breeding line are tested and do not have Von Willebrand affected breeding dogs.

One way to test for Von Willebrand Disease is a blood titre test called Elisa. This test is not very accurate. We had one of our dogs test positive on the Elisa test but was clear on the DNA test. The only true way to test for this genetic disease is through a DNA test, which is done with a swab and costs around $140.00. There are 3 levels of results for the DNA test, clear, carrier or affected. What this means in terms of breeding Dobermans is somewhat complicated. It is safe to breed a vWD clear Doberman with a vWD carrier. It is estimated that the bad gene would be eliminated over a period of 2-3 generations.

Breeding 2 Dobermans that are affected (actually suffer excessive bleeding) will always produce 100%affected puppies. Breeding an affected dog with a carrier will result in half the puppies being affected and half being carriers. Breeding 2 carriers of vWD will result in 25% of the pups being affected, 50% will be carriers and 25% will be normal. Breeding a carrier of vWD to a normal Doberman will produce a litter of half carrier puppies and half normal puppies.

You might be wondering why a breeder or anyone would breed a Doberman that has any indication of vWD. Why not breed only dogs with no vWD, as affected or carries of the disease? This would be the ideal situation but only 1/3 of Dobermans are normal, meaning they are not affected with, or carrying the disease. Using only normal dogs for breeding would greatly reduce the gene pool which would have a negative impact on the breed. Doberman breeders have worked so long to perfect the Dobermans temperament and health after the problems of the 1970s. To eliminate 2/3 of the breeding population would result in the same problems we worked to correct.

It is important to buy a Doberman puppy from a reputable breeder who has tested his dogs for Von Willebrand Disease. Be an informed buyer.

Joseph M. Sabol is a world class Doberman breeder. Please go to http://petvitamins4u.com or to http://theroadhousedobes.com for further information