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A Dog’s Sense Of Hearing

A Dog’s Sense Of Hearing

Anyone who has spent any time around dogs is well aware of their heightened sense of hearing.  Dogs seem to not only hear a specific sound better than humans can, but also seem to be able to pinpoint the origin of the sound faster and better than their human masters.  Why is that?

Dogs hear sounds as low as the 16 to 20 Hz frequency range as compared to humans who normally hear in the range of 20 to 70 Hz range.  There is also a physical difference in a dog’s ear that allows for their ability to quick decipher where a particular sound is coming from.  Most breeds of dogs have eighteen or more muscles that can rotate, tilt, raise, or lower their ears; this enables them to hone in on a sound in a way that humans are not anatomically equipped to.

Another factor that can vary a dog’s hearing from breed-to-breed is ear shape.  Dogs who have ears shaped more closely to the ear shape of a wolf or fox tend to have better hearing than dogs that possess floppy ears or ears covered with long fur.

Ten Things You May Not Know About The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Trivia

Ten things you may not have known about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show:

1. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was started in 1877 as a show for gun dogs and among other things some of the prizes were firearms of different sorts.

2. The show was changed to a two-day format in 1941, before that its length was varied from three to four days long.

3. A success from the start, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show drew over 1200 dogs.

4. The American Kennel Club (AKC) was started in 1884 and the Westminster Kennel Club was the first club admitted.

5. The first televised Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show took place in 1948.

6. The youngest dog to win Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was a Rough Collie in 1929.

7. Through the first hundred years (1907-2007) of the Best in Show award being won, it was presented to a terrier the most, 44 times.

8. Only one dog has won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Best in Show award and also won any kind of Obedience Championship.

9. The most challenged rule in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show’s history is the name length rule instituted in 1984.  The rule stated that no dog participating in the show was allowed to have a name longer than seven words.

10. A herding dog has only won Best in Show one time out of the first one hundred times it was awarded.

8 Facts About American Cocker Spaniels

8 Facts About The American Cocker Spaniel

• The American Cocker Spaniel was originated in the United Kingdom and brought to Canada and the United States in the 1880’s.
• The most common cause of death in Cocker Spaniels is cancer and followed closely by that is old age.
• Famous owners of American Cocker Spaniels: Richard Nixon, Oprah Winfrey, and Albert Staehl.
• American Cocker Spaniels are the smallest of all the recognized Spaniel breeds.
• The only fatality in the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse was an American Cocker Spaniel named Tubby.
• American Cocker Spaniels and English Cocker Spaniels are the only Spaniel breeds allowed to compete together in authorized Cocker Field Trials in the United States.
• Until the creation of the English Cocker Spaniel designation in the 1930’s, the American Cocker Spaniel was referred to as just “Cocker Spaniel”, it was changed to emphasize the differences between the two breeding lines.
• American Cocker Spaniels on the screen: Lucky Bundy from Married… With Children, Lady from Lady and the Tramp, and the dog from the original Coppertone commercial.

8 Facts About Chinese Crested Terriers

8 Facts About Chinese Crested Terriers

• Though when seen some people think they are entirely different breeds, both the hairless and powderpuff varieties of Chinese Crested Terriers can be born in the same litter.
• A number of Chinese Crested Terriers have won the title of World’s Ugliest Dog, despite this there is quite a following of them among dog lovers.
• Most of a Chinese Crested Terrier’s teeth are pointy, similar to their canines.
• Chinese Crested Terriers have been associated with China since the 13th century, but appear to have their origins in Africa.
• Early Chinese Crested Terriers were used as rat catchers, especially on ships.
• The Chinese Crested Terrier was first recognized by the UK Kennel Club in 1981 and by the American Kennel Club in 1991.
• Famous burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee owned a great number of Chinese Crested Terriers and is partly responsible for increasing awareness of the breed.
• Famous fictional Chinese Crested Terriers: Halston in Ugly Betty, Fluffy in 102 Dalmatians, Renaldo in the movie New York Minute, and Krull in the movie How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days.

A Look At Dog Competitions

Owners of dogs often enter them in competitions, whether show (breed conformation shows) or sports, including dog racing & dog sledding. The winners garner much prestige and prize money. These dogs are often bred specifically for competition, which may not be entirely beneficial for the breeds due to the magnification of hereditary defects.

Variety Of Dog Competitions

There are a wide variety of available competitions that dogs compete in. Some involve athletic competitions while others are based on the appearance of the dog itself.

Dog Show – Dog shows are competitions where dogs are evaluated by judges to see how closely they match the ideal characteristics of the breed. The most famous competition for dogs is the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Dog Racing – Dog racing is similar to horse racing and takes place at dog tracks where betting is available. Usually Greyhounds are the participants and they reach speeds of 40 miles per hour. Dog racing can also be done by other breeds, but usually as a novelty sport.

Agility Competitions – Dog Agility Competitions involve dogs competing on a timed obstacle course. The course usually includes jumps, ramps, runs, and other obstacles that the dogs must maneuver through.

Dogsled Racing – Dogsled racing is mainly held in norther climates and usually involve Alaskan Huskies or Eurohounds. The dogs pull a sled and a driver over a snow covered course. The course can be quite short, or in the case of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race held in Alaska (approx 1,151 miles) it can also be long and arduous.

Dog Fighting – Though illegal in almost every jurisdiction, dog fighting still takes place in some areas. In dog fighting, two owners pit their dogs against eachother while often they and other observers make bets on which dog will win. Most often these fights involve one dog being killed by the other, though an owner can also end the fight by admitting his dog has been defeated.

Throughout history, dog owners have long come up with competitions to prove that their dog is superior to the dogs of others. Many competitions are protested over suspected mistreatment of the animals, though many others are seen as hosting the best of all breeds of dogs.

8 Facts About Poodles

8 Facts About Poodles

• The country of origin of the poodle breed is France.
• Poodles are classified as a retriever.
• The Labradoodle, a result of Labrador Retriever and Poodle cross breeding, was first bred purposefully in Australia in 1989.
• The name Poodle comes from a German word that loosely translates to mean “splashing dog”.
• The most common disease reported to the Poodle Health Registry: Addison’s Disease.
• Famous Poodle owners: “Weird Al” Yankovic, Elvira “Mistress of the Dark”, John Steinbeck, Gertrude Stein, and Winston Churchill.
• Poodles come in three classifications: Standard, Miniature, and Toy. A fourth classification, “Tea Cup”, is not officially recognized.
• Poodles on the screen: Cleo from Clifford The Red Dog, Daphne from Look Who’s Talking (3rd movie), Fifi from the Rugrats, Foo-Foo from The Muppet Show, Georgette from Oliver and Company, Puff from The Proud Family, and Butch from Best In Show.