Dog Figurines

Description

The Bloodhound is a very powerful, massive hound dog. The back is very strong for the dog’s size. The head is long and narrow in proportion to the dog’s length, and long in proportion to the body. The muzzle is long and the nose is black. The deeply sunk eyes are diamond in shape because of the lower lids being dragged down and turned outward by the heavy upper lips. Color vary’s from a deep hazel to yellow. The thin, soft, drooping ears are set very low and extremely long. The Bloodhound has a lot of extra, wrinkled skin hanging excessively loose, even more so around the head and neck where it hangs in deep folds. The dewlap is very pronounced. The muscular, front legs are straight. The tail is carried high with a slight curve above the topline of the back. The folds of the skin aid the dog in holding in scent particles while tracking. The coat is wrinkled, short and fairly hard in texture, with softer hair on the ears and skull. Colors include black & tan, liver & tan, and red & tawny and red. Sometimes there is a small amount of white on the chest, feet and tip of the stern.

Temperament

The Bloodhound is a kind, patient, noble, mild-mannered and lovable dog. Gentle, affectionate and excellent with children. This is truly a good natured companion. These dogs are so good-natured that they will lie there and meekly let children clamber all over them. This breed loves all the attention they receive from them. To be fair to your Bloodhound, make sure your children do not pester or hurt the dog, because Bloodhounds will sit there and take it. Very energetic outdoors and boisterous when young, determined and independent. Bloodhounds need firm, but not heavy handed training. With an owner who displays anything but a natural, calm but stern authority will bring out a streak of willfulness. The new owner of a Bloodhound will need to have plenty of patience and to possess great tact for consistent leadership for training to succeed. Clear rules need to be set and followed. If you show signs of being a meek owner, this dog will not listen to you. Do not expect too much by way of obedience from this dog. They are naturally gentle animals but they are not easy to obedience train. If they catch a scent of something it can be hard to redirect their attention back to you if you are out of physical range of them. Males go through puberty in-between the age of 1 and 2 years. They can be quite a handful at that time and one really needs to make sure they are being a firm pack leader, but after age 2, with the proper leadership, training, stimulation and consistency, they will mellow out a bit. Socialize well to prevent them from becoming timid. It is very important that this dog is taken for a daily pack walk. Bloodhounds who are lacking in mental and or physical exercise will be hard to handle. A Bloodhound becomes devoted to its master and gets along well with people. This dog loves everyone and some will greet wanted and unwanted visitors happily. Others do not welcome unwanted guests. They can be protective of their domain, if no one is home, but out on a trail, they will welcome anyone. Some will bark and let you know when strangers are around. They can live in harmony with other dogs and household pets. Bloodhounds are droolers and have a tendency to snore and howl. Their noses are so superb that it is hard for them to not wander off after an interesting scent. They may also sniff humans in places that are considered inappropriate. While humans see this as rude, the dog is actually learning a lot about them. Bloodhounds are able to follow any scent, even human – a rare ability in a dog. This breed has been said to successfully follow trails over 100 hours old. He is so determined that he has been known to stay with the trail for over 100 miles. The Bloodhound is such a sure tracker that the breed is used worldwide for rescue and criminal searches. The Bloodhound’s evidence is admissible in the court of law. One Bloodhound brought about 600 criminal arrests and convictions. Bloodhounds can never be kept in an unfenced yard. There is a good chance instinct will lead them to wander off if they are off leash. They flee when they get on a scent, instinct drives them to find the end of the trail.

Origin

This breed is more than one thousand years old. It was perfected, not created, by monks of St. Hubert in Belgium. Later the dogs were brought by the Normans into England and then to the United States. It is also known as the Flemish Hound. Throughout the world, breeds such as the American Coonhounds, Swiss Jura Hounds, Brazilian Fila Brasileiro, Bavarian Mountain Hound, and many others trace their lineage back to this ancient scent tracker. Today, all Bloodhounds are black & tan, or red, but in the Middle Ages they were solid in color. The white variety, which existed in medieval Europe, was called the Talbot Hound, who became extinct in the 1600′s, but contributed to the development of many other breeds including the white Boxers and tri-colored Basset Hounds. The Bloodhound thrives on the hunt rather than the kill. It takes great pleasure in tracking and has been used to hunt animals, criminals, runaway slaves, and lost children. Today this slow mannered, rich sounding breed is both tracker and companion. Although it has a pleasant temperament, it is not easy to obedience train, most likely largely due to the fact that it gets distracted from human command, more interested in all of the exciting strong smells around him.

Description

The Japanese Chin is also called the Chin or Japanese Spaniel. It is a little spaniel whose only bred purpose is to serve man as a companion. The Chin has a large broad head, large wide-set eyes, and a short broad muzzle. The ears are small, V-shaped, wide apart, and set slightly below the crown of the skull, and well covered with hair. The forehead is quite round. The stop is deep, and the muzzle is short and broad. The nose is wide with an extremely short nasal canal. The nose is black in black and white dogs, and in other colored dogs the nose color should match the color of the coat markings. The eyes are protruding, set wide apart, large, round, and dark in color. The bite is slightly undershot. The body height and length are about the same. The front legs are straight, and fine boned, with the elbows set close to the body. The tail is set high and carried arched up over the back hanging to either side of the dog with feathering. The coat is white with colored patches. The patches are often black, but can also be red, lemon, orange, sable, black and white with tan points, or brindle.

Temperament

The Japanese Chin is a charming, lively, and happy animal. Pleasant, loving and intelligent. Affectionate and extremely devoted to its master. This breed loves everyone it is familiar with, but is known to be reserved around strangers and in unfamiliar situations, socialize this dog well. If you do have small children, teach them to be nice and gentle with the dog. They are good with other dogs and pets. The Japanese Chin has a mind of its own and likes to be the center of attention. This breed is not a barker. Mild mannered, gracefully, yet playful. Sensitive, agile, dainty and clean. So long as you set rules the dog needs to follow, limits to what he is allowed to do, providing consistent leadership, the Chin will be obedient. They are also good watchdogs. The Japanese Chin can be taught to perform tricks. Be sure to be this dog’s pack leader. Do not allow the dog to develop Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behaviors, where they believe they are pack leader to humans. Chins who are allowed to be a pack leader to humans, will develop all types of varying degrees of behavior problems, including, but not limited to separation anxiety, snapping, growling and guarding, and will not be trusted with children.

Origin

Originally called the Japanese Spaniel, and still referred by that name by some clubs, the Japanese Spaniel was renamed “Japanese Chin” by the AKC in 1977. The Japanese Chin is first and foremost bred as a companion dog. Despite the name “Japanese” the breed is native to the land of China. It was later developed in Japan and introduced to Europe in 1700. It became a favorite of Japanese nobility, and was often offered as a royal gift to diplomats and to foreigners who rendered some outstanding service to Japan. In 1853 a pair was given as a gift to Queen Victoria from Commodore Perry when he returned from his historic mission to open Japan to world trade.

Description

American Akita AKC Standard

Massive but in balance with body; free of wrinkle when at ease. Skull flat between ears and broad; jaws broad and powerful with minimal dewlap. Head forms a blunt triangle when viewed from above. Fault–Narrow or snipey head. Muzzle–Broad and full. Distance from nose to stop is to distance from stop to occiput as 2 is to 3. Stop–Well defined, but not too abrupt. A shallow furrow extends well up forehead. Nose–Broad and black. Black noses on white Akitas preferred, but a lighter colored nose with or without shading of black or gray tone is acceptable. Disqualification– partial or total lack of pigmentation on the nose surface. Ears–The ears of the Akita are characteristic of the breed. They are strongly erect and small in relation to rest of head. If ear is folded forward for measuring length, tip will touch upper eye rim. Ears are triangular, slightly rounded at tip, wide at base, set wide on head but not too low, and carried slightly forward over eyes in line with back of neck. Disqualification–Drop or broken ears. Eyes–Dark brown, small, deep-set and triangular in shape. Eye rims black and tight. Lips and Tongue–Lips black and not pendulous; tongue pink. Teeth–Strong with scissors bite preferred, but level bite acceptable.

Neck–Thick and muscular; comparatively short, widening gradually toward shoulders. A pronounced crest blends in with base of skull. Body–Longer than high, as to 10 is to 9 in males; 11 to 9 in bitches. Measurement from the point of the sternum to the point of buttocks. Chest wide and deep; reaching down to the elbow, the depth of the body at the elbow equals half the height of the dog at the withers. Ribs well sprung, brisket well developed. Level back with firmly-muscled loin and moderate tuck-up. Skin pliant but not loose. Serious Faults–Light bone, rangy body.

Large and full, set high and carried over back or against flank in a three-quarter, full, or double curl, always dipping to or below level of back. On a three-quarter curl, tip drops well down flank. Root large and strong. Tail bone reaches hock when let down. Hair coarse, straight and full, with no appearance of a plume. Disqualification–Sickle or uncurled tail.

Forequarters–Shoulders strong and powerful with moderate layback. Forelegs heavy-boned and straight as viewed from front. Angle of pastern 15 degrees forward from vertical. Faults–Elbows in or out, loose shoulders. Hindquarters–Width, muscular development and bone comparable to forequarters. Upper thighs well developed. Stifle moderately bent and hocks well let down, turning neither in nor out. Dewclaws–On front legs generally not removed; dewclaws on hind legs generally removed. Feet–Cat feet, well knuckled up with thick pads. Feet straight ahead.

Double-coated. Undercoat thick, soft, dense and shorter than outer coat. Outer coat straight, harsh and standing somewhat off body. Hair on head, legs and ears short. Length of hair at withers and rump approximately two inches, which is slightly longer than on rest of body, except tail, where coat is longest and most profuse. Fault–Any indication of ruff or feathering.

Any color including white; brindle; or pinto. Colors are rich, brilliant and clear. Markings are well balanced, with or without mask or blaze. White Akitas have no mask. Pinto has a white background with large, evenly placed patches covering head and more than one-third of body. Undercoat may be a different color from outer coat.

Temperament

The Akita is docile, intelligent, courageous and fearless. Careful and very affectionate with its family. Sometimes spontaneous, it needs a firm, confident, consistent pack leader. Without it the dog will be very willful and may become very aggressive to other dogs and animals. It needs firm training as a puppy. The objective in training this dog is to achieve a pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in their pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined. You and all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. That is the only way your relationship can be a success. If the dog is allowed to believe he is the leader over the humans he may become very food-possessive as he tells the humans to wait their turn. He eats first. Considered a first class guard dog in Japan, Japanese mothers would often leave their children in the family Akita’s care. They are extremely loyal and thrive on firm leadership from their handlers. They should definitely be supervised with other household pets and children. Although the breed may tolerate and be good with children from his own family, if you do not teach this dog he is below all humans in the pack order he may not accept other children and if teased, Akita’s may bite. Children must be taught to display leadership qualities and at the same time respecting the dog. With the right type of owner, the proper amount of daily mental and physical exercise and firm training, they can make a fine pet. Obedience training requires patience, as these dogs tend to get bored quickly. The Akita needs to be with its family. It vocalizes with many interesting sounds, but it is not an excessive barker.

Origin

The Akita Inu is native to the island of Honshu in the region of Akita in Japan, where it has remained unchanged for centuries. The Akita Inu is considered a national dog of Japan and is one of seven breeds designated as a Natural Monument. The breed has had many uses, such as police and military work, a guard dog (for the government and civilian), a fighting dog, a hunter of bear and deer and a sled dog. The Akita Inu is a versatile hunting dog, able to hunt in inclement weather. The Akita’s soft mouth makes it possible for him to work as a waterfowl retrieval dog. The dog is considered sacred and a good luck charm in the country of Japan. Small statues of the Akita Inu are often given to new parents after babies are born as a gesture of good health and to sick people as a gesture of a speedy recovery. In 1937 the first Akita, who was named Kamikaze-go was brought to the United States by Helen Keller. The dog was a gift given to her during her trip to Akita Prefecture. Kamikaze-go died in 1935 of canine distemper. In 1938 another Akita named Kenzan-go was given to her as an official gift from the Japanese government. After World War II many serviceman brought Akita Inu dogs to the USA.

There are two types of Akitas, the original Japanese Akita breed and now a separate designation for American standard Akita’s. The weights, sizes, are different and the American standard allows a black mask, where as the original Japanese breed standard does not allow for a black mask. According to the FCI , in Japan and in many other countries around the world the American Akita is considered a separate breed from the Akita Inu (Japanese Akita). In the United States and Canada, both the American Akita and the Akita Inu are considered a single breed with differences in type rather than two separate breeds. The Japanese Akita is uncommon in most countries.

Description

The Doberman Pinscher is a medium sized, squarely built dog with a compact muscular body. The head is long and when viewed from the side looks like a blunt wedge. The top of the skull is flat, and turns into the muzzle with a slight stop. The color of the nose depends on the color of the dog’s coat, black on black dogs, dark brown on red dogs, dark gray on blue dogs, dark tan on fawn dogs and pink on white dogs. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The color of the almond shaped eyes is various shades of brown, depending on the coat color of the dog. The ears are usually cropped to stand erect (cut at the age of about 12 weeks). The pup’s ears have to be taped for a couple of months to make them stand up. A lot of breeders are starting to leave the pup’s ears natural. If left natural they develop ears somewhat like a hound. The tail is usually docked at the age of 3 days. If the tail is not docked it grows a tail somewhat like a hound. Note: cropping ears and docking tails is illegal in Europe. The chest is broad and the legs are perfectly straight. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The short, hard, thick coat lies flat. Sometimes there is an invisible gray undercoat on the neck. The coat comes in black, black with tan markings, blue-gray, red, fawn and white. When markings appear they are above each eye, on the muzzle, throat, forechest, legs, feet and on the tail. There is also a solid white color. While white markings are considered a fault in some clubs, in others it is accepted.

Temperament

Doberman Pinschers are very keen, super energetic with tremendous strength and stamina. Dobes like to be with their people and are not suited to kennel or back yard life, they need human interaction and leadership. Loyal, tolerant, dedicated and affectionate with the family. Determined, bold and assertive while working, they are very adaptable, highly skilled and versatile. They are intelligent and very easy to train. They are an outstanding watch and guard dog and do not need additional protection training. This breed is not for everyone. The Doberman needs an owner who is willing and able to display a natural authority over the dog. All family members must be firm, confident and consistent, setting rules and sticking to them. Learning to handle the dog properly, as Dobermans can become stubborn and willful if allowed to have their own way. Everything must be on the humans terms. The dog is the follower, and the humans are the leaders. The dog will appreciate knowing his place in his pack and feel secure about it. He should be thoroughly socialized when young to prevent skittishness. Mental stimulation and a lot of daily exercise is important in order to produce a happy, stable minded Dobe. The Doberman needs to be consistently and thoroughly trained. Dobes can be good family dogs if the alpha role belongs to the human and if they receive enough exercise, are well trained and are socialized with children. Although the Doberman has the reputation of being a very aggressive dog, this is just not the case. For example, Dobes make great therapy dogs. Issues arise when they reside with owners who do not display the proper leadership and or do not provide enough exercise. They are sweet and gentle with nursing-home patients – tippy-toeing over IV tubing and walking at the resident’s speed (which can be very slow), while at the same time will fiercely defend his master if it becomes necessary. Dominancy levels vary, even within the same litter and the breeds temperament will vary greatly depending on how well the owners understand canine behavior and how willing they are to take the time to provide what the dog instinctually needs.

Origin

This is a breed of relatively recent origin. It was developed in Germany in the 1860′s, presumably by crossing among the old shorthaired shepherds, German Pinschers, Rottweilers, Beaucerons, Manchester Terriers, and Greyhounds. The creator of this mixture was a German tax collector named Louis Dobermann. Dobermann had to travel frequently through bandit-infested areas, and decided to develop a watchdog and bodyguard capable of handling any situation that might arise. The breed is named after its originator (shortened by one n). The Doberman was first presented at a dog show in 1876. It was immediately a big success. The Doberman was first recognized by the AKC in 1908. Doberman Pinschers have many talents including tracking, watchdog, guarding, police work, military work, search & rescue, therapy work, competitive obedience and schutzhund.