Dog Attacks and Kills a child

There's been some terrible dog news the last few days since Christmas here in the UK, after a Rottweiler killed a baby boy. The dog apparently pulled the baby from the arms of a 7 year old child in there garden.

Regardless of the time of year its a hugely tragic event, especially for any member of the family and anyone who knows them.

According to a report on Sky News the dog is thought not to have shown any previous signs of aggression.

It also stated Rottweiler attacks are rare. Some other sources of press are skim read when calling for the breed to be banned and to be included in the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Lost Dog Case on Sky News

Pressing the red button on Sky news I discovered a whole screen of news dedicated to a strange lost dog case which was deemed true by the police but on first appearance seemed a possible hoax.

An elderly owner in Kings Lynn, (England) had fallen ill while doing Christmas shopping. The person suffered some memory loss but has since rembered they left there Black Labrador in the car, a Citroen Zara Picasso, the dogs name is Cracker.

The registration number of the car is K900 0AP

I'll state the obvious, unusual dog name Cracker, like Christmas Cracker, ideal for this time of year.

K9, as in canine for dog in the number plate.

I don't know if the owner was over retirement age but may well have been with 0AP in the registration number which stands for "Old Age Pensioner".

Despite all the festive coincidences the police verified this as a true story and urged people to keep an eye out for the lost dog.

Writing stalls - Poor quality

Today I had 2 dog breed pages back, the first of 127 I submitted to a writing company about 3 weeks ago.

Well, Im disappointed to say the quality is very poor.

The quality of the content is so very poor. It's so bad it's not as if I can offer a few pointers and put them on the right track. It certainly was written by the person who wrote my first 2 test dog breed pages.

Secondly, they used an old instruction sheet I had submitted, so they weren't written to my guidelines and had about 400 words each when I wanted more than that. Ok, so that was a mix up and from now on they will use the 2nd improved instruction sheet I had submitted.

Also, it wasn't the easiest of breeds to trial out, but still thats no excuse for the quality.

I won't comment any further you can read it for yourself.

Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois)

Origin/History
Laekenois is only one-fourth of the varieties of Belgian Shepherd Dog. The other three breeds include Groenendael, Tervuren, and Malinois. Belgian Shepherd Dog Laekenois and the other varieties are originally from the different places in Belgium, from which they got their names.

Ontologically, Laekenois dogs are sturdy dogs that they were used as guard dogs in the fields. Though today, much of the jobs of Laekenois still involve protection, detection and other related functions.

Appearance

Laekenois is a woolly type of dog because of its seemingly rugged coat. It actually resembles other Belgian Shepherd Dog varieties’ characteristics except for its coat. Laekenois have dark eyes, black nose, and high ears.

Colours

Laekenois usually come in mahogany and fawn colors, though, white varieties also exist. Black patches over the body are also commonplace.

Temperament
Intelligence, sturdiness, and protective skills are very intrinsic to Laekenois, which is why it is partly used in herding and other guarding purposes. Though it appears so strong, Laekonois is affectionate and loyal. It welcomes and enjoys relationships; therefore, it must be socialized at an early age.

Common Health Problems
There were cases of epilepsy among Laekenois dogs that were taken note of, though, efforts are being undertaken to alleviate the problem. But generally, Laekenois is considered a non-problematic dog breed and is not that vulnerable to fatal diseases. In fact, minor health conditions, like eye problems as well as hip and elbow dysplasia, are among the few concerns.

Living Conditions Leakenois would do better if it constantly mingles with people and other pets, that is, if it is socialized and trained properly. As such, Laekenois has a potential of becoming a companion dog. It can live both indoors and outdoors, and can stand almost any weather, but specifically likes cold atmosphere. Moreover, it is highly advisable if Laekenois lives with the owners. In fact, an apartment can be a good home for the dog.

Exercise Requirements
Laekenois is an active dog that needs to be regularly exercised. As such, it needs to do daily walks and other energetic activities.

Training Requirements Laekenois is an intelligent dog, and therefore can be easily trained. It needs solid, firm training but not suffocating enough to make it impatient and rather stubborn. It would also be important to show authority during the training for Laekenois can be somewhat uncontrollable at times.

Life Expectancy Laekenois can live for 12 to 14 years.

Grooming
It is not at all tedious to groom Laekenois, especially since it requires little grooming efforts. What’s important is that Laekenois’ coat is trimmed twice a year and that proper combs are used to maintain the appearance of the coat. Bathing is also occasionally done.

When the content is redone to a better standard by another writer it will be here Belgian Shepherd Laekenois Dog.

Here's the other breed they did:
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)

Origin/History Like other Belgian Shepherd Dog varieties, Malinois originated from Belgium; in fact, it was named after Malines City. As a working dog, Malinois was first used in herding, and thus have proved early on its protection instincts.

Among the Belgian Shepherd Dog varieties, which include Laekenois, Tervuren, and Groenendael, Malinois was the first breed to develop a type.

Appearance Malinois is generally known for its “square” profile and erect ears. It is medium-sized, short-haired, with almond-shaped eyes. Malinois is often mistaken for German Shepherd, however, their differences in bone density, sensitivity, agility, and other body characteristics can tell which is Malinois and which is German Shepherd.

Colours Malionois appears in fawn, red, and grey. However, white patches on the chest and black hair tips appear on Malinois, thus making overlaying shades of colors.

Temperament At an early age, Malinois should be socialized and introduced to new places, especially since it has a tendency of becoming overwhelmingly shy. When properly trained, though, Malinois is smart, bold, outgoing, and child-friendly.

Common Health Problems As in the case of other dog breeds, Malinois is prone to develop hip and elbow dysplasia, allergies, and eye defects. Therefore, it would be necessary to assure that the Malinois puppy’s parents are both healthy.

Living Conditions Malinois can thrive well both outdoors and indoors. Apartments will work for the dog, but it might be better if it can once in a while spend time in huge spaces like parks and yards. Malinois prefers to be around people, so it would help if the owner takes the dog with him when doing his routine, say, exercising.

Exercise Requirements Malinois is a working dog, so it needs to be flexed and exercised regularly. It is advised that Malinois be engaged in long walks and other physical activities.

Training Requirements Socialization would be a fundamental part of Malinois training, and therefore, it must be exposed to different people, dogs, and places. Malinois is naturally receptive and intelligent that it can easily pick up new learning.

Life Expectancy Averagely, Malinois lives for 10 to 12 years.

Grooming Malinois is easily groomed. It only requires occasional bathing. However, it is important to brush its coat on a regular basis.

Again, when written to a better standard the information about this breed will be here: Belgian Shepherd Malinois Dog

127 Dog Breed Pages

Today submitted order for 127 breed pages to be written, I'm expecting well over 75,000 words in total to be written.

It's quite a big expense for the site but is certainly worth it, otherwise I'll be doing these breed pages all year 2008. If they do a good job on these breeds I may well look to get them to do more rarer breeds from other countries, of which in total there is near on 1000. I'll most likely look to do the ones that that people actually search for and know exist first.

Goal 1 - Just missed out

Goal 1 was to reach and maintain 100 unique hits a day,, so a total of 700 or more for the week.

Well its Monday morning so I checked the hits stats for last week and the total was 675, so missed out on reaching the target. (However, if I look at it on a more positive note over the last 2 weeks I have exceeded the total of 100 hits a day average!!).

I'm not overly concerned, my original target over 2 months ago was to have the site getting a hundreds hits a day by the end of December 2007, so Im well placed to achieve that.

Also, the response to my request for dog pictures was so huge Ive not had any spare time to do any kind of promotion to reach the target, but at the same time have improved the foundations of the site so much, far more than I previously imagined.

Dog Whisperer and Hungairan Vizsla

Just watched an episode of the Dog Whisper with a Hungarian Vizsla which since moving to the city has become scared of literally everything , even noises in his own apartment and at times his owner. The dog was really quite thin from all the nervous tension it was experiencing literally every hour of its waking life.

Well of course Cesar had the dog rolling blading through the city within a very short time. Although on a normal walk the dog, even though much improved, was very wary of everything surrounding him. Well Cesar came up with a leash that went around the dogs neck, but was also attached to the dogs tail and lifted it upright, to improve the dogs well being and confidence. What a great idea.

The owner was defeated before Cesar arrived and was saying how he thought even Cesar might not be able to fix this case. However, Cesar is a great example of big thinking. Presented with any problem he will come up with an idea to cure it and many times it seems to work.

The dog itself was much improved and of course would need plenty of time to fully get over his nervous disposition.

Writers delay and prices up.

Oh well I was all raring to go and get over 100 dog breed pages completed within a week or so, but the company who will be doing the content for me can't start any new projects until January 9th 2008!!!

What I'm going to do is workout a big list of dog breeds I need writing about and get them to do them that week.

Not only that, they have just increased there prices for bulk orders. I've managed to get a better deal than currently quoted on the website, but not at the previous low levels.

Weimaraner and Spanish Water Dog breed pages back.

I have had the 2 breed pages back and they are very good. I'm very happy with both of them.

I've added them to the site here:
Weimaraner
and Spanish Water Dog.

I am now working on a list of other breeds to submit to them.

Its Me or The Dog

Just caught an episode of Its Me or the Dog, with Victoria Stilwell. Its a 30 minute programme filmed in the UK where she spends a day or 2 with dogs and there owners fixing any behavioural problems the dog may have.

I believe it ran for 3 series and that they don't produce the show anymore. I remember previously catching a couple of episodes and thinking it was pretty good.
She presents the show dressed in very dominate all in black look, long dark hair, black boots etc. Shes uses different techniques to the Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan, so I find it quite interesting.

One thing I didn't like about the programme was the way its filmed and narrated. I think that's where some UK programmes go wrong. I wont go into details, but I just think if this programme was filmed in the U.S, with a great dog training character like Victoria Stilwell it would be much more entertaining and informative and an alround better TV programme to watch.

Anyway, typical, just checked and its not on next week, so I must have been missing the whole series. Not surprising really as its not a time of day I usually check the TV. I'll just have to keep a watch out for it in the future.

Getting help with written content

The task of building the biggest and best alround dog site is not an easy one. Certainly not one I can complete all by myself, well, not within a year anyway.

However finding writers to help is not easy either. My intial plan was to set up basic information pages and invite comments and information to be submitted from site visitors. Over time I would also review and add more information to the pages.

Well, I have found a company that actually has a team of writers so I have submitted 2 dog breeds to be writter about. I choose the Weimaraner as its a well known popular breed and one that information can easily be found.

I also choose a lesser known breed, the Spanish Water Dog

Goal 1 - So far achieved

The goal was to achieve 100 hits a day for last week. Well that goal was achieved as the site had over 900 hits. Alot of those came at the begining of the week as I contacted dog rescues to be listed on my site and dog breeders for dog pictures.

However the goal was to reach a level where 100 hits a day average could be maintained. Yesterday that wasn't the case, although not far off. I'll have to see how it goes over the next 7 days. Ideally I want to keep the momentum going.

I've still got plenty of emails with dog photos to go through and get adding to the site.

Here's the very latest, Boerboel pictures

Plenty of dog pictures still being and to be added!!!

Well I'm still buried in emails. People have been so generous in sending me there dog pictures, which now cover a wide range of breeds, the vast majority of people have sent me multiple pictures and most of the time I add them all. It's quite time consuming, I have to create the pages, rename and resize them all, and then put them in the site one at a time.

I've been working the whole day and am still left with just over 100 emails to go through, as fast as I'm getting through them I'm being sent more. Don't get me wrong, I'M NOT COMPLAINING. Its great to see the site evolving so fast. I've had many good compliments on it. The simple site design is working great as when pictures are added they stand out beautifully.

Here's some examples of today's pages and pictures:
Hungarian Vizsla Pictures
Argentine Dogo Pictures

For both there's great mixture of adult dogs and puppies. By coincidence, I got sent pictures from at least 2 sets of people.

Yesterday, I didn't blog. Before my day had begun I made the decision to be very focused. Sometimes its easy working on the net to just drift on and do other things, like check hits stats and the like. We so many emails coming I just had to get real focused and try and keep on top of them.

Anyway, anyone reading I hope you enjoy the pictures, and if you have some to send,,,please do so!!!