Archive for the ‘hound’ Category
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
The petit basset griffon Vendeen (small, low, rough-coated Vendeen) is a friendly dog, but it is not very common in the United States. PBGVs are often mistaken as mutts because of their shaggy appearance and awkward bodies. But PBGVs have been around for a long time. They are scent hounds, originally bred in France for hunting rabbits during the 1700s, according to The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds by D. Caroline Coile. Their coats are rough and able to tolerate thorns and brush while hunting. They are still used for hunting in France. In the United States where they are less common, they are primarily pets. PBGVs are similar to the basset hound and at one point were even shown as a wire-coated version of the basset, according to Coile. However, PBGVs have longer legs and are more athletic than bassets. They weigh between 25 and 35 pounds and come in white mixed with any other color such as gray or gold. In 1990, the PBGV became recognized by the AKC. Today the breed makes a good pet because of its gentle, upbeat personality. Advantages to owning a PBGV: 1. PBGVs are good with children, dogs and pets. 2. Their coats do not require much grooming. PBGVs shed, but not as much as most breeds. 3. PBGVs have no major health issues. 4. They are playful and friendly with strangers. They can be barkers, but they are gentle and want to make friends with everyone. Because of their personality and goofy appearance, they make great therapy dogs. 5. They don’t drool a lot, but water clings to their beards when they drink. Disadvantages to owning a PBGV: 1. PBGVs like to dig. 2. They are smart dogs, but smart does not mean obedient. They aren’t the easiest to train, and you might find your PBGV getting distracted by a scent. A PBGV will follow her nose wherever it takes her! 3. PBGVs bark at approaching strangers or people they know. They don’t have a yappy bark, it’s a big-dog’s bark in a little body. 4. The breed is high energy and needs a long walk each day. 5. PBGVs coats are wiry, not soft and cuddly. If you would like to write a profile of your favorite breed, send me an email at Lindsay@thatmutt.com. I’ll use pictures of your dog and link to your site. I’m happy to feature any breed, including mixed breeds! Click here to see all the breed profiles that have been done.
You could have your dog find anything. Treats or a toy work well. The reason I taught Ace this game was to challenge him to search for an object rather than obsess over it in a game of fetch where he mindlessly chases a ball. To teach Ace “find it,” I had him sit outside in a baseball field. There were pieces of litter scattered around, and I picked up one piece of paper the size of a gum wrapper. I held it in front of him and said “smell.” At this point he had no idea what that meant but he naturally smelled it. Then I told him to stay and walked about 30 feet out and randomly walked in zig-zags and discretely dropped the paper so he didn’t know when or where. I walked back to Ace, released him and said, “Find it!” Since Ace is naturally a retriever, he immediately went to work searching for this piece of paper, first making big circles and then gradually targeting in on where he smelled the paper. He found it within a minute or two and brought it to me. At this point he was already becoming fixated on the paper, so we ended our game. Since then, I’ve played “find it” with Ace once or twice every day on our walks using a random piece of trash like a bottle or piece of plastic. Since it’s pretty easy for him, I’ve been making it more difficult by burying the object in the sand or hiding it on playground equipment or in a bush. The game doesn’t have to be played outside. Try teaching your dog to find a treat by making it really easy at first. It’s OK if she sees where you put it until she gets the hang of it. Once she figures out the game, you can make it more challenging. Have you played “find it” or a similar game with your dog? (Image from flickr.com) |
