Silver Mountain Shepherds

Currently we have no adoptable pets in this area.

In choosing a dog for the family, it’s a good idea we keep the children in mind. Some dogs are not tolerant of children and can be a threat to them. There are many breeds of dogs out there to choose from. Do your homework to see which one works the best with your family and especially your children.
By far the number one best dog breed for children hands down, would have to be, you guessed it, Labrador Retriever. This dog is well accepted because of its good nature. It is not generally aggressive or hyper. It is playful, easy-going, intelligent and patient.
No wonder it is loved by the young and old. Because of its mild manner, it is first choice in working with the handicapped. It is has desire to please as if it knows its plight. The Lab is also a great pick if you have other animals. They are very accommodating.
A well taken care of Lab can live up to 13 years. In order to reduce boredom in these dogs, they should be kept active. These dogs love playing in the yard or taking walks.
Number two on the list is the Golden Retriever. They are similar to the Lab in their personality. They are also mild mannered, kind and they enjoy being around people. They too are a top pick for working with the handicapped as well as the elderly.
They too get along with other pets. These dogs are intelligent creatures to train. Playing fetch is a favorite game for them. Because of their playful nature, this breed of dog would be great for an older child who enjoys the outdoors. Regular grooming is required because of their long hair.
The next pick is the Beagle. Even though they have a baying bark, they are not aggressive dogs. What their barking does say about them is they make great watch dogs. These dogs have a friendly demeanor about them.
Their tails seem to be in an unending wagging motion. Because friendliness comes natural with them, they do not like being left alone. They become bored when left by themselves for too long. They are great picks for smaller children because of their size.
Another great pick for children is the Basset Hound. They are generally docile, yet they’re known for their stubbornness.
They are also known for their gentleness and are quite sweet by nature. They’re great with children of all ages and enjoy attention from them.
The German shepherd is another pick. Again, these are probably best for older children who enjoy playing outdoors. Because of their size and strength, they are probably not suitable for younger children.
German Shepherds are known for their loyalty. Police often use this type of dog for search and rescue missions. They are protective by nature and are quite tolerant. It’s best to start training these dogs as pups. Without training, they can be a handful.
The black and white spotted Dalmatian is associated with fire trucks. But for a family, a Dalmatian would be a trusted friend. They are very outgoing dogs with lots of energy to spare. This dog needs companionship from humans.
The Bearded Collie is another great pick. These are active dogs and would do best outdoors. They like to have open space to run, so being confined to an apartment would not suit these dogs.
Then there’s the American Cocker Spaniel. They are sensitive and sweet dogs. They are generally obedient to their master and enjoy the attention of children. They are definitely a people friendly dog.
The Bearded Collie is known for its bounce. This dog is very playful and happy. They like to be around people and will not hide their excitement of being around you. Female Collie’s tend to be calmer, while males are more rambunctious.
Cockapoos not only are good around children, but they get on with other pets as well. They do not need a lot of space. Apartment life is OK with them.
In choosing the right dog for your family, always remember that there are always exceptions to the rules. Each dog is an individual, and why for the most part certain breeds are more children friendly, you should always be cautious with your child around unknown dogs.

If you happen to be in the market for a purebred dog, there are over one hundred varieties to choose from. They each have their own traits and temperaments. They also come in large and small sizes.
You may be wondering what the most popular dogs in the United States are. According to the American Kennel Club’s registration figures for 2006, the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and German Shepherd lead the large dog breed category and the Yorkshire Terrier, Daschund and Poodle lead the small dog breed category.
The Labrador Retriever has held the number one spot in popularity since 1991. And if you were familiar with this breed you wouldn’t question why. The Lab is a friendly, kind, intelligent, loving, loyal and eager to please pet who loves to play. They belong to the sporting dog group and are considered to be the original water dog, since they have a short double water resistant coat and an otter tail. Their strong legs allow for swimming and running. The Lab is easily trained and has a reliable temperament, making them an excellent choice for children. They are non-aggressive towards humans and other animals. They are also energetic and need a lot of exercise. Exercise will keep them happy and out of trouble.
If you want a people lover pet, then look no further than the Golden Retriever. The Golden Retriever is a sturdy, heavily muscled, trustworthy and highly trainable breed. They have a golden colored medium length coat, feathered tail, a broad head, and powerful muzzle. They are gentle with children and need to be around people to be happy. This trait makes them excellent family dogs. They excel at obedience training and love to please their owners. They are highly energetic and need plenty of exercise otherwise they can become destructive. Because they love people so much, they don’t make the best guard dogs.
The German Shepherd is also a well muscled animal that will reach up to 80 pounds when mature. They have a double, medium length coat, dark eyes and a long strong muzzle. Their smoothly curved body is longer than it is tall. They are confident, direct, fearless and willing to serve as a companion, a watchdog, herding dog, or guide dog for the blind. They are loyal and courageous and full of life. They are also outgoing and friendly but are suspicious of strangers.
If you’re in the market for a feisty little animal the Yorkie is one to fit the bill. The Yorkshire Terrier has a long silky blue and tan coat, parted from the face down the spine. They belong to the toy terrier group, and although small in size, they believe themselves to be much bigger. This spunky terrier thrives on adventure and trouble. They are energetic, loyal, clever and brave. They have a great affection to their owners and, as equally, a great suspicion of others. This, along with their keen sense of hearing, makes them a great watchdog. They make better pets for older children and don’t require a great deal of exercise, making them a good pet for apartments or small houses. They are very difficult to housebreak and are quite noisy.
The Daschund is also known as the wiener dog because of its long body. They have crooked legs, loose skin and a barrel shaped body. They make great pets, since they are fun, playful and loyal. They are also courageous, strong willed, clever and smart, but it can be challenging to train them. Although stubborn, the Daschund makes a great watchdog, alerting its owner of intruders by barking.
The Poodle is a good-natured dog that seems to possess almost human like qualities. They trot with their heads held high with a certain air of dignity about them. They are proud, intelligent and active animals. They make great companions, good family dogs and watchdogs. They are affectionate and devoted, if treated well, and can get along with other animals. They are also easy to train. They require human companionship and frequent grooming, making them one of the most expensive breeds to maintain.
The top three dogs in both the large and small dog categories have some wonderful qualities to establish them as good additions to any family. Yet each is distinctive in its own right. It is no wonder they are among the most frequently chosen pets.

Are you a blogger? Do you own your own blog? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you need to know that you can make money off of your blog, good money at that. Are you interested in learning how? Read on and I’ll share some tips from the pros on how you can monetize your site.

Operating a blog is as easy as joining Blogger and starting to write. As soon as you join Blogger, Google will invite you to join their ad display network called AdSense. Once you apply and are approved, you can run ads on your blog. You will only get paid for each time people click on your ads but you can earn anywhere from five cents to over one dollar for just one click. Don’t click on the ads yourself or encourage people to do the same, as this is stealing and Google knows when you click. You don’t want to lose a steady stream of income which can easily top $50, $100 or more per month.

If your blog has a popular theme, such as a blog for German Shepherds, and every German Shepherd owner in the country knows about your blog, then you can sell banner ads to dog groomers, veterinarians, pet supply companies, and more. Add this income to your Google money and you’ll be doing fairly well.

You can also charge for text links on your site or charge others to blog on your already popular site. In exchange for their blog entries and payment to you, you would allow them to have keyword rich text links back to your site.

Another way to monetize your blog is to join an existing blog network. Large networks of blogs are always on the look out for high trafficked blogs and they may pay you to post on your own blog in exchange for running their ads on your site. This set up could mean that you would have to take down your AdSense ads and let theirs run on the site, but if the daily income is good, you could end up making more money in the long run with this type of arrangement.

Of course, if you get really good at blogging you can establish your own little network of a dozen or so high trafficked blogs. Get your business going enough and who knows, you may be able to quit your day job and make a living off of your blogs!

As a new puppy owner you are naturally anxious to make sure the new arrival receives the right amount of nutrients in their diet for healthy growth and development.

When should you feed him ?

What’s In the food?

The purpose of your puppy’s diet is to provide him with all the nutrients he needs to grow and remain active. All food contains a mix of protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals and vitamins, each of which plays a vital role in nutrition and must be supplied in the correct amounts by the puppy’s diet.

Protein is important for growth and to repair damaged tissue, especially muscle. This is why it is needed in higher amounts in the diets of growing pups and very active adult dogs.

Carbohydrates and fats are the body’s main energy source. Fats provide more energy than carbohydrates and are essential in small amounts for a healthy skin and coat.

Minerals and vitamins are important in the diet in small amounts. Puppies and nursing bitches especially require an adequate supply of calcium and phosphorus in their diet. It is possible, however to get ‘too much of a good thing’ and it is dangerous to over supplement an already balanced diet.

As your pup grows into adulthood, his requirements for each of these nutrients will change, and it will be your responsibility to ensure that he is receiving the correct diet for each stage of his life.

Of course, proper nutrition starts before the puppy was born!

A puppy born to parents fed on good quality food, especially when the bitch is pregnant, is much more likely to have a strong constitution, and we can expect the puppy to be healthier, more resistant to disease and have a long life.

Similarly, a bitch living as part of a family in an emotionally satisfying environment can be expected to produce puppies which are more stable and well-adjusted than a one living in a caged and restricted environment.

A puppy’s initial nourishment is linked to the mother. Any deficiencies in her diet over a prolonged period will be passed to her litter. The most important stage of pregnancy is the last third, from six weeks onwards. This is when over 75% of the puppy’s weight is developed.

This is also the period when there is an efficient flow of nutrients from the mother to the puppies, which will be so beneficial during the first few weeks after birth.

At this stage the mother may be fed a higher energy food as her stomach capacity will be reduced.

Feeding the puppies places a demand on the mother to eat, digest and absorb very large amounts of food/nutrients. This then enables her to produce sufficient milk to support the growth and development of a number of puppies.

With all breeds it is important that weaning (changing the puppy’s diet from mothers milk to dog food.) does not begin until the end of the third week after birth. This process should be done gradually.

At this stage the mother’s milk provides the only nutrition to the puppies. Most of the puppy’s antibodies will have passed from the mother during the final days of the pregnancy. These antibodies will last for the first 8 weeks of life.

Breeders and owners love to see plump, roly-poly puppies because these seem to epitomise good health and proper care. In the same way, fat babies were once admired but this is now frowned on by health professionals.

In practice, more health problems result from over-nutrition than from lack of adequate nutrition. Although severe underfeeding will stunt growth, slight underfeeding will actually reduce health problems in adulthood.

There is undisputed evidence that a high intake of protein and fat during puppy-hood leads to health problems. Behavioural problems especially hyperactivity can often be attributed to the same cause. Skin problems which used to be seen mostly in older dogs now seem to be prevalent in young dogs also.

In spite of this, most proprietary pet foods for growth have very high levels of protein and fat and this is even promoted as a virtue. (The adverts may even say “The first ingredient is meat!”)

Obesity is an easily prevented condition, and now is the time to form the habits which will save your dog from suffering in later life. Some breeds are predisposed to obesity, such as Labradors and the small terrier breeds, neutered animals can also be a little more prone to gain weight. As well as taking your pup for regular exercise, be sure to feed him no more than is required to keep him in peak condition with his ribs easily felt, but not showing.

The key to having a healthy puppy is to feed enough of a natural and easily digestible diet to ensure a slow rate of growth rather than for the puppy to shoot up. A puppy which grows slowly will still realise its growth potential but may take a little longer to reach full size.

The needs of puppies vary tremendously so recommended feeding amounts should be treated with suspicion. Good judgement and experience are better guides.

Although many health problems and weaknesses have a hereditary basis correct diet can minimise the effect of these inherited weaknesses. Weakness of the digestive system, as in the German Shepherd or a tendency to develop eczema as in the West Highland Terrier can be avoided by a correct diet. Hip dysplasia has been shown to be aggravated by incorrect diet during growth and it is likely that other developmental disorders of the skeleton are diet-related.

With Giant breeds the difference between appetite and requirement is vast and therefore there is more chance of these breeds becoming obese. This can be accentuated by owners wrongly believing that it is desirable that a puppy should grow rapidly and then feeding more than is required. Excessive growth at this stage may also lead to bone abnormalities.

Exercise is important, and in itself promotes health.

Some health care professionals advocate that puppies should not be exercised as this will damage the developing bones and joints. This makes as little sense as recommending that children should not have exercise until adulthood.

Exercise promotes good muscle tone, and well-developed bones and joints as well as providing social interaction. As mentioned above, developmental defects of the skeleton are caused, not by exercise but by poor diet.

Some problems of the growing dog

Although many health problems/weaknesses have a hereditary basis correct diet can minimise the effect of these inherited weaknesses. Weakness of the digestive system, as in the German Shepherd or a tendency to develop eczema as in the West Highland Terrier can be avoided by a correct diet. Hip dysplasia has been shown to be aggravated by incorrect diet during growth and it is likely that other developmental disorders of the skeleton are diet-related.

Developmental problems are less significant in the cat because of the proportionally smaller size.