A friendly, easy-going dog and a fantastic family pet make the Golden Retriever an exceptionally popular breed. He is highly intelligent and is excellent for sniffing out drugs, tracking and retrieving game for hunters, and also as a therapy or assistant dog for the ill, elderly, or disabled. Extremely athletic, the Golden Retriever also does very well in agility sports, as well as obedience competitions.
Kennel cough, the common name for canine tracheobronchitis, is an extremely contagious respiratory disease among dogs. The disease also referred to as tracheobronchitis and Bordetella, is typified by inflammation of the trachea and bronchi.
Puppies, because of their underdeveloped immune system, can suffer severe complications from kennel cough. Older dogs and pregnant bitches to are at higher risk due to decreased immunity to infections.
Most dogs lick themselves on odd occasions, which is quite normal behavior, but if your dog starts to lick himself all the time, then you can take this as an indication that there is something wrong, either physically or emotionally, or even both.
Excessive licking can also create wounds that will only get worse over time, unless you stop the licking behaviour. Here's what you need to know.
Many people these days are vehement supporters of the "adopt, don't shop" movement, and we're 100% behind giving dogs that need homes a place to call their own.
However, there are some people who, usually for the love of a particular dog breed but sometimes for other reasons, choose to buy a puppy from a dog breeder instead. If you're looking for one of those kinds of puppies, it's important that you understand the difference between an ethical dog breeder and a puppy farmer. Let's take a closer look.
Labrador Retrievers were first bred on the island of Newfoundland, which lies off the northeastern Atlantic coast of Canada. Originally known as St. John’s dogs, after the capital city of the island, they were bred to be friendly, family dogs, as well as working dogs. At first, they were used to help fishermen haul nets, fetch ropes, and retrieve fish from the icy waters of the North Atlantic Sea.
These days, the Labrador Retriever is still just as hard-working and good-natured as his ancestors and is one of the most popular breeds around. Although not used for hard labor nowadays, they compete in shows, are used as retrievers for hunters, as search and rescue dogs, and, because of their sweet nature, as therapy dogs as well, among many other types of canine-related jobs.
