We asked 218 veterinary professionals to vote on the dog breeds and mixes that are not good choices for first-time pet parents. German Shepherds, Bulldogs and Akitas are among the breeds of which new pet owners should steer clear.

Akita

No. 1: Akita
The Akita was bred to hunt big game such as bear, boar and elk. He can also weigh upwards of 115 pounds (or even more), and requires a 20-30 minute walk every day, always on leash due to a strong prey drive. He's a beautiful dog, but sheds heavily and can be a challenge to train, making him best suited to experienced dog owners.

No. 2: Chow Chow
Not known for being particularly lovey-dovey, the Chow Chow isn't the teddy bear he appears to be. He's intelligent but stubborn, and may require a lot of training before you get the results for which you're looking. This breed is wary of strangers and may be aggressive toward dogs he doesn't know.

No. 3: Chinese Shar-Pei
The Chinese Shar-Pei requires an assertive, experienced owner to train him and keep him from getting bored. This highly territorial dog tends to bond with one person, and can be quite distrustful of those he doesn't know – humans and canines alike. And all those dramatic skin folds can increase the tendency for chronic skin and eye conditions that a naïve pet owner may find daunting.

Alaskan Malamute

No. 4: Alaskan Malamute
He's friendly, joyful and exuberant, which may make him attractive to someone seeking a first dog, but be warned: The Alaskan Malamute sheds like crazy, pulls on leash with all of his 65-100 pounds and is a talented escape artist. This breed is made to travel far on his own four feet and he needs a family committed to a lot of exercise when it's best for him. That thick fur coat also leaves him vulnerable to heat injury.

No. 5: Rottweiler
Although he can be a gentle giant, the wrong Rottweiler with the wrong owner can truly be a scary dog. A Rottweiler wants someone to be the boss, and if you're not taking the job, he will. He's powerful and protective, and known for being extremely loyal when it comes to his people and his property. Considering he can weigh as much as 135 pounds (and most of it muscle), he can generally back up his threatening growl.

No. 6: Weimaraner
The "Gray Ghost" earned his nickname for his beautiful gray coat and habit of following his owner closely, but the highly intelligent Weimaraner isn't the right dog for everyone. He's extremely energetic with no "off" switch, and he's not happy being left alone – separation anxiety can be a real issue with this breed. He can be difficult to housetrain and a hazard to cats and other small pets, but if you plan to spend many days hunting, hiking or doing obedience and agility with him by your side, you might have found your perfect companion.

Dalmatian

No. 7: Dalmatian
The spotted Dalmatian isn't just a Disney darling – he was bred to work as a coach dog, running alongside carriages or horses, alerting coachmen to approaching highwaymen and warding off stray dogs. That's how he became the traditional firehouse dog – he kept the streets clear for horse-drawn fire engines. However, the traits that made him perfect for this work can make him a challenge in the home. He has an endless capacity for exercise and can be destructive when bored. Also, he's a notorious shedder with stiff fur that weaves its way into fabric (but not out).

No. 8: Australian Cattle Dog
Sometimes known as a Blue Heeler or Australian Heeler, the Australian Cattle Dog is a medium-sized dog with serious endurance. Originally made up of several breeds, including the Collie, Dingo, Bull Terrier, Dalmatian and Black and Tan Kelpie, he has a reputation for being stubborn and having energy to spare – not to mention a truly adventurous spirit and belief in his own invincibility that will leave you wondering how he'll injure himself next.

No. 9: German Shepherd
Highly intelligent and a natural protector, the German Shepherd Dog is well-suited to a wide variety of jobs: He's worked as a guide dog, a drug sniffer, and, of course, a police and military dog. There's little he can't do with the right training, but that's exactly why he's not ideal for newbies – it takes quite a bit of training, exercise and dedication to stay "smarter" than he is. And all those smarts come with higher-than-average tendencies toward some pretty serious health problems, including hip dysplasia and neurologic issues.

No. 10: Saint Bernard
The Saint Bernard is incredibly lovable, but this gentle giant is also a lot of work. He drools (and drools and drools) and is known to ingest items like socks and dishtowels. Because of his enormous size (130-180 pounds or more), you might think he'd like to hang out in your big backyard, but you'd be wrong – he's prone to heatstroke and loves being around his people, so he's very much an indoor dog.

Siberian Husky

No. 11: Siberian Husky
The happy and affectionate Siberian Husky is a working dog that thrives in cold, snowy climates. He was bred to pull sleds over long distances, and his liveliness reflects that – a short walk around the block won't do for this breed. He sheds heavily, is a capable escape artist and has a strong predatory drive, so he's not a great choice for homes with cats or small pets.

No. 12: Bulldog
The Bulldog is generally good-natured and his goofy, wrinkled mug certainly makes him lovable, but the breed's heavy build and flat face make him particularly sensitive to heat, exercise and stress. He can't swim, so if you have a pool, pond or spa, his access should be restricted. He is prone to a variety of health issues and some may say he's challenging to train, but his fans don't mind – his entertaining antics and laid-back attitude make up for it in the right home.

No. 13: Bullmastiff
Devoted and protective to the point that he'd lay down his life for his family, the Bullmastiff has a mind of his own – and considering that he weighs in at 100-130 pounds, he can easily overwhelm an owner who isn't ready to stand up to him. He needs good, consistent, positive training and firm boundaries from a young age. He also needs someone to follow him with a mop, because this dog can drool. His high prey drive means he should always be kept on leash, and he doesn't generally love other dogs, so he's best as an only pet.

Airedale Terrier

No. 14: Airedale Terrier
The Airedale Terrier is quite a character. Independent, intelligent and stubborn, he'll keep you laughing – and on your toes, as he's a notorious digger and counter-surfer. He'll bring the same exuberance and joy to playing games as he brings to excavating your garden and eating your drywall. He's not great with other dogs or animals and needs plenty of stimulation (both physical and mental). It should be noted, too, that this "King of the Terriers" was the inspiration for Margaret Marshall Saunders' novel Beautiful Joe, the story of an abused dog, which sparked the creation of the modern humane movement.

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At last, a smoking gun ... discovered pointing directly at Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Maltese, Yorkies and other small dogs ... in fact, pointed at all dogs receiving multiple vaccines during one clinic visit.

Many scientific studies and taskforce reports have altered my view of vaccination over the years, but none have stunned me as much as "Adverse events diagnosed within three days of vaccine administration in dogs" by Drs. Moore, Guptill, Ward, et al. This two-year study of vaccine reactions (from data gathered at 360 Banfield clinics in 2002 and 2003) concluded: "Young adult small-breed neutered dogs that received multiple vaccines per office visit were at greatest risk of a VAAE [Vaccine Associated Adverse Event] within 72 hours after vaccination." And that's not all the report revealed.

In the study (published in JAVMA, the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association in October, 2005), 1.2 million dogs received almost 3.5 million vaccine doses. Reactions reported within 3 days (as designated by computer codes) included nonspecific vaccine reactions, allergic reactions, urticaria (hives), anaphylaxis (severe, whole-body allergic reaction), cardiac arrest, cardiovascular shock and sudden death. For each 10,000 dogs vaccinating, 38 adverse reactions were reported.

You're probably thinking: just 38 reactions per 10,000 dogs? That's not too bad. But bear in mind that this study did NOT include:

• Reactions reported more than 72 hours after vaccination (thus eliminating reactions taking longer to develop or be discovered, such as injection site cancers, autoimmune diseases, skin diseases and other major conditions);
• Reactions that occurred but were never reported by clients;
• Conditions not recognized by the vet as vaccine reactions;
• Conditions not selected for this study (seizures weren't on the list, nor were countless other common reactions);
• Conditions not recorded by the vet. The 2007 World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccine Guidelines reports "gross under-reporting of vaccine-associated adverse events...";
• Reactions in dogs also getting a heartworm shot, presumably because of the increased risk of reaction (currently, vets are warned not to give Proheart 6 with a vaccination).

The study's researchers (6 of 7 were vets) recommended that veterinarians should communicate the increased risk of multiple vaccines to clients before obtaining their consent to vaccinate. At this writing, a full four years after the study's publication, I suspect few clients have actually been warned about the risk of multiples vaccines at one visit or about special risks to smaller dogs. Were you ever warned?

Factors Increasing the Risk of the Vaccine Adverse Reaction

Body Weight. The reaction rate increased significantly as body weight decreased. That is, small dogs were at greatest risk for a reaction. Risk for dogs weighing 11 pounds or less was four times greater than the risk for dogs weighing 99+ pounds. Medium-sized dogs also had increased risk over larger dogs.

For all vaccines and for the rabies vaccine given alone, the reaction rate for dogs weighing 22.2 to 99 lbs. was approximately half the rate of dogs weighing less than 22.0 lbs. Little dogs had 32+ reactions per 10,000; medium-sized dogs, 15+; large dogs, none.

Neutering/Spaying. Neutered dogs had a 27% to 38% greater risk versus sexually intact dogs.

Age. Dogs 1.5 to 2.5 years of age had a 35% to 64% greater risk of reactions (with rates increasing up to two years and declining thereafter) than puppies 2 to 9 months old. The risk was least for dogs six years of age and older.

Number of vaccines per office visit. The risk significantly increased as the number of vaccines given at each visit increased. In little dogs (under 10 lbs.) each dose increased risks by 27%; in dogs weighing more, each dose increased risk by 12%.

Taking all dogs into consideration, each additional vaccine given at each office visit increased the rate of vaccine reaction by 24.2%. All three dogs in the study with recorded deaths had each received four or more vaccines at their last office visit.

Three or more vaccines given at once increase the risk of a vaccine reaction 50% over the risk of a single shot. Giving five simultaneous vaccines doubles the risk!

Breed. Among breeds with 5,000 or more dogs vaccinated during the study period, the most vaccine reactions per 10,000 dogs were found, in order: in Dachshunds, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Miniature Pinschers and Chihuahuas. Next came Maltese, Miniature Schnausers, Jack Russells, Toy Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers. Mid-size dogs (like Lhasa Apsos, Bichons and Beagles) followed. At the bottom of the list was Chow Chows, German Shepherds and Rottweilers.

Purebred Status. The vaccination reaction rate for mixed-breed dogs was in the bottom fifth of all rates. The researchers state: "safety trials that use such dogs may underestimate the reaction rates that would occur in purebred dogs."

Why Does a Dog's Weight Have Such a Big Impact?

The researchers report: "Vaccines, in contrast to virtually all veterinary pharmaceuticals, are prescribed on a one-dose-fits-all basis, rather than by body weight."

I have always been shocked that a Chihuahua puppy and an adult Great Dane are given the same dose shot: 1 ml. They get the same volume of virus or bacteria plus the same volume of adjuvants (boosting agents like aluminum), preservatives (like mercury), antibiotics, stabilizers and foreign tissue cultures (like fetal calf serum). All these ingredients are known to cause vaccine reactions. (Learn more about vaccine ingredients at the CDC.)

The study's researchers go on to say that during a vaccine's pre-licensing trial, manufacturers investigate the safety of excessive doses of vaccines "but only in a limited number of dogs. The results of this study suggest that trials in dogs that weigh [22 lbs.] underestimate the expected VAAE rate in smaller dogs."

The risk of a vaccine reaction in this study population was inversely related to a dog's weight. This weight/response relationship was also suggested by a study in which toy breeds had significantly more reactions than other dogs, although body weight was not evaluated.

How Do You Avoid Reactions to Vaccines?

The study detailed here reports the problems, but not the remedy. They only recommend that veterinarians advise clients of the risks.

Regrettably, I have been unable to find you a link to the study on-line. Your vet may have on-line access if he/she subscribes to JAVMA (J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2005 Oct 1;227(7):1102-8). You can read a short summary or have your non-subscribing vet request the article for a small fee at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16220670 or http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2005.227.1102?journalCode=javma.

Note: A smaller study for cats entitled "Adverse events after vaccine administration in cats" turned up similar results to the dog study.

If your vet gives multiple shots in a visit, you should insist that he/she read this study. If your vet has already read it, he/she should explain to you why you weren't informed of the risks to your dog of multiple shots, especially if your dog was small or medium sized.

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Related articles:
Visit our new Web site just on vaccination: www.truth4pets.org.

Watch our new video on pet vaccine reactions:

• Combination Shots for Dogs: Weapons of Over-Vaccination
• Titer Test: Don't Vaccinate Your Dog Unnecessarily
• Vaccinating Dogs: 10 Steps to Eliminating Unnecessary Shots
• Vaccinating Unhealthy Pets: Beware Reactions & Vaccine Failure

BEIJING (AP) – A Chinese dog breeder said that a property developer paid him 18 million yuan ($3 million) for Tibetan mastiff twins, highlighting how the breed has become a status symbol for China's rich.

The large, slobbery dog with massive amounts of hair used to be best known for herding sheep in Tibet, but has now become a luxury for the ultra-rich who want to spread their wealth beyond stocks and real estate.

In this AP photo taken March 18, 2014, a Chinese man working for a dog breeder bids farewell to two Tibetan mastiffs he had been caring for outside a hotel in Tongxiang city in east China's Zhejiang province. A Chinese dog breeder said Thursday that a property developer paid him 18 million yuan ($3 million) for the Tibetan mastiff twins, highlighting how the breed has become a status symbol for China's rich. One of the twins – a golden-haired Tibetan mastiff – was sold for $12 million yuan, and his red-haired brother went for $6 million yuan.

Breeder Zhang Gengyun said he sold the 1-year-old twin male dogs to a single buyer at a luxury dog fair Tuesday in wealthy Zhejiang province, located on China's east coast. The sales were reported by the local Qianjiang Evening News.

One of the twins – a golden-haired Tibetan mastiff – was sold for $12 million yuan, and his red-haired brother went for $6 million yuan. Zhang said the buyer, from eastern Shandong province, paid him the 18 million yuan with his credit card.

Zhang denied the sale was a ploy by breeders to hype the price of Tibetan mastiffs and said he was reluctant to sell the twins. "It's a real deal," he said.

The more expensive golden-haired dog was 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) tall and weighed 90 kilograms (200 pounds).

"His hair is bright and he has a dead-drop gorgeous face," said the breeder. "Usually he's quiet and gentle, but when a stranger shows up, he could bark endlessly and bite."

Zhang said the unnamed buyer might start breeding Tibetan mastiffs himself.

"The Tibetan mastiff is as treasured in China as the giant panda, so people consider it a symbol of higher social status," he said.






















Liu Na, organizer of a Tibetan mastiff fair in Beijing, said the average price for one of the dogs is several hundreds of thousands of dollars. The price tag usually depends on the breeder's expectations, the buyer's appreciation of the dog and the bargaining between the two, she said.

"It's just like deals done when buying antiques," Liu said. "But it isn't uncommon for a breeder to hype a price in order to raise his profile in the industry, just like a celebrity can inflate his or her appearance fee."

Source: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/03/19/2980267/chinese-pays-2-million-for-tibetan.html
©2014 The Tribune

Although dogs come in many sizes, scientists have found some specific genetic markers for small dogs. A recent survey of these markers across many wild and domesticated dogs seems to have provided some answers for when and where the smaller breeds developed. And what the researchers discovered comes as no surprise in light of biblical history.


In their study, published in the online journal BMC Biology, four researchers led by UCLA's Melissa Gray found that the same genetic markers for small dogs are found both in domesticated dogs and "in Middle Eastern gray wolves." Since there are so many modern varieties among small domestic dogs, it is apparent that a wolf with small stature, containing a remarkable inherent potential for variety, was first removed from a larger wolf population thousands of years ago. Afterward, other traits – like snout size and coat texture – were expressed in different descendant breeds. Thus, it appears that early on in the history of domesticated dogs, small dogs were separated out.

"All small dogs possess these diagnostic mutations," according to the researchers. They found that a mobile DNA sequence, called a SINE, had been inserted into a particular place in the genome of small dogs. They also found a characteristic single DNA base change nearby, amidst a growth factor gene. But insisting that either the SINE insert or the base change came about through "mutation" is not scientific, since its origin was not observed. Some single base changes are known to be the result of pre-designed genetic variation, not mutations. Likewise, mobile DNA elements like SINEs probably do not incorporate randomly. If they did, they would insert into vital genes and disrupt them, and this occurs only rarely. Instead, they appear to be parts of a pre-engineered system that generates certain varieties within an animal kind.

The biological mechanisms that generate variation within the dog kind are not all mutational, but appear well-designed. For example, using only three different small but strategic genes, 80 different varieties of dog fur texture have been specified among various breeds. That appears to be the result of engineering, not undirected genetic change. It makes sense that the Creator would have outfitted creatures with these inherent capacities for variation so that they could fulfill His purpose for them to branch out, multiply, and fill various environments across the earth.

The researchers wrote that "domestic dogs have rapidly diversified in body size." This conclusion is consistent with the shorter time spans given in the creation-Flood model, which holds that all of today's dog breeds have diversified in only the few thousands of years since the Genesis Flood, not over the 10,000 or so years of random selection proposed by evolutionists.

It is now agreed that "wolves were the ancestors of dogs." It seems there has been too much migration and interbreeding between dogs and wolves to genetically resolve the accurate location of the first large dog's origins. However, there is no data from genetics or archaeology that precludes a Middle East origin for large dogs, too.

This study, like a recent analysis of apples, confirms the geography and the timing of the creation-Flood model, whereby all of today's dog breeds began a relatively short time ago in the Middle East – the resting place of Noah's Ark, according to Genesis 8:4.

World Top Ten Countries with Most Pet Dog Population
COUNTRY USA Brazil China Japan Russia South Africa France Italy Poland Thailand	NO. OF DOGS 61,080,000 30,051,000 22,908,000 9,600,000 9,600,000 9,100,000 8,150,000 7,600,000 7,520,000 6,900,000

 
National Pit Bull Awareness Day (NPBAD) is a day of appreciation and education designed to change perceptions and stereotypes about pit bulls and their responsible owners. NPBAD was established to educate and foster positive communications and experiences in the communities in which we and our dogs live, and it is an initiative dedicated to restoring the image of the American Pit Bull Terrier.

NCRC Interview with Officer Bill Bruce on Ineffective Dog Laws from Kara Gilmore.

Elgin, Illinois – Protesters march down the Chicago Street bridge in opposition to a proposed law to ban pit bulls.

 

Animal lovers are a passionate bunch, as the debate here showed earlier this year concerning a proposal for a pit bull ban in the city of Elgin, Illinois.

So just as at the end of 2009, when we interviewed Jeff, the Lords Park bison, shortly before he passed away about efforts to save the zoo where he stays, this year we talked to Petey XXXL, the offspring of the pit bull from "Little Rascals" and Buster Brown Shoes fame, about the doggone controversy in the city in the suburbs.

Here is what Petey had to say in a Q&A.

 

Q: Why the controversy?

Q: So how did things wind up in Elgin?

Q: So what's happened since?

Q: What do you think about all of this?