The Golden Retriever is one of the most versatile dog breeds known to man. Their intelligence and versatility sees them employed in a variety of roles including illegal drug detection, search and rescue, as hunting dog, as guide dog for the blind, as therapy dog, and as a service dog for the disabled. Its friendly, eager-to-please and patient demeanor has made it one of the most popular family dogs in the world. The Golden Retriever has an endless number of positive attributes when being considered as a family pet. They are also very competitive in agility and other performance events.

Golden Retriever puppy are known to be very playful and very friendly and making it the best choice for kids of all ages. While young children should always be supervised when playing with any dog, the Golden Retriever is remarkably accepting of children's sudden and often random movements or behaviors. Friendly with everyone, including other dogs, the Golden Retriever has very little, if any, guarding instincts. They are a fairly robust and healthy dog breed that can be expected to live for 10 to 14 years.

This is a large breed of dogs. Male Goldens are fairly large and stand 23 to 24 inches tall at shoulder height and weigh from 65 to 75 pounds. Females are smaller and stand 21.5 to 22.5 inches tall at shoulder height and weigh from 55 to 65 pounds. He has a double coat — the outer coat is water-repellent and the undercoat is dense and soft in texture. The coat varies from white-blond to reddish-blond and is usually shiny and soft. The double-coat sheds seasonally and needs regular brushing. Brushing will help him maintain a clean and healthy coat, avoid mats and help you keep a closer eye on his health and strengthen your emotional bond with him.

Golden Retrievers are particularly valued for their high level of sociability towards people, calmness, and willingness to learn. The Golden Retriever puppies are particularly easy to train. They are very sensitive to harsh treatment, so excessive strictness is not recommended. They learn very quickly and enjoy pleasing their masters, so obedience training can be fun. They can learn many tricks and will remember what they are taught for the rest of their lives. They have been known to suffer from separation anxiety and can become very lonely if left alone for extended periods of time.

They are not a dog that barks all the time, but do bark when startled making them poor guard dogs. Although they are more than likely to defend their loved ones in a life-threatening situation, they are not by nature suspicious of strangers or protective, which also makes them unsuited to any sort of guard work. They tend to bark as a form of greeting. They exude charm and confidence. They are sweet, eager to please, and devoted family companions. They need interaction and stimulation. The stimulation is good for your bonding, as well as incorporating the dog into your family. Golden Retriever can be the best addition into the family if you have the time to spend with this devoted companion.

A Spanish Mastiff, or Mastin Espanol, descends from the same blood lines as a Neapolitan Mastiff, which hails from the ancient Molosser dogs which existed around 2000 B.C. The Phoenicians brought the breed into Spain via trade routes and the Spanish Mastiffs were originally used as sheep herding and guard dogs, defending livestock from potential predators.

Today, a Spanish Mastiff is still being used for the same intended purposes it was in the past and in Estremadura, it is considered a native dog. A Spanish Mastiff is quite a powerful dog with a protective nature, the coat comes in a large variety with colorful variations.

Like most other large breed dogs, a Spanish Mastiff is not prone to obvious displays of strength. The dog has a calm, alert manner and is capable of raising an alarm when it feels threatened. A Spanish Mastiff is naturally a quiet dog and will not attack unprovoked.

The breed is great with other animals, including felines and loves to be in the presence of its family. The dog enjoys being around people and will work hard to please. A Spanish Mastiff is also highly protective of young children, but is capable of displaying aggression if is senses the children are in danger. For this reason, it is highly advisable to watch your dog in the presence of strangers.

A Spanish Mastiff is also a great guard dog and does not bark unless there is a specific reason. However, when the dog does bark, it is loud and gets attention, you will be able to hear your dog even if he or she is a great distance away from you. A Spanish Mastiff is both noble and attentive, very serious about its duties and displays large amounts of patience and easily adapts to any type of climate conditions.

A Spanish Mastiff does not require a large amount of grooming or exercise. The dog is a great family companion, guarder of livestock and displays great potential for use in search and rescue missions. A Spanish Mastiff will go to any means needed to protect its family, home and other animals from eminent danger. Spanish Mastiff breeders can be found predominantly in Germany and Switzerland. However, today the breed is also common in the United States and other countries as well. The dog is also regularly shown at international dog competitions.

Like with most other large dog breeds, a Spanish Mastiff has a tendency toward being sedentary, needing only a small to moderate amount of exercise. When you decide to own a Spanish Mastiff, you should also be mindful of its tendencies to drool, slobber and snore loudly. The life expectancy of Spanish Mastiff is approximately 10 years in duration and it is highly prone to hip dysplasia and gastric difficulties.

When you own a Spanish Mastiff, you need to make sure the dog never overexerts itself from too much running, jumping or climbing when its young. This is because Spanish Mastiffs grow rather quickly and need to conserve energy for rapid bone, muscle and tendon growth. When a Spanish Mastiff reaches adulthood, regular exercise will ensure the dog enjoys a healthy and fit life.

Large Breed
Would you consider a dog that is half Boxer, half Bull terrier a large breed type dog?

She is a puppy right now and I am trying to decide what type of dog food too use. I see there are types of food for puppies that Purina makes for large breed type dogs. Do you think I should be using the large breed type? Thanks for any help!

I would call it a medium size breed, because boxers are kind of big and bull terriers are kind of small.

I love boxers!!

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Gastric torsion is seen most often in large breeds including the Great Dane and Bloodhound as well as some of the intermediate size breeds. Torsion of the stomach is the abnormal positioning of the stomach caused by the stomach rotation about its axis. This is better explained as a mechanical twist of the stomach. In essence, the stomach becomes filled with gas, food, liquid, or a combination thereof which causes the stomach to become abnormally enlarged or distended. At this point when a dog engages in a sudden jump or plays and rolls around, the stomach actually swings in a pendulum-like motion which results with it swinging completely around the fixation point of the stomach where the esophagus passes through the diaphragm, thus giving rise to a twist.

Gastric dilatation and volvulus, also referred to as GDV, is more commonly called bloat. This is what usually leads to torsion, although torsion can occur without bloat. Chronic gastric volvulus, which is ongoing mild torsion, may not cause typical signs of GDV, but should be suspected in dogs with intermittent vomiting, weight loss, mild bloating, rumbling sounds in the bowel known as borborygmi, or belching. Depending on how quickly the problem is dealt with, GDV may result in a stomach that is rotated by anywhere from 90 degrees to 360.

Severe torsion usually means the displacement of both the stomach and the spleen as they actually exchange positions. The speed, at which the stomach empties itself, as well as the stomach digestive contraction pace, is thought to play a role in the development of GDV. Certain food types such as peas, onions, beans, beet pulp, etc. are also implicated.

Gastric dilatation and volvulus most commonly occurs in large breeds, but has also been reported in Bassets, Dachshunds and cats. Reported fatality rates range from 15 percent to 60. There is also a high recurrence rate when Gastropexy surgery is not performed to permanently attach the stomach to an anatomically acceptable part of the body, such as a rib. Bloat surgery is a very painful, major operation and is potentially life threatening especially in cases involving old dogs. Dr. John Lammerding, a board certified veterinary surgeon, with extensive clinical experience with GDV cases, believes that GDV in old dogs are typically caused by excessive hyperventilation via sucking too much air due to the fact that some old dogs, like old people, develop breathing difficulties due to the aging process. Theoretically, this state of hyperventilation can then be prevented by keeping the old dog calm and preventing him or her from hyperventilating. With young dogs, Dr. Lammerding suggests more of a genetic predisposition.

Regardless of the cause of GDV, the end result is a distended and twisted stomach. GDV results in physiological changes that create a medical and surgical emergency. Treatment must be instituted immediately if the animal is to survive. If the dog cannot be treated immediately by a veterinarian, the owner may be forced to render first aid to his dog.

Prevention of this condition is the best choice, and it is highly recommended that you should discuss the treatment of bloat and torsion with your veterinarian the next time you schedule an appointment. Not all veterinarians are familiar with the proper emergency treatment of GDV and fewer yet are familiar with proper surgical technique and post surgery care and monitoring. It is imperative that you make sure that your veterinarian is familiarized with the proper procedures before his or her skills are needed. If your veterinarian is not receptive to or is offended by your queries, then it may perhaps be time for you to find a more responsive veterinarian.

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Bloat & Torsion in Large Breed Dogs