The tendency to watch over prized objects grows and takes root in a dog during its puppyhood. Few things can possibly be cuter than a Havanese puppy gloating while curled around a bone, or a tennis ball. Nevertheless, this behavior is normally not suppose to be lost in a dog. Being social and pack animals, dogs tend to be protective, since they are very much aware that if something gets lost, there are nil chances of recovering them.

From the experience of Havanese Training, bitches are observed to guard more often than the males. The male dogs, in turn, have plenty of guarding tendencies among those of middle rank. It has also been found that object guarding is a sign of just how confidence there is in a dog. Therefore, the most likely to share a bone or a food bowl are the top dogs that are confident about their sense of property.

For the emotional health of the puppy, owners would do well to check closely on whether there have been many instances of food and items being taken away from the puppy, and not giving it back. Owners who were admittedly prone to getting things from the dog may then be able to explain the many instances when the dog would run away and hide an object, or would growl and snarl, etc.

The next instant that a dog owner is stumped how to respond to guarding behavior, a dog trainer is one of the best sources of information of how best to manage the dog’s behavior. There is comfort in the fact that this concern can actually still worsen, where the dog desires imposing its dominance. There is really a lot of hassle that can be prevented when dog owners start training the dog from puppyhood. For example, there is no more need to retrain an adult havanese, and to risk it out in complicated  and tense training procedures.

Among an owners’ responsibilities are the need to ensure that the puppy forms a solid and healthy love for chew toys. If the dog bonds in a healthy way with the chew toys, the dog would not get attached to wrong household items to call its own. Take time also to train the dog to not get attached to chew toys, and to be willing to give them up when asked to do so.

We cannot also miss seeing things from the lens of positive based Havanese Training, which say that you will need to train your puppy to think that every time it gives up an item, it can get something even better, like a treat or reward, and perhaps too, the prized item sometime later.

Description: The Whippet is a sight hound of medium size. The dog is 19-20 inches in height, and the bitches’ height is 18-21 inches. Their weight is 25-45 pounds this breed looks similar to their cousin, the greyhound. The Whippet has a long skull, which is lean and has a very wide gap between the ears. The muzzle is long and tapers to the nose. The nose is dark brown, black or dark blue. The teeth meet in a scissor bite. This dog has small ears that rose shape. Their ears are held back and folded, except when the dog is excited, where they are semi-perked.

The Whippet has oval shaped eyes was a dark in colour. They have straight front legs with feet that are thick and can be either cat like or hare like. This breed has a deep chest. A long tail which has a slight lift at the end is held low. This breed has a short coat that is smooth and all colours are accepted. The Whippet lives to about 15 years.

History: The Whippet came into being by crossing the Italian Greyhound, the Greyhound, and an unknown Terrier type breed. This was in the 19th century. The name means to move quickly “whip it” and, as its name suggests, it is a very fast dog reaching speeds of up to 37 mph. This dog has a history in racing, often being called the poor mans race horse. In the UK, there were racing tracks in nearly every city where the poorer man would go to watch the Whippet race and place bets on who will win.

Due to the fact, this is a sight hound the dogs would race chasing a “rabbit” that was not a real rabbit but a mechanical rabbit, that is on the edge of the track, going faster than the dogs. This sport was popular until the mid 1980’s when it lost popularity. The Whippet was first recognized by the AKC in 1888 and the English Kennel Club in 1891. This dog has been used for hunting, as a watchdog, sighting, racing, agility, and lure coursing.

Description: The Komondor is a muscular flock Guardian and has a large bone structure. With a large head and a relatively short dark muzzle this breed, due to their coat, has a unique look. This breed has brown and medium-sized eyes that are dark and almond shaped. The breed has large triangular, elongated ears, with slightly rounded tips. Their teeth meet in a level or scissor bite. Their tail is long enough to reach the hocks. With a height of 25½ inches, and upwards, and a weight of 125 pounds, with the bitches being only slightly less, this is a big dog.

This breed’s body is covered in a felted and corded coat. This grows 8 to 11 inches in length and is always the colour white. Their colour helps them blend in while they protect the sheep, from any prey that may come upon the flock. This breed is a flock Guardian and working dog. This is a double coated dog, with the outer coat fusing with the undercoat giving us the corded look that hangs alongside the dog all over their body including the ears. It can take up to five years to reach the desired length. This breed has a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years.

History: The Komondor breed descends from the Tibetan dogs. This breed was thought to have come from Tibet 1000 years ago. How it got to Hungary is not entirely clear. Grave sites have been found with remains of this dog, belonging to Cumans, (Turkish speaking, nomadic people). It is thought these nomadic people settled in Hungary around about the 12th century. There is also written evidence from the time of King Astiagis in 1544. In more modern times, the breed has spread throughout the world. The Komondor has been competing in dog shows since 1920.

The Komondor breed protects the flock, rather than herding them. This dog was first recognized by the AKC in 1937. The breed has always been used to guard flocks. Their coat offers excellent protection from the weather and animals, that may attack. There are stories that in World War II, many of these dogs were killed, due to the fact they wouldn’t give up the buildings they were in. so in order to allow the building to be captured, soldier had to shoot them. In Hungary today, this dog is quite a common sight.

Description: The Pug is a small dog, considered by some to be a dwarf Mastiff. It is a solid, compact animal with the dogs measuring 12 to 14 inches and weighing up to 20 pounds. The bitches are generally two inches shorter and have a weight of 13 to 18 pounds. The Pug is well known for its short, wrinkled face and curled tail that rests on its back. The baby Pugs are sometimes called Puglets. The Pug’s coat color can be black, fawn (often with a darker facial mask), silver, or apricot. Other names for the Pug include Mops, Chinese Pug Dog, or Carlin. The Pug can live for up to 15 years.

History: Two schools of thought contend over the origin of the Pug. It is the most generally accepted that the Pug came into being in Asia and is a descendant of the Pekingese. It was mentioned in the writings of Confucius and was a favorite among the Chinese royalty and nobility. The Pug was also kept in Tibetan monasteries. It was the Dutch East India Company that brought the Pug to Europe in the 16th century. The Pug was almost instantly popular and is featured in a self portrait of the artist Hogarth.

Temperament: The Pug is an affectionate, outgoing dog that loves to be around people. It is something of a clown and often amuses its family with its playful antics. The Pug is very good with children and enjoys playing with them. The Pug is a confident and alert dog that will keep and eye on the house, without excessive yappiness. It gets along fine with other dogs and family pets.

Health Issues: Due to its short muzzle, the Pug is susceptible to the usual problems that affect brachycephalic breeds. The Pug will snore and wheeze and can suffer from “snort attacks”, which are alarming but not dangerous. The Pug can suffer from hip dysplasia, and this occurs in a majority of these dogs. Be careful that your Pug does not become overweight as this can make breathing and joint problems worse. A very serious ailment is Pug Dog Encephalitis, which causes brain inflammation in young dogs. A caesarean section is often necessary to deliver the pups.

Grooming: The lighter colored Pugs, fawn and apricot, can be fairly heavy shedders, especially seasonally, and should be brushed regularly. The black Pug sheds much less and does not need to be tended to as much. The wrinkly face of the Pug needs to be kept clean and dry as infections can develop in the moist wrinkle creases.

Living Conditions: The Pug is perfect for indoor living, being equally comfortable in a house or apartment. It should have a daily walk to keep it healthy, but these should be skipped in hot weather. Because of the short face of the Pug, it must be protected from both heat and cold. It can suffer heat stroke very easily and should be kept cool during the summer. The Pug will want to be with its human family as much as possible.

Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence recently told The Sun that she was bullied as a child. The current darling of Hollywood, it’s hard to imagine anyone picking on Jennifer Lawrence.

Celebrity bullying typically occurs long before the person becomes famous. In Jennifer’s case, the bullying occurred mostly in elementary school with some bullying taking place in middle school. Jennifer told The Sun that she changed schools frequently because some girls were mean.

Today, the 22-year-old star’s inherent clumsiness is seen as endearing (she recently tripped at the Oscars and tore her dress at the Screen Actors Guild). However, school-age bullies might have perceived her clumsiness differently.

Surprisingly, the girls in middle school, a notorious few years for any adolescent, were “less mean.” Jennifer told The Sun about an incident involving a girl who wanted her to hand out birthday party invitations to a party she wasn’t invited to. In true Jennifer Lawrence fashion, Jennifer handled the bullying by “hocking a loogie” on the invitations and throwing them in the trash. Jennifer went on to express her feelings about bullying: Don’t worry about the bitches. As hard as it is to imagine anyone bullying Jennifer Lawrence, it appears that she hasn’t let it get the best of her.

The Jennifer Lawrence celebrity bullying story is one of many recent revelations involving stars and bullying. Tyra Banks, for example, discussed bullying with Dr. Oz last year and revealed that not only was she bullied as a child, she later became a bully to others. Tyra explained that those doing the bullying are actually hurting more, that they have their own internal pain, and that they are like vampires who seek vulnerable victims because they are so weak.

Other victims of celebrity bullying include: Christian Bale (frequent beatings), Demi Lovato (hate petitions and tauntings), Steven Spielberg (seen as a nerdy outsider and victim of anti-Semitism), Winona Ryder (beat up in middle school), Lady Gaga (didn’t fit in and felt like a freak), Chris Colfer (stuffed in lockers), Megan Fox (picked on), and Tom Cruise (numerous fights).

If that sounds like a lot of celebrity bullying, it’s just the beginning. According to Look to the Stars’ Stomp Out Bullying campaign, one out of four kids is bullied and child/teen bullying and cyberbullying are at an all-time high. Many celebrities are using their stories and star power to change those statistics. As Jennifer Lawrence and Tyra Banks might say, don’t worry about the bitches; they are weak vampires.

Canine mastitis is a breast infection in brood bitches, usually occurring a few weeks after whelping. It is not that common, but you should be aware of it. The breasts of a lactating brood bitch are normally warm and enlarged, but never red, dark, hot or painful when touched. Advanced canine mastitis presents as a hard, hot and almost black breast segment, which is extremely painful for the brood bitch when touched. Canine mastitis can be caused by weaning puppies too early, severe scratches from puppies claws or some other infection.

A bitch with canine mastitis may be running a fever, be listless and possibly be off her food. She may not allow her puppies to nurse, and if she does, she will be “snappy” when they touch the affected area.

Treating Canine Mastitis

If your brood bitch shows signs of breast infection it may be canine mastitis, so get her to your vet immediately. He will prescribe some antibiotics and possibly advise hand feeding of the pups. However, I have found that on getting the canine mastitis fever down, she will allow the pups to nurse again, and feeding from the infected breast will not affect the pups at all… in fact I’ve found it helps clean the breast infection out.

Invariably the infection will cause the breast will rupture out the side, leaving a large open wound which must be cleaned daily. The antibiotics will prevent further reinfection. You’ll find that when she has litters of puppies in future, she not produce milk in the breast segment that was affected by canine mastitis.

Out of the thousands of diets that have been written over the years 5 really stand out as being the most effective. One of them, Weight Watchers, has been around for over 40 years, while the others have been introduced more recently. One of them, the 9th Law Diet, is only a year old.  Although each diet has philosophical differences on the best way to lose weight, they all are effective and have shown to be safe.

Here is a summary of each diet. Each summary includes information about the general philosophy, type of foods, overall expense of each diet, as well as the most commonly attributed pros and cons. The diets are listed in no particular order. These are just the top five weight loss diets this decade based on the formerly listed criteria.

Skinny Bitch: This diet was written by two fiery and passionate best friends who are proud to call themselves skinny bitches. Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin call Skinny Bitch, a no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous. Skinny Bitch is definitely telling it to you straight.  The way your best girlfriend would tell you over a cocktail.

These girls make no apologies for the attitude, wit, and even the language found in this colorful guide to basically getting your ass in gear once and for all. They refer to sugar as the devil, and themselves as pigs, and encourage you to get a sweet ass. They love food just as much as anyone. But, they have also learned a successful way to enjoy food and enjoy eating without depriving themselves and maintaining sexy little bodies.

The diet lets you eat all the carbohydrate packed goodness you could ever want including bread, potatoes, pasta, cakes, cookies and muffins. Of course, nothing good ever comes for free, so what is the catch? No dairy. No meat. No sugar or artificial sweeteners. Sound a little vegan? That is because it is, and Skinny Bitch is even endorsed by P.E.T.A.

These skinny girls don’t like to feel hungry and they don’t like to feel like they’re being deprived. And they know you’re the exact same way. There is plenty to eat when you decide to make the switch to Skinny Bitch. The basic premise is simple: being skinny means being healthy. The two ideas are not independent of one another. They come right out and show the flaws of some of the more popular diets around, probably some you have followed yourself. They say in the end, those diet programs are quick fixes that will never help you get a grip on your overall health and wellness.

Skinny Bitch will educate you about the foods you’re eating, how and why they have the effects on your body that they do and where you have been going wrong all along. They release you from the constraints of counting calories, but tell you to start reading all of those food labels. The expense is the cost of the book, Skinny Bitch. The book itself is an entertaining, albeit brash, read. The diet is perfect for vegetarians or vegans. The book can be purchased online and through all major booksellers

South Beach: If you are looking for a diet plan that has grown wildly popular over the past few years, gives your eating habits a dramatic makeover, and shares the name of one of the world’s favorite beaches, then the South Beach Diet is for you. Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, created this friendly contrast to other prohibitive weight-loss plans and offers a chance to achieve success where you might have previously failed.

The South Beach Diet differs from its low carbohydrate competitor Atkins, in that it restricts saturated fats, which are linked with health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol. It promises that cravings for sugars, sweets and other carbohydrates will disappear as you go along because the diet is supposed to keep blood sugar levels maintained.

The South Beach Diet has three separate phases in which in each phase, you wean yourself away from certain foods and incorporate other South Beach Diet friendly foods. The diet promises that you will lose 8-12 pounds in the first two weeks as long as you adhere to the guidelines.

The South Beach Diet supports a clean way of eating that is void of refined sugars and trans fats. It also has thousands of satisfied clients, updated research in the 2008 release South Beach Diet: Supercharged, and a maintenance plan after weight loss goals have been achieved.

A problem is the fact that many South Beach Diet food products contain sugar-alcohols, which may cause diarrhea and other GI tract problems. The best recommendation is to adhere to the diet without consuming all the specially made products.

The diet has various phases. The first phase lasts for two weeks and has you remove starches like bread, pasta and rice, potatoes, fruits, milk, yogurt, honey and baked goods. Sugars are completely eliminated. During the first phase of South Beach, you will enjoy three balanced meals and some snacks that should include lean meats and fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, fresh vegetables, beans and nuts.

Phase two of the South Beach Diet will allow you to slowly re-introduce fruits, whole-grain breads and pastas. You will choose just one carbohydrate and include that in one meal each day for one week. Phase two will continue until you meet your goal weight. You will begin the maintenance, or third, phase of South Beach once you have met your goal weight. It is here that you will put to practice all that you learned in phases one and two.

The cost is the price of the book, South Beach, which is available online as well as all major book outlets. There is also a complete line of South Beach Diet foods that can be purchased in your grocery store from cereals to frozen meals. But many of the nutrition bars and snack items contain artificial sweeteners, which have been known to induce gastrointestinal problems.

The 9th Law Diet: This is a relatively new diet that has been sweeping across the country due to its simplicity and overall effectiveness. The 9th Law Diet was created by a physiology professor out of the St. Louis area. He is well known on the web as Professor Jay, but his real name is Jay Snaric.

The diet was formally created after a student of professor Jays lost over 90 pounds following his weight loss guidelines.  The student convinced the professor to get it into the hands of so many people who really need it.  Professor Jay created a website where he gives the diet away for free, as well as offers on-going email support.  The rest is history, as the 9th Law Diet has swept across the country and around the world in record time.  Thousands of people have lost major weight and have changed their lives with the 9th Law Diet.

The 9th Law Diet emphasizes cutting out what he refers to as negative carbohydrates and fats, and incorporating more positive carbohydrates and fats. Its emphasis on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and heart-healthy fats is an eating plan that is full of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids Support for this diet comes from the science provided by Harvard Medical school and other predominate members of the medical science community. Professor Jay Snaric himself has studied human physiology, nutrition, and health at New York University, The Medical University of South Carolina, and University of Southern Illinois.

The 9th Law Diet does not just promote dieting, but overall behavioral and lifestyle changes. As stated earlier, you can get the 9th Law Diet for free at secretloss.com.  The cost is zero.  At the very least this diet is worth a read, and subscribing to Professor Jays mailing list is well worth your time.  It’s not coincidence that this diet has grown is popularity so fast.

Jillian Michaels, The Biggest Loser: The biggest loser background Fitness guru, Jillian Michaels, known for her tough approach for losing weight on NBCs The Biggest Loser, has written a guide on how to drop those pesky last 10 or 15 pounds in 30 days. Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You sets itself apart from the myriad of fitness and weight loss books at your local bookstore because Michaels’ program uses the process of oxidizing as a way to determine what kind of a metabolism your body has in order to lose weight effectively.

Michaels takes you through the steps to determine what kind of an oxidizer you are: slow, balanced or fast. Your new body classification then dictates what you will eat supported by Jillian’s own menus and recipes. She promises that you will feel comfortable in a bikini if you commit to her disciplined fitness and diet regimen. As part of Making the Cut, you must take a body fat percentage test and a “fit test” before starting the program as a measure to evaluate your pre and post self.

Michaels does not under estimate the power of the mind in the battle to lose weight. She includes helpful tips and advice for how to improve self-esteem and confidence. The book is also full of various exercises to improve strength, flexibility and endurance. Michaels also unveils some well-kept celebrity diet secrets to get your body prepared before a big event.

The diet is Inexpensive and personalized.  The program focuses on the mental aspect of losing weight in addition to the exercise and nutrition components – Jillian Michaels is a popular weight loss coach with nearly 20 years experience

Michaels supplies a list of recipes and menus for each of the three oxidizer classifications. As part of your commitment to the Making the Cut program, you are supposed to adhere to her menu and calorie plan. During Making the Cut, you will take a fit test which is outlined in the book. The test establishes your level of fit-ness and you are then required to exercise about 5 hours each week. Michaels provides you with various exercises to do. She also has her own line of exercise DVDs that can be purchased at an additional cost over the book.

The cost is $14.95 for the book. Many online booksellers sell new and used books for discounted prices.

There is no refuting Michaels knowledge and training expertise when it comes to getting in shape and losing weight. Her 30-day promise, like any similar promise is no guarantee but it packs a three-pronged approach of diet, exercise and mental awareness to help you to lose those lingering pounds. The clinical science behind her oxidizer theory is scanty but her belief that the road to weight loss is a personal journey that begins with changes in behavior, lifestyle and self-motivation is an important component that many diet plans disregard.

Weight Watchers: It has been more than 40 years since Weight Watchers came on the scene and started helping people live healthier lives. Weight Watchers helps members create a foundation to introduce healthier choices and physical activity into their lives.

The original Weight Watchers plan invites members to weekly meetings where they hold group sessions, helping dieters form a network of support with people sharing similar experiences. Upon arrival, each person checks their weight privately. Meetings are conducted by a trained Meeting Leader who motivates and offers the group support through information about nutrition and fitness.

Members are also welcome to join the Weight Watchers community online.  From the comfort of their homes, members can form virtual support groups, monitor progress and access hundreds of approved recipes, like Blue Cheese Muffins, Sweet and Sour Pork, Grilled Beef Fajitas and even delectable treats like Chocolate Mint Brownies. If it’s not convenient to prepare the approved meals at home, they offer a wide variety of frozen meals and point-complimenting menu items at Applebees.

Weight Watchers was made popular by a points system called Flex Plan. A point value is assigned to each food on the comprehensive list of more than 27,000 foods. The Flex Plan allows you to eat the foods you like. Just stay within your daily points and you can still enjoy fried chicken and Diet Pepsi. It is an easy plan to follow, offers great flexibility and has proven successful for more than 40 years. Read this full explanation of how Weight Watchers Points work, or use our free Weight Watchers Points Calculator.

Weight Watchers emphasizes eating more wholesome food through its Core Plan. Members don’t count points, just choose a balanced combination of whole grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy. Whether you choose the Flex Points or Core Plans, you can find hundreds of delicious, satisfying and good-for-you Weight Watchers recipes right here at Diets In Review. Weight Watchers Online helps its members with 60 workout demonstrations. There are fitness recommendations for all skill levels. As little as $5 a week with their 3-month plan. Weight Watchers is a trusted diet company with 40+ years experience – Programs to suit men, women and all adult ages – Flex Points or Core Plan programs – Choose one-on-one counseling or the online program for anonymity and convenience – Comprehensive Web site membership – Provides exercise guidance – Thousands of recipes and meals to choose from – Partnership with Applebee’s to make dining out more healthful. Counting points can be time-consuming – Web membership detracts from the traditional social aspect of Weight Watchers meetings

Weight Watchers is a tried and true veteran of the weight loss industry. With a variety of methods to choose from for both men and women, you’re almost certain to find the right path for your weight loss journey. Weight Watchers provides support from every aspect of weight loss- so you’re never left without information or support. Food is one of the primary concerns of any dieter and Weight Watchers goes above and beyond most other weight loss programs with thousands of recipes that anyone, dieting or not, will find tempting and delicious. If their style appeals to you, go for it.

Overall, all of these diets have proven to be very successful for many people, and have changed many lives.  The key is finding the diet which works best for you.  Obesity increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.  Obesity is an epidemic.  We need more diets like these to help people get their health back.

You shouldn’t chase a man! Any dating expert will tell you this. Men are biologically programmed to do the chasing and if you chase after them, they may feel flattered for a while, but then they will run away. If you don’t believe me then read on…

To succeed at dating you need to be good at getting men to chase you. You need to present a challenge to a man. And you need to keep that challenge up and make sure he never feels that he has you completely under his control. If the chase is over quickly then he will lose interest quickly.

Now, of course there are going to be exceptions to this and if you insist of doing the chasing, that’s fine. On one condition… that from now on you start to notice how many times this doesn’t work out. Here’s what some dating and relationship experts have to say on the subject:

Lisa Daily in her fabulous book “Stop Getting Dumped”

The truth is, if you ask a man out on a date, part of him will believe you’re desperate, and wonder what’s wrong with you. After all, if you’re so great, why isn’t somebody else dating you? He may even go out with you a few times, but trust me, the relationship will be doomed. He will never truly value you, because of this simple fact: He didn’t have to work hard to get you. (Lisa Daily, 2003, Stop Getting Dumped, Vermilion)

Sherry Argov in her hilarious book “Why Men Love Bitches”

Women need to understand that men love the “thrill of the case” and are highly competitive… Its like blackjack. If he wins big right up front, he’s done for the night. But with the slow win, things develop differently. He wins a few hands and then loses a couple. At this point wild horses couldn’t pull him away, because he feels so close to winning again. He can almost taste it. His inborn, competitive male nature kicks in and makes him stay there and fight. And if he’s losing, he’ll fight even harder.” (Sherry Argov, 2002, Why Men Love Bitches, Adams Media Corporation)

Dr Patricia Allen and Sandra Harmon in their book on masculine and feminine “Getting To I Do”

“Leslie picked sexy men, whom she approached first. In this way, she unconsciously and automatically set up the relationship so that she would never get to be the sexy, cherished woman. If Leslie really wanted to be pursued and loved by a generous, protective, and cherishing man, she would have to learn to be passively potent and magnetic.” (Patricia Allen and Sandra Harmon, 2002, Getting To “I Do”, Quill)

You can chase a man if you are a masculine woman who is looking for a feminine man, but not if you want to be the female in the relationship. I am not aware of a single dating expert who will tell a feminine woman that it’s OK to chase a masculine man. Most of us have tried chasing men at some point. When you realise that it does not work, you can start to move on and learn what does.

Description: The Kuvasz is a flock guarding dog; their height is 28 to 30 inches in dogs and 26 to 28 in the bitches. Dogs have a weight of 100 to 115 pounds and the bitches are 70 to 90 pounds. The Kuvasz head should be in good proportion to the body. With a black nose and large nostrils, their head is considered to be their best feature, in the show ring. They have black lips and a good muzzle. Their eyes are dark brown and almond in shape, set wide apart. The ears are set back and are V shaped with slight rounding on the tips, these hang down.

The Kuvasz is a medium boned dog and its tail is as long as its hock. This is carried low. This breed has well padded feet and straight legs. The Kuvasz neck has a mane that has longer hair than the head and legs. The hair of this breed can be wavy, and as long as 6 inches. This is a double coat and the colours we see are ivory and white. It has a thick undercoat. The Kuvasz lives around 10 to 12 years.

History: This breed came from Tibet but was developed in Hungary, to the dog we see today. This breed has been around since the age of the Huns, and it has also been said to have come with the Turkish refugees fleeing the Mongols into Hungary in 1200. In the Turkish language the name means “protector”. The Kuvasz had favour, in the courts of the 14th century, and were given as gifts, to special guests. After this brief period of royal living the breed went back to being a flock guardian.

This dog has been used as a hunting dog, for bears, and wild boar. This breed is in the gene pool of Maremma Sheepdog, Anatolian Shepherd dog and Great Pyrenees Polish Tara Sheepdog. This breed nearly became extinct after World War II and was saved by a group of breeders working hard to bring the numbers up.

Is your dog pregnant? There are some dog pregnancy signs and symptoms to help you find out if she is. The first question that should come into your mind is if she has recently been on ‘heat.’ Dogs reach sexual maturity as early as 6 months or as late as 16 months, depending on the breed and the individual dog. While this means that they are able to get pregnant, it advisable to know that a dog should not be no less than 18 to 24 months old before being pregnant.

The following list is the progressive signs of dog pregnancy. It is important to note that not every bitch will experience each and every symptom. It is usually the presence of a group of symptoms that gives owners a decent idea of whether their dog is truly pregnant.

1. Anything that deviates from your bitch’s normal behavior might be an early indication of pregnancy. For example, a stand-offish bitch may suddenly become clingy, while a normally affectionate bitch may seek to be left alone.

2. Many bitches will experience a drop in their appetite during the first few weeks of pregnancy, becoming reluctant to eat anything. Eventually, their appetite returns with gusto and they will require nearly twice their normal amount of food to support the pups.

3. Some, but not all, bitches will vomit intermittently during the first few weeks of pregnancy. This can range from clear mucous to actual food. The use of the word “morning” can be a bit misleading since the vomiting can occur at any time of day.

4. Many females will show some level of breast development after a heat cycle. However, continued breast growth is a good indicator that a pregnancy is under way.

5. Many bitches will spend a good deal of their time resting, if not fully sleeping. This is mainly noticed during the early and final stages with the bitch rebounding a bit during mid-pregnancy.

6. This is natural and should only be cause for alarm if the discharge develops a foul odor or a brownish color. Green discharge, especially late in the pregnancy is usually a sign that a pup has defecated in uterus.

7. As the pregnancy progresses, the growing pups will naturally cause the bitch’s abdomen to grow in size. This growth usually isn’t noticeable until mid-pregnancy.

8. The continued breast development noted in early and mid-pregnancy typically leads to milk production during the last stage of gestation. However, some females won’t produce milk until the puppies actually begin to nurse, so a lack of milk is nothing to worry about at this point.

9. Once the puppies reach decent size, they can be felt by gently laying your hand on your bitch’s abdomen. You won’t feel movement if the pups are asleep, so the best time to check is after your bitch has had some mild exercise, such as right after a walk.

The surest way to know if your dog is pregnant is to visit the vet. At 20-30 days post conception, an experienced vet will be able to feel the dog’s abdomen and know if she is pregnant. 25 days after breeding, the vet will be able to detect fetuses with an ultrasound, and 45 days after breeding, the number of pups can be determined by an X-ray. A dog’s pregnancy lasts, on average, 63 days. There is lots of room for variation in this, with some birthing as early as 54 days or as late as 74 days.