The Pekingese,
also known
as Peking Palasthund
and Little Lion Dog
of Peking, are among
the favorite American
pets of the twenty-first century.
The Pekingese is also referred
to as a sleeve dog
because it
is said
the Chinese royalty
carried the little Peke
in the sleeves of their robes.
There
were no
real lions in
China. However, the Lion of Buddha
was a sacred symbol from about
the first century A.D. The artist of those days portrayed
Buddhists symbols remarkably
like the emperors
palace dogs. The Pekingese
were probably the artists models.
Until 1860 the Pekingese was kept only by the imperial family. The Imperial
family designated
three types:
Lion
Dogs for their manes
and large forequarters;
Sun Dogs because of their golden red coats;
And Sleeve Dogs because they were often
carried inside the
rather large sleeves of the
royal families.
According
to historians when the
British raided the Chinese Imperial Palace in 1860, they carried off five of these
little dogs. One of these little dogs was presented to Queen Victoria
and named Looty. The remaining four were given to Admiral
John Hay. In John Hays
Greenwood Castle these four Pekingese became the foundation
stock for todays
Western Pekingese.
Very little
is known or available of the ancestors of the
Pekingese. We do know Oriental breeding was common to produce
small type pug-faced dogs
with flowing coats.
The Pekingese is probably better suited to adult families or those
with older
children who understand the need of careful handling of small dogs. The Pekingese is sociable
and loves to romp
with its family. He can be
somewhat stubborn,
never loses courage or dignity. He is even-tempered, intelligent
and affectionate. The Pekingese is
a loyal companion. He is best trained with gentleness, consistency and with
great patience.
Reward every appropriate action with a kind word and a
special treat. The Pekingese is usually
not known as an
alarm dog. He usually resents strangers, is bold, brave and may develop into a watchdog if encouraged.
The Pekingese
have not changed a
lot since they were residents of the royal
palace of China. They are still small and compatible little dogs. They were bred to
please their royal owners. Following the fall of the Chinese palace in 1860 they were seen in Great Britain. The AKC registered the Pekingese in 1906 and the breed has grown in popularity since that time.
Pekingese do not require a lot of exercise, long walks with its owner and backyard playtime is
plenty for the Peke.
Grooming
You guessed it..the Pekingese does require
quite a bit of grooming. Its
coat is abundant, long, straight, flat and flowing.
Most Pekingese have a black mask that extends to the ears and are seen in many
different colors. Grooming should begin very early in the life of a Pekingese puppy. The fine coat tangles easy. Care must be taken to straighten or clip
out mats as they form. The top coat is
coarse with a
thick undercoat.
There is a profuse mane extending beyond its
shoulders which forms a cape around the neck.
You will need a slicker or
pin brush and a wide-toothed comb. Brushing
regularly is essential. Pet Pekingese are more comfortable having their
stomach, chest and genital area clipped very short. Show dog Pekingese, however, are not clipped in this manner.
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It is not
uncommon that trends
in veterinary
medicine to mirror trends
in human medicine. To that end,
it's not surprising that alternative
medicine is being
used more frequently on sick
and injured horses. Instead
of prescribing the latest wonder drug, some veterinarians
are instead prescribing
a little hands-on healing in
the hopes that less invasive techniques will bring
about a return to health. In this article, we'll examine two alternative healing practices that
are becoming very popular in
the horse world:
chiropractic and massage.
CHIROPRACTIC
Equine
chiropractors traditionally deal
with "subluxations"
of the vertebrae. Defined, subluxations are incomplete or partial dislocations
of the vertebrae; in
other words, vertebrae that are out
of alignment.
These misalignments
can not only
cause the horse pain in his back, but
can also cause soft tissue damage around the area
of the spine. And since the
spine is
said to
be the conduit to the central nervous system, subluxations
may possibly change neurological function
of the spinal cord, the spinal nerve roots,
and portions of the nervous system. The
equine chiropractor adjusts these subluxationsin plain speaking
he put the spine
back into alignmentand returns the horse to optimal health.
What
conditions does chiropractic treat?
Chiropractic is used to treat back
and neck pain in the horse, as well as nerve
damage. It can also be used to diagnose
and come
up with a treatment
plan for certain lamenesses. Some people
even use chiropractic during prepurchase exams to determine whether the horse has
any neck or back injuries.
How is chiropractic administered,
and how
much does it cost?
Like a vet exam, the chiropractic
exam begins with a case history. Posture
analysis, gait analysis, static palpation, motion palpation,
orthopedic exam, and a neurological exam follow. Based
upon his or her
findings, the vertebra is
then manipulated during the adjustment
by the practitioner.
How
much does a chiropractic treatment cost?
A chiropractic exam and adjustment cost approximately $50-75, depending
upon the extent of the
problem and the
length of the session.
Are there any risks?
Some
believe that in the wrong hands, chiropractic can cause back and neck pain,
lameness problems, and spinal cord injury. The equine chiropractor must have strong knowledge of equine
vertebral anatomy, including vertebral joint relationships, the relationship of neural
components, muscle attachments and nerve
supply, and normal and abnormal range of motion.
MASSAGE
During a
massage, the soft tissues of the
body are worked by experienced hands and
fingers. As any human who has been the recipient of one knows,
massage stimulates acupuncture points and relieves tension.
Myofascial release therapy, in
which the fascia that connect and
surround the muscles are manipulated, and
myotherapy, a method of relaxing muscle spasm, improving circulation, and alleviating pain, are two of the most common types of equine
massage therapy. What conditions does
massage treat?
Massage can really help sore muscles and
tendons. It is frequently used to repair damaged muscle fiber, such as contracted tendons,
ligament and muscle strains,
chronic inflammatory conditions, peripheral nerve injuries, scar tissue, and
chronic edema.
How is
massage administered?
The soft tissues of the body are worked by the hands and
fingers. The strokes are generally performed in the direction in which blood
flows, which is toward the heart.
How much does equine massage cost?
A massage costs between $25 and $75, depending upon its duration.
What are the risks?
If your horse has
acute inflammatory processes of the skin, soft tissue, bone and joints, fractures, sprains, circulatory
disorders, presence or danger of hemorrhage, lyphangitis, and tumors, then massage should be avoided.
Ron
Petracek is the founder of Equine Internets vast 15 site classified and
social network. You can view its
amazing size here Http://www.equineinternet.com/network.php or to further your equine habit please visit our forum by clicking here
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Need to
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always the barn
door in left open on purpose.
Behavior problems
are at the top of the list of unhappy
dog owners. Each year dogs
are abandoned, put
out of
their adapted homes,
or put
to sleep
because of
bad behavior. Destructiveness, excessive vocalization,
and house soiling are
the most common signs of
separation anxiety. These bad habits occur
when the dog is separated
from its owner.
Dogs are considered
pack animals, so they prefer
to be part of
a group,
and have a pack leader
to follow
and look up to. The dogs owner
becomes the pack leader in the eyes of the dog,
and when the leader isnt there to follow, the
dog feels abandoned. This
abandonment leads to anxiety and frustration which the
dog has to deal with, the only way
he knows how, what we call bad behavior.
Positive indications of separation anxiety are bad behavior
primarily when
your dog
is left
alone, he follows
you everywhere you go, he becomes overexcited when you return
home, he becomes excited
or depressed when you prepare to leave home,
or if he
dislikes being alone out of doors.
Separation anxiety is not
due to disobedience
or lack of training. It is an
instinctive behavior and should not be punished. The
key to treating this problem is to
gradually train
or condition
your dog to get
used to
your absence. When you leave home or return home make
it a low key event.
Begin by
leaving your dog alone at home
for only a
few minutes for the first
few days or so.
Then gradually lengthen
your leaves in the
weeks ahead. Also you should try to very
your leaves at different times of the
day so as not to create a pattern or habit. To
yelp ease his anxiety, you
can leave your dog an article of clothing
that has your scent
on it.
Remember, you are attempting to break your dogs
old habit of dependency on
you, so you must develop new habits and condition your dog to accept them. It takes time,
patience, and
love, but in the end it is
well worth the effort.
Randy Jones and his
partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time.
Recently they formed
http://Joncopets.com.
On the site,
customers can shop for the
latest dog collars, dog clothes, pet supplies and
more. Check them out at
http://www.joncopets.com
