The Labrador Retriever is the most popular of dog breeds in the United States.  They are  a very intelligent breed.  They love to be in the water, play fetch and pretty much anything else that keeps them moving.  The Labrador Retriever is not an agressive breed.  They are very affectionate and do require lots of attention.  They need daily excercise to keep them happy and healthy.   

Labrador Retrievers are very easy to please.  Make them feel like part of the family and you’re in.  They do get separation anxiety when left alone for long periods of time.  When left alone, they do needs toys to keep them occupied or you may come home to a messy house. 
The male Labrador Retriever grows to be around 60-75 lbs.  The female grows to be around 55-70lbs.   Their life expectancy is up to 12 yrs.   They are known to have hip and elbow dysplasia in their later years. 

The Bulldog is a very unique breed.  They can appear to be aggressive dogs due to  their stature but are very gentle and friendly.  They are very loyal to their loved ones but they also have a bit of stubornness to them.  Bulldogs are best raised as indoor dogs.  Just like any puppy, they are hyper little souls but they become much more calm as they grow older.  They enjoy walks but not lengthy ones.  They tire easily so they don’t prefer too much strenuous activity.  
The English bulldog is notorious for their snoring and heavy breathing.  It’s very important to not over excercise them in the hot weather.

It’s important to find responsible English Bulldog Breeders that have good knowledge of what they do.  With an irresponsible breeder, bad temperment and health may follow if they don’t have the best interests of the puppies in mind.

Kenni was born in my closet just about 11 years ago… She is a domestic short haired tortoise shell cat. She was by far the most beautiful of all the other kittens of the litter. Her hair is short and soft like a chinchilla. She has vibrant green eyes that really stand out on sunny days.

Kenni on her favorite perch…the T.V.

Relaxing on a nice sunny day…

She likes to come and go as she pleases….what cat doesn’t.

Always a peaceful little girl…but she still has her feisty moments.

Her favorite place to hang out is the basement if she’s not outside…
Kenni is a very sweet cat. It takes a while for her to warm up to new people, especially other cats but when she finally does, she’ll be your little sidekick. She’s still very playful at 11 yrs. She has little mini soccer balls that she loves to boot around. Keeping those out around the house keeps her pretty active. I go on walks around the neighborhood and she loves to come along…she follows right by my feet. She’s great about doing her business outside, that’s what she prefers. I love to nap with her because she will cuddle right up to you and sleep as long as you do. I’m so happy to have her as my little companion.

Milly was born as a barn cat some time near January 2000… She is a short haired little girl cat. We like to think she has the markings of a snow leopard. She will be 9 years old this coming January - 2009.

Milly on the roof looking down at me.

Side angle Milly <

The urban snow leopard on the prowl…

From another angle, Milly on the prowl…

Milly with her boyfriend, Marley the Dachshund…

Chillen in the basement…

We got lucky with Milly being such a good cat. As you can see in the picture above, she loves the dogs. She prefers to do her business outside. She is a dependable cat always there waiting for you when you get home. One of the best things about Milly is that she is a short haired cat and she really doesn’t shed much compared to her older sister Kenny.

They are known for their crossed eyes.  This can now be avoided by selective and responsible breeding.   They have a very beautiful soft and shiney coat, almost like a Chinchilla.  They can grow to be up to 15 lbs.  These cats are extremely vocal so don’t expect peace and quiet at all times.  The Siamese Cat has a long life expectancy of up to 20yrs and known to live even longer. 

The Siamese will make a wonderful companion and a long time relationship. 

It’s extremely important to socialize your Mastiff.  Pore socialization may lead to suspision of other dogs and people and possibly biting.  The English Mastiff dog is a very independent breed meaning they have a mind of their own.  Sometimes they will do what you tell them and other times they do the complete opposite.  They are known to be dominant because they want to be the top dog.   It’s important to be very consistant with them. 

All though they take a while to train, English Mastiff Dogs are well worth the work in the end because they are one of the most loyal family dogs out there.

The Yorkshire Terrier catches on very quickly so the training process isn’t too difficult.  They do need consistency and routine to follow so that they don’t forget everything that you taught them.  They are an intelligent breed so they do keep you on your toes.  The Yorkshire Terrier loves to play but doesn’t require too much activity.   They are high maintenance when it comes to their grooming needs.  They have a longer coat so they need to be brushed daily and trimmed often.  It’s important to clean their eyes daily so that they don’t become tear stained. 

The Yorkshire Terrier is expected to be about 7lbs.  They have a life expectancy of up to 15 yrs.  They do have a more sensitive stomache so it’s important to stick to their steady diet.  They are also prone to tooth decay so cleaning their teeth often is very important as well.

A very spunky little sucker…

For many this is a nuisance, it depends on the dog health conditions that can make or break a chance meeting with a new furry little friend. It’s sad to stumble upon a dog or puppy that is covered in ticks. When you see that kind of stuff it just makes you want to take the dog home with you to get it some help and the tlc that every dog deserves.

One important reason to walk your dog is quite frankly so they can move their bowels. Your dog is not an animal that is potty trained or can relieve itself indoors. A cat can use a litter box indoors but a dog cannot. You will want your dog to move its bowels out of doors. Taking your dog for a walk most of the time means that your dog has the chance to move its bowels. It is a rare time that you walk your dog and it does not move its bowels. Often your dog will find certain spots that it likes to mark as “its” territory and it likes to do its business there. It will like to frequent those spots. While you will have to pick up its business, you will get used to it moving its bowels in those regular places. It is normal and healthy for your dog to move its bowels two to three times each day.

It is also important to walk your dog so that your dog can get exercise. Any dog needs regular exercise. This is critical to their general health and well-being. A dog simply feels better if they get exercise. When a dog does not get exercise they feel sort of frantic and stressed out. Your dog’s emotions will be out of place. Getting exercise relieves stress. Your dog will sleep on a regular basis when they get exercise. You will be happier when your dog gets regular exercise. Walking your dog two to three times a day allows them this opportunity to stay healthy.

Another reason to walk your dog on a regular basis is to allow them to interact with other dogs and people. They will get to know other dogs and people in your neighborhood and make friends. It will be lots of fun for them to sniff other dogs and learn where these dogs have been. You may be kind of amused at how your dog will make friends, but it is assured that they will make friends with other dogs – and perhaps even cats or other animals! Socialization is very important for animals to feel like they are part of society. It makes them feel friendly and peaceful. It makes them feel like being gentle and kind. It makes them feel like wanting to be around people. If an animal is given no experience around people or other animals, it will only have distrust or fear when it thinks of being around them.

In or out? She can’t make up her mind….

Kenny entering through the window in the basement.

JUST SAY NO TO FREE FEEDING
If we didn’t our kittens would just get too fat! The main reason for cat obesity (as well as obesity in people) is the consumption of too much food. Deny it all you want but it is a fact. It’s not uncommon for cat owners to fill up the cat food bowl and let the cats have it at for a couple days. Many cats are fed “free choice”, which means there is food available all the time and the cat eats whenever it wants. (Pretty unnatural for a true carnivore that evolved as a hunting machine!) Free choice feeding has probably been the biggest single factor contributing to cat obesity.

If you were wondering how Kenny gets down from on top of the television, she puts her front paws on the screen and slides down the front of the tv. Once she’s about half way down the front she jumps forward and runs smoothly out of the transition from being vertical to horizontal