Euro Puppy BLOG

Each Tuesday we will share a photo we received claiming to be the World's Largest Dog. A lot of you might have seen these photos. We couldn't verify the source so we leave it up to you to believe it or not. Photoshop can make look anything big. Let us know what you think. Have you seen any of these dogs in person? Do you have a photo that you want to share with us?

2) The Largest Boerboel:
This South African Beast looks huge indeed. I am only guessing it is a Boerboel and I am also guessing... it is fake too! Males are 25-28 inches (64-70 cm.). Females are 23-25.5 inches (59-65 cm.). They are known to have huge heads... but this one or enormous!

In 1978, a law was enacted in New York which stipulated that dog owners must clean up after their dog had done their business on the street.



If the official figures are to be believed, the total amount of dog poop that was deposited on the streets before that was 40 MILLION POUNDS per year! I wonder how they managed before the law.

Each Tuesday we will share a photo we received claiming to be the World's Largest Dog. A lot of you might have seen these photos. We couldn't verify the source so we leave it up to you to believe it or not. Photoshop can make look anything big. Let us know what you think. Have you seen any of these dogs in person? Do you have a photo that you want to share with us?

1) The Largest Great Dane:
It is a harlequin Great Dane. According to the breed standard Great Danes' shoulder height is between 71-86cm or 28-34 inch. While they are huge and can easily be as high as the woman in the photo, it looks fake. The hind legs are way too long, longer than the back line.

We all know that our beloved dogs age faster than we do. While we live on, the world whizzes by for them at a speed several times faster that it does around us.

Like the Elves in Tolkien's mythology, who saw the men (the atantari) grow old and die in dismay, we feel a pang of regret as we watch the nose of our dogs slowly turn white, and their energy drop. We remember the time when they used to whizz around non stop after a ball, or with us, tirelessly.



Some say that a single year of a dog measures upto 15 years for humans. The oldest dog in the world was "Bluey" - an Australian cattle dog who was put to sleep at the age of 29 years!

The average life span of a dog is 13-15 years. Here are some of the factors that a dog's life span depends on:

1) Smaller dogs typically live 1.5 times longer than larger dogs.
2) The diet - A healthy diet with proper nutrition makes a difference. There is insufficient evidence showing that either a purely vegetarian or non vegetarian diet has a significant effect. Vets are unanimous however, in recommending a balanced diet.
3) The Genes - Certain dogs like the Miniature Poodle have longer life spans.
4) Spayed or neutered dogs tend to live slightly longer as well.
5) Female dogs seem to once again (Just like in humans) have a life span advantage over their male counterparts.

If you're reading this article, and have a tip as to what affects a dog's life span, please tell us! We would love to know.

The 13 year old Labrador Retriever has sure seen some things in his time. He is the most decorated dog in the world, and has received the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Gold Medal for Animal Gallantry and devotion to duty.



Endal can respond to over a hundred verbal commands, and several hundred signs. He has also been awarded the Gold Blue Peter Badge, which has only been awarded to one other dog in History.

Even though the big difference dogs have from hamsters, these two popular pets still have some common characteristics which make them similar! Both dogs and hamsters have long hair coats. One may find different long haired dogs and also long haired hamsters which are called “Teddy Bear Hamsters”. Both long haired dogs and hamsters need grooming.

Grooming a long coated dog:
Lift the outer hair and start by brushing the undercoat on the back legs with a body brush. Brush the top coat down with a bristle brush and then comb the coat from the roots to the tips of the hair. Brush the undercoat on the front legs with a body brush. Brush the top coat down with a bristle brush and then comb the coat from the roots to the tips of the hair. Supporting the dog’s head to keep it out of the way, brush the neck and chest. Use the bristle brush, gently brush along the dog’s stomach without tickling it. Using a body brush, groom the undercoat across the shoulders and along the back. Gently comb the hair around the ears and face. Gently comb the tail, taking care not to tug at any tangles. Wipe away any staining and loose hair using a damp cotton wool/absorbent cotton pad for each eye.

Grooming a long haired hamster:
You may groom a long haired hamster especially when bedding gets stuck in her fur. You may buy a brush for hamsters to groom it or else you can use a soft bristled toothbrush. Hamsters will also enjoy a sand bath which will also help keep their coat clean. Chinchilla sand is best used for this, but you must make sure it is sand and not dust as this is too fine for hamsters. Place a small amount in a dish and place it in their cage, the hamster will slowly walk up to and will probably start to dig in it at first. They will then usually start to roll around in it on their back.

Both dogs and hamsters need exercise. Exercise can be described as the key to a dog’s and a hamster’s healthy appetite, as it burns off much of the energy supplied by food. It also helps to maintain its interest in life, a dog and a hamster which are always confined with no freedom become fat and poorly conditioned. Play is essential for exercise. There are many special dog and hamster toys available and plenty more that can be homemade. A ball is a traditional favorite to a dog. Make sure that the ball is too big to be swallowed and cause choking. Frisbees are also popular and dogs have proved to be immensely skillful in twisting and jumping up to catch them! Hamsters enjoy hamster balls, wheels, tunnels, tubes and ramps.

Homeopathy treatment is both used on dogs and hamsters. It is a treatment of disease with a substance that has the power to produce, in a healthy body, signs and symptoms similar to those displayed by the patient. Homeopathy treatment addresses the whole organism, rather than simply treating only the specific ailment or disease. It is a very gentle form of treatment to which both dogs and hamsters often respond positively. Herbalism is also used on these two types of pets. Dogs and hamsters have always sought out specific grasses when they feel ‘off colour’ and herbalism could be seen as merely an extension of this. The ability of herbal remedies to be used in a wide range of conditions has contributed to its recent increase in popularity.

Author: Nadia Vella
Site: www.hamster-club.com

Legend has it, that when Odysseus came back from the Trojan war 20 years later, he had to disguise himself so that no one would recognize him. He had to do this since his life was in danger, and he wanted to see what had happened during his absence.

The Goddess Athena helped him to disguise himself, and it was such a good disguise that absolutely NO ONE recognized him......


Image Credit: camil tulcan

No one except his dog. Argos. Like in the picture above, Argos waited patiently for his master to return. When he saw Odysseus, no disguise kept Argos from remembering him. He joyfully went upto him, wagged his tail one last time....and died.

Did you know that apart from the tail, your dog's nose also indicates their health? Lots of people intuitively feel that if their nose is hot and dry all the time, then it indicates a problem.

Though this has never been proven, I have a secret bias towards this theory myself. That apart, if your dog's nose has changed color, or is flaky, you might want to look more closely for early signs of sickness.



Image Credit: MikeBrowne

The scene of a dog lifting up his leg and peeing on a fire hydrant is iconic. It has come to be a symbol of disregard, and marking territory. However, by smelling another dogs pee, your dog can know not just the territory, but the size, and the health of the pee-er!

Apparently, the height from which the pee has fallen, gives an idea to your pooch whether to stay away, or step in with confidence. Nobody knows why they raise a let to do it though! Observations show that it's not really necessary!

Did you ever believe that dogs can surf? Almost 2000 spectators gathered at Imperial Beach in San Diego on the 29th of June to watch 60 dogs battle it out at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition.

To cap it all, the dogs were complete with accessories like Sun Glasses, and life vest! The competition was won by the Jack Russel Terrier Zoey.