by Vivian Flynt © 2015 Many dog experts describe dewclaws as a rudimentary fifth toe, a functionless, vestigial digit on the inside of the canine leg. I have to admit I bought into that description until last week, when our black-and-white English Shepherd, Jake, got a chicken strip wedged in his mouth. After our attempts […]
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Category: General
Puppy Stages
[Editor’s note: The outlined stages below are generalities for canines. Just as each breed can be different, so can each litter. Some litters may reach stages at slightly different ages. Pictures throughout this article submitted by Marianne Dwight from Fox Hill English Shepherds. The images follow Ginger from newborn to 2-1/2 years old.] Puppies are growing animals. When they are […]
Choosing a Sound Puppy
article reprinted with permission, copyright by Vivian Flynt The English Shepherd owner’s litany of her sheppy’s afflictions were heart wrenching – a severe overbite, torn cruciate ligaments and a failed surgery to fix them, bilateral hip dysplasia, and patellar dislocation. Like this lady, the vast majority of English Shepherd owners prefer to get a […]
Old-Time Farm Dogs
from “All Purpose Dogs” by B. B. Titus, Field & Stream, Jan. 1957 submitted by Linda Rorem I was reared in what is now an all-but-abandoned section of Vermont, the town of Vershire…there wasn’t a lot of wealth in Vershire, and we had to make do with as few dogs as possible. So nearly […]
Rare Breed Spotlight
Dog World, September 2009, ARBA “In 1937, Leon F. Whitney of Orange, Conn., a veterinarian and dog-book author, wrote that the English Shepherd “is probably the most numerous dog in America. It is the ordinary shepherd one sees on farm after farm throughout the country” (How to Breed Dogs, 1937). Historians have speculated […]
No Foot, No Dog
©Copyright Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor, reprinted with permission The old adage, “No foot, no horse” still holds true today. Foot pads on the bottom of the paw is where the “rubber meets the road.” The pads are important for traction, shock absorption and protection from rough, hard ground, thorns, and ice. They are normally thick and […]
Working Dogs…
Submitted by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor “ABOVE: Stodghill’s Warrior, ESCOA Number 54 709 loading a Brahma calf. The English Shepherd has to be fast and heel low to keep from being kicked. Please notice how Warrior dodges the calf […]
Desirable Hunting Dogs
submitted by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor “Pictured above is Stodghill’s Betsy Shep, ESCOA No. 51-0038. Please notice how she is treeing. English Shepherds are desirable as hunting dogs, treeing squirrel, coon, possum. In fact English Shepherds will tree anything […]
Traveling With Your Dog
by Kay Keziah @2015 With Gatherings, vacations, and other events you may be attending with your dog this summer and fall, below are some things you should consider. Water for your dog(s) – take what your dog is used to drinking Food and food bowl Crate and shade for crate Collar and leash Do […]
Genetic Testing
by Kris Hazelbaker @2015 Introduction CEA? PRA-prcd? MDR1? What? You may have seen these terms bandied about, but what do these acronyms mean for you and your dog? These are the initials for some specific genetic disorders in dogs: Multi-Drug Resistance type 1 (MDR1), Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA), Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA, the […]