Melbourne's Most Loved Dog Kennel - Blog

The Finnish Lapphund

18/11/2018

Get to know more about our Dog of the Month, Harley, and his breed the Finnish Lapphund!

The Finnish Lapphund are a medium size breed of dog who were originally used as reindeer herders and hunters for their nordic families in their native origins of Russia, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Their ancestors are of the Spitz family and the relation can be seen in the coat of the Lapphund that we see today.
The breed was popular prior to and during World War II however after a mass outbreak of distemper the breed was at risk of extinction.
From 1966 onwards the breed standard was set by the Finnish Kennel Club and gave us the definition for the Finnish Lapphund that we know today.
The Finnish Lapphund is a sociable, happy, friendly dog who enjoy being with people and dogs alike. They have a very laid back, easy going temperament which makes them perfect with children and ideal as therapy dogs. Coming from a working background they are breed that enjoys physical and mental stimulation, they thrive well in an agility arena as well training alongside their owners. The need for mental stimulation also requires that they are kept busy, they are not a breed are happy being kept in a small yard or house all, although in their down time can be very lazy!
The stand out for the Finnish Lapphund is their beautiful coat, although being as dense as it is, they do require regular grooming and care. The males are known to grow a stunning lion like mane.
They come in a variety of colours including red, black, sable, white and brown. You will find each Lapphund will have one dominate colour in their coat.
Regular maintenance of their coat is needed, especially when shedding, to avoid knotting and matting.

November Dog of the Month.

31/10/2018

A big congratulations to..........

Harley -
the Finnish Lapphund

Harley is a stunning boy who loves all the attention from the Doggy Doaters.
Be sure to keep an eye out for his upcoming blogs to learn more about this popular Nordic breed!

The Labrador.

15/10/2018

There are in fact two different types of Labrador; the English and the American. Their general appearance is quite different with the English bred Labradors being heavier and stockier and the Americans being taller and lanky. Both types of Labradors have a smooth double coat that does not have any waves. Their coat colours come in a solid black, yellow or chocolate. It’s believed there is also a rare mutation of a silver/grey colour which the AKC consider a ‘shade of chocolate’, it’s quite a controversial subject between Labrador breeders and some claim it’s a Weimaraner, Labrador cross, though others say it’s a true mutation.
The Labrador is native to the Newfoundland and were once known as the ‘St.John’s Dogs’. It was here they worked side by side with their fisherman and would catch any fish that became loose from the lines. They were trained to jump into the extremely cold waters to help pull in the nets. In the 1800’s some of them were brought over to England on ships coming from Labrador (hence their name). They were cross bred with setters, spaniels and other similar retrievers to improve their instincts as hunters. It didn’t take long for them to become an extremely popular pet and hunting dog and they’ve gradually become one of the most popular breeds throughout the U.S and Australia.
The Labrador is a highly intelligent, trainable breed. They are well known today for their work as Seeing Eye Dogs, Guide Dogs and sniffer dogs throughout the police force and airport work. Their loving nature and eagerness to please is the reason they are such a great family pet. Unfortunately, for some people it’s easy to forget that these bouncy bundles of joy are a working dog, meaning they need constant daily stimulation, both physically and mentally. They can easily put on weight if over fed and under exercised and are prone to hip and elbow displacer. It’s highly important that their weight is kept at a healthy level from the early stages of life to prevent these issues further down the track. An overweight Labrador lives a shorter and unhealthier life then healthy weight Labrador.

As working dogs their minds are always on the go, for this reason plenty of mental stimulation is a must! Training must be started from a young age to assert that you are the pack leader. Labrador’s can grow into large, solid dogs and while jumping all over everyone may be cute as a pup, as they continue to grow this can become very unwelcoming. A dog jumping on you is also their way of showing dominance and means your dog doesn’t see you as the pack leader. Their natural line of work shines through when it comes to water play, Labradors just love it! They love to be a part of a family and are excellent with children and other dogs. They fit well into any environment as long as they can get plenty of human attention, exercise and stimulation.
They are an average shedder and their short, double coat is easy to groom. Brushed regularly and bathed only when needed will help to keep it easily maintained.

October Dogs of the Month.

30/9/2018

Congratulations to our lucky October Dogs of the Month.....

Billy and Floydee
The Labradors!

This cheeky pair are always putting smiles on the Doggy Doaters faces. Along with their adorable faces they love their cuddles and will do anything for a treat (as you would expect from two young Labradors!)
Congratulations Billy and Floydee!

The Cavoodle

6/8/2018

The Cavoodle is a purpose bred dog breed between a Cavalier King Charles and Miniature poodle otherwise known as a “ designer dog breed “. Although they are not a new breed they have been becoming more and more popular over the last 10 years.

Cavoodle’s are a small breed, with a thick soft coat that can either be wavy or straight, a medium muzzle and large brown eyes and as an adult their weight can range from 5kg-12kg and around 25-38cm tall depending on the genetics of the parents.

A Cavoodle’s coat colour can be seen in golden, tan, cream, black, brown, Blenheim or tri coloured with or without markings. The benefit of this breed is that have a low tendency to shed due to being crossed with the poodle, though they do still require regular grooming and possibly clipping to keep their coat looking wonderful and soft.

The average lifespan of a healthy Cavoodle is around 10-14 years of age. They are known for their very loyal and gentle personality; they are great with children and always want to be with you. They are also known for their intelligence, but can easily show “neurotic “tendencies if over spoilt by owners.

August Dog of the month!

2/8/2018

As August has arisen upon us , we are happy to announce our dog of the month for August is Coco the Cavoodle.

Coco is a regular guest to stay with us at Dogs Country Club and Kennel Resort. She loves her cuddles with staff , making new friends and of course her K9Kab rides to and from the resort for holidays!

Please stay tuned as we will be uploading a blog on the breed very soon!

The Corgi

4/7/2018

The Corgi is a small breed dog which originates from Wales in the United Kingdom. Originally bred for herding, they are the smallest of the herding breeds that were commonly used to herd cattle, sheep and horses.
The name Corgi originated from the Welsh words “cor” meaning dwarf and “gi” meaning dog and are closely related to the Siberian Husky.
Whilst Corgis are small, they are very fast runners and require regular exercise. Corgis are known as “Heelers” as they would nip the heels of the animals they were herding.

There are two different breeds of Corgis, the Cardigan Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and it wasn’t up until the 1930’s that they were recognized as separate breeds, the Pembroke being the most popular of the two breeds.

The Cardigan is the bigger of the two breeds, however over the years due to interbreeding, they have become quite similar in appearance. Corgis have long bodies, short legs, and thick coat to keep them warm. Some Corgis are even born without tails. The corgis coats can be seen in many different colours such as, Fawn, Black & Tan, Sable and Red and can have white markings.

Corgis are the favored pet of Queen Elizabeth II, who has owned more than 30 since getting her very first, Susan, in 1944- as an 18th birthday gift!
Corgis have very loving personalities and love to please their owners! They are intelligent and very easy to train!
If you are looking for a small, but energetic and loyal dog to be a part of your family, the Corgi might be the right pick for you!
Fun Facts:

Corgis are the 11th smartest dog breed
Corgis make excellent and alert guard dogs
At one point in her life, Queen Elizabeth II owned more than a dozen corgis
Moscow’s Canine Unit have two Welsh Corgis as Police dogs

July dogs of the month!

1/7/2018

As another month passes we are happy to announce our July dogs of the month are.....

Oscar & Button a brother and and sister who are both Corgi's!
These two pups love their holidays at Dogs Country Club as they get to play all day long with many new friends and of course lap up all the cuddles they can get from the Doggy Doaters!

The Boxer

15/6/2018

The Boxer is a medium sized dog that originated from Germany in the 19th Century, they were originally bred for Bull Baiting and then later used to help butchers control their cattle in the slaughter house. In more recent times Boxers were one of the first breeds to be employed as a police dog and to be used as seeing eye dogs, though today they are more commonly loyal companions and family pets as they are especially fond of children!

Boxers are very muscular, sturdy, deep chested dog breed that have a short muzzle with a slightly upturned chin. The skin around their head and muzzle is generally wrinkly while their coat is short yet smooth. The coat of a Boxer can be seen in various colours from Red, Fawn & Brindle with white markings or totally white. The Boxer stands around 57-63cm tall at the wither for males and 53-59cm for females.

Boxers do NOT do well in the heat and can overheat very quickly! The reason being is that due to their short muzzles, small skulls and their upper respiratory tracts they have a harder time panting to try cool off. Extreme care must be taken around the warmer months to make sure your Boxer is able to keep nice and cool, though they also need protection from the cold weather due to their short coat.

This breed is very lively, energetic and can be quite goofy at times though is also very loyal which is what makes them great family pets. The Boxer thrives of a busy household and loves to be involved with everything you do, when left alone for long periods of time they can become very destructive.

Overall if your looking for active dog to be apart of your busy lifestyle, who will make you laugh with their goofiness, are great with children and you don’t mind a bit if they snore in their sleep then the Boxer might be for you!

June Dog of the Month!

3/6/2018

We are pleased to announce our June dog of the month is... Coco the boxer!
Coco has been staying with us for many years and is a very bouncy, fun loving pooch who loves playing in the grass paddocks with her friends and getting tones of cuddles from the doggy doaters!