Melbourne's Most Loved Dog Kennel - Blog

The English Pointer

15/2/2019

The English Pointer

The English Pointer is a high energy, driven hunting dog. The first English Pointer is known to have been recorded around the 1650’s in England.
The breed was developed by the crossing of a number of breeds including the Foxhound, Newfoundland, Greyhound, Setter, Bloodhound and Bulldog. The name ‘Pointer’ has come from the motionless stance the breed stands in when they spot exactly what they are looking for.
Originally the breed was used to hunt hare for the Greyhounds to hunt. From this their popularity grew among hunters , being ideal to follow a scent and point their hunter in the right direction.
Although very talented at tracking and flushing out their objective they are not a breed that will harm or retrieve the kill.
Although very successful as working dogs, the Pointer is now the modern day family dog for most people. They are the perfect fit for any active family who can provide plenty of physical and mental stimulation for this very enthusiastic breed. Once they burn their energy, the Pointer is great lounge dog who will happily lap up plenty of attention from the family and laze about the house!
Without the correct amounts of physical and mental stimulation, the Pointer is a breed that can be prone to neurotic and destructive behaviours.
The English Pointer offers very little grooming requirements, with their short, smooth coat only needing grooming every so often. Their coats are often seen in the white with liver spots however are also seen with lemon, black or orange markings too.
The average life expectancy of a healthy English Pointer is 13 – 14years.

February dog of the month!

31/1/2019

As we head into our second month for the year we are excited to let everyone know that Bowie the English Pointer who has been coming to Dogs Country Club and Kennel resort since he was a puppy will be our dog of the month. Bowie is now 5 years old and is a regular guest with us, he loves lounging in the sun and taking a dip in our splash pools!

Stay tuned as more information on this breed is soon to come!

The Labradoodle

10/1/2019

The Labradoodle was first seen in 1988 when Australian breeder Wally Conron cross bred a Labrador retriever and Standard Poodle at the Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia in Victoria. Labradoodle’s were bred with the intent of being an allergy friendly guide dog as they would have a low-shedding coat from the poodle but Gentle and trainable temperament of the Labrador.
The Labradoodle size can vary depending if they were bred with a standard or miniature poodle. They have a medium length coat that can be soft or wiry, with a curly, straight or wavy appearance. Their colours are mostly solid in black, cream, café, and silver, chocolate, gold and apricot though can have white abstract markings be parti, phantom or tri coloured.
Labradoodle’s often love water, swimming and playing with other four legged friends. They are very friendly, intelligent and make great additions to your family as they are also good with children. The Labradoodle can adjust to nearly any setting and requires about 30-60 minutes of exercise per day to keep them fit and healthy!

January Dogs of the Month!

2/1/2019

As we start off 2019 we are pleased to let everyone know that Meg & JoJo two sister Labradoodle's are our January Dogs of the month! These two girls are regular guests here at Dogs Country Club and love rolling around in the paddocks, splashing around in the pools and smooching up to the Doggy Doaters for a good scratch behind the ears!

watch this space for a breed blog to be posted!

The Toy Poodle

19/12/2018

Standard Poodles have been around for hundreds of years though the Toy Poodle is a more recent variation mainly bred for companionship in England around the 19th century.
Toy poodles are the smallest type of poodle weighing on average between 3-4kilograms and standing no taller than 28cm at the shoulders. The Toy poodle is very intelligent and responsive making them easy to train, though they do also have a very cheeky, lively personality and love to be with humans!
They are prone to developing small dog syndrome and can become very snappy, stubborn and bark a lot if they feel they are the pack leader. A calm and assertive owner is recommended for this particular breed.
Litter sizes for Toy poodles are generally 3-4 pups and the average life span is 12-15 years. Though they are small they do still require a daily walk and enjoy playtimes.
Toy Poodles can vary in colours and can be black, white, silver, grey, apricot or red. They have a short curly coat that does not shed. Grooming is required approximately every 6 weeks along with regular brushing to avoid any mats, which will maintain their coat to look neat and tidy.

Fun facts

Poodles are allergy friendly and considered to have a hypo-allergenic coat
Their special coat has led to poodles being crossed with other breed to make more hypo-allergenic dogs- such as a “Cavoodle” - Cavalier x mini Poodle and “Groodle” - Golden Retriever x Poodle,.
Elvis Presley loved Poodles and gave his girlfriend a Toy Poodle as a gift
Poodles were once used for hunting

Our December Dog of the Month - Santa's Little Helper!

1/12/2018

Congratulations to our very merry December Dog of the Month.....

Hurley!

Hurley the Toy Poodle is a bit of a ladies man and loves catching up with his favourite Doggy Doaters for his Daycare and Holiday sleep overs!
With his heart melting eyes how could you not fall in love with his little ball of fluff?!

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!