Melbourne's Most Loved Dog Kennel - Blog

The Chihuhua

31/8/2020

Chihuahua’s are known to be one of the worlds smallest breeds that originated from Mexico, they were named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua around the 1850’s.
Although the Chihuahua itself is very small with only standing around 5 inches high and weighing between 1-3kg, they have a huge personality! Chihuahua’s can have either a smooth coat (Short Haired) or Long haired and can be seen in nearly any colour though the most common are fawn, chocolate, red, white, mixed and black.
A Chihuahua’s temperament is commonly known to be feisty towards new people and dogs who are threatening to their size, though they can be very timid and shy at times as well. The Chihuahua is a very loyal companion to their owners and tend to make a particular bond with one person. They enjoy being carried securely in people’s arms or curled up on their laps for an afternoon snooze., While they also make great travellers and have a quirky side to their personality which is what most Chihuahua owners love about them!
The Chihuahua being as small as it is, still needs at least 20 minutes exercise per day and to which they rather seem to enjoy it more than we think they would. They do require regular grooming to keep their coat looking beautiful and to keep a close eye on their dental requirements as their teeth are so tiny they can be more fragile.

September Dog of the Month - 2020

31/8/2020

We are so excited to be unveiling our next Dog of the Month for 2020. Our lucky winner for September is.....

YaYa!

This little bundle of Chihuahua adorableness melts the heart of everyone he meets. We can't wait to share more of YaYa with you this month!

The Hungarian Vizsla

27/7/2020

The Hungarian Vizsla is a medium sized hunting breed of dog that is distinct with it’s beautiful colour of rusty gold coat.
They Vizsla can be found in drawings back in the 10th century and, as their name would suggest, they originated in Hungary where they were used as hunting dogs. Due to their fantastic scent tracking skills and constant amount of energy made them ideal for hunting small game.
They have also been known as the Hungarian Pointer as in Hungarian, Vizsla means Pointer.
In order to protect the breed after World War II, the native Hungarians smuggled some of the Vizsla’s into both Austria and America. This lead to them being used in the creation of other breeds. The Vizsla has two cousins, the Wirehaired Vizsla and longhaired Vizsla, which is very rare. There are actually no longhaired Vizsla’s registered anywhere in the word currently, though some have been spotted throughout Europe.
Today, the excitable, bundle of energy that is the Vizsla is perfect for any active house hold. They are a very intelligent breed of dog that are easy to train, providing they have a strong and confident pack leader. Coming from a hunting background, they require daily mental and physical stimulation to keep them happy and well balanced. Without this, they can easily become destructive and highly strung which can lead to a string of other behavioural issues. They are a gentle and loving dog and give back to their family plenty of affection and entertainment. They thrive in a working roll and love participating in agility, obedience competitions and love being put to work in retrieving games.
When raised from a young age around other dogs and taught correct manners they make for a very social dog. They have been known to live well with other pets including cats, however it is important to not forget their hunting background and they should not be trusted unsupervised with smaller animals such a rabbits or guinea pigs.
Aside from their high demand for daily exercise and strong pack leader, care for your Vizsla is relatively simple, with their short coat only needing to brushed every so often and bathed only when needed. Their natural oils in their coat help to repel dirt and odours and over grooming will break these oils down. They are an average shedder throughout the year.

August Dog of the Month

27/7/2020

An exciting time for us at the start of every month is to announce our next Dog of the Month.
A big congratulations to .......

Mae

This beautiful little bundle of energy is a sweet Hungarian Vizsla puppy who we all just adore.
We know you will love learning about her breed so be sure to keep an eye out for her upcoming blogs!

The Irish Terrier

6/7/2020

The Irish Terrier, believe to be one of the oldest of the Terrier breeds, is a medium size breed. They are oddly longer then what they are taller and being a Terrier, they are bursting with personality.
Their thick, wiry coat can be found in red, golden red, red wheaten or wheaten with a soft undercoat which was perfect to keep them warm when working in water, as they were used for many years ago. The Irish Terrier can be dated back to over two thousand years ago, with images of them being found in paintings from the 1700’s. It is unsure what breed of dog/s they descended from however they were originally found in Ireland, hence their name. They were perfect hunting dogs and used to clear dens, with their body shape making for ideal mobility in tight quarters. Over the last 2 thousand years they have been used as working dogs for varying tasks, including hunting, tracking, guard dogs and police and military work.

Being a working dog, the Irish Terrier is a very smart breed who requires as much (if not more) mental then physical exercise and stimulation. They are not a lazy breed and enjoy being given a ‘job’ to do.
They are often known as the ‘daredevils’ of the dog world by their fans and this is because they are a courageous dog who will take on any task at hand. Being an active breed, they require plenty of exercise daily. With the right exercise, working their mind and body, they can adapt to living in smaller apartment style homes and with a strong pack leader are a very well balanced, great member of the family. Without rules, direction and exercise, they can become very difficult and destructive.

They are the ideal breed for an active person or family who wants a loyal companion that can keep up with them.
Aside from their strong demand for exercise, they are a reasonably easy breed to care for, with no hereditary health issues and grooming being very basic. Their double coat is easy to brush as needed and they rarely shed, only needing to bathed when needed.

July Dogs of the Month

3/7/2020

As we enter a new month, it's time to announce our July Dogs of the Month for 2020.

Congratulations to.....

Molly and Finbar

These two pocket rockets are Irish Terriers, a rare breed to be seen. Be sure to keep an eye out for their upcoming blogs to learn more about these interesting terriers.

The Kelpie

12/6/2020

Get to know more about our Dog of the Month, Fendi the Kelpie!

The Kelpie, also known as the Australian Kelpie if a fast, intelligent breed of dog that is longer then it is tall. Their compact build enables them to most quickly through packs of sheep and be as flexible as they need to be.
It is unconfirmed the exact origin of the Kelpie, some believe they are a cross of a Border Collie with a Dingo but other documents show they were developed from English North Country Collies, who were a great herding dogs throughout Britain. It is believed they imported, like many other sheepdogs, to Australia in the late 19th century and the breed has continued to be developed here in Australia to handle the harsh working environments of Aussie farms. Today they are used all throughout the country as both working dogs and pets.
The name ‘Kelpie’ comes from the novel ‘Kidnapped’ written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish writer, who mentioned the water kelpie throughout his book.
The Kelpie we know today is a very smart dog, who always needs a job to do. For this reason, if not working on a farm, they need a lot of mention stimulation and a strong, confident, calm pack leader to show them the way. Without rules and a job to do, the Kelpie can become very destructive and with a build and stamina like theirs, can very quickly learn how to climb fences and entertain themselves if they are allowed to be become bored.
They fit will into a pack and if socialised correctly will welcome other animals into their pack including cats and smaller pets.
Aside from their high need for mental and physical stimulation, the Kelpie is a rather easy breed to keep. Their short coat is easy to maintain with brushing only required as needed. The coats can come in a variety of colours with the most common being Red and Black and Tan but they can be found in Chocolate, Blue, Fawn or a combination of these colours too.
Being an active dog a high quality diet will ensure a healthy dog that can live over 12 years of age. They are a breed that is prone to Progressive Retinal Atrophy, which is retinal degeneration causing partial to total blindness but other than this are not prone to any other major health issues.

Our June Dog of the Month

1/6/2020

It's that time again, time to announce our lucky 6th Dog of the Month for 2020.
Our lucky guest being crowned June's Dog of the Month is.....

Fendi

Fendi the Kelpie! This sweet bundle of energy keeps the Doggy Doaters on their toes, always full of fun and ready for a great day of Doggy Daycare play!
Congratulations Fendi!

The Boxer.

4/5/2020

The Boxer is a powerful and compact breed of dog, easily identified by their short muzzle and large nose, giving the appearance of a ‘squished’ face.
The breed we developed in the 19th century in Germany and are descendant of two large mastiff type dogs, the Bullenbeiszer and the Barenbeiszer and over time were cross bred with Bulldogs, to create the Boxer that we all know and love today. Their name came from their ability and character trait to used their front lets like a bat when defending themselves, there for appearing to be boxing.
Originally, the breed was used as working dogs, taking care of herds, pulling carts and also as fighting dogs and catching wild animals. They were also used as show dogs in theatre acts and circus groups.
The breed standard for the Boxer was not set until 1904, prior to this the image of the Boxer varied.
Today, they are used as guard dogs and some police and military work as well as search and rescue, competitive obedience and of course, a great family pet.
The Boxer offers an easy to groom, almost maintenance free coat that can be easily brushed. They should only be bathed when needed. Their coat comes in a variety of colours including brindle, tan, fawn, black, mahogany and usually with white markings. They can also come in a pure white coat, however this colour is rarely accepted by Boxer clubs.
The Boxers that we love and know today that fit perfectly into any family are known for their happy, playful, energetic personality. They are a very smart dog who love to learn and are eager to please, this is what makes them great for competitive sports.
They love to be busy and are always on the move, they require plenty of physical and mental exercise to prevent destructive behaviour. They are a breed that can easily become highly strung, so too much mental energy built up can lead to this. From a young age, they need to be taught rules and boundaries and not encouraged to jump up at people, as this can cause more issues down the track once fully grown.
The Boxer has a natural behaviour to protect it’s family, so make great guard dogs, however need to be well socialised from a young age with new people, animals and situations to avoid aggressive behaviour.
The Boxer makes for a great family member to join an active house hold and love to be busy. They are very entertaining and leave everyone with a smile on their face.

May Dog of the Month

4/5/2020

We are so excited to announce our May Dog of the Month for 2020. Congratulations to .....

Oscar the Boxer!

Beautiful Oscar is a loved member of the Dogs Country Club family and being a Boxer, always puts a smile on everyone's faces and is always up to entertain us.
We know you will enjoy his upcoming blogs and beautiful photos.