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ETHICS & DOG CARE
The primary
breeding objective of the L.B.A is to produce healthy athletic
Bulldogs that will be a valuable member of the family.
A thorough knowledge and understanding of the Leavitt Bulldog
standard, temperament, and movement, is critical to the continuing
improvement of the Leavitt Bulldog.
All dog transactions with the public, as well as fellow breeders and
members of the L.B.A., must be handled in a very ethical manner. All
dogs must be sold with a guarantee of replacement if subsequent
lameness, disability, or death is due to genetic causes.
Selection of Breeding Stock
-Only the
best examples of Leavitt Bulldogs should be used for breeding stock.
-All breeding stock must be at least 18 months old before they are
bred.
-There will be no inbreeding (Brother to Sister, Father to Daughter,
or Son to Mother).
-Bitches will never be bred on three consecutive heats.
***Hip x-rays must be submitted for all
dogs to be bred.***
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Indoor Dog Care
Recommendation's
The minimum
care that should be provided to a dog housed indoors is as follows:
* The dog should be provided a safe and sanitary environment, that
lends itself to the proper development of the dog both physically
and mentally.
* The dog should be provided with FRESH water around the clock, with
the water bowl being sanitized at least every other day.
* The dog should be provided adequate daily nutrition through
feedings once or twice a day. Puppies demand a greater amounts of
nutrients for their growth and development and you may choose to
feed more than two meals per day.
* The dog should be inspected physically at least weekly but ideally
much more often considering they share your living space. A good
time to do this is during grooming sessions.
* The dog should be groomed on a regular basis. Ears and teeth
should be inspected and cleaned as needed. Coat should be brushed to
free it from any dirt and loose hair. This also serves to generate
the necessary oils the dogs coat requires to stay healthy, and
protect it from the weather when outdoors. In addition, the
therapeutic benefits of touch, for both you and your dog are
starting to be realized. The dog should also be bathed as needed to
assure he is a welcome, not offensive, member of the family. Nails
should be trimmed to a level as to not impede the dogs movement and
/or cause a health issue. Excessively long nails will often lead to
injury, causing the dog a great deal of pain. They are cosmetically
unattractive as well and often an indication of the quality of care
the dog receives.
* The dog should be given ample amounts of time daily, for exercise,
companionship, socialization and elimination. The dog should have
access to a safe outdoor area for these purposes.
* The dog should be placed on a tie-out or within the confines of a
fenced yard (preferable) when outside without the company of his
owner.
* A designated bedding area should be provided the dog, preferably a
dog crate. This is an important area that allows the dog to have a
safe and secure area of respite.
There are many opinions/personal feelings on the use of a crate as
it pertains to a canine. The crate is not a cruel place of
punishment and confinement and should never be used as such. Dogs
are instinctively den animals and the crate can and is a most useful
tool in rearing a canine indoors. For the canine, it is "their
space". It should be located in a quiet area of the home away from
the household's heavy traffic areas, if at all possible. For a puppy
or young dog, place the crate in a location where you spend most of
your time. Allowing the puppy or young dog to have eye contact with
you, will not cause the feelings of separation that can be
associated with the crate. The crate serves many useful purposes in
addition to providing the dog a place of respite. The following is a
list of some other useful purposes for the dog crate:
~ House Breaking: Dogs do not want to urinate
and defecate in their own bedding areas. Providing a crate just big
enough for the dog to be comfortable, will deter the dog from "doing
his business" in his sleeping area. If the crate is too large, the
canine will learn that it can relieve itself in one section of the
crate and sleep/rest in another . If your plans are to rear a number
of puppies, it may be worth investing in various size crates to meet
the needs of their growth. A more economical choice is available as
well. Life Stages has a folding metal crate available with a
dividing panel that you can adjust to meet the needs of your growing
puppy. This allows you to adjust the available amount of space
afforded your puppy, according to its growth.
~ Discouraging Bad/Undesirable Behaviors:
Leaving a dog, especially a puppy, unrestrained while you are away
from the home could be a recipe for disaster. Besides all the safety
concerns, dogs who are left for various time periods, alone in the
home, can develop some real bad/ undesirable habits. A dog who is
bored or suffering some level of separation anxiety from his master,
often turns destructive. With no one there to show the dog that
chewing on anything it pleases is wrong, the dog learns that its
chewing behavior is ok. Dogs will indiscriminately chew on anything
they are not taught is inappropriate. As a side note, trying to
correct the dog hours after he commits the crime, so to speak, has
no effect on the dog learning that his behavior is undesirable. If
you return home to a mess and give your dog a harsh correction, for
destroying the house, all the dog learns is that his master is a
raving lunatic, when he arrives home. You need to catch the dog "in
the act" for your correction to effective. This way, the dog learns
what is acceptable and what is not. Providing the dog with a safe
chew bone/toy when you put him in his crate is a much less costly
alternative.
~ Safety: A dog left unattended in the home can suffer
serious injury or worse, death. Dogs get into all kinds of trouble
out of boredom. All it takes is the dog chewing through an electric
cord or getting into the household cleaner's, for you to come home
to an injured or deceased dog.
In multiple dog homes is often unsafe to leave dogs unattended
together, especially same sex animals. Dogs can also unintentionally
injure one another in their play. Here again, a crate serves a very
practical purpose in separating and keeping your dogs safe when you
are away from the home. The crate also provides the safest way to
transport your dog in a vehicle. Dogs, allowed to be loose in a
vehicle can cause an accident. In case of an accident, your dog
stands a much better chance of survival than if unrestrained. This
can be likened to the use of car seats for the child or seat belts
for the passengers.
Crating guidelines that must be adhered to:
- The crate must be large enough to allow the dog to stand up and
change positions.
- Always remove your puppy's or dog's collar before placing him in
his crate. Even flat collars can occasionally get stuck on the bars
or wire mesh. If you must leave a collar on the dog when you crate
him(e.g. for his identification), use a safety break away collar.
- Never use the crate for punishment. You want the crate to be a "
happy " place for your dog, a place where he is comfortable. Along
the same lines, never punish your puppy or dog for soiling his crate
as this will just associate negativity with the crate. Look at the
bright side, you merely have to clean the crate, rather than having
to replace your hand made oriental area rug.
- Do not allow your children to play in the dog's crate.
- Do not allow your children to handle the dog while he is in his
crate. This is your dogs private sanctuary and his rights to privacy
should always be respected.
- Except for overnight, neither puppies nor dogs should be crated
for more than 5 hours at a time, 6 hours maximum. Crating for
excessive durations can lead to structural and developmental
problems such as sores and the malformation of bones, not to mention
what excessive confinement does to the psyche.
Crating Duration Guidelines:
*Age 9-10 weeks - Approx. 30 - 60 minutes
*Age 11-14 week- Approx. 1 - 3 hours
*Age 15-16 weeks - Approx. 3 - 4 hours
*Age 17 + weeks - Approx. 4 to 6 hours
A crate should not be used in the following cases:
* The dog is too young to have sufficient bowel and bladder control.
* The dog is sick and either vomiting or has diarrhea.
* When you must leave the dog crated for longer than the crating
guidelines suggest.
* The dog has had insufficient exercise prior to crating.
* The dog has not been given the opportunity to eliminate prior to
crating.
* The temperature is excessively high.
* The dog as had inadequate companionship or socialization prior to
crating.
There are alternative ways of confining puppies who are either too
young or puppies that need to be left at home for periods of time
exceeding the recommended guidelines. Accordion style exercise pens
or metal playpens without floors are good alternatives. You can
place your puppies crate inside this area for purposes of rest. The
remaining area can be used for play, food and water, and an area of
newspaper for elimination purposes. Choose a pen at least 30 inches
high and be sure your pup cannot climb on the top of his crate and
out of the pen.
The indoor dog should be assigned the lowest position in the
family pecking order and thus should be expected to obey every
person in the household. The Leavitt Bulldog is an intelligent,
thinking breed. This coupled with his strong will and extreme
physical power, necessitates his compliance to the commands given by
any member of the household, child and adult alike. At the least,
basic obedience training (preferably with a trainer familiar with
training bull breeds) is recommended for those who have never owned
a bull breed prior. Basic obedience training and teaching your dog
that you are in control, will ensure a long, happy, relationship
with one of the best breeds you will ever own. It also ensures that
your dog will be a safe, responsible and accepted member of society.
With a little effort and time, your Bulldog, will quickly become a
canine good citizen.
Links:
"Who's in Charge here? A Lesson in becoming Alpha"
" So you want to own an American Bulldog" - written for the American
Bulldog prospective owner but can be applied to the Leavitt Bulldog.
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OUTDOOR DOG CARE
RECOMMENDATIONS
Dogs are social animals who crave
human companionship. In fact, dogs are more social than humans
and must to be part of human families. When you bring a dog
home, you become his
pack.
Forcing a dog to live outdoors with little to no human
companionship, is one of the most psychologically damaging
things a pet owner can do to a dog. Studies have shown, that
dogs isolated in backyards are highly likely to develop serious
behavioral problems that often result in euthanasia. The Leavitt
Bulldog, bonds closely with his human family and thrives on
human companionship. If circumstances absolutely prohibit you
from keeping your dog indoors with his family unit, the
following guidelines must be adhered to.
The minimum care that should be
provided to a dog housed outdoors is as follows:
* HOUSING AND SHELTER*
Hot weather and cold weather
place conflicting demands on dog houses. In hot weather, the
dog house should be spacious and ventilated, while cold weather
dictates a tight house that is small enough so the dogs
body heat can warm it. Since most of us cant
have 2 dog houses, we must settle on one design.
Cold Climate House
A well insulated doghouse will be
provided, that is large enough for the dog to stand up, lie
down, stretch and turn around, without touching the sides or
top. Anything larger is more difficult to keep warm and allows
greater loss of body heat. If possible, there should be an
opening ventilation panel, that can be closed in the winter, and
opened in summer. The entrance door should be no bigger than is
necessary for the dog to
easily step through. A door flap or special hinged dog door is
a good idea.
Hot Climate House
This house can be larger and
should also have an opening ventilation panel.
Features Common to Both Houses
*The doghouse will be at least
1.5 inches off the ground,
to prevent water from running inside.
*The doghouse will have adequate
dry bedding, preferably straw or wood shavings. Blankets and
towels tend to hold moisture and freeze in winter, leading to
additional loss of body heat.
* Bedding will be changed
regularly to prevent mold. Mold growth in bedding materials can
create a variety of skin and respiratory problems.
*Hay must never be used as a
substitute for straw because it often
contains fungus and grass seed that can cause severe nosebleeds.
*Heating pads or heat lights,
powered by electrical cords, will never be used in an outdoor
doghouse.
KENNEL RUNS
*Kennels runs must be large
enough to allow the dog ample space
to move about without stepping in manure. Forty-eight square
feet should be considered the minimum amount of space for this
purpose.
* Fence panels must be
unbreakable. They must be set on masonry (either block or
poured) to ensure the dog cant
dig out and run away.
* Runs must be shaded in hot
weather to allow the dog to escape the heat of the sun.
Greenhouse shade fabric works well for this and is commonly made
to custom sizes.
* Dog feces must be cleaned up
and disposed of at least once a day.
* Plenty of fresh water will
be available at all times in the kennel run.
*NUTRITION*
Winter
* Dog food rations must increase
since dogs will use much more energy, keeping their body
temperature regulated. As much as a 30 % increase in calories
may be necessary to keep him warm.
* Fresh, unfrozen water will be
provided at all times. Ice and snow are not acceptable
substitutes for fresh water. Water bowls need to be checked
regularly or heated water bowls must be used. If using unheated
water bowls, use plastic, rather than metal. Water in plastic
bowls will not freeze as quickly as in metal bowls. There is
also a risk of the dog getting his tongue stuck to a metal bowl
in extremely cold temperatures.
Summer
*Dogs
will be offered a good quality food at least once daily. Dogs
do not use as much energy in regulating body temperature as in
the winter and thus do not require as many calories.
*Puppies will be offered a
good quality food at least twice daily. Ideally, young puppies
meals, should be spread out over the course of the day in 3
feedings, to address their high nutritional needs.
* Plenty of fresh water will
be available at all times. Do not allow the dog to drink from
standing pools of stagnant water or swimming pools, as these can
make your dog seriously ill.
Only fresh water is acceptable.
*GROOMING*
Winter
* The fur between the toe pads
will be clipped as needed, to reduce the amount of snow that
collects between the toes. Paws must be checked and cleaned
regularly since compacted snow or ice, lodged between the paw
pads, can lead to painful sores or frostbite.
*Nails will be trimmed as needed. Do not, however, trim the
nails too
short, as they aid the dog in maintaining good traction in the
snow and ice.
* The dogs
coat must be brushed occasionally. Ungroomed hair diminishes the
insulation properties of the coat. Regular brushing also helps
stimulate natural oil production, necessary to maintain a
healthy protective layer.
Summer
*
Dogs should be brushed and inspected once or
twice weekly, to remove any dirt or debris from the coat. This
is a good time to check the dog for ticks, if they are prevalent
in your area. Also, check the dogs ears for excessive debris,
and clean as necessary.
* HEALTH CONCERNS*
Winter
* Never use salt or chemical ice
melts around doghouses or in kennel runs to melt snow and ice.
The dog may walk in the salt/ice melt and burn the pads of his
feet. He can ingest it when licking his paws. Ingestion of
salt/ice melts can lead to gastrointestinal upset and burns of
the esophagus or stomach. * Dogs should be monitored for signs
of illness as they are more susceptible in wintertime.
* Dogs must be examined often for
signs of frostbite. The tips of the ears, tail and feet are
particularly susceptible.
* Automotive products must be
stored and exposed of properly. Many people change anti-freeze
in late fall or early winter. Dogs are attracted to the sweet
taste of anti-freeze, and as little as a couple of tablespoons,
when ingested, can be fatal.
* Dogs must be monitored for
signs of shivering, as this is a clear sign that they are too
cold, and indicates the potential for hypothermia. Hypothermia,
or low body temperature, can be fatal if not treated promptly.
Spring, Summer, Fall
*
Dogs must be treated with flea and tick preventative. Bites
from these insects can cause a variety of health problems, from
minor skin irritations, to serious, life threatening diseases.
* If you reside in an area where
the Deer Tick is prevalent, check your dogs often, especially
following outings in wooded areas. Lyme Disease can be
transmitted to your dog through a Deer Tick bite. However, a
Deer Tick must be attached to its host for at least 48 hours in
order to transmit the disease. A tick that has remained
attached for that amount of time will be engorged with blood and
noticeable to the touch. If you remove a tick from your dog or
find one that has fallen off (engorged to the point it can no
longer feed), save it in a zip lock bag and take it to your Vet
for identification. There is no need to take your dog to the Vet
along with the tick, since no Lyme Disease test can be performed
until 30 days after exposure. Be aware that these tests often
give inaccurate results and if your dog exhibits symptoms of
Lyme Disease your Vet may prescribe medication even if the test
is negative.
* Garden supplies, such as
herbicides and fertilizers must never be used in areas that
house a dog, as these can pose a health threat.
Heatstroke
* Dogs should be monitored for
signs of heat stroke, which is a potentially fatal hazard,
especially for dogs not offered proper shade and water. Dogs do
not have efficient cooling systems (like humans who sweat) and
get overheated easily. A dog suffering from heatstroke will
display several signs:
~ Rapid panting
~ Bright red tongue
~ Red or pale gums
~ Thick, sticky saliva
~ Depression
~ Weakness
~ Dizziness
~ Vomiting - sometimes with blood
~ Diarrhea
~ Shock
~ Coma
Treatment for Heatstroke:
Remove the dog from the hot area immediately. Prior to taking
him to the Vet, lower his temperature by submerging his body in
water. You can also use a shower or a hose to cool the dog down.
For very small dogs, it is recommended that you use lukewarm
water. For larger breeds (like the Leavitt Bulldog), cold water
may be used.
Caution: Cooling must take place
gradually. Cooling too quickly or allowing the body temperature
to become too low can cause other life-threatening medical
conditions. The rectal temperature should be checked every 5
minutes. Once the body temperature is 103 degrees F (normal for
a dog is 100-102.5 degrees F), the cooling measures should be
stopped. Place him on a wet towel and keep cooling the dog
during transport to the Veterinarian. Allow free access to water
or childrens
re-hydrating solution if the dog can drink on his/her own. Do
not try to force feed cold water; the dog may inhale it and
choke.
Prevention: Dogs who suffer
from heatstroke once, increase their risk for getting it again
and steps must be taken to prevent it on hot, humid days.
> Do not leave your dog in the
car. If you must, make sure you have 2 sets of keys and leave
the car running with the air conditioner on.
> Do not muzzle your dog .
> Do not confine you dog without
shade.
> Do not confine your dog to
areas with asphalt surfaces.
> Restrict the dogs exercise.
> Provide constant access to
water.
> Keep dogs with breathing
problems indoors.
> Keep your dog at his/her
optimal weight. Overweight dogs are more prone to
heatstroke.
General Health
* Annual physical exams are a
must for the outdoor dog.
* Dogs must be adequately
protected from disease by vaccination.
* Dogs will be periodically
checked for parasites, including heartworms, and will be
properly de-wormed. Dogs that live outside have an increased
chance of contracting Heartworms, as they are exposed to
mosquitoes around the clock. They must be placed on a Heartworm
preventative.
Exercise
*
Exercise is a key component in the sound physical and mental
health of your dog. Individual Leavitt Bulldogs vary in the levels
of exercise necessary for physical and mental well being. No one
knows your dog better than you, and you will have to adapt your dogs
exercise routine according to need. It is the opinion of many
Leavitt Bulldog owners that a tired Bulldog is a happy Bulldog. And
a happy Bulldog makes a happy owner.
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