Meatball, a brown and white bulldog was announced as the winner of the annual pageant. Dogs travelled from all over the country in order to compete and most were dressed in special costumes, but Meatball seems to have pipped them all to the post.

The slobbering pooch won a key to the city, as well as a royal cape and crown and he will also make several public appearances at Drake Relays events in the future.

Some say that bulldogs are ugly. I couldn’t disagree more. And I bet they wouldn’t say it to Meatball’s face anyway!

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Everyone loves a Meatball

You can often find Bobby burying his face in dirt, trying to escape over fences and running away for a little holiday in next door’s garden. Mischievous doesn’t even begin to cover it.

This cheeky little dog has just turned two and when he reached this milestone I noticed a definite shift in his behaviour.

Although he still indulges in the occasional mischief, Bobby now spends more time sleeping. In fact, it’s very difficult to get him to do anything else sometimes.

He has got into the habit now of sleeping on the bed. But when the morning comes and everyone gets up, Bobby decides to go back to bed in true teenager fashion. He even gets under the covers and rests his head on the pillow!

Clearly, Bobby has matured over his two years. He has grown out of his naughty puppy tricks and now likes to enjoy a leisurely day relaxing, eating and sleeping.

Well, at least, I did think that until the other day, when I found his face buried in a muddy puddle again. Some dogs never learn.

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The life of Bobby

And it is no different with dogs.

Although buying a dog should be treated as a serious decision and they should never be treated as fashion accessories, a lot of people seem to be inspired by breeds that are popular with celebrities.

One of my favourite breeds is the Pug. And these little guys seem to be extremely popular with the celebrities too, with Jessica Alba owning two called Syd and Nancy.

This breed is particularly striking with its wrinkly, short muzzled face and stocky build. Pugs are playful and like any dog, can offer a real sense of companionship.

But with this unusual dog costing around £1000, I think it might be a while before I indulge. Perhaps I’ll just treat myself to that new shade of lipstick for now.

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Following the dog trend

The UK’s population has been boosted by a quarter by a record litter of nine little Komondors, born in Cornwall.  The usual litter size is just four.

All the fluffy pups look the same so their tails have been dabbed with a little colour so the new owners can tell the difference.  As a result, their names thus far are:

Red, Blue, Purple, Green, Silver, Brown, Pink, White and Tiny – named because he was slightly smaller than the others

I wouldn’t like to have to bath these dogs though.  They are known as the hairiest dog in the world because after the age of around six to nine months their hair grows as dreadlocks.  They take an awful lot of grooming and are not for the virgin dog owner.  Bath time must be fun.  In fact, if you’re going to take on a dog like this, I would think you would want to use free standing baths so you can get round the dog from all sides.  They have the heaviest fur in the world and owners have to separate the strands of deadlocks to avoid it turning into one hairy mass.  No wonder they aren’t too popular.

Eight of the pups are being sold for £1,000 each and the owners are keeping one.  Komondors are originally from Hungary and in World War II started to die out as the Germans killed them.  They are very loyal dogs and the Germans could not capture a farm or a home without killing the dog.

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Rare Komondor population boosted by a quarter by one litter

General:
One of the lesser known dogs in the UK, this breed gained a significant rise in popularity following the pug who starred alongside Will Smith in Men In Black.

This breed is stocky, good natured and loving, and makes a good family pet when children are old enough to play nicely.  I say that because of the need to be careful around their eyes – see Health section for more detail.

Their tail curls over at the back, the tighter the curl the better and a double curl is considered perfect.

Height: 10 – 11 inches fully grown
Weight: 14 – 18 lbs
Average Litter Size: 3 – 4 pups – or puglets as they are often affectionately known
Life Expectancy: 12 – 14 years
Price: Expect to pay around £800 – £1000 for pugs as they are difficult to breed and to care for in a litter

Colour:
They have fine, glossy coats, which can appear in one of several colours referred to as silver, apricot, fawn or black. You’ll note from the pictures, they usually have a dark mask around the face

Grooming/Cleaning:
The pug does shed fur, so a light brushing every day will help keep the shedding minimal and the pug will always enjoy the attention if you start early enough.

Due to the folds of skin around their face, they need their face to be wiped or cleaned inside the creases to stop any irritation or infection.

They should be bathed as sparingly as possible to avoid stripping the essential oils from the fur, so once a week maximum is ideal.

Common Ailments:
The most common problem with these dogs are the eyes.  When they’re in the litter, their eyes don’t seem to have the speed of normal reaction so they don’t blink as quickly as other breeds.  As a result, it’s quite common for them to have their eyes scratched by other puglets in the litter.

Like other short snouted dogs, they have a pinched nose, which makes breathing more difficult so they often make little snorting sounds.  With this breathing difficulty, pugs have difficulty controlling their temperature so should be indoor pets as they struggle to cope with hot temperatures.

Temperament:
They are sociable yet can be stubborn at times, loving and good natured, good with children and pets (subject to the usual correct socalisation)

History:
Like the mastiffs and shih tzus, the pug originated in Tibet, bred in China. They were known as companion dogs to the monks – those monks sure kept a lot of dogs!

In the 16th and 17th centuries the little dogs were imported to Holland and became the official dog of the House of Orange.  Throughout history in many countries, they were often dressed in little jackets and were used by the military as sniffer dogs to track people and as companions to the guards.

A pug saved the life of Prince William of Orange in 1572 by licking his face and barking to warn him before assassins broke into his camp.  They had orders to kill the prince but he managed to escape, thanks to the pug.  From then on, William was inseparable from his pug and when he became King of England, the pug dogs came with him and their popularity subsequently grew in England.

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Dog Breed: Pug

As a puppy, any dog may have tendencies to be the more dominant or submissive in their litter, and either can result in an aggressive dog, either from dominance or fear, without the proper care and attention.  Some dogs have a tendency to be ‘one-to-one’ dogs, are loyal and protective to their owners but the owner should be taking care to ensure that the dog is socialised properly and learns that he can play and make friends with other people and other dogs.

Obviously, some breeds were bred for protection or fighting, but with proper breeding, care and training, there is not reason why they shouldn’t grow into loving and adorable family members.

All dogs can be provoked into biting and even the gentlest dog breed can become aggressive, especially without the proper socialisation or training.  You take responsibility for that dog the second you say you want him.  Dogs take time and attention and if you don’t have the time to bring him up properly, taking him out with you, meeting other people and dogs in dog-friendly areas or at training, then don’t get one in the first place!

In my opinion, all dogs should be trained to the basic commands: sit, come, down, stay, and as well as obedience training, they should all have one-to-one training between dog and owner at least five times a week.  Your dog should trust you implicitly and obey you without hesitation.  If he trusts you, then he will do what you say, even when he feels nervous or stressed but as his owner and ‘pack leader’ you should be protecting him from these situations.  If someone’s child is provoking my dog, then I’m going to stop that straight away, because if my dog is left in that situation and protects herself by nipping or biting, then it’s my dog in the s**t not the kid – and it would be my fault.

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Aggressive Dog Breeds?

Experts blame the decline in popularity of many breeds on celebrities like Paris Hilton who popularise the handbag-fitting breeds like chihuahas and the new, designer breeds like the labradoodle. Read more in the Daily Mail

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Number 1 Endangered Breed Of Dog

General:
A popular family dog in the UK at the moment, this breed is friendly and not aggressive. They are cuddly, and are known as non-shedding.

Height: 11 inches
Weight: 7 – 8 lbs
Average Litter Size: 3 – 5 pups
Life Expectancy: 12 – 14 years

Colour: Any colour is acceptable by the Kennel Club nowadays

Grooming: The shih tzu has two coats of fur. The top coat is non-shedding, but the inner coat sheds a little. With regular brushing, this small fur is caught in the brush.

If left, the fur of a shih tzu will grow down to the ground and requires high maintenance.

Common Ailments: Problems with this breed are fewer than with many others, as it is quite a hardy breed. The most common ailments are eye and knee problems.

Temperament:
Non aggressive, good natured, good with children and pets (subject to the usual correct socalisation)

History:
Originated in Tibet, bred in China.

The dogs came to England in 1830 and to the USA around 100 years later when they were registered as the Lhasa terrier. In 1940, the American Kennel Club registered the breed as the Shih Tzu and it wasn’t until 1969 that the Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso were officially separated.

Here is a more complete shih tzu breed profile

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Dog Breed: Shih Tzu