(Ottawa Dog of the Week for May 3rd/10)

“This is Miss Colby, our furry love child. Colby is the perfect mix between lap dog/sport dog, she loves nothing more than to wiggle her way into bed and hog all the space/blankets. When she’s not napping, she’s chasing a ball. Her best friends consist of a rat named Finnegan and a crusty old Cairn Terrier named Angus McGruff. You can offten see her walking in the Westboro Village accompanied by her Mom & Dad who love and spoil her.” – Colby’s Mom, Melissa

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Popularity: 1% [?]

To quote my favourite youtube video, “Who’s the dog with the curly tail, the black ears and the bright pink harness…?” Apparently the dog’s name is Apple, but seriously who are these little dogs with pug faces and beagle bodies that have been popping up all over the place? Jake Gyllenhaal , Uma Thurman, James Gandolfini, Juliane Moore and even Sylvester Stallone own one of the pups, but are they just a celebrity, designer trend or a really interesting emerging breed?

The puggle, a cross-breed between a pug and a beagle, was an innovation of dog breeder Wallace Haven sometime in the 1980s. It must have been an attempt to design the perfect dog, one with the lap dog qualities of the pug with the playful energy of a beagle. Although, with any mix, you get the good with the bad, and in some cases genetic pug respiratory issues coupled with the stubborn energy of a beagle.

Appearance: The puggle has character written all over their face, some describe them as having a face only a mother could love, but any true dog lover will absolutely fall in love with the snouty face and floppy ears. In weight, the puggle ranges from 15-30 pounds and like both pugs and beagles tend to be short and muscular. Colours vary completely, some puggles closely resemble pugs, either fawn or black, with other have white bodies and spots more like the beagle.

Temperament: Like all breeds, temperament varies greatly from dog to dog but overall, these are happy little guys! The puggle is a higher energy dog that does require regular exercise; but this is equally matched with a serious case of the cuddlies as this dog will love to curl up with you on the couch for an afternoon nap. Puggles are generally quite good with strangers, tend to get along great with children and are generally satisfied to be close to people. Training can be an issue as puggles can be stubborn, independent and have selective hearing for commands, but with positive reinforcement, lots of treats and consistent effort the puggle can be a very well trained companion.

So, who’s the dog with the curly tail, the black ears and the bright pink harness? Well, in my case, she’s a sweetheart named Mia, only her harness is green and pink with little bones all over it.

Popularity: 2% [?]

(Ottawa Dog of the Week for June 29th/09)

“Jiggs is a spunky, one year old British Bulldog. He loves kids, especially our two boys. He loves to run, play and sleep, and can’t get enough of his special toys: his pink rubber donut and his bones. His favourite place to hang is Conroy Pit, he loves playing with other dogs, although he often can’t keep up with them. The very best thing about Jiggs is that he is a very loving dog. He thinks he’s a lap dog, and loves to cuddle. My boys would say that his best trick is that he can give “props” on command, especially when there is a treat involved.

We all love our Jiggs!” – The Jones’ Family

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Popularity: 1% [?]

(Ottawa Dog of the Week for April 6th/09)

“My partner and I have recently purchased our first home and started our family with a dog. We are the proud owners of Kami, the queen of Shiba. Kami was born on September 21, 2008, we got her on November 28th, 2008 and she is now 5 months old, and weighs in at nearly 15 lbs; almost too big for our laps. The average weight of an adult female Shiba is approx. 20 lbs., with the males averaging closer to 25 lbs. My partner wanted a small lap-dog and I wanted a rough and tumble playmate and after much research, we determined that a Shiba Inu was the dog for us.

Not recommended for first time dog owners, the smallest member of the Japanese Spitz family retains the mentality of their larger Akita cousin’s and they have a spirited boldness about them. Their affection, loyalty and submission must be earned through mutual respect as they are extremely independent. Despite their high prey drive, alpha behavior, and dense coats of fur, Shibas still do well indoors and as a compliment, they are very clean animals.

Shiba’s are energetic athletic dogs that love to fight, play, and run wild. Strangely enough, Shiba’s are also quite content to entertain themselves and can sleep through just about anything whenever they are bored. Kami loves to go outside and has become accustomed to walking with a harness, after testing the axium of, “never trust a Shiba off-leash”. Kami is a calm social girl, that loves to meet and greet other dogs and challenge them to see what they are made of.

Kami is often told that she looks exotic or like a fox and sometimes people do not believe that she is a dog, and neither does Kami. Kami is very affectionate and trusting of people, but she does not invest any time in them unless they are deemed worthy. Kami is a quick learner when the outcome of obedience is a favorite treat. However, Kami is extremely smart and attempts to train her owners to bend to her will.

Kami loves to eat but is developing a very selective appetite as she becomes more familiar with different foods. Kami accompanies her owners on outings whenever possible as she enjoys exploring new worlds and seeking out new smells. Kami has been caught several times in the yard trying to dig her way back to Japan, and has torn apart several small trees and shrubs. Shibas are well known escape artists and as a result, Kami cannot be left in the yard without supervision. As a matter of fact, Kami will always test her owners to see if “no” really does mean “no”, especially when their backs are turned. Kami will often run away when she is being testy so her owners cannot reprimand her. Kami is very alert and aware of her surroundings, even when she appears to be sleeping. Kami understands human emotions and is actually quite a drama queen in her own right.

Kami is a joy to have, as she is always happy to see Daddy and very capable of keeping Mommy content and busy while Daddy is away, so Mommy is less bored and lonely. As challenging as she can be, Kami has rewarded us with her charming personality and become a constant bright spot in our lives. I never imagined that I would be so attached to a dog, especially one who seems get along just fine without me, but I guess that is something that just makes us work. Kami has previously been featured on the Ottawa Dog Blog as the cover girl for the “Ottawa Shiba Meetup Group” on facebook, and as a result, she has been acquainted with other Shiba’s and their owners who frequent the site. Kami is thankful for your support and is looking forward to the spring and more opportunites to socialize with her pack.” – Kami’s People, Lee and Mai

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Popularity: 3% [?]

(Ottawa Dog of the Week for September 15/08)

“Zeke is a 15 month old boxer who believes at 62 pounds that he is indeed a lap dog. He loves playing with his squeaky toys, chewing on a bully stick and going for car rides. Quite often people who see him are wary believing he is a mean or vicious dog due to his square athletic stance and studded collar and I can’t help but shake my head that people wont even give him a chance. Zeke plays best with smaller dogs as he’ll egg them on to chase him. Zeke’s favorite place in the city is running off leash at Bruce Pit where he an sprint through the tall grass and wrestle with other dogs.” – Zeke’s dad, Brad

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Popularity: 1% [?]