Fun in the Snow

My puggle, Reece, and my beagle, Daisy, love playing in the snow. I had a fun time taking these pictures and thought I would share them with you. Enjoy! :)

PLEASE HELP!

Hello! I received this email from a friend and wanted to post it on my site. The Animal Rescue does so much and to be able to help assist them means much to me as well.
Free Food for Animal Shelters

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple.. Please tell ten (or more) friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "feed an animal in need" for free. It's in a purple box in the middle of the page. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals inexchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Contest for Cutest Christmas Puggle Picture

I am going to offer a contest for the cutest christmas puggle picture out there!
If you send me your pic, I will post it to my blog and then voters can comment on each picture. The picture that has the most comments (good ones that is) will win my free e-book: Puggle Hugs: All About Puggles! So, why not send me a pic?
I will start by adding my pic of Reece with his santa stocking on. Isn't he cute??
While I am at it, I might as well add Daisy's Christmas Picture as well-Isn't she the cutest beagle ever??? :)

Videos of Puggles

Just wanted to say, make sure you check out some of the puggle videos located at the right of my blog. My kids and I spent a good hour laughing our heads off at some of them. They are hilarious! For us puggle lovers, these are just the most cutest videos to watch and say "awww". Enjoy!

Does their batteries ever wear out??

I got an email the other day that I wanted to share with all of you. The title of this just cracks me up! But, I have to admit that it is a question I think all of us puggle owners ask. I know I do at least! :)

Christy:
We came upon our Lily, a standard puggle, last Christmas. She was a gift to our soon to be 18 year old daughter as a bribe to have her choose to attend a local college rather than sleep-away. Well, Lily, was a year in October and our daughter attends school at SUNY New Paltz.

I really love her and I consider her house trained. She is spiteful and if she cannot follow me to the laundry room, she will piddle my floor. I tried letting her out before I go to the laundry room but... well you can figure out the rest.

I still crate her when I leave for work. She doesn't seem to mind. She sees me getting ready to walk out the door and runs to her crate. I am hoping to have be able to have the run of the main area of the house by the time she is two years old. BUT that is still not my issue...

She is a bundle of energy. Almost obssessive compulsive. She gets plenty of play time with humans as well as with her canine companion, large 55 lb. mixed breed that is four years old.

Will she every calm down a bit? She passes out with exhaustion and sleeps the night but once I am up in the morning....eat, out, play, rest, play, etc.

Any advice? Love my Lilypup. I could eat her up. AND I DIDN'T WANT ANOTHER DOG!!

Carol
________________________________________

Unfortunately for Carol, I didn't have the best of a response to her question: :)

Well, my puggle, Reece, NEVER does. He is about the same age as Lily. He does the same thing and wears me out, COMPLETELY. I have four dogs and he wears them out as well, along with the cat, and my four kids. LOL
I wish I could tell you that she will calm down soon, but I think that is just the way puggles are. They get full bursts of energy and the next thing you know they are passed out from all of their playing. I am thinking maybe once they get older, they will calm down. I think they are just like children. HONESTLY! The older they get, the calmer they will get. I am hoping.
________________________________________

Now, my question and I think I will put up a new survey poll is this: Do you think your puggle will calm down once older?

Go and vote on the survey poll, I will then release the results in a few!
Thanks and happy puggle hugging! :)

Change My Puggles for another Dog? Not On Your Life!

Over the years, I’ve had a few different breeds of dogs, and I’ve loved them all. When I was a kid, for example, my folks had four poodles Kippy, Piere, Beau and Squiggy (yes, named after the show (Lavern and Shirley), and as fierce as it looked to strangers, it was nothing but a bunch of big cuddly toys to me and my sister. Then, as I hit my teens and the four poodles passed on, my mother brought home a box. Out popped this bull frog eye, snorting, wrinkled black animal. Was a dog or a pig?

At the time, our house had a circle hallway and all I can remember is this animal jumping out of the box and running into our bathroom, grabbing the toilet paper from the roller and running excitedly around the hallways in circles. Needless to say, the animal calmed down and I was able to take another look at her. Yes, it was a girl, a dog, and a Pug. My mom couldn’t resist her from the dog store in the local mall and so she brought her home. Her name was Katie and she became the baby of the household, literally! We couldn’t call her a dog, she had to be called Katie or baby and we even had to take turns, my sister and I, holding her bone for her while she chewed for hours on it. Sadly, Katie got older and passed on, but her spirit lives on forever in our families households. It was so bad, that my mom had to move out of the house that we lived in, because she couldn’t bear the memories of Katie and her favourite tree. My mom now has three dogs, which consist of two pugs and a shit-zuh.

Now that I’m older, married, and have four kids and my own home, I have four dogs as well, like when I was growing up. As much as I could have had one that was similar to the dogs I knew in my childhood, I wanted something different, something unusual – so I got myself a puggle.

For anyone who’s never seen a puggle, it’s a wonderful cross between a beagle and a pug, which in my mind has got to be one of the greatest mixes ever – kudos to the breeder who came up with that idea! For a better idea, next time you’re in Toys ‘r’ Us or any similar toyshop, have a look at the Pound Puppies, and you’ll see what I mean. Yet it’s not just the look of these cute dogs that I love so much.

Any dog I’ve ever had has always been affectionate – they’re not called man’s best friend for nothing! But there’s something about a puggle that seems to make them even more affectionate than the cuddliest dog. If I’ve had a rotten day at work and I want to come home and scream at the world, Reece (yeah, I know, not the greatest name, but I like it!) will come on over to me and rest his wrinkly little face on my lap. And when I look at him – well, I defy anyone not to melt when a puggle looks dolefully at you!

Even just the way Reece acts on an everyday basis – he probably doesn’t even realize he’s being funny, but that’s the beauty of puggles. Their noses are a little bit longer than the average dog and this can lead to some pretty funny moments. There have been times when I’ve been watching the television, and have almost collapsed laughing at the noises coming out of Reece as he sleeps. Remember the movie “Gremlins”, and the little noises that the main character Gizmo would make? This is exactly what a puggle can sound like at times.

One of the best things about puggles is that they’re such a conversation piece as well. Take a walk down the park, or on the beach, and people are will surround you dying to know about your little bundle of joy. And you thought it was just newborn babies that get all the love?! If you’re single and you want to attract a potential partner, trust me; buy a puggle!

There’s a whole ton of things I could say about Reece, or puggles in general. They’re adorable; they’re loving; they’re squishy. But when it comes down to it, nothing I could say would do these wonderful dogs justice. Reece has had babies with my Beagle, Daisy. Therefore, I guess you could consider me a part-time breeder. The love I had for adopting out my little baby puggles and the warm fuzzy feeling of finding them a home is priceless. If you are interested in puggles, the best thing to do is get in touch with a local breeder today and see for yourself what all the fuss is about. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

Fight over empty refried beans can

Lately, Reece has been getting into some trouble. He is such a good dog; however, sometimes he doesn’t use his head.  Here is how the story went down:
My puggle, Reece, was sniffing around and decided to get into the garbage in the kitchen. With an empty refried bean can he managed to pull out of the garbage, he darted for a place to hide, which ended up between my recliner and wall. Well, not using my head, I told my seven year old, Blaine, to grab it from him and put it back in the garbage. Well, Blaine said that he was growling at him, which is very unusual, so he didn’t want to grab it. Therefore, I decided to put my hand down their and grab it and boy way I wrong. Reece attacked my hand. I was so angry and him and so hurt that he would actually do this. But, then I got to thinking. He didn’t know it was my hand, because all he saw was a hand coming after it. That is my excuse anyways. The point of this story, never try to take food away from your puggle, even if you think that your dog wouldn’t ever do this!
Since this happened, my hand is better and Reece and I are getting a long again. You know, puggles are just like kids and they don’t use their heads before they react! I guess I should’ve thought about using my head to before I reacted on grabbing his can of empty refried beans from him. 

WARNING: BEWARE OF DOG FARMS

I have very heartbreaking news, but in the end it was a blessing for my family and for my dog, Peanut. I bought Peanut, a puggle, back in June of this year. I drove ten hours to get her and couldn't wait to get her home. You probably have read about her in my e-book or on this blog. I had to make the decision to give the dog away. She was a sweety; yet, after trying and trying and trying, I couldn't get her trained at all and she was very timid. She was scared of my husband and he never once did anything to scare her. She wouldn't stop going in her kennel. I have four kids and four other dogs as well as when I have my litters and I was starting to feel really overwhelmed. Happily, I found her a home within my family. She is doing well, but still hates men and she is getting better one on one attention. I hope to be able to visit with her every now and then. Anyways, my plan is to get one later, after my eighteen month old daughter, turns two. My WARNING to all of you dog lovers-DO NOT BUY FROM A DOG FARM. I think this was my problem. Peanut came from a dog farm in the middle of nowhere land in Missouri. She lived with probably at least 200 other dogs and 100 cats. She was never raised to be loved and shown love. You could see it in her eyes. That is why she was so timid. The problem with purchasing dogs from a dog farm, is that they are used to going in their kennel and it is very hard to break that habit. Dog farms are horrible! These puppies just run around, eat, poop, and sleep. There is no human contact at all. That is why I believe in raising litters in the family home. They receive plenty of love and attention inside the home. PLEASE, I encourage you, if you haven't purchased a puggle yet, do not purchase one from a dog farm! The following article hits many of these points:





It is widely believed that any given breed of dog is born with a strong genetic predisposition to behaviorisms characteristic of that breed. Thus it should follow that the livestock herding and guarding dog breeds, of which the various sheepdogs and shepherds are good examples, must be born with an inherent tendency to guard or herd livestock. Also in the same vein it should also follow that gundogs must have a natural propensity to tolerate loud noises such as gun shots or rifle reports. However, as so often happens, things are not quite so simple!

The Critical Period

The critical period of socialization is that time when a certain set or patterns of genetically oriented behavior must be performed or presented to a developing animal (in this case a puppy) in order for such behavior to manifest in the animal when it is older. The inability to initiate such genetically programmed behavior during the critical period can result in the complete corruption of hereditary behavior characteristic to that particular species of animal. The critical period in dogs varies for the different dog breeds, but as a species in general, the critical period of socialization in dogs extends from 2 weeks to 16 weeks. After sixteen weeks if a puppy has not been properly socialized in the desired manner, that dog will not exhibit appropriate behavior in the future!

For example, in certain species of birds, unless the parents sing the specific birdsong for attracting a mate to the growing chicks within the critical period, those birds will never be able to attract a mate when older for the simple fact that they are unable to reproduce the necessary mating call (birdsong).

Imprinting

One of the more significant factors of the critical period of socialization is that known as imprinting. Imprinting is the process whereby a young animal gets to self-identify as a species; in other words imprinting is the process during the socialization period when the young animal gets to align itself with a particular species. Normally in most cases the species with which a young animal identifies usually happens to be the species to which the animal actually belongs. However rarely in the wild, cases do occur where an animal imprints on an entirely different species altogether and ultimately identifies with that species as being its own.

Cases of artificial or manipulated imprinting abound in domesticated animals, and one of the most celebrated cases of imprinting manipulation was that conducted by Austrian ethologist Konrad Zacharias Lorenz who was awarded a Nobel Prize for his efforts. Using graylag geese Konrad Lorenz definitively illustrated the significance of the primary period of socialization by getting graylag goslings to imprint on him as opposed to their mother. The result was that the goslings identified with Lorenz and not with geese which resulted in the rather novel situation whereby Lorenz was trailed by his flock of young goslings wherever he went.

Okay, you may be thinking what has some dude with a bunch of geese following him have to do with you and your pet dog? If you're thinking along such lines those are valid thoughts indeed, so let me illustrate some of the practical applications of imprinting manipulation conducted in dogs.

Imprinting Manipulation In Dogs

Over the span of many generations, shepherds have routinely manipulated the process of imprinting in their livestock guarding dogs. The shepherd introduces the future livestock guardian dog as a puppy to the appropriate target animal which for simplicity reasons in this case will be the sheep. At its most extreme, this imprinting manipulation may be stimulated by getting the puppies to suckle from a pregnant ewe. More routinely though, the dogs are removed as young puppies and reared with the sheep but not necessarily suckled by sheep.

Contact and socialization with people is kept to a minimum as is that with other dogs excepting those littermates that are destined for the same vocation. The dogs are fed in the presence of sheep, sleep with the sheep, socialize and communicate with the sheep and age permitting allowed to follow the sheep about during their grazing. By the time sixteen weeks are up that dog(s) will now identify with sheep as its primary social companions; not dogs…not people! In essence that dog will take appropriate protective measures to ensure that no harm befalls the sheep, even against human beings.

Problematic Dogs

Have you ever encountered a dog that just doesn't get on with other dogs, strangers or with any animal for that matter? Such a dog is that way because it was never properly socialized within the timeframe of the critical period of socialization. Before I continue along this thread however there's a point I wish to stress here. Because of years of selective breeding, certain dog breeds are naturally predisposed to exhibiting specific behavior and mannerisms that are hereditary in nature. Thus for example, the retriever breed of dogs will have a natural and inherent tendency to retrieve whether or not such behavior is encouraged during the critical period of socialization.

Certain breeds of dog are natural water lovers for the mere fact that over the years of selective breeding such a trait has been greatly magnified. Such dogs will, in appropriate circumstances, exhibit those inherited traits whether or not they were performed when the dog was still a puppy.

When I was a kid we had a Labrador mix dog that once trailed us to the campus swimming pool. One moment my siblings and I were happily splashing about in the pool with the other kids, next thing…we heard shouting and yelling and a right ole ruckus. We soon knew why. Our Labrador mix, named Nip, had followed us to the swimming pool and saw absolutely no reason why he shouldn't join us (his primary social companions) in the pool for a dip. Nip was about 7 months at the time and other than his bath times (which he detested) he had never been introduced to water nor had he ever shown any particular affiliation for it. Yet on that day, there he was doggy paddling towards us in the pool like a pro, as if for all the world that was what he had been destined to do!

The point I'm making here is that certain traits in certain breeds of dog cannot be totally switched off for the fact they have been exaggerated through selective breeding over the span of multiple generations and in appropriate conditions those traits will manifest!

Take the case of the so-called dangerous dog breeds, of which perhaps the Pitbull and the Rottweiler spring foremost to mind. There is an element of truth warranting the dangerous-dog moniker for these dogs for the simple reason that some unethical dog breeders have selectively bred their dogs for the aggressive trait. Why? So their dogs may be more vicious and efficient fighters in the dog pit! Like the case of my dog Nip, in certain circumstances those inherited aggressive traits may one day manifest seemingly out of nowhere.

Why You Should Socialize Your Dog Early On

Whether or not your dog is going to be an apartment dweller or an animal living on a farm, it is important to socialize your dog within the critical period. This is especially true for apartment dwelling dogs that live in the city because they are routinely going to rub shoulders with other dogs, other animals as well as people. Obviously if you wish to avoid having to pay out hefty fees and penalties (and perhaps seeing your dog be put down) because your anti-social pet keeps attacking other pets and people, then it is of vital importance to take the appropriate measures to see that your dog is properly and timely socialized.

If your dog is to co-exist with other animals in the household such as a cat, then for purposes of a harmonious coexistence, that dog as a puppy, should be introduced early on to the other animal whereby it will regard that animal as a social companion and not as prey or foe. Early socialization of one's dog has both subtle and in-your-face manifestations. The subtle manifestations could be the difference between a confident and outward-going dog to one that is shy and unusually submissive. I've already discussed some of the overt (in-your-face) manifestations of socialization which include identification of social companions and getting along with others.

Many dog breeders have also noticed that early handling and petting of very young puppies appears to boost the confidence and friendliness level of the animal when it matures into an adult dog.

Dog Breeds

Kayye Nynne is the webmaster of http://www.dog-breeds-spot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=B._Kiwanuka

Update on Baby Puggle "Duke"

I am so excited to update you with how one of the puggles is doing at their newfound home! His name is Duke and he is soooo cute! This dog or "baby" is considered a second generation puggle. His family says he is doing really well and is getting really big. He weighs 14 pounds now. He is having fun running around the beach and loves the water. He is Reece and Daisy's baby boy and out of all dogs that I have ever seen, he is one of the cutest! Take a look at his pics...

Calling All Puggle Owners

I would love to start seeing pictures on this blog of other puggle owners. Here is a more recent one of Reece. He and the other dogs have chewed my recliner arms to pieces as you can see in the picture. Also, if you have a story to tell, I will post it on my blog. Thanks :)

Kennel Cough

I have to tell you my frustrating story that took place with my puggle, Reece, and my beagle, Daisy. I let them outside to go to the bathroom and we have a nice big privacy fence so I thought they would be ok. They always were before. However, this time was QUITE different!

I went outside and both of my dogs were gone. I kept yelling for them, but they were gone. Needless to say that I was home with my 18 month old and didn't know how I was going to go outside and find them quickly with her up and running around. I decided the best way for me to go find them would be by driving in the van. I looked everywhere for my dogs as my heart sunk, my luck sunk even more. My husband drove around when he got off of work and neither of us could find them. Unfortunately, we live off of a small dead end road, which is usually good with kids; however, in this case, at the dead end, there is a few little holes in the fence for dogs to get through and run right into the highway. :(

I was hoping that maybe the next morning I would wake up and they would be waiting at the front step, but when I opened the door that morning-nothing. I was so grief strucken that I had lost my babies. My husband said to call the pound and see if they were taken there, so I did. I was happy to hear that they were there. A miracle had been performed and God had blessed us that day!

A man driving down the highway in a semi-truck picked them up off of the busy highway and took them down to the pound. He told the pound that he figured they were someones pets because they were traveling together. Whew! We had to pay $300 to get them back, but I would of paid anything! They are just like our children, even though we have four of those as well, and money just doesn't count when it is something like this that happens.

Anyways, all of my dogs ended up with kennel cough, and actually my two shitzuhs are still trying to get over theirs. I was really worried what kennel cough would do to them and to us, but found out it actually isn't nothing more then a cold. The following is a good article on what kennel cough is and how to cure it. Enjoy! I hope you don't ever have to deal with it actually, because it can get quite annoying hearing your dogs hack all day long, especially when you have more then one hacking. :)

Does your dog make hacking sounds that make it seem like something is caught in his or her throat? This may mean that your dog is suffering from kennel cough. Kennel cough is actually an inflammation of the upper respiratory system of your dog and is similar to a human's chest cold.

It is actually the umbrella term used for all types of dog cough that is caused by complex infections, some of which are canine distemper or Bordetella bronchiseptica.

Just like with humans, kennel cough has the potential to be contagious if the dog's immune system is weak or weakened by certain stimuli. There are certain stressors that inhibit or reduce your dog's ability to fight viral or bacterial infections that cause kennel cough. Avoiding these situations will save your dog from succumbing to the plight that kennel cough brings.

Some of the things that need to be avoided to ensure the continued health of your dog are shipping and crowding stress, exposure to heavy dust or cigarette smoke, and of course, exposure to bacterial and viral sources.

Usually, your dog's immune system can resist alien objects from forming infections in his or her respiratory tract. Unfortunately, the occurrence of kennel cough is brought about when the stressors mentioned above result in your dog's resistance to bacteria and viral infections being greatly threatened and diminished.

Your dog's way of naturally ridding his respiratory tract of bacteria and infections is through the tiny hairs that are connected to the tissues found along his or her respiratory tract. These tiny hairs are coated in mucus, which trap alien particles that get in through your dog's normal respiration.

Aside from preventing bacteria and viral infections to reach the tissue along the dog's respiratory tract, these tiny hairs called cilia are constantly undulating, which in turn causes alien particles to be expelled normally through the mouth or swallowed and digested by your dog. However, during instances when your dog's immune system is stressed and unable to function properly, or when your dog comes in contact with certain types of bacteria, like the Bordetella bronchiseptica, he then will succumb to kennel cough.

To prevent your dog from having kennel cough, you should make sure that his vaccinations are current, especially when certain stressors cannot be avoided. Actually, even if you do not foresee your dog being subjected to stressors that will make him susceptible to kennel cough, you should update his vaccinations anyway; especially his vaccination for Bordetella bronchiseptica, because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, even for your dog.

The best type of vaccination against kennel cough would be an intranasal administered vaccine. The more common type of vaccine is dispensed through an injection. However, the intranasal type of vaccine is better because if prevents bacterial and viral infections for a year, while the injectable type cannot prevent infections but in the event of one, it will work to lessen the gravity of its effect.

Remember that if your dog already has kennel cough that is caused by any virus or bacteria, you cannot use a vaccine to treat his ailment. You can only use vaccines for prevention. To treat and cure kennel cough, you can visit your veterinary doctor and ask him to prescribe certain antibiotics that are meant to treat whatever bacteria or viral infection that has caused your dog to have kennel cough. If needed, you can also ask your vet about cough suppressants to help alleviate your dog's suffering which can be taken in tandem with the antibiotics.

Visit these web sites for more information about kennel cough and http://bestpetsupplyresource.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jean_Morgan

Mixed Breeds and Health Concerns

It is interesting that many websites and resources well encourage dog lovers to purchase only hybrid dogs or "pure breds", because they are healthier then mixed breeds; however, science has proven that, in fact, mixed breeds are healthier then pure breeds. Puggles are much more healthier then pugs. Just look at the nose, muzzle, and eyes, and that will explain it all to you. But, for more information on to why puggles are healthier, read the following article. I found it interesting! :)
Enjoy!

What in the world is a puggle?

One fine day a pug was off gallivanting around when he came across a spirited little beagle, their eyes met and well.... the rest is history!

Puggles are part of a new trend of “designer dogs”- like the schnoodle and the cockabiche. They are popping up in more places and are receiving more press, at the moment, than purebreds and are commanding prices that rival and even exceed the prices of their full-blooded compatriots. Fortunately, I purchased my puggle before their popularity soared.

I originally wanted to buy a pug, but there were none available at the time, though a litter of puggles was. The pups were advertised at $250 each, less than 1/3 the price of a pug. That still seemed expensive to me, for what was essentially a mutt, or so I thought.

A little background on the 2 breeds; Beagles are high-strung but also very sporty, while pugs are not very athletic, but have a calm, relaxing demeanor -- not yippy, overexcited, or insecure. Puggles do not generally howl like beagles and do not have the breathing problems that are often associated with the pug. Mix the 2 together and you have the best attributes of both.

I was curious so I went and visited them. They, of course, were very cute and charming. Since I couldn't find a pug and really wanted a dog, I went ahead and purchased one, a cute little female... What a great decision that was! :)

A puggle combines the strong physical attributes of the beagle with the even, mellow temperament of the pug, making for a calm small dog-- how rare is that?

They have the wrinkled face of a pug while having the longer legs of a beagle. Puggles usually get to be 15-20lbs. as adults, are 12-15" high at the shoulder, are tan or brown with a black muzzle; earning them the well-deserved nickname of "miniature mastiffs".

Purebred dog breeders naturally have problems with these crossbreeds as many have spent a great deal of time and money perfecting the bloodlines of their breed and don’t like the attention these “mutts” are receiving. There is a widely held notion that these “mutts” are actually healthier than purebreds, which I have always believed. A cross between 2 breeds of any dog should eliminate genetic problems that may exist in either breed because 90% of genetic problems are recessive, meaning both parents must carry the abnormal gene.

If you want a better chance of having health problems with your dog then buy a purebred! If you want a pet that is unique and healthy then buy a puggle, or go to the local shelter and adopt!

Sara writes articles for Schmeg.com

Puggle Pie :)

You may be asking yourselves, what in the world is Puggle Pie. Well, until today, I never heard of it either. Sounds quite gross actually! However, there was such a thing, and the following article will tell you all about it. Enjoy!

HISTORY OF THE PUGGLE

The Puggle is not a hybrid dog. It is not a baby Echidna or a baby Platypus which are both monotremes from Australia.

1970's
The Puggle character has been around since the mid 1970's. It is a toy character from The Lost Forests. Puggle is a registered trademark owned by The Lost Forests group in Australia. www.thelostforests.com.au

DOGS
Puggles are a relatively new type of hybrid dog breed; the first puggles ever bred were in 2000 by a breeder named Wallace Havens, owner and operator of Puppy Haven Kennels in Kingston, Wisconsin. The puggle is not purebred; it is a cross of a purebred Beagle mother and a purebred Pug father. The hybrid puggle is recognized by the American Canine Hybrid club.

BABY PLATYPUS AND ECHIDNA
Information from the Australian Platypus Conservatory about the Puggle Dr Shaw, in his scientific description of 1799, gave the name Platypus anatinus, from Greek and Latin words meaning "flat-footed, duck-like". However, when it became known that Platypus had already been used to name a group of beetles, a new term had to be adopted. The official scientific name became and remains Ornithorhynchus anatinus, with the first word meaning "bird-like snout".

Although the name "duckbill" was widely used as a popular description for the animal, the abandoned scientific name "platypus" gradually became the accepted common name for the species.

The preferred plural of platypus is either "platypus" or "platypuses", depending on which dictionary you consult. (We use the former for the sake of simplicity.) The term "platypi" is no longer considered to be valid.

There is no accepted term - equivalent to pup or cub - to describe a baby platypus. One possible name recently suggested is a "platypup".

In recent years, the inappropriate word "puggles" for baby platypus has been commonly used. This term was applied to baby echidnas some years ago because of their resemblance to Puggles, an American soft-toy character. (It is understood that the toy company concerned may have considered legal action to protect its registered trade-mark in relation to unauthorised usage). For some reason, this name is now being applied to baby platypus. This is both ill-informed (baby platypus and echidnas don't look very much alike, once they get past the initial post-hatching "jelly-bean" stage, and so baby platypus don't much resemble Puggles) and possibly illegal. www.thelostforests.com.au

ABORIGINE LEGEND
According to Aboriginal legend, the first platypus was born after a young female duck mated with a lonely and persuasive water-rat. The duck’s offspring had their mother’s bill and webbed feet and their father’s four legs and handsome brown fur.

The real (true) story of the Puggle from The Lost Forests

Once upon a time there were four million, three thousand, two hundred and one … Puggles, but now there are only a few bagfuls left, just like this one. Puggles lived in the Australian bush under the ground in tunnels. They came out of their holes at night to feed on their favourite tucker, split peas! All night long they would Puggle up every pea they could find, and as daylight approached, it would “dawn” on them that they had to get back home.

Waiting for them at their front doors would be the local people, (which is why they were called “early settlers”). Of course the Puggles had stuffed themselves so full of split peas that they couldn’t get down their holes and became stuck with their bottoms at the top, making them easy prey for the people who just loved Puggle pie.

So that is why, last thing at night, tie it up tightly and don’t let it out until the morning. This way the Puggles will not become extinct and maybe one day there will be as many Puggles as before …

Now wouldn’t that be an eye Puggling sight! If you would like more information on the Puggle then visit http://www.thelostforests.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Mc_Donnell

Puggle Hugs-Mini Ebook

Sorry, I haven't wrote for a while, but I have been really busy preparing this mini e-book on puggles. All of my puggle puppies are gone right now and so I thought it would be a good time to write about them. My other two puggles are doing really well-getting into everything. We should have another litter in a few months. If you would like to purchase this e-book as a downloadable file, click on the buy now button on the right hand side under the Puggle Hugs E-Book. :) Enjoy. Hope all of your puggles are doing well. Let me know!

Sad Note/Good Note :) Dog Training

Today, I say goodbye to my first baby puggle, Daisy. She has left our home to go to a new home. I was so happy to see the family's children's smiles and how excited they were to get to finally have their new baby home. I wish this family the best of luck with Daisy. She will be missed. On a good note, I have found a website that really seems very useful for us dog owners. Dogs must be trained as young as possible, with the earliest being around 6 weeks of age. However, due to the many age ranges of dogs when they are adopted into a new family, this is not always possible. Therefore, please keep in mind a dog can learn to be trained, but it may take more time is all. With that being said, there are many tricks that can be used in order to get your dog to behave and become trained. While some tricks may work with others, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that same trick will work with yours. It all underlies in the way in which the dogs are being trained. Some owners do not have the patience to train their dogs and just expect that if the owner says sit to the dog once or twice, then the dog should catch on. This is absolutely no way to train a dog.

The first thing in which an owner must do is get their dogs attention. If the dog has no idea that you are trying to command something to them, then they will definitely not listen. Get their attention by calling their name.

The second thing in which an owner must do is understand what commands they want to teach their dog. Think of commands that will help simplify your life. For instance, go potty, cage up, sit, quiet, be still, and others that you may want to implement. Once these commands are identified, and then the owner can start getting their dogs attention and making commands. However, only train the dog one command at a time, having too many commands will confuse the dog.

The third thing in which an owner must do is to constantly stay consistent. You can’t teach your dog a new trick if you do not be consistent with your training of commands.

If you follow all of these three tips, you will for sure be on the right track to training your dog to behave! Then, once your dog behaves, you will have more time to focus on other things in your life that don’t require much commanding and time. For more great information, visit this great dog training review site at http://taychr.bezoogle.com/pp/dog-training/

A good article to review:

One of the most common questions regarding Puggles is “Where can I get a miniature or Pocket Puggle?” The Answer is that there is no such thing as a Pocket Puggle. I have decided to write this article to tackle the questions surrounding the size of a Puggle. My hope is this article will prevent future Puggle owners from being misled by Breeders or Pet Shops who are claiming to sell Pocket Puggles.
The Basics: There are two different breeds involved in the creation of a Puggle (Pug & Beagle). Because the Beagle is the larger of the two breeds, it is generally used as the female in this crossbreed.
The Pug: The height of the average male Pug is 12-14 inches. Females are slightly smaller at 10-12 inches. The average weight for the Pug is 13 – 20lbs.
The Beagle: There are two standard sizes for the Beagle.
13 inches – Beagles in this class should be less than 13 inches 15 inches – Beagles in this class should be between 13 – 15 inches The average weight ranges from 20 – 25lbs.
Conclusion: Now that we have scene the two gene pools that will be used to create a Puggle we will look at what possibilities the Puggle has for height, weight, health, and temperament. The main health issue scene in Pugs is breathing issues caused by their short muzzle. This problem is generally offset to a great extent in the Puggle, due to the longer muzzle of the beagle. Beagles can be prone to heart dieses, epilepsy, and eye and back problems which are also found less often in Puggles due to the expanded gene pool. They both have a generous lifespan of 12-15 years, both are energetic, sturdy little dogs that have minimal shedding and make great family pets. The minimum height and weight of a Puggle that has been properly is 12 inches and 18lbs. Any smaller than this and you are looking at major health problems and poor breeding practices. The maximum size a Puggle should reach is around 15inches and 30lbs.
I hope this article has shed light on the fact that it is physically impossible to create a healthy Puggle that can be classified as a “Pocket” dog.
Shawn Puggle Mania Onlinehttp://www.pugglemaniaonline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Clark

A few more pics

A few more pictures that I would like to share of the baby puggles. Only a few weeks left and they are going to their new found homes. They have grown so big in just the last week. They are hopping around, chewing on things such as towels, and acknowledging humans. This is a really good sign that they will be able to adapt to their new parents and families. They are having lots of fun and my children and I have shown them lots of love. We hope that the families will send pictures that can be posted and updated on this blog. I am already wanting my next litter. Finding the puppies great homes has been really a wonderful and warm fuzzy type of feeling and a lot of fun!

Puggles first meal cont..

Puggles first meal

I am so excited to share these pictures with you all. These are pictures of the puggles eating their first meal. They dove right into it. They have now been on puppy food for a week. :)

Welcome Puggle Lovers and Snugglers!

Hello! Welcome to Puggle Hugs blog. Where every puggle needs a hug. I am glad you could come visit. My name is Christy Taylor and I am a breeder and also a mother of two of my own very adorable puggles. I have created this blog so that other puggle mothers (and fathers) could share with one another the wonderful and exciting journeys with our puggles. Everyday is a new experience with my puggles and I am sure you all have some crazy and unique stories about your very own puggles. I look forward to our journey together and hopefully we can share some insight with one another on puggles as well as maybe make a few lasting friendships. I plan to update this often and hope that you will continue to come back and visit. Until then....