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However much we love our dog there may be times when it’s just not possible to be together and during this time we may need to place them into a boarding kennel. It will be hard leaving your dog especially if this is the first time and you’ll worry if they are going to be looked after well, will they miss you, and will they get taken for a walk or be comforted if there scared.

These are all natural feelings as your dog will be part of the family and you wouldn’t leave one of the members of your family with just anyone. The same applies to your dog with a little careful checking and looking around you can find a boarding kennel which can satisfy all your questions. Here are some tips when choosing a boarding kennel:

How to find a good kennel

A good place to start is with family and friends, ask around which kennel they have used and what they felt about it, if friends and family haven’t used one then considering getting a recommendation from your vet. Once you have got some names then do a little investigation work into the kennel, most reputable kennels now have websites where they show information on the kennels and even pictures of the accommodation where dogs are kept.

Most kennels have to meet certain standards and gain certification so look for this, when you think you have found one or two that meets your requirements call them and ask if they can accommodate your dog and plan a visit there.

All good kennels will be only too happy to show you around the facility and let you meet members of staff who will be helping to look after your pet. Feel free to ask any questions or worries you have and also to point out any special requirements that your dog might have.

What to look for at the kennel

On your visit to the kennel pay particular attention to the following:

* Make sure the kennel looks and smells clean.

* Make sure the area where the dogs are kept is light and airy.

* Is the temperature comfortable.

* Do the staff members seem happy in their work, do they seem loving and caring.

* Does each dog have somewhere they can get exercise, such as an outdoor or indoor run.

* Are the runs protected from the elements.

* Is there bedding or resting boards so the dogs can get off the concrete floor.

* Is there adequate space for the food and water bowls.

* How often are the dogs fed and watered.

* Can the owner bring special food if required.

* What vet services are there in the kennel.

* Does the kennel provide grooming, bathing and training.

The pros and cons

The pros

* A boarding kennel avoids the stress of a long journey on your pet to your holiday destination.

* He’ll be somewhere where he’s welcome unlike some hotels.

* Hell receive more attention than he would being left in the hotel room for the day.

* You’ll have more freedom on your holiday.

* Your dog will be monitored all day.

* Your dog will be secure and safe.

The cons

* Your dog could get stressed being in an unfamiliar environment.

* Your dog may be exposed to illness from other pets.

* Choosing a kennel can be difficult and cause you worry.

* If the kennel is a long way from your home your dog could become stressed on the journey.

Image by Conson via Flickr

When you look back at some of the first ever French bulldogs you notice one thing straight away, the length of their tails. French bulldogs back then had much longer tails than the dogs of today, however there is no doubt that bulldogs selected for breeding did have the shortest tails or that tails were docked for one of the following reasons:

* As a way to avoid paying tax.

* To strengthen the back and increase the speed.

* To help prevent the tail being bitten while the dog was “ratting”.

* To make better sport when bear baiting or fighting.

It is thought that the longer tails were at one time a natural part of genes inherited by the frenchie, but that over a period of time frenchie breeders went for a shorter and shorter tail. The breed standard in 1937 stated that “the tail should be short and set low, lying flat on the buttocks, thick at the base, naturally broken and should be tapering at the ends”.

It also mentions that the tail shouldn’t be raised or too long, not reaching much beyond the thigh this therefore gives us the indication that the French bulldog tail in those days was longer than that of in the breed today. By 1950 however the wording for the standard was changed to match almost what we see in the frenchie today, “very short, set low, and thick at the root while tapering quickly to the tip.”

“Today most frenchies do indeed have a very very short tail which sometimes doesn’t even cover the anus. The breed’s standard of today however does state that the tail should be “undocked, low, and thick at the root while tapering quickly towards the tip”, so how short is short? Do today’s breeders take short to the extreme and could this be having an undesirable effect on the overall health of the French bulldog?

The actual importance of the tail itself is to act as a counter balance when the dog is carrying out movements such as leaping, walking along narrow structures or climbing. Their tail muscles are also used in stabilising the vertebral column and supporting the extensor muscles of the back as well as those of the buttocks.

Other aspects of the tail are its ability to show pleasure by wagging the tail and its movement relating to showing weakness, anger, dominance or fear to its fellow animals. Thought should be given to this aspect when we think about breeding for shorter and shorter tails, while it might not seem significant to us, the tail plays a significant part of who the dog is.

Every pet shop that sells puppies will assure you that their puppies don’t come from puppy mills but only from the finest breeders who have surplus stock, this is often a downright lie and this is reason alone for you not to buy your puppy from a pet store.

A responsible reputable breeder would never sell their litters to a pet store in the first place, the simple reason for this is that a pet store must by law sell a puppy to anyone who walks in and can pay for the puppy, regardless of if that person can take care of a puppy. A pet shop by law isn’t allowed to screen buyers before selling them a puppy and a responsible breeder always screens potential buyers to assure their puppies only go to good homes.

The pet shop owners and staff are trained on how best to sell their wares and unfortunately this also includes live animals, selling is all that matters regardless of whether the person buying can look after a young puppy or not. Here are two of the lies you should be aware of.

We only buy from local breeders

It doesn’t matter whether the pet shop buys from local breeders or anywhere in the world if the breeder is willing to sell their puppies to a pet store for re-selling then they are irresponsible.

The puppy’s health is guaranteed

Some pet shops will offer a guarantee that the puppy is healthy, all this generally means is that should the unfortunate puppy have some defect or become ill then the pet store will replace the puppy. This however doesn’t help the poor little puppy and many times won’t help the buyer either if they have become attached to the new puppy.

The guarantee doesn’t mean that the puppy is healthy and free from defect or disease all it means is that it will be replaced just as faulty electrical equipment or any other purchase you made that was found to have a defect would be.

While we all feel sorry for the puppy’s in pet shops and stores and many of us want to save them or rescue them from the small cages they are stored in we shouldn’t give into temptation. True, we may rescue one but there will be many more to quickly take their place and we are only helping to feed the industry by buying from them.

Buying from a pet store will * Increase the misery of females being bred time and time again just to supply pet stores with puppy’s.

* Increase the misery of people buying from pet stores only to be heartbroken when the puppy becomes ill or has some serious defect.

* Increase the misery of animal shelters who are flooded with pet shop puppies due to their owners becoming disillusioned with the problems faced them.

Just because someone proudly brags that their puppy is a pedigree and it’s registered by a kennel club doesn’t necessarily mean that their puppy is any better than yours. Being registered by a kennel club doesn’t automatically mean that the puppy is of superior quality to one which isn’t, the kennel club will register any puppy whose parents were registered and those parents were registered because their parents were registered, and so it goes on. Registration by a kennel club simply means that you filled in a form and paid your money to keep the chain of registration going.

What does the pedigree mean?

Again apply to the kennel club, fill in a form, pay your money and they will access their database and look for the long list of names of your puppy’s parents, grand parents, great grand parents e.t.c, as many of them and as far back as you wish to pay for. A pedigree is really just nothing more than a family tree that we humans can trace back to find our relatives; the dog hasn’t had to meet any specific requirements for behaviour, temperament, health or appearance.

Every single year there are thousands of litters which are registered by the kennel club with the majority of these puppies being poor quality and defiantly not worthy of showing. So if a breeder is offering puppies for a ridiculous amount of money just because they are pedigree and are kennel club registered don’t be fooled into thinking you are getting something special because you probably aren’t.

Do the papers prove the puppy is purebred?

Unfortunately not, purebred simply means that the ancestors can be traced back for many generations and they all have the same set of fixed genes. Fixed genes are what give the dog its colour; size, type of coat e.t.c, and having these genes are what makes the puppy a purebred, if the puppy doesn’t have these genes then the registration papers don’t mean anything.

Just because a puppy has papers doesn’t mean they are right or true, for example if the owner has two German Shepard for breeding but the female accidentally gets out and the mixed breed dog from down the road mates with her if the breeder is dishonest there is nothing stopping her from filling in the registration papers and claiming that her boxer male is the father. If the puppies take after their mum then the breeder may get away with it, and these puppies while having registration and pedigree are far from purebred puppies.

What are pedigrees and registration good for?

Pedigrees and registration papers are only really useful for the conscientious breeder; a breeder will use the pedigree to trace back the origins of a dog before considering breeding them. They will check the pedigrees to make sure that they aren’t breeding two dogs that are closely related, they also use them to check out temperament, physical build and health of as many ancestors as they can.

There are many myths surrounding spaying and neutering of your pet, here are a few of those myths dispelled:

* It costs too much to have my pet spayed or neutered

The cost of spaying or neutering your pet will depend on several factors such as the sex, age, size and vets fees, but the cost is a one time fee and when you take into account all the benefits it has to offer it is worthwhile. When you take into account the cost of having a litter and paying for its care until the puppies are old enough to leave their mother it really isn’t that expensive. You will also have peace of mind over the health of your pet and prevent unwanted pregnancy and litters.

* I don’t want my male dog to feel less of a male

Our pets don’t have the same ego or sense of sexuality that we humans do so neutering will not change your dog’s outlook this way, your dog wont suffer from any emotional distress due to this.

* My dogs a guard dog this will change after the operation Spaying or neutering your pet won’t affect their ability to be a guard dog in anyway, your dogs guarded and protection skills come from their built in genes not their sex hormones.

* My pet will get lazy and put on weight

Most pets that put on weight and get lazy do so because their owners feed them too much or give them the wrong diet to start with, this also stems from a lack of exercise and spaying or neutering doesn’t have an affect on the attitude or cause them to become lazy.

* Its better for the female dog if she has a litter

Medical evidence has shown us that a female dog that is spayed before her first heat is in fact the healthier dog, now many veterinarians are offering to sterilise kittens and puppies as young as eight weeks to help prevent unwanted litters later in life.

* My children should experience the miracle of birth

Allowing your dog to give birth just for the sake of the children is wrong in all aspects; besides the chances of your children actually being there when you dog give birth is very remote. Most dogs give birth in the very early hours of the morning and like privacy and seclusion while doing so, giving birth shouldn’t be a show which someone can watch and only a very irresponsible owner would even consider this.

* My dog is purebred it should be used for breeding

Unfortunately 1 in every 4 unwanted pets which are brought to animal shelters are in fact purebred, just because your dog is purebred doesn’t mean that it has to be bred, there are far too many unwanted animals for that to be the case and only an irresponsible owner would even consider breeding for this reason.

Once you have decided on the right type of breed for you then the next important decision you will have to make is which sex to go for, a male or female, or put in the correct terms a “dog” or a “bitch”. Don’t let the term “bitch” put you off, however crude it may seem, unfortunately in the dog world “bitch” is the correct terminology for a female puppy or dog. There are both good and bad points with either sex just as there is in humans and your personal preference for either sex might sway you, but here are some tips to help you should you be undecided:

The male dog

The pros

* Male dogs can tend to be more lovable towards their owner.

* Male dogs can be more outgoing, more vigorous and more in your face.

* Male dogs can be less prone to mood swings.

* Male dogs can be more reliable.

* Male dogs can be more comical, clumsy and silly acting more like overgrown kids (is this a pro!!!).

* Male dogs will usually want to please their master more.

The cons

* Most male dogs can show dominance and test their owner.

* Male dogs will generally test their owner more during the adolescent months.

* Adolescence can last up to three years in male breeds of the larger dogs.

* Male dogs posses more obvious genitals which they sometimes pride themselves on and often splay their legs open at the most embarrassing times, such as when you have guests.

* Some males especially during adolescence will hump everything in sight regardless of what or who that may be.

* Most male dogs cock their legs when going to the bathroom even on your favourite shrub or garden gnome.

* Most males will territorially mark their domain spraying everything in sight.

The female dog

The pros

* Female dogs are usually more subtle than males.

* Female dogs are usually quicker to learn and housebreak.

* Female dogs are less distracted than males.

* Female dogs are less defiant than males.

* Female dogs are less likely to involve you in dominance struggles.

* Female dogs are usually quieter than males.

The cons

* Female dogs are more prone to mood swings.

* Female dogs are experts when it comes to sulking.

* Female dogs can be prone to theatrics.

* Female dogs can be ingenious when it comes to getting their own way.

* You will have to keep a close eye on your female when she is in season (ready to breed).

If you are looking for a dog who has a short easy to care for coat in a variety of colours who generally will get on with everyone and everything, who doesn’t bark much and requires very little exercise then the French bulldog might be the ideal breed for you. However if you don’t like stubbornness, sniffling, wheezing, a dog who slobbers and snorts a lot, who can be slow to house train and which can have serious problems with its health then you might be better off choosing a different breed.

The most important points to consider

* The French bulldog sounds – a great deal of French bulldogs share the same trait which is well known to the breed, this includes snorting, snuffling, grunting, wheezing and snoring loudly at times. While these sounds can be charming at times and fit the breed they can become nerve wrecking over time.

* Slobbering – the French bulldog is well known for its slobbering jowls, the frenchie is known for its excessive drooling particularly after eating and drinking. While some may not mind finding dog drool and slobber everywhere others might regard it with pure distaste.

* House training – the French bulldog can be very stubborn when it comes to being told what to do, on average you can expect to have to house train your puppy for roughly 6 months before it catches on. Even then there are no guarantees your efforts will succeed, it’s more a matter of who has the strongest will you or your dog.

* High maintenance – a puppy will be very expensive as they are a breed which is particularly had to breed many times artificial insemination is the only way to go. The breed also has problems giving birth due to the head size of the puppies and many times a caesarean is needed with a vets assistance.

* Serious health problems – this breed isn’t without serious health problems, many of the breed struggle to breathe in hot weather and during the summer they should be supervised to make sure they don’t become over heated. The French bulldog is also known to suffer from problems such as spinal defects, heart defects and problems with the joints.

* Gassiness – unfortunately this is a major problem with the French bulldog, though dogs fed on a natural diet of real meat instead of tinned have much less trouble with this problem.

After having said all of this there are many good points to owning a French bulldog, they are a lovable breed who act and look comical at times. There are many good points to consider as well as the bad, if after having taken all this into account you still think a French bulldog might be right for you then you should find a reputable breeder who can give you more information on the breed.

There are many varied explanations of where the French bulldog actually originated from, however the most prevalent of these suggests that it came from the toy bulldog which was brought to France by some lace workers from Nottingham in the UK. There is however some that speculate the fact of artwork and skeletal finds of the bulldog know as Chincha in ancient Peru and which is said to closely resemble the French bulldog.

Excavated sites uncovered burial grounds which unearthed mummified bodies of dogs, skulls and skeletons, which did indeed confirm that bulldog like dogs did live around 1100 to 1400 AD in Peru. It was found that the Chincha bulldogs skull did have many similarities to what we know as the French bulldog today.

By the 1950`s and 1860`s England saw the increase of the toy or miniature bulldog and when many of the workers moved to France in search of work they took these smaller bulldogs with them. They found this small variety of bulldog was ideal for the small, cramped living conditions, in which they lived also these small bulldogs, were found to be excellent at hunting and killing rats which where to be a plague of that century.

Their popularity increased as more French realised they were not only good companions but also great “ratters”. By the mid 1860`s the breed became so popular and exportation to France was so great that the breed almost became extinct in England. The bulldog was then crossed with a terrier native to France the “terrier boule”, this also looked very similar to a small bulldog and this cross eventually gave rise to the French bulldog of which we know today.

Historians of other breeds have also claimed that the small bulldog was crossed with the pug but no evidence has ever substantiated this claim. What was known then as the petite boule quickly expanded in popularity throughout France and they became a favourite of the courtesans who adored the dog for its eccentric appearance? It was during this period that the upper class also fell for the charm of the little bulldog and its popularity soon began to extend to royalty.

The French bulldog however really took off in the 1880 when a group of French bulldog owners began to have regular meetings and it was during 1885 that the first provisional register of the breed was recognised and the French bulldog appeared in a show under its own name, the French bulldog in 1887. the French bulldog first appeared at a show in the United States in 1896 in New York, this is where the popular name “frenchie” was first given them and it is a name which has stuck with them ever since.

It was the Americans who organised the first ever French bulldog club in the world and it was these who first insisted that the “bat” ear of the dog which is still associated with the breed today should be considered the correct form for the standard.

* Do French bulldogs make good pets and companions?

The French bulldog makes an excellent companion, the frenchie requires very little exercise and is very easy to groom.

* Do French bulldogs make good guard dogs?

The frenchie can make an excellent guard dog due to its protective and territorial traits.

* Are French bulldogs good with children?

All dogs should be watched carefully when around children however the frenchie is normally good around children.

* Are French bulldogs easy to train?

The French bulldog does like to please its owner however they can be stubborn and hard headed, if you make the training into a game then they are more inclined to learn quicker.

* Doe’s the French bulldog bark a lot?

The French bulldog is rather a quiet dog who generally isn’t regarded as a barker.

* I live in an apartment; will it be big enough for a French bulldog?

French bulldogs are an excellent breed for an apartment as they don’t take up too much room and don’t require a lot of exercise; of course you should always give your dog a walk every day and let it enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise.

* I heard French bulldogs suffer from breathing problems?

Sometimes a French bulldog will have laboured or noisy breathing, their smaller nose openings can sometimes exaggerate their already noisy characteristics.

* Do French bulldogs shed a lot of hair?

The French bulldog has shorter hair and is single coated which means they shed less than many other breeds * Are French bulldogs easy to breed? Assistance may be needed from a vet as the French bulldog can sometimes be difficult to breed naturally; it is one breed that is harder to breed than many others.

* Are there any particular problems during birth?

Due to the shape and size of the French bulldog puppy’s head most puppies are in fact born by caesarean section with the help of a vet, they are not one of the easiest breeds to breed and often need help when giving birth. You should think very carefully before attempting to breed and deliver puppies yourself.

* Is the French bulldog easy to housetrain?

As is the case in all breeds of dog some are easier to housetrain then others, try to encourage them to use a certain area within the home after they eat, before they sleep and first thing on waking.

* I heard the French bulldog snores?

Due to problems with the breeds breathing deficiencies most French bulldogs will snore when they lay down, but providing otherwise your puppy or dog is healthy then this is just a natural trait with the French bulldog.