Kennel Store Blog

The summer season is often associated with sunnier days, warmer weather, outdoor parties and long walks. Gone are the days of you having to don a raincoat or battling with an umbrella when you take your dog out for a walk… well, almost.

However, summer can bring on another set of worries for dog-owners. The warmer weather and the longer walks pose certain risks for your pup – to avoid them, you just need to know what to look out for. Continue reading The Dangers for Dogs to Look Out for This Summer

There are around 8.5 million pet dogs in the UK. With such a high number, they are undeniably a popular pet to have at home along with cats – but you probably knew that already. What you might not know is which are the most popular breeds of dog amongst the country’s pet owners.

With so many breeds out there, the UK sees a huge selection of dogs walking its streets, but which can be seen the most? Check out our infographic to find out more about the most popular dog breeds at the moment.

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Training your dog can seem like a daunting task when there is so much information available. How are you supposed to know what to do for the best? Or who to listen to?

We at Kennelstore therefore decided to put together an ultimate cheap medications no prescription guide to training your dog, providing an overview of some simple ways you can train your dog to improve their behaviour and make everyday life with your dog easier, both whilst at home and out and about.

 

Don’t underestimate the great benefits there are teaching your dog a few simple tricks. The time spent teaching your dog these tricks will be enjoyable for you and him (throughout this post we will refer to your dog as male). Simple commands such as down and stay are basic dog training exercises, however dog tricks are a great way to offer mental stimulation for your dog and many of them are derived from those simple commands. Plus, they’re also a bit of fun and look great!

1.Come

Difficulty: Moderate

Items required: Clicker, Treats

Basic steps:

1. Constantly say the command ‘Come’ and treat him, whenever he is around.
2. Give the command from across the room.
3. Every time your dog comes, click, treat and pet his head before looping your hand under his collar.
4. Try calling him from another room.
5. Call him when he is doing something else.

This is a useful and very important trick to teach your dog. If your dog is reluctant to come to you when he’s called, he isn’t really that safe off the lead. If you can trust your dog to come to you, it makes the time spent on walks (in the outside buy zithromax in uk world) more enjoyable. You aren’t worried if your dog is going to run off and potentially come to harm crossing a road etc. Out of all the tricks to teach your dog, this one will build the most trust in your relationship with him and trust is crucial.

First, walk up to him and give the command that you will use e.g.  ‘Come’ or ‘Here Dougal’, then treat him. Repeat this multiple times throughout the day and vary your treats and give plenty of praise. Once you have done this for a sufficient amount of time, walk across the room and give the command again.  When he comes to you, give him a big treat and lots of petting. If he doesn’t come to you, go back to the previous step and spend some more time on it. Now start to develop this trick. Every time he comes, click, and then pet and loop your hand under his collar before giving him a treat. Your dog needs to get used to being handled when he comes to you. He may pull away otherwise if he feels he is being cornered. Once he has got the hang of repeatedly coming to you from across the room, try calling him from a different room, or even better, when he is engaged in another activity and vary the reward each time between praise and treats.

2.Sit

Difficulty: Easy

Items required: Clicker, Treats

Basics steps:

1. Stand with your clicker and treats in front of him
2. Wait until he sits. When he does, click and treat
3. Repeat this exercise several times
4. Once he starts to get it, say ‘sit’ as soon as he sits. Click and Treat
5. Repeat several times
6. When he sits consistently after you command, click and give him a fab treat. Return to Step 4 if he isn’t quite getting it.

The first part of the training session is a bit of fun for your dog. It’s a puzzle. Stand with your clicker and treats in front your dog. He has to work out what to do to get the treat. He may do other command movements, but unless he sits, stand in front and don’t react. As soon as he sits down, press your clicker and feed him a treat. Make sure your treats are tasty enough to get him motivated for more.

Your dog may start to get frustrated and agitated if he can’t figure out why he gets/doesn’t get the treat.  In this instance, be patient with him if he starts barking. Just ignore his plea and wait. With enough practice, eventually a switch in his head will flick on, ’when I sit, I get a treat’. Once he starts consistently sitting, introduce the word ‘sit’ when using your clicker. This will reinforce the command. Make sure you treat well and click whenever he sits. Once you finish, give him a good cuddle for a job well done. Clicker training is much more effective if you and your dog take regular breaks because his concentration may start to waver.

3.Back up

Difficulty: moderate (evolution of the stay command)

Items required: Clicker, Treats

Basic Steps:

1. Once you have mastered the ‘stay’ command you are able to do this trick.
2. Give the ‘stay’ command and take a few steps back then turn to face him.
3. Now, give the command ‘back up’ before moving towards him.
4. Keep going forward and lean forward slightly.
5. As soon as the dog takes a step back, give him a treat.
6. Most dogs will learn to back up quickly.

Once your dog is stood in front of you (‘stay’), turn around and walk two or three paces away from him before spinning round to face him again.  Then command in a loud and clear tone ‘back up’.  Now start to walk towards your dog. Many dogs at this point will immediately start to move backward. If so, you should click and treat him. If the dog stays still during your first few steps, lean forward slightly and continue to walk forward. Your lean makes you look like you are walking over him slightly which should cause him to want to move backwards. Whenever he moves backward, say ‘good’ or click and give him a treat. This drill should only need to be repeated a few times. Your dog should start to pick up the command fairly easily. This trick can be very useful when walking through doors with your dog but also in the outside world as a means of controlling your dog in busy areas.

Some dogs may get up and walk away instead of moving backwards when you try this drill. If this is a common occurrence, relocate your dog training into your hall way, or a narrow area. The spaces’ shape allows your dog to go anywhere but backwards and should make it much easier for him to learn the trick. This is a bit of fun for your dog and can be useful in a range of situations, especially in public areas.

4.Wave

Difficulty: Moderate/difficult

Items required: Clicker, Treats

Basic Steps:

1. This is a progression from paw shaking.
2. Give the command ‘shake’.
3. Move your hand up so he has to move his paw up higher to reach it.
4. When his paw goes higher than it would be normally, click , treat and give him praise.
5. Repeat this action several times, each time increasing the height of your hand until his paw has to go above his head.
6. Once your dog has got the hang of raising his paw higher than usual, give the command ‘shake’ and as soon as his paw leaves the ground, give the command ‘wave’ and then repeat several times following similar steps as 2-4.
7. After a number of repetitions, start using only the ‘wave’ command
8. Now make it harder for your dog and only give him treats when his paw is raised above his head, or moving up and down (a wave)

This trick is only possible once you have taught your dog how to shake his paw with you. Many dogs use their paws to get attention. Keep some treats and your clicker handy at all times. When he raises his paw in day to day life, you may be able to capture this movement using your clicker. Whenever he raises his paw, click and treat. Make sure you do this consistently every time. If he is used to clicker training, your dog will soon start to figure out what behaviour will get him a treat. Once he has established what he needs to do, start incorporating the command ‘wave’ whenever he raises his paw. Once he is consistently waving on command, only click and treat for the action that looks most like a wave. All he needs now is practice.

Try to work over this command several times a day for short periods of time to insure that he is concentrating during the training sessions.

5.Kiss

Difficulty: Easy

Items required: Clicker, Treats (spreadable e.g. peanut butter, cream cheese)

Basic steps:

1. Put a blob of peanut butter on your cheek
2. Give the command ‘kiss’ or something of that nature
3. Now lean in towards your dog and he will lick the treat off your cheek
4. If you repeat this practise over and over several times a day, it won’t be long until your dog will lick your cheek, ‘give you a kiss’, every time you give the command.

This is a great trick for children to learn.  You can also try to capture the dog’s behaviour. Whenever the dog licks you, say ‘kiss’ and click. Then give him praise and a treat. Soon, your dog will figure out what the ‘kiss’ means and will perform the trick on demand.

If your dog has the tendency to get over excited and starts licking your whole face, tell him ‘enough’. Then wait until he has stopped licking you before telling him ‘good’ and click and treat. Repeat this several times and he will soon stop kissing you on demand too!

This practice doesn’t have to be on your face if you or your dog are not comfortable with this close contact. You can also perform this trick on your hand, for example, using the same method outlined above.

6.Release

Difficulty: Moderate

Items required: Clicker, treats

Basic steps:

1. This is a progression from Sit, Lay Down, and Stand.
2. Command ‘sit’ and wait for around 6 seconds.
3. Then perform a hand motion coupled with the command ‘release’. If you act enthusiastically when doing this, your dog should move from his seated position.
4. When he moves off, click and treat.
5. Repeat this step until your dog is releasing on demand consistently.
6. Gradually, start to be less enthusiastic with your command. Withdraw the hand motion and just use your voice.
7. Then begin to tone down your voice until your command is quit subtle.
8. Each time you practise this trick after step 7, increase the time in which you throw the ball to when you command release (3 seconds every time). This builds up your dog’s patience and discipline until he can wait for a few minutes in the sit position.

This trick is only teachable if you have already taught your dog how to Sit, Lay Down and Stand. It is the next progression. If your dog sits and stays consistently on command, then this trick should be really easy to teach, but very difficult he doesn’t. This trick is a mechanism to let your dog know when it’s ok to move around freely. This is very useful when playing with your dog. If you are playing fetch, you can get him to sit, stand or lay down before you throw the ball. After you have gone through the steps of this trick sufficiently, your dog should stay in the position until you command ‘release’ and then go and fetch the ball.

If your dog releases before you tell him to, it might be because he is anticipating the amount of time he needs to sit before you command release. Try varying the gap between the two commands to keep him on his toes.

If you’re looking for your first dog, there are a number of things that you need to consider to ensure a happy life for both you and your future pet.

Whilst you might like the look of a certain breed, they may not be suited to your lifestyle or circumstances. The right dog breed for you will depend on a wide range of things, from the size of your home and garden to the time you can give it.

We’ve gathered up some top tips where to buy levaquin online from dog experts to help make sure you find the perfect pooch for you and your family…

 

To this day scientists are still baffled by the existence of people who don’t like dogs. But thankfully, most of us do. Man’s best friend, dogs come in all shapes, sizes, colours and coats, and have stood by us for thousands of years. So we thought it’s about time we celebrated them.

Since the days of ancient Greece, dogs have gone down in history for their loveable personalities and their unwavering companionship. From Homer’s Odyssey to Homer Simpson, we’ve looked everywhere and considered all dogs, including rescue dogs, animated dogs, acting dogs, family dogs, literary dogs and many, many more, to put together what we see as the world’s 50 favourite dogs.

So without further ado, take a look at the list below (click on any picture for a brief bio!)

Toto

Toto is the much-loved terrier belonging to Dorothy Gale in L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz series. Toto rose to fame through the 1939 film adaptation of the book by MGM, during which she was even paid more than some of the human actors. After the film her owner officially changed her name to Toto.

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Odie

One of the less enlightened characters in the comic series Garfield, Odie is the happy-go-lucky dog who’s always either caught with his large tongue hanging out his mouth, or licking his feline friend, Garfield. He’s mostly classed as the “village idiot” character, but some of us believe he’s secretly really clever – once being caught reading War and Peace and watching a TV show about Mozart.

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Pluto

Pluto, Mickey Mouse’s pet bloodhound dog, first made his appearance in The Chain Gang all the way back in 1930. One of the biggest stars in the Disney universe (part of the “Sensational Six”) Pluto is arguably the most upbeat of all the characters, and mostly doesn’t speak or do anything human-like.

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Hooch

The co-star in the 1989 film Turner & Hooch, Hooch is the unruly, slobbering Dogue de Bordeaux that lands in Tom Hanks’ life to help him investigate who killed his previous owner (and Turner’s friend). Though they get off to a rocky start, the two become a loveable pair, and Hooch even helps Turner begin a romance with the town’s new vet, played by Mare Winningham.

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Brian Griffin

One of our favourites and definitely the most sophisticated, in the TV series Family Guy, Brian is the Griffin family dog, but he’s really a human (apart from on the few times he’s chasing cars and barking at other animals). Clever, cynical and possibly alcoholic, Brian is a struggling writer whose views repeatedly clash with the rest of the Griffin family and of their hometown of Quahog.

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Rin Tin Tin

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Before becoming a major Hollywood star, German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin was a military dog used in World War I. Lee Duncan, an American soldier, rescued him, trained him, and eventually gained work for him in silent movies. Rin Tin Tin enjoyed a successful career in the film industry, and even received the most votes for the very first Oscar (Academy Award) for Best Actor, but the academy decided that only humans could win.

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Santa’s Little Helper

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The Simpsons’ pet dog Santa’s Little Helper has been in our lives ever since he was abandoned by his owner at a greyhound racing track in 1989. Homer and Bart decided to adopt him after he lost a race and his owner deserted him. Despite never speaking or performing any human acts, Santa’s Little Helper’s simple ways have found a way into our hearts – and he’s been the star focus of a number of the show’s episodes.

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Wishbone

Wishbone is a Jack Russell Terrier, and star of the children’s TV show of his own name. Known as “the little dog with the big imagination”, he daydreams about being the lead character in literature classics like Robin Hood and Don Quixote. The show was a popular and educational success, and won many awards during its running time in the late 1990s.

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Scooby Doo

The goofiest canine ever known, the always-hungry and usually-scared Great Dane, Scooby Doo, in the long-running TV series of the same name, fought paranormal and supernatural crime with his gang Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy. He and the equally hapless Shaggy were always getting in over their heads as they got distracted by food – large sandwiches especially.

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Nana

The devoted Nana is the canine nanny to children Wendy, John and Michael Darling in the 1953 Disney film Peter Pan. As the nursemaid of the house, Nana looks after the children, and is amazingly talented at balancing trays of stuff on her head.

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Blue

Animated, blue-spotted dog Blue quickly became a household name and a fans’ favourite amongst young children from her show Blue’s Clues. Combining learning and development insights with likeable characters and modern animation, the show received a total of nine Emmy award nominations and has been described as “one of the most successful, critically acclaimed, and ground-breaking preschool television shows of all time.”

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Airbud

Buddy is the Golden Retriever starring in the 1997 movie Airbud, who can somehow play basketball. After being left homeless by his previous owner he’s adopted by the 12 year old Josh Framm, a new kid in the area, and the two quickly strike up a bond. The end of the film features a classic scene in cinema, when Buddy is asked to choose between Josh and his legal owner, Norm – buddy tears up Norm’s newspaper before running over to Josh.

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Lady & the Tramp

“His happiest motion picture” Lady and the Tramp is the typical princess and stable-boy story, where a well-to-do Cocker Spaniel (Lady) meets and falls in love with a mutt who lives on the streets. Their famous spaghetti eating scene taking place in the back-alley of a restaurant was enough to earn them an instant place on the list, having already won the hearts of the world’s dog lovers over 60 years ago.

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Beethoven

Named after the German composer after barking along to his fifth symphony, Beethoven was one of the most loveable dogs of the nineties. Despite a rocky start with family man, George Newton, Beethoven eventually found his way into the Newton household and into our hearts. Throughout the first feature film Beethoven manages to help all of the children with their problems, and probably the most famous image of him is in bed right in between parents George and Alice.

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101 Dalmatians

Taken as one entry, Disney’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians is an adaptation of the 1956 novel by Dodie Smith. The story spawned one of the most iconic villains we know, Cruella de Vil, who hated animals, and stole the Dalmatian puppies in order to make a coat out of their fur.

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Copper

Along with his unlikely friend Tod (the fox) Copper makes up the hound in Disney’s much-loved 1981 film The Fox and the Hound. Copper is a young bloodhound and is a natural enemy of Tod, a fox. The two overcome their backgrounds to form a heart-warming friendship.

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Old Yeller

Old Yeller is the story of the boy, Travis, and his adopted dog, Old Yeller, who wins the hearts of this post-Civil War family in Texas with his loyalty and heroics. It’s a cult classic in America, up there with the likes of Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz, and features one of cinemas saddest scenes at the end.

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Benji

Who could forget Benji? The star of his own movie of the same name, the fictional dog Benji is a loveable mixed breed that has starred in many feature films. With a great ability to always be in the right place at the right time, Benji was always there to help when someone needed him.

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Winn-Dixie

The award-winning novel by Kate DiCamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie, was turned into a feature film in 2005, and tells the story of the young India Opal Buloni who finds and adopts a scruffy Berger Picard in a Winn-Dixie supermarket, and decides to name her after the store. Loveable and popular, Winn-Dixie quickly made friends both for himself and for Opal.

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Marley

Though most know him from the 2008 movie Marley & Me, Marley was a real dog whose life was chronicled in his owner John Grogan’s book, published in 2005. It tells the story of Marley and his family as they struggle to cope and come to terms with a dog that simply can’t get onboard with what’s expected of him as a household pet. Despite being destructive and unruly, Marley is ultimately loved for his good intentions, and the family understand that he’s only acting in the way natural to him.

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Charlie B. Barkin

Charlie B. Barkin proves that dogs do go to heaven in the 1989 animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven. After going back to Earth to avenge his death, he teams up with best friend Itchy Itchiford, and the two meet the young orphan Anne-Marie who teaches them a valuable lesson about loyalty and love. In the end he unwittingly discovers that he does deserve to go to heaven after all – of course!

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Shadow & Chance

The classic Homeward Bound film series covers the games, misdemeanours and adventures of Chance, the American Bulldog, Shadow, the older and wiser Golden Retriever, as well as their feline friend Sassy, a sassy Himalayan Cat. Despite always getting lost on far-flung adventures out in the wild of America, the group always manage to come through.

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Balto

Disney’s Balto was a wolf-dog crossbreed, outcast by both dogs and humans, who risked his life to save children from a deadly outbreak of diphtheria in Nome, Alaska. The character is loosely based on the real dog of the same name, a black and white Siberian husky sled dog who led the final leg of a run to deliver diphtheria serum to Nome in 1925.

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Lassie

One of the most famous and loved dogs on this list is undoubtedly Lassie. She rose to fame in the novel and subsequent MGM film Lassie Come-Home, which depicted a Rough Collie dog who always turns up to save the day. The TV show Lassie, which ran through the 50s, 60s and 70s is the fourth longest-running US primetime TV series and ran for 17 seasons.

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Hachiko

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A golden brown Akita dog, Hachiko is an inspiring example of the strong bond between man and man’s best friend. After greeting his owner at Shibuya train station in Tokyo at the end of each day for all of his life, one day his owner didn’t show up – he had died from a brain hemorrhage. But that didn’t stop him waiting. Hachiko returned to the train station at exactly the time his owner was due to arrive every day for over nine years.

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Snoopy

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Undoubtedly the most famous and well-loved of dogs in history is Charlie Brown’s pet Beagle, Snoopy. Part of the hugely popular Peanuts comic strip, we were able to see his thoughts through “thought bubbles”, to make up for him not being able to speak. But his real character came out from his various imagined fantasy lives, like being a daring WWI fighter pilot often in combat with the Red Baron, a cool college student, and an author who can never quite make it.

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Strongheart

He’s not quite as well remembered as his contemporary, Rin Tin Tin, but he’s equally worthy of being on the list. Strongheart was one of the very first canine Hollywood film stars, brought to the US in 1920 after first training as a police dog in Germany and serving with the German Red Cross. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was the subject of two popular books by writer J. Allen Boone, detailing his deep connection with animals.

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Fido

The story of the Italian dog Fido has made it possibly the most popular dog name ever since, and meaning “faithful” it was the perfect name at the time. In a story similar to that of Hachiko, Fido was found injured in a ditch one day and nursed back to health and adopted by Carlo Soriani and his wife. For two years he accompanied Carlo to and from his bus stop every workday, until he was killed by a bomb blast in 1943. For the next fourteen years Fido loyally continued to wait at the bus stop each day, awaiting his master’s return.

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Petey

Petey was the beloved Pitbull Terrier in the hit show Little Rascals most recognised for the iconic ring around his left eye. Always loyal and protective over the gang, he quickly won a place in our hearts. When the original dog, Pal, passed away, his 6 month old pup Pete took over the role as Petey – and with the help of a little make-up he looked the part with his father’s ring around his eye.

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Otis

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The slightly less adept but no less adorable pug Otis was the loyal companion to friend Milo, the cat, in the 1986 film The Adventures of Milo and Otis. The two get lost down a river during an eventful adventure in which they encounter all kinds of other animals in the wild, before finding mates of their own and reuniting at the end of the film.

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Uggie

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It was the 2011 Oscar-winning silent film The Artist that raised the Jack Russell Terrier, Uggie, to fame and into our hearts. His friendly and boisterous personality was an instant hit, and he even won the 2011 Palm Dog Award at Cannes, and the 2012 Golden Collar Award.

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Laika

Laika was a true pioneer in space discovery, and not just in the animal kingdom. Once a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow, she became a Soviet space dog (part of the Sputnik 2 mission) and one of the first animals in space. At a time when little was known about the effects of space travel on human or animal organisms, she paved the way for human voyages into space. Though sadly she died during the mission, she was integral in the development of human missions to space.

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Appollo

Possibly the bravest dog on the list, Appollo was the first search and rescue dog on the scene of the attacks on the World Trade Centers on 9/11. At age 9, and after a career of high achievement in law enforcement, he braved fireballs, acres of jagged concrete and days of double shifts, tirelessly searching for survivors – and when the search ended he had to be pulled away from the rubble.

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Lex

Lex was a brave and fiercely loyal military dog and partner to handler Corporal Dustin J. Lee in Iraq. When an attack killed Lee and wounded Lex, he refused to leave Lee’s side and had to be dragged away in order to be given treatment for his wounds. He became the first active-duty military dog to be granted early retirement and was adopted by Lee’s parents after their online petition gained national media attention.

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Bobbie

Bobbie “the Wonder Dog” rose to fame through a feat that it’s still hard to believe now. After they became separated whilst on a roadtrip in Indiana, his broken-hearted family returned to their home all the way in Oregon, never expecting they’d see Bobbie again. But six months later and completely out of the blue, Bobbie turned up on their doorstep battered and bruised, showing all the signs of having walked the entire 2,551 miles all by himself. His subsequent rise to stardom earned him a role in the 1924 silent movie The Call of the West, and fellow canine star Rin Tin Tin placed a wreath on his grave after his death 1927.

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Checkers

Checkers is widely credited with saving former US President Richard Nixon’s career. In 1952, when the then vice-presidential candidate was facing allegations that he accepted money from a secret political fund, Nixon declared that the only gift he’d ever accepted was their family dog Checkers. It was a sensational hit with the public and helped to turn his career around, and images of Checkers, the cocker spaniel, became hugely popular.

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Argos

Another figure of canine loyalty, Argos dates back thousands of years to the time of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. When his master returns to his home disguised as a beggar, Argos is the only member of the household to recognise his true identity, wagging his tail and dropping his ears when he sees him. Odysseuss’ friend Eumaeus tells the story of a supreme tracking dog known for his speed and strength.

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Capitán

German Shepherd, Capitán, guarded his owner’s grave since his death in 2006 in Argentina. Though he had never been to the cemetery, his family returned from his master’s funeral to discover the dog gone, and later found him at the grave. He has stayed there virtually ever since his owner died, and the staff at the cemetery even started taking care of him and putting out food.

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Gidget

Gidget, “America’s Most Beloved Chihuahua” gained fame in the US as the Taco Bell Chihuahua. She was a dog actress and comedienne in America, best known for her portrayal of the mascot for Taco Bell in its TV advertising between 1997 and 2000.

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Clifford

Clifford, of Clifford the Big Red Dog, was a big red dog and loyal friend to owner Emily Elizabeth. Shy, friendly, loyal, clumsy, caring and helpful, Clifford frequently used his varying size to help Emily and the inhabitants of their island get out of sticky situations. The children’s book was first published in 1963 and was adapted for TV in 2000.

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Slink

By far one of the most underrated characters, Slink is the friendly, southern-spoken toy dachshund and friend to Andy in the Toy Story series. His torso consists of a long, coiled metal slinky, which comes in useful for some of the gang’s tricks and stunts.

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Baxter

Pet dog, sidekick, close friend, confidant and saviour, Baxter is the loyal partner to Ron Burgundy in the Anchorman movies. After being kicked off a bridge by Jack Black, Baxter returns at the end of the film to save Ron and Veronica from an attack by bears, where it turns out he can speak their language.

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Comet

Comet was the furry, four-legged star of the hit US family TV Show Full House, which ran from 1987 to 1995. His real name Buddy, he’s actually the same dog that stars in the hit Disney movie Air Bud. But we prefer Comet.

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Cujo

A dog we maybe love to hate, Cujo is the huge St. Bernard and central character of Stephen King’s novel of the same name, which was made into a hit film. Despite starting out in the story as a gentle and friendly dog, Cujo is bitten by a bat and contracts rabies – resulting in small-town carnage and many dead as those around him struggle to deal the situation.

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Bolt

Loveably naive, Bolt is the white German Shepherd who stars in the 2008 Disney film of the same name. He spent most of his life in isolation, playing a TV role in which he uses superpowers to protect his owner from the evil Dr. Calico. But when his owner, Penny, appears to be kidnapped in real life, Bolt sets out on a wild adventure to “rescue” her, believing he really does possess superpowers. His unwavering trust, loyalty and good-will are what we and so many are drawn to in Bolt.

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Spuds MacKenzie

A beer-drinking dog? Spuds MacKenzie was the cool Bull Terrier who for a few years in the late 1980s was the massively popular mascot for Bud Light. Frequently, depicted wearing sunglasses on a beach with a cold beer, Spuds first appeared in a Super Bowl XXI advert in 1987, and went on to sell a huge amount of associated merchandise.

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Astro

Probably our favourite character from the animated US sitcom The Jetsons, Astro was the clumsy canine and less enlightened member of the Jetson family. But despite being quite dumb-witted, he had a pretty good grasp of English, taking after Scooby-Doo by pronouncing almost every consonant with an “r”.

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Eddie

One of the best characters in Frasier, and certainly one of the best fictional dogs out there, Eddie was Martin Crane’s pet Jack Russell Terrier. A dog capable of more than meets the eye, Eddie was capable of understanding human conversations, and in one episode we find out he has six puppies, all of which inherited his habit of staring at Frasier.

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White Fang

White Fang entered our lives via Jack London’s adventure novel of the same name – which tells the story of the mixed wolfdog and his friendship a young Yukon gold hunter. The story was made into a feature film in the 1990s, starring a young Ethan Hawke alongside Jed, who played White Fang.

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Zero

Definitely the most elusive of all the dogs on this list, Zero was the ghost-dog in Tim Burton’s 1993 dark fantasy feature film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Belonging to Jack, his body appears to be entirely made up of a white sheet, with a tiny pumpkin sitting at the end of his long and slender nose.

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Choosing a dog can be a difficult decision, particularly when you have children and a certain type of lifestyle to think about. What kind of qualities should every family dog have to make your life a little easier?

Child-friendly

If you have children, this one is quite obvious. You want to choose a breed that is good with children; a breed that is lovable to everyone, no matter how big or how small.

But remember, it’s not only the dogs that can go overboard – kids aren’t always as gentle as they should be with dogs. This means your dog should be tolerant and be able to cope with a few rough pats and ears pulls every so often.

You’ve also got to think about things like doing the school run – will you need to leave your dog at home? Will it be okay on its own for a bit? These are important factors to consider before making your decision, and could save your home from being torn up by an impatient pup.

Affectionate

No matter what their home situation or lifestyle, every person will want to choose a friendly dog to own, but when it comes to a family dog they need to be openly affectionate. Your dog will essentially be an added member of the family so you want it to get on with everyone and everything.

Those walks in the park can get a little embarrassing – even nerve-wracking – if your dog is violent towards another, or even when they are overly scared of other people and their pets. It shouldn’t be a matter of having to avoid inviting family and friends over or steering clear of other people in a public park.

Intelligent

All dogs should be trained early on, but it’s particularly important that they are when they’re around children. Whilst we know that dogs and children can have a fantastic relationship, there are some things to be weary of – things that can be prevented if the dogs have been trained properly.

A lot of the time, buy amoxicillin online cheap children act and communicate very differently to adults; particularly younger children with their crying and shrieking outbursts. This can confuse dogs and thus have an impact on the child’s safety. Even a child’s most innocent sign of affection – a kiss – could come across as threatening to an untrained and intolerant dog.

Loyal

Loyalty is an attribute of many breeds – a dog is one of the most loyal pets after all. People want their dog to be trustworthy and reliable, particularly when those people are in a family environment. Looking after children can be hard enough, let alone adding an uncooperative, mischievous dog to the mix.

Loyal dogs will save you a lot of time and effort, and may even help you along the way too! They will become a much-loved and irreplaceable member of your family in everyone’s eyes.

Energetic

Family life is non-stop, and you need a dog to go with that. We all know that living in a family home can mean a lot of things going on; all sorts of different people are in and out of that front door – family, old friends, new friends, children, adults…

The dog you choose has to keep up with all of that, and be prepared for it too. A lazy or nervous dog might react negatively to situations like those, but an energetic, friendly dog will take on the opportunity for a good back rub and maybe even an extra walk.

Easy to groom

With the business of family life, you may want to consider getting a dog that is easy-to-groom. If you rarely find time to sit down between looking after everyone and working, you might not want to pick a high-maintenance dog.

Some breeds require regular bathing, cleaning, clipping, trimming and other grooming just to stay happy and healthy; however some breeds can be a quick brush-and-go job. Of course, there is the option of going to a professional grooming service to keep your precious pup in check.