These 3 inch Christmas dog ornaments are black with brown eyes, a black muzzle, and golden yellow legs, belly, and face. They are sitting with their heads turned to the right waiting loyally for their human. The white feathered angel wings are sprinkled with iridescent glitter snow. The gold wire halo floats gracefully over the right ear of the Christmas dog puppy. The Christmas dog first ornament hangs by a gold lame cord or it can also stand on a flat surface on display. Select this link to view our dog ornaments.
History of the German Shepherd:
The German shepherd or Alsatian is an incredibly intelligent breed and is an excellent working dog. Police work, guarding, military, search and rescue and K-9 duties are among the ‘jobs’ that these hard workers excel in. In addition, they make excellent guide dogs for the blind/disabled. Notwithstanding, the German shepherd is also an amazing family pet/companion, and they’re loyal loving animals. They’re large breed dogs with an average height 22-26 inches at the shoulder. Aside from the more recognized black/tan coloration, German shepherds come in several colors and can be short or longhaired. There are three distinct breed lines, the International working lines, the International show lines and the North American show lines, each with their distinct niche. In the hands of proper breeders, these dogs are loyal protectors and good family pets, although bad breeding has, in the past, landed the German shepherd on the list of “dangerous dogs” along with other breeds (Pit bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans also fall into these categories and are the targets of breed specific legislation) With proper training, socialization and most importantly, breeding, the negative traits (specifically aggressive behavior) can be avoided. Select this link to view our unique Christmas ornaments.
Herding dogs:
Historically, herding dogs did just that, kept herds of livestock together. To be considered part of the AKC group named ‘herding dogs’, the dog is either part of a breed that’s been bred over generations as a herding or ‘working’ animal, or is trained in herding. They are considered a sub-group under the working dogs category. Herding dogs are also bred to protect the herd from predators, and are used typically to herd cattle, sheep, reindeer, and to a lesser degree, poultry. Some animals work well with any type of livestock, while others are bred over time to fill a specific job. For example, shorter breeds such as Corgis work well with cattle because they’re able to avoid being kicked by their ‘charges’. Typical examples of herding dogs include Collies, Welsh corgis, Shepherds (i.e. Australian, English, Dutch, German etc.) Koolies, various Sheepdog breeds, and many others. Select this link to view our animal hand blown glass ornaments.
Hounds:
Hounds were bred to be hunters. That is the plain and simple truth about them. In competitions judges have been required to remember to keep that fact in mind as hounds will simply not do well having to stand completely still and be entirely obedient. If they were to ignore this fact any good, true ‘hound’ would be docked points for their lack of attention during the competition. Hounds simply crave the hunt and naturally want to follow and pick up scents and trails. The scent hounds, as their name would have you guess, have the keenest sense of smell of the hounds, with the Bloodhound having the best sense of smell out of all of the hounds. Bloodhounds can pick up scent trails that are days old. The most famous of the Bloodhounds, Nick Carter, was recorded as following a scent 13 days old. Among the other scent hounds are the Beagle, the Foxhound, and the Harrier. Beagles, which were especially bred to be followed on foot, may very well be the oldest breed of the scent hounds with a history dating back to the 15th Century. Foxhounds and Harriers were bred to hunt fox and had to be followed on horseback. Their abilities and report with hunters have caused many to believe that they should never be called ‘dogs,’ but rather should always be referred to as hounds! Another type of hound is the Utility Hound; bred to be able to perform a variety of tasks. Among the Utility Hounds are the Rhodesian Ridgebacks, which were actually used to hunt lions. Their build and stamina gave them the physical ability to evade and maneuver well enough to keep the large animals at bay, and their keen senses helped them to locate and sneak up on the lion. Their performance would give hunters time to line up a shot on the lion.