Exercise: Rottweilers are reasonably demanding with their exercise needs. They enjoy running freely in country and retrieving objects. These dogs tend to stick by their owners without running off when being taken for walks. Good activities for Rottweilers to burn energy include running alongside a cycle (once fully grown) and going swimming.

History: These dogs come from Asian Mastiff family and look like a heavier version of Dobermann. They were used by Roman armies for fighting, cattle droving, guarding and as draught animals to carry their goods. When invading soldiers moved on from town of Rottweil in southern Germany, some of their dogs were left behind with locals. The dogs were then used to drive stock to and from markets and farmers would tie their money to dog's collar for safety, as no bandit would take on one of these dogs. At one stage Rottweilers were called Metzgerhund (butcher dog) as their main job was to haul carts for butchers and cattle dealers.

Additional Comments:

Generally it is necessary to be firmer with dogs than bitches, as females tend to have a slightly gentler nature. Rottweiler's are ideal for security work and defence dog training and sports. They are used by police and army for defence purposes.

Exercise: Poodles live happily in flats or small apartments as they don't demand a great deal of exercise. They still need some exercise outside of home such as walks to park. These dogs generally excel in obedience classes.

History: Poodles are believed to have originated from old Spanish water dogs. They got their name from German word 'pudeln' which means to splash in water. This breed were excellent retrievers of injured water birds and ducks. A smaller variety was produced later which became forerunner of Miniature version we know today. Hunters shaved off most of hair on hindquarters to help these dogs perform better in water. They left hair on chest and front parts of body for warmth and sections of hair on leg joints for protection against injury. The custom of tying a bright ribbon on topknot, was for identification of their dogs when at work retrieving. These customs have been maintained over years for Poodles being shown today.

Additional Comments:

Poodles are regarded as one of most difficult breed-standard patterns to achieve (if not most difficult). This breed is commonly recommended for people who are allergic to dog hair or dust as Poodle does not shed any hair. The Poodle is known for it's intelligence and can be taught a variety of skills from water-retrieving to circus tricks. They appear to enjoy performing with praise and laughter that it brings. Different clips for Poodles include: lamb clip, lion clip, puppy clip and continental clip. The puppy clip is always popular for those owners who aren't showing their dogs.