Dogs are usually described in terms of their body shape and size, and their personalities. The shapes of their heads,muzzles,ears and tails are used to distinguish breeds.

Measuring dogs

Dogs are measured to their withers, which are the highest points of their shoulders.Most pedigree dogs that are entered into competitions are expected to fall into a 'perfect ' size range, which might include weight as well as height . For family dogs ,there is no perfect size. The size given in this book are a guide to the average size for a particular breed.

Basset 

These hounds have large,heavy bodies on short legs. Bassets were originally bred to hunt hares and the have an extremely good sense of smell. They have independent minds,which can make them difficult to train.However, bassets like company and enjoy playing . They can be noisy and may bark loudly if worried ,lonely or excited.Bassets sometimes have problems with there hearing and the joints in their legs.

Beagles 

Like other hounds,beagles are active, energetic dogs with good appetites. They can be difficult to train , especially if they have developed bad habits. Beagles are intelligent, enjoy being around people and are loyal to their owners. They have a good sense of smell and enjoy sniffing everything.

Dachshund 

These hounds are small in height , but big in personality. Dachshund were bred as hunting dogs, as their long , low bodies were ideal for chasing pray into tunnels.

By ciara