1.  Commonly referred to as the “Aussie”

2.  Comes in a wide variety of coat colors:  blue merle, red merle, black, red and can have a mixture of white and brown mixed in.

3.  Some Aussie’s are born with a naturally short tail, though the tail is usually docked if longer than 4 inches.

4.  Courageous, loyal, affectionate, lively, agile and highly intelligent are adjectives used to describe this breed.

5.  Australian Shepherds require A LOT of exercise!  Without enough mental and physical exercise the Aussie can become destructive when left alone.

6.  This breed is not recommended if you live in an apartment.  The Aussie needs a yard to run and play, or a daily trip to the beach or dog park to burn off energy.

7.  The Australian Shepherd was bred in the United States to work as a herding dog on ranches. 

8.  Besides herding, the Aussie’s other talents include retrieving, guarding, search and rescue, and agility.

9.  The Aussie requires moderate grooming to keep the undercoat under control.  Popular hair cuts include shaving and puppy cuts.

10.  Overall the Australian Shepherd is a great dog.  Loyal, loving and good with kids, this breed thrives with lots of activity and exercise!

Also known as the “lion dog”, the Shih Tzu came about by probably breeding a Tibetan Lhasa Apso with a Pekingese in the 17th century.  The Shih Tzu became a favorite of the Imperial Chinese Court, and for years were so revered that the Chinese refused to sell or give away these little dogs.  It was not until 1930’s that the dog was imported to England.  Today the breed is very popular as a companion dog and a glamorous show dog. 

The Shih Tzu is a very popular breed at VIP Pet Spa.  Grooming ranges from bath and brush outs to keep the coat long, to shorter puppy cuts for less maintenance.  The coats tends to matt very easily, so daily brushing and combing is a must if you want to keep the coat long!  The Shih Tzu looks very cute with a round “teddy bear” head or with long bangs pulled up into a pony tail.  They are generally happy little dogs with a friendly personality.

Pronounced SKIP-er-kee, the Schipperke is a small, thickset, tail-less dog with a thick double coat and a ruff around his neck.   Originally bred in Belgium, these dogs are a big dog  in a little dogs’ body.   In Flemish, Schipperke means “Little Skipper”, or “Little Captain”.  These dogs were the ”ratters”, a very important funtion on a canal barge, and also usually the captain’s dog.  Schipperke’s  are quick, energetic, hot-tempered, high-spirited, self- confident and protective.  They are wary of strangers and may seem somewhat aloof, but are actually very devoted and loyal, especially with children.  The Schipperke is very smart, curious and mischievous, can be willful, but is usually easy to train.  This breed likes to howl and bark!  

The Schipperke is very clean and pretty much takes care of its own grooming, however it does blow its coat up to 3 times a year.   This coat change is a sudden drop of ALL undercoat within about a 10 day period.  A trip to the groomer during these times is a necessity, unless you want to clean up bags and bags of undercoat around your house!

The Weimaraner came about in the 19th century by German foresters and sportsmen who wanted a dog to hunt, track, point and retrieve.  Other breeds might be able to out-point, out-retrieve, and out-track a Weimaraner, but few can do it with as much style! 

Seeing a Weimaraner up close, many are surprised at this breed’s large size.  This dog has an aristocratic and graceful look, and Weimaraner owners shouldn’t expect this breed of dog to lay around the house all day eating treats!  Daily, rigorous exercise is a must.  Weimaraners want to run and hunt and follow a scent trail.  Squirrels and small animals need to be on the look out, as this breed is more likely to move in for the kill, unlike other retriever breeds that can retrieve without a mark. 

Weimaraners crave companionship.  They want to be with their families- not left alone in the back yard. Weimaraners are not outside dogs.  They aren’t built for extreme temperatures, and will be miserable when away from their family “pack”.  Even the best trained Weimaraners can be too much for small children, however older children make great playmates.  Because of their short hair, frequent grooming is not necessary.  Health problems in this breed include eye infections, and bloat, an often fatal condition in which the stomach fills with gas and twists.  Otherwise, Weimaraners are easy- especially if you want a companion and have plenty of energy for exercise!

The English Setter is a very friendly, gentle, mind mannered and sensitive dog.  They need constant companionship and get along well with other dogs, as well as children.  For the most part, English Setters are a healthy breed, though some do suffer from hip displaysia.  In order to stay healthy, they need vigourous daily exercise.  Because of their size, English Setters do not make good apartment dogs.  The life expectancy is 10-12 years.

Originally bred as hunting dogs, the word “setter” comes from the almost sitting position the dog exhibits when they discover game.  English Setters are quick and quiet workers with excellnt noses.  With their unique speckled coat, English Setters are beautiful dogs.  The coat comes in white with blue, lemon, orange or brown speckling.  The muzzle is about half the total length of the head and fairly square.  The tail, ears legs and underside should be kept fringed.   As for grooming, regular bathing and brushing  is necessary to keep the coat in excellent condition. 

Here in San Clemente, English Setters are uncommon.  However, at VIP Pet Spa we do see Jake on a very regular basis and we love him!