Surviving a Bear attack

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by Wes Tafoya
BeechTek

Bears can attack people if they feel they are in danger, if they are surprised, have cubs or are protecting their territory. If at all possible – steer clear of the bear! But if you have put your self in a situation where you can’t avoid them, make sure they are not surprised by you.

Here are some crucial rules to live by.

1. Never camp or hike alone.

2. Avoid bears. That “teddy” bear can turn you into ground beef really quick – this includes the smaller black bear.

3. Don’t feed it even from the “safety” of your car. There have been movies made that show people being ripped from their cars because they were dim-witted enough
to feed it. If you have to feed an animal, feed your cat or dog at home. The
wild is well, wild and wild animals will attack given the right circumstance.

4. Don’t leave food around camp. This is the chief reason a bear will come into your
camp as they smell food. Zip up your tent even if it’s hot and clammy. Always
keep an eye out. Please clean your camp and put any fires out before you
leave. If you have any food left, seal it in plastic or in a container far up
into a tree away from the camp site. Better he has that food for dinner than
“camper ala cart”

Bear profiles :
The black bear is a scavenger and although small is very dangerous. More commonly seen around human habitats, it may not think of you as an enemy. Be careful and use the procedure below.

Grizzly bears will attack you on a whim. Although not aggressive by nature they are very unpredictable. He might run away. He might see you and act as though you’re just another animal or he might charge you if he woke up on the wrong side of his bed. Grizzly bears rarely maintain the attack however, with their huge size and weight they can with little effort mangle an average size man.

Polar bears are a different nightmare. Indians in the north still live in fear of them and there is plenty of history to divulge the terror of what they can do. These creatures can and do stalk humans. They are highly intelligent and deadly. Staying out of a known polar bear area is wise and will keep you alive. Unless you’re doing a project for national geographic, do not engage!

What to do. . .General guidelines :

Singing, talking or listening to music out loud is a good way to not surprise any animal. In any case most bears will leave your area as they don’t really look for a conflict.

The rule is if you are facing a bear, talk gently while holding your arms above your head and slowly walk away.

Be aware of your surroundings so you don’t trip over something as this can create a problem! Holding your arms above your head not only makes you look bigger but keeps his attention as you walk away.

Bears may grunt, growl and some times put their head low with their ears back before an attack. If a bear stands on its legs it’s not a sign of aggression, it’s just trying to get a view of where you are at.

So what happens if that doesn’t work and you realize your going to be attacked? While this can be a horrifying experience you must keep your wits about you. Shooting a bear does not usually stop an attack. Sometimes the more valuable weapon is bear spray.

If you notice the bear is going to charge you, spray! Bear sprays shoot out at a great distance. In any case don’t try to run. Some bears can run as fast as a horse and definitely run faster then you. Quickly do one of two things. The best thing to do is find a large tree that you can quickly climb. Make a lot of noise and waving your hands as this might make the animal leave. If you are stuck on the ground keep your back-pack on, this will give you some protection for your back.

Cover your head and neck and get into a fetal position. PLAY DEAD. Continue even if you are being bitten. In many cases the bear will quickly realize you’re not a threat and leave. What if he doesen’t stop? Scream, yell and fight back, this includes throwing dirt in its eyes, throwing large rocks at its head- anything to make him realize your not going to be an easy meal.

How To Survive A Bear Attack

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By: Jack L. McSherry, III
In the early days of the north, the natives of Alaska and the Yukon, believed that bears were another species of man. They also knew that they could be dangerous! So, if they came upon a bear, they would stop and hold their hands over their heads and say “Hello brother bear, I did not mean to disturb you. I will leave your territory now and let you in peace.” Then they would back away, unharmed. While this is only legend, it does work! At times.

A bear will attack a man if they are surprised, feel they are in danger, wish protect territory or if they have cubs. The best way to avoid danger is to avoid the bear. But if you can not avoid them, make sure they see you first.

As you walk or travel through bear territory, and if you can not see more then 50 to 100 feet in front of you, call out every few minutes until you enter a clear area. Some people call out, others sing, some wear bear-bells. The point being to make a lot of noise. In most cases the bear will move off the trail and watch you pass. They rarely look for a confrontation.

If you see a bear, talk to the bear. Make sure he sees you. Hold you arms high above your head. this will make you look like a much bigger animal to him. Continue to talk and slowly back away. If you run he will chase you.

If the bear comes for you, climb a tree or drop to a fetal position. Cover you head and neck with your hands. Keep on your pack to protect your back. Even if the bear bites you continue to play dead. Once he realizes that you are not a threat he may leave. If he does not stop, fight back and make as much noise as possible

The best protection from bears is to carry a firearm, where permitted in bear country. But, still avoid a confrontation, because bears rarely go down with a single shot and can cover some distance while wounded.

Another popular defense against bears is to carry bear spray. This is capsaicin and related capsaicinoids spray in a compressed gas container. If you spray the bear he may change his mind or break off an attack; although some claim it just makes a bear mad. However, in many areas this is the only protection permitted.

Stay away from bears. Many tourists think they look cute and like to get close enough to take a picture. Do not be stupid! All wild animals can be dangerous! Also remember that a female with cubs is very protective and dangerous and may attack even though you think you are a safe distance away.

If you are in a camp, before anything else, put your food, trash, cooking gear, fuel, soaps and toiletries up a bear pole or tree. They must be at least 12 feet (4M) to be secure. Then place your camp a safe distance away.

The Black Bear:
The black bear is the smallest of the bears. He is primarily a scavenger, not a hunter. In areas where people are present he has learned that people can provide food, and he may have lost much of his fear of man. Use the procedure as above, but if he attacks it is likely that he has mistaken you for food, or that you have food, or he could be rogue. Play dead, but if he bites, fight back.

The Grizzly Bear:
The grizzly bear is indifferent to man. He as no fear of man and will attack if he feels like it. Sometimes he may not attack and may run away. The best thing is to avoid him and never surprise him. If he does attack he rarely sustains his attack, after you play dead. Remember he is a very big animal and his weight alone can kill.

The Polar Bear:
The polar bear is the most deadly of all. While his normal food is seal, they have been known, for centuries, to attack humans. Until the introduction of firearms, the native people of the north have lived in fear of them. Many early explorers have told horror stories of polar bear attacks. These bears are known to stalk and hunt humans. If you are in polar bear country carry a firearm or avoid the area.

Daybreakers (2009) movie review

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Daybreakers, AKA 2010′s first vampire movie, is a pretty solid movie-going experience. It delivers on its trailers, presenting an eerie future where almost all the humans on earth have been changed into vampires–and in having done so not just not solved but actually worsened all of the problems and injustices in the world. The blood supply is on the verge of exhaustion, blood prices are skyrocketing beyond the reach of most of the populace, the number of vampires feeding on each other or themselves and becoming mutated monsters is exploding, and a non-toxic substitute has yet to be found. Chief hematologist for the largest blood supplier, Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), only thinks he has problems…until he encounters a group of humans who want him to find a cure. Not for the blood supply crisis, but for vampirism itself.

First, this movie is rated R for a reason, and they make full use of that rating to up the gruesome ante beyond what teenage flights of fancy and throbbing daydreams about vampires tolerate. These vampires are not sexy, despite their yellow eyes that glow in the dark. The glamour of the forbidden, of the unknown, of the dangerous, has dissipated when vampires are the default species. They are desperate and dying, despite their immortality, and too stubborn to change their ways to save themselves. We are treated to vampires exploding from blood substitues that didn’t work; staked vampires bursting without burning, because they only burn in sunlight; and burning vampires’ flaking bones still moving before consciousness finally dies. It’s not exactly a jumpy movie (although there is at least one moment), but it is a gory movie.

It’s also a subtly complex movie, with several different subplots that keep intersecting until they become one clear story. The set-up was handled I thought really gracefully, pulling on our culture’s vampire tropes to tell much of the story without words. Edward is shown in the side mirror of his car, as just a suit sitting there adjusting its tie. The movie opens with a young vampire girl committing suicide by waiting for the morning sun and burning to ash. The blood harvesting bank is a Boschian nightmare of suspended human bodies pale in the flourescent lights and immobilized by the harnesses holding them in their places on the “trees.” The lack of human health problems is shown in the constant smoking of almost everyone, including the teenage vampires, and in Edward’s boss’s story of having his cancer cured by the vampire pathogen. He gives voice to the sinister belief driving most of the vampire population to embrace their disease: What’s to cure?

The special effects were decent–certainly none of them made me roll my eyes at their obvious fakeness–and well-integrated into the tone and colors of the world. During the night, when the vampires reign, it was blue and gray and dark. During the day, the sun was overbright and the film overwashed with its light. There were a lot of mood and/or setting shots that were nice to look at. I wouldn’t call the cinemetography quirky or full of odd angles and frames like you get in indie films–it was definitely a cinematic movie–but the film was interesting to look at and obviously had been put together with thought to the artistry of the picture in places. The costume designer made an interesting choice to give the vampires a 1950s vibe in clothing, especially the women’s dresses and the men’s hats, and the “vampy” make-up of the women–very dark lips and eyes, like you might find on the femme fatale in a noir movie. (The humans were a stark contrast in modern casual.) Part of this may have been because the vampires were such a traditional conception of them: no reflection, burned in the sunlight, drank only human blood, had no heartbeat, lived forever.

The cure they find, however, is something I haven’t seen done before, and while it seems almost beyond belief that only one person had stumbled onto it by accident in 10 years of the epidemic, it still created a horrific scene at the end. It was probably the most terrible thing in the movie, to see someone regain his humanity only to be set upon by a starving pack of vampires.

There were definitely holes that could be picked in this movie–I’m not going to say it was flawless, by any means–but it was entertaining. Sometimes you just want to watch a good story, and so even if you aren’t really sure the situation would have gotten so bad…even if you can’t really believe the vampires would abandon all of their human morality toward humans or those of their own kind who turned mutant but yet not give up the strictures of human society in other ways…even if you can’t really believe no one else accidently cured themselves…it was still entertaining as hell. So I would call it an enjoyable B movie, which is what it looked like and what it is, and give it a thumbs up for being a popcorn movie with good guys, not-so-good guys, kharmic justice, lots of blood, and Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe in the same film.

Road to Perdition (2002) Movie Review

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EARLY in ”Road to Perdition,” a period gangster film that achieves the grandeur of a classic Hollywood western, John Rooney (Paul Newman), the crusty old Irish mob boss in a town somewhere outside Chicago, growls a lament that echoes through the movie like a subterranean rumble: ”Sons are put on the earth to trouble their fathers.”

Rooney is decrying the trigger-happy behavior of his corrupt, hot-headed son, Connor (Daniel Craig), who in a fit of paranoid rage impulsively murdered one of Rooney’s loyal lieutenants. The ear into which Rooney pours his frustration belongs to Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), his personal hit man, who witnessed the killing. An orphan whom Rooney brought up as a surrogate son and who has married and fathered two boys, Sullivan is in some ways more beloved to Rooney than his own flesh and blood. He is certainly more trustworthy.

But as the film shows, Rooney’s bitter observation about fathers and sons also works in reverse: fathers are eternal mysteries put on the earth to trouble their sons as well as teach them. The story is narrated by the older of Sullivan’s two boys, 12-year-old Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), who in a prologue establishes the movie’s tone and setting (most of the events take place over six weeks in the winter of 1931) and invites us to decide, once his tale has been told, whether his father was ”a decent man” or ”no good at all.”

”Road to Perdition,” which opens today nationwide, is the second feature film directed by Sam Mendes, the British theatrical maestro who landed at the top of Hollywood’s A-list with his cinematic debut, ”American Beauty.” The new movie re-teams him with Conrad L. Hall, the brilliant cinematographer responsible for that film’s surreal classicist shimmer. With ”Road to Perdition” they have created a truly majestic visual tone poem, one that is so much more stylized than its forerunner that it inspires a continuing and deeply satisfying awareness of the best movies as monumental ”picture shows.”

Because Sullivan is played by Mr. Hanks, an actor who invariably exudes conscientiousness and decency, his son’s question lends the fable a profound moral ambiguity. ”Road to Perdition” ponders some of the same questions as ”The Sopranos,” a comparably great work of popular art, whose protagonist is also a gangster and a devoted family man. But far from a self-pitying boor lumbering around a suburban basement in his undershirt, Mr. Hanks’s antihero is a stern, taciturn killer who projects a tortured nobility. Acutely aware of his sins, Sullivan is determined that his son, who takes after him temperamentally, not follow in his murderous footsteps. Yet when driven to the brink, Sullivan gives his son a gun with instructions to use it, if necessary, and enlists him to drive his getaway car.

In surveying the world through Michael Jr.’s eyes, the movie captures, like no film I’ve seen, the fear-tinged awe with which young boys regard their fathers and the degree to which that awe continues to reverberate into adult life. Viewed through his son’s eyes, Sullivan, whose face is half-shadowed much of the time by the brim of his fedora, is a largely silent deity, the benign but fearsome source of all knowledge and wisdom. An unsmiling Mr. Hanks does a powerful job of conveying the conflicting emotions roiling beneath Sullivan’s grimly purposeful exterior as he tries to save his son and himself from mob execution. It’s all done with facial muscles.

Yet Sullivan is also beholden to his own surrogate father, who has nurtured and protected him since childhood. Mr. Newman’s Rooney, with his ferocious hawklike glare, sepulchral rasp and thunderous temper, has the ultimate power to bestow praise and shame, to bless and to curse. The role, for which the 77-year-old actor adopts a softened Irish brogue, is one of Mr. Newman’s most farsighted, anguished performances.

What triggers the movie’s tragic chain of events is Michael Jr.’s worshipful curiosity about his father. Desperate to see what his dad actually does for a living, he hides in the back of the car that Sullivan drives to the fatal meeting at which Connor goes haywire. After the boy is caught spying, Connor, who hates and envies Sullivan, decides without consulting Rooney that the boy can’t be trusted to keep silent and must die. He steals into Sullivan’s house and shoots his wife, Annie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and his other son, Peter (Liam Aiken), mistaking Peter for Michael Jr., who returns on his bicycle as the murders are taking place.

Arriving home, Sullivan finds his surviving son sitting alone in the dark, and as the camera waits downstairs, Sullivan climbs to the second floor and discovers the bodies. As his world shatters, all we hear is a far-off strangled cry of grief and horror. Minutes later he is frantically packing Michael Jr. into a car, and the two become fugitives, making one deadly stop before heading toward Chicago where Sullivan hopes to work for Frank Nitti (Stanley Tucci), Al Capone’s right-hand man. For the rest of the movie, Sullivan plots his revenge on Connor, who remains secreted in a Chicago hotel room, protected by Rooney. Sullivan’s plan involves a Robin Hood-style scheme of robbing banks but stealing only mob money.

The film, adapted from a comic-book novel by Max Allan Collins with illustrations by Richard Piers Rayner, portrays the conflicts as a sort of contemporary Bible story with associations to Abraham and Isaac, and Cain and Abel. The very word perdition, a fancy term for hell, is meant to weigh heavily, and it does.

True to the austere moral code of classic westerns, the film believes in heaven and hell and in the possibility of redemption. In that spirit its characters retain the somewhat remote, mythic aura of figures in a western, and the movie’s stately tone and vision of gunmen striding to their fates through an empty Depression-era landscape seems intentionally to recall ”High Noon,” ”Shane” and ”Unforgiven.” When the characters speak in David Self’s screenplay, their pronouncements often have the gravity of epigraphs carved into stone.

A scary wild card slithering and hissing like a coiled snake through the second half of the film is Maguire (Jude Law), a ghoulish hit man and photojournalist with a fanatical devotion to taking pictures of dead bodies. When he opens fire, his cold saucer-eyed leer and bottled-up volatility explode into frenzied seizures that suggest a demonically dancing puppet. And just when you have almost forgotten the character, he reappears like an avenging fury.

The look of the film maintains a scrupulous balance between the pop illustration of a graphic novel (Michael Jr. himself is shown reading one, ”The Lone Ranger”) and Depression-era paintings, especially the bare, desolate canvases of Edward Hopper. The camera moves with serene, stealthy deliberation (nothing is rushed or jagged), while the lighting sustains a wintry atmosphere of funereal gloom. Mr. Hall embraces shadow as hungrily as Gordon Willis in the ”Godfather” movies, but where the ruddy palette of ”The Godfather” suggested a hidden, sensual, blood-spattered twilight, ”Road to Perdition” comes in shades of gray fading to black.

Those shades are matched by Thomas Newman’s symphonic score, which infuses a sweeping Coplandesque evocation of the American flatlands with Irish folk motifs.

In the flashiest of many visually indelible moments, a cluster of gangsters silhouetted in a heavy rain are systemically mowed down on a Chicago street in a volley of machine-gun flashes that seem to erupt out of nowhere from an unseen assassin. But no shots or voices are heard. The eerie silence is filled by the solemn swell of Mr. Newman’s score. It is one of many scenes of violence in which the camera maintains a discreet aesthetic distance from the carnage.

Although ”Road to Perdition” is not without gore, it chooses its bloodier moments with exquisite care. The aftermath of another cold-blooded murder is seen only for an instant in the swing of a mirrored bathroom door. Another is shown as a reflection on a window overlooking an idyllic beach on which a boy frisks with a dog. Here the overlapping images evoke more than any words the characters’ tragic apprehension of having to choose between two simultaneous, colliding worlds. One is a heaven on earth, the other hell.

”Road to Perdition” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for a lot of violence, including some gory moments.

ROAD TO PERDITION

Directed by Sam Mendes; written by David Self, based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins; produced by Richard D. Zanuck, Dean Zanuck and Mr. Mendes; director of photography, Conrad L. Hall; edited by Jill Bilcock; music by Thomas Newman; production designer, Dennis Gassner; released by DreamWorks Pictures. Running time: 119 minutes. This film is rated R.

WITH:
Jennifer Jason Leigh (Annie Sullivan), Tom Hanks (Michael Sullivan), Paul Newman (John Rooney), Ciarán Hinds (Finn McGovern), Dylan Baker (Alexander Rance), Stanley Tucci (Frank Nitti), Tyler Hoechlin (Michael Sullivan Jr.), Jude Law (Maguire), Daniel Craig (Connor Rooney), Liam Aiken (Peter Sullivan).

Rottweiler Dogs

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Rottweilers are tough, strong dogs. And they know their own strength. Their uflappable self-confidence and intelligence—when properly trained and socialized—can result in a loving, devoted and sometimes laid-back companion

Quick Facts :

weight: 85 – 130 pounds
height: 22 – 27 inches

Ideal Human Companions :
•Singles
•Experienced dog handlers
•Active, sporty types
•A-type personalities
•Outdoorsy types

Trademark Traits :
•Bold
•Devoted
•Powerful
•Laid-back
•Task-oriented

What They Are Like to Live With :
Extremely energetic, Rottweilers love playing catch in the back yard, tagging along for a morning run or taking a big hike in the woods. They crave attention and companionship from their owners. Without it, they tend to get bored and destructive. A neglected or mistreated Rottweiler can do a terrible number on your favorite shoes.

A happy and properly trained Rottweiler can be a devoted friend to children, not to mention an extremely effective watchdog—often having to do nothing more than stand there to keep trespassers away.

Things You Should Know :
Before you consider a Rottweiler, be prepared for its massive size and challenging temperament. Rottweilers appreciate a confident handler who can show them who’s in charge. Some may test your authority, so stay on top of their training and obedience. They respond to commands and are eager to please.

Coming from a long line of herders, Rottweilers also appreciate stimulating tasks and activities. Keep them busy with agility and obedience games. But remember to always keep them on a leash in public, as they can be slightly confrontational with other dogs.

A healthy Rottweiler can live as long as 12 years. Common health issues include hip dysplasia and eye problems. Their coats are easy to care for and don’t shed excessively.

Rottweiler History :

Most likely descended from the sturdy, powerful, Mastiff-like drover dogs of ancient Rome, Rottweilers were named after the German cattle town of Rottweil, where these dogs managed herds for hundreds of years. In the mid-19th century, cattle driving became outlawed in the area, making the Rottweiler somewhat redundant. However, in the early 1900s they suddenly became popular police dogs and by 1924 the German Rottweiler Club was formed. Today they serve time as both working dogs and beloved companions.

The Look of a Rottweiler :
Rottweilers have medium-sized, rugged, powerful builds with dense, straight and glossy coats. They have broad heads with rounded skulls and straight, well-developed muzzles. Their dark, almond-shaped eyes have a friendly and devoted look, and their triangular ears hang forward. They have strong necks and firm backs and (normally) docked tails. Their coats usually come in black with rusty patches. Overall, Rottweilers have a look that suggests courage, agility and strength.

Rottweiler Videos :

rottweiler cubs snapshots

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Rottweiler

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Rottweiler Breed Standard :
Robust and powerful, the Rottweiler is happiest when given a job to perform. His intelligence, endurance and willingness to work make him suitable as a police dog, herder, service dog, therapy dog, obedience competitor and devoted companion. An inherent protector, the Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in his environment. He must be medium in size and his coat is black with rust to mahogany markings.

A Look Back
The Rottweiler’s ancestors were the drover’s dogs accompanying the herds the Romans brought with them when invading Europe. The controllable herding and guarding instincts were recognized by the Germans, and dogs were selectively bred for these traits. As need for its services diminished, the Rottweiler almost fell into extinction. In the early 1900s, a newly formed club established a breed standard. The breed has not appreciably changed since that time.

Right Breed for You?
Rottweilers love their people and may behave in a clownish manner toward family and friends, but they are also protective of their territory and do not welcome strangers until properly introduced. Obedience training and socialization are musts. Rottweilers must be exercised daily, but require minimal grooming maintenance.

General Appearance
The ideal Rottweiler is a medium large, robust and powerful dog, black with clearly defined rust markings. His compact and substantial build denotes great strength, agility and endurance. Dogs are characteristically more massive throughout with larger frame and heavier bone than bitches. Bitches are distinctly feminine, but without weakness of substance or structure.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Dogs–24 inches to 27 inches. Bitches–22 inches to 25 inches, with preferred size being mid-range of each sex. Correct proportion is of primary importance, as long as size is within the standard’s range. The length of body, from prosternum to the rearmost projection of the rump, is slightly longer than the height of the dog at the withers, the most desirable proportion of the height to length being 9 to 10. The Rottweiler is neither coarse nor shelly. Depth of chest is approximately fifty percent (50%) of the height of the dog. His bone and muscle mass must be sufficient to balance his frame, giving a compact and very powerful appearance. Serious Faults–Lack of proportion, undersized, oversized, reversal of sex characteristics (bitchy dogs, doggy bitches).

Head
Of medium length, broad between the ears; forehead line seen in profile is moderately arched; zygomatic arch and stop well developed with strong broad upper and lower jaws. The desired ratio of backskull to muzzle is 3 to 2. Forehead is preferred dry, however some wrinkling may occur when dog is alert. Expression is noble, alert, and self-assured. Eyes of medium size, almond shaped with well fitting lids, moderately deep-set, neither protruding nor receding. The desired color is a uniform dark brown. Serious Faults–Yellow (bird of prey) eyes, eyes of different color or size, hairless eye rim. Disqualification–Entropion. Ectropion. Ears of medium size, pendant, triangular in shape; when carried alertly the ears are level with the top of the skull and appear to broaden it. Ears are to be set well apart, hanging forward with the inner edge lying tightly against the head and terminating at approximately mid-cheek. Serious Faults–Improper carriage (creased, folded or held away from cheek/head). Muzzle–Bridge is straight, broad at base with slight tapering towards tip. The end of the muzzle is broad with well developed chin. Nose is broad rather than round and always black. Lips-Always black; corners closed; inner mouth pigment is preferred dark. Serious Faults–Total lack of mouth pigment (pink mouth). Bite and Dentition–Teeth 42 in number (20 upper, 22 lower), strong, correctly placed, meeting in a scissors bite–lower incisors touching inside of upper incisors. Serious Faults–Level bite; any missing tooth. Disqualifications–Overshot, undershot (when incisors do not touch or mesh); wry mouth; two or more missing teeth.

Neck, Topline, Body
Neck–Powerful, well muscled, moderately long, slightly arched and without loose skin. Topline–The back is firm and level, extending in a straight line from behind the withers to the croup. The back remains horizontal to the ground while the dog is moving or standing. Body–The chest is roomy, broad and deep, reaching to elbow, with well pronounced forechest and well sprung, oval ribs. Back is straight and strong. Loin is short, deep and well muscled. Croup is broad, of medium length and only slightly sloping. Underline of a mature Rottweiler has a slight tuck-up. Males must have two normal testicles properly descended into the scrotum. Disqualification–Unilateral cryptorchid or cryptorchid males. Tail–Tail docked short, close to body, leaving one or two tail vertebrae. The set of the tail is more important than length. Properly set, it gives an impression of elongation of topline; carried slightly above horizontal when the dog is excited or moving.

Forequarters
Shoulder blade is long and well laid back. Upper arm equal in length to shoulder blade, set so elbows are well under body. Distance from withers to elbow and elbow to ground is equal. Legs are strongly developed with straight, heavy bone, not set close together. Pasterns are strong, springy and almost perpendicular to the ground. Feet are round, compact with well arched toes, turning neither in nor out. Pads are thick and hard. Nails short, strong and black. Dewclaws may be removed.

Hindquarters
Angulation of hindquarters balances that of forequarters. Upper thigh is fairly long, very broad and well muscled. Stifle joint is well turned. Lower thigh is long, broad and powerful, with extensive muscling leading into a strong hock joint. Rear pasterns are nearly perpendicular to the ground. Viewed from the rear, hind legs are straight, strong and wide enough apart to fit with a properly built body. Feet are somewhat longer than the front feet, turning neither in nor out, equally compact with well arched toes. Pads are thick and hard. Nails short, strong, and black. Dewclaws must be removed.

Coat
Outer coat is straight, coarse, dense, of medium length and lying flat. Undercoat should be present on neck and thighs, but the amount is influenced by climatic conditions. Undercoat should not show through outer coat. The coat is shortest on head, ears and legs, longest on breeching. The Rottweiler is to be exhibited in the natural condition with no trimming. Fault–Wavy coat. Serious Faults–Open, excessively short, or curly coat; total lack of undercoat; any trimming that alters the length of the natural coat. Disqualification–Long coat.

Color
Always black with rust to mahogany markings. The demarcation between black and rust is to be clearly defined. The markings should be located as follows: a spot over each eye; on cheeks; as a strip around each side of muzzle, but not on the bridge of the nose; on throat; triangular mark on both sides of prosternum;on forelegs from carpus downward to the toes; on inside of rear legs showing down the front of the stifle and broadening out to front of rear legs from hock to toes, but not completely eliminating black from rear of pasterns; un-der tail; black penciling on toes. The undercoat is gray, tan, or black. Quantity and location of rust markings is important and should not exceed ten percent of body color. Serious Faults–Straw-colored, excessive, insufficient or sooty markings; rust marking other than described above; white marking any place on dog (a few rust or white hairs do not constitute a marking). Disqualifications–Any base color other than black; absence of all markings.

Gait
The Rottweiler is a trotter. His movement should be balanced, harmonious, sure, powerful and unhindered, with strong forereach and a powerful rear drive. The motion is effortless, efficient, and ground-covering. Front and rear legs are thrown neither in nor out, as the imprint of hind feet should touch that of forefeet. In a trot the forequarters and hindquarters are mutually coordinated while the back remains level, firm and relatively motionless. As speed increases the legs will converge under body towards a center line.

Temperament
The Rottweiler is basically a calm, confident and courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. A Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in his environment. He has an inherent desire to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making him especially suited as a companion, guardian and general all-purpose dog.

The behavior of the Rottweiler in the show ring should be controlled, willing and adaptable, trained to submit to examination of mouth, testicles, etc. An aloof or reserved dog should not be penalized, as this reflects the accepted character of the breed. An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs should not be faulted.

A judge shall excuse from the ring any shy Rottweiler. A dog shall be judged fundamentally shy if, refusing to stand for examination, it shrinks away from the judge. A dog that in the opinion of the judge menaces or threatens him/her, or exhibits any sign that it may not be safely approached or examined by the judge in the normal manner, shall be excused from the ring. A dog that in the opinion of the judge attacks any person in the ring shall be disqualified.

Summary :
Faults :
The foregoing is a description of the ideal Rottweiler. Any structural fault that detracts from the above described working dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation.

Disqualifications :
Entropion, ectropion. Overshot, undershot (when incisors do not touch or mesh); wry mouth; two or more missing teeth. Unilateral cryptorchid or cryptorchid males. Long coat. Any base color other than black; absence of all markings. A dog that in the opinion of the judge attacks any person in the ring.

german shepherd dogs

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German Shepherd Dog

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The German Shepherd Dog (also known as an Alsatian; German: Deutscher Schäferhund or just the German Shepherd) is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding and guarding sheep. Because of its strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training it is often employed in police and military roles around the world. German Shepherds currently account for 4.6% of all dogs registered with the American Kennel Club. Due to its loyal and protective nature, the German Shepherd is one of the most registered of breeds.

History :
Origins :
In Europe during the 1800s, attempts were being made to standardise breeds. The dogs were bred to preserve traits that assisted in their job of herding sheep and protecting flocks from predators. In Germany this was practiced within local communities, where shepherds selected and bred dogs that they believed had traits necessary for herding sheep, such as intelligence, speed, strength, and keen senses of smell. The results were dogs that were able to perform admirably in their task, but that differed significantly, both in appearance and ability, from one locality to another.

To combat these differences, the Phylax Society was formed in 1891 with the intention of creating standardised dog breeds in Germany. The society disbanded after only three years due to ongoing internal conflicts regarding the traits in dogs that the society should promote; some members believed dogs should be bred solely for working purposes, while others believed dogs should be bred also for appearance. While unsuccessful in their goal, the Phylax Society had inspired people to pursue standardising dog breeds independently
Max von Stephanitz, an ex-cavalry captain and former student of the Berlin Veterinary College, was one such ex-member. He believed strongly that dogs should be bred for working.
In 1899, Von Stephanitz was attending a dog show when he was shown a dog named Hektor Linksrhein. Hektor was the product of few generations of selective breeding and completely fulfilled what Von Stephanitz believed a working dog should be. He was pleased with the strength of the dog and was so taken by the animal’s intelligence and loyalty, that he purchased it immediately. After purchasing the dog he changed its name to Horand von Grafrath and Von Stephanitz founded the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (Society for the German Shepherd Dog). Horand was declared to be the first German Shepherd Dog and was the first dog added to the society’s breed register.

Horand became the centre-point of the breeding programs and was bred with dogs belonging to other society members that displayed desirable traits. Although fathering many pups, Horand’s most successful was Hektor von Schwaben. Hektor was inbred with another of Horand’s offspring and produced Beowulf, who later fathered a total of eighty-four pups, mostly through being inbred with Hektor’s other offspring. In the original German Shepherd studbook, Zuchtbuch fur Deutsche Schaferhunde (SZ), within the 2 pages of entries from SZ #41 to SZ #76, there are 4 Wolf Crosses. Beowulf’s progeny also were inbred and it is from these pups that all German Shepherds draw a genetic link. It is believed the society accomplished its goal mostly due to Von Stephanitz’s strong, uncompromising leadership and he is therefore credited with being the creator of the German Shepherd Dog

Popularity :
When the UK Kennel Club first accepted registrations for the breed in 1919, fifty-four dogs were registered, and by 1926 this number had grown to over 8,000. The breed first gained international recognition at the decline of World War I after returning soldiers spoke highly of the breed, and animal actors Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart popularised the breed further. The first German Shepherd Dog registered in the United States was Queen of Switzerland; however, her offspring suffered from defects as the result of poor breeding, which caused the breed to suffer a decline in popularity during the late 1920s.

Popularity increased again after the German Shepherd Sieger Pfeffer von Bern became the 1937 and 1938 Grand Victor in American Kennel club dog shows, only to suffer another decline at the conclusion of World War II, due to anti-German sentiment of the time. As time progressed, their popularity increased gradually until 1993, when they became the third most popular breed in the United States. As of 2009, the breed was the second most popular in the US. Additionally, the breed is typically among the most popular in other registries. The German Shepherd Dog’s physique is very well suited to athletic competition. They commonly compete in shows and competitions such as agility trials.

Name :
The breed was named Deutscher Schäferhund by Von Stephanitz, literally translating to “German Shepherd Dog”. The breed was so named due to its original purpose of assisting shepherds in herding and protecting sheep. At the time, all other herding dogs in Germany were referred to by this name; they thus became known as Altdeutsche Schäferhunde or Old German Shepherd Dogs. Shepherds were first exported to Britain in 1908, and the UK Kennel Club began to recognise the breed in 1919.

The direct translation of the name was adopted for use in the official breed registry; however, at the conclusion of World War I, it was believed that the inclusion of the word “German” would harm the breed’s popularity, due to the anti-German sentiment of the era. The breed was officially renamed by the UK Kennel Club to “Alsatian Wolf Dog” which was also adopted by many other international kennel clubs. Eventually, the appendage “wolf dog” was dropped. The name Alsatian remained for five decades, until 1977, when successful campaigns by dog enthusiasts pressured the British kennel clubs to allow the breed to be registered again as German Shepherd Dogs. The word “Alsatian” still appeared in parentheses as part of the formal breed name and was only removed in 2010.

Modern breed :
The modern German Shepherd is criticized for straying away from von Stephanitz’s original ideology for the breed: that German Shepherds should be bred primarily as working dogs, and that breeding should be strictly controlled to eliminate defects quickly. Critics believe that careless breeding has promoted disease and other defects. Under the breeding programs overseen by von Stephanitz, defects were quickly bred out; however, in modern times without regulation on breeding, genetic problems such as color-paling, hip dysplasia, monorchidism, weakness of temperament, and missing teeth are common, as well as bent or folded ears which never fully turn up when reaching adulthood

Description :
German Shepherds are a large sized dog which generally are between 55 and 65 centimetres (22 and 26 in) at the withers and weigh between 22 and 40 kilograms (49 and 88 lb). The ideal height is 63 centimetres (25 in), according to Kennel Club standards. They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle and a black nose. The jaws are strong, with a scissor-like bite. The eyes are medium-sized and brown with a lively, intelligent, and self-assured look. The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. They have a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace. The tail is bushy and reaches to the hock
German Shepherds can be a variety of colors, the most common of which are the red, tan, brown, black, tan/black and red/black varieties. Both varieties have black masks and black body markings which can range from a classic “saddle” to an over-all “blanket.” Rarer colour variations include the sable, all-black, all-white, liver, and blue varieties. The all-black and sable varieties are acceptable according to most standards; however, the blue and liver are considered to be serious faults and the all-white is grounds for instant disqualification in some standards.

German Shepherds sport a double coat. The outer coat, which is shed all year round, is close and dense with a thick undercoat. The coat is accepted in two variants; medium and long. The long-hair gene is recessive, making the long-hair variety rarer. Treatment of the long-hair variation differs across standards; they are accepted under the German and UK Kennel Clubs but are considered a fault in the American Kennel Club.

Intelligence :
German Shepherds were bred specifically for their intelligence, a trait for which they are now renowned. They are considered to be the third most intelligent breed of dog, behind Border Collies and Poodles. In the book The Intelligence of Dogs, author Stanley Coren ranked the breed third for intelligence. He found that they had the ability to learn simple tasks after only five repetitions and obeyed the first command given 95% of the time. Coupled with their strength, this trait makes the breed desirable as police, guard, and search and rescue dogs, as they are able to quickly learn various tasks and interpret instructions better than other large breeds.

Aggression and biting :
German Shepherd Dogs are among the top five most popular dogs in the United States according to American Kennel Club statistics and well-trained and socialized German Shepherd Dogs have a reputation among many as being very safe (see temperament section below). In the United States, one source suggests that German Shepherd Dogs are responsible for more reported bitings than any other breed, and suggest a tendency to attack smaller breeds of dogs.

An Australian report from 1999 provides statistics showing that German Shepherd Dogs are the third breed most likely to attack a person in some Australian locales.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which advises on dog bite prevention and related matters, states “There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.”

Similarly, the American Veterinary Medical Association through its Task Force on Canine Aggression and Canine-Human Interactions reports, “There are several reasons why it is not possible to calculate a bite rate for a breed or to compare rates between breeds. First, the breed of the biting dog may not be accurately recorded, and mixed-breed dogs are commonly described as if they were purebreds. Second, the actual number of bites that occur in a community is not known, especially if they did not result in serious injury. Third, the number of dogs of a particular breed or combination of breeds in a community is not known, because it is rare for all dogs in a community to be licensed, and existing licensing data is then incomplete.” Moreover, studies rely on ‘reported’ bites, leading the National Geographic Channel television show The Dog Whisperer to conclude that small dog breeds are likely responsible for more bites than large dog breeds, but often go unreported.

In addition, according to the National Geographic Channel television show, Dangerous Encounters, the bite of a German Shepherd Dog has a force of over 238 pounds (~108 kilograms) (compared with that of a Rottweiler, over 265-328 pounds (~120-149 kilograms) of force, a Pit bull, 235 pounds (~107 kilograms) of force, a Labrador Retriever, of approximately 230 pounds (~104 kilograms) of force, or a human, of approximately 86 pounds (~39 kilograms) of force). Regardless, one source indicates that fatalities have been attributed to over 30 breeds since 1975, including small breeds, such as the Pomeranian.

Temperament :
German Shepherds are highly active dogs, and described in breed standards as self-assured. The breed is marked by a willingness to learn and an eagerness to have a purpose. Shepherds have a loyal nature and bond well with people they know. However, they can become over-protective of their family and territory, especially if not socialized correctly. They are not inclined to become immediate friends with strangers. German Shepherds are highly intelligent and obedient. Some people believe they require a “firm hand”, but more recent research into training methods has shown they respond better to positive, reward based training methods.

Health :
Many common ailments of the German Shepherds are a result of the inbreeding required early in the breed’s life. One such common issue is hip and elbow dysplasia which may lead to the dog experiencing pain in later life, and may cause arthritis. A study by the University of Zurich in police working dogs found that 45% were affected by degenerative spinal stenosis, although the sample studied was small. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals found that 19.1% of German Shepherd are affected by hip dysplasia. Due to the large and open nature of their ears, Shepherds are prone to ear infections.German Shepherds, like all large bodied dogs, are prone to bloat.

The average lifespan of a German Shepherd is 9.7 years, which is normal for a dog of their size. Degenerative myelopathy, a neurological disease, occurs with enough regularity specifically in the breed to suggest that the breed is predisposed to it. Additionally, German Shepherd Dogs have a higher than normal incidence of Von Willebrand Disease, a common inherited bleeding disorder.

Controversy :
The Kennel Club is currently embroiled in a dispute with German Shepherd breed clubs about the issue of soundness in the show-strain breed. The show-strains have been bred with an extremely sloping back that causes poor gait and disease in the hind legs. Working-pedigree lines, such as those in common use as service dogs, generally retain the traditional straight back of the breed and do not suffer these problems to the same extent. The debate was catalyzed when the issue was raised in the BBC documentary, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which said that critics of the breed describe it as “half dog, half frog”. An orthopedic vet remarked on footage of dogs in a show ring that they were “not normal”.

The Kennel Club’s position is that “this issue of soundness is not a simple difference of opinion, it is the fundamental issue of the breed’s essential conformation and movement.” The Kennel Club has decided to retrain judges to penalize dogs suffering these problems. It is also insisting on more testing for hemophilia and hip dysplasia, other common problems with the breed.

Breed clubs have typically responded that they feel they are being vilified for issues they were already aware of and attempting to address before the media storm erupted.

Use as working dogs :
German Shepherds are a very popular selection for use as working dogs. They are especially well known for their police work, being used for tracking criminals, patrolling troubled areas, and detection and holding of suspects. Additionally thousands of German Shepherds have been used by the military. Usually trained for scout duty, they are used to warn soldiers to the presence of enemies or of booby traps or other hazards. German Shepherds have also been trained by military groups to parachute from aircraft.

The German Shepherd Dog is one of the most widely used breeds in a wide variety of scent-work roles. These include search and rescue, cadaver searching, narcotics detection, explosives detection, accelerant detection, and mine detection dog, among others. They are suited for these lines of work because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions.

At one time the German Shepherd Dog was the breed chosen almost exclusively to be used as a guide dog for the visually impaired. In recent years, Labradors and Golden Retrievers have been more widely used for this work, although there are still German Shepherds being trained. A versatile breed, they excel in this field due to their strong sense of duty, their mental abilities, their fearlessness, and their attachment to their owner.
German Shepherd Dogs are used for herding and tending sheep grazing in meadows next to gardens and crop fields. They are expected to patrol the boundaries to keep sheep from trespassing and damaging the crops. In Germany and other places these skills are tested in utility dog trials also known as HGH (Herdengebrauchshund) herding utility dog trials.

W.E. by medonna(2011) movie review …

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Madonna’s film about the celebrated romance between King Edward VIII and the twice divorced Mrs Wallis Simpson, and the grave constitutional crisis it caused, is exquisitely done — but it’s going prove divisive.
A lot of people will loathe it, simply because it’s been made by Madonna.
But if they were to watch it with no knowledge of who directed, they would be pleasantly surprised. They might even find much of it enjoyable, although the odd moment may have them wondering if Madge has committed treason.
Whatever your feelings about Ms Ciccone, it’s impossible to refute that her film brings to the screen one of the most compelling love stories in history.
It also happens to be one of the best-dressed movies of the year. The costumes, as you would expect from the original material girl, are eye-popping. In fact, the whole thing looks fantastic — it’s designer Viagra.
W.E. (the title stands for the initials of the two lovebirds Wallis and Edward, although he close family and his mistresses called him David) subverts the Royal Family heritage genre by introducing a modern-day parallel, about an unhappily married New Yorker named Wally Winthrop. Madonna uses this second storyline to counterpoint and comment on what happened to the Duchess of Windsor (as Mrs Simpson became when she finally married the King after he renounced the throne for her).
What can a foreign singer who has spent the past three decades re-inventing herself, and her hair-style, possibly know about our Royal Family’s history, and the intricacies of a crisis that remains sensitive seven decades after it captivated the world?
Well, it would seem she knows a lot — although experts on the Abdication are bound to find fault (and they might have something to say about her insistence that the Duke and Duchess were not Nazi sympathisers).

But the director is clearly up to the challenge of defending herself. She studied the crisis for years before deciding to make this movie.
We all know that the affair cost the King his kingdom, and an empire. But Madonna the film-maker, who wrote the screenplay with her old friend Alek Keshishian, raises the question of what it cost Mrs Simpson.
To be sure, she became the Duchess of Windsor and lived a life of luxury but, as Mrs Simpson (played beautifully by Andrea Riseborough) points out, the King ‘used me to escape his prison, only to incarcerate me in my own’.
Poor old Mrs Simpson would have been happier if she could have shaken cocktails for His majesty while remaining married to second husband Ernest Simpson.
She would have been happier, too, if she could have thrown a few of those cocktails over the Queen Mother, who went around calling her a trollop.

But Madonna’s astute enough not to push it too far.
Some people have spent two years sharpening their knives for this film, but there have been at least two recent biographies of the Duchess that support much of Madonna’s view.
Those knives were also out because rough-cut previews suggested the film was destined to be another of Madge’s famous flops. Rumour had it that the two-tier love story was cumbersome.

Actually, the device is a breath of fresh air and I think it will make the movie accessible to younger audiences.
Whether it can do the kind of box office business The King’s Speech did is another matter.
However clever, the storyline of Wally and her Russian security boyfriend (played wellby Oscar Isaacs) is simply not as gripping as the real royal romance at the heart of the film.
There will also be misgivings over the inclusion of an actor playing Mohamed al Fayed, who gets a scene in the film because Wally wants access to the Duchess’s letters, and al Fayed purchased the Duke and Duchess’s Paris villa and its contents.

There were early drafts of the script that had the Duchess dancing with her pugs to the Sex Pistol’s God Save The Queen while her husband lay in bed under an oxygen mask and other medical apparatus.
Madonna opted instead to have the Duchess do the twist, as Chubby Checker’s great hit plays on a gramophone. It’s a fun scene — and typical of the best moments in this movie, which occur when Madonna has the courage of her convictions and breaks the rules in the way Baz Luhrmann does. It’s a fictionalised story based on facts, after all — not a documentary.
There’s a scene where the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson are with friends, dozing in comfy chairs.
The Prince, portrayed superbly as a blonde, blue-eyed boy by James D’Arcy, screams that he’s going to wake the party up by popping Benzedrine into the champagne.
Mrs Simpson hitches up her designer gown and dances the Charleston to the Sex Pistols. ‘We’re so pretty, we’re so pretty vacant’ the song goes, and it’s a sizzling moment that encapsulates the life of deluxe hedonism the couple led.
Wally (played by Abbie Cornish) is obsessed with the Duchess’s life. She gets to preview the Sotheby’s auction of the contents of the Duke and Duchess’s Paris villa on the Bois de Boulogne. She walks through rooms of furniture — the George III mahogany library table at which Edward signed his Abdication — past piles of linen, including the crepe de chine bed sheets the duchess insisted on being ironed twice a day.

At one point, Wally holds up a tablecloth emblazoned with the duchess’s cypher — two intertwined W’s woven like a butterfly. As she studies it, the scene cuts to the duchess overseeing the planning for a dinner party and the same tablecloth is being smoothed over the table. She sprays scent over the placements and instructs her maids to use shorter candles because, she explains, ‘the light needs to be just above eye level to be flattering’.
All this interior design porn, the sumptuous sofas, the castles, the Mayfair apartments, the south of France villas is fascinating, of course, but it also symbolises a life beyond the reach of all but a handful of us.
Madonna has lived such a life herself and knows it is meaningless unless you have someone you love to share it with.

W.E movie trailer: