Bernese Mountain Dogs - Hairy, Faithful, Fun!

The Bernese Mountain Dog

Some of you may never have heard of a Bernese Mountain Dog. Well they are a versatile breed of farm dogs that originated in the canton of Berne in Switzerland, thus their name, "Bernese".

Bernese Mountain Dogs are often called “Berner” for short and they are a tri-colored large dog. They stand 23 to 27.5 inches tall and can weigh anywhere from 65 to 120 pounds. Now let’s talk about their distinctive tri-colored pattern. Their body, neck, legs, head, and ears are solid black. Their cheeks, stockings and thumbprints are a rust or tan color and lastly, their chest, muzzle, tail tip and blaze between the eyes are white. Their eyes are dark brown and with any other breed the males are a bit larger than the females but both sexes are extremely strong.

The temperament for these large dogs is pretty good. They are a well-behaved breed but they need plenty of exercise and activity in their lives. Although they don’t have much endurance, they can move with a great deal of speed for short distances when motivated. They are also very affectionate, loyal, faithful and rather intelligent. Also, they mostly like to keep to their owner and stick by their side, so they are known for leaning against or sitting on their owner’s feet.

The Bernese Mountain Dog can pull small carts and wagons, which was the task the originally performed in Switzerland. If you train them properly they can even give children rides in small carts. So, if you are looking for a sweet temperament dog who loves being around children and the family, this breed might be for you and heck you could even train them to pull your children around the backyard in a wagon.

On the other hand, if you would just love to have a hairy Bernese stay by your side, you could opt for the stuffed animal dog here: Bernese Mountain Dog Stuffed Animal.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernese_Mountain_Dog

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Husky - The Cool Dog!

Siberian Huskies are fascinating. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with their intense blue eyes. However, did you know that not all Siberian Huskies have blue eyes? Some have brown while others will have one brown and one blue. Even more interesting is that some might have a “parti-colored” eye which means that half of their eye is brown and the other half is blue. Surprisingly enough all of these eye color configurations are considered acceptable by the American Kennel Club.

The Siberian Husky males usually stand 21 to 23.5 inches tall and weigh 45 to 60 pounds where the females stand 20 to 22 inches tall and weigh 35 to 50 pounds. Siberian Huskies can exhibit a “snow nose” or “winter nose” which means their nose is a flesh colored instead of the normal, black, gray or tan color.

You might be aware that Siberian Huskies are best known for dog sled racing. However, nowadays, they are only occasionally used as a sled dog and have instead been replaced by the Alaskan Husky, a crossbreed hound dog. On the other hand, they are still used in races restricted to purebreds. The Siberian Husky is also very popular for recreational mushing and skijoring (which is where three dogs pull a skier).

I’m going to leave you with some interesting facts about the Siberian Husky. One thing that I fond interesting about these dogs is they like to talk. They hardly ever bark, but they like to make these wolf like howls, yodels and woos. They also love to dig. That seems to be their favorite pastime, so beware of that if you are considering them as a pet. Also, SiberianHuskies can withstand extreme heat as well as extreme cold, but that doesn’t mean you should expose them to high temperatures.

Now, if you're just looking for the stuffed animal dog variety, I have a very cute Husky here: PlushToySafari.com!. We welcome you to our store and hope you enjoy your stay!

References:
Huskies 5 Not So Common Facts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Husky

Labradors - The Most Likeable Dogs!

Can you guess which dog is considered the most popular breed of dog in the world? If you guessed the Labrador you would be correct. As well as being the most popular breed in the world Labradors, affectionately called Labs, are the most popular breed to be used for assistant dogs in the United States, Australia and several other countries, as well as being used for police work.

One might wonder why Labradors are the most popular and why they are more commonly used in assisting people. It has a lot to do with their temperament. They are very gentle, intelligent, energetic, affable, and good natured dogs which in return makes them excellent companions as well as excellent working dogs.

I assume you are aware that Labradors are a relatively large breed of dog. The males typically stand 22.5-24.5 inches tall and should weigh 65 to 80 pounds and the females are 21.5-22.5 inches tall and should weigh 55 to 70 pounds. Labs come in three recognized colors, black which is a (solid black,) yellow (ranging from a light cream color to a golden color) and chocolate (medium to dark brown). Interestingly enough there is no purebred dog called a Golden Labrador. They are either called Golden Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers.

Now if you want to join thousands of other people in the world and get a Labrador there a few things you should know before you run off and buy one. Unfortunately, Labs are known to have an oral fixation issue, so if you have a lot of valuable or priceless objects in your house, you might not want this particular breed as a pet. If their chewing doesn’t bother you, just make sure you provide them with plenty of chew toys and dog proof your house. Also don’t hesitate to start training your puppy early. You might also want to consider crate training them at a very young age so you won’t have to worry about them destroying your house.

Also Labs can get a little crazy as puppies so you need to make sure you can devote the necessary time to training them and getting them the right amount of exercise they need.

If you are just interested in having one as a stuffed animal dog, then we'll be happy to have you visit us at PlushToySafari.com! Whoof!

References:
Labrador Retriever
http://www.loveyourdog.com/facts.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever

Zebras That Make You Smile

What is it about Zebras that make you smile when you see them? Is it their distinctive white and black stripes, or their erect mohawklike manes, or is it the fact that they look and act so much like their relative the horse. I personally think it’s all of them above.

Zebras are usually very social animals that travel in larger herds consisting of a stallion, several mares, and their offspring. Zebras are typically 8 feet long and stand about 4 to 5 feet tall. They normally weigh in at about 660 pounds but some have been know to weigh as much as 900 pounds. Zebras can live up to 20 to 30 years in the wild and up to 40 in a zoo. Their gestation period is about 12 to 14 months depending on the species. When the foal is born they can weigh up to 55 to 88 pounds.

Now let’s talk about those famous stripes Zebras are so well known for. Did you know that zebras are actually black or dark colored animals with white stripes. Their stripes are as unique to them as our finger prints are to us. Some zebras actually have brown “shadow stripes” that are in between their white and black coloring. Most zoologists believe zebras stripes act as a camouflage mechanism. Their vertical stripes help them hide in the grass. I know this might sound ridiculous because grass is green, not black or white, but it's suppose to be effective against lions. Guess why? Lions are color blind and are zebras are their number one prey. Also a herd of zebra can confuse a predator, since seeing a huge mass of vertical stripes going in every direction when being chased makes it really difficult for a predator to focus on one individual.

The best attribute of the zebra has to be their sense, hands down. They have excellent eyesight and it is believed that they can actually see in color. They also have night vision, although it isn’t as advanced as their predators, but their great hearing makes up for that. Just like their relative, the horse, they can turn their ear in just about any direction. Along with their great eyesight and hearing they have an acute sense of smell and taste.

Now that you know a little about zebras and their stripes, I’ll leave you with a few more interesting facts about the zebra:

1. They can run up to 35 miles per hour
2. They communicate with each other with high pitched barks and whinnying.
3. They have also been heard snorting.
4. Lastly, after only an hour has passed after its birth, a foal (baby zebra) can already run.

Are you into zebras and would love to have a real one? If you couldn't have a real one, how about a zebra stuffed animal? We would love for you to check out our zebras in three different sizes by visiting PlushToySafari.com. Have a great day!

Resources:
Zebra Facts
http://www.kritterfacts.com/zebrafacts1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra

Plush Toys

Plush Toys

Have you every wondered what the difference between stuffed animals and plush toys are? Absolutely nothing. People in the United States typically refer to stuffed animals as plush toys or stuffed animals interchangeably. The British refer to stuffed animals as soft toys or cuddly toys and may or may not refer to plush toys as stuffed animals. Plush Toys are made of the same material as stuffed animals such as polyester, acrylic, modacrylic, wool, wool/cotton, mohair, and alpaca as well as fake fur.

The most popular and famous plush toy in the United States would probably have to the Beanie Baby. In 1993, Ty Warner debuted the first nine Beanie Babies, but they didn’t actually hit the shelves until 1994. After 1994 Ty Inc, started introducing nine to twelve new Beanie Babies every six months. By 1995 these cute little guys had created a Beanie Baby phenomenon and Ty Inc, simply cold not keep up with the supply and demand for these little guys. That's when it became nearly impossible to get your hands on one.

Ironically, Beanie Babies do not contain any beans what so ever. They consist of two materials. Plastic pellets and polyester fiber fill. The plastic pellets are typically made off polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE). The outer skins of these little guys are made of synethic plush.

Just like stuffed animals, plush toys are not really known to have allergens. The only problem allergies associated with them would be if you where allergic to one of the materials used to make them. However, you should stay away from plush toys that are stuffed with real fur, this could aggravate any allergy symptoms one may have. Also, to avoid allergy attacks you should frequently place your plush toy in a Ziploc bag and place it in the freezer for 24 hours. This will kill all the dust mites which highly aggravate a lot of people with allergies.

Looking for plush toys to bring home to your favorite someone? PlushToySafari.com is the place to visit. Come on in and have fun looking around. PlushToySafari.com - Where Imaginations Run Wild!

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuffed_animal
http://www.allergy.hhsys.org/allergyq.html
Bean Bag Plush Toy Facts

Safari Animals

Have you every dreamed of going on an African Safari, visiting the real habitat of Safari Animals? Well if you have and do not have the funds to travel to Africa, then I might have a solution your can afford. Don’t worry this solution will still enable you to see all the safari animals you would see in Africa. You also won’t have to deal with the hot African weather and you will still have all the conveniences around that you are accustomed to.

The solution that I am speaking of is The Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This is definitely the best place to experience the whole safari experience as well as seeing practically every animal that lives in the safari. The best part is that you do not have to leave the country to do so, that is if you live in the United States. Disney has truly made it feel like you have stepped into Africa when you board your safari truck, which is just like one you would board if you were in Africa going on a real safari. The atmosphere is identical to what you would find in Africa. There are trees, bushes, ponds, rocks, grass and dirt just like the real deal.

You are truly in for a surprise if you want to see safari animals. During this ride you will encounter birds, antelope, black rhinos, white rhinos, warthogs, ostriches, giraffes, zebras, crocodiles, hippos, baboons, white bearded wildebeests, elephants and lions the list goes on. I’ve also seen a Komodo dragon and a cheetah during one of my visits. The best part about this safari experience is a good number of the animals will come super close to the truck so you can get great pictures of them. There is no need to worry about the lions coming too close to the truck. Although they look like they are just resting on a rock near by, they are actually in a deep pit-like area that is camouflaged by the landscaping. Also, they sleep most of the day so you rarely get to see them very active unless you go in the morning.

All that being said, if you have always wanted to travel to Africa to go on a safari and just don’t have the money, I would highly recommend The Kilimanjaro Safari Ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You truly will feel like you have entered a little piece of Africa in Orlando. Also, if you want to see the most animals during your ride make sure you are there early in the morning and make sure you have your camera ready at all times. A good amount of the safari animals are within arms reach when the truck stops. I have several pictures from the safari ride that look like postcards.

Want some plush toys for your Kid Safari Room or perhaps your child wants to be an animal with one of our kid animal costumes. No doubt, you will enjoy all that PlushToySafari.com has to offer. We look forward to your visit!