Today the Westminster Dog Show opens and six "new" dog breeds will be competing for the first time.

These breeds -- American English Coonhound, Cesky Terrier, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Finnish Lapphund, Norwegian Lundehund and Xoloitzcuintle (a.k.a. Mexican Hairless) -- are old friends of Petfinder, and with the exception of the Cesky Terrier, all of them are available for adoption today. Meet them here!

English Coonhound
See adoptable English Coonhounds

American English Coonhounds were originally bred to hunt foxes during the day and raccoons at night. If you're considering adopting one, keep in mind that these athletes need regular exercise and activity!
Entlebucher Mountain Dog
See Entlebucher Mountain Dogs for adoption

This Swiss breed, related to the Bernese Mountain Dog and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, traditionally herded cows in the Alps. Entlebuchers are smart and energetic and need lots of exercise -- and, ideally, a job!

Finnish Lapphund
See adoptable Finnish Lapphunds

These medium-sized dogs originated in the frigid Lapland region, where they herded reindeer. Thanks to their thick double coat, they shed seasonally and don't tolerate heat well.
Norwegian Lundehund
See adoptable Norwegian Lundehunds

This rare Spitz breed was first bred to hunt Puffins from steep cliffs. Its unique features include feet with six toes, ears that can fold forward and backward at will and an extremely flexible neck.
Xoloitzcuintle
See adoptable Xoloitzcuintles

The Xoloitzcuintle (sometimes spelled Xoloitzcuintli and pronounced show-low-eats-queen-tlee) can be traced back to the Aztecs. In Mexico, Xolos are thought to heal minor ailments such as toothaches and insomnia.

Steve Dale is host of the nationally syndicated radio show Steve Dale's Pet World and The Pet Minute with Steve Dale. His column, My Pet World (in which this post originally appeared) is carried in more than 100 newspapers nationwide. Steve also serves on the board of directors for the American Humane Association.

Q: Flatulence is the problem for my 12-year-old Pug. It's a heavy ammonia-like smell which he's been giving off lately. He likes to sleep above my head, so you can understand why this is a problem. My husband just turns around and laughs.

My dog eats wet food with a bit of cooked chicken breast. What can we do? -- K.U., Las Vegas

A: Are you sure it's the dog? Maybe there's another explanation for your husband's amusement.

Ask any veterinarian about a Pug with flatulence, and the answer will be, "Well, he's a Pug, isn't he?" However, Dr. Kenny Simpson, internal medicine specialist and a professor of small animal medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, NY, is concerned about that ammonia smell.

Nobody likes to think about the death of a pet. But if we understand what diseases are most likely to affect them, we can tailor their veterinary care to give them the best chance at a long and healthy life.

That's the thinking behind a landmark study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine that looks at the causes of death by breed among nearly 75,000 dogs over a 20-year period.

The authors classified the deaths by organ system (for example, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal) and ailment type (e.g. infectious disease, trauma) for 82 breeds.

Here are the most common causes of death for some popular breeds, with organ system listed first, followed by type of ailment:

• Bulldogs: respiratory; neoplastic (tumors, cancer or other abnormal proliferations of cells)
• Chihuahuas: cardiovascular; trauma
• Golden Retrievers: hematopoietic (diseases of the blood); neoplastic
  
• Great Danes: gastrointestinal; neoplastic
  
• Huskies: gastrointestinal; neoplastic
  
• Maltese: cardiovascular; congenital
  
• Pomeranians: gastrointestinal; trauma
  
• Rottweilers: musculoskeletal; neoplastic
  
• Shih Tzus: urogenital; neoplastic
  

Larger breeds, they found, are more likely to die as a result of cancer, gastrointestinal disease and musculoskeletal disease (disease of the muscle or bone), while smaller breeds are more likely to die from Cushing's disease, diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

The study confirmed some conventional wisdom and offered up some surprises -- find out what after the jump.

Yesterday a Scottish Deerhound named Hickory was named Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show.

Check out our dog breed guide to learn more about the Scottish Deerhound -- a "low-key and easygoing" dog who likes to "run and chase anything that moves" outdoors -- or browse the 11 adoptable Scottish Deerhounds and Scottish Deerhound mixes posted on Petfinder.

Want to adopt another winning breed? Check out the adoptable dogs of breeds that won Best of Group:

Toy
Winner: Palacegarden Malachy, a Pekingese
Meet the 920 Pekingese and Pekingese mixes on Petfinder.

Non-Sporting
Winner: Miss Jayne Hathaway, a Chinese Shar-Pei
Meet the 1,763 Shar Peis and Shar Pei mixes on Petfinder.

Herding
Winner: Mister Baggins, a Bearded Collie
Meet the 68 Bearded Collies and Bearded Collie mixes on Petfinder.

Sporting
Winner: Thrilling Seduction, a Cocker Spaniel
Meet the 2,151 Cocker Spaniels and Cocker Spaniel mixes on Petfinder

Working
Winner: Luck Be a Lady, a Portuguese Water Dog
Meet the 10 Portuguese Water Dogs and Portuguese Water Dog mixes on Petfinder

Terrier
Winner: Sneak's a Peek, a Smooth Fox Terrier
Meet the 74 Smooth Fox Terrier and Smooth Fox Terrier mixes on Petfinder

When the Westminster Dog Show opened in New York City yesterday, six "new" breeds made their competition debut.

The breeds may be new to the Westminster Kennel Club, but they're not new to Petfinder! Of the six -- Bluetick Coonhound, Boykin Spaniel, Cane Corso, Icelandic Sheepdog, Leonberger and Redbone Coonhound -- all but the Icelandic Sheepdog can be found in shelters or rescue groups on Petfinder.

Below, meet the adoptable relatives of the pampered pooches competing today at Madison Square Garden.

Bluetick Coonhound
397 available for adoption on Petfinder
See Bluetick Coonhounds for adoption

Bluetick Coonhounds were traditionally bred to track and tree small game such as raccoons. The bluetick in the dogs' name refers to their distinctive "blue" coat and pattern of small spots known as ticking.


Boykin Spaniel
10 available for adoption on Petfinder
See Boykin Spaniels for adoption

Boykin Spaniels are small retrievers nicknamed "the little dog that doesn't rock the boat." They're also the official state dog of South Carolina.

Cane Corso
163 available for adoption on Petfinder
See Cane Corsos for adoption

The Cane Corso, an Italian breed, historically guarded livestock on farms. The breed was nearly extinct by the early 1970s, but its population recovered and the dogs were introduced in the U.S. in 1988.
Leonberger
19 available for adoption on Petfinder
See Leonbergers for adoption

A German breed, Leonbergers, nicknamed Leos, originated in Germany during the 1800s. They have webbed feet and can grow to 170 lbs.
Redbone Coonhound
345 available for adoption on Petfinder
See Redbone Coonhounds for adoption

A hunting dog, the Redbone Coonhound dates back to the pre-Civil War era. The dogs are known for their solid red coats.