Posts from — June 2006

The shutting and opening door trick can be taught to all dog breeds. The only consideration maybe would be asking small size dogs to close large or heavy doors which are beyond their physical capabilities.

In teaching this trick select a door that swings easily on its hinges; drive a nail, or simply stick with double sided a makeshift hook on your door at such a distance above the floor that the dog can just reach it by standing on his hind legs with his forefeet resting against the door.

Open the door a few inches, place a small piece of treat on the hook and call your dog’s attention to it, saying “Shut the door.” In reaching for the treat the dog will place his forefeet on the door and this will close it. If preferable the treat can be balanced on the door handle, and shutting the door will jar it to the floor, when he should be allowed to eat it and be petted and praised.

After be has done this a few times you can advance him in his lessons by placing the treat in position while he is in another room, then call him in and say “Shut the door,” directing him toward it, and if he does not go, show him the treat and encourage him to get it. In time he will understand the order and will close any door that is shown to him.

Finally, teach him to close the door without having any reward in sight, but after he shuts it in response to your command reward him with a treat. In the first lessons you need not be particular about having the door closed tight, but in later stages, insist upon its being done before any reward is given.

Dogs can be taught easily to open swinging doors, but opening fastened doors is a much more difficult act, and is possible only with those that have the easiest and simplest latches.

To teach a dog to open a swinging door call his attention to it and push it open at the bottom. Do this a number of times every day for several days, then go through the door, closing it after you, and leave your dog on the other side; call him and he will soon learn to push the door open in order to reach you.

To teach a dog to open a latch, hold the dog up to it and push it back with his paw, and say “open door” to associate this trick with this command and continue to give him practice in this way until he will push it back without your assistance.

Moses Chia is the webmaster of DogsObedienceTraining.com. He provides more helpful information on dogsobediencetraining.com dog obedience training, dogsobediencetraining.com/dog_training_books_review.htm dog training book reviews and dogsobediencetraining.com/dog_health.htm dog illness symptoms interpretation that you can learn in the comfort of your home on his website. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

Your budgies has been bristled up for several days, shivers, its beaks grows and curves…..

The reason fro your budgie’s problem is the lack of vitamins and minerals.

As a beginning take it to the vet to cut the growths and to file away the curved beak. Don’t try to do this yourself – it should be executed by a specialist.

The next step is to buy a crayon with vitamins and minerals for it from the zoo shop. You also have to provide pine-tree twigs for it to gnaw. When there is no crayon you can replace it with chalk. It is absolutely necessary for the birds.

However you have to estimate whether the bristling up and the shivering don’t come because of having cold. This can be estimated when examining its faecals. If the bird has a cold they will be either very dark or very light than normal. If these symptoms exist you should apply the following treatment:

Take one capsule tetraulean from the chemists. Open it. Take some powder from the capsule on the point of a small knife. Dissolve this very small dose into 1-2 drops of water. After that open the beak and pour the liquid carefully inside with a dropper.

The treatment should be applied for 3 days most. After that the faecals will obtain their normal kind.

Be careful not to overdose the tetraulean.

Except for that even if the parrot has no cold you should compulsory buy vitamins for it from the zoo shop. Another reason for this condition of the feathery creature can be starvation because with a deformed beak it is most probable that the bird can’t eat millet. And only vegetables and fruit is not enough.

Give bread to your budgies as they like it a lot.
Do not keep them in a very cold or very hot place. Let the temperature be normal. Budgies don’t like humidity and draughts. This could also be a reason for deformations. And if it is possible let them fly at least a little.

Geomil Georgiev is owner and editor of birdscomfort.com birdscomfort.com where you can find information on every type of pet birds.

The greatest fear of most pet owners is that there is a chance the family pet will get lost, and not be returned. But many of these same pet owners fail to take the necessary precautions needed to safeguard their pets. By simply overlooking the importance of the pet identification tag, and how having up-to-date accurate information can greatly increase the chances of a successful pet recovery.

And, with the advent of the internet, and its ability to link nations together, and not to mention its popularity, with millions of registered users online daily. Combining these two resources can greatly increase the chance that a pet will be recovered, if these resources are used correctly.

Combining the internet and the pet identification tag provides many benefits to the pet owner when it comes to ensuring the safety of the family pet. The best use of these resources is provided by a company named RecoveryPets. Com whose website is located at recoverypets.com, and this is accomplished by using a unique tracking number for each registered pet and that number is inscribed on the pet identification tag. This system allows the pets description and photograph to be placed on the companies website along with the owners contact information.

Each year millions of family pets are lost, and end up at shelters that have no idea who these pets belong to, or how to contact the owners to return the pets. But, something as simple as a pet tag that you only have to register for once, because the contact information can be updated free for the life of the pet, can almost erase this problem and reunite many pets with their families. Additionally, because this is a web based service, anyone with a computer around the world can access the pets information, and return the lost pet to its owners.

Thaddeus Collins is the owner of RecoveryPets.Com and they specialize in the global recovery of lost pets using a unique tracking number. For more information visit recoverypets.com recoverypets.com

If you have not heard of Life’s Abundance All Natural Premium Dog Food the reason is NOT because Life’s Abundance is a NO GOOD dog food. The reason is that it is ONE OF THE BEST Dog Foods on the market today, and one of the most unique. Large supermarkets and even national-chain pet supply stores don’t sell THE BEST OF DOG FOOD ON THE MARKET. They rely on lower-cost, lower-quality products from gigantic national food makers. The benefits to the supermarkets and large chain pet supply stores are many.

Benefits to the supermakets and large chain pet supply stores to carry a lower quality of dog foods are:

The supply is reliable.

The distribution channels are well-established.

The markup is greater.

Companies who make the ABSOLUTE BEST DOG FOOD are few. They are not able to manufacture huge amounts of their products for the chain stores. Instead, they concentrate on making small batches to insure greater quality and fresness to their customers. They do not stock huge inventories of dog food in warehouses giving you a greater chance of getting hold of out-dated dog food.

THE BEST DOG FOOD tend to be very expensive, so stores can’t mark them up so much to make their huge profits.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST DOG FOODS are sold in small, individually owned “boutique type” pet stores, groomers, holistic vet offices, independent distributors and directly from the manufacturer.

People who shop at health food stores for their own food “understand” that food meticiously manufactured in small batches out of the finest ingredients, is more expensive than food that is made by huge businesses like Supermarket Chains and Pet Store Chains.

Many people who switch over from these Supermarket, large chain Pet Stores to the Individually owned “boutique type” pet stores, groomers, breeders, holistic vets and independent distributors will tell you they have seen remarkable improvement in their pet’s health, energy levels and shiney hair. They will be able to tell you: Pay more for the food now, or you can buy the cheap stuff and try to save on pet food expense but you will pay later with even higher vet bills.

Hey! I am a Boutique person. I like getting the best for every dollar I spend.

I recommend HealthyPetNet, Life’s Abundance to my customers/puppy buyers and whomever I meet that has pets.

Read the labels. Do your homework about dog food, and purchase from the boutiques, and independent distributors for better health and longer life spans of your precious companions. HealthyPetNet is dedicated to producing Dog Food from the very finest of ingredients. You won’t see this brands of dog food on the Supermarket Shelves and Huge Pet Store Chains. You can purchase them from Independent Distributors who are breeders like myself, holistic vets, and grooming shops. They are produced in small batches and delivered fresh to your door.

At Stain Glass Shih Tzu our main priority is Good Health and producing puppies who are healthy with long life spans. We would not think of purchasing anything else. Once you make the switch to a higher quality Dog Food and Treats, you will be hooked for life.

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Coupons for shih tzu puppies and other products are offered to subscribers. Updates of available puppies. Sign up at stainglassshihtzus.com stainglassshihtzus.com

Do you have a shih tzu that paws at your arms or jumps up on your lap constantly? The cause might be that he needs lots more exercise, not necessarily direct attention, but just more exercise. Try taking your shih tzu for a vigorous walk. For some, 10 to 15 minutes a couple times a day or one long romp around the yard is adequate, for others, it might be less than this.

Make sure your shih tzu is not trying to tell you something else. Remember he is totally dependent on you so be sure his basic needs are met such as, is he hungry or does he need to relieve himself.

If you put in 1/2 hour or so of taking care of your shih tzu’s needs before focusing upon work at your desk or sitting down to read a good book, he should be less likely to disturb you in the middle of your work or reading your book.

When you sit down to relax or work, teach the shih tzu to lie down somewhere near you. A lot of shih tzu will just do this naturally unless there is some other need they are asking to be attended to at this time. Often, if you will take the time to settle them in first, they will lie quietly next to you while you work or read or relax. Remember, shih tzu want nothing more than to be close to their people.

If you know you have a hectic day coming up and you won’t have time to do the normal routine with your shih tzu, you might try a pet sitting service for him that particular day.

Another option for handling a very active shih tzu is to give him a playmate to romp and wrestle with to help expend some of his extra energy.

Most shih tzu puppies who seem to be in constant motion and into everything are not actually behavior problems. They are just acting like normal, healthy puppies. As they grow and mature out of their puppy days, they usually begin to become less active, and in old age, many shih tzu I have known, really just take it easy all day. Try to enjoy the playful antics of your active puppy and remember they will never be this size again. Medication is not the answer. They are not showing hyperactivity. They just need some limits set and to be taught to do the right thing at the right time. Shih tzu are extremely intelligent and usually are very quick learners, but they can have a mind of their own it seems and a streak of stubborness, so be firm, but not harsh. Be the leader from the beginning.

If you have an older shih tzu showing extreme irrational or very active behaviors, then you might consider asking the vet for a thorough examination – could be hypothyroidism.

When you first bring a new shih tzu puppy home, it is a good idea to provide a special space for your shih tzu barricaded by baby gates or some other type of petitioned off area where he will have a comfortable bed, a few chew toys, nylabones, squeeky toys, food and preferably a glass water bottle. Do not give a new shih tzu puppy full run of your home in the beginning. He needs to learn the places he is allowed to be and the places he is not allowed to be or else he will be all over the place and decide these things for himself. You need to take control of the situation from the beginning by providing him a small area all his own and then slowly introducing him to other areas where he can be.

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Coupons for shih tzu puppies and other products are offered to subscribers. Updates of available puppies. Sign up at stainglassshihtzus.com stainglassshihtzus.com

The Smooth Fox Terrier is a energetic, playful always on the go barking dog. They can be quarrelsome and actually pick fights with other dogs, even larger ones. They should not be trusted with other pets. They may take to older children, especially if extensively socialized when young. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog.

Approximate Adult Size

The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the male Smooth Fox Terrier is 14 to 16 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 15 to 20 pounds. The female ranges from 13 to 15 inches to the withers and 13 to 18 pounds.

Special Health Considerations

Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Smooth Fox Terrier is no exception. Be on the look out for deafness, congenital heart disease, glaucoma, skin allergies and shoulder dislocation. This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.

She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.

Grooming

The Smooth Fox Terrier has a smooth, hard, flat and dense coat that is easy to care for. She should be brushed regularly. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat, help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.

Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.

Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet.

Life Span

The Smooth Fox Terrier can live between 12 and 14 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.

History

The Smooth Fox Terrier comes from England where they were used to hunt vermin. They were first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1885.

Some Registries

American Fox Terrier Club
UKC United Kennel Club
NKC National Kennel Club
CKC Continental Kennel Club
APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc.
AKC American Kennel Club
FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale
NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club
KCGB Kennel Club of Great Britain
ANKC Australian National Kennel Club
ACR American Canine Registry

Litter Size

3 to 6 Smooth Fox Terrier puppies

Category

Terrier

Terms To Describe

Active, lively, playful, energetic, quarrelsome, scrappy

SPECIAL GOOD POINTS

Good watch dog.
Easy to care for coat.
Generally very healthy.

SPECIAL BAD POINTS

Poor guard dog.
This dog is a barker.
May be a digger.
Will leave on adventures.
Can be a biter.
May be possessive with their toys.

Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.

About the Author

Mitch Endick is a short article writer, editor and website developer for the popular pet site petpages.com petpages.com, a pet information site with free pet ads, dog classifieds, and puppy for sale info. petpages.com Petpages.com also offers information on cats, fish, reptiles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, mice and even pet bugs.

“Ringworm” is the common name for the skin infection caused by a special group of fungi; it is not caused by a worm at all. The fungi feed upon the dead cells of skin and hair causing, in people, a classic round, red lesion with a ring of scale around the edges and normal recovering skin in the center. Because the ring of irritated, itchy skin looked like a worm, the infection was erroneously named. The fungi responsible are called “dermatophytes,” meaning “plants that live on the skin” thus the more correct term for ringworm is “dermatophytosis.” The characteristic “ring” appearance is primarily a human phenomenon. In animals, ringworm frequently looks like a dry, grey, scaly patch but can also mimic any other skin lesion and have any appearance.

WHERE WOULD MY PET PICK UP THIS INFECTION?

The spores of dermatophyte fungi are extremely hardy in the environment; they can live for years. All it takes is skin contact with a spore to cause infection. Infected animals are continuously dropping spore-covered hairs as infected hairs break off into the environment. Some animals are carriers, who never show signs of skin irritation themselves but can infect others readily. There are several species of dermatophyte fungi. Different species of fungi come from different kinds of animals or even from soil thus determining the ringworm species can help determine the source of the fungal infection.

TREATMENT

Commitment is the key to success especially if you have more than one pet. Infected animals are constantly shedding spores into the environment (your house) thus disinfection is just as important as treatment of the affected pet.

ORAL MEDICATION FOR INFECTED PETS

There are primarily two medications being used to treat ringworm: Griseofulvin and Itraconazole (brand name “Sporonox”). Veterinary dermatologists disagree as to which is better. Both medications are relatively expensive, must be given with food, and have significant potential to cause birth defects in pregnant pets.

Treatment with either medication typically is continued for 1-2 months and should not be discontinued until the pet cultures negative. Stopping when the pet simply looks well visually frequently leads to recurrence of the disease.

GRISEOFULVIN (brand name Fulvicin)

This medication must be given with a fatty meal in order for an effective dose to be absorbed by the pet. Persian cats and young kittens are felt to be sensitive to its side effects which usually are limited to nausea but can include liver disease and serious white blood cell changes. Cats infected with the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus commonly develop life-threatening blood cell changes and should never be exposed to this medication. Despite the side effects, which can be severe for some individuals, Griseofulvin is still the traditional medication for the treatment of ringworm and is usually somewhat less expensive than Itraconazole.

ITRACONAZOLE

This medication is highly effective in the treatment of ringworm but is available in capsules far too large to be useful to most small animals. This means that a special company must reformulated the medication into a more useful size. Nausea is a potential side effect for this medication but probably the main reason it is passed by in favor of griseofulvin is expense. Itraconazole is also effective in treating many life-threatening fungal infections whereas Griseofulvin only treats ringworm.

By increasing the amount of Itraconazole in the environment, we may be creating resistance in more dangerous fungi which could become a problem over the years. On the average, cats treated with Itraconazole and nothing else were able to achieve cure two weeks sooner than cats treated with Griseofulvin.

DOES PROGRAM CURE RINGWORM?

In the late fall of 2000, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a study of over 200 cases indicating that Lufenuron (the active ingredient of Program) could be an effective treatment for Ringworm. This began as an observation that animals using Program or Sentinel for flea control did not get ringworm. Questions about this work have come up from the public since the release of this work. The fact is that the study is still under scrutiny by members of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology and “the jury is still out.” It is clear that the doses purported to be helpful with Ringworm should not be harmful. At this time the use of lufenuron for Ringworm is reasonable if other more conventional treatments are concurrently used.

Other Ringworm Treatments:

#1-Clip hair around the ringworm patch. Once a day dip a cotton swab into tincture of goldenseal and paint the entire affected area. Limit the treated area to a dime-size spot in cats and small animals and up to a quarter-size spot in larger dogs. If there is more than one spot, alternate daily treatments from one spot to the other.

#2-Tea Tree Oil. Apply oil on a Q-tip or cotton ball to the affected area, twice the diameter of the lesion.

#3-Bleach. One part bleach to nine parts water (premixed), applied to the affected area twice the diameter of the lesion. DO NOT use near the eyes!

RescueCats, Inc. has gathered this information from various sources and does not recommend or endorse any one method of treatment. All treatments used are at your own risk.

Visit rescuecats.org for more useful tips and articles.

Chassie Has been an active volunteer for RescueCats.org RescueCats.org since April 2000.

The variety of dog treat recipes available can be overwhelming. Even if you previously were unaware that dog treat recipes were even available, you may find that once you start looking for dog treat recipes, you find more recipes than you thought possible. There are a few tips for simplifying your search though that should make choosing a few dog treat recipes an accomplishable task.

Before searching for dog treat recipes, it is advisable to do some preliminary research to compile a list of ingredients that you wish to avoid. This list could include ingredients that are harmful to dogs in general such as grapes, raisins, onions and cocoa, ingredients that your dog has a known allergy to and ingredients that have proven to be harsh on your dog’s stomach in the past. Compiling this list can help you to eliminate many dog treat recipes that contain these ingredients.

You can also make the list of dog treat recipes more manageable by focusing on those that feature ingredients that your dog is particularly fond of. For example if your dog loves peanut butter or drools over bananas you might want to focus your dog treat recipe search on recipes that include these ingredients.

There are so many dog treat recipes available that you may have difficulty settling on one recipe to try first. Tips such as eliminating recipes with certain ingredients and focusing on those with other ingredients can help you to make a decision. You should also search for recipes that sound appealing to you.

To find free

Invisible dog fences are the best way to keep your pets away from garden areas and other places where a dog should not be. They are perfect for all breeds of dogs and come in different sizes and styles depending on features and design.

Invisible dog fences are very easy to use. The installation is similar to that of the electric dog fences. The boundary wire is buried underground, and when a pet comes near the boundary line; the underground wire transmits a signal. A warning tone is produced from the adjustable collar. If the dog comes too close, it gets a mild electric shock.

Common advantages of invisible dog fences are their low price, ease of installation and use. They can be used within and around a yard, and they are more efficient than other types of fence systems as they rarely fail.

In addition to the convenience of an invisible dog fence, In order to keep your dog safe and obedient within the fence boundaries, proper training should be given. Most of the invisible dog fence systems offer training materials with the kit.

Some of the important accessories used with invisible dog fences are dog fence transmitters, lighting protectors, fence staples, and wire and flag kits.

As invisible dog fences vary by model and features, features, cost and warranty should be checked before purchasing a system. Pet owners must always check whether the collar battery is properly functioning on the dog and many fence manufacturers provide a battery subscription plan.

e-DogFences.com Dog Fences provides detailed information on Dog Fences, Electric Dog Fences, Invisible Dog Fences, Wireless Dog Fences and more. Dog Fences is affiliated with e-DogContainmentSystems.com Wire Dog Containment Systems.

Breeding is a noble calling and unless you can improve the breed you should not go for breeding your dog. Despite all of the obvious virtues of breeding articles, no book or article emphasize any person to prepare for breeding. A good intentional pet owner wasn’t aware of any genetic complications, unable to identify the signals of struggling bitch or didn’t recognize a breech birth! Possibly the dam could be lost as well!

Follow these top ten tips to get successful puppies out of your dam and also it can be delightful to see how magnificently most females cope with whelping and with caring for their puppies.

1. Ask your vet to examine the bitch before mating and obtain certificate that it is healthy and not carrying any inherited diseases

2. Plan well to house the ensuing litter of puppies.

3. Check for the purity of the dog by kennel club certificate. (Cross bred won’t fetch good standards)

4. Contact a reputable breeder and make use of his dog as a stud for your bitch to get good quality puppies.

5. Ask for health certificate for the stud dog and also examine whether it has been subjected for brucellosis and other sexually transmitted disease, if that area is prone for brucellosis.

6. Be careful with your bitch-exercise your bitch only on lead when she is in season.

7. It is always preferable to perform mating in the stud dogs place rather than vice-versa.

8. Mating should be done on 9th day, 11th day and 13th day for fruitful results.

9. If possible try to calm the bitch during mating and ensure a “tie” long lasts for at least 10 minutes.

10. Make a visit to vet’s clinic after three weeks of mating to confirm the pregnancy.

Senthil kumar is a writer for dog care tips and advice. His site includes information on history of dogs, pup selection, nutrition of dogs, housing of dogs, dog breeds and health care of dogs. For more articles, tips and resources, please visit his site at edogadvice.com edogadvice.com.