Posts from — March 2009

Whether your dog barks or howls you need to identify why and resolve the problem. Legally your neighbors have a right to peace and quiet.

Below are 7 of the most likely causes and cures:

Separation Anxiety – usually within the first 15 to 20 minutes of separation from their owner dogs will begin to exhibit behaviors such as barking. They may also exhibit pacing, tremors, self-mutilation or excessive biting at body areas like the feet and tail, hiding, and aggression at other animals or people.

Boredom – working dogs such as herding dogs, hound dogs and sporting dogs are bred to do a job and will easily become bore without one. These are typically highly energetic dogs with a need for a great deal of exercise and are best suited with a handler capable of taking them hiking, swimming, running, and playing daily.

Loneliness – some dogs are bred as companions. The Cavalier King Charles was used for curling up in the lap of sick people to keep them warm. Companion dogs have a need to be with their handlers and can become lonely when left at home for extended periods of time.

Communication – barking is a way of communicating with us about their needs. They may be ill, hungry, thirsty, asking to play or in pain. Like us, pain in dogs is not always obvious. Internal pain can easily go undetected unless you make yourself aware of your dog’s habits and communication methods. Different barks can be a signal of different issues. It’s also a way communicate with other neighborhood dogs.

Defending Their Territory – a dog marks his territory to let other animals know when they enter his domain. If a dog sees a person or animal passing by their yard they will bark until the intruder has gone beyond his territory giving him a feeling of success. This reinforces his desire to bark at everyone passing by.

Hunger – dogs of the same size don’t always have the same appetite. You may have to test your dog’s eating habits to determine the correct amount of food to satisfy him. You certainly don’t want your dog to become obese so be sure to balance his appetite with the amount of exercise he gets.

Fear and Phobias – such as thunder or the fireworks on the 4th of July can be frightening to dogs. Barking is their way of letting you know they’re afraid and seeking security. Provide him with a warm, comfortable bed in a dark and quiet corner of the house. They may or may not want your company. Reassure them, in a confident tone of voice, and allow them to stay in the corner for as long as necessary. Soft classical music will help in most cases.

Other Noises – such as sirens, horns, and construction will cause a dog to bark. They believe they’re alerting you to the presence of an intruder.

Indoor dogs – removing the dog’s view of his territory will help. Pull the blinds and move any objects that allow the dog to get near the windows.
Turn on the television, radio, or soothing classical music as a gentle distraction from outside noises and to relax the dog. Leave toys for the dog to chew on and play with while you’re away.

Obedience training – teach the dog to have a positive response to a ringing doorbell and to other signs of intruders.

Each time the doorbell rings make the dog sit and be quiet. Once he has done this for 10 to 20 seconds, reward him with a treat for his good behavior. Never punish the dog for bad behavior. You can ring the doorbell yourself in order to proceed with the training.

When training your dog it’s important that he responds attentively to your commands. When you command him to sit, he should sit with his head forward and not turned to the side to see what’s going on around him.

The Gentle Leader is one of the most popular head collars. It works by applying pressure to the back of the neck, rather than the front, which reduces the dog’s drive to pull forward. This causes the head to go where the rest of the body goes.

Choke collars should never be used. The sharp pull and tightening around the throat can result in a collapsed trachea.

Outdoor dogs – if you have an outdoor dog you will have a much harder time stopping him from barking and getting him a playmate may only result in both dogs barking.

Shock collars must be used carefully to avoid harming the dog. Citronella collars are effective but costly. Both of these methods will work but neither will result in better command of your dog. Obedience training, with you as the handler, is the best way to teach your dog who is in charge and to obey your commands.

Article written by JD Hutchinson
dogbreedcenter.com dogbreedcenter.com

For the Gentle Leader Head Collar and a 190 Day Money Back Guarantee
Visit dogbreedcenter.com/gentle-leader.htm dogbreedcenter.com/gentle-leader.htm

Copyright © 2006 Oh My Barking Dog. This article may be
reprinted on the condition that the writer’s name and web address
are prominently displayed, and left intact.

Some over-the-counter medications can be used for emergencies in select situations. Always ask your vet before giving any over-the-counter medicines to your injured or ill shih tzu.

3% hydrogen peroxide: Can be used to induce vomiting and for general wound cleaning. Dosage is: 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Syrup of ipecac: Can be used to induce vomiting. Dosage is: 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight.

Bismuth subsalicylate: Can be used for vomiting and mild diarrhea. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 15 pounds of body weight. 1 tablet per 40 pounds of body weight (doubt your shih tzu will be taking a full tablet!)

Kaolin-pectin: Use for mild diarrhea. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Buffered aspirin: Use for fever and inflammation, mild to moderate pain, arthritis, before giving vaccinations. Dosage: 1 adult table (5 grains) per 40 pounds). Ask your vet the correct dosage for your shih tzu.

Diphenhydramine: Use for mild cough, allergies, allergic reactions. Dosage: 1 milligram per pound of body weight.

Vegetable oil: Use for constipation. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds mixed in food.

Epsom salts: Use for constipation, as a soak to reduce swelling and inflammation. Dosage: For constipation, 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight, dissolved in water and given orally; same dilution for soaks.

Milk of magnesia: Use for vomiting, constipation, deactivate poisons. Dosage: 2 teaspoons per 10 pounds of body weight.

Activated charcoal: Use to deactivate poisons. Dosage: 1/2 gram per pound of body weight.

Petroleum jelly: Use for constipation. Dosage: 1/2 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Weekly updates of available puppies. Sign up at: stainglassshihtzus.com stainglassshihtzus.com

Many people, who unfortunately misunderstand the concept of good crate training, believe that crating a dog for any length of time is cruel and they refuse to even consider it. In fact, a crate really is a wonderful tool when used correctly. Crate training can be fun for the puppy if you make it a POSITIVE experience. I firmly believe it to be the fastest and easiest way to potty train a puppy or even an adult, previously untrained dog.

The majority of new pet owners misconstrue the purpose of a dog crate. It is NOT used to punish a puppy; the puppy should deem the crate to be his safe haven. Once you recognize this fact, you will be able to utilize the puppy’s den to your advantage and build up a proper potty training plan.

When you have a new puppy or dog, you will use a crate to limit his admission to the entire house until he learns all the house rules. A crate is also a secure way of transporting your dog in the car, as well as an opportunity to take him places where it may not be appropriate for him to run without restraint.

Giving the pup special “treats” is a perfect way to introduce him to his crate. The only time the puppy receives these special treats is when he is in the crate; the treats become associated with the crate. Thus, when introduced and used correctly, your dog will think of his crate as his safe haven and he will be happy to spend time there when required. Basically, you need to think like a dog for this to work: normally, a dog never chooses a busy part of the house for his hideaway. He usually selects a dark corner off by himself where he feels sheltered and safe; maybe under a table or chair or between furniture where he is able to see anyone approaching. So, use this concept to your advantage, now that you understand the dog’s purpose for the crate is that it becomes his “den” you can move forward. Remember though, repetition is essential. Your puppy will not understand what you want unless you repeatedly show him exactly what is required of him.

A dog will never make his den dirty. If a dog is correctly trained to love his den, his instinct will be to keep it clean. This is the foremost reason why a crate works in potty training. A dog should always be at ease and safe in his crate and above all he always desires to have a clean environment. A crate must be a positive place where your dog can find security and pleasure. An attractive crate makes for a welcoming den – a comfy blanket, tasty treats, and a favorite toy help to make the pup comfortable. Also very important, the crate needs to be in a place where your dog will not feel as if he is part of the family and not isolated.

Always feed the pup/dog’s regular meals somewhere close to his crate. This will also create a pleasant association with the crate. Some trainers recommend actually feeding meals inside the crate; this too is fine, but my personal preference is to keep food dishes outside. An exception to this could be with a adult dog who initially views the crate negatively; placing meals inside the crate will be a great encouragement to him accepting it. After the dog is eating his regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety, begin moving the dishes outside.

To sum up: using a crate correctly, establishes restrictions for your dog when you are away from the house and unable to keep an eye on his behavior. A crate is also a safe area for your dog to be if you’re having company and you have a less than social dog. Another surprising advantage: dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks, often find refuge in their familiar crate/den.

Normally a puppy follows a very definite “potty pattern”: when he wakes up in the morning; immediately after meal; when he wakes up from a nap; after he has been playing, or after it has been a while since he last went potty. At each of these strategic points, take the puppy outside to take care of his business. A puppy can not hold it a long time so you must be trained to anticipate his likely needs. Look at it this way, you need to understand that the better trained you become, the better trained your puppy will be.

The last two dogs I have crate trained personally were a six week old female Dalmatian puppy and an adult rescued (badly abused) female Dalmatian. I began the baby in a comfortable, plastic travel crate, while the adult dog was put in a much larger, fold down wire crate. Both crates were situated in the kitchen/dining room which is the most occupied area of the house.

With both dogs, the following schedule was set up and followed faithfully:

Early Morning: Puppy/dog woke up in her crate; I immediately took the puppy/dog outside to the part of the yard we had designated as her “potty area”. Right from the start I began repeating “Quickly, quickly, quickly”, so that she would straight away associate the command with going to potty. Immediately she obliged, I praised her bother verbally and with lots of pats. We then returned to the house and the puppy was given breakfast and the adult dog was given a biscuit. After breakfast we both went back outside for the puppy to go potty while the adult dog went for a walk. Both dogs were then allowed to play safely for a while in the house, then back outside, potty, praise, return into the house, and naptime in the crate.

Afternoon: Puppy/dog woke up again; time to go outside. I immediately began repeating “Quickly, quickly, quickly”, and pretty soon both animals obliged almost instantly and they were rewarded with lots of praise. Back into the house for lunch. Puppy/dog ate lunch the again went outside with me and went potty; lots of praise, then back into the house for playtime. The puppy indulged in lots of activity, while the adult dog socialized with us and explored the house. I allowed this for a given amount of time, then back outside to potty, then back into the crate for naptime.

Evening: Puppy/dog woke up and straight away went outside. Verbally encouraged, then praised, they both quickly went potty and knowing that they had done what was required of them, straight away looked to go back into the house for dinner. Dinner was eaten – back outside. Family social hour – back outside.

This routine WORKS. I will tell you with absolute honesty that in both instances, I didn’t have to clean up a single “accident” with either animal.

At bed time, both animals had a last trip outside then were snuggled up for the night in their crate. When the puppy was very young, I set the alarm and took her outside once during the night. This nocturnal trip depends upon the age of the puppy and some babies may need to go out more than once during the night initially. This improves with age. Remember whenever he or she wakes you up in the middle of the night that your dog is reacting to your training and is actually doing the right thing by asking. Please be patient.

If you work, don’t expect the puppy to wait 10 to 12 hours while you are gone. Make arrangements to go home for lunch, or have a neighbor or friend come over and follow the same routine of potty, praise, and play. As a puppy gets older and can hold it longer, the crate becomes less necessary. Just make sure that if you allow your dog freedom, he is still limited in a safe area. Check for electrical cords and unsafe “chewy” items. Better safe than sorry.

Remember, as your dog gets accustomed to his crate routine and enjoys the security of having his own space, never leave a puppy crated for longer than three or four hours at a time or an adult dog for longer than eight hours. If you crate your dog at night, you should make sure he has plenty of uncrated time during the day.

Even when the pup or dog is no longer confined to the crate, they continue see it as their “den”, their refuge, and I keep it available to them with the entrance door propped open. Whenever they choose to go into the crate, make sure they are left alone; especially make children respect it as the pup or dog’s private place. Dogs love their crates, when they remain available to them they prefer to use them, cuddled into their favorite blanket.

Crates are also a very useful tool to employ as a puppy becomes older and is going through the stage where it is losing its puppy teeth and chewing on everything. Then, it’s a good idea to crate him whenever you are away from the house.

Proper crate training of a puppy shapes the puppy’s behavior positively using his animal instincts to your advantage. Surely, this is much better than accidents on your floor. Remember above all else to be tolerant and consistent in your training. Love your puppy and give him lots of praise when he does it correctly. Dogs love praise; they thrive on it and positive reinforcement works every time.

Remember though, crate is NOT a magical solution. If not used correctly, a dog will feel trapped and frustrated. As an example, if your dog is crated all day while you’re at work and then crated again all night, he’s definitely spending far too much time in much too small a space. Also remember that puppies under six months of age should never stay in a crate for more than three or four hours at a stretch. They can’t control their functions for longer periods.

If your dog whines or cries when crated at night, it may be difficult to decide whether he’s whining to be let out of the crate, or whether he needs to be taken outside to eliminate. Try to ignore the whining for a few minutes. If your dog is just testing you, he will probably stop whining soon. Yelling at him or pounding on the crate will only make things worse and will definitely destroy the dog’s confidence in your training. If the whining continues after you’ve ignored him for several minutes, use the phrase he’s learnt to associate with going outside to eliminate. If he responds and becomes excited, take him outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time. If you’re certain that your dog doesn’t need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore him until he stops whining. Don’t give in, otherwise you will just teach your dog to whine loud and long to get what he wants. If you’ve progressed slowly but surely through the training steps and haven’t done too much too fast, you will be less likely to encounter this problem. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to start the crate training process over again.

You need to be certain the crate is the correct size for the pup/dog. If it is too big, the pup may try to use part of it as a bathroom and this is something you definitely need to avoid. The crate needs to be big enough to allow the dog to stand up and lie down comfortably. If you know your dog is going to grow into a big dog, then consider getting a divider so you will have the proper size crate in the beginning and it can grow along with the dog!

Location is also immensely important. You must be able to hear the pup. If the pup is whining, he probably needs to go potty and should be taken out. Remember the routine outlined above. The crate should be in a room where there is activity.

Crates may be plastic (often referred to as flight kennels) or collapsible, metal pens. They come in different sizes and can be purchased at most pet supply stores as well as online. All have pros and cons, including cost, ventilation, clean-up, etc.

Anne Pottinger publishes 4petsonline.com 4PetsOnline, a pet and domestic animal website containing hundreds of pages of pet information and advice as well as many humorous and often poignant articles. She’s always available to answer pet and domestic animal related questions

Want to consider the following pointers as to why you should consider pet insurance for your family pet:

1 in every 3 family pets will visit a vet this year for treatment
40 percent of all vet fees are caused by ‘unforeseen’ illnesses or accidents
less than 15 percent of family pets in the UK are covered by pet insurance
the average vet bill for care and attention needed following a road accident involving a cat or dog last year was circa. £750 – £1,000
2 out of every 3 pet owners in the UK have admitted to having gone overdrawn at some time during their lives in order to pay for their pet’s vet bills.

All of these are fairly scary statistics. They’re event more scary when you consider that will a simple family pet insurance policy, paying a minimum premium of somewhere between £25 and £75 (depending on the size of the pet), all of these are totally unnecessary.

If you want to get you pet insured and avoid any of these statistics happening to you, you can choose from:

Pet Accident Insurance

As the name suggests, with a pet accident insurance you are getting the basic minimum in pet insurance – accident coverage. Under this policy the insurance company will reimburse you for all costs and expenses you incur caused as a result of your pet having been involved in an accident (unfortunately, more often than not, this means a road accident).

Pet Accident and Illness Insurance

With pet accident and illness insurance you get full coverage insurance; namely, your insurance company will agree to pay for all the costs and expenses incurred as a result of your family pet having suffered any illness or accident.

Excess Amount

One thing you do need to keep in mind when arranging your family pet insurance is the excess amount. As with all insurance policies, the excess amount is the amount you and the insurance company agree you’ll pay before you are entitled to claim against the insurance policy. While it is always a good idea to set an excess amount that would cover you for any mundane visits to the vet, so as to keep the premium down if nothing else, you don’t want to se the excess too high that you end up having to pay for care and attention you thought would be covered by the pet insurance policy. It is, therefore, advisable that you have a look at some of your more recent vet bills and try and mind a medium between these sums so you have some idea of the excess before you set off arranging your family pet insurance

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site insure121.com insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of insure121.com/uk-pet-insurance.htm pet insurance in the UK.

The latest outbreak of dog food and cat food contamination has shaken the confidence of pet owners the world over, but nowhere as much as in the United States where illness and reported deaths took its highest toll of family pets. Now, in the aftermath of large scale pet food recalls, many are asking questions about the ingredients that they’ve always trusted to provide optimum health for their family pets.

It comes as no real surprise now that many pet owners are choosing to make their own homegrown variety of pet nutrition. When made properly, it has to be a better option than all that imported stuff with unknown ingredients of suspicious composition and origin. In fact, many say it’s not too difficult at all and fairly inexpensive to make. But, a number of experts caution that homemade diets won’t work for every pet or its owner. Some dogs and cats have a more difficult time adjusting to a new diet and the new process itself may simply be too labor intensive and inconvenient for many owners. The choice should be made only after careful consideration.

For starters, you can have your family vet or a recommended veterinary nutritionist put together a starter diet for you to try. On the other hand, if you prefer, do the nutritional research yourself. It’s unfortunate, but the rap against vets today, is similar to what doctors experienced in years past, that they know a lot about medicine, but were never taught much about nutrition. And, the veterinary nutritionists are accused of being little more than puppets, with the pet food manufacturers pulling the strings. There may be an element of truth to both, but in any case you’ll have to use your own judgment. However, having a few sample diets to follow while getting started will most likely be helpful.

The most responsible advice is to suggest paying close attention to your dog or cat. You know your pet better than anyone, so you should quickly notice changes in the quality of their health, such as energy levels, condition of their coat and stool texture. So, keep a close eye out for any subtle changes during the transition, as you would with changes to any food. When you decide to begin with your homemade foods, do it gradually by mixing the new food into the old food for a couple of weeks. Slowly increase the ratio of new to old each day as you monitor your pet’s adjustment.

Another trend of late has some owners feeding their pets a diet based largely on raw meat, vegetables and fruits. In fact, many people believe it’s the most natural and therefore the healthiest choice for pets. Melinda Miller, president of the North American Raw Pet Food Association recently stated, “There are a wide variety of benefits. Animals with arthritis and longstanding gastrointestinal ailments or skin problems often improve significantly after being placed on grain-free raw diets”.

For those who might be concerned about introducing contaminants into their own diets, it’s important to note here that the more common phobias and issues related to food borne microbes, such as salmonella are largely unfounded, with no real evidence of actual cases of illness to animals or humans when the meat is fresh and handled in an appropriate manner. Melinda Miller added, “no study has ever correlated human illness with raw-fed dogs or cats.” Raw food diets are popular in Europe and have gained significant interest in America over the past twenty years, so it can be considered yet another possible alternative over the store bought brands.

A Word of Caution:

Don’t just think that you can feed your pet table scraps and assume it to be a viable nutritional alternative. It’s not! Pets have special needs just as we do, so do your homework. There are many online resources, and even pet food cookbooks to help make things a lot easier. But, in the meantime, don’t just feed them what you’re eating. At the very least, they won’t be getting the nutrition they need, and the things you’re giving them could make them sick or even kill them.

Here’s a short list of foods that can be toxic for animals and should always be avoided, even in small quantities: chocolate, mushrooms, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic, leeks, chives, grapes, raisins, potato peelings, tomatoes (cats) and drinks containing caffeine or alcohol. The list for your particular pet may include other dangerous or sickening foods, so think before you toss.

Making your own pet foods can certainly be a loving and caring way to guarantee that your pet gets the healthy nutrition it deserves and without the risk of unknown contaminants. But, do your cost/benefit research first as to ensure a situation that you’re comfortable with including dollars, time and balanced nutrition. Carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages for both you and your pet before deciding on this trendy alternative.

For more information regarding the care, development and safety of the family pet, please visit wagcentral.com” target=”_blank All About Dogs.

Copyright 2007 Harry Monell. All rights reserved. Please feel free to share the entire contents of this article with your friends or post it on your site as long as it is left intact with all links unchanged, including this notice.

Harry Monell maintains several affiliate and content websites. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Old Dominion University. Following formal retirement in 2000, he now spends time doing what he considers his most challenging, yet most rewarding endeavor – writing about many of the important topics that affect today’s families and lifestyles, including health, nutrition and family pets.

Wondering about raising alpacas as pets? Well, wonder no more. These sixteen questions and answers will help you decide if raising exotic farm animals will work for you.

1. How much room does an alpaca need?

One acre will keep five
alpacas healthy and happy.

2. What kind of fencing and shelter are needed for an alpaca?

Alpacas
will not challenge a fence. A fence is needed to keep predators out,
especially the neighborhood dog. It must be a fence that an alpaca can
not stick its head through and get stuck, too. 2 x 4 no climb fencing
works well. Be sure a dog can not dig under the fence or gate. A three-
sided shelter is plenty in most climates, in really cold areas you may want
a barn.

3. What does an alpaca eat?

Hay. They will, also, need some feed
supplements.

4. Are children safe around alpacas?

Yes. Children can learn basic skills
of caring for a pet with alpacas as they are very gentle creatures. They
can, also, use these exotic pets for 4H or FAA activities.

5. What other expenses are involved in caring for alpacas?

These farm
animals must be sheared once a year. You need to worm them and
vaccinate them depending on the area where you live.

6. Can I own just one?

Alpacas are herd animals and you should keep a
minimum of two otherwise they may become stressed and unhealthy.

7. Aren’t alpacas expensive?

Not if you purchase geldings or pet quality
females. The price ranges from $500-$1000 each.

8. Can alpacas be trained?

Yes. Alpacas easily learn to lead with a
halter on. You can train an alpaca to perform simple tricks if you take
time to work with them.

9. What can you do with an alpacas fleece?

An alpacas fiber is very fine.
It can be spun into yarn for knitting or crocheting. Or you can felt the
raw fiber into garments, rugs, and other items.

10. Besides feeding an alpaca, what other routine care do they need?

Alpacas toenails need trimming about every two months. You’ll need to
shear and worm them as mentioned before.

11. How large do alpacas get?

An adult alpaca weighs from 120-180
pounds on average.

12. Do alpacas spit?

Mostly at each other, rarely at humans.

13. What climate is best for alpacas?

Alpacas are hardy farm animals
and do well in most climates.

14.Can I show my pet quality alpaca?

Yes. There are show classes for
fiber/pet animals.

15. Which type of alpaca is better as a pet, the hucaya or suri?

Hucaya
alpacas have crimped fiber that makes the alpaca appear puffy. The suri
has straight fiber that hangs from the animals body giving it a dreadlock
appearance. Suri’s are rare and it may be hard to find a pet quality
priced suri. Either animal would be a great exotic farm animal pet.

16. Where can I purchase an alpaca pet?

Search the internet for an
alpaca farm near you and contact them to see if they have any pet quality
animals for sale.

Alpacas are exotic farm animals that make excellent pets. These very
cute farm animals will win your heart and produce fleece so you can
make winter hats and scarfs for family and friends. Check them out.
There may be an alpaca pet in your future.

Visit owning-alpaca.com/alpaca-fiber.html” target=”_new owning-alpaca.com/alpaca-fiber.html for more information. Debby McCandless raises alpacas and uses the fleece to create handcrafted items.

My dog, Spunky, was put on a new diet last fall by our veterinarian who sold us the food. After five days Spunky became very ill. He was vomiting, eating less, became listless and staggered when he tried to walk. His veterinarian refused to admit that the new food was causing his illness. Spunky became so ill that he was hospitalized for five days and came to the point where we were told he was dying. I insisted that we try to feed him some of his old food before we gave up on him. We visited the animal hospital and fed him small amounts of his old food. Within hours his bloodwork was back to normal and he recovered very quickly. Some damage to his liver, kidneys and gallbladder remained but these are problems that can be monitored. In my anger and despair I decided to publish an all natural cookbook of dog food recipes. Several months later the very food that made Spunky ill was added to the recall list and this only served to make me more aware that pet owners need to consider feeding their pets human grade food.

An Apple A Day Dog Treat

2 cups whole-wheat flour
½ cup unbleached flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 apple, chopped or grated
1 egg, beaten
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
⅜ cup water

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Blend flours and cornmeal in large mixing bowl. Add apple, egg, oil, brown sugar and water. Mix until well blended. On work surface, roll dough out to ⅞-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters of desired shape and size.

Place treats on prepared sheet. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off oven. Leave door closed for 1 hour to make the treats crispy. Remove treats from oven. Store baked treats in airtight container or plastic bag, and place in refrigerator or freezer.

Recipe makes 24 servings.

Bonnie Jo Davis is the publisher of niche recipe cookbooks such as dog food, baby food, fudge, holiday meals, leftovers and more. More dog food recipes are located at fifty-fantastic-recipes.com/dog.htm fifty-fantastic-recipes.com/dog.htm

One of the important steps in setting up your new aquarium is selecting the correct fish tank stand. The stand not only has to adequately support the tank itself, it can also serve a wider variety of needs. You certainly do not want to place your new fish tank on a flimsy bookcase or even a table.

Fish tank stands are designed and constructed to hold the immense amount of weight to which they are subjected. Many beginner aquarists do not realize that a gallon of water weighs about 10 pounds. A small fish tank with 10 gallon capacity will hold about nine gallons of water when filled. It will also include a layer of gravel, various items of tank equipment and decorations. This small 10 gallon tank will therefore weigh at least 100 pounds!

Sourcing Your Fish Tank Stand

There is a wide variety of fish tank stands available. You should be able to find an appropriately sized stand for your tank at a pet store or aquatic hobby store. You may also do an online search for a tank stand. There are now many online retailers dealing exclusively in aquarium equipment that ship nationally or even internationally.

If you are a handyperson and enjoy D-I-Y projects, there are plans available online to build your own sturdy fish tank stand.

Fish tank stands can seem rather expensive items; however, there is little option but to purchase one. Most items of furniture around the house are not designed to hold the weight of a fish tank for any length of time.

An advantage of fish tank stands built for a specific sized tank is that they appear more unobtrusive than sitting the tank on an unused piece of furniture. Many fish tank stands can be beautiful items of furniture in their own right and will usually include shelving with doors. This space is extremely useful for holding the items that will be in use regularly in maintaining and cleaning your fish tank and feeding your fish. An enclosed cabinet will also hide the numerous power cords that will be attached to the tank and tend to dangle down unattractively behind it. Some fish tank stands include a matching hood which can further enhance the look of the aquarium.

Once you have set up your fish tank stand, it is often advisable to anchor it to a wall stud, especially if you have small children or pets in the home. Anchoring the tank stand to an adjacent wall can prevent a major accident.

Once your stand is in place you will be able to install your new fish tank and follow the instructions for setting up the fish tank and stocking it with fish.

An aquarium can be a big investment in both time and money. Purchasing a top quality fish tank stand can help ensure that your investment doesn’t accidentally get knocked over. Choose the fish tank stand that is designed for your aquarium and suits your home’s style, and you will feel confident in establishing your fish tank.

Alison Stevens is an online author and maintains goldfishsite.com/blog/” target=”_blank The Goldfish Site to assist anyone who wants to get started with setting up an aquarium fish tank and keeping freshwater fish.

Bird trainers have developed skills or techniques, and become experts in understanding the behavioral nature of the parrot. Several books, manuscript, and guidelines in promoting the positive angles to be on the win side in behavioral conquest of the bird have helped a lot of amateurs and pet owners.

Parrots are the most misunderstood birds in existence. It’s up for you to get thru better relationships with your bird, for it is, what you make it so. Before knowing it, at a slightest trait overlook, this bird in your cage could create havocs of anxiety and frustrations in your life. Basically, parrots need real training, otherwise, you will one day find out, it becomes an undesirable annoying character stealing away every bit of your peaceful, chaos-free moments.

Basics in training start with the bird’s character traits and instincts. Your first approach is to notice its biting habits and screaming. These are inherent to parrots especially if it seemed likely to be ignored. Like humans they develop into emotional outburst, and their tendency is to find an object to threw out their fits.

Instinctive biting and screaming loudly distract. Try to find out what causes such behavior. Every bit of undesirable action could be a reaction that actually comes from its surrounding environment, either from your very self, or from anyone among your companions inside the house.

Behavioral Aspects in Training

1. Let us deal into terms similar to psychology in humans.

*Operant conditioning, situation in training, on other domestics or your bird pet; reacting well in order to gain something positive, or to evade from something negative. Example: Directing your bird to whistle, if it mimics the action, you hand in its food. Next time, instinct to eat allows impulsive choice to obey, whatever you want it to do, a whip of your finger, or cue from your mouth.

*Bridging stimulus set an example, when a hand is raised to command the bird to perch in one corner of the cage, the demonstrative actions serve a bridge for the parrot to choose in abeyance following the hand cuing, because a toy is ready at reach.

2. Do not punish pets for any negative attitude or actions done previously.

Example: When it unties cage’s knots (birds do kept biting and untying); long time before you discovered it, don’t whip or deprive it of meals. Birds or animals do not know of past and future. Bird’s instinct is to live or act “here” and “now,” and never aware of anything done ostentatiously. Turn to let a parrot obey you on what it does at the moment.

A large scale of parrot species need to be captivated to insure you with one of the best pet favored by many households. Research where your pet originated in order to pursue utmost care in mutual relationships between humans and birds.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Pet Parrots, please visit pet-parrot.articlekeep.com pet-parrot.articlekeep.com

Change isn’t easy it takes time

Putting changes into place can take time and patience when the behavior has become a habit. It is very important to understand this as it can be especially difficult to understand why our dogs are barking. Patience is your key to success and you will be rewarded. Like when dealing with young children or family members you have to be understanding, patient and at the same time remain consistent in your approach. The same principles have to be applied with your canine friend, If for example nine times out of ten,you ignore your dog’s barking and on the tenth time you reward him with your attention, then he will learn that barking persistently works. A little like children, younger and older, once they know how to get around you and get away with something the problem only gets worse next time. You must decide on a plan of approach and stick to it. This includes all members of your family and anyone who comes in contact with your dog.

Praise him on positive behavior Everyone likes to be rewarded for doing something well and your dog is no exception. Receiving your acceptance and praise is extremely important to your dog and you can use this to your advantage. Reward him with things that he relates to pleasure such as food treats, toys or your praise whenever he behaves the way you want him to and he will behave that way more often.

Communicate with all concerned While you and your dog are working on overcoming the barking problem let the family members know what you are trying to achieve so they can be consistent in their approach. It may also be a good idea to let your neighbors know what efforts you are putting forth to solve the midnight barking sessions. As behavioral problems can take time to resolve. If they hear your dog continuing to bark they may assume that you are doing nothing to resolve the issue. Contact your local council too if appropriate and let them know you are working towards a solution. Most problems can be avoided if the channels of communication are opened not only from human to canine but also from human to human. Prevention is better then cure and it does make life easier.

Do what you can but know your limitations If you have tried to solve your dogs barking problem with little or no success, you are not alone. If you realize that you may need professional help your half way to solving the problem. Professionals work with this particular behavioral problem on a day to day basis. They would have experienced many different variations of the problem and will help you work through your problem to find a successful solution. Seeking professional help is the easiest way to a quiet life.

Remember

Behavioral problems such as barking are common in our society today. If you have a barking problem you are not alone. Barking problems can be better understood if you learn more about your dog’s behavior.Seek professional help if you need it, until your barking problem has been solved.

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