Posts from — August 2009

Once you have got your golden retriever, it is important to house break him. He should be trained and mannered properly, so that he easily fits into your home.

To begin with, when you are house breaking your golden retriever, you should allow him restricted freedom. He will have to work really hard to get used to you, your family and your surroundings. It would be appropriate not to encourage any bad habits. Do remember that once pets get used to bad habits, it becomes really difficult to alter them. If you begin to apply rules when your golden retriever is young, he will easily fit into the routine and the rules that you’d like him to follow.

Secondly, confine your golden retriever. Ideally, he should not be allowed free movement around the house or the yard. If he steps out of the house or the crate, keep a close watch on him and his actions.

Chances are that he’d inculcate bad habits if you do not manage to keep a watchful eye on him. For example, if he has once relieved himself on the floor or elsewhere inside the house, he’d stick to the same area. Dogs usually use their sense of smell, and keep relieving themselves in the same area. If you do not correct it initially, it will become tougher at a later stage.

You also need to ensure that your golden retriever is following routine regarding the crate. It is better if he is not allowed to spend time outside his crate. This is one of the most important rules of housebreaking your golden retriever. The golden retriever is unfamiliar with the surroundings and you need to keep strict vigil. This is to ensure that he doesn’t meet with accidents or other unpleasant happenings.

It is also important to train your golden retriever the right way to relieve himself when you are house breaking him. Be encouraging and commend him when he relieves himself at the right place. An option is to crate him at night and lead him to the right spot the next morning. Many a times, you may need to have a litter box inside the house, if the puppy is not able to get out and relieve himself. It is of course not a nice idea to keep your golden retriever restricted to the house all the time. Allow him watchful and limited access to the outside, maybe the backyard, during the initial days. A doggy door may be an option here, and the golden retriever can enter and exit without disturbing you and your family.

If you have decided to get him home, house breaking your golden retriever may take some time. But rest assured that the time taken is worth it. In course of time, a well-trained golden retriever will be a pleasant addition to you and your family.

Looking for information on goldenretrieveradvice.org/ golden retrievers? If you are looking for advice on goldenretrieveradvice.org/Buying-A-Golden-Puppy.html buying a golden retriever or goldenretrieveradvice.org/House-Breaking-Your-Golden-Retriever.html house breaking your golden retriever, visit us now. GoldenRetrieverAdvice.org is a goldmine for information on everything related to golden retrievers.

A ferret can be a fun pet that will provide you with hours of amusement. If you are thinking about adopting a ferret, you should take the time to learn about their needs. You will need to buy a few things to get you started including a proper cage, adequate ferret foods, vitamins and toys. You should make sure to get your ferret to the vet within the first few weeks and each year after that. Here’s some tips on making sure you have the perfect setup for your new pet.

Cage

A cage is not something that the ferret should stay in all the time. The ferret needs to get his exercise and will become quite unfriendly if locked up all the time. The cage itself should not be smaller than two feet by two feet by two feet. This will allow for enough room for the ferret to move about. The ferret can be kept in a cage that is this large for at least eight hours. If you plan to get a smaller cage, insure that the ferret will be able to get out and about during the daytime hours and that the cage is only used at night time.

Food

Ferrets require a specific mix of nutrients and their foods can be expensive. But, the thing to remember is that the ferret will generally eat more food if he is not getting the nutrition that he needs. You may actually save your money if you do not purchase the poor quality stuff and give your ferret the food that he needs instead. You can find out how foods compare in quality by just looking at the ingredients in the more expensive foods and the lesser expensive foods. You should also supplement your ferret’s diet with a multi vitamin.

Toys

Ferret toys should be provided for your ferret. If you have one of these adorable and curious little creatures, part of your job of keeping them healthy and happy is to give them lots of things to play with. For those that are looking for something to do with their pet, consider provide toys that are designed for a kitten or even larger, adult cat toys. Really, these can be more affordable to purchase and easier to find than specific ferret toys. They will provide your pet with a great time too. Ferrets also love to dig so you might want to invest in a good harness so you can take your pet outside and let him do some digging, otherwise he might focus his attention on your plants!

Vet Care

In order to keep your pet ferret healthy and happy, you need to make sure he gets his yearly checkup as well as take him to the vet if he appears ill. Prompt attention to illness is important as ferrets can go downhill very quickly.

Pet insurance is geared towards helping you to meet your financial goals when your ferret will get sick. Just like any other type of insurance, it can help when you need it the most. For example, if your ferret develops a tumor, you may need to have it removed. For that, you will need to have surgery on your ferret which is quite expensive. Instead of having to make a decision about whether you should take on the expensive debt or risk your ferret’s life, you can use your insurance for the ferret instead. Finding the right pet insurance plan is the key here. To find it, make sure that you look at several companies and what they can offer you.

Lee Dobbins writes for ferrets.pet-breeds.com where you can find out more about how to care for your ferrets.pet-breeds.com pet ferret.

You know them. They’re the family with fifteen dogs that all the neighbors hate. Their dogs run all over the neighborhood and are largely responsible for the local canine population explosion. When neighbors aren’t at their door complaining about the little reminders left behind by the annoying pets, the animal control people are making a warning stop or pick-up. It’s the terror of irresponsible dog owners!

Your neighbor has retired from challenging five hundred ton tanker ships with a rowboat and taken up the cause of rescuing all the stray dogs within a five hundred mile radius of their house. Unfortunately, you live next store to this wannabe animal rescue center that smells like a collapsed septic tank. It’s the horror of the doggie do-gooder!

The people with that extra bit of property discover that people admire the five or six dogs they have running around the place. When puppy litters come along, they make a quick buck by selling the pups. Some of the dogs are purebred, others aren’t, but they all bring in some extra cash when puppies come along. Before you know it, the place is awash in purebred and mixed breed dogs that look cute and make the family extra money. Neighbors start to complain, so the dogs are caged. But when litters aren’t just right around the corner, it becomes hard to feed and care for the animals. They are neglected and some are let loose to lessen the burden on the family. A typical puppy mill is born and adds to the stray problem in town. It’s the nightmare of the brainless breeder!

Has anyone ever noticed that society works because of a thing called BALANCE? People balance their rights with the rights of other people and living things to co-exist in the fairest way possible. But life isn’t always fair. If it was, we would all be living a perfect existence just the way we imagined it to be. Sometimes life deals people and animals a low blow that they never recover from. While we can all pitch in and make life a little easier for people or animals down on their luck, we cannot take over their responsibilities when it comes to living. That crosses the line of balance.

Today’s dog owners have benefited from lessons learned by society over the past one hundred years. Gone are the days when every yard had some huge mutt chained to a tree whose diet consisted of mail carriers who moved a bit too slow, table scraps and some defrosted, forgotten meat left too long in the back of the freezer. But not everyone has gotten the message. There are still plenty of people that just keep going to the pound, paying their fifty bucks and bringing home dogs that they have no intention of properly caring for.

Pet owners who take care to adopt animals that are appropriate for their situation, purebred pet owners and legitimate breeders constantly face the wrath of local officials who find themselves under-budgeted and understaffed trying to deal with a growing stray dog problem. Law after law is passed demanding that pet owners and breeders act responsibly toward their animals. In many areas it’s now a felony to own a pet without taking proper care of them. Up to date vaccinations, a safe and clean environment and available food and water are a given to most responsible pet owners, but others just don’t get it!

Pet ownership of any kind is a sacred responsibility. You have taken a living thing with feelings and a personality into your care. You can’t save every pet on the planet or do very much about the idiots that think of their animals as lawn ornaments and abuse them. What you can do is make sure that you set an example for others by treating your pet with love and respect. Dogs are intelligent creatures that are able to show affection and receive it. Bring balance to your home by purchasing or adopting a pet that fits into your environment without overwhelming it. Treat your pet as you would any other member of the household (unless members of your household happen to resemble characters from a Stephen King novel).

I often hear people saying that they have a problem pet. But more often then not, it’s the owner who has created the problem. For example, large dogs that bark a lot may do so because they lack enough space to run around in. They become frustrated and take to venting their frustrations through their snouts. Smaller dogs sometimes bark a lot because they feel unsettled or threatened. It may be that their owner just doesn’t spend enough time playing with them.

Dogs are people too, almost, and should not have to exist in poor conditions because of the wacky whims of their owners. No one is saving the doggie world by having twenty-five animals jammed into a one bedroom apartment with little food or veterinary care. People who bring a Great Dane into a yard perfect for a toy Poodle should be stuffed in a car trunk for a few years to see how they like it. Dog owners who make monthly trips to the pet adoption center because their last one ran away again should try adopting some intelligence. Backyard breeders who go through a steady stream of strays for quick puppy litters and a fast buck should be spayed or neutered.

Don’t miss out on the pet ownership experience of a lifetime by taking on more dog then you can handle or subjecting your animal to your own pet passions.

Author: Bill Knell
Author’s Email: mailto:billknell@cox.net billknell@cox.net
Author’s Website: billknell.com billknell.com

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I still remember the first time I saw two beautiful looking fish in a friend’s house. One fish was blue and the other was red, and they were swimming majestically in their fishbowls. That was my first encounter with a fish species known as Betta fish or Betta Splendens or Siamese Fighting Fish (three names that refer to one fish).

Up until today, I’m still keeping a few of them in my house, and they make perfect pet fish for my family. Every member of my family loves them.

Why do I like most about Betta fish, you may ask. Definitely, I have many different reasons, but here are three of them.

1. Betta fish are beautiful pet.

It’s a tropical fish that comes with different colors such as red, blue and yellow. Some Betta fish have more than one color on their bodies. Believe it or not! I can spend hours looking at how Betta fish move in their bowls but even if you don’t know a thing about Betta fish, you will be mesmerized by their colors alone.

2. Betta fish are easy to care.

Betta fish are hardy type of fish and they can live in a small container. A small fishbowl is enough to house one Betta fish, but be aware that two male Betta fish shouldn’t be placed in one container. Or else, these two Betta fish might fight until death (that’s why they are also called Siamese fighting fish).

3. Betta fish are responsive.

If you have a Betta fish in a small fishbowl and you move closer to the fish, you’ll see that your fish will turn its head to look at you. That’s what makes me fall in love with Betta fish. They are responsive to your presence and aware that you are there, unlike many other pet fish.

So, you can now consider if you want to adopt Betta fish as your family pet or for your kids. They are lovable creatures and you will know it immediately one you have a Betta in your house.

Rosalinda Zamora is a bettafishsecret.com betta fish lover. She cares for her Bettas like no one else, and she highly recommends you to visit bettafishsecret.com/ebook bettafishsecret.com/ebook to learn the secrets of caring your own Betta fish.

It is important that good house cat care is very important in keeping your cat happy. The benefits of good house cat care go way beyond the fact of making your sure your feline has a good quality of life. Good house cat care can benefit your own physical and mental well being and help towards leveling your emotions. Happy cat, happy owner.

Research has shown that by providing good house cat care can be good for your body. Just by spending time with any happy pet can lead to a happier you. Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels are achieved in pet owners. Some people buy cats for this very reason. It’s a small price to pay for a better quality of life. In fact, a happy cat can prolong your years on this planet. More good news is by actively playing with your cat, like with a ball of yarn, will improve you as a person in more ways than one.

Ideally, you should try to integrate the house cat care into your daily routine. A good daily routine will include things such as grooming, cleaning the litter box and so on. You may even try to go more advanced and try to train your cat. To what level is up to you but even simple commands will bring a greater understanding between you both. Try a little more activity with your cat. Chasing your cat around the room will keep you fit and entertain the both of you. Chasing your cat around will bring you more benefits than sitting on the sofa.

House cat care will also keep you emotionally balanced. When your cat purrs for you, it also brings up a warm glow inside you. These comfort moments can be a nice welcome break in a stressful day. Having a cat around the place can uplift your mood and increase your happiness.

Trying to find the best health care for your cat?

There are so many medications and advice available so how do you decide what is for your cat?

For more free advice, tips and suggestions, visit felinehealthcare.net Feline Heath Care

Be a leader, a dog will follow.

From the last two articles, remember King and his dominant dog behavior? King was the leader of his pack — Mom, Dad, 2 kids. King set the rules in the house and didn’t hesitate to enforce them, with growling, snapping, and even biting. I introduced 3 simple dog training steps to help you begin to take the leadership role back from King.

Then there was Queenie and her family (especially Mom), who gently took the leadership position. Queenie learned dog manners and wonderful dog behavior through Mom’s gentle but firm positive dog training methods and her consistency in teaching Queenie house rules. Queenie was eager to learn and to please and received lots of praise and tons of treats. With humans as pack leaders and dogs as pack members (preferably at the bottom of the hierarchy!), the whole household is calm and happy.

Let’s talk about your household. Your angel might not be as dominant or aggressive as King, and you may have worked with her some but not quite enough to have a dog similar to Queenie. Time is sometimes a factor — with our lives as busy as they are, sometimes it’s difficult to make time to for even short periods of dog training. But if you’ll give it a little effort, the payoff will be tremendous. You can change your dog’s behavior in no time at all.

I want to give you a few more new recommendations for regaining leadership in your pack. But first, I want to review some of the ones found in the first two articles. For the complete list, go to best-dog-articles.com.

SOME REVIEW STEPS

Get their attention first — say Fido’s name before you say the command.

Be kind — Use a gentle voice, give commands and direction calmly and lovingly.

Let’s play — YOU start and end all games. Keep them wanting more.

Let’s EAT — YOU eat before feeding the dog.

Praise, praise, praise — Pour on the praise for good dog behavior and good manners.

NEW STEPS

1. Are you sick?!

One of the first concerns with new or unwanted behaviors (e.g., excessive urination) is a health concern. Get a vet check to address any health concerns that might cause behaviors your dog has no control over.

2. Down every day!

Put your dog in a “down” position for 5-10 minutes every day. This reinforces for your dog that you are the leader. Beginning this program may involve many jump-ups. Just gently and firmly put the dog back down. (No need to restart time.) You will notice that the breaks of command quickly fall away. It’s fine for your dog to sleep through this one!

3. Do that AGAIN!

Dogs love routine. They have incredible internal clocks. One activity that dogs love and that routine is important is mealtime. I suggest feeding dogs two times a day (no running buffet) within an hour window each time (e.g., 7-8AM and 5-6PM). Watch your dog — if you do something regularly, they come to expect it and act appropriately. Other activities that can become routine are morning or evening walks, Saturday errands, the time you come home from work. If it’s a regular thing, your dog knows it’s going to happen.

4. Brush, brush, brush the coat!

One activity you both can enjoy is grooming. Daily gentle grooming reinforces a loving relationship with your dog. This can become prized private time for both of you.

5. Through the paces– Every day!

Obedience training is very important to do every day, even for 5 minutes at a time. Try to avoid the military commando approach. Be consistent and kind, get your dog’s attention first, praise, praise, praise for his willingness and compliance to your commands. Practicing obedience reinforces that you are the leader.

CONCLUSION

That’s it! You now have the arsenal for regaining the leadership position in your pack and getting some good dog behavior practices in place. Emphasizing the positive in your dog training efforts pays off exponentially — your dog will be your friend for life and won’t be scared of you. When you establish yourself as leader, dogs respect you and will work so hard to please you. Take the time to get these easy steps into your daily routine and watch the changes magically occur.

Wishing you a calm and happy adventure with your canine companions.

[This article is the third in a 3-part series about changing dog behavior using positive dog training methods.]

O’Neal Hendrix is a premier professional dog trainer in Atlanta, GA. For many years, she has “worked miracles” with dogs and their owners. Check out her dog-supplies-dog-accessories.com/dogtoys” target=”_blank dog toy recommendations for all dog breeds and temperaments!

Herding and working dogs are actually two different categories in the American Kennel Club but have only been divided into the two groups since 1983. Previously the herding group was included in the working group category since these groups have many of the same traits and attributes. Both groups have been bred to work closely with humans and to be good, solid and dependable companion dogs.

Working Breeds

In generally the working breeds tend to be large dogs that have been bred to pull carts, pull sleds, guard and even perform various rescues. Breeds in the working group include:

Akitas

Bernese Mountain Dogs

Boxers

Bullmastiffs

Great Danes

Doberman Pinchers

Great Pyrenees

Newfoundland

Rottweiler

St. Bernard

Siberian Husky

There are also several other breeds including the amazing Komondor, known for its long, ringlet style coat. All of these breeds of dogs are large, usually weighing in excess of 60 pounds, with many of the larger males reaching over 150 pounds when full grown.

When working with these working dogs it is important to note that they are generally very gentle dogs although them may be aggressive or possessive around strangers. Dogs such as the Akita that has been bred to both hunt and protect will need additional socialization and training at an early age to prevent aggressive tendencies as they mature. These dogs need to be very obedient simply because they are so large and could potentially hurt someone even by simply jumping up. Usually very easy to train they require consistent and firm training with lots of positive praise and attention.

Generally these dogs will be natural watchdogs although they are not necessarily effective guard dogs. Some, such as the Doberman Pincher and the Rottweiler are excellent as both watch and guard dogs with the proper training. Professional trainers can be very effective in training and working with guard dogs.

For best results when training herding & working dogs, proper rest is important. Since most breeds of this type are pretty big, try an ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/large-dog-beds extra large dog bed for added comfort. Good styles are available at ohmydogsupplies.com Oh My Dog Supplies.

For more information by Kelly Marshall, see this recent article on ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Prevent-Your-Dog-From-Getting-Fleas&id=516244 preventing your dog from getting fleas

Most dog breeds will chew on bits and pieces in and around the home. Maintaining them focused on stuff intended for them can be one continuous challenge. The tendency to chew will differ from one dog to another.

The younger dogs, in particular puppies, will often have a higher tendency to gnaw away at anything in sight and not be choosey. But even those youthful pups can be discouraged from snatching things that the owner would like to keep intact.

Keep a variety of striking toys to hand, whether inside or out, for Buster to chew on. Tough rubber dental bones or rawhide bones are exciting for some dogs. Real bones tend not to be a great idea, but with some exceptions. Hefty beef bones are acceptable, but port and chicken can simply splinter and course injury.

Luckily, a great select of specialist toys are on hand. A few are even equipped with hollow interiors for containing treats. In order to reach the treat the dog often has a struggle on his hands. However, that’s the whole idea. It keeps them busy and offers a good mental and physical challenge in aiming to reach the reward.

A gentle tap or a sharp tone for nipping an inappropriate item, such as a sock or shoe, is generally constructive and helpful. Shrieking or callous bodily punishment is counter-productive. It’s typically far more beneficial for both owner and dog to vent that annoyance elsewhere.

In order to practice developing a particular habit, take a moment to leash the dog and offer an unsuitable object. If the dog starts to creep forward, tug the leash in a sideway direction quickly and firmly, and present a firm No!

Be certain to tug sideways, and not in a backwards motion. A dog’s neck muscles tend to be awfully powerful, but the throat could easily be bruised. The movement is intended to inform, and not to punish.

On visits outside, if your dog has a habit to gnaw on fences, plants, etc, you can make use of the selection of pet repellents or homemade recipes to prevent this behaviour. A light covering of cayenne pepper paste on the leaves of the plants that seem to attract the attention of the pet is usually sufficient to eliminate the chewing in one lesson.

During any stage of dog training, consistency, persistence, and patience are the keys to succeed. Curbing the chewing habit is generally one of the tougher challenges as you’re training your pet to not do something, instead of doing something.

Redirection to tolerable items is your best option, as it’s not possible for the instinct to be eliminated. Keep a cool head and remain alert. Even if you dog’s chewed a gapping hole in that new piece of furniture, it may be annoying and expensive, but is replaceable. Your relationship with your dog isn’t.

Darren Lintern writes extensively for andallabout.com/dog_training_devices_simple_tools_or_substitutes.htm” target=”_blank www.andallabout.com, a popular informational website that provides helpful tips, advice, and resources on many dog training topics including dog-training.andallabout.com/Reward_Based_Dog_Training.html” target=”_blank Reward Based Dog Training, and dog-training.andallabout.com/Dog_Training_REVIEWS.htm” target=”_blank Dog Training Books.

Most pet owners have a grooming schedule for their beloved pets. Instead of visiting a pet-grooming salon, you can opt for a pet grooming van to come to your place to groom your pet. The services that they offer are the same as other salons, only it is at your convenience and in your driveway.

There are several advantages that a pet grooming van offers. First and fore most, your pet will remain relaxed as he is in his own house and there will not be other animals to excite and annoy him, which is often the case in an on-site pet grooming facility.
Grooming a pet is a messy job, but with pet grooming vans the soapy water and other mess is for them to take care of. Most vans are such as to accommodate baths and other services. A pet grooming van offers respite to you in another way as well. You don’t have to juggle your schedule to fit in your pet’s grooming schedule. Instead, you make a phone call to the van and ask for your pet to be groomed during your spare time. Above all, there is no coaxing your pet to accompany you to the grooming salon, no need to bear traffic snarls because you need not venture out. The pet grooming van brings its expertise and services right to your doorsteps.

Owing to all the above factors, mobile pet grooming van is fast catching up as the preferred grooming service. Your pet will enjoy a shampoo, flea dip and have his hair blow-dried. His coat will be trimmed and styled. Dogs will have their anal glands drained and if you wish the nails will be painted after trimming. So the range of services is complete, all in the privacy of your home.

It is important to pamper your pet once in a while by providing them a nice grooming session. Apart from keeping your pet healthy by removal of fleas and other parasites and taking care of infections, he will also look clean with a shiny coat to boot. The grooming session ends with a complimentary gift to the pets, usually a bow or ribbon for females and a bandana for male pets.

So, be prepared to welcome a dapper and stylish looking pet into your home.

For more such articles visit home-gyms-fitness.com home-gyms-fitness.com

Ravi Agarwal is publisher of dating-tips website – petgroomingtip.com petgroomingtip.com

He has written several informative articles on pet grooming tips topics.

Cat urine odor removal is a challenging task. If you have or have had a cat, you know how difficult removing cat urine odor can be. That ammonia-like scent is so strong that it seems impossible to eliminate. And that’s not all.

Once the urine dries, the dark amber stains it leaves behind don’t fade easily. Unless you find the right product and use the right techniques, you’re stuck with unpleasant odors and unsightly stains for a long time. Even worse, your cat might continue urinating in the same spot.

So what can you do to remove cat urine odor and stains? And how do you prevent cats from urinating in the same spot over and over again? Here are three techniques you can use to eliminate the odor. Once you have these down, you’ll be ready for the rest.

1. Avoid using regular household cleaning products such as carpet, surface, and upholstery cleaners. These products might mask the odor of cat urine, but they won’t remove it. Your cat will still be able to smell the urine, which tells the cat that it’s a good spot to urinate.

2. Stay away from ammonia or ammonia-based products. Have you ever noticed that ammonia and cat urine smell remarkably alike? If you attempt to remove cat urine odor with ammonia, your cat will identify the scent and continue urinating in the same spot.

3. Choose a product that is made specifically for removing cat urine odor. This product could be enzymatic, bacteria-based, chemical-based, or a combination of these. Many of them remove stains in addition to odor. Some might not.

Adhere to these techniques, and you will be one step closer to removing that terrible cat urine odor. You’ll need more information to determine exactly which product to choose. But now you know that you should focus on products designed for cat urine.

It’s also a good idea to follow certain tips and techniques to ensure you remove the urine properly. For example, it’s never a good idea to scrub carpet as it will absorb the urine deep into its fibers. You should always blot the urine on the carpet instead.

After removing the cat urine odor, you might want to learn different ways in which to prevent your cat from urinating outside of the litter box. You might also wonder why some cats engage in this behavior. There’s a lot to learn, but you’re getting there, starting with your new knowledge about cat urine odor removal.

Jenny Johnson is a pet lover and the author of the highly successful ebook “How To Clean Dog & Cat Urine”. To learn how you too can clean your cat’s urine, and live in a clean, odor-free home again, please visit:
removedogandcaturine.com removedogandcaturine.com