Bringing home a cuddly ball of purrs, otherwise known as a kitten, can be fun and exciting for any family. I know you didn't forget the cute food dish with little fish on it so that your kitten can be dining in style. I know you certainly didn't forget the litter box or litter, right? What more can you possibly need?
Maybe not after all. In the beginning your kitty explored all over the house, consumed way too much food, and has been using his litter box with no accidents at all. Recently, however, you've realized your kitten is starting to have problems that you had not anticipated before.
When trying to correct cat problems (http://www.secretsofcats.com/), there are a few more things you should consider doing. Believe it or not, you are not the only person to need some tips on kitten training after bringing your new furry friend home.
How does one approach kitten training? How do you keep your kitten from jumping on the counters, climbing the walls, biting your hands and feet, wrestling on your tabletops and turning your brand new furniture into confetti? How do you train a kitten not to destroy your home?
You're certainly not the first person who has come across "monster kitten syndrome" before. To start off your kitten training regimen, you'll probably want to invest in a few different things. First off, to protect your furniture from an enthusiastic kitten, get a scratching post. A simple post from your nearby department store or pet store will suffice.
But what if monster kitten is still destroying furniture? If you catch him red handed (or pawed as the case may be) carefully rub his paws up and down the scratching post mimicking the motion he naughtily performs on the furniture. Now pet and praise him! He did a good job! Now, you may have to repeat many times, but eventually your new family member will start to understand what you want.
Next, get an aluminum can, fill it with rocks and put tape over the opening. And the next time you catch kitten in a place he shouldn't be, such as wrestling with your newspaper on the kitchen table, shake the can loudly. Don't worry, it won't hurt him, but he'll know every time he does something "naughty" he'll hear a loud scary sound.
And a final note in kitten training is how to deal with the age old issue of kitten bites (http://www.secretsofcats.com/). Whenever you catch your kitten becoming unruly with your hands or feet give him a toy to replace your skin with. Any standard kitten toy will do such as a fur mouse or jingle bell ball.
That's it! You've just learned the basics of kitten training (http://www.secretsofcats.com/). And don't forget to shower your new kitten with lots of love and praise whenever he does something good. Positive rewards will make for a much happier companion in the long run. Remember, the two of you will be spending many happy years together in the future.
About The Author Kathrynn Kelley
Bringing home a kitten is a great addition to any family. But don't forget these following items: a food dish, food, water bowl, and of course the litter box. When trying to correct cat problems (http://www.secretsofcats.com/), there are a few more things you should consider doing. Believe it or not, you are not the only person to need some tips on kitten training (http://www.secretsofcats.com/) after bringing your new furry friend home. And a final note about training: how to deal with the age old issue of kitten bites (http://www.secretsofcats.com/).
Monday, July 28, 2008
Home Remedies for Fleas
Many people treat their pets as family, and justly so. Well, when one of your children, or another family member has a rash or infection you take care of it as quickly as possible. Pets also deserve the same quick attention to keep them healthy. Instead of a huge vet bill, why not try an herbal remedy when your pet gets attacked by fleas. here are a few home remedy suggestions you can try.
Give An Herb Bath
At the first sign of a flea, bathe your pet with a natural pet shampoo that contains flea-repellent herbs. Pennyroyal or eucalyptus oil boost the bathwater's flea killing power. A badly infested dog needs a bath about every two weeks; a cat, about once a month.
Clean, Clean, and Clean Some More
Especially in the Summer, wash the pets bedding in hot soapy water once a week, and dry it in a hot dryer. Also vacuum your rugs every two to three days. Ninty percent of fleas are found where your pet sleeps.
Use Natural Powders
They generally contain such herbs as rosemary, rue, wormwood, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, or citronella, and sometimes tobacco powder. You can also dust the powder, or just diatomaceous earth, in all the nooks and crannyies you can't reach by vacuuming.
Diatomaceous earth is a great home remedy that removes the fleas waxy coating and dries them out, which kills them. Caution: Wear a dust mask to avoid the easily inhaled, finely ground diatomaceous earth used in swimming pool filteres; and pennyroyal and tobacco powder in large quantities can be toxic to you and your pets.
Attack Internally
Finally, add garlic and brewer's yeast to your pet's diet. Even try rubbing the yeast into your pet's fur. Both ingredients are said to make a flea's taste buds curl in disgust. There's no scientific proof, but some pet owners swear by this home remedy.
Preventitive care goes a long way with pets. Obviously they can't talk to you and let you know that they are beginning to host fleas, so be aware of your pet's behaviour and try these herbal remedies at the first sign.
About The Author Mike Campbell is a published author and Internet Entrepreneur. For more information on the benefits of healing with herbs and home remedies, visit: http://www.simpleherbalremedies.com
Also, feel free to leave your comments on our blog at http://www.simpleherbalremedies.com/blog
Give An Herb Bath
At the first sign of a flea, bathe your pet with a natural pet shampoo that contains flea-repellent herbs. Pennyroyal or eucalyptus oil boost the bathwater's flea killing power. A badly infested dog needs a bath about every two weeks; a cat, about once a month.
Clean, Clean, and Clean Some More
Especially in the Summer, wash the pets bedding in hot soapy water once a week, and dry it in a hot dryer. Also vacuum your rugs every two to three days. Ninty percent of fleas are found where your pet sleeps.
Use Natural Powders
They generally contain such herbs as rosemary, rue, wormwood, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, or citronella, and sometimes tobacco powder. You can also dust the powder, or just diatomaceous earth, in all the nooks and crannyies you can't reach by vacuuming.
Diatomaceous earth is a great home remedy that removes the fleas waxy coating and dries them out, which kills them. Caution: Wear a dust mask to avoid the easily inhaled, finely ground diatomaceous earth used in swimming pool filteres; and pennyroyal and tobacco powder in large quantities can be toxic to you and your pets.
Attack Internally
Finally, add garlic and brewer's yeast to your pet's diet. Even try rubbing the yeast into your pet's fur. Both ingredients are said to make a flea's taste buds curl in disgust. There's no scientific proof, but some pet owners swear by this home remedy.
Preventitive care goes a long way with pets. Obviously they can't talk to you and let you know that they are beginning to host fleas, so be aware of your pet's behaviour and try these herbal remedies at the first sign.
About The Author Mike Campbell is a published author and Internet Entrepreneur. For more information on the benefits of healing with herbs and home remedies, visit: http://www.simpleherbalremedies.com
Also, feel free to leave your comments on our blog at http://www.simpleherbalremedies.com/blog
Why Puggles Make Great Pets
Definitely you have already heard of Puggles! Maybe for once you consider bringing home one for a pet, but still in doubt whether this breed is ideal for you and your family.
Doubt no more because Puggles, classified as lap dogs, have playful temperament. They are usually referred to as designer dogs. Meaning they are hybrid dogs, a crossbreed between a pug and a beagle. These dogs possess the mild manner quality of a pug mixed with more energetic quality of a beagle. They love to play and are affectionate and get along well with children. So more likely you will never have to worry about your children’s safety every time they are near your dog. You do not have to worry that your dog might growl or even grab your child’s finger or legs.
Another one reason why you should bring home a Puggle is that they are low maintenance dogs. You don’t need to trouble yourself with grooming as what other breed of dogs need. Bathing, nail clipping, tooth brushing and ear cleaning can be done occasionally, not everyday.
Whether you’re living in a house with a wide yard or just in one of the apartments somewhere in the city, having a Puggle as a pet is not a problem to worry. They will surely enjoy doing their daily exercise taking a walk around your yard or running from room to room in your apartment as they need a bit more exercise compared to some traditional apartment dogs.
Playful animals as they are, they enjoy playing fetch, chewing on bones and other stuff. They will even play hide-and-seek and race around with you.
And just like other dog breeds, Puggles has the capacity to learn what you are teaching them. Housetraining them is not difficult provided you are patient, consistent and is well-informed on the proper methods needed to housetrain a dog. But make sure to be gentle with the training because they are sensitive to the tone of your voice. It is always important not to yell and punish them physically even if mistake has been done.
I think the above stated characteristics are enough for you to go and get your own Puggle dog. Let go of the qualms and let your self experience how it feels to own an exceptional nice pet. These sociable, intelligent and affectionate lap dogs will surely make great pets. Not just mere pets, but friends and lifetime companions.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a writer and a dog expert. Want to know more about Puggle training? Discover Puggles at http://www.pugglesavvy.com.
Doubt no more because Puggles, classified as lap dogs, have playful temperament. They are usually referred to as designer dogs. Meaning they are hybrid dogs, a crossbreed between a pug and a beagle. These dogs possess the mild manner quality of a pug mixed with more energetic quality of a beagle. They love to play and are affectionate and get along well with children. So more likely you will never have to worry about your children’s safety every time they are near your dog. You do not have to worry that your dog might growl or even grab your child’s finger or legs.
Another one reason why you should bring home a Puggle is that they are low maintenance dogs. You don’t need to trouble yourself with grooming as what other breed of dogs need. Bathing, nail clipping, tooth brushing and ear cleaning can be done occasionally, not everyday.
Whether you’re living in a house with a wide yard or just in one of the apartments somewhere in the city, having a Puggle as a pet is not a problem to worry. They will surely enjoy doing their daily exercise taking a walk around your yard or running from room to room in your apartment as they need a bit more exercise compared to some traditional apartment dogs.
Playful animals as they are, they enjoy playing fetch, chewing on bones and other stuff. They will even play hide-and-seek and race around with you.
And just like other dog breeds, Puggles has the capacity to learn what you are teaching them. Housetraining them is not difficult provided you are patient, consistent and is well-informed on the proper methods needed to housetrain a dog. But make sure to be gentle with the training because they are sensitive to the tone of your voice. It is always important not to yell and punish them physically even if mistake has been done.
I think the above stated characteristics are enough for you to go and get your own Puggle dog. Let go of the qualms and let your self experience how it feels to own an exceptional nice pet. These sociable, intelligent and affectionate lap dogs will surely make great pets. Not just mere pets, but friends and lifetime companions.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a writer and a dog expert. Want to know more about Puggle training? Discover Puggles at http://www.pugglesavvy.com.
A Miracle of the Living World: Communication and Signaling in the Language of Birds
Scientific research has revealed that throughout the living world, communication is just as important as it is to human beings. Countless living things lack the capacity for human speech, yet they employ entirely different methods in order to communicate with each other—and even with other species. Some of the most dramatic examples of this is displayed by birds. The astonishing behavior and ability to communicate that birds exhibit also totally invalidates the claims of the theory of evolution.
All forms of life on Earth have been created with miraculous properties and astonishing abilities. The examination of just one single species is enough to reveal hundreds of proofs of God’s magnificent creation.
In one verse of the Qur’an, Allah reveals that:
There is no creature crawling on the earth or flying creature, flying on its wings, who are not communities just like yourselves—We have not omitted anything from the Book—then they will be gathered to their Lord. (Qur’an, 6: 38)
The birds to which this verse draws our attention notice are one of the living communities that we need to examine and reflect upon.
There are roughly some 10,000 species of bird in the world, each of which possesses its own miraculous features. Wherever you may live, you can see a great number of these feathered creatures and can observe different and extraordinary properties in each and every one. With their attractive appearances, flawless flight mechanisms, expertise on the routes and timing of migrations, ability to build nests and altruistic behavior toward their young and to one another, birds possess countless proofs of the fact of creation. Their ability to communicate is another of these.
Birds' Sense of Hearing
For birds to display their talents in communicating by sound, song—and in the case of some birds, words— they require excellent hearing. At critical times in their lives, their sense of hearing becomes particularly important. Experiments have shown that in order for birds to learn the distinctive song of their own species, they need an auditory feedback system. Thanks to this system, young birds learn to compare the sounds they produce themselves with the patterns of a song they have memorized. If they were deaf, it wouldn't normally be possible for them to sing recognizable songs. (1)
Birds' ears are well equipped for hearing, but they hear in a different way from us. For them to recognize a tune, they have to hear it in always the same octave (a series of seven notes), whereas we humans can recognize a tune even if we hear it in a different octave. Birds cannot, but can instead recognize timbre—a fundamental note combined with harmonies. The ability to recognize timbre and harmonic variations lets birds hear and reply to many diverse sounds, and sometimes even reproduce them.
Birds can also hear shorter notes than we can. Humans process sounds in bytes in about 1/20th of a second (2), whereas birds can distinguish these sounds in 1/200th of a second (3). This means that birds are superior at differentiating sounds that arrive in very rapid succession.(4) In other words, a bird's capacity to perceive sound is approximately ten times greater than ours; and in every note heard by a human, it can hear ten.(5) Moreover, some birds are also able to hear lower-frequency sounds than we are. Their hearing sensitivity is so finely tuned that they can even tell the difference between pieces by such famous composers as Bach and Stravinsky.
Birds' extremely sensitive hearing functions perfectly. Clearly, each of this sense's components is created by special design, for if any one failed to work properly, the bird would not be able to hear any sounds at all. This point also disproves the theory that hearing evolved or emerged gradually, as a result of coincidental influences.
Communication and Signaling in Birds
Birds produce meaningful communications by their facial expressions, beak movements, feather ruffling, elongating their necks, crouching, bouncing, and flapping their wings. Although each species has its own body language, many different species interpret movements in the same way. For example, various species interpret an upward thrust of the beak as expressing the intention to fly, and the lowering of the breast as a warning of danger. Also, several species perceive raising the tail feathers as a threat, or displaying bright colors atop of the head as a declaration of the intent to attack. Via facial expression, birds can convey a variety of messages to those around them-negative feelings such as dislike and resentment, as well as positive ones like pleasure, enthusiasm and curiosity. (6)
Bird’s Facial Expressions
Birds produce different facial expressions by movements of the beak, or by positioning the feathers above the beak, on the chin, or atop the head. In some species, the feathers above the eye can also move independently. Moreover, many species make a display by opening their beaks. For example, the tawny frogmouth opens its beak to reveal its large, bright green oral cavity, emphasizing the size of its beak and making it appear more intimidating. Some other species open their beaks as a form of threatening behavior, usually silently, but sometimes enhance the performance with hissing or loud breathing. (7)
Besides communicating by means of body language, birds produce a great variety of sounds to communicate with other members of their flock, neighbors, or family members. These range from short, simple calls to songs that are surprisingly long and complex. Sometimes birds such as the green woodpecker use different instruments or, like the American woodpecker, use special feathers to produce sound.
Birds also communicate through scents, although since their sense of smell is poor, their communication is based mainly on sound and sight. At times of poor visibility, as at night or in dense foliage, sound is most advantageous, and is also the ideal method for long-distance communication. If conditions are right, birdsong can be heard for up to a few kilometers.
In addition to song, birds also have conceptualization and communication skills. In certain circumstances, they demonstrate talents equivalent to those of children of primary-school age, learning series of words and other means of human communication through social interaction. When alone, these parrots play vocalization games and when in the company of people, they join vocalizations together to produce new assemblages from existing sequences of speech. God, the Creator of everything on Earth and in the skies, equips them with the talents and characteristics that set them apart. Accordingly, our praises for the supreme beauty of our environment is praise that belongs to God.
The Language of Calls and Songs
To call to one another, birds produce sounds of extremely high frequency and strength. Only a few species such as pelicans, storks, and certain vultures are mute and have no call. The acoustic calls used by birds amongst themselves form a language of sorts. Their songs, which are longer and generally related to courtship, consist of a series of notes and usually contain melodies. Birdsong is usually heard in spring, whereas the calls, much simpler than songs, are used by both sexes and heard throughout the year. Birdcalls allow swift communication via simple messages without a great expenditure of energy. (8) These calls’ main functions can be listed as follows:
- To establish a bird’s species - To indicate its bird's gender - To reveal its location - To demarcate and defend its territory - To announce and advertise a source of food - To let young birds recognize their own parents - To keep the flock together when traveling - To warn of the presence of an enemy - To intimidate an enemy - For courtship
To mark the changeover of responsibility for nesting duties such as incubating or feeding To practice and perfect their songs
Bird Sounds Are Not Haphazard
Usually, birdsong is not composed of randomly produced sounds. Songs are exceptionally diverse melodies of specific meaning, sung for a purpose, and are much more complex than the calls used for signaling. They are generally used by males to advertise and defend a territory, or in courtship. It is also believed that songs serve a social function. When a pair is building their nest, they also establish communication by song. Experiments on caged birds have also demonstrated that birds find it easier to learn songs if another bird is present, but out of sight, in another cage. (9)
Male and female songbirds have different brain structures, particularly in the regions related to sound production. With many songbird species, the males can sing, but the females cannot. The males use "song" to call their mates or designate a tree, pole, or electrical cable as a place to perch. Each species sings a song with its own characteristics, but any given species' songs display variations according to age, sex, particular time of year, and geographical location-appropriate for the environment in which they live. For example, birds that live in meadows use "songs of flight." Similarly, ones that live in the dense foliage of rain forests or reed thickets have loud voices to compensate for reduced visibility.
God’s Miracle of Inspiration
As we have explained, birds employ the most suitable methods of communication for their habitats and objectives. There is no question of every bird being able to know which song it should sing under which circumstances, or to calculate on its own the meaning and purpose of the song it will sing. According to the Darwinist way of thinking, however, all the birds and other living creatures that we see around us, , all the abilities that they exhibit and all the beauty that they display, are the products of blind chance. Yet obviously, the consciousness and design that pervade life and living things at every moment cannot be explained in terms of a series of mere coincidences.
Living things devoid of reason and judgment can exhibit such behavior because such intelligence and consideration of the future are inspired in them by God. God creates every living thing with the characteristics it requires and inspires its appropriately intelligent behavior. All living things perform only those functions that God inspires in them, serving as a means whereby we are able to witness His might. In one verse of the Qur’an, God reveals:
Do you not see that everyone in the heavens and Earth glorifies God, as do the birds with their outspread wings? Each one knows its prayer and glorification. God knows what they do. (Qur’an, 24:41)
References: 1- http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/bionb424/students/mdr17/neurophysiology.htm 2- http://www.earthlife.net/birds/hearing.html 3- http://www.earthlife.net/birds/hearing.html 4- Theodore Xenophon Barber, Ph. d., The Human Nature of Birds, USA, 1993, p. 36. 5- Ibid., p. 37. 6- Ibid., , p. 34. 7- Lesley J. Rogers & Gisela Kaplan, Songs, Roars and Rituals: Communication In Birds, Mammals and Other Animals, USA, 2000, pp. 78-79. 8- http://whalonlab.msu.edu/Student_ Webpages/Bird_song/page 9- http://whalonlab.msu.edu/Student_ Webpages/Bird_song/page
About The Author Under the pen name of Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar has written some 250 works. His books contain a total of 46,000 pages and 31,500 illustrations. Of these books, 7,000 pages and 6,000 illustrations deal with the collapse of the Theory of Evolution. You can read, free of charge, all the books Adnan Oktar has written under the pen name Harun Yahya on these websites http://www.harunyahya.com
All forms of life on Earth have been created with miraculous properties and astonishing abilities. The examination of just one single species is enough to reveal hundreds of proofs of God’s magnificent creation.
In one verse of the Qur’an, Allah reveals that:
There is no creature crawling on the earth or flying creature, flying on its wings, who are not communities just like yourselves—We have not omitted anything from the Book—then they will be gathered to their Lord. (Qur’an, 6: 38)
The birds to which this verse draws our attention notice are one of the living communities that we need to examine and reflect upon.
There are roughly some 10,000 species of bird in the world, each of which possesses its own miraculous features. Wherever you may live, you can see a great number of these feathered creatures and can observe different and extraordinary properties in each and every one. With their attractive appearances, flawless flight mechanisms, expertise on the routes and timing of migrations, ability to build nests and altruistic behavior toward their young and to one another, birds possess countless proofs of the fact of creation. Their ability to communicate is another of these.
Birds' Sense of Hearing
For birds to display their talents in communicating by sound, song—and in the case of some birds, words— they require excellent hearing. At critical times in their lives, their sense of hearing becomes particularly important. Experiments have shown that in order for birds to learn the distinctive song of their own species, they need an auditory feedback system. Thanks to this system, young birds learn to compare the sounds they produce themselves with the patterns of a song they have memorized. If they were deaf, it wouldn't normally be possible for them to sing recognizable songs. (1)
Birds' ears are well equipped for hearing, but they hear in a different way from us. For them to recognize a tune, they have to hear it in always the same octave (a series of seven notes), whereas we humans can recognize a tune even if we hear it in a different octave. Birds cannot, but can instead recognize timbre—a fundamental note combined with harmonies. The ability to recognize timbre and harmonic variations lets birds hear and reply to many diverse sounds, and sometimes even reproduce them.
Birds can also hear shorter notes than we can. Humans process sounds in bytes in about 1/20th of a second (2), whereas birds can distinguish these sounds in 1/200th of a second (3). This means that birds are superior at differentiating sounds that arrive in very rapid succession.(4) In other words, a bird's capacity to perceive sound is approximately ten times greater than ours; and in every note heard by a human, it can hear ten.(5) Moreover, some birds are also able to hear lower-frequency sounds than we are. Their hearing sensitivity is so finely tuned that they can even tell the difference between pieces by such famous composers as Bach and Stravinsky.
Birds' extremely sensitive hearing functions perfectly. Clearly, each of this sense's components is created by special design, for if any one failed to work properly, the bird would not be able to hear any sounds at all. This point also disproves the theory that hearing evolved or emerged gradually, as a result of coincidental influences.
Communication and Signaling in Birds
Birds produce meaningful communications by their facial expressions, beak movements, feather ruffling, elongating their necks, crouching, bouncing, and flapping their wings. Although each species has its own body language, many different species interpret movements in the same way. For example, various species interpret an upward thrust of the beak as expressing the intention to fly, and the lowering of the breast as a warning of danger. Also, several species perceive raising the tail feathers as a threat, or displaying bright colors atop of the head as a declaration of the intent to attack. Via facial expression, birds can convey a variety of messages to those around them-negative feelings such as dislike and resentment, as well as positive ones like pleasure, enthusiasm and curiosity. (6)
Bird’s Facial Expressions
Birds produce different facial expressions by movements of the beak, or by positioning the feathers above the beak, on the chin, or atop the head. In some species, the feathers above the eye can also move independently. Moreover, many species make a display by opening their beaks. For example, the tawny frogmouth opens its beak to reveal its large, bright green oral cavity, emphasizing the size of its beak and making it appear more intimidating. Some other species open their beaks as a form of threatening behavior, usually silently, but sometimes enhance the performance with hissing or loud breathing. (7)
Besides communicating by means of body language, birds produce a great variety of sounds to communicate with other members of their flock, neighbors, or family members. These range from short, simple calls to songs that are surprisingly long and complex. Sometimes birds such as the green woodpecker use different instruments or, like the American woodpecker, use special feathers to produce sound.
Birds also communicate through scents, although since their sense of smell is poor, their communication is based mainly on sound and sight. At times of poor visibility, as at night or in dense foliage, sound is most advantageous, and is also the ideal method for long-distance communication. If conditions are right, birdsong can be heard for up to a few kilometers.
In addition to song, birds also have conceptualization and communication skills. In certain circumstances, they demonstrate talents equivalent to those of children of primary-school age, learning series of words and other means of human communication through social interaction. When alone, these parrots play vocalization games and when in the company of people, they join vocalizations together to produce new assemblages from existing sequences of speech. God, the Creator of everything on Earth and in the skies, equips them with the talents and characteristics that set them apart. Accordingly, our praises for the supreme beauty of our environment is praise that belongs to God.
The Language of Calls and Songs
To call to one another, birds produce sounds of extremely high frequency and strength. Only a few species such as pelicans, storks, and certain vultures are mute and have no call. The acoustic calls used by birds amongst themselves form a language of sorts. Their songs, which are longer and generally related to courtship, consist of a series of notes and usually contain melodies. Birdsong is usually heard in spring, whereas the calls, much simpler than songs, are used by both sexes and heard throughout the year. Birdcalls allow swift communication via simple messages without a great expenditure of energy. (8) These calls’ main functions can be listed as follows:
- To establish a bird’s species - To indicate its bird's gender - To reveal its location - To demarcate and defend its territory - To announce and advertise a source of food - To let young birds recognize their own parents - To keep the flock together when traveling - To warn of the presence of an enemy - To intimidate an enemy - For courtship
To mark the changeover of responsibility for nesting duties such as incubating or feeding To practice and perfect their songs
Bird Sounds Are Not Haphazard
Usually, birdsong is not composed of randomly produced sounds. Songs are exceptionally diverse melodies of specific meaning, sung for a purpose, and are much more complex than the calls used for signaling. They are generally used by males to advertise and defend a territory, or in courtship. It is also believed that songs serve a social function. When a pair is building their nest, they also establish communication by song. Experiments on caged birds have also demonstrated that birds find it easier to learn songs if another bird is present, but out of sight, in another cage. (9)
Male and female songbirds have different brain structures, particularly in the regions related to sound production. With many songbird species, the males can sing, but the females cannot. The males use "song" to call their mates or designate a tree, pole, or electrical cable as a place to perch. Each species sings a song with its own characteristics, but any given species' songs display variations according to age, sex, particular time of year, and geographical location-appropriate for the environment in which they live. For example, birds that live in meadows use "songs of flight." Similarly, ones that live in the dense foliage of rain forests or reed thickets have loud voices to compensate for reduced visibility.
God’s Miracle of Inspiration
As we have explained, birds employ the most suitable methods of communication for their habitats and objectives. There is no question of every bird being able to know which song it should sing under which circumstances, or to calculate on its own the meaning and purpose of the song it will sing. According to the Darwinist way of thinking, however, all the birds and other living creatures that we see around us, , all the abilities that they exhibit and all the beauty that they display, are the products of blind chance. Yet obviously, the consciousness and design that pervade life and living things at every moment cannot be explained in terms of a series of mere coincidences.
Living things devoid of reason and judgment can exhibit such behavior because such intelligence and consideration of the future are inspired in them by God. God creates every living thing with the characteristics it requires and inspires its appropriately intelligent behavior. All living things perform only those functions that God inspires in them, serving as a means whereby we are able to witness His might. In one verse of the Qur’an, God reveals:
Do you not see that everyone in the heavens and Earth glorifies God, as do the birds with their outspread wings? Each one knows its prayer and glorification. God knows what they do. (Qur’an, 24:41)
References: 1- http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/bionb424/students/mdr17/neurophysiology.htm 2- http://www.earthlife.net/birds/hearing.html 3- http://www.earthlife.net/birds/hearing.html 4- Theodore Xenophon Barber, Ph. d., The Human Nature of Birds, USA, 1993, p. 36. 5- Ibid., p. 37. 6- Ibid., , p. 34. 7- Lesley J. Rogers & Gisela Kaplan, Songs, Roars and Rituals: Communication In Birds, Mammals and Other Animals, USA, 2000, pp. 78-79. 8- http://whalonlab.msu.edu/Student_ Webpages/Bird_song/page 9- http://whalonlab.msu.edu/Student_ Webpages/Bird_song/page
About The Author Under the pen name of Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar has written some 250 works. His books contain a total of 46,000 pages and 31,500 illustrations. Of these books, 7,000 pages and 6,000 illustrations deal with the collapse of the Theory of Evolution. You can read, free of charge, all the books Adnan Oktar has written under the pen name Harun Yahya on these websites http://www.harunyahya.com
Finding the Perfect New Dog
When you are looking for a new dog to bring home, there are many factors you need to take into consideration. The most important question to ask is why you want a dog? Is it because your children are begging for one, or is it because you need someone outside the house to warn of would-be intruders? Maybe you want a dog because you had one as a kid and miss the company of a pet. For several reasons, dogs bring most families closer together. However, not all dogs are good for every situation.
First, you have to decide if you want a female or a male dog when first choosing. Males are more aggressive and dominant in certain breeds, and tend to be a little harder to train properly. Females tend to stay more petite, while the males have a bigger stature.
Next, you need to decide whether you want a puppy or an older dog. Children love puppies. They are more adaptable and sociable, and you can train them from the very first moment, molding them in accordance with your needs. It is also quite satisfying to watch a new puppy grow up with your children.
A cool trick to check the temperament of the dog is to hold it in your arms and tip him on his back. If he struggles consistently, it will probably take some patience to train it. If he calmly lays there, it is a sign that the dog is mild tempered, and thus easy to work with.
Another cool trick is to make a sudden movement, clapping your hands or make some other loud sound. If the dog is mild tempered, it will look curiously at you. A nervous or shy dog will seem startled or shy away. If it is the first time you are getting a dog, it is a good idea to bring someone experienced along, as they are better at judging the body language of dogs.
When selecting a new dog, it is important to research the breeds you are looking at. Some breeds need more training, exercise or a certain climate. One example is the cocker spaniel, which needs lots of grooming because of its luxurious coat.
Whether you are looking for a dog your kids can play with or someone to guard the gates, you should include thought and common sense when selecting your new dog. Being thorough in your search will help you find the perfect one for you.
About The Author Andreas Henderson is an avid dog trainer and the creator of the Dog Training Guide and runs a successful website dedicated to dog training for the benefit of the customer. For a great dog training product see Henderson's site at http://www.dogpro101.com/
First, you have to decide if you want a female or a male dog when first choosing. Males are more aggressive and dominant in certain breeds, and tend to be a little harder to train properly. Females tend to stay more petite, while the males have a bigger stature.
Next, you need to decide whether you want a puppy or an older dog. Children love puppies. They are more adaptable and sociable, and you can train them from the very first moment, molding them in accordance with your needs. It is also quite satisfying to watch a new puppy grow up with your children.
A cool trick to check the temperament of the dog is to hold it in your arms and tip him on his back. If he struggles consistently, it will probably take some patience to train it. If he calmly lays there, it is a sign that the dog is mild tempered, and thus easy to work with.
Another cool trick is to make a sudden movement, clapping your hands or make some other loud sound. If the dog is mild tempered, it will look curiously at you. A nervous or shy dog will seem startled or shy away. If it is the first time you are getting a dog, it is a good idea to bring someone experienced along, as they are better at judging the body language of dogs.
When selecting a new dog, it is important to research the breeds you are looking at. Some breeds need more training, exercise or a certain climate. One example is the cocker spaniel, which needs lots of grooming because of its luxurious coat.
Whether you are looking for a dog your kids can play with or someone to guard the gates, you should include thought and common sense when selecting your new dog. Being thorough in your search will help you find the perfect one for you.
About The Author Andreas Henderson is an avid dog trainer and the creator of the Dog Training Guide and runs a successful website dedicated to dog training for the benefit of the customer. For a great dog training product see Henderson's site at http://www.dogpro101.com/
Nervous Pet Rat? How to help her become more confident
Patience is a virtue when dealing with nervous rats. A little understanding goes a long way. If your new rat hasn't been handled much by the pet shop/breeder or rescue centre you got her from, she will be nervous, but don't panic, you can still build up a wonderful relationship with your new pet.
Let her settle in
Give your rat a couple of days to settle into her new home. Some rats take to their new environment straight away, whilst others need a little more time. Make sure she has somewhere to hide in her new cage, so that she doesn't feel overwhelmed by all the changes. Speak to her through the cage, so that she gets used to your voice. Don't feed treats through the bars, as this may encourage her to nip your fingers.
Let her come to you
Sit next to the cage, with the cage door open. Be quiet and patient. You can even read a book. Let your rat come out of the cage to investigate. It may take a while, but you will probably find she will come and sniff you and explore her new environment. Have a few tasty treats on your lap to reward her with, if she manages to make it all the way to your lap, let her take a treat and talk to her in a soft, reassuring voice. You will find she gains confidence over time.
Make her feel safe
You want your ratty friend to associate you with safety. She will see your hands as these big, blurry shapes coming towards her and that sounds pretty scary. Always pick her up to put her back into her cage, so that she associates you with going to a place of safety. Have her food ready for her when she returns to the cage. She will think, "Hey everytime I go out, when I come back there is food for me".
Give her time
I have two beautiful boy rats, Billy and Ringo, who had never been handled before they came to me. It has taken 4 months of quietly and patiently building up their confidence, before they truly trusted me. This is an extreme case. It doesn't usually take this long. Now the boys love tummy tickles and playing chase with my hand and grooming my hair. It shows what can be achieved if you just give them time. Try not to make any sudden movements or loud noises, especially in the first week.
All rats can be lovely companions if they are just given a chance. Put yourself in your new ratties position and see how scary it could be. If you rat is a rescue and has never been handled, or a lab rat that may have been abused, you are changing their lives for the better and eventually they will understand this andf hopefully learn to love you, as much as you love them.
About The Author Catherine Smith
http://www.RatsRatsRats.com Catherine Smith 2007-2008
Check out my website for everything you've ever wanted to know about pet rats. From training to toys, housing to health. You can even go shopping for your ratty friend.
Let her settle in
Give your rat a couple of days to settle into her new home. Some rats take to their new environment straight away, whilst others need a little more time. Make sure she has somewhere to hide in her new cage, so that she doesn't feel overwhelmed by all the changes. Speak to her through the cage, so that she gets used to your voice. Don't feed treats through the bars, as this may encourage her to nip your fingers.
Let her come to you
Sit next to the cage, with the cage door open. Be quiet and patient. You can even read a book. Let your rat come out of the cage to investigate. It may take a while, but you will probably find she will come and sniff you and explore her new environment. Have a few tasty treats on your lap to reward her with, if she manages to make it all the way to your lap, let her take a treat and talk to her in a soft, reassuring voice. You will find she gains confidence over time.
Make her feel safe
You want your ratty friend to associate you with safety. She will see your hands as these big, blurry shapes coming towards her and that sounds pretty scary. Always pick her up to put her back into her cage, so that she associates you with going to a place of safety. Have her food ready for her when she returns to the cage. She will think, "Hey everytime I go out, when I come back there is food for me".
Give her time
I have two beautiful boy rats, Billy and Ringo, who had never been handled before they came to me. It has taken 4 months of quietly and patiently building up their confidence, before they truly trusted me. This is an extreme case. It doesn't usually take this long. Now the boys love tummy tickles and playing chase with my hand and grooming my hair. It shows what can be achieved if you just give them time. Try not to make any sudden movements or loud noises, especially in the first week.
All rats can be lovely companions if they are just given a chance. Put yourself in your new ratties position and see how scary it could be. If you rat is a rescue and has never been handled, or a lab rat that may have been abused, you are changing their lives for the better and eventually they will understand this andf hopefully learn to love you, as much as you love them.
About The Author Catherine Smith
http://www.RatsRatsRats.com Catherine Smith 2007-2008
Check out my website for everything you've ever wanted to know about pet rats. From training to toys, housing to health. You can even go shopping for your ratty friend.
Easter Chicks, Ducklings, and Bunnies
Easter Chicks, Ducklings, and Rabbits
It is traditional to buy cute little chicks, ducklings, and bunnies as gifts for children around Easter time. Nothing wrong with that – so long as you keep in mind that these cute baby animals will grow up and live through many more Easter holidays, requiring care – food, space, and time.
The easy solution, is not to buy a live animal at all, but one of the wonderful plush toys instead. In general, giving a live pet as a gift is a poor idea. If it is for your own child, consider the animals needs as far as care and whether or not you are able and willing to provide for it. If it is for someone else’s child, consult with the parents first about whether they would welcome a new addition to the family.
However, if you do have the time, space, love and money to care for a new little member of the family and are willing to take the responsibility of doing so, here are a few care tips to give you a start.
Chicks and Ducklings
Baby chickens and baby ducks have similar needs. For the first few weeks baby birds need almost constant monitoring. For this reason, a slightly older chick is probably a better choice. The caretakers where you purchase your baby bird should know about how old they are.
Warmth – Baby chicks and ducklings need to be kept warm. Depending on the climate in your location, it will probably be a few weeks before they can be kept outdoors. Baby chicks need to be kept at 95 degrees the first week of their life, 90 the next, and so on, going down 5 degrees per week until they are 4-5 weeks old and fully feathered out. The idea source of heat is a red heat bulb, and you’ll want a thermometer in their cage.
Food – Baby chicks have special needs as far as food, and the same is true for ducklings. No, they don’t eat the same food. You will want to make sure you can purchase the proper feed for your pets, either where you purchased the pets, or at a local feed store. The local feed store will have a proper commercial feed for baby chicks and ducklings – but some do not keep it in stock past Easter. You will want to ask if they keep it in stock, and if not, purchase enough to keep your chicks or ducklings fed until they can switch to an adult feed.
You will also want to purchase a proper chick feeder. They will lose food tossed into their bedding, and tend to soil food in an open bowl as well as waste quite a bit as they peck through it.
Water – Don’t plan on sticking any old bowl in the pen for chicks or ducklings. Baby birds need clean water. Baby birds also have a tendency to soil their water by walking through it, pooping in it, and throwing bedding into it. You will want to purchase a chick waterer from the feed or pet store. It will be built to keep the soiling to a minimum, but for the first four weeks or so you will have to check the waterer several times a day and provide fresh, clean water as often as necessary. When the chicks are a couple of weeks old, they will probably be big enough for you to set the waterer on a flat board or brick in the pen to elevate it from floor level (the water should be at the same level as the backs of the chicks) which will cut down on the mess a bit.
Shelter – For the first few weeks, a cardboard box with ventilation holes and sides at least 12 inches high will do fine as a home for your chicks or ducklings. A round container, such as a kiddie pool is better, as chicks and ducklings might tend to “pile” in corners and suffocate the bottom birds. Plan on giving them about 2 foot of space per baby bird. This sounds like a lot when they are 2 days old, but they are going to grow!
You will also need bedding. Wood shavings, such as the type sold packaged for small animal bedding, is the best. Plan on changing it every few days depending on the size of their pen.
When they are about 4 to 5 weeks old and fully feathered, they can move outdoors (weather permitting). They will then need a coop of some sort, and a pen to roam.
Company – Chickens and Ducks are flock animals. You don’t have to buy more than one, but they will be much happier in the long run if you do.
Chicks and ducklings do, however, offer a very special reward for your tender, loving care. Last years Easter chicks will be laying eggs for this Easter’s celebration!
Chickens and Ducks live for ten to fifteen years, and the females will lay eggs from about 5 months of age to approximately five years of age. Some will lay for a much longer time, although not as much as in their younger days.
Of course, Easter chicks and ducklings are not divided by sex, which means you will have males – roosters or drakes – as well as females. In the case of the male ducks, this isn’t much of a problem. But we all know about roosters, don’t we? At about the same time the hens start to lay, the roosters will start to crow. If you live in town, this can be an issue with the neighbors – not to mention the family. Not everyone thinks we ought to jump up out of bed at 3 am – but your rooster will.
In years past, the dye used to color chicks and ducklings often caused them to sick and die a few days after the holiday. This is no longer true, as a different process is used to dye the chicks and ducklings.
This is only a very basic outline of needs for chicks and ducklings. I strongly suggest you either purchase a book for their care, or at least check one out of the library.
If someone just dropped by your house and presented your child with a chick or duckling for Easter (it happens) – set them up with a cardboard box bedded with shavings or newspaper, a light for warmth (be aware of fire hazards and be sure it is out of the chicks reach), a bowl with fresh water, and get to the nearest feed or pet store for a waterer, feed and a feeder, a proper heat light bulb, thermometer, bedding, and a book on care.
There is of course, the possibility that you can keep the baby birds for a few months or weeks, and then place them with someone who wants chickens or ducks and has the facilities to care for them. If you want to do this – that’s great – but I would make sure you have the arrangement made in advance. Depending on where you live, it may not be all that easy to find someone who wants them.
Easter Bunny
Aren’t those baby Easter bunnies just the cutest? Sure they are! But they grow up into rabbits, and may live over ten years. They do not need quite so much intensive care as babies as the birds do, but their needs in the long run may prove more expensive.
And they don’t really lay eggs, you know. ;)
Rabbits do make wonderful pets. However, they are not typically good pets for children, especially young children. If you are prepared and want to add a rabbit to your family, there’s certainly nothing wrong with deciding to do it just in time for Easter. If someone just dropped by and handed your child an Easter bunny (a live one), you might have a bit of a problem! Yes, it happens.
Fortunately, most pet stores now carry all the things your new pet will need for his or her health and happiness. Basic needs for rabbits are the same as for all pets – shelter, food, and water.
In the case of a bunny, you will first want to decide if he or she is going to live indoors or outdoors. Domestic rabbits are not as hardy as their wild relatives. A pet rabbit really should live indoors, with or without run of the house. An outbuilding, such as a shed or garage is not ideal – ventilation and temperature must be considered, as well as whether other animals are able to get into the building. A rabbit can actually die of fear from the presence of a predator animal – such as the family dog. A caged rabbit will still need at least few hours a day of playtime a day in a larger area.
Indoors or out, you will still need to purchase a cage, or hutch. Even an indoor rabbit should have a cage for their own security and for times when you may need to confine them. A rabbits cage should be at least five times the size of the rabbit. In the case of a baby rabbit, you’ll either want to buy a cage based on his adult size, or plan on buying larger cages as she grows. Your rabbit should be able to stretch out and lay down, and their head should not touch the top of the cage when they stand.
Depending on the type of cage you purchase, you will also need bedding. Cages with wire floors are very common – but also hard on little bunny feet. If you purchase this type of cage, you should layer some cardboard over the wire to make it more comfortable for your bunny.
When you purchase the cage, keep in mind the type of feeder and waterer you plan to use. The best feeders and waterers are those that fit onto the cage in such a way that they remain clean and sanitary. Thus it is probably easiest to purchase the cage, feeder, and waterer at the same time and place. Most pet stores and feed stores will have all of those items available for you.
Your rabbit will also appreciate a place to hide – or have a little privacy. A simple cardboard box with a door cut into that fits in the cage is fine, or you can buy something fancier if you wish.
Commercial feed, as well as treats, are readily available for rabbits these days. However, these foods should be considered supplemental to hay (timothy hay, or grass hay is better for rabbits than alfalfa), and dark, green leafy vegetables. As with any pet, fresh food and water should be provided daily.
If you are keeping the rabbit indoors and giving them the run of the house, you can train them to use a litter box. You will want to make sure you have “bunny proofed” the house. Rabbits chew – a curious nibble of an electrical cord could have terrible consequences.
Rabbits are social animals. Even if you, or your child, spends lots of time keeping bunny company – they would be happier with another bunny friend. Consider adopting two bunnies rather than one. They will be happier for it.
As with chicks, you will find numerous books and resources on the web concerning rabbit care. This is only a very basic outline. You'll have much to learn!
Although I mentioned that with chicks and ducklings you might consider keeping them only until they are grown if you can make arrangements for a new home for adult chickens or ducks – this is less of an option with Easter bunnies. If you are purchasing a bunny, please plan on keeping it for it’s own life span. If someone just surprised you with a gift bunny, and you cannot or do not want to keep it, you will find many rabbit rescue groups listed online. Many local shelters also have facilities for rabbits.
Pets are really not suitable surprise gifts for anyone at any time. This goes for Easter chicks, Easter ducklings, and Easter bunnies. They are all cute babies, but they grow up and live from ten to fifteen years. They have needs and require suitable care.
I hope you didn’t buy one on impulse, but if you did, I hope you will go on now to see that it receives proper care. If someone “surprised” you (or your child) with an Easter bunny or chick, I hope you will either step up to the responsibility (and perhaps be surprised by how rewarding they are!) or take the proper steps to find them a good home. And if, best of all, you decided months ago to add some chickens, ducks, or rabbits to your family and thought you’d wait until Easter to buy them and take them home, where their cage and hay, or heat lamp and feed are all ready and waiting for them – yay you, enjoy the new additions to your family!
About The Author Summer Fey Foovay is an artist, writer, and webdesigner and webmaster of Animal Nerd: http://animal-nerd.demented-pixie.com She has been involved in animal care since childhood, often professionally. You can find more of her work at http://demented-pixie.com
It is traditional to buy cute little chicks, ducklings, and bunnies as gifts for children around Easter time. Nothing wrong with that – so long as you keep in mind that these cute baby animals will grow up and live through many more Easter holidays, requiring care – food, space, and time.
The easy solution, is not to buy a live animal at all, but one of the wonderful plush toys instead. In general, giving a live pet as a gift is a poor idea. If it is for your own child, consider the animals needs as far as care and whether or not you are able and willing to provide for it. If it is for someone else’s child, consult with the parents first about whether they would welcome a new addition to the family.
However, if you do have the time, space, love and money to care for a new little member of the family and are willing to take the responsibility of doing so, here are a few care tips to give you a start.
Chicks and Ducklings
Baby chickens and baby ducks have similar needs. For the first few weeks baby birds need almost constant monitoring. For this reason, a slightly older chick is probably a better choice. The caretakers where you purchase your baby bird should know about how old they are.
Warmth – Baby chicks and ducklings need to be kept warm. Depending on the climate in your location, it will probably be a few weeks before they can be kept outdoors. Baby chicks need to be kept at 95 degrees the first week of their life, 90 the next, and so on, going down 5 degrees per week until they are 4-5 weeks old and fully feathered out. The idea source of heat is a red heat bulb, and you’ll want a thermometer in their cage.
Food – Baby chicks have special needs as far as food, and the same is true for ducklings. No, they don’t eat the same food. You will want to make sure you can purchase the proper feed for your pets, either where you purchased the pets, or at a local feed store. The local feed store will have a proper commercial feed for baby chicks and ducklings – but some do not keep it in stock past Easter. You will want to ask if they keep it in stock, and if not, purchase enough to keep your chicks or ducklings fed until they can switch to an adult feed.
You will also want to purchase a proper chick feeder. They will lose food tossed into their bedding, and tend to soil food in an open bowl as well as waste quite a bit as they peck through it.
Water – Don’t plan on sticking any old bowl in the pen for chicks or ducklings. Baby birds need clean water. Baby birds also have a tendency to soil their water by walking through it, pooping in it, and throwing bedding into it. You will want to purchase a chick waterer from the feed or pet store. It will be built to keep the soiling to a minimum, but for the first four weeks or so you will have to check the waterer several times a day and provide fresh, clean water as often as necessary. When the chicks are a couple of weeks old, they will probably be big enough for you to set the waterer on a flat board or brick in the pen to elevate it from floor level (the water should be at the same level as the backs of the chicks) which will cut down on the mess a bit.
Shelter – For the first few weeks, a cardboard box with ventilation holes and sides at least 12 inches high will do fine as a home for your chicks or ducklings. A round container, such as a kiddie pool is better, as chicks and ducklings might tend to “pile” in corners and suffocate the bottom birds. Plan on giving them about 2 foot of space per baby bird. This sounds like a lot when they are 2 days old, but they are going to grow!
You will also need bedding. Wood shavings, such as the type sold packaged for small animal bedding, is the best. Plan on changing it every few days depending on the size of their pen.
When they are about 4 to 5 weeks old and fully feathered, they can move outdoors (weather permitting). They will then need a coop of some sort, and a pen to roam.
Company – Chickens and Ducks are flock animals. You don’t have to buy more than one, but they will be much happier in the long run if you do.
Chicks and ducklings do, however, offer a very special reward for your tender, loving care. Last years Easter chicks will be laying eggs for this Easter’s celebration!
Chickens and Ducks live for ten to fifteen years, and the females will lay eggs from about 5 months of age to approximately five years of age. Some will lay for a much longer time, although not as much as in their younger days.
Of course, Easter chicks and ducklings are not divided by sex, which means you will have males – roosters or drakes – as well as females. In the case of the male ducks, this isn’t much of a problem. But we all know about roosters, don’t we? At about the same time the hens start to lay, the roosters will start to crow. If you live in town, this can be an issue with the neighbors – not to mention the family. Not everyone thinks we ought to jump up out of bed at 3 am – but your rooster will.
In years past, the dye used to color chicks and ducklings often caused them to sick and die a few days after the holiday. This is no longer true, as a different process is used to dye the chicks and ducklings.
This is only a very basic outline of needs for chicks and ducklings. I strongly suggest you either purchase a book for their care, or at least check one out of the library.
If someone just dropped by your house and presented your child with a chick or duckling for Easter (it happens) – set them up with a cardboard box bedded with shavings or newspaper, a light for warmth (be aware of fire hazards and be sure it is out of the chicks reach), a bowl with fresh water, and get to the nearest feed or pet store for a waterer, feed and a feeder, a proper heat light bulb, thermometer, bedding, and a book on care.
There is of course, the possibility that you can keep the baby birds for a few months or weeks, and then place them with someone who wants chickens or ducks and has the facilities to care for them. If you want to do this – that’s great – but I would make sure you have the arrangement made in advance. Depending on where you live, it may not be all that easy to find someone who wants them.
Easter Bunny
Aren’t those baby Easter bunnies just the cutest? Sure they are! But they grow up into rabbits, and may live over ten years. They do not need quite so much intensive care as babies as the birds do, but their needs in the long run may prove more expensive.
And they don’t really lay eggs, you know. ;)
Rabbits do make wonderful pets. However, they are not typically good pets for children, especially young children. If you are prepared and want to add a rabbit to your family, there’s certainly nothing wrong with deciding to do it just in time for Easter. If someone just dropped by and handed your child an Easter bunny (a live one), you might have a bit of a problem! Yes, it happens.
Fortunately, most pet stores now carry all the things your new pet will need for his or her health and happiness. Basic needs for rabbits are the same as for all pets – shelter, food, and water.
In the case of a bunny, you will first want to decide if he or she is going to live indoors or outdoors. Domestic rabbits are not as hardy as their wild relatives. A pet rabbit really should live indoors, with or without run of the house. An outbuilding, such as a shed or garage is not ideal – ventilation and temperature must be considered, as well as whether other animals are able to get into the building. A rabbit can actually die of fear from the presence of a predator animal – such as the family dog. A caged rabbit will still need at least few hours a day of playtime a day in a larger area.
Indoors or out, you will still need to purchase a cage, or hutch. Even an indoor rabbit should have a cage for their own security and for times when you may need to confine them. A rabbits cage should be at least five times the size of the rabbit. In the case of a baby rabbit, you’ll either want to buy a cage based on his adult size, or plan on buying larger cages as she grows. Your rabbit should be able to stretch out and lay down, and their head should not touch the top of the cage when they stand.
Depending on the type of cage you purchase, you will also need bedding. Cages with wire floors are very common – but also hard on little bunny feet. If you purchase this type of cage, you should layer some cardboard over the wire to make it more comfortable for your bunny.
When you purchase the cage, keep in mind the type of feeder and waterer you plan to use. The best feeders and waterers are those that fit onto the cage in such a way that they remain clean and sanitary. Thus it is probably easiest to purchase the cage, feeder, and waterer at the same time and place. Most pet stores and feed stores will have all of those items available for you.
Your rabbit will also appreciate a place to hide – or have a little privacy. A simple cardboard box with a door cut into that fits in the cage is fine, or you can buy something fancier if you wish.
Commercial feed, as well as treats, are readily available for rabbits these days. However, these foods should be considered supplemental to hay (timothy hay, or grass hay is better for rabbits than alfalfa), and dark, green leafy vegetables. As with any pet, fresh food and water should be provided daily.
If you are keeping the rabbit indoors and giving them the run of the house, you can train them to use a litter box. You will want to make sure you have “bunny proofed” the house. Rabbits chew – a curious nibble of an electrical cord could have terrible consequences.
Rabbits are social animals. Even if you, or your child, spends lots of time keeping bunny company – they would be happier with another bunny friend. Consider adopting two bunnies rather than one. They will be happier for it.
As with chicks, you will find numerous books and resources on the web concerning rabbit care. This is only a very basic outline. You'll have much to learn!
Although I mentioned that with chicks and ducklings you might consider keeping them only until they are grown if you can make arrangements for a new home for adult chickens or ducks – this is less of an option with Easter bunnies. If you are purchasing a bunny, please plan on keeping it for it’s own life span. If someone just surprised you with a gift bunny, and you cannot or do not want to keep it, you will find many rabbit rescue groups listed online. Many local shelters also have facilities for rabbits.
Pets are really not suitable surprise gifts for anyone at any time. This goes for Easter chicks, Easter ducklings, and Easter bunnies. They are all cute babies, but they grow up and live from ten to fifteen years. They have needs and require suitable care.
I hope you didn’t buy one on impulse, but if you did, I hope you will go on now to see that it receives proper care. If someone “surprised” you (or your child) with an Easter bunny or chick, I hope you will either step up to the responsibility (and perhaps be surprised by how rewarding they are!) or take the proper steps to find them a good home. And if, best of all, you decided months ago to add some chickens, ducks, or rabbits to your family and thought you’d wait until Easter to buy them and take them home, where their cage and hay, or heat lamp and feed are all ready and waiting for them – yay you, enjoy the new additions to your family!
About The Author Summer Fey Foovay is an artist, writer, and webdesigner and webmaster of Animal Nerd: http://animal-nerd.demented-pixie.com She has been involved in animal care since childhood, often professionally. You can find more of her work at http://demented-pixie.com
The Importance of Basic Dog Obedience Training
For quite a long time now, dogs have been considered an important member of the human family. The time and effort that we spend caring for our dogs have always translated into lifelong loyalties and friendships forged between us and our furry friends. No wonder the dog has been called “man’s best friend”.
Owning a dog can be a rewarding and happy experience for the entire family. Deciding to own a dog should be an important decision, a matter that cannot be taken superficially, simply because a dog is not just a furry being, an amusing present, or a fun diversion.
Basic dog obedience training is certainly a necessity for all dogs. Basic dog obedience training is more than just telling a dog to do what we want him to do. It is a way of teaching a dog to behave properly or in a way we deem proper under certain specific conditions or circumstances.
Proper dog obedience training is definitely not a "do-it-quick" thing. It is a continuous, life-long process – a work in constant progress. It should continue for the lifetime of a dog. Dog obedience training – whether basic or advanced – has never become more important than today when a lot of dog owners bring their pet dogs to so many places where they go.
Proper dog obedience training should begin when a dog is still a puppy. The first four months of a dog's life are very important in his training. This is the specific period when he learns behaviors that he will practice in his lifetime. This is the right time to teach your dog basic commands such as sit and fetch.
It is to be noted that dog obedience training methods or procedures are not created equal. There are various training types, approaches and methodologies which have come to be developed through the years that deal with dog obedience training.
But positive dog obedience training is quickly becoming the preferred method of dog training. This method of training is possible for just about every young dog.
Obedience training should be fun and rewarding for both you and your dog. A dog who has undertaken good training is confident and friendly and can be given greater social freedom than a dog who has not been trained at all. A trained dog will dutifully do basic commands issued by his owner.
Dog obedience training is more than just training your dog, it involves teaching the dog owner too. Going through dog obedience training is something every dog owner should do. It should be a worthwhile experience for both the dog and the dog owner.
And because training is all about communication, it is important that dog owners need to learn to communicate with their dog. Talk to your dog. Tell your dog you love him every day. Even if you don't say "I love you" to your furry friend, look him square in the eyes and say something – anything.
We all like to be recognized and accepted as a family member. Dogs understand human language more than we think they do. Get your dog's attention just as you would a person: call him by his name and look right at him when talking to him.
One of the basic obedience training points relevant in this regard is teaching your dog to sit on command. Training your dog to sit is probably the first thing you will train your dog to do.
To start the training: say “sit” while gently pressing his rump down and holding a treat above your dog's head. When a dog is forced to look upward, he will automatically sit on his hind legs.
When you want your dog to sit, hold a treat a bit above his head and say "sit”. As the dog sits, say sit again and then immediately give him the treat. Your dog should drop into a sitting position in order to reach the food.
Another favorite basic command that we like to teach our dogs is fetch. Teaching your dog to fetch promotes bonding and is a great way to give your dog some exercise.
To do this, first throw a ball – but not too far, though – and give the command "fetch". As the dog inevitably starts to run towards it, yell “fetch” again. If there is no ball available for you to use, you can use any object that your dog loves to play with the most, as this would make him want to fetch it.
Be reminded not to play fetch with heavy objects or sticks as this could injure your dog somehow or damage his teeth.
The most basic of dog obedience training is to get your dog to sit and fetch. As I said at the start of this article, proper dog obedience training is not a "do-it-quick" thing: it is a continuous, life-long process – a work in constant progress.
Dog obedience training is also a very physical activity, so getting tired and exhausted is all part of it. And doing it is never without any risk of injury, especially concerning more aggressive dog breeds.
Having said that, dog obedience training is certainly a must for all dogs. One major mistake many pet owners make is to assume that training a dog will be over in a short span of time. That, of course, is a gross misconception. Training your dog continues throughout your dog's life.
Dog obedience training is definitely a breeze with the proper attitude of the dog owner and under proper conditions. Start training your dog today and make his life and yours a lot more better in the future.
About The Author Loloy Diango has always been fascinated with dogs since he was a child. A dyed-in-the-wool dog lover, he has built a website for his family’s pet, Bodjie, an adorable mix-breed Pomeranian. Find more dog information, get free downloads and meet Bodjie at http://bodjie.homestead.com
Owning a dog can be a rewarding and happy experience for the entire family. Deciding to own a dog should be an important decision, a matter that cannot be taken superficially, simply because a dog is not just a furry being, an amusing present, or a fun diversion.
Basic dog obedience training is certainly a necessity for all dogs. Basic dog obedience training is more than just telling a dog to do what we want him to do. It is a way of teaching a dog to behave properly or in a way we deem proper under certain specific conditions or circumstances.
Proper dog obedience training is definitely not a "do-it-quick" thing. It is a continuous, life-long process – a work in constant progress. It should continue for the lifetime of a dog. Dog obedience training – whether basic or advanced – has never become more important than today when a lot of dog owners bring their pet dogs to so many places where they go.
Proper dog obedience training should begin when a dog is still a puppy. The first four months of a dog's life are very important in his training. This is the specific period when he learns behaviors that he will practice in his lifetime. This is the right time to teach your dog basic commands such as sit and fetch.
It is to be noted that dog obedience training methods or procedures are not created equal. There are various training types, approaches and methodologies which have come to be developed through the years that deal with dog obedience training.
But positive dog obedience training is quickly becoming the preferred method of dog training. This method of training is possible for just about every young dog.
Obedience training should be fun and rewarding for both you and your dog. A dog who has undertaken good training is confident and friendly and can be given greater social freedom than a dog who has not been trained at all. A trained dog will dutifully do basic commands issued by his owner.
Dog obedience training is more than just training your dog, it involves teaching the dog owner too. Going through dog obedience training is something every dog owner should do. It should be a worthwhile experience for both the dog and the dog owner.
And because training is all about communication, it is important that dog owners need to learn to communicate with their dog. Talk to your dog. Tell your dog you love him every day. Even if you don't say "I love you" to your furry friend, look him square in the eyes and say something – anything.
We all like to be recognized and accepted as a family member. Dogs understand human language more than we think they do. Get your dog's attention just as you would a person: call him by his name and look right at him when talking to him.
One of the basic obedience training points relevant in this regard is teaching your dog to sit on command. Training your dog to sit is probably the first thing you will train your dog to do.
To start the training: say “sit” while gently pressing his rump down and holding a treat above your dog's head. When a dog is forced to look upward, he will automatically sit on his hind legs.
When you want your dog to sit, hold a treat a bit above his head and say "sit”. As the dog sits, say sit again and then immediately give him the treat. Your dog should drop into a sitting position in order to reach the food.
Another favorite basic command that we like to teach our dogs is fetch. Teaching your dog to fetch promotes bonding and is a great way to give your dog some exercise.
To do this, first throw a ball – but not too far, though – and give the command "fetch". As the dog inevitably starts to run towards it, yell “fetch” again. If there is no ball available for you to use, you can use any object that your dog loves to play with the most, as this would make him want to fetch it.
Be reminded not to play fetch with heavy objects or sticks as this could injure your dog somehow or damage his teeth.
The most basic of dog obedience training is to get your dog to sit and fetch. As I said at the start of this article, proper dog obedience training is not a "do-it-quick" thing: it is a continuous, life-long process – a work in constant progress.
Dog obedience training is also a very physical activity, so getting tired and exhausted is all part of it. And doing it is never without any risk of injury, especially concerning more aggressive dog breeds.
Having said that, dog obedience training is certainly a must for all dogs. One major mistake many pet owners make is to assume that training a dog will be over in a short span of time. That, of course, is a gross misconception. Training your dog continues throughout your dog's life.
Dog obedience training is definitely a breeze with the proper attitude of the dog owner and under proper conditions. Start training your dog today and make his life and yours a lot more better in the future.
About The Author Loloy Diango has always been fascinated with dogs since he was a child. A dyed-in-the-wool dog lover, he has built a website for his family’s pet, Bodjie, an adorable mix-breed Pomeranian. Find more dog information, get free downloads and meet Bodjie at http://bodjie.homestead.com
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Dog Infections 101 Secrets
A dog might suffer a number of diseases during its lifetime. Being attentive of these illnesses and the correct method to care for them can assist you greatly in caring for your dog better. Dogs should be vaccinated and given booster at least once every 6 months to keep them safe.
Your dog can be vaccinated against hepatitis, distemper, rabies, corona, leptospirosis, kennel cough and parvo. He could suffer at some point from domestic or outdoor parasites and there are many different types of infections which a dog owner should know about.
You might consider getting Pet Insurance if you have one or more pets. A small occasional investment and decent care for your pet usually cost much less than risking an infection and having to fork out hundreds of dollars to treat them later.
The Parvo strain of virus is the most common and deadliest dog infection. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and eventually death.
Distemper is another viral infection. Symptoms may include fever, loss of appetite, nasal and eye discharges.
Canine hepatitis also causes comparable symptoms which should be treated with IV fluid therapy, antibiotics and nutritional support(consult your vet first).
Rabies is often spread by the bite of another animal. If your dog has rabies, he will behave oddly. A dog can be vaccinated against Rabies from 4 months of age. There is no cure, vaccination is vital.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial virus infection which attacks the dog’s kidneys and liver. Consuming contaminated liquids or infected urine from another dog can cause Leptospirosis. Fever, yellow gums, depression and blood in the dog’s urine might mean leptospirosis.
Kennel cough, or Bordatella, is a respiratory tract disease. Kennel cough symptoms often include a loud and coarse cough nasal and eye discharges. The treatment is usually anti-inflammatory medication, cough suppressants and antibiotics.
The dog infection Coronavirus or Corona for short is one of the more contagious viral illness. Vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss are possible warning symptoms and should be looked into. Antibiotics and IV fluids are used in the treatment of Corona.
Another highly common dog infection is the infection to it’s ears. Symptoms include pawing at the ears and shaking of the head constantly. You should examine your dog’s ears every month and take him to your local vet for treatment if you spot any signs, as soon as possible. Even common ear infections like blood clots may cause deafness and even lead to extreme blindness if not treated properly.
A few more obvious indications of a dog infection are heat, swelling and sluggishness. Appearing to be in hurt or pain, fretfulness or listlessness are also some more obvious indications.
If the infection is intense, then the dog might have a high temperature and be swollen around the neck, armpits or groin area. If you are unable to get to a vet straight away, you should keep the dog lying down to avoid any physical exertion that might lead to the infection spreading more quickly.
Dogs with infections might reject food and water so it is important to seek your vet’s advice.
Infections can be dangerous anywhere in a dog’s body but especially if they are around the body’s ‘wet’ regions like the nose or mouth as they could spread quicker to the blood stream and eventually to the vital organs. The key thing is to get your dog immunized as soon as he is old enough. Also be sure to follow up with a yearly injected or oral course booster.
Remember, your dog is part of the family and if you find your dog acting a little unusual or a bit ill, call the vet to schedule an appointment immediately. A dog’s body doesn’t work like a human body, dog infections can become severe very quickly and it won’t be a good idea to wait and see if the infection or illness heals itself.
About The Author Jeremy C.W
Thanks for reading and I've hoped you enjoyed this article. Please visit http://www.dognpuppies.com for more informative articles and videos about Dog Infections and Dog Health. Regards, Jeremy C.W
Your dog can be vaccinated against hepatitis, distemper, rabies, corona, leptospirosis, kennel cough and parvo. He could suffer at some point from domestic or outdoor parasites and there are many different types of infections which a dog owner should know about.
You might consider getting Pet Insurance if you have one or more pets. A small occasional investment and decent care for your pet usually cost much less than risking an infection and having to fork out hundreds of dollars to treat them later.
The Parvo strain of virus is the most common and deadliest dog infection. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and eventually death.
Distemper is another viral infection. Symptoms may include fever, loss of appetite, nasal and eye discharges.
Canine hepatitis also causes comparable symptoms which should be treated with IV fluid therapy, antibiotics and nutritional support(consult your vet first).
Rabies is often spread by the bite of another animal. If your dog has rabies, he will behave oddly. A dog can be vaccinated against Rabies from 4 months of age. There is no cure, vaccination is vital.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial virus infection which attacks the dog’s kidneys and liver. Consuming contaminated liquids or infected urine from another dog can cause Leptospirosis. Fever, yellow gums, depression and blood in the dog’s urine might mean leptospirosis.
Kennel cough, or Bordatella, is a respiratory tract disease. Kennel cough symptoms often include a loud and coarse cough nasal and eye discharges. The treatment is usually anti-inflammatory medication, cough suppressants and antibiotics.
The dog infection Coronavirus or Corona for short is one of the more contagious viral illness. Vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss are possible warning symptoms and should be looked into. Antibiotics and IV fluids are used in the treatment of Corona.
Another highly common dog infection is the infection to it’s ears. Symptoms include pawing at the ears and shaking of the head constantly. You should examine your dog’s ears every month and take him to your local vet for treatment if you spot any signs, as soon as possible. Even common ear infections like blood clots may cause deafness and even lead to extreme blindness if not treated properly.
A few more obvious indications of a dog infection are heat, swelling and sluggishness. Appearing to be in hurt or pain, fretfulness or listlessness are also some more obvious indications.
If the infection is intense, then the dog might have a high temperature and be swollen around the neck, armpits or groin area. If you are unable to get to a vet straight away, you should keep the dog lying down to avoid any physical exertion that might lead to the infection spreading more quickly.
Dogs with infections might reject food and water so it is important to seek your vet’s advice.
Infections can be dangerous anywhere in a dog’s body but especially if they are around the body’s ‘wet’ regions like the nose or mouth as they could spread quicker to the blood stream and eventually to the vital organs. The key thing is to get your dog immunized as soon as he is old enough. Also be sure to follow up with a yearly injected or oral course booster.
Remember, your dog is part of the family and if you find your dog acting a little unusual or a bit ill, call the vet to schedule an appointment immediately. A dog’s body doesn’t work like a human body, dog infections can become severe very quickly and it won’t be a good idea to wait and see if the infection or illness heals itself.
About The Author Jeremy C.W
Thanks for reading and I've hoped you enjoyed this article. Please visit http://www.dognpuppies.com for more informative articles and videos about Dog Infections and Dog Health. Regards, Jeremy C.W
Pet Care During The Winter Months
The time has changed and the leaves have fallen off the trees. It is the time of year to get ready for winter. In a large part of the country snow will be on ground soon and the temperatures will get below freezing. Your dog and cat know it is winter. They get their winter coat and react to the shorter daylight the same as us. Some dog owners leave their pet out for exteneded periods of time thinking that animals are adapted to living outdoors. That is not the case with domesticated pets. They are used to living indoors just as much as we are. I would like to give you a few pointers for winter pet care.
1. A good idea for winter care for your pet would be to take them to your veternarian before winter really sets in. Make sure your pet is in good health. Older dogs, like older humans, tend to get sick more easily in the winter. If your pet have arthritis or diabetes or heart problems make sure he gets a good check up.
2. If it is cold outside make sure you watch your dog and cat carefully. A good idea would be to stay outside with them. When you get cold then chances are your dog is cold too. That would be a good sign to take him back inside.
3. Watch for hazards in the winter. If you live near ponds or lakes keep your dog away from the ice. You never know what the thickness of the ice is. If your dog would happen to fall in he would have a hard time getting out. I would say if are near water stay outside with him. If you live near woods or a forest the snow can cover up hazards the dog can't see, like sticks or rocks or trash.
4. Keep an eye out for antifreeze. Dogs like the smell and will drink it if they find some. Antifree is extremely poisonous and will kill your dog. If you need to change your antifreeze make sure your clean up any spills. Dogs that don't have access to clean unfrozen water will drink whatever they can find. This includes gutter water which can contain antifreeze, oil, or other household hazardous waste.
5. If your dog needs to be kept outdoors for any length of time make sure they have a nice warm shelter. A nice sturdy doghouse would be a good idea. Make sure they have a nice warm dog bed and fresh unfrozen water. That is very important. Your dog can get dehydrated in the winter. Please check his water bowl before going off to work or shopping. If you put a wrapped hot water bottle in their shelter it will keep it cozy.
6.Rock salt and deicer can very hard on your dogs pads. When they come in the house make sure that you wipe off their pads with a warm cloth. This is important as they may try and lick their paws and they may become very ill.
7. Be particularly gentle with older or elderly dogs. Their arthritis can get worse in the winter. Stay close with them when they are going down stairs as they may slip and fall. They may be a bit more awkward and uneasy when they are outside. In the winter they may need help getting up on their favorite couch or chair. Make sure they have a nice cozy bed. A heated dog bed would be a great idea. You may have trouble getting them out of bed in the morning.
8.If you have a cat that goes outside be careful with starting your vehicle as cats like to curl up in warm engines. A good thing to do is bang on the hood of your vehicle so any cats hidden there will jump out. If a cat is on your engine and you start it, the cat will be injured or killed.
9.A good idea if you can get your dog to let you do this put a warm little sweater on them. Little paws booties will also help keep their little paws warm.
Take good care of your pet thiis winter and they will be there to keep you company for many winters to come.
By: Cyril Scheer
About The Author Cyril Scheer lives in Anaheim CA. He has 2 Bassett Hounds and loves animals. He has written many pet articles. He also runs a pet website with many articles plus a pet blog. It also has pet news and many pet supplies and pet nutrition products. You can visit his site here at http://www.ourpetlovesus.com
1. A good idea for winter care for your pet would be to take them to your veternarian before winter really sets in. Make sure your pet is in good health. Older dogs, like older humans, tend to get sick more easily in the winter. If your pet have arthritis or diabetes or heart problems make sure he gets a good check up.
2. If it is cold outside make sure you watch your dog and cat carefully. A good idea would be to stay outside with them. When you get cold then chances are your dog is cold too. That would be a good sign to take him back inside.
3. Watch for hazards in the winter. If you live near ponds or lakes keep your dog away from the ice. You never know what the thickness of the ice is. If your dog would happen to fall in he would have a hard time getting out. I would say if are near water stay outside with him. If you live near woods or a forest the snow can cover up hazards the dog can't see, like sticks or rocks or trash.
4. Keep an eye out for antifreeze. Dogs like the smell and will drink it if they find some. Antifree is extremely poisonous and will kill your dog. If you need to change your antifreeze make sure your clean up any spills. Dogs that don't have access to clean unfrozen water will drink whatever they can find. This includes gutter water which can contain antifreeze, oil, or other household hazardous waste.
5. If your dog needs to be kept outdoors for any length of time make sure they have a nice warm shelter. A nice sturdy doghouse would be a good idea. Make sure they have a nice warm dog bed and fresh unfrozen water. That is very important. Your dog can get dehydrated in the winter. Please check his water bowl before going off to work or shopping. If you put a wrapped hot water bottle in their shelter it will keep it cozy.
6.Rock salt and deicer can very hard on your dogs pads. When they come in the house make sure that you wipe off their pads with a warm cloth. This is important as they may try and lick their paws and they may become very ill.
7. Be particularly gentle with older or elderly dogs. Their arthritis can get worse in the winter. Stay close with them when they are going down stairs as they may slip and fall. They may be a bit more awkward and uneasy when they are outside. In the winter they may need help getting up on their favorite couch or chair. Make sure they have a nice cozy bed. A heated dog bed would be a great idea. You may have trouble getting them out of bed in the morning.
8.If you have a cat that goes outside be careful with starting your vehicle as cats like to curl up in warm engines. A good thing to do is bang on the hood of your vehicle so any cats hidden there will jump out. If a cat is on your engine and you start it, the cat will be injured or killed.
9.A good idea if you can get your dog to let you do this put a warm little sweater on them. Little paws booties will also help keep their little paws warm.
Take good care of your pet thiis winter and they will be there to keep you company for many winters to come.
By: Cyril Scheer
About The Author Cyril Scheer lives in Anaheim CA. He has 2 Bassett Hounds and loves animals. He has written many pet articles. He also runs a pet website with many articles plus a pet blog. It also has pet news and many pet supplies and pet nutrition products. You can visit his site here at http://www.ourpetlovesus.com
Valuable Tips In Training Labrador Retriever
Training is one of the most important parts of owning a Labrador Retriever. Through training, you are helping your Labrador Retriever become a well-behaved and desirable dog everybody loves. Training will also keep your dog safe because he is able to comprehend and obey your command, helpful in emergency and dangerous situations.
However, a wrong training approach may ruin your dreams of having a nicely trained dog. It helps if you are well-equipped with the right knowledge in training your beloved Labrador Retriever.
Puppy training - You can start training your dog when he is still a puppy. Training a puppy six to eight weeks old is fine but you can start training earlier than that depending on your pup's characteristics and response to training. It is easier to train a puppy because at this age, he might not have developed bad manners yet and if he has, it can easily be corrected. But remember that training is not only for puppies, you can still teach old dogs new tricks.
Use positive reinforcement - When you use positive reinforcement, you are adding or offering something to your dog to increase the chance of repeating what he did correctly. Giving him his favorite treat after following your down command is an example of positive reinforcement.
Your voice matters - When you issue a command, it should be issued in the same words and same tone of voice. Use a friendly and excited voice when you give commands like come and firm voice in commands like down or stay. Avoid yelling or nagging at your dog.
Training sessions - Keep training sessions short and interesting. Fifteen-minute session is enough to keep your dog interested in the training. Focus on a single command per session and always reward him with loving praise or his favorite treat if he has successfully performed the command. Spend some time playing after the training to keep his interest.
Punishment - In order for your dog to behave properly, his mistakes must be corrected promptly. You can correct your dog by giving commands using a firm and sharp tone of voice. As much as possible, avoid physical punishment. But if physical punishment is really necessary, especially dogs with harder temperament, a quick and gentle tug on his training collar is enough. Remember that punishment should only be issued when you catch your dog in the act of doing mistake. Your dog may not understand why he is being punished now for urinating in your living room five hours ago.
Foods feed the body, training feeds the mind. It is important for your Labrador Retriever to have all these.
About The Author Richard Cussons writes articles of various topics. Want to learn more about Labrador Retriever? Check out http://labradorsavvy.com and discover useful Labrador dog training tips.
However, a wrong training approach may ruin your dreams of having a nicely trained dog. It helps if you are well-equipped with the right knowledge in training your beloved Labrador Retriever.
Puppy training - You can start training your dog when he is still a puppy. Training a puppy six to eight weeks old is fine but you can start training earlier than that depending on your pup's characteristics and response to training. It is easier to train a puppy because at this age, he might not have developed bad manners yet and if he has, it can easily be corrected. But remember that training is not only for puppies, you can still teach old dogs new tricks.
Use positive reinforcement - When you use positive reinforcement, you are adding or offering something to your dog to increase the chance of repeating what he did correctly. Giving him his favorite treat after following your down command is an example of positive reinforcement.
Your voice matters - When you issue a command, it should be issued in the same words and same tone of voice. Use a friendly and excited voice when you give commands like come and firm voice in commands like down or stay. Avoid yelling or nagging at your dog.
Training sessions - Keep training sessions short and interesting. Fifteen-minute session is enough to keep your dog interested in the training. Focus on a single command per session and always reward him with loving praise or his favorite treat if he has successfully performed the command. Spend some time playing after the training to keep his interest.
Punishment - In order for your dog to behave properly, his mistakes must be corrected promptly. You can correct your dog by giving commands using a firm and sharp tone of voice. As much as possible, avoid physical punishment. But if physical punishment is really necessary, especially dogs with harder temperament, a quick and gentle tug on his training collar is enough. Remember that punishment should only be issued when you catch your dog in the act of doing mistake. Your dog may not understand why he is being punished now for urinating in your living room five hours ago.
Foods feed the body, training feeds the mind. It is important for your Labrador Retriever to have all these.
About The Author Richard Cussons writes articles of various topics. Want to learn more about Labrador Retriever? Check out http://labradorsavvy.com and discover useful Labrador dog training tips.
Labrador Retrievers- Stop Them From Digging
Labrador Retrievers are intelligent and extremely active dogs. With these characteristics, leaving them alone will surely bore and cause them to think of doing other activities such as chewing, barking and digging. Yes, boredom is one of the reasons why a dog tends to dig holes wherever he pleases. This behavior can be very frustrating especially to dog owners who spend so much time and effort keeping the front lawn clean and beautiful. But don't blame it on boredom alone. There are other reasons to this predicament.
Dogs dig to hide something. For them, burying food could keep it safe from others. Their natural instinct for dens is another reason why dogs dig. They consider the holes they dug as their shelter to cool themselves down or warm themselves up. If your dog is digging under the fence, it is just an indication that your dog wants to go out to search for a mate.
One solution to this problem is to provide various activities and exercise to stimulate him physically and mentally. Labrador Retrievers will surely enjoy retrieving balls and other activities such as agility, frisbee and flyball. If your pet digs to bury food, limit his access to scraps of food and bones. This will somehow refrain him from digging often since he has nothing to bury in the first place. Another way to lessen digging in inappropriate places is to emphasize and make it clear to him where he can and cannot dig. Bury his favorite toy or treat in spots where you want him to dig. If you see him digging in the wrong place, reprimand him and teach him the correct spot. But always remember to correct him every time your dog starts digging holes, not when he the digging is already done. If he continues digging in the wrong place, you may want to bury chicken wire under the surface of that area. Your dog won't like the feeling of his paws scraping along the wire. You can also try mixing chili powder and water and wet the area you do not want him to dig. If you won't be around to supervise your dog, place him in a kennel or crate. This will refrain him from doing things you do not want behind your back.
If the reason of digging is to cool down or to warm up, provide him the warmth or coolness depending on the season. Provide warm and comfortable shelter during cold season or warm and shaded area during summer.
About The Author Richard Cussons has written various articles about dogs including Labrador Retrievers. Find Labrador training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com for your dose of valuable dog training techniques.
Dogs dig to hide something. For them, burying food could keep it safe from others. Their natural instinct for dens is another reason why dogs dig. They consider the holes they dug as their shelter to cool themselves down or warm themselves up. If your dog is digging under the fence, it is just an indication that your dog wants to go out to search for a mate.
One solution to this problem is to provide various activities and exercise to stimulate him physically and mentally. Labrador Retrievers will surely enjoy retrieving balls and other activities such as agility, frisbee and flyball. If your pet digs to bury food, limit his access to scraps of food and bones. This will somehow refrain him from digging often since he has nothing to bury in the first place. Another way to lessen digging in inappropriate places is to emphasize and make it clear to him where he can and cannot dig. Bury his favorite toy or treat in spots where you want him to dig. If you see him digging in the wrong place, reprimand him and teach him the correct spot. But always remember to correct him every time your dog starts digging holes, not when he the digging is already done. If he continues digging in the wrong place, you may want to bury chicken wire under the surface of that area. Your dog won't like the feeling of his paws scraping along the wire. You can also try mixing chili powder and water and wet the area you do not want him to dig. If you won't be around to supervise your dog, place him in a kennel or crate. This will refrain him from doing things you do not want behind your back.
If the reason of digging is to cool down or to warm up, provide him the warmth or coolness depending on the season. Provide warm and comfortable shelter during cold season or warm and shaded area during summer.
About The Author Richard Cussons has written various articles about dogs including Labrador Retrievers. Find Labrador training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com for your dose of valuable dog training techniques.
Trimming The Nails Of Your Labrador Retriever
Try to imagine trimming the nails of your Labrador Retriever. It seems hard isn't it? You feel like hurting your loyal friend and forcing him to obliged to your laws. However, just like in humans, your pet's nails grow regularly and trimming it is necessary to keep him look neat and prevent problems. Untrimmed nails when broken are very painful and in some cases may curl and grown into your dog's paws.
Most dogs do not like having their nails trimmed. It is important that nail trimming should be started in puppies to get him used to the process. Once used with having his nails trimmed, it wouldn't be hard for dog owners to groom him even when he is already of age and has grown in size and weight. Below are easy tips to trim your dog's nails safely.
- Get all the needed tools first. There are various nail clippers available in the market. Get one that is especially made for dog's nails. Nail clippers usually come in two sizes- small for smaller dogs and large for larger dogs. There are also two types- scissor-style and guillotine. Scissor-style trimmers have two sharp blades that curve inwards. In guillotine type, the nail is inserted into an opening and when squeezed, a blade cuts the nail in guillotine style. Remember to cut upwards from underneath your dog's nails. You may also want to use file or dremel tool. This is ideal to file any jagged edges after clipping. It is also important to have styptic pen or powder. Application of styptic powder will stop the bleeding and alleviate pain if you accidentally cut the quick (blood vessel that runs down the middle of your dog's nail). It also helps to have a non-slip mat if you intend to do the process when your dog is standing.
- The procedure. You can either sit on the floor with your dog or put him on a table. Find which one works best for you and your dog. Your dog may lie on their side or may stand lifting one leg at a time (you may want to use non-slip mat when cutting your dog's nail in standing position). Cut your dog's nail by just nibbling off the ends of each claws. You can examine the quick ends easily if your dog has clear nails. But if your dog has dark nails, trim a tiny nibble off and trim until you see a dark oval in the center. That dark oval is the quick so you do not have to trim any further.
While doing the process, do not forget to soothe, praise and offer small treats to your Labrador Retriever. Be patient because trimming can be a stressful event to your dog especially if he has bad experience with nail trimming procedure.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more Labrador dog training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com.
Most dogs do not like having their nails trimmed. It is important that nail trimming should be started in puppies to get him used to the process. Once used with having his nails trimmed, it wouldn't be hard for dog owners to groom him even when he is already of age and has grown in size and weight. Below are easy tips to trim your dog's nails safely.
- Get all the needed tools first. There are various nail clippers available in the market. Get one that is especially made for dog's nails. Nail clippers usually come in two sizes- small for smaller dogs and large for larger dogs. There are also two types- scissor-style and guillotine. Scissor-style trimmers have two sharp blades that curve inwards. In guillotine type, the nail is inserted into an opening and when squeezed, a blade cuts the nail in guillotine style. Remember to cut upwards from underneath your dog's nails. You may also want to use file or dremel tool. This is ideal to file any jagged edges after clipping. It is also important to have styptic pen or powder. Application of styptic powder will stop the bleeding and alleviate pain if you accidentally cut the quick (blood vessel that runs down the middle of your dog's nail). It also helps to have a non-slip mat if you intend to do the process when your dog is standing.
- The procedure. You can either sit on the floor with your dog or put him on a table. Find which one works best for you and your dog. Your dog may lie on their side or may stand lifting one leg at a time (you may want to use non-slip mat when cutting your dog's nail in standing position). Cut your dog's nail by just nibbling off the ends of each claws. You can examine the quick ends easily if your dog has clear nails. But if your dog has dark nails, trim a tiny nibble off and trim until you see a dark oval in the center. That dark oval is the quick so you do not have to trim any further.
While doing the process, do not forget to soothe, praise and offer small treats to your Labrador Retriever. Be patient because trimming can be a stressful event to your dog especially if he has bad experience with nail trimming procedure.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more Labrador dog training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com.
Bloat- It Could Kill Your Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of the breeds at risk of bloat. Bloat is a very serious health problem related to swallowed air, food and/or water. It is common to Basset Hound, Dachshund, Labrador Retriever and other large and giant breeds especially those with deep chests.
The term bloat seems ordinary and nothing serious but beware because bloat can kill your Labrador Retriever in a matter of hours. Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) is the technical name for bloat. Gastric dilatation occurs when there is an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid and/or foam in the stomach. In addition, the stomach twists or flips, almost cutting off entry and exit to and from the stomach. This is called gastric torsion. Gastric volvulus is the term used when the stomach twists or flips, completely cutting off entry and exit to and from the stomach. That is why bloat is also called stomach torsion or twisted stomach.
There are different and sometimes unknown reasons why bloat occurs. It is usually a result of eating too much or eating too fast, drinking too much water before or after meals or vigorous exercise within the first few hours after eating. Dry foods that contain citric acid as a preservative and contain fat among the first four ingredients can also trigger bloat. Other causes of bloat are stress, heredity and/or fearful or anxious temperament.
Bloat will never go unnoticed. A bloated dog will attempt to vomit but is usually unsuccessful. There is also a lack of normal gurgling and digestive sounds in the stomach. Coughing, unproductive gagging, drooling, pacing, rapid panting and whining are some of the typical signs of bloat. Know the history of the dog to diagnose bloat. Know if he has eaten too much or if he has drunk too much water recently. Bloat can be treated if the dog is able to burp or vomit. Ask your vet for medication. If there is rapid breathing, pale gums and if the dog collapse, rush your dog to the veterinarian at once. No need to think twice! It could be a matter of life and death scenario for your dog.
It is important for every dog owner to know the prevention of bloat. It is always beneficial to feed your dog several meals a day rather than feeding one big meal and see to it that there will be no vigorous exercise or other activities within the first few hours after eating. It is equally important to control the dog's fluid intake before and especially after a meal. When feeding dry commercial dog foods, read the product label carefully. Check the list of ingredients to make sure that it contains the important dietary requirement of your dog, not just fillers and other useless ingredients.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more Labrador dog training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com.
The term bloat seems ordinary and nothing serious but beware because bloat can kill your Labrador Retriever in a matter of hours. Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) is the technical name for bloat. Gastric dilatation occurs when there is an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid and/or foam in the stomach. In addition, the stomach twists or flips, almost cutting off entry and exit to and from the stomach. This is called gastric torsion. Gastric volvulus is the term used when the stomach twists or flips, completely cutting off entry and exit to and from the stomach. That is why bloat is also called stomach torsion or twisted stomach.
There are different and sometimes unknown reasons why bloat occurs. It is usually a result of eating too much or eating too fast, drinking too much water before or after meals or vigorous exercise within the first few hours after eating. Dry foods that contain citric acid as a preservative and contain fat among the first four ingredients can also trigger bloat. Other causes of bloat are stress, heredity and/or fearful or anxious temperament.
Bloat will never go unnoticed. A bloated dog will attempt to vomit but is usually unsuccessful. There is also a lack of normal gurgling and digestive sounds in the stomach. Coughing, unproductive gagging, drooling, pacing, rapid panting and whining are some of the typical signs of bloat. Know the history of the dog to diagnose bloat. Know if he has eaten too much or if he has drunk too much water recently. Bloat can be treated if the dog is able to burp or vomit. Ask your vet for medication. If there is rapid breathing, pale gums and if the dog collapse, rush your dog to the veterinarian at once. No need to think twice! It could be a matter of life and death scenario for your dog.
It is important for every dog owner to know the prevention of bloat. It is always beneficial to feed your dog several meals a day rather than feeding one big meal and see to it that there will be no vigorous exercise or other activities within the first few hours after eating. It is equally important to control the dog's fluid intake before and especially after a meal. When feeding dry commercial dog foods, read the product label carefully. Check the list of ingredients to make sure that it contains the important dietary requirement of your dog, not just fillers and other useless ingredients.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more Labrador dog training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com.
My Labrador Retriever Is Vomiting!
Do not be surprise if you will see a Labrador Retriever vomit. Vomiting is not strange to this breed because of their appetite. They are known to have good appetite both to digestible and non-food objects alike. However, vomiting do not occur because of ingesting foreign objects alone. There are variety of causes as to why dogs vomit.
Vomiting is the act of expelling food, fluid or debris from the stomach or small intestines through the mouth. The most common reason why dogs vomit is gastritis, an irritation of the stomach caused by ingesting foreign objects like decomposed grass, aluminum foil or paper. Aside from ingesting foreign objects, dogs also vomit because of eating too much or too fast or exercised immediately after eating. An immediate change of your dog's diet (switching from one brand to another or switching from commercial dog food to natural homemade food) can also be the reason of vomiting. Vomiting may also be a sign of diseases like metabolic disorders, liver disease, heat stroke, adrenal gland disease and many other diseases.
If your dog vomits once or twice without abdominal pain, vomiting can be treated at home. It is just their way of letting out foods and foreign objects that should not be in the stomach. But if your dog vomits more than few times and if there is an abdominal pain or blood in the vomitus, it is better to have your dog examined by a vet. Also, vomiting accompanied with depression or weakness, fever and unproductive retching must be treated by a veterinarian.
When treating a vomiting dog at home, refrain feeding your dog for 12 to 24 hours after vomiting. After that no-food period, offer small portion of soft, bland food such as boiled rice, skinless chicken or pasta. Foods and water should be given at smaller portions several times a day, instead of one large meal. If no further vomiting occurs, you can increase the next day's meal to normal-sized portion and can return to normal diet the following day.
To lessen the possibility of vomiting in dogs, refrain from giving your dog large meal. Break it down to several small meals a day (at least one in the morning and one in the evening). Then enforce rest after meals, especially avoiding strenuous activities. When switching food, do not switch all at once. Gradual switching of food works best for your Labrador Retriever.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more Labrador training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com.
Vomiting is the act of expelling food, fluid or debris from the stomach or small intestines through the mouth. The most common reason why dogs vomit is gastritis, an irritation of the stomach caused by ingesting foreign objects like decomposed grass, aluminum foil or paper. Aside from ingesting foreign objects, dogs also vomit because of eating too much or too fast or exercised immediately after eating. An immediate change of your dog's diet (switching from one brand to another or switching from commercial dog food to natural homemade food) can also be the reason of vomiting. Vomiting may also be a sign of diseases like metabolic disorders, liver disease, heat stroke, adrenal gland disease and many other diseases.
If your dog vomits once or twice without abdominal pain, vomiting can be treated at home. It is just their way of letting out foods and foreign objects that should not be in the stomach. But if your dog vomits more than few times and if there is an abdominal pain or blood in the vomitus, it is better to have your dog examined by a vet. Also, vomiting accompanied with depression or weakness, fever and unproductive retching must be treated by a veterinarian.
When treating a vomiting dog at home, refrain feeding your dog for 12 to 24 hours after vomiting. After that no-food period, offer small portion of soft, bland food such as boiled rice, skinless chicken or pasta. Foods and water should be given at smaller portions several times a day, instead of one large meal. If no further vomiting occurs, you can increase the next day's meal to normal-sized portion and can return to normal diet the following day.
To lessen the possibility of vomiting in dogs, refrain from giving your dog large meal. Break it down to several small meals a day (at least one in the morning and one in the evening). Then enforce rest after meals, especially avoiding strenuous activities. When switching food, do not switch all at once. Gradual switching of food works best for your Labrador Retriever.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more Labrador training tips at http://labradorsavvy.com.
Tips On Bathing Your Labrador Retriever
Who wouldn't be tempted to cuddle a well-groomed and clean Labrador Retriever? They are every dog owners pride. But every dog owner should always remember that grooming and cleaning is not merely to make your Labrador Retriever look good. Grooming and cleaning is important in maintaining the general health condition of your dog.
Bathing is one of the many responsibilities of a dog owner. However, bathing your dog too often is not good for his skin. The frequency of the bath depends on your dog's breed and his type of activities. As for the Labrador Retriever, give him a bath when he is really dirty especially if he has stayed out and worked a lot. You can also use your nose to tell if your dog needs a bath. Bathing him too often than needed will strip the skin's natural protective oil resulting to dry, itchy skin and will irritate the skin further when scratched.
If the weather is good and warm, you can bath your dog outside. Make sure to choose a place that will not turn into mud when it gets wet. If you think that bathing outside seems unappealing to your dog, wash him inside and try to use warm water. But before the bath begins, prepare everything- shampoo or conditioner, towel, comb and even dog treats or toys. Remember to use a shampoo specially formulated to work on problems such as fleas and ticks, dry itchy skin, doggy odor, abnormal shedding and others.
Start bathing your dog from the head and work towards the tail. Wash his face with wash cloth. Avoid pouring lots of water in his face to prevent it from getting inside the ears. You may also want to place cotton balls inside his ears to make sure water cannot enter. Water in the ears is not good for dogs and can cause health problems such as ear infection.
Thoroughly wet your dog with water using a pitcher or a spray nozzle. If you are using spray nozzle, make sure that the spray is not too strong. Avoid spraying directly into your dog's face or genital. Apply dog shampoo and work from the head to the tail. Remember to read and understand the product labels carefully. While shampooing, pay particular attention to parts like rectum, between the toes, behind the ears and under the chin.
After shampoo, rinse your dog thoroughly to prevent shampoo residue that may possibly cause skin irritations. Dry your dog's coat using towel. But be careful not to rub because coats of some breeds tangle easily.
Some dog owners think that bathing a dog is so difficult, but with the right knowledge and technique, bathing a dog is not a challenge anymore.
About The Author Richard Cussons writes articles of various topics. Want to learn more about Labrador Retriever? Check out http://labradorsavvy.com and discover useful Labrador dog training tips.
Bathing is one of the many responsibilities of a dog owner. However, bathing your dog too often is not good for his skin. The frequency of the bath depends on your dog's breed and his type of activities. As for the Labrador Retriever, give him a bath when he is really dirty especially if he has stayed out and worked a lot. You can also use your nose to tell if your dog needs a bath. Bathing him too often than needed will strip the skin's natural protective oil resulting to dry, itchy skin and will irritate the skin further when scratched.
If the weather is good and warm, you can bath your dog outside. Make sure to choose a place that will not turn into mud when it gets wet. If you think that bathing outside seems unappealing to your dog, wash him inside and try to use warm water. But before the bath begins, prepare everything- shampoo or conditioner, towel, comb and even dog treats or toys. Remember to use a shampoo specially formulated to work on problems such as fleas and ticks, dry itchy skin, doggy odor, abnormal shedding and others.
Start bathing your dog from the head and work towards the tail. Wash his face with wash cloth. Avoid pouring lots of water in his face to prevent it from getting inside the ears. You may also want to place cotton balls inside his ears to make sure water cannot enter. Water in the ears is not good for dogs and can cause health problems such as ear infection.
Thoroughly wet your dog with water using a pitcher or a spray nozzle. If you are using spray nozzle, make sure that the spray is not too strong. Avoid spraying directly into your dog's face or genital. Apply dog shampoo and work from the head to the tail. Remember to read and understand the product labels carefully. While shampooing, pay particular attention to parts like rectum, between the toes, behind the ears and under the chin.
After shampoo, rinse your dog thoroughly to prevent shampoo residue that may possibly cause skin irritations. Dry your dog's coat using towel. But be careful not to rub because coats of some breeds tangle easily.
Some dog owners think that bathing a dog is so difficult, but with the right knowledge and technique, bathing a dog is not a challenge anymore.
About The Author Richard Cussons writes articles of various topics. Want to learn more about Labrador Retriever? Check out http://labradorsavvy.com and discover useful Labrador dog training tips.
Dog Toys- Does Your Labrador Retriever Need Them?
Your Labrador Retriever will surely enjoy having various dog toys around. But do not think that toys are just for fun and amusement purposes only. To a dog, there are other important reasons for having toys.
Dog toys are important in the mental and emotional development of your dog. Give your Labrador Retriever problem solving toys or motivational and interactive toys. This type of toys stimulate and keep his mind working. Maybe you want to give him a "find a treat" ball. As the name implies, this ball is filled with treats. But this has to be rolled over correctly in order for the treat to fall out. Dog toys that can be thrown can serve as training tools to stimulate their natural hunting instincts. Train your dog to bring it back when you command him to do so. Simple challenges that will surely keep your dog interested.
Rubber chews and bones are also fun and beneficial to your dog. These toys help your dog improve their dental health. Your dog can chew for hours because these toys are durable, specifically made to withstand the demands of your dog. With rubber chews, there will also be less chewing problems on furniture and household items. There will be less possibility of missing socks and discovering them under the bed, already damaged.
However, you just can't pick any toy found in your local pet store and take it to the counter. There are lots of factors that must be considered before buying. The most important is his safety. It should be non-toxic and durable. Toys that easily torn into pieces may cause trauma to your dog and pose great risk in injuring the gums, getting stuck on his teeth or worst swallowing and choking. Then think about your dog's size. His toys should be appropriate for his size, not too small for him to swallow and choke him and not too large so as to hinder him from taking it from one place to another. Aside from being durable, dog toys should be easy to clean.
There are many dog toys available in various pet supply stores. The web is also offering wide selection of dog toys for you to choose from. All you have to do is key in the keywords, then presto. The long list of various toys is right in front of you. The choice is yours whether you want to go personally and get one from your local pet supply store or have it delivered in your door step. Either way, just always remember to think about your dog before purchasing. Think about the breed, the size and what type of toy your dog finds interesting.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more tips on training Labradors at http://labradorsavvy.com.
Dog toys are important in the mental and emotional development of your dog. Give your Labrador Retriever problem solving toys or motivational and interactive toys. This type of toys stimulate and keep his mind working. Maybe you want to give him a "find a treat" ball. As the name implies, this ball is filled with treats. But this has to be rolled over correctly in order for the treat to fall out. Dog toys that can be thrown can serve as training tools to stimulate their natural hunting instincts. Train your dog to bring it back when you command him to do so. Simple challenges that will surely keep your dog interested.
Rubber chews and bones are also fun and beneficial to your dog. These toys help your dog improve their dental health. Your dog can chew for hours because these toys are durable, specifically made to withstand the demands of your dog. With rubber chews, there will also be less chewing problems on furniture and household items. There will be less possibility of missing socks and discovering them under the bed, already damaged.
However, you just can't pick any toy found in your local pet store and take it to the counter. There are lots of factors that must be considered before buying. The most important is his safety. It should be non-toxic and durable. Toys that easily torn into pieces may cause trauma to your dog and pose great risk in injuring the gums, getting stuck on his teeth or worst swallowing and choking. Then think about your dog's size. His toys should be appropriate for his size, not too small for him to swallow and choke him and not too large so as to hinder him from taking it from one place to another. Aside from being durable, dog toys should be easy to clean.
There are many dog toys available in various pet supply stores. The web is also offering wide selection of dog toys for you to choose from. All you have to do is key in the keywords, then presto. The long list of various toys is right in front of you. The choice is yours whether you want to go personally and get one from your local pet supply store or have it delivered in your door step. Either way, just always remember to think about your dog before purchasing. Think about the breed, the size and what type of toy your dog finds interesting.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more tips on training Labradors at http://labradorsavvy.com.
Rabies In A Labrador Retriever
Rabies has been present in Labrador Retriever for as long as we can remember. It is a viral disease affecting warm-blooded animals that can be transmitted to humans. So if unfortunately you are bitten by a Labrador Retriever or any breed of dog, then there is a possibility of having rabies. The virus is derived from the saliva of an infected animal and then transmitted through close contact with saliva of infected animals, such as bites, scratches, licks on broken skin and mucous membranes.
Rabies is extremely fatal to animals and human alike once neurological symptoms have developed. It primarily attacks the nervous system causing encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. The first symptom of rabies includes a change in behavior, say for example from friendly to aggressive or if your Labrador Retriever became fearless being a cautious dog prior to the development of infection. Animals with rabies will also show more biting and chewing. They will start biting at people and other animals. They will also chew woods, stones and even buildings. Other symptoms of canine rabies include fever, dilation of pupils, drooling with foaming at the mouth, difficulty of swallowing and change in the bark or sound of the animal. These signs develop usually less than ten days after the onset of virus' Once signs develop, especially to non-vaccinated humans, there is no treatment for this disease. Symptoms may later lead to paralysis of any part of the body, coma and even death.
When exposed or bitten by an animal, whether infected with rabies or not, wash and flush the wound or spot thoroughly with soap and water, detergent or plain water. Then consult your vet to test and observe your dog for 14 days for signs of rabies.
Rabies can threaten your dog's life as much as yours. So maybe now you understand why it is very important to administer anti-rabies vaccination to your Labrador Retriever. Vaccinate your pet according to local health rules and regulations or check out with your vet for advice on how often and how much should be given to your dog. Some areas require annual vaccination while some allow a three-year vaccine. Proper vaccination and quarantine period is also a requirement when transporting animals between countries. Check out the place of your destination as well as the airline company for rules and regulations in transporting animals.
Every dog owner should know that it is their responsibility to ensure that their dog is well protected and vaccinated to prevent rabies and to prevent their dog's possible death.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more tips on training Labradors at http://labradorsavvy.com.
Rabies is extremely fatal to animals and human alike once neurological symptoms have developed. It primarily attacks the nervous system causing encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. The first symptom of rabies includes a change in behavior, say for example from friendly to aggressive or if your Labrador Retriever became fearless being a cautious dog prior to the development of infection. Animals with rabies will also show more biting and chewing. They will start biting at people and other animals. They will also chew woods, stones and even buildings. Other symptoms of canine rabies include fever, dilation of pupils, drooling with foaming at the mouth, difficulty of swallowing and change in the bark or sound of the animal. These signs develop usually less than ten days after the onset of virus' Once signs develop, especially to non-vaccinated humans, there is no treatment for this disease. Symptoms may later lead to paralysis of any part of the body, coma and even death.
When exposed or bitten by an animal, whether infected with rabies or not, wash and flush the wound or spot thoroughly with soap and water, detergent or plain water. Then consult your vet to test and observe your dog for 14 days for signs of rabies.
Rabies can threaten your dog's life as much as yours. So maybe now you understand why it is very important to administer anti-rabies vaccination to your Labrador Retriever. Vaccinate your pet according to local health rules and regulations or check out with your vet for advice on how often and how much should be given to your dog. Some areas require annual vaccination while some allow a three-year vaccine. Proper vaccination and quarantine period is also a requirement when transporting animals between countries. Check out the place of your destination as well as the airline company for rules and regulations in transporting animals.
Every dog owner should know that it is their responsibility to ensure that their dog is well protected and vaccinated to prevent rabies and to prevent their dog's possible death.
About The Author Richard Cussons is a dog expert and has written articles about the popular Labrador Retriever. Get more tips on training Labradors at http://labradorsavvy.com.
My Barking Dog Is Driving Me Crazy
Dogs bark for a number of reasons. It can be out of excitement when playing or to warn that an intruder is on the premises. This barking is perfectly normal and we humans expect it.
But when your dog continually barks, this can cause problems not only for your own household, but often creates tension within your neighborhood. Some cities and towns have noise ordinances and an incessantly barking dog may bring the police or animal control to your door issuing a warning or possibly a ticket. What to do?
First, isolate the cause of the excessive barking. Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is my dog lonely and frustrated so they’re seeking attention through their only voice-barking?
2. Is my dog left alone for long periods of time without toys, chews or other ways to keep them occupied?
3. Is my dog a puppy or adolescent (up to 3 years old) and has no other way to expel excess energy?
4. Is my dog a breed that needs a job to be happy (herding or sporting dog)?
If you think one of these is the cause of your dog’s relentless barking, there are options to help deter this unwanted behavior. Here are some suggestions for the lonely or bored dog:
1. Increase the amount and quality of time you spend with your dog by walking them every day for 20-30 minutes. Just a jaunt around the neighborhood often will help dispel some extra energy. It’s also an excellent way to begin or end the human work day.
2. Train your dog to fetch a ball or Frisbee and play with them for 10-15 minutes in the morning and in the evening. Get up a little earlier to help your dog behave better.
3. Get your dog some busy toys where you can hide treats or freeze peanut butter inside to give them something to do while you’re away. Alternate the toys so your dog thinks they’re getting something new each day.
4. Spend 5-15 minutes petting, brushing or scratching your dog. This is also a great way to discover potential problems like bumps, sores or hot spots.
5. If possible, take your dog to work with you for part of the day. Take toys too.
6. Find a doggie day care and take them for the day. Often one time per week will help with boredom or loneliness.
7. Ask a friend, neighbor or family member to come by and take your dog on a walk, play for 10-15 minutes or just love on them.
8. Hire someone to walk your dog daily or a couple times per day. Often there’s a teenager who would love to walk your dog.
9. For herding or sporting dogs, they need a job or they become destructive & depressed. Get them their good citizen badge and go to hospices, hospitals, or nursing homes. Watch your dog glow and grin while they’re learning their job and when they’re working.
Another reason your dog may be barking is to protect their territory. This is a basic instinct, but when it becomes too aggressive, re-conditioning is required to have a happy neighborhood. Please refrain from punishing your dog for barking. This will only make them fearful and won’t solve the core issue. Train your dog to be “quiet” on command or bark a couple of times and then sit or lay down to quietly protect their territory.
To train your dog, begin by filling a coffee can with pennies or nuts and bolts about ¼ to ½ full. Put some cheese cubes, meat or some other special treat in your pocket (you must make the treat more interesting than the barking). Go outside with your dog and pay attention to them without them knowing you’re watching them.
When your dog barks at a passerby, allow 2 to 3 barks and then shake the can of nuts/bolts/pennies. This new noise serves as a distraction and they’ll stop barking. As soon as they stop barking, say in a very happy voice “good quiet” and give them a treat. Stay outside for a while (some dogs are trained in only 3-4 can shaking/treat giving times and others it takes 20). Repeat this process with every passerby until your dog barks a couple of times and then stops on their own.
NOTE: If the can shaking scares your dog (they jump out of their skin), distract them by throwing a ball or other toy which will also stop the barking. Say “good quiet” and pop that treat into their mouth. Repeat for as long as it takes until they’re the superstar of the neighborhood.
Another training process is to get your stash of special treats and can of pennies/nuts/bolts or a toy (don’t let your dog see any of these) and go outside to where your dog typically stands when they’re barking. Have a friend that your dog doesn’t know walk by your yard starting at a position where your dog isn’t barking yet. Have your friend walk normally closer and closer to your dog’s territory.
Once your dog starts barking, shake the can/throw the toy/ball to distract them and the barking stops. Immediately say “good quiet” and pop that tasty treat into their mouth. Repeat this process until your dog makes the connection between being quiet when strangers come near their area and being rewarded. Distraction/re-focusing, praise and treats work wonders.
Be patient. Most importantly, be consistent. Use the same command and body language every time. Dogs read cues from their human and when it’s the same, the training works faster and will last longer.
If your dog barks from inside the house when strangers come close, block their ability to see outside. When they do bark from inside, call them to you (distraction), say “good quiet” and give them a treat. Conditioning takes time so be patient.
NOTE: Don’t encourage your dog to bark at things they see or hear. Also, don’t deliberately tease your dog thereby conditioning them to bark. If you’re dog is barking at seemingly nothing, there may be other health related issues that need a Veterinarian’s care.
Another reason your dog is barking may be out of fear. If their ears are laid back and their tail is held low, they’re afraid of something. This could be a loud noise (thunder), construction equipment, people yelling/arguing, the vacuum or fireworks.
You can desensitize your dog to loud noises by purchasing a CD of thunderstorms and play it while doing regular household chores or sitting around reading. The sound combined with the human acting normally tells your dog that this loud, unfamiliar noise is not a threat. You can also block out your dog’s line of sight which may or may not help depending on the sensitivity level of your unique dog.
Your dog may also bark due to separation anxiety displayed most often by barking beginning shortly after you leave (10-45 minutes). Separation anxiety can be seen through behaviors such as anxious activity when you’re preparing to leave, following you from room to room and frantic welcome home greetings. Your dog may also be anxious due to a change in their normal routine such as a move, loss of a family member (human or canine), being left alone for longer than normal or after a stay at a kennel or animal shelter. Please do not punish your dog for being anxious. This is a panic response and punishment will only worsen the problem. To help you and your dog with separation anxiety, search for the article "5 Signs of Canine Separation Anxiety and What To Do."
In regards to bark collars, I do not recommend them because essentially they are a punishment for your dog using their only voice-barking. Bark collars also don’t often work. The citronella collars are triggered by barking but can also go off if in the proximity of other noises unnecessarily spraying your dog. Sound wave collars do not have a high success rate and shock collars are simply cruel..
Keep in mind your dog’s barking is their way of communicating something is going on, please listen to me. Your job, as their human, is to teach them when it’s appropriate to use their voice and when to be quiet. Never, ever punish your dog for barking. Simply re-condition them to speak only when absolutely necessary.
As always, please consult with your Veterinarian or veterinary technician if you have questions or concerns.
About The Author Miss Debra Rae
After working in Veterinary clinics and animal emergency hospitals, Miss Rae began writing about dogs and how they enrich our lives. Visit http://www.goodpoopy.com for all your dog's needs from nutrition to dog emergencies and more.
But when your dog continually barks, this can cause problems not only for your own household, but often creates tension within your neighborhood. Some cities and towns have noise ordinances and an incessantly barking dog may bring the police or animal control to your door issuing a warning or possibly a ticket. What to do?
First, isolate the cause of the excessive barking. Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is my dog lonely and frustrated so they’re seeking attention through their only voice-barking?
2. Is my dog left alone for long periods of time without toys, chews or other ways to keep them occupied?
3. Is my dog a puppy or adolescent (up to 3 years old) and has no other way to expel excess energy?
4. Is my dog a breed that needs a job to be happy (herding or sporting dog)?
If you think one of these is the cause of your dog’s relentless barking, there are options to help deter this unwanted behavior. Here are some suggestions for the lonely or bored dog:
1. Increase the amount and quality of time you spend with your dog by walking them every day for 20-30 minutes. Just a jaunt around the neighborhood often will help dispel some extra energy. It’s also an excellent way to begin or end the human work day.
2. Train your dog to fetch a ball or Frisbee and play with them for 10-15 minutes in the morning and in the evening. Get up a little earlier to help your dog behave better.
3. Get your dog some busy toys where you can hide treats or freeze peanut butter inside to give them something to do while you’re away. Alternate the toys so your dog thinks they’re getting something new each day.
4. Spend 5-15 minutes petting, brushing or scratching your dog. This is also a great way to discover potential problems like bumps, sores or hot spots.
5. If possible, take your dog to work with you for part of the day. Take toys too.
6. Find a doggie day care and take them for the day. Often one time per week will help with boredom or loneliness.
7. Ask a friend, neighbor or family member to come by and take your dog on a walk, play for 10-15 minutes or just love on them.
8. Hire someone to walk your dog daily or a couple times per day. Often there’s a teenager who would love to walk your dog.
9. For herding or sporting dogs, they need a job or they become destructive & depressed. Get them their good citizen badge and go to hospices, hospitals, or nursing homes. Watch your dog glow and grin while they’re learning their job and when they’re working.
Another reason your dog may be barking is to protect their territory. This is a basic instinct, but when it becomes too aggressive, re-conditioning is required to have a happy neighborhood. Please refrain from punishing your dog for barking. This will only make them fearful and won’t solve the core issue. Train your dog to be “quiet” on command or bark a couple of times and then sit or lay down to quietly protect their territory.
To train your dog, begin by filling a coffee can with pennies or nuts and bolts about ¼ to ½ full. Put some cheese cubes, meat or some other special treat in your pocket (you must make the treat more interesting than the barking). Go outside with your dog and pay attention to them without them knowing you’re watching them.
When your dog barks at a passerby, allow 2 to 3 barks and then shake the can of nuts/bolts/pennies. This new noise serves as a distraction and they’ll stop barking. As soon as they stop barking, say in a very happy voice “good quiet” and give them a treat. Stay outside for a while (some dogs are trained in only 3-4 can shaking/treat giving times and others it takes 20). Repeat this process with every passerby until your dog barks a couple of times and then stops on their own.
NOTE: If the can shaking scares your dog (they jump out of their skin), distract them by throwing a ball or other toy which will also stop the barking. Say “good quiet” and pop that treat into their mouth. Repeat for as long as it takes until they’re the superstar of the neighborhood.
Another training process is to get your stash of special treats and can of pennies/nuts/bolts or a toy (don’t let your dog see any of these) and go outside to where your dog typically stands when they’re barking. Have a friend that your dog doesn’t know walk by your yard starting at a position where your dog isn’t barking yet. Have your friend walk normally closer and closer to your dog’s territory.
Once your dog starts barking, shake the can/throw the toy/ball to distract them and the barking stops. Immediately say “good quiet” and pop that tasty treat into their mouth. Repeat this process until your dog makes the connection between being quiet when strangers come near their area and being rewarded. Distraction/re-focusing, praise and treats work wonders.
Be patient. Most importantly, be consistent. Use the same command and body language every time. Dogs read cues from their human and when it’s the same, the training works faster and will last longer.
If your dog barks from inside the house when strangers come close, block their ability to see outside. When they do bark from inside, call them to you (distraction), say “good quiet” and give them a treat. Conditioning takes time so be patient.
NOTE: Don’t encourage your dog to bark at things they see or hear. Also, don’t deliberately tease your dog thereby conditioning them to bark. If you’re dog is barking at seemingly nothing, there may be other health related issues that need a Veterinarian’s care.
Another reason your dog is barking may be out of fear. If their ears are laid back and their tail is held low, they’re afraid of something. This could be a loud noise (thunder), construction equipment, people yelling/arguing, the vacuum or fireworks.
You can desensitize your dog to loud noises by purchasing a CD of thunderstorms and play it while doing regular household chores or sitting around reading. The sound combined with the human acting normally tells your dog that this loud, unfamiliar noise is not a threat. You can also block out your dog’s line of sight which may or may not help depending on the sensitivity level of your unique dog.
Your dog may also bark due to separation anxiety displayed most often by barking beginning shortly after you leave (10-45 minutes). Separation anxiety can be seen through behaviors such as anxious activity when you’re preparing to leave, following you from room to room and frantic welcome home greetings. Your dog may also be anxious due to a change in their normal routine such as a move, loss of a family member (human or canine), being left alone for longer than normal or after a stay at a kennel or animal shelter. Please do not punish your dog for being anxious. This is a panic response and punishment will only worsen the problem. To help you and your dog with separation anxiety, search for the article "5 Signs of Canine Separation Anxiety and What To Do."
In regards to bark collars, I do not recommend them because essentially they are a punishment for your dog using their only voice-barking. Bark collars also don’t often work. The citronella collars are triggered by barking but can also go off if in the proximity of other noises unnecessarily spraying your dog. Sound wave collars do not have a high success rate and shock collars are simply cruel..
Keep in mind your dog’s barking is their way of communicating something is going on, please listen to me. Your job, as their human, is to teach them when it’s appropriate to use their voice and when to be quiet. Never, ever punish your dog for barking. Simply re-condition them to speak only when absolutely necessary.
As always, please consult with your Veterinarian or veterinary technician if you have questions or concerns.
About The Author Miss Debra Rae
After working in Veterinary clinics and animal emergency hospitals, Miss Rae began writing about dogs and how they enrich our lives. Visit http://www.goodpoopy.com for all your dog's needs from nutrition to dog emergencies and more.
Training Your Dog Yourself
A good dog training program is something that all dog owners should look into. Not only will this help your dog be able to obey better but it will also strengthen the bond with your dog. However, this does not have to be done by a professional as there really is nobody better equipped to train your dog than you, yourself.
Whenever you are working with a dog training program, you need to remember that you are the one that is in control. However, you do not want to come across as being too forceful either. The goal here is to be both friendly and assertive at the same time.
So, how do you train your dog to obey you? Of course, you do not want to just start yelling commands at your dog. Instead, you are going to need to have a good game plan. Part of this has to do with ensuring that your dog is in the right mindset before you even get started. As such, you should not try to train your dog right after he has eaten and you may wish to take him for a quick walk before you get started. Another thing that it is good to do before training him is to take a little time to play with him so that he will feel relaxed and comfortable with you. All of this will help to eliminate distractions and help you get down to business.
Whenever you are training your dog and he does something right, make sure that you have a treat available to give to him. This helps your dog to know when he has done something right. On the other hand, do not get upset when he occasionally runs off during a training session - this is normal. Simply call him back and get back on task right away. It is also normal for him to seem absolutely clueless at times. Herein you simply need to find a better way in which to communicate with him, even if this means showing him what you want him to do.
Training your own dog is a rewarding experience that has huge benefits. In the end, you will be happy that you have made this decision.
About The Author Nicholas Hunt writes for http://www.petinsuranceinfo.co.uk/ where you can find information on arranging insurance cover for your beloved pets.
Whenever you are working with a dog training program, you need to remember that you are the one that is in control. However, you do not want to come across as being too forceful either. The goal here is to be both friendly and assertive at the same time.
So, how do you train your dog to obey you? Of course, you do not want to just start yelling commands at your dog. Instead, you are going to need to have a good game plan. Part of this has to do with ensuring that your dog is in the right mindset before you even get started. As such, you should not try to train your dog right after he has eaten and you may wish to take him for a quick walk before you get started. Another thing that it is good to do before training him is to take a little time to play with him so that he will feel relaxed and comfortable with you. All of this will help to eliminate distractions and help you get down to business.
Whenever you are training your dog and he does something right, make sure that you have a treat available to give to him. This helps your dog to know when he has done something right. On the other hand, do not get upset when he occasionally runs off during a training session - this is normal. Simply call him back and get back on task right away. It is also normal for him to seem absolutely clueless at times. Herein you simply need to find a better way in which to communicate with him, even if this means showing him what you want him to do.
Training your own dog is a rewarding experience that has huge benefits. In the end, you will be happy that you have made this decision.
About The Author Nicholas Hunt writes for http://www.petinsuranceinfo.co.uk/ where you can find information on arranging insurance cover for your beloved pets.
How To Pick The Best Pet Food
It is not simple to determine what is the best pet food (http://HealthierDogs.com/Dog_Food/) for your canine companion. Which brand provides all of the necessary nutrients? Which brand will taste better to your dog? It is almost impossible to perform a dog food comparison (http://healthierdogs.com/dog_food/best-dog-foods-ranked/) without sufficient information.
First of all, you can go online and read reviews of dog food. Both happy and disgruntled owners are usually more than willing to share their experiences with the food they have bought. Keep this in mind when you are reading the reviews.
You need to look up foods that claim to have the results that you are aiming for. Searching for wellness dog food (http://healthierdogs.com/dog_food/best-dog-foods-ranked/) will bring up different results than searching for anti-shedding dog food. If this is your first search, you are likely to find more types of food than there are dog breeds in existence.
There are many choices to make when choosing a dog food. Some are dry and crunchy, providing stimulation for the jaw and tooth cleaning benefits. Others are soft and moist. It's important to choose a dog food that is formulated for your pet, taking into consideration breed, size, and activity levels. Nutrition is of foremost importance, and some dog foods are actually made from ingredients that are certified fit for human consumption-a food you both could share!
Lots of shops that carry pet food will permit your dog to try some of the costlier kinds so that he or she can indicate a preference. Nevertheless, you don't want to keep changing meals all the time since that upsets a canine's digestive tract. Dogs only digest a small number of foods comfortably over a short period of time. So after you've found a good product, you should allow your pet to keep eating it for 7-14 days.
If you begin to see changes in your dog that you like or don't like after that first couple of weeks, that would be the time to decide it keep or change the food again. Whatever pet food you choose for your dog, know that your dog loves you and will be your best friend for life!
About The Author Brigitte Smith
It can be difficult finding pet food (http://healthierdogs.com/dog_food/best-dog-foods-ranked/) that will be perfect for your dog's needs. Try searching for "wellness dog food (http://HealthierDogs.com/Dog_Food/)" on the Internet, for reviews of dog food. A number of stores will provide samples of some brands of food so you can see if your dog likes it, and perform a dog food comparison (http://HealthierDogs.com/Dog_Food/). There are many choices to make when choosing dog food and you should choose one that is formulated to your dog's specific breed and size. After choosing dog food, let your dog eat it for at least one to two weeks, before deciding whether or not that is the best food for your dog.
First of all, you can go online and read reviews of dog food. Both happy and disgruntled owners are usually more than willing to share their experiences with the food they have bought. Keep this in mind when you are reading the reviews.
You need to look up foods that claim to have the results that you are aiming for. Searching for wellness dog food (http://healthierdogs.com/dog_food/best-dog-foods-ranked/) will bring up different results than searching for anti-shedding dog food. If this is your first search, you are likely to find more types of food than there are dog breeds in existence.
There are many choices to make when choosing a dog food. Some are dry and crunchy, providing stimulation for the jaw and tooth cleaning benefits. Others are soft and moist. It's important to choose a dog food that is formulated for your pet, taking into consideration breed, size, and activity levels. Nutrition is of foremost importance, and some dog foods are actually made from ingredients that are certified fit for human consumption-a food you both could share!
Lots of shops that carry pet food will permit your dog to try some of the costlier kinds so that he or she can indicate a preference. Nevertheless, you don't want to keep changing meals all the time since that upsets a canine's digestive tract. Dogs only digest a small number of foods comfortably over a short period of time. So after you've found a good product, you should allow your pet to keep eating it for 7-14 days.
If you begin to see changes in your dog that you like or don't like after that first couple of weeks, that would be the time to decide it keep or change the food again. Whatever pet food you choose for your dog, know that your dog loves you and will be your best friend for life!
About The Author Brigitte Smith
It can be difficult finding pet food (http://healthierdogs.com/dog_food/best-dog-foods-ranked/) that will be perfect for your dog's needs. Try searching for "wellness dog food (http://HealthierDogs.com/Dog_Food/)" on the Internet, for reviews of dog food. A number of stores will provide samples of some brands of food so you can see if your dog likes it, and perform a dog food comparison (http://HealthierDogs.com/Dog_Food/). There are many choices to make when choosing dog food and you should choose one that is formulated to your dog's specific breed and size. After choosing dog food, let your dog eat it for at least one to two weeks, before deciding whether or not that is the best food for your dog.
The Health Benefits Of Owning A Pet
Do you pick out a pet to fulfill a need or do you consider the added health benefits of owning a pet?
A great number of people want to have pets simply so that they can have something cute, cuddly or an animal that will always love them, never leave them and never complain. Some people have pets because they need assistance and the pets have been trained to offer them the assistance that they need just to get by.
Still others want to have more exotic pets ... some for the purpose of bragging or showing off and others simply because they have a deep love for nature. Whatever your reason for owning a pet, would you believe that it actually increases your chances of being healthy, lowers your chances of serious disease and even increases your lifespan?
None other than the Center for Disease Control says so. The Center for Disease Control or CDC has conducted a great number of surveys, scientific experiments and other complicated studies in order to help the American public remain healthy. Their research has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that pet ownership has many health benefits.
Now more than ever, depression is becoming more and more common among people. Treatments for depression often include costly drugs that sometimes have very unpleasant side effects. Sometimes, for some people, the side effects are actually worse than the depression that led them to resort to medication. Well, according to the CDC, pet ownership decreases the incidents and severity of depression.
Heart disease is also a major concern for many people. While the causes for heart attacks and other heart related issues are numerous, pet ownership decreases most of the causes of heart disease. Pet ownership also greatly decreases the likelihood of a heart attack or other fatal heart diseases. Something so simple as a cuddly kitten could very well save your life.
Further studies by the CDC show that pet ownership decreases the levels of LDL or low-density lipoprotein ... also known as the bad cholesterol. Pet ownership has also been directly correlated to a reduction in triglycerides. Triglycerides can be less scientifically defined as the bad and unhealthy fats in food and in your body. A reduction in the levels of triglycerides results in a greatly reduced risk of many heart related issues. Pet ownership can be directly related to a reduction in many heart-related health issues but it still gets better.
Would you believe that pet ownership is proven by a federal government agency to improve your possibilities of having an active and rewarding social life? Yup! According to the CDC, pet ownership will actually increase your opportunities to get out and exercise and be a great conversation starter among members of the opposite sex.
Who knew it was so easy? Would you like a rewarding life replete with great exercise, health benefits and an equally rewarding social life? Believe it or not, according to the CDC, pet ownership not only makes it possible, but probable.
About The Author CS Swarens is the president of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065
For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet's pet resource including pet classifieds at http://www.findapetonline.com
Research over 430 pet breed profiles http://www.findapetonline.com/breeds.html
A great number of people want to have pets simply so that they can have something cute, cuddly or an animal that will always love them, never leave them and never complain. Some people have pets because they need assistance and the pets have been trained to offer them the assistance that they need just to get by.
Still others want to have more exotic pets ... some for the purpose of bragging or showing off and others simply because they have a deep love for nature. Whatever your reason for owning a pet, would you believe that it actually increases your chances of being healthy, lowers your chances of serious disease and even increases your lifespan?
None other than the Center for Disease Control says so. The Center for Disease Control or CDC has conducted a great number of surveys, scientific experiments and other complicated studies in order to help the American public remain healthy. Their research has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that pet ownership has many health benefits.
Now more than ever, depression is becoming more and more common among people. Treatments for depression often include costly drugs that sometimes have very unpleasant side effects. Sometimes, for some people, the side effects are actually worse than the depression that led them to resort to medication. Well, according to the CDC, pet ownership decreases the incidents and severity of depression.
Heart disease is also a major concern for many people. While the causes for heart attacks and other heart related issues are numerous, pet ownership decreases most of the causes of heart disease. Pet ownership also greatly decreases the likelihood of a heart attack or other fatal heart diseases. Something so simple as a cuddly kitten could very well save your life.
Further studies by the CDC show that pet ownership decreases the levels of LDL or low-density lipoprotein ... also known as the bad cholesterol. Pet ownership has also been directly correlated to a reduction in triglycerides. Triglycerides can be less scientifically defined as the bad and unhealthy fats in food and in your body. A reduction in the levels of triglycerides results in a greatly reduced risk of many heart related issues. Pet ownership can be directly related to a reduction in many heart-related health issues but it still gets better.
Would you believe that pet ownership is proven by a federal government agency to improve your possibilities of having an active and rewarding social life? Yup! According to the CDC, pet ownership will actually increase your opportunities to get out and exercise and be a great conversation starter among members of the opposite sex.
Who knew it was so easy? Would you like a rewarding life replete with great exercise, health benefits and an equally rewarding social life? Believe it or not, according to the CDC, pet ownership not only makes it possible, but probable.
About The Author CS Swarens is the president of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065
For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet's pet resource including pet classifieds at http://www.findapetonline.com
Research over 430 pet breed profiles http://www.findapetonline.com/breeds.html
Benefits Of Grooming A Pet
Regular grooming of all pets can help contribute to longer, healthier lives. The benefits of having your pet groomed regularly can include making your pet more comfortable and clean, as well as having attention paid to often overlooked parts of your dog or cat.
There are many direct health benefits of having your dog or cat groomed. Regular brushing of all pets, despite coat length or type, helps to keep the coat and skin healthy. Most dogs do not require frequent bathing (once a month or less!), but brushing in between bath times helps to keep them clean, removing dead hair, dirt and other debris from the coat. Many cats may only need to be bathed a few times in their lifetime. Brushing is a vital part of pet care, as it works to distribute the natural oils of the skin throughout the coat, promoting a healthier coat, and cleaner skin.
In addition the direct benefits your pets coat, brushing may help to point out any abnormalities in your pets body, such as sores, growths or bald spots. While you may not notice any lumps or bumps that have appeared on your pet, regular grooming can help to detect a problem, and insure that if a lump does appear, you are aware of it sooner rather than later. A veterinarian should check any growth or lump you or your groomer notices on your pet, to rule out cancer and other potentially dangerous conditions. Early detection can be crucial in a positive outcome to an otherwise deadly health scare.
During the course of the grooming process, the groomer will pay special attention to your pets’ ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, pads and perianal region- areas you probably don’t notice much in daily life.
Longhair dogs and even some cats tend to grow hair deep in the ear canal, and this hair can trap bacteria, causing irritation and ear infections. Your groomer will “pluck” this hair, and often do a cursory clean of the ears checking for anything abnormal. If ear discharge or redness is noticed, this can be relayed to you, so that you know that veterinary attention may be necessary to treat your pets’ ear problem.
Many long hair pets tend to grow excessive amounts of hair between their feet and paw pads, as well as around the perianal (anus) area. Excessive hair in these places can lead to hygiene problems, tangling of hair, accumulation of dirt and stickers in the hair, and even cause problems defecating and urinating. Your groomer may trim around these areas, helping to prevent problems before they can develop.
Breeds of dogs such as Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Shih Tzu’s will grow long hair on the face, mouth and eyes, and left untrimmed this hair can become matted with food particles and saliva. In addition, studies have shown that dogs with hair that is frequently in their eyes have a greater chance of developing eye infections, glaucoma and cataracts. Strategic trimming of the hair around the eyes is aesthetically pleasing, and helps to prevent health problems down the road.
Most dogs and cats don’t naturally wear down their nails fast enough to keep up with nail growth, and as a result most pets need regular nail trimming in order to keep their nails at the optimum length. Long nails are the most common cause of chiropractic problems in cats and dogs, and can contribute to joint pain and stiffness. Your pets body has been designed to walk with his pads on the floor, not the nails. If your dogs’ nails are touching the ground, his nails are too long. If you can hear the nails clicking on the floor, they are too long. Regular clipping will help to prevent problems associated with long nails.
Your groomer will clip your pets’ nails, and their skill and experience can often get them shorter than you can at home. A dremel tool may also be used, to help further shorten the nails, and blunt the edges to eliminate those sharp, newly cut nail scratches!
In addition to health benefits, a professional grooming can greatly improve the cleanliness and hygiene of your pet. While you may bathe your pet at home regularly, most groomers utilize a bathing system. These systems are specially made to allow water and shampoo to penetrate even the thickest coats of hair, evenly spreading shampoo throughout the coat. Special hoses and water nozzles “massage” the soap throughout the coat, getting the coat cleaner than any hand wash could. In addition, the bathing systems are much faster than traditional bathing, shortening the time your pet may spend stressed out in the tub.
If your dog has long hair, or is prone to tangles or a dry coat, a coat conditioner may be used as a second step to the bathing process. Conditioners can help to manage the hair and make it softer, allowing for mats and tangles to be more easily removed, along with re-moisturizing the coat.
While in the bath, some groomers may take the opportunity to express your pets’ anal glands. The anal glands are two small sacks just inside your pets’ anus, and are filled with a foul smelling “scent fingerprint” that animals use to identify each other in the wild. Routine emptying of these sacs can help to prevent unwanted smells, as well as potential side effects from impacted or ruptured anal glands that go unemptied.
Finally, bathing your pet provides an opportunity for an impartial set of eyes to point out any issues or problems you many not have noticed with your pet. We live with our pets, and often don’t notice right away if they begin to gain or loose weight, or gradually take up new behaviors. Your groomer has the advantage of only seeing your pet occasionally, and as such may notice if Fido has packed on a few pounds, or if Kitty has fleas that need to be treated.
There are many benefits to having your dog or cat groomed. While frequency will depend on your pets breed, coat type or lifestyle, regular grooming sessions will help your pet to remain a healthy, clean companion to you.
About The Author David Beart is owner of the http://www.professorshouse.com , a site dedicated to family, relationships, dog grooming, and household issues.
There are many direct health benefits of having your dog or cat groomed. Regular brushing of all pets, despite coat length or type, helps to keep the coat and skin healthy. Most dogs do not require frequent bathing (once a month or less!), but brushing in between bath times helps to keep them clean, removing dead hair, dirt and other debris from the coat. Many cats may only need to be bathed a few times in their lifetime. Brushing is a vital part of pet care, as it works to distribute the natural oils of the skin throughout the coat, promoting a healthier coat, and cleaner skin.
In addition the direct benefits your pets coat, brushing may help to point out any abnormalities in your pets body, such as sores, growths or bald spots. While you may not notice any lumps or bumps that have appeared on your pet, regular grooming can help to detect a problem, and insure that if a lump does appear, you are aware of it sooner rather than later. A veterinarian should check any growth or lump you or your groomer notices on your pet, to rule out cancer and other potentially dangerous conditions. Early detection can be crucial in a positive outcome to an otherwise deadly health scare.
During the course of the grooming process, the groomer will pay special attention to your pets’ ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, pads and perianal region- areas you probably don’t notice much in daily life.
Longhair dogs and even some cats tend to grow hair deep in the ear canal, and this hair can trap bacteria, causing irritation and ear infections. Your groomer will “pluck” this hair, and often do a cursory clean of the ears checking for anything abnormal. If ear discharge or redness is noticed, this can be relayed to you, so that you know that veterinary attention may be necessary to treat your pets’ ear problem.
Many long hair pets tend to grow excessive amounts of hair between their feet and paw pads, as well as around the perianal (anus) area. Excessive hair in these places can lead to hygiene problems, tangling of hair, accumulation of dirt and stickers in the hair, and even cause problems defecating and urinating. Your groomer may trim around these areas, helping to prevent problems before they can develop.
Breeds of dogs such as Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Shih Tzu’s will grow long hair on the face, mouth and eyes, and left untrimmed this hair can become matted with food particles and saliva. In addition, studies have shown that dogs with hair that is frequently in their eyes have a greater chance of developing eye infections, glaucoma and cataracts. Strategic trimming of the hair around the eyes is aesthetically pleasing, and helps to prevent health problems down the road.
Most dogs and cats don’t naturally wear down their nails fast enough to keep up with nail growth, and as a result most pets need regular nail trimming in order to keep their nails at the optimum length. Long nails are the most common cause of chiropractic problems in cats and dogs, and can contribute to joint pain and stiffness. Your pets body has been designed to walk with his pads on the floor, not the nails. If your dogs’ nails are touching the ground, his nails are too long. If you can hear the nails clicking on the floor, they are too long. Regular clipping will help to prevent problems associated with long nails.
Your groomer will clip your pets’ nails, and their skill and experience can often get them shorter than you can at home. A dremel tool may also be used, to help further shorten the nails, and blunt the edges to eliminate those sharp, newly cut nail scratches!
In addition to health benefits, a professional grooming can greatly improve the cleanliness and hygiene of your pet. While you may bathe your pet at home regularly, most groomers utilize a bathing system. These systems are specially made to allow water and shampoo to penetrate even the thickest coats of hair, evenly spreading shampoo throughout the coat. Special hoses and water nozzles “massage” the soap throughout the coat, getting the coat cleaner than any hand wash could. In addition, the bathing systems are much faster than traditional bathing, shortening the time your pet may spend stressed out in the tub.
If your dog has long hair, or is prone to tangles or a dry coat, a coat conditioner may be used as a second step to the bathing process. Conditioners can help to manage the hair and make it softer, allowing for mats and tangles to be more easily removed, along with re-moisturizing the coat.
While in the bath, some groomers may take the opportunity to express your pets’ anal glands. The anal glands are two small sacks just inside your pets’ anus, and are filled with a foul smelling “scent fingerprint” that animals use to identify each other in the wild. Routine emptying of these sacs can help to prevent unwanted smells, as well as potential side effects from impacted or ruptured anal glands that go unemptied.
Finally, bathing your pet provides an opportunity for an impartial set of eyes to point out any issues or problems you many not have noticed with your pet. We live with our pets, and often don’t notice right away if they begin to gain or loose weight, or gradually take up new behaviors. Your groomer has the advantage of only seeing your pet occasionally, and as such may notice if Fido has packed on a few pounds, or if Kitty has fleas that need to be treated.
There are many benefits to having your dog or cat groomed. While frequency will depend on your pets breed, coat type or lifestyle, regular grooming sessions will help your pet to remain a healthy, clean companion to you.
About The Author David Beart is owner of the http://www.professorshouse.com , a site dedicated to family, relationships, dog grooming, and household issues.
6 Things You Should Not Do When You Have A New Puppy In The Home
Everyone agrees that training a puppy is imperative for him to learn how to behave and to teach him his boundaries, but there are some basic tips you need to know before starting your dog training. Magazines, books and online articles addressing the basics of acquiring a new puppy abound. They may all sound repetitive, and a lot of the tips and advice are actually simple and requires common sense, but they are vital nonetheless.
When you bring home a new puppy, keep in mind these 6 things you should avoid doing:
1. Never hit your puppy, whether with your hand or with a rolled up newspaper or any other object, regardless of what he does. Keep in mind that your puppy is like a baby -- it is very delicate and is easily injured. Hitting your puppy will only frighten him and be a traumatic experience for him that can possibly lead to behavioral issues when he is fully grown. Remember that being taken away from his mother and litter mates is a traumatic and scary enough experience for him so be a little patient with this new addition to your family. Your puppy will probably whine for a few days, but he will soon get used to his new family, and will give you all his love and loyalty.
2. If you have objects in your house that you cherish or have sentimental value, keep them out of your puppy's reach. Your puppy, and all puppies for that matter, will eat everything it can get its mouth on. If you want to keep your socks free from holes, don't leave them laying on the floor or in places where your puppy can easily reach them. If you smoke, don't throw the cigarette butts on the floor; your puppy won't think twice about chewing on those. The same goes for any gadgets you have that can be easily scratched and damaged.
3. Don't let other people, family members included, handle your new puppy -- at least for the first couple of weeks or so. It is better that you and another family member handle the new puppy first. If too many people are handling the puppy, he may become nervous and have problems socializing.
4. Avoid picking up the new puppy by his forelegs. Children tend to pick puppies up this way so if you have kids in your house, tell them they should not pick up the new puppy this way. Your puppy's legs are not strong yet and if he can get injured if he is picked up by the forelegs.
5. Don't leave holes inside your house uncovered. Puppies are incredibly curious and they will literally try to get into everything. It can be fatal if your puppy gets stuck in a hole.
6. Don't leave electrical wires uncovered or accessible to your puppy. Cover any exposed wires in your house because your puppy won't spare those. Many puppies have died from electrocution because the house they were living in were not puppy-proof.
About The Author Dr. Mayra Alfonso
Increase the happy years of your dog by checking out my free e-book. In it I reveal all the secrets I've used to develop a happy, healthier dog. Visit Dr. Alfonso's dog training blog at http://www.CoolDogHallofFame.com right now before I decide to no longer give this valuable e-book for free!
When you bring home a new puppy, keep in mind these 6 things you should avoid doing:
1. Never hit your puppy, whether with your hand or with a rolled up newspaper or any other object, regardless of what he does. Keep in mind that your puppy is like a baby -- it is very delicate and is easily injured. Hitting your puppy will only frighten him and be a traumatic experience for him that can possibly lead to behavioral issues when he is fully grown. Remember that being taken away from his mother and litter mates is a traumatic and scary enough experience for him so be a little patient with this new addition to your family. Your puppy will probably whine for a few days, but he will soon get used to his new family, and will give you all his love and loyalty.
2. If you have objects in your house that you cherish or have sentimental value, keep them out of your puppy's reach. Your puppy, and all puppies for that matter, will eat everything it can get its mouth on. If you want to keep your socks free from holes, don't leave them laying on the floor or in places where your puppy can easily reach them. If you smoke, don't throw the cigarette butts on the floor; your puppy won't think twice about chewing on those. The same goes for any gadgets you have that can be easily scratched and damaged.
3. Don't let other people, family members included, handle your new puppy -- at least for the first couple of weeks or so. It is better that you and another family member handle the new puppy first. If too many people are handling the puppy, he may become nervous and have problems socializing.
4. Avoid picking up the new puppy by his forelegs. Children tend to pick puppies up this way so if you have kids in your house, tell them they should not pick up the new puppy this way. Your puppy's legs are not strong yet and if he can get injured if he is picked up by the forelegs.
5. Don't leave holes inside your house uncovered. Puppies are incredibly curious and they will literally try to get into everything. It can be fatal if your puppy gets stuck in a hole.
6. Don't leave electrical wires uncovered or accessible to your puppy. Cover any exposed wires in your house because your puppy won't spare those. Many puppies have died from electrocution because the house they were living in were not puppy-proof.
About The Author Dr. Mayra Alfonso
Increase the happy years of your dog by checking out my free e-book. In it I reveal all the secrets I've used to develop a happy, healthier dog. Visit Dr. Alfonso's dog training blog at http://www.CoolDogHallofFame.com right now before I decide to no longer give this valuable e-book for free!
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