Top Reasons to Training Dog Tricks
Sit! Roll over! Jump! Teaching your dog tricks might not be the easiest thing in the world, but it’s highly beneficial to you and your dog. Teaching your dog tricks can help strengthen your relationship with your beloved pet in many ways. Below are some great reasons why you should start teaching your dog tricks.
1. Make everyone safe- While learning to teach your dog tricks, you learn many training techniques which can also be used to gain control over your dog. Teaching him basic tricks like sit and stay can also be used in life situations like crossing the street or entering a store.
2. Give Your Dog Something to Do- It doesn’t take long before your dog gets bored and decides to take on a new hobby of chewing anything in sight, including your brand new sofa. Teaching your dog tricks will keep him focused on the task at hand, and will entertain him for hours!
3. Help Keep Your Dog’s Mind Sharp- Training your dog will keep his mind active and responsive. As dogs get older they become less physically active, but learning tricks will keep his mind active and alert.
4. Help Create a Better Bond between You and Your Dog- Your dog will look up to you as being the pack leader, and will listen to you instead of trying to get your attention in destructive ways. Best of all, once your dog learns tricks you two become a team when training or performing.
5. Show Off- You can show off your dog if you teach it some cool tricks, and your dog will get people’s attention. Dogs love attention and they love being in the spotlight so they will like performing in front of your friends and family. Of course, you will also get the recognition of being a star trainer.
6. Make Vet Check Ups Easier- Both the veterinarian and you hate it when your dog can’t control itself during a check up. If you teach it to be calm during the check up, it will make both of your lives easier, and you won’t be embarrassed that your dog is acting up.
7. Gives Your Dog a Hobby- We all have hobbies we like to do such as watching TV or playing games, but dogs also need things to do. Training dog tricks is great to do on rainy days when you can’t take him for a walk.
If these reasons have inspired you to teach your dog tricks, then you’ve come to the right place. Dog Trick Academy and our community is devoted to help teach your dog tricks, we keep it fun and entertaining!
When Your Nose Tells You “Bathe That Dog”
The dog, mans best friend, this one of the most common house pets owned by people all over the world.
The dog is loyal to it’s master and family. Dogs make good guard pets, that help to protect your home and family. They can be playful play mates with your children.
In act, a dog can be any one thing to many different people. Having such loyal pets that do their best to take care of us, they can work up a sweat just like us or endure in the same messy jobs that we do.
In doing their job, a dogs fur can become stained and gain a foul stench. This makes for an unhappy dog and an unsavory pet to be around. These are the times that your nose tells you to bathe that dog.
In this article we will look at some tips to aid us in knowing how often that you should bathe your dog, what is the best place to do the job, what shampoo is the best one for your dog and some overall tips on how to get better results from bathing your dog.
The first thing that you should know is that by bathing your dog, it not only keeps your pet clean, it is also very healthy for your pet. For this reason, you want to make sure that your pet receives a bath regularly.
You also want to pay attention to how much your pet dog receives a bath. By bathing too frequently, you can dry out your dogs skin and this is not healthy for your dog.
Experts and veterinarians agree that once a month is adequate for regular bathing schedules. Remember that though bathing your dog is good and healthy, the statement of too much of a good thing can be bad.
When choosing the best location to bathe your dog, you need to consider the size of your pet.
For small dogs, the bath tub would be an ideal location. Whereas, with larger dogs, you may want to use a metal or plastic tub located outside of the home.
The location is really important for the safety of not only the dog but for you as well. You do not want to bathe a big dog in a small area. This will make it hard for you to give your pet a proper bathing.
And without adequate space, your dog may become spooked and try to get out causing harm to itself or you.
The type of shampoo that you need to use while bathing your pet dog, is one that is pH balanced specifically for your dogs skin. You never want to use a shampoo that is made for humans.
This is harmful to your pet, as it can take away essential oils from your dogs coat. Your pet needs these essential oils to help their coat protect them the way it should.
Alright, so now we know how often, where, and what to use. Now let us look at some tips for getting better results from from bathing our dog.
Before getting your dog into the bath area, it is a good idea to brush your dogs coat. This will take out any tangles that your dogs coat may have. When you give your dog a bath, you want to make sure that the water is at a good warm temperature.
It does not need to be too cold or too hot. Warm water is perfect for giving your pet a nice healthy bath. After you have soaked your dog up with water and applied the shampoo, you want to avoid any shampoo from getting into the eyes and ears of your dog.
When it comes to washing your dogs face, use a clean wash cloth to do this. When scrubbing your dog, you want to do this very thoroughly. If you like, there is a special mitt that can be purchased that is designed to scrub the coat of your dog.
After the job of bathing your dog is done, make sure that you get all of the shampoo rinsed off your dog. Any shampoo that may be left in the dogs coat or skin can cause the dog to have itchy skin.
After all of this has been done, place a towel over your dog and let it soak up some of the water so that your dog doesn’t make a mess in the house.
Following these steps can help turn the task of giving your dog a bath into something that can be easy and fun.
If you are not sure about which shampoos are the best ones to use for your dog, then please consult your local veterinarian. They will be able to give you the best information on which products are the best ones on the market.
Turtles as pets: Care and concerns – Part 11
European or Mediterrannean Tortoises of genus Testudo belong to the most popular tortoise pets. There are 4 main species, the Herrmanns Tortoise (Testudo hermanni), the Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata), the Spur-Thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca) and also the Russian Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii). Russian Tortoises live far away from the other 3 mentioned species, even thoug its still included under European tortoises. If you decide to purchase one of those species, you must take into consideration, that they require different way of keeping than eg. Box Turtles or tortoises coming from tropical rainforests.
The most important things are: proper diet, optimal living space and proper environment.
As for diet, I can not stress enough the fact, that European Tortoises must not be offered the following meals under any occasion: sweet fruits, chocolate, dairy products, meat etc. The best choice is to offer them only fresh greens, like dandelion, clover, hibiscus flowers. Less is always better in this case. Remember that European tortoises can not find any chocolate or dairy products in the wild nature, they are therefore not used to be offered such meals. If you feed your tortoises with those “things”, you are killing your pet.
Also do not forget to offer plenty of minerals, eg. sepia bones for proper shell growth. Fresh and clean water bowl must be available all the time.
Optimal living space means, that your tortoise should be able to use a large area, as much naturally designed, as possible. Tortoise pens in the garden are the best choice. You can keep your tortoise outside almost during the whole year.
However, since tortoise breeders live all over the world and the weather in Germany or UK is totally different from the weather in eg. California, you have to consider building also an indoor living space. You will use the indoor living space (your vivarium) in case that it is too cold outside or during winter months (in case you live eg. in Europe). You will not need to build too large indoor vivarium, since Testudo tortoises hibernate during the winter months, so you are going to use the vivarium only for couple of weeks, before you can place your tortoises in the garden again (after they wake up from hibernation).
Do remember, that tortoises are cold blooded animals and require heating mats, heating cables or spot lighting to heat their bodies up. Genuine UVB metal vapour lamps or incandescent tubes are also very important to provide your tortoise with enough UVB rays. Without them, your tortoises can not metabolise vitamin D3 and will not grow well.
The Most Important Resource in Dog Training
A good book or reference guide is the most important piece of equipment that a dog trainer can have. There are all types of gizmos and gadgets that are suppose to make dog training easier, from clickers, do retractable leashes, to bark collars, and more…
Most people would never buy a DVD player that didn’t come with a manual on how to get it functioning properly. But, many people buy a dog but have no reference material to know how to treat their pet and have an obedient and well-trained dog.
What to understand when searching for a dog training ebook.
Regarding the subject of dog training, things can be complicated. A well-made dog training ebook can be a dog owner’s most important piece of material. Having a dog is a responsibility, and ensuring the dog gets correct training is incredibly important. Most people make the mistake of thinking that dog training is common sense. It can be normal for someone to spend hundreds of hours and lots of dollars on a dog’s food, health, and equipment. However, these people neglect to provide their pet decent training. They will mistakenly count on their misguided “common sense” methods.
Just about every dog training ebook that is sold today will come with some form of satisfaction guarantee. These guarantees can vary from 30 days to occasionally over 90 day money-back guarantees. If the dog training ebook you are considering buying does not include some form of a satisfaction guarantee , think carefully about ordering that dog training ebook. If it doesn’t have of some type of quality guarantee probably means that the authors of that specific dog training ebook do not have very much faith in the content of their material.
Many a dog training ebook will include free bonus material . This extra dog training material can make less difficult things from grooming and health, to aggression training and others. Be sure to look over the bonus features that are contained in the dog training ebook. To receive the most value for your buck, find an e-book that offers the most bonus features.
There are different ways in which a dog training ebook can be bought. PDF files are like online books. Some e-books take the form of a .pdf file. PDF files can contain text or images and are available for instant download, and they can be used on your computer, or printed out and taken to read anywhere. Other dog training ebook, and some of the bonus material can be presented in video form. Videos are helpful to ensure that you are training your dog correctly. Videos will give you the bonus of watching someone else act out the motions of good dog training, so you know you are doing it correctly. Some dog training ebook can take the form of audio. Audio books can be convenient for someone that doesn’t have much time to spend reading or watching a video. An audio dog training ebook can be downloaded, burned to a CD, and listen to in the car, on an iPod, or with any other convenient audio method.
It is necessary that any dog gets good training. Dog training is one aspect that can not be neglected when being a dog owner. Good dog training reference material, like the kind found at www.DogTrainerPro.info can be a big help in this regard. A correctly trained dog is obedient, non-aggressive , well behaved, and will make a happier environment for both the dog and dog owner.
How long do dogs live?
No matter how long a dog lives for, it is never long enough if it is a dearly loved pet. If you want a pet that will last your lifetime then you’d better get a cockatoo. But then it will probably outlive you, so you’d want to be sure you left it to somebody who would take good care of it.
It is extremely rare for a dog to live as long as two decades. Generally speaking smaller breeds tend to have a longer life expectancy. Also mixed breeds tend to have less health problems than pure-bred dogs, which often have genetic health conditions. Consequently the average mutt is likely to live longer, all things being equal. I grew up with a little bitser, who lived to be 17.
A lot depends, of course, on how well they are cared for and the quality of their food. Many dogs are probably living a bit longer in these times because they are treated with more TLC and are more likely to be given regular pet checks. They’re the lucky ones of course.
Sadly too many dogs don’t get to live very long at all. They’re the ones who go to irresponsible owners who neglect and abandon them. A dog that lives a sad, lonely existence will not be likely to live to be even 10 years old. Then of course, many poor creatures that are abandoned are taken to the pound or shelters, and if a good home cannot be found for them, they are put down. These statistics would have a considerable impact on the average age that dogs live to.
The age that a well-loved family pet dog may achieve varies according to the breed – and some, like human beings, outlast the average anyway – sometimes by as much as a few years. Large dogs generally live to around 10 or 12. Some may make it to 14.
Smaller and medium breeds on average live to around 12 or 14 – and some may make it to 15, 16 or 17. Very few would live to be 18 or 19 – and 20 is quite rare.
Most people are familiar with the old comparison between the ages of humans and dogs, where a dog’s year is said to be equal to seven human years. This is far from accurate though. When you think about it, a dog is sexually mature when they are less than a year old – but there’s no way a human child is sexually mature at even 7 years old.
A more accurate basic formula is that a dog ages the equivalent of 10.5 human years in the first two years of its life – then after that, each dog year is approximately the same as four human years.
Even this is only an estimate of course. Your average 10-year-old dog is probably very much
Why cant dogs eat chocolate?
We all know that a dog is a man’s best friend. There are some people for whom chocolate is also a great friend and one that they love to be friendly towards also.
We should never share our love of chocolate with our favourite pooch. Many pet owners have probably heard this somewhere, but perhaps never knew the reasons why.
Does it apply to all things chocolate, for instance?
Chocolate is made from the cacao plant. We should never share our morning cup of hot cocoa with our pet dog either. Cocoa is made from the crushed beans of the same plant that chocolate is made from. Other products including cocoa butter and cocoa paste are also manufactured from this plant.
Chocolate contains cocoa paste, cocoa butter, sugar, an emulsifier or stabilising agent and vanilla, usually added as a flavouring agent.
We should be careful about sharing foods that we eat and enjoy with our pets. Loving is caring. We should research for any known problems inherent in any food substance that we are unsure about.
Chocolate contains the naturally occurring stimulant theobromine. This compound is a heart stimulant and a diuretic. It affects the central nervous system and constricts blood vessels. Theobromine known also as xantheose from its synthetic form xanthine is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, first discovered in 1841 in cacao beans.
The effect on your dog is not usually immediate. A larger dog will take longer to show the effects. Dogs will become over excited or hyperactive. They will only be restless in the milder cases. In the worst cases the dog might start to spasm and go into a seizure and stiffen up in their body. This is distressing for both the dog and its owner.
Dog’s are as precious to most of us as our children. We need to be extra vigilant not to carelessly and unnecessarily harm our pet dog. Once dogs taste chocolate they will want more. Most dogs have the same type of sweet tooth as their owners do, but they eat more rapidly. They can ingest large amounts of unusual foods.
Urination increases because the chocolate promotes urine flow. This causes the dog to dehydrate, to be thirsty and to start panting. This can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea. Theobromine weakens the heart and increases the dog’s heart rate, or it may cause an irregular heartbeat. These are serious ailments. If the dog is still running around exercising, death could easily result from the extra strain on their heart.
The first signs of your dog being sick may not be visible for a few hours after consuming chocolate. You may not even associate the symptoms with its cause, the chocolate. Immediate intervention is required however. If left untreated death will follow within about twenty four hours depending on the size of your dog.
There is no known antidote, but your vet can induce vomiting and use other methods to prevent heart failure. The quicker the chocolate is removed the better the chances for your dog to recover. Prevention remains the best cure.
Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. Other forms of darker eating and sweet chocolate come next. Milk chocolate is the least dangerous.
Never share any chocolate at all with your dog. When it is your dog’s birthday, never let it lick the chocolate icing on its cake. Eat it all yourself! If your other kids are enjoying a chocolate icy pole, tell them never to let Fido have a big slurp of it, not even on a very hot day.
Buying a Cat – Crucial Information for New Owners
If you are purchasing or adopting a cat for the first time, there are many things that you need to take into consideration and know about your new pet. Cats require a decent amount of training, care, and attention. With these things, your cat can become the pet you always dreamed of.
Initially, you will need a few items before bringing the cat home. A collar is a good idea, since it provides identification. Unfortunately some cats don’t like to wear them. You will also need a water bowl, as well as a food bowl, a litter tray, scratching post, grooming tools, toys, a bed, and a pet carrier.
You will also need food for your pet. The cat is a carnivorous animal, so its diet should follow this trait. They need animal based proteins found in meats. Canned foods are a good source of this. They will need to be fed twice a day and make sure you supply plenty of fresh water.
Now that you have the essentials, it’s time to go pick up your cat. Bringing the cat into a new home is a very stressful time for the feline. You should let the cat set the pace for now. Put him in a small area or room with all his necessary items, such as bowls and litter box. Open the carrier door, and let him make the decision as to when he decides to explore. Keep coming to check on your new pet. This will make the transition a lot easier.
Training is an important part of pet ownership. A well-trained cat will be a happy cat, which results in a happy owner. Litter training should be done early. With proper time and encouragement, your kitty will master this quickly. It is also important to attend to the socialization aspect of training. Remember; encourage good behavior with rewards and praise. Bad behavior should be discouraged, by making it an unpleasant experience. But keep in mind: punishment plays no role in training.
You will also need to make some important decisions when acquiring a cat for a pet. You have to decide whether it will be kept indoors only or outdoors, or a combination of both. Just keep in mind, the risk factors present when allowing your cat to roam freely outside. You will also need to decide whether to declaw the cat or not. Some research into this will help you make an informed decision. Your cat will also need to be neutered around twelve weeks of age. This will be an asset to his health.
Learning to communicate with your cat is very important. You should be able to let him know what you want, and what you don’t want him to do. This can be achieved by developing a bonding relationship with him. Spend time with the cat and interact with him through play. Not only will this help you with communications, but it will also keep your cat stimulated. Have an ample supply of toys on hand to help accomplish this also.
Grooming is also a basic part of cat ownership. Your cat should be brushed daily, and have its nails clipped monthly, if not declawed. Bathing will depend on its coat. A good relationship will make grooming a breeze for you both.
Finally, make sure your cat gets basic medical care. There are immunization shots which are very important to your cat’s well being. Likewise, pay attention to your cat’s communication with you to find out if he is sick. The litter box will be the first sign there is something wrong with your cat.
You’ve prepared your house, taken care of medical needs and trained your cat. Now take the time to enjoy your felines company. He will purr with delight, as he snuggles on your lap.
Friendlier cats: Male or female? – Part 3
Male vs. Female: What truly is the pick of the litter?
To say a female cat is friendlier than a male cat or vice versa is like saying women are friendlier than men or vice versa. People and all other animals, are products of their environment and learn to behave accordingly. Abused children usually turn out damaged in one form or the other, as do any abused animals. We are all products of our upbringing and training. The problem lies mostly in how people train their cats, and whether this training is conducive to good behavior. It is not a gender issue.
Cats, like children, require a lot of attention at early stages in order to bond properly. Child psychologist proved long ago that a child given a great deal of love by holding and playing with them while they are babies usually turn out to be well-adjusted adults. The same holds true for cats, whether they are male or female.
Love, attention, proper handling, and understanding are the keys to having a successful relationship with your kitten. If a cat is held and picked up a lot while it is a baby, under six weeks old, and this treatment is continued through the various stages of adolescence, the cat will more than likely turn out very loving.
It is important then to choose a kitten from the litter that is gentle and well loved. If the person that raised the kittens from birth held and loved on the babies, then they will be friendly even at a very young age. After that first initial step, proper handling and training becomes the key to good behavior.
Many people love kittens because of their prowess and playful behavior, but a kitten’s playful behavior, like a child’s behavior, needs guidelines. One of the biggest mistakes cat owners make is playing with a kitten with bare hands or with feet.
This all seems fun at first until the kitten begins attacking at will. Anyone that lived in a household with a kitten raised like this will tell you that you never know what to expect next. In order to avoid walking down the hall in the middle of the night and being attacked, it is necessary to let the kitten know human hands and feet are not toys.
This may seem hard, but it is actually a very simple lesson to teach a kitten. First, never use your hands or feet to play. Always use a cat toy of some kind. If the kitten attacks your hands or feet, immediately correct it by giving it a toy. Because kittens are like children, toys are a necessary part of developing motor skills, but if
Humorous cat behavior – Part 2
I have a cat, but I think growing up as a kitten in a dog-dominated household has really made her quirky.
When dogs need to go outside, they wake up their owner by pouncing on the bed or barking very loudly. I have a cat who thinks it is her duty to wake me up about 5 minutes before my alarm goes off for work. She may have slept peacefully the night before at my feet, but I awake to licks on my face or a cat on my head as if she knows my schedule (I don’t get this on the weekends).
So, that may not be too much like a dog, but once I get up, she follows me everywhere I go. I thought cats were to be independent, but she only knows that where I am, she wants to be. She also answers and comes when I call her. I’ve learned that some people have success with this by training cats, but this was automatic when I got her and not something I trained her to do.
When I get home at night, she is waiting at the door (on the bookshelf, so not trying to escape), and she jumps on me and rides on me until I force her down. She’s also scared of nothing and nobody (except helicopters I found out).
But, the weirdest thing is her standing on her hind legs. She can do this for several minutes before she tires (I assume). One of my friends termed her “prairie dog” because of it. It looks like she might think there’s something there that warrants her batting at it in the air, but really, she just likes begging in that way.
I’m glad she still has some cat qualities, but as a dog person, I love that she’s as dog-like as she is.
Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? – Part 15
First – don’t get me wrong. I love dogs. As a child my parents kept both dogs AND cats – not to mention a motley collection of rabbits, hamsters, budgies, and a pony, – so I am more than used to our canine friends.
But for me – there is only one answer to the question of “which makes a better pet – cat or dog?” – and it has to be a cat.
Cats are mysterious, noble, intelligent, elegant creatures. You cannot own one – they just choose to be part of your family circle, and, if truth be told, in their own feline minds, they think they own you! They are intriguing, mesmerising, sometimes irritating – and I cannot live without the 5 that share my home.
And – oh how exciting and rewarding it is to own a cat. They are quiet – no nasty yapping, growling, and barking. They are fastidiously clean – no muddy paws and rolling about in the mud or in all manner of unpleasant smelling things outside. They are fiercely independent – leave them water and dried food, and they can happily be left all day while you go to work, with no need for “walkies” in the pouring rain at the end of a hard day. Of course there are the obvious “downsides” – who really wants a decapitated mouse, or a rat presented to you at the breakfast table? But they only do that because they love you.
For me, there is nothing nicer than curling up on the sofa at the end of a hard day, and having a warm, furry, purring bundle leap onto your knee and kiss your nose – and – yes – cats do “kiss” you, – and tell you how much they love you with their huge green eyes, and little squeaks of affection. They are precious!
So – yes – for me – cats are the best!
