Trainingcats'n'dogs -- how to train your cat or dog

What you need to consider before getting a pet – Part 2

boodidyajump — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:16:45 +0000

Most considerations for taking home a pet are common sense. For instance, if you live on a farm or ranch, your choice is almost limitless. Most would become workers. Big dogs to guard the livestock and chase away predators. Strong cats to keep the varmint population under control. They can also serve as family pets, but their main purpose is to earn their keep.

Like the humans in their families, working pets need proper medical care, decent sleeping quarters and adequate food. And, maybe a little love and appreciation. Of course, farm and ranch families don’t need to confine their pet choices to cats and dogs. They can adopt any numbers and kinds of pets they want, as long as they’ll be properly cared for.

For people with large homes and yards, the choice and number of pets are almost as varied as those for farmers and ranchers. While private home animals aren’t usually workers, they still need the same degree of care. They can be large or small, bird or beast, and need human members of their family to be responsible for training and exercising them. If there are nearby neighbors and frequent visitors, choose a gentle pet that won’t attack or abuse other people’s property.

The cost of keeping pets in a house depends on resources. It isn’t likely that a family with a modest income would invest in a $25,000 shi tsu. It’s usually both economic and socially conscious to get pets from an ASPCA or other animal shelter. You may be saving a non-pedigreed stray’s life, while at the same time get a loving and trusting friend for $25. When going through that adoption process, usually all the shots and other health requirements are done before you take a pound puppy or kitty home. If you have any health questions about a potential pet, whether you buy or adopt it, it is a good idea before you commit to taking it home to have the animal checked out by a veterinarian.

If you live in an apartment, it is more sensible to get a small pet. Cats are usually very quiet and low maintenance. They adjust quickly to confined areas and minimum exercise. Dogs have more difficulty in apartments, but with adequate walking and exercise, a small dog can become a happy, instead of yappy, apartment dweller. Considerable training is necessary for an apartment pet, such as noise control, toilet habits and furniture damage control. Of course, exotic pets such as mice, snakes, hamsters, ferrets and birds all have their own special care requirements you must consider before adopting them.

An important aspect before taking a pet home is to make sure the health of the human family is considered. If one member is allergic to furry critters, you may have to keep your choice to a Mexican hairless or something within the lizard and fish species. If you have a very young, defenseless human baby, you must be sure no harm from a pet is possible. The same applies when the kids are rowdy, and a puppy, kitten or other very small animal may be in danger from them.

Teaching your cat not to be a predator – Part 6

boodidyajump — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:59:11 +0000

Have you ever been snuggled up cozily under a blanket, resting on the couch or in your bed, and decided to shift into a more comfortable position only to have your unsuspecting toes pounced upon by a prowling kitten? Many cat lovers are familiar with the preceding scenario. All cats are predators, born to hunt food for survival. These instincts, though lessened by thousands of years of domestication, are still very strong in even strictly indoor cats. While it is not possible to train or breed out all of their predatory behaviors, there are a few things we can do to mitigate the worst of them.

The first thing to pay attention to if you want to limit predatory behavior is the source from which you obtain your cat or kitten. If you’ve already gotten attached to your feline companion, there isn’t much you can do about this one. But if you’re still looking for an appropriate cat for your family, take these points into consideration.

First of all, hunting is a learned skill. While all cats have the instinct to chase and chew on small, moving objects, not all cats are good at actual hunting. Their choice of prey will also vary, and both are influenced the most by what the cat was taught to eat by its mother. If your cat was raised in a barn with parents who chase mice, your cat will be a mouser. If let outside, he will bring home mice, gophers, shrews, and even rats, and leave them on your doorstep. And if you love birds, the last thing you want to do is bring home a kitten who’s been trained to eat them.

The next point to note when acquiring a new cat is its breed. Some breeds of cat will have a greater predisposition toward hunting than others. Also, note the length of time the cat spent with its litter mates. A kitten who is taken from its siblings too early may not have the chance to learn how to hold back when playing.

The last consideration is age. Younger kittens have a lot of energy, and are more likely to pounce at every shadow or chase your cursor across the computer screen. A mature cat will tend to be more mellow and calm, and as it gets older may even completely ignore potential prey.

The next step; reducing hunting behavior inside the home. Every cat owner knows how tempting a shoelace or a hand under a blanket is for a cat to chase, especially in conjunction with that tantalizing scratching sound they love so much. While many people enjoy playing tag with their cat, there are times when the behavior is less than desirable.

Train Your Dog In One Evening

boodidyajump — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:24:27 +0000

Following a few simple as well as easy to perform steps can considerably ease the task of dog toilet training. When you take your dog on the street, make him walk at heel.

Carefully place a small object, like an old glove, a leather wallet or the handle of a small basket, in your dog’s mouth and flatter him with “Aren’t you smart” Scratching his back will also help teach your dog to carry.

Never take things from your dog by pulling, when you want him to let go, take hold of the object with one hand and say “Out” If he won’t give it up, surprise him with a little cuff on the nose with the free hand. When he drops what he is holding, praise him and pat him. Hold something to eat above your dog’s head and teach him to dance. When he stands on his back legs to reach the food, say “Dance” and move your hand in a circle to make the dog pivot. After he turns, give him the food and praise him. Make your dog sit in front of a low bench. Place his front paws on the bench” and gently push his head down. At the same time, offer him food between his front legs.

Place a ball or a piece of dog biscuit on your dog’s nose between his eyes. ” After a moment or two tell him “O” and see if he can catch it.

This trick may take a lot of practice.

Take advantage of your dog’s natural ways to teach additional tricks.

When he stretches, say “Take a bow, When he barks or sniffles, put your finger in the air and say “Speak” It won’t take long for your dog to learn that whenever he makes a noise he will get a reward.

“If your puppy won’t cooperate, tie him where you can watch him or put him in a crate until it is time for his next outing “For instance, there are schools that specialize in temper amental and un uly dogs.”

Dog Training Articles Preview Dog Behaviour Training Tips “The benefits that you will reap from following this dog training advice will be very satisfying and long-lasting indeed.

“Training The Problem Dog”This type of boxer dog training is a very efficient and very effective way to train your puppy “The Process Of Dog Training For The Blind “After your dog has mastered this part of the basic dog training, then you can tell him to come.”

More Puppies For Sale Info No doubt, owning a pet can be exciting and fun; but, you do have to train it so that it does not do its potty within the home thus not only soiling your expensive rugs, and furniture, but also leaving a foul smell that will be hard to get rid off. I would like to read more about this after reading ‘dog potty training gentle ways of house breaking your dog’

The article, ‘dog behaviour training tricks’, really helped me.

The information on this site is great.

Guard Dog Training Will Make Your Dog Courageous. Guard Dog Training Will Make Your Dog Courageous. “Before you begin hunting dog training there are a few steps that need to be taken such as the trainer needing to provide to the dog a solid foundation that ensures the safety of the dog during a hunt.

Guard dog training is used to train dogs basically to stop unwanted guests. After your dog is trained to be a guard dog he will establish a long pattern and passion of protecting you and your family. Guard dog training is used to make your dog courageous, powerful and confident, as well as learning how to protect his family. Guard dog training should be done by a very competent trainer. These courses are usually an in-house training where the dog will be boarded for the duration of the course. These trainers can train dogs for the home, business, family, personal, car yard protection and property.

A protection dog is both a verbal and very visual threat to an unwanted intruder. These courses most generally have a lifetime guarantee. It is most important to get your guard dog training done the right way the first time.

It is an expensive training, as far as dog trainings go, and there is no need to have to repeat the course because the instructor was unable to train your dog. A good guard dog training course, and trainer, will train your dog properly the first time.

There are three different stages to guard dog training and you should decide which best fits your dogs intended use of training skills. The first stage is the basic guard dog training work. There will be a test for temperament and an alert of strangers and intrusions.

Outside yard work training is done with this training. The second stage is the advanced guard dog training work. This training involves the bite and attack training. The third level is the advanced guard dog training with muzzle police training. Family protection, Body guard training and stopping individuals is included in the third stage of this training.

Though some of these training components may sound viscous and a little scary, the dog will be trained to only use excessive force only if absolutely necessary. This is why some research needs to be done before venturing into guard dog training. The internet is a good place to research for a good trainer, as well as your veterinarian.

Major chain pet stores are another source of finding good trainers. Most of these chains offer training themselves, but guard dog training is a little too intense for them to do in-house. However, they do have a list of established, competent trainers Pets are their business, and it is only to their advantage to recommend the best trainers possible.

Benefits of formal dog training – Part 1

boodidyajump — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:37:25 +0000

A well-trained dog is a happy dog.

A puppy that is allowed to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants, may seem cute and amuse us with its antics. But an untrained adult dog is a nuisance and even a danger, not only to all the humans in its life but also to other animals and itself.

Most dogs want to please their owners and enjoy getting lots of positive attention from them. Short but regular training sessions are enjoyable for the dog and its owner and help them to understand each other.

Basic obedience training involves using a dog’s natural instincts to help it adapt to what can be a very unnatural environment. For example, training a puppy to come when it is called, to walk at your side on a leash, to sit while waiting to cross a road, not only makes him easier to control but could save him from being the victim of a traffic accident.

Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? – Part 7

boodidyajump — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:17:02 +0000

“I’m gonna buy me a dog / ’cause I need a friend now

I’m gonna buy me a dog / my girl, my girl, don’t love me no how”

All the best pet songs, including the above Monkees tune, are about dogs. You’ve never heard a singer ask: “How much is that kitty in the window?” In fact, at this moment I can think of just one hit song that mentions a feline: “I’m going to Cat-mandu,” by Bob Seager. OK, that was just a joke to bolster my point. We all know the place is Katmandu. But try to list as many songs about pets as you can off the top of your head, and you’ll see which critter wins paws-down.

In the 1970s, Henry Gross sent an entire Top-40 world into doggie depression with “Shannon.”

“Shannon is gone / I hope she’s drifting out to sea

She always loved to swim away/

I’m not sure how wise it was to want that pet swimming out to sea alone, but the emotion in the singer’s voice was genuine. I’m still waiting to hear the same type of crooning for a pet cat.

Dogs are called man’s best friend for a reason. That will never change. They are more interactive. They, mostly, come when they are called. They are expressive, what with all that tail-wagging and licking. They are clearly more trainable. Yes, we’ve all heard the stories about cats’ amazing feats, but those are exceptions, not the rule. Dogs hear those stories and say: “Big deal. Done that.”

Dogs go for walks with you and help you clear your head. I don’t even want to hear about cats on leashes. Please!

Cats have their place. And that’s second to dogs as far as give-and-take companionship. I like cats. We have two. They get props for that litter box thing. They are cool to have around the house, but in a more subtle way. Sometimes I truly appreciate that they keep their distance much of the time. It’s better than having them walking across my keyboard as I try to type. My dogs stay happily at my feet. They are glad to serve there, snoozing and dreaming of the next doggie treat.

A dog will help keep you safe in your home. The only effective guard cats that I know of work for Ringling Bros. Your 10-pound Fluffy is never going to growl real loudly when it notices an unusual sound outside. And, should an intruder enter your house, well, it would be the dogs rushing to the front lines while the cats cut and run.

Dogs were domesticated to help man thousands of years ago. Cats were domesticated to intrigue man. Dogs help farmers tend their flocks. I would enjoy seeing the first herding cat, but that’s not going to happen. When we talk to our dogs, there seems to be a genuine semantic connection. He or she pricks up their ears, cocks their heads, opens their mouths, widens their eyes. (My Australian shepherd is the most expressive canine I have ever witnessed.) This heightens the companionship aspect. When you talk to a cat, you’re never quite sure whether there’s a there there. And they have attitude. It’s true. Real or perceived, that ‘tude holds cats back in the popularity contest.

Me: “Hey, Shadow.”

Shadow, instantly alert: “Yeah, Dad, do you need something? Anything? Are we going somewhere? A walk? The ball? What? What? Oh, what joy are you wanting to share with me at this moment in time. Please, oh, please, just let me be with you when you go, even if it’s just into the other room! You rock my world!”

Me: “Here, Kitty, Kitty.”

Kitty: “What this time? Can’t you see I’m washing?”

Determining if your dog is the right weight

boodidyajump — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:29:31 +0000

Determining if your dog is the right weight

Most of us have or have had a pet dog that we really loved. As we all know our

age old link to “Man’s Best Friend”. Dogs give companionship, unquestioning loyalty and unconditional love. Sadly however, they do not live very long compared to us. Most life spans are 8-13years depending on the breed, and that’s for a healthy dog.

We all know how cute a chubby puppy is, don’t we love to feed them especially the foods we know they like and watch them go crazy with delight. Unfortunately if the animal is overweight its life span is shortened even more. Much like us humans’ dogs put on weight easily and with that a significantly lower chance of living a healthy and long life. It may feel like some times we have to be a little cruel to be kind.

It may be hard to tell that your dog is putting on weight, more so because it accumulates gradually and you are with it all the time. Regular checking is best; you can weigh your dog yourself quite easily at home. Even on the bathroom scales, first weigh yourself. Then picking up your dog and step back on the scales and make a note. Subtract the difference and that’s what it weighs. For consistency always do this before feeding time when the dog is on a near empty stomach

Useful tip

If you do not have access to bathroom scales you can try the following,

your dog could be overweight if its ribs are not easily felt and it doesn’t seem to have a waist when observed from above. The basic rule of thumb applies here to get rid of any excess fat, you need to increase energy usage by exercising more and reducing the amount of calories consumed

An idea is to have daily morning or evening walks with your dog. A 10-minute walk or 20 minutes of playtime with a ball or frisbee each day. This is also bound to have beneficial effects for you too. The secret is consistency, a short brisk walk every day and not to exhaust your self by over doing it on one particular day. Make the exercise moderately vigorous so that your dog’s heart rate goes up. Avoid hot midday or you may risk heatstroke mornings or evenings essentially are ideal.

Regarding the diet, start by reducing the size of main meals by about 10 per cent. Never reduce more than 15percent. Feed smaller portions at more frequent intervals to reduce the length of time your dog goes without food. This stops the dog’s metabolism from “hoarding” calories, as well as to keep track what you are feeding.

To the health of you pets.

Should restaurants allow dogs in with their owners? – Part 7

boodidyajump — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:14:30 +0000

I cannot see that it would hurt for a dog to be in a restaurant. I have seen on TV where certain restaurants that were being inspected did not pass health requirements, anyway, so what would be the difference?

We do not go back to the kitchen for a tour of what is going on there when they cook the food they serve so we don’t know if they spit in the salad or what. Now, that would be nastier than having a dog sitting quietly by his owner, bothering no one. Wouldn’t it?

Service dogs are allowed and I don’t know if they would be any cleaner than just a dog. In fact, I have a friend whose service dog goes with her to eat and she has been allowed to feed it from the table, while we sat inside. Now, she could have fed him at home, knowing that we were going out to eat and taken him some home in a box. But, I can’t see that that hurt anything, either.

I really don’t think I would try to take a St. Bernard into a restaurant in that he would probably take up half the restaurant.

I say, that a well trained dog should be allowed in a restaurant but how is the manager going to know that the dog won’t sit and whine for food or bark anytime a patron happens to walk by?

Anyway, I imagine the dog would be uncomfortable being on the inside around all those people having a bite while he laid on the floor wishing for just a tidbit.

But, if it were me, knowing that I was going out, I think I would leave the dog home but, a spur of the moment deal where you already have the dog with you, yes, I would see if the dog could come in with me. I’m inclined to believe that a restaurant would not ask you to leave, just because of the dog.

Imagine this. My cousin works in a Walmart store in Florida. He says that sometimes a man comes in with a service parrot on his shoulder. In the beginning, the man showed the papers, because nobody believed him. The man was afflicted with some kind of disease and he had a sort of device in his body that only a parrot could detect if something went wrong. So, you know, for sure, that he takes the parrot into restaurants.

We eat at home with our pets hanging around, so I see no difference, in them hanging around in a restaurant.

Should restaurants allow dogs in with their owners? – Part 1

boodidyajump — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:54:17 +0000

I have three doggies and they are very special to me. However, I would neither consider taking one of them to a restaurant, nor would I go to a restaurant that allowed everyone to bring in their pets – dogs or any other.

Restaurants are not the most sanitary places to eat, in the first place. I can imagine how much worse it would be if there were undisciplined dogs, accidentally doing their “business”, marking, shedding their hair and saliva everywhere, and begging at the tables of others. eeeeyuck!

Companion dogs are an exception, of course. They are trained to behave in public. Disabled people shouldn’t be ostracized from restaurants or other places, because they have a four-legged assistant.

I leave my dogs in the comfort of their own home, where they have access to their beds, food and water, whenever they choose. They can also entertain themselves by barking at the neighbors and the frogs on the porch.

What kind of question is this, anyway?

Humorous cat behavior – Part 1

boodidyajump — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:51:49 +0000

As cats age they seem to forget, more than ever before, that they are not human. Oddly, it may seem that they are, in some sense, human. It is a fact that animals are much more plugged into we humans than we are rationally able to admit. A fascinating treatise on this subject is Rupert Sheldrake’s book, “Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home.” The book chronicles stories of owners who have noticed this uncanny ability in their pets, even at times when they themselves had no way of knowing of a household member’s imminent return. The writer’s extensive research into this phenomenon suggests that pets employ a sixth sense, akin to reading the minds of their owners, as opposed to the preferred explanation that they must sense it somehow with their usual five senses.

I believe that not only are pets telepathic, but they may even understand what we are saying, somehow. My now long deceased pet cat, “Moose”, as my mother named him in frustration at my continued reference to him as “Kitty”, despite his large frame and noteworthy killing abilities, exhibited this possibility to me late in his life. My brother and I were sitting on the deck with the cat at our feet, discussing his descent into old age and its likely ramifications, one fine day. We laughingly suggested that his days of exceptional prowess with rodents must certainly be over and wondered whether he might still be capable of catching a mouse, even. Moose did not seem in any obvious way to be perturbed at that time.

However, not a week or two later, I was upstairs with the window open and heard him persistently meowing from the deck below. I looked out and saw him there, but there was no apparent provocation of his distress in sight. I questioned aloud what had gotten into the cat, but no one answered. So, I made my way to the door to the deck to see more closely what might be the matter with him. Moose, who never exhibited his kills to us throughout his life (instead we often found them in their grotesque forms in the woods nearby the house), sat there with a dead mouse under his paw. It hit me that he was crying out for recognition of his then still evident capabilities. I laughed aloud at this and told everyone, as there was no other explanation to my mind for his most unusual behavior.

There were other times, as well, when Moose astounded me later in his life. Once, after being dumped over the phone by a particularly brutish boyfriend, I sat and wept openly. Moose was at my feet and he quite uncharacteristically leapt up onto my lap, put his paws to either side of my throat, and rubbed his head against my chin. It was such an obvious and seemingly human attempt to console me that it shocked me out of my crying! Perhaps most human was his insistence, complete with paw stamping, that he get some food from the refrigerator at times when I was too lazy or disinterested in finding something for him. Very funny! I miss old Moose and hope to see him in heaven one day as some folks say that we will. Until then, Moose!

Tips for leash training your cat – Part 2

boodidyajump — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:31:13 +0000

Did you ever envy those dog owners always getting plenty of fresh air and physical activity along with their dog?

Well, think again, because truth is cats can also be leash trained. I have had my cat leashed trained as a kitten and we both enjoy our little evening strolls to the park.

But cat owners must be aware: kitties are independent creatures with heads of their own; you will not walk you cat, rather the cat will walk you. You must know from start that you will not be able to pull on the leash and have the cat follow you as a dog.

Pulling a cat can hurt the cat and can quickly turn a pleasurable event of going outdoors into an unpleasant experience for the cat.

Having accepted these two vital aspects, then you are ready to get your cat trained.

Leash training does not happen in one day, rather it may take up to a couple of weeks, but once you both have it down you will be walking pals for life.

It is important to choose a good harness to which you will eventually attach the leash.

Do not use a regular collar and leash; a harness is much safer and will make escaping less likely if your cat gets spooked of something.

Ideally, leash training should start when the cat is a kitten but older cats have also been able to learn rather promptly. You and your walking pal will have to follow the following instructions:

-On day 1 you want to have the cat sniff the leash and harness and play with it. Let kitty get used to the material and associate good things with it such as play, food and treats. Leave leash and harness next to kitty while kitty is eating. Then let kitty play with it again, this will prepare kitty for day 2.

-Day 2: let kitty wear the harness without attaching the leash onto it. If it bothers kitty, take it off for a few minutes and then retry later. Try putting it on right before meal time and have kitty eat with it on, he/she should hardly notice it if he/she is eager to eat as most cats are. Afterward, have the cat play with the leash while wearing the harness. Take off harness and repeat at next meal time.

Day 3 Put harness on again. Repeat as yesterday but let kitty keep it on longer and do not take off after meal. See if kitty is comfortable in it now. Continue to let kitty play with leash. Always monitor cat when wearing harness, you never know it could get caught somewhere and cause injuries.

-Day 3 Put harness on at meal time and attach leash while kitty is eating. Do not hold leash rather let the leash