5 Surefire Ways to Show Your Dog You?re The Boss
August 31, 2007
You Must Be The Alpha Dog
First, let’s take a look at what a "pack mentality" means. Dogs are born into packs ? in the wild, packs are the essential social order. Unlike humans, who use a variety of political processes to determine leadership and rank, dogs sort out their social order by dominance and power. In a wolf pack, there is a Top Dog ? a clear leader who is the dominant, Alpha male. He’s the Big Dog, with pride of place at the dinner table (well, if wolves had a dinner table!), first in mating, first in decision making for the pack.
Whether you realize it or not, your dog views your household as his own personal wolf pack. The pack mentality is so engrained in your dog’s psyche that he will either view you as a leader - or a follower - depending on your actions. If you are to have a well-trained dog, you must establish that you are the leader, and he is the follower. Your dog has to know in his heart that you are the Alpha Dog, the Head Honcho, the Big Dog, the Top Dog ? call it whatever you want, but your dog needs to know you’re in charge.
Which Parrot is Right For Me?
August 30, 2007
Which parrot is right for me? This is a question that you must ask yourself before you think of keeping these lovely birds as pets. It is as important as your decision to have a child. You need to ask - which parrot is right for me - because every parrot has its distinctive temperament and nature. No two parrots are alike.
Parrots need a lot of attention and love to become adorable pets. Once they bond with you, you will realize how precious they are as pets. Choose your parrot according to your lifestyle.
10 Commandments for choosing the right parrot for your household:
No Impulse Shopping : Try not to adopt or purchase a pet on a whim or inspiration. Make it a deliberate, thought-out action.
Shop Around : Take the time to learn all about the kind of pet you are considering buying.
Visit The Humane Society And Animal Rescue Organizations : Pay a few walk-through trips to your local humane society. Just observe the pet when it is alone with you and try to make a mental list of its positive and negative points.
Small Dog Travel Guide
August 29, 2007
Advice!!!
-Pet products that are useful, fun and enjoyable will make the pet and owner equally happy, thus taking the time to search for the right products are important.
-Treats are a good way to relieve stress and fight boredom during long periods of sitting and waiting around inside a small dog carrier.
-Weather conditions are very important to consider for any sized pet traveling in a small dog carrier.
-Suitable pet clothing is not something to be forgotten especially when hiking or partaking in any outdoor activities.
Hotels
-Luckily, in increasing amount of destinations are becoming more pet friendly, however it is always the owner’s responsibility to make sure they are prepared for anything!
Things To Be Prepared For?
1. Some accommodations will charge a fee per night, per pet
2. Some animals may not be allowed
3. Most hotels or motels will expect that animals are naturally well behaved without a muzzle
4. Some accommodations require a deposit for pets
5. Other accommodations may only require that an agreement is signed upon arrival
6. Few places treat the pet as though it is a member of the family
Alarm Clock Kitty, How to Stop Early Morning Meowing
August 28, 2007
Meow! Meow! Meow! I bury my head underneath my pillow. Meow! Meow! Meoooooow! The high pitched meowing persists and penetrates through my feather stuffed shield. Meow! Meow! Meow! My eyes open only with the greatest of efforts. Grudgingly, I drag myself out of my warm bed and look at the clock; 3:47 am. I reach over to the night-stand and turn on the light, pain is the result, the light, so bright, the light is, so, so bright. My wife rolls over on her side and I can see the annoyed look on her scrunched up little face. “Must…. feed…. demon… cat….” I say to myself as I trudge to the kitchen to empty a can of cat food into the little yellow cat dish. The cat has by this time woken up the entire household and I wouldn’t be surprised if the neighbors were also awake.
5 Things You Must Do If You Want To Create a First Aid Kit For Your Family
August 28, 2007
1. Accidents and medical emergencies in the home happen frequently. Maybe more frequently than we realize.
Statistics show a fatal injury occurs every 18 minutes in homes across America and every 4 seconds a disabling injury could occur. Accidents occur from falls, fire, burns, choking and poisoning.
2. Every home should have at least one first Aid Kit that is well stocked and readily available.
First Aid Kits are used most often for minor injuries such as cuts, sunburns or bites. Having a well stocked First Aid Kit available can save someone’s life in a serious accident.
3. A First Aid Kit won’t be any good to you if you don’t know how to use it.
Make sure you have a guide in your kit from a reliable source. It should have the latest medical advice and be easy to understand, particularly under stress.
4. There are 5 categories that are imperative in your First Aid Kit
5. Instruments
Broken Trust
August 27, 2007
The large animal organizations and the public money.
It is said that in America, anything the imagination can conjure up can be attained with persistence. In a society where we boast of freedom and clearly recognize the importance of our leadership in the world, one must be increasingly disillusioned by the simple things in life that prevent us from moving ahead even further. We can successfully put roving monitors on mars,, cure diseases in short order, win wars in 100 days or less and have the marketing prowess to alter human life around the globe.
The suffering of animals is a deep and quiet thing; and yet, millions of people hear, and care and hope to answer this call. More than 3,000 non profits dedicated to the same have logged an estimated 40 Billion man hours in the past 20 years all while Americans are donating billions of their dollars to animal welfare organizations who promise that they are relieving animal suffering.
But are they? Or, is the trust being placed in them by their donors, being betrayed?
Five Fast Facts About the Cavalier King Charlies Spaniel
August 26, 2007
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not cheap. On average you can expect to pay $2,000-$3,000 for one.
However, if you’ve socked away your “puppy fund” and are considering buying a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, or “Cav” as enthusiasts call them, there are five things you might not know. Before you fall under the spell of the big eyes and floppy ears, a few tips from a Cav owner…
1) While Cavs slow down as they age, don’t take this as an excuse not to walk the dog. They love walks, even though they may seem to sleep most of the time when at home. As your Cav turns seven or eight, regular walks become more important, and the exercise will keep you moving too.
2) Cavs get knots in their fur more easily than any breed I’ve ever known with the exception of the Maltese–I co-owned one with my grandmother and kept its coat short. Cav coats are naturally short on top, long around the paws, tail, throat, ears, and belly, which is where the tangles appear. They also get leaves and grass stuck in their fur, especially in the long tail. However, a good rinse in the sink will take care of the grass and leaves. As for the tangles, a Love Glove, available from pet stores, is gentler on the Cav’s sensitive nerve endings than other dog brushes.
What Are The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse?
August 25, 2007
Most people who have horses would like to develop a quality relationship with their horse, but only achieve mediocrity, often accepting this as a good result. Why, because they put there efforts into becoming experts at riding or showmanship when they really need to be focusing on becoming horseman. First you need to develop a base a starting point you can build on, a base involving both the horse and you, developing a life long partnership.
If you’re someone who is serious about developing your horsemanship skills, horse training skills or just want a great relationship with your horse I would encourage you to (subscribe to The Roundup) examine and then put into practice ALL 6 keys below. It’s essential that you not leave any of the six out if you’re to realize the end result, a lifetime partnership with your horse that is safe, enjoyable and rewarding.
1. Understanding
You need to understand your horse. To do that you have to understand how horses think.
2. Mind-set
Your attitude= How you communicate. Being assertive vs. aggressive and being evenhanded. Your mind-set (attitude) affects the mind-set (attitude) of your horse.
3. Approach
Heartworms Alert - Know The Warning Signs To Save Your Pets Health!
August 24, 2007
Has your pet recently been coughing, eating less, or being more lethargic than usual? If so, it is possible that your pet is infected with heartworms and may need immediate help and attention. Heartworms may infect a host for up to 2 years before any signs or symptoms are visible, and often when they are diagnosed it may be too late for some pets.
Heartworms are an infectious parasitic transmitted by mosquitoes that invades major organs in dogs and cats like the lungs, pulmonary arteries and heart. Heartworms grow and multiply within the pet body and can survive for up to 5 years. Heartworms cause damage and block smaller arterial vessels in your pets key organs leading to organ damage and a multitude of health complications.
The symptoms of a heartworm infestation are often difficult to recognize or may be overlooked or discounted as merely flu or cough-like symptoms. Coughing, weigh loss, lethargy, rapid heart beat, poor coat condition, diarrhea and loss of appetite are common symptoms. Treatment to rid a pet of adult heartworms is a costly vet procedure and involves exposing your pet to arsnic poisoning treatments to kill the adult heatworms - a procedure that can be fatal for aged pets or ones in deteriorating physical condition.
Chocolate And Your Dogs Health — What You Should Know
August 23, 2007
Chocolate. Who can resist it?
Your dogs health depends on it! (resisting, that is). We humans get to indulge because most of us know when to stop. But your dog won’t quit after just a few. Give her a chance and she’ll down the whole box of Godivas in one gulp. So on Valentine’s Day, you’re actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself!
**Why is chocolate harmful to a dogs health?**
Chocolate, as you know, is made with cocoa beans. And cocoa beans contain methylxanthine alkaloids in the form of theobromine and caffeinea, which are toxic to dogs. Chocolate can also contain high amounts of fat which can put your dogs health in jeopardy as well.
**How Much is Too Much?**
Though it’s certain that dogs and chocolate don’t mix, different dogs react differently to the methylxanthines. And reactions can vary according to the age, size and overall health of the dog. The smaller the dog the smaller the dose needed to produce an effect. And of course, if your dog’s health is already weakened by other medical conditions, he’s more susceptible. The same holds for older dogs.. Theobromine is present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate:
