Pets and Animal Care

Posts Tagged ‘Recreation’

Many of the dog owners today struggle with the problem of house training. Although many methods have worked to solve this problem, there are some dog owners that resort to drastic ways out of frustration and desire to have their dog house trained quickly.

In order to get the behavior the dog owner wants, he/she has to find a training method that is right for the dog. It could be training through constant supervision or training with the use of housebreaking aids such as paper or cage. Although, using both also produces results.

Even though cage training is effective, you will find a lot of concerns about this method. Many people think that by using a cage or any other sort of related training aid in general is inhumane and that it shouldn’t be forced on dogs. Although, using a cage has proven to be the most effective and efficient of the many ways to train your dog.

Why? First, because dogs are den dwelling creatures. For centuries dogs have been known to go to a den if they wanted warmth in cold weather or to cool of in the heat. They consider their den as their home in which they are safe from harm. Therefore a cage should feel like home for them – not a cage!

Secondly, dogs like to keep their home and bed clean and will be reluctant to soil in their cage. By confining your pet to their own den, they will learn how to control their bodily functions until the proper time presents itself. Puppies need to be taken out more often than older dogs because they have limited control of their bowels and bladder. Taking these steps will help your puppy establish a schedule for bathroom trips.

You can get a cage in many different styles and made from various materials. You can find cages at your pet supply stores, hardware stores, or in the pet section of some department stores. When you purchase a cage for your pet, consider their needs and consider why you are buying the cage. If you travel, consider purchasing a cage made of plastic for your dog, as wire cages will not protect them from extremes of temperature. You should also think about the size of the cage. Buying a new create when he has outgrown the old one costs a lot of money. You can easily buy a large cage for your puppy to grow into and simple block off the area of the cage that the puppy does not need, so he/she can’t go to that area to void.

It is important to be consistent when using a dog cage for housetraining. Your housebreaking issues will soon pass if you do this properly.

Karen writes a lot of review articles on cages for dogs and about how to get cheap dog cages on the internet.

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When considering adding a new dog to the home, there are many factors to think about. When making this new addition, make sure to prepare for proper training and have the right tools on hand to make the transition easier for the puppy and yourself. While it’s possible to train a dog yourself, for those without experience in dog ownership a dog training course with your puppy will be well worth the investment.

If you hear stories of other dog owners who have failed, don’t lose heart. Whether you have owned a dog that has run your house, or simply want to avoid it, dog training school is a necessity. Dogs don’t misbehave because they are not good, but lack of training can result in poor behaviors. By sending your dog through a training program, you are doing your part to ensure a happy relationship.

Pet owners tend to get caught in a power struggle with the dog. Dog training includes learning the right body language and tone of voice, as well as a reward system for your dog that still leaves you in control. Owning a dog is like having a child, and sometimes some outside advice can be a lifesaver.

Dog obedience school provides young puppies and fully grown dogs the opportunity to socialize. Learning to interact with other canines is an important skill when you take your dog out. By going through a dog obedience course, owners will develop friendships for themselves and their dogs.

Dog owners that participate in a class with a formal setting will be taught commands in the premium environment. The instructor will be able to teach the owner to speak so the dog understands, and will be able to model body language needed to get results from your dog. There are tips that while simple, are often not well known to the general public. An instructor will be able to watch you work with your dog and to modify things that need work.

When working in a class setting, your dog will have the advantage of learning with distractions. This is an advantage, since once the dog goes home where there are not the distractions, the skill set should transfer easily. This works better than adding distractions after a skill is learned, where the distraction will actually make the dog forgetful.

Putting your dog through obedience school is the beginning of a long and satisfying relationship. Having a dog that is well trained results in one that is more secure, confident and well behaved. Trusting its owner and his expectations will result in consistent behavior. Dogs that have gone through obedience school are also safer around children and visitors, and it also prevents undesirable behaviors.

A dog that is trained well will allow you to fully enjoy the benefits of dog ownership. Dogs will also give fringe benefits as well – lower incidences of illness, a source of exercise, and an outlet for social interaction. This benefits both owner and dog!

Answers to your dog health questions. See our site for more articles.

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4 Easy Ways To Get Your Garden Back

If your dog has just started digging up your garden then you need to take quick action. Stop your dog from digging in the garden, by giving him an alternative activity. You see for a dog to dig is instinctive. You can’t really get it totally out of his system.

Your garden is the perfect area for your dog to run around and grow up in. He will get to know every inch of it and will know exactly where to dig for moles or mice and bugs. If you don’t show him an alternative then he will just carry on digging because he doesn’t know better.

Here are a few practical tips to keep him from digging:

1. Usually when we are working in the garden our dogs see this as a game. He will also start digging around where you work and just can’t dig fast enough to get to the prize. It’s cute to see but destructive to your plants. Have your garden hose ready with the sprinkler attached. Get up slowly and turn on the tap to full blast. The water will gush out onto him and he will stop digging. You will have to persist a few times with this. In a while he will think it is the sprinkler who is unhappy with him and not you. He should stop digging after a while.

2. If this doesn’t work, get a strong water pistol from a store. Walk around the places where he is digging and start shooting him with the water. Don’t shoot directly into his eyes as you could cause damage. He will not like it because the water is interrupting his play time and will get annoyed after a while. Do this also a few times until he gets the message. You must not say anything during this time. He must be brought to believe that it’s the water that is disciplining him and not you.

3. Maybe he is bored and digs holes because of shear boredom. Try to take him for long walks every day so that he is away from his boring surroundings. He needs stimulation with new sights and sounds. He will soon build up an expectation to this and will gradually stop digging up your garden.

4. If you find that despite all your attempts you failed, then you might want to prepare a part of your garden for him. You will have to train him though to dig only in that area. Bury treasure for him to find. Leave a half buried toy in the ground and always get excited when you show him to dig it up. Here perseverance will Stop your dog from digging up your garden and it should do the trick in a few days.

Author Remco van Reenen helps people to train their dog and on his website hondentraining.nu you can find all sorts of tips. You can also get lots of accessories to make training your dog easy in the section puppytraining

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Fifty-eight million dogs and sixty-two million cats are thought to exist in North America and most unfortunately, every year thousands of them will drown needlessly. Due to the fact that many people do not report these drownings, there is no way to know exactly how many pets actually die this way. Since 99% of all dogs are able to swim, we typically are not concerned when our dogs are playing at the water’s edge at the lake or around our swimming pool. Dogs, and even some cats, grow tired after swimming short distances in water. When they are not able to find purchase anywhere with their paws, a debilitating panic sets in quickly, and this is what will cause them to drown. Our beloved pets are not the only victims of drowning, devoted pet owners will risk their own lives to go after their animals after they have fallen into a frozen lake or a swiftly flowing river.

What ways can we prevent our pets from drowning? Here are a few valuable tips:

1. Do not make the assumption that your dog is able to swim.

2. Keep a closer eye on a pet that is getting older. As they age, they are unable to swim as when they were younger.

3. Never throw a dog or cat in water. This will cause them to panic from the surprise.

4. Obtain a pet life jacket or one of the canine flotation devices (CPD) for your pet. Ensure that they are wearing the device whenever they are close to the water. It is not uncommon for a pet to fall off of a moving watercraft or dock and not be seen.

5. Solar blankets/pool covers look like a solid surfaces to a pet. If your animals are near the pool, it is a good idea to remove them when possible.

6. Fix a pet safety gate to the entrance to the pool area.

7. Make sure that your pet is not able to get into your neighbor’s pool area.

8. Get a pool alarm for your pool or pond.

9. Don’t let your pet play or walk near fast flowing water.

10. Do not allow your pet to go near frozen lakes & rivers.

Observing your pet drown fills one with a guilt that is devastating and an event that will remain with you forever. I highly recommend that you go out and inspect your property for any water hazards. It doesn’t matter if it is winter or summer where you live. Go fix any water hazards NOW, and protect your pet from a fate of drowning. If your pet is going to be anywhere near water, make sure they are wearing a canine floatation device or pet life jacket.

Jake writes numerous articles on the dog life jacket and about the safety aspects of dog life jackets to keep your pet safe whilst near water.

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Keeping of aquariums in homes is gaining popularity and people have various reasons for doing so. One popular reason for keeping aquariums is to beautify the place. One important aspect of successfully keeping fish is lighting, which is quite challenging for those keeping fish for the first time.

This uncertainty usually stems from the fact that there are different lights that can be used in one’s fish tank. The different types of lights that can be used are metal halide, vho (very high output) fluorescent, regular fluorescent lights, compact fluorescent, LED -Light Emitting Diodes -LED and high fluorescent.

The type of lighting needed for one’s tank is determined by what will be kept in the tank. If one intends to keep only a few fish, they can use a single lamp for their lighting. Regardless of what type of lighting is needed, one should keep in mind that the fish in the tank will need the light only at certain times.

The reason for this is that the fish cannot tolerate excess light whereas too little light will make the fish less energetic and lose color. Individuals should opt for certain lamps that are able to produce red light which makes the fish be illuminated perfectly. The best type for such fish aquarium is incandescent lighting since it provides several bulb color and strengths.

To establish the kind of lighting that is needed for one’s tank, the depth of the tank is a key consideration. Deep tanks require more lighting and the best lighting for these is metal halide. Compact bulbs are the most appropriate for these types of aquariums. They last for a long tome and are economical. People who have plants inside their aquariums have to be more careful when choosing their lighting.

This is because if they make a poor choice their plants will either grow poorly or fail to grow at all. When choosing a lamp for this kind of aquarium, one should opt for those with red wavelengths light emissions. After considering the above, the cost of the lighting also matters and prices vary accordingly. One should also remember that well lit aquariums mean healthy plants and fish. This will in turn translate into the beauty of the whole aquarium.

Looking to find the best deal on your newfish tank, then visit www.iFIshNY.org to find the best advice on fish tanks for you.

Okay, so you want to know how to train a dog. In this article I am going to look at the first step to house training your dog, then take a look at why dogs have accidents, and then talk about how to house train your doggie.

House Training Your Dog – The First Step

Before you actually start training your dog, you must observe your dog carefully, in order to spot his/her habits. If you are able to see a pattern to when the accidents happen, it’s well worth making a note in a diary for future reference.

By analysing your dog’s patterns of behaviour in this way, you might be able to get to the bottom of why things happen at certain times. For example, if your dog only makes a mess when you are away for a long time.

Why Do Dogs Have Accidents?

A number of different factors can be the reason why your dog has accidents. For example:

* When it gets upset. For example, when it hears thunder.

* If your dog doesn’t want to go outside in bad weather, it might sneakily make a mess in the house.

* Does your dog only make a mess whenever you are away from the house? If this is the case then it could be that your dog suffers from separation anxiety. You might need to give your dog more attention such as taking it out on more walks.

How To House Train A Dog

The most important factor in training your dog is to establish a clear routine and toilet place. Take your dog outside to the area on a leash at regular times. If it does its business in its proper area, then make a fuss of the dog and give it a treat.

However, if your dog doesn’t do its mess in its outside toilet area, then just take it back in the house and repeat the routine later on. If you see any dog mess anywhere in the house, then one possible option is to keep the dog in just a few rooms of the house. Keep taking the dog outside at the regular times, and eventually it should realize that this is where it should do its doggie business.

It’s actually much easier to house train a dog than you may realize. Any problems you may have whilst trying to train a dog can simply be solved with a few simple secret techniques which nobody else is likely to tell you. Don’t be one of the many people who end up with an out of control dog. Visit TrainYourDogEasily.info to find out how you can house train a dog simply.

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I have owned dogs all my life, and one thing that I have recently learned that crate training puppies can be really helpful, and save a lot of stress when you are housebreaking your puppy.

A puppy loves to feel secure, and he will certainly get security from having his own space. Any animal hates to soil his own area, so he will be very unlikely to mess or wet his crate – so long as you don’t leave him in it for longer than his bladder can hold on.

A puppy will think of his crate as his little home, and they will never intentionally mess in it. So long as you do not leave him in his crate too long he will hang on until you let him out into your chosen toilet area. You should never leave a young pup for more than an hour or so, otherwise he is likely to wet or mess it.

If you go about crate training puppies in the correct way, they will think of their crate as their own special space and be only too happy to be in it. My dog often goes and lies in her crate for a bit of peace and quiet when the family visit!

When he is totally relaxed with this you need to move onto the next stage which is closing the door for a few seconds. So when his attention is on the treat, close the door whilst praising him quietly. No more than 20 seconds though. Let him out and give him a pat, no praise, just a little pat. Repeat this often and gradually increase the length of time the crate is closed. Don’t do it for so long that he gets upset though.

Continue this for a few days, then gradually leave him in there when you are not in the room, but only for a few minutes – he will soon get used to being in there. When you go back into the room, don’t make a fuss, simply walk over to him and open the crate. After about 3 days you will be able to leave him for an hour or so.

In no time at all your puppy will be totally used to going into his crate, and you will be able to leave him in there for upto an hour if you need to go out without him.

People often ask why they should be thinking about crate training puppies. This is partly done because they feel safe in the crate, and also when a puppy is left alone they can start to misbehave by digging, chewing or similar. When he is in his crate he already thinks of this as a safe place so will not start to feel anxious. He will simply rest and play with any toy you have put in there until you come back to let him out.

Your puppy will love his crate and feel totally safe and secure in it. An added advantage of having a crate trained puppy is that is you do need to go out you can be sure that he will be relaxed and happy in his crate, so long as he has a blanket or bed and a few toys to amuse him. Often when a puppy is left alone he will become anxious and this is when he is likely to start chewing, barking and making a nuisance of himself. So if you don’t want to come home to a destroyed house (it’s surprising how much damage a small puppy can do when he is stressed), then all of your crate training will be a real asset, as he just will not feel anxious or stressed because he knows you will be coming back to him, as you always do.

Make sure to visit crate training puppies for house training and learning the basics.

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History has shown that most people prefer owning a dog than any other animal as a pet. This is due to the fact that they have proven themselves to be efficient, intellectual and trainable. Dogs have the uncanny ability to be loyal to their masters but wary of strangers. These qualities make them a perfect buddy for those who are living alone as well as to couples who are just beginning to start their own families. No matter what is the age of the person, he can still benefit from the presence of a dog.

Studies show that a dog’s behavior as an adult is a result of his breeding and training. Because you can’t do anything anymore about a dog’s breed since it is an inherent part of his personality, you just have to make sure that he was trained well in his younger days so that you won’t be experiencing any attitude problems when he is already a full grown adult. This is a big consideration to mull over when you want to get another puppy in the future. Here is a list of puppy training secrets that you must know in order to have a well-mannered pet in the future.

The first thing that you should bear in mind when training a puppy is to start low and go slow. This means that you must first establish a good rapport with your pet. Do not instantaneously start the complicated tricks that will make him want to run away with his tail between his hind legs. Create a favorable mood that will make him relax and be conducive to training. Upon reaching that ideal state, then you can already commence your training schedule. This might seem cruel but you have no alternative if you want to enforce obedience in his existence.

Tie him with a leash, put him inside a dog kennel or put him in a crate to demonstrate that you mean serious business. Initially, he might get a little raucous and yowl until the early hours of the morning. This is more evident especially if they have lived a very free lifestyle. Force yourself to play deaf to this kind of pain. Sooner than you can say “silence”, they will realize that all their whimpering will have no effect on you. This will instill the fact that you are the chief and he is the mere subordinate who must follow orders. It won’t be long before they get used to this situation and will look forward to your arrival.

Second, teach him a simple trick followed by a treat. The treat could come in the form of a small chewable bone or a piece meat. Just like the classic conditioning method by renowned psychologist Ivan Pavlov, they will learn to associate the new trick with food. This will stroke their interest and whet their appetite for more food.

Third, you can turn 180 degrees and let your dog learn through the negative conditioning method. Utilize this method by saying the words no, stop and don’t in a loud and commanding tone. They will make a distinction that it is something important in relation to your voice.

Fourth, you have to be unswerving in your reward or punishment. When you either of the two, make sure that it is appropriate to the excellent job or the awful deed. Variety should be avoided at all cost or else your dog will develop some kind of a crisis. The same premise applies to all the people in your household.

Lastly, give choices. If there are tricks or tasks that he can’t easily act upon like not digging the front lawn or backyard, then provide another alternative like another digging space beside the dog house yard.

The author is a specialist on all animals and has recent written a wonderful text piece on the controversial topic of locating a cheap pet insurance. 99% of pet owners pay too much for the pet animal insurances and Moto can help. He has just assisted a group of struggling cat owners cheap cat insurance online.

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Keeping fish as pet is quickly turning out to be common, which in turn has increased the process of acquiring fish. There are diverse kinds of fish that one can rear at home. Besides keeping the fish at home as pets, looking at their colorful displays as they swim in the fish tank is very relaxing. Such pet fish as well as other kinds of fish are usually used by many sick people, the elderly and the disabled as a form of treatment under what is referred to as animal therapy.

The most popular types of pet fish are the freshwater fish that has a lot of attraction and are commonly found in many aquarium shops and other retailers of different varieties of fish, like guppies, goldfish and angelfish.

Besides the three fish types highlighted above, other fish types are also popular. One of these fish type is known as Damsel. Damsel, a salt water fish is very aggressive. The fish will not get along with other fish type when their number in the tank is overwhelming.

Having two of the less aggressive types such as blue damsel or the yellow-tailed damsel is a good choice for an aquarium with saltwater. The two types are also easy to maintain as compared to the other damsel types, the three-striped damsel and the domino. The damsel can survive in tough conditions.

The mollies are a popular type of fresh water fish. Although mollies can survive in marine or salt water, it is recommended for them to be left in their natural habitat. Their ability to live in both salt and fresh water has made them very popular. The flexibility of the fish allows them to adapt to life in salt water although the process is long and tough.

The mollies is kept first inside a water bag and then saltwater is drenched slowly inside the bag. Another popular type of fish is referred to as clown fish. The clown fish became very popular soon after an animated movie featuring this type of fish, became popular among children.

The clown fish cannot adapt to something different unlike the mollies, but they are very easy to maintain. The fourth type of popular fish is the shrimp. Shrimp can be found in different types but the most common and popular is the clean shrimp.

The clean shrimp has a red and white stripe at its centre. Their easy maintenance has made them very popular. However, it is not advisable to keep this kind of fish in an aquarium or pond containing many fish.

Learn more about fish tanks. Stop by Linda Marshall’s site where you can find out all about fish tanks and what they can do for you.

categories: fish,pet supplies,pets,shopping,recreation,animals,home

When they are in their natural environment, fish normally eat when hunger strikes. In instances when food is abundant, they tend to eat a lot but in contrast they could stay for days without food when it is scarce. This has made fish opportunistic and whenever they get a chance to eat they do so with a lot of relish.

The type of food fed to fish depends on whether they are herbivore, carnivore or omnivore. Before getting the fish, it is important to find out from the pet supplier what type of fish they are.
If the fish resembles a catfish, then it is likely that they are fresh water fish meaning they feed on fish flakes, wafers as well as algae pellets.

In case the fish look like a catfish, then most probably they are in the fresh water category and this means that their choice of food entails algae pellets, wafers and fish flakes. Saltwater fish favor veggie clips and sea weed because of their herbivorous nature and therefore these will have to be bought and put inside the tank. Some plankton and emerald entry form can be used to supplement the diet which is herbivorous.

Fish that are carnivorous in nature need different meat types which one should chop up into tiny pieces. This entails clams, shrimp and chopped fish. Frozen food is also favored by the fish and this can be in the form of brine shrimp and mysis. Different pet stores sell these foods and one can get them there.

Immature fish like mollies or guppies require baby fish food, which is also available in pet stores. This food is small enough to fit inside the mouths of these minute fish. If fed with flakes they have to be crushed to reduce their size.

Goldfish have their specific diet that includes high quality pellets or flakes and veggie diet like duckweed, zucchini, water lettuce, romaine lettuce cucumber green peas, shrimp pellets and bloodworms. Tropical fish should not be housed in the same aquarium as goldfish.

This is because they have a different diet that cannot complement each others nutritional needs. Goldfish further release a high amount of ammonia, which cannot be handled by the tropical fish species. To find out just how much to feed the fish, try and distinguish just how much the fish are able to eat in five minutes time and that is sufficient amount.

There exists no predetermined frequency for feeding fish but the fish can be fed around five times in one day. It should be noted that not only the amount of food is important, but also its quality.

Want to find out more about fish tanks for sale, then visit Linda Marshall’s site on how to choose the best fish tank for your needs.