March 10, 2010

Adult Dog Training - Teaching Mature Pet Dogs Amazing Tricks

by James Reginald

You might have heard the common term, you can’t educate old doggie new tricks, a million times by now. But honestly, this really is quite false. It’s truly easier to teach adult dogs new tricks. One reason for this is that an adult canine will be much calmer and be much more patient in contrast to puppies. They also have a considerably lengthier attention span compared to younger dogs. So, if you’ve an adult dog why not expose your pet dog to Adult Dog Training.

Obedience training

It’s essential to teach your canine, no matter the age or size, some basic commands. Generally, should you just adopted a doggie from a rescue shelter, the pet dog might have already been taught some commands by his last master. If this is the case then you just need to refresh the dogs memory about certain commands, in case you do discover the commands the he is familiar with, you can begin re-training him from there.

You will find also situations wherein your adult doggie in no way actually had any formal exercising. If you’re in this specific situation do not panic and stay calm. You are able to still train your adult pet dog lots of tricks and command just bear in mind to be consistent and patient. It may take some time, but as pointed out above adult dogs will have a considerably longer attention span as opposed to puppies so, basically guide your doggie slowly.

Also, you must by no means underestimate the importance of praising and tasty treats. Quickly reward very good behavior and ignore bad behavior. Similar to education puppies, you must also make the instruction knowledge fun and for your adult dogs.

Adult dog training need to not be longer than 10 minutes. Make every training session short but frequent.

You’ll find also training procedures that you can use in adult dog training like the well-known clicker approach as well as the positive reinforcement technique.

But in the event you really discover adult dog training too a lot for you then do not worry you will find doggie obedience classes that you just and your dog can enroll to.

Housetraining

Another problem that you may take into account in an untrained adult animal is the difficulty of house breaking him. But contrary to that belief, adult dogs have a considerably bigger bladder in comparison to puppies which would mean that the adult doggie can control their bowels a lot more.

Even with the facts mentioned above, you’ve to monitor your adult dog’s bowel movements. It is possible to also schedule his meals so which you would know the times when he would eliminate.

If you ever see him trying to do his business within the house simply direct him outside you home or to a place where you would want him to try and do his company. If you could have directed him to the proper spot and he does do his organization promptly shower him with praise and give him treats.

Consistency also plays the key in potty education your adult pet dog.

You can also use the conventional methods in potty training like the paper approach, the litter box technique along with the favorite crate process for adult doggie potty exercising.

Remember that old dogs, like puppies, may encounter problems in maintaining their body functions. Exclusive accommodations and frequent trips outside will likely be required for senior dogs.

Dog Behavior Training is somewhat similar to puppy exercising; they both require the consistency, patience and understanding of their trainers or doggie owners.

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Filed under Pets by Tim Buchalka

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Bringing A Dog Home To LIve With Your Cats

by Linda Cole

My heart was pumping as I softly closed the door, my three musketeers snoozing unaware. As if counselled by a psychic of my secret rendezvous they had cleverly aligned this meeting of new friends became a war of dislike,. As my body began melting my composure returned, who would be the general and take on this command? Who would show bravery in this moment in time? The moments seemed like hours as the room seemed to spin until Romeo the love god began his great move. “Hi their young poodle welcome to our gang”. His silent voice bellowing to all corners of the room Romeo the stray cat that came and never left, an angel in transit had welcomed this boy in.

The newbie was a poodle, a miniature black as the night with an irresistible nature I was sold in an instant. Blinded by love so soon in this meet I was oblivious to the fact that Jessie had never encountered a cat in his life. Absolutely confidant that Jessie would fit in I had forgotten the many travesties written before of homes turned to battlefields in a fight to the death. My thoughts only fixed on this adorable little guy, my mind so convincing that everything would work out. So why are we standing in front of this door, nobody moving not a sound could be heard.

My prayers had been answered as Romeo broke through this spell, this wonderful ginger cat an angel in transit. “Romeo, oh Romeo” a prince among cats had paved the way for the rest to follow. Lucy was purring her heart on her sleeve as she let out a meow as if reinforcing the welcome that Romeo had given. Like a caring old grandma she voiced her lament so far the children were helping this meet. The last of the mariners was the Queen of us all and at this point showed no interest, no attitude was presenting itself. Though the moment seemed positive the worst was to come as the Queen of our paradise turned monster in our midst. With a face like a horror show and a voice sure to match she began to make headway toward a poodle trying to escape.

Weeks have gone by and some progress has been made. Romeo and Jessie have become the best of friends and are an interesting twosome as they walk with me on the way to the park. The neighbours are truly entertained by the sight of a ginger cat with a fluffy white do, as it must be a sight not too often seen. The bond between these two guys is spiritual by nature and so easily formed. Lucy is adorable as she watches the scene she has become so much happier since the arrival of Jessie, her depression has ended I am happy to say, for in her previous home she had a dog friend who she had missed very much.

Now I know you are all waiting to see how Ruby, got on. Even though Rome was not built in a day these two are not blessed with an affinity for each other. Ruby tends to sleep on top of the very high TV cabinet far away from Jessie. The old adage that people sometimes just do not get on is true here; they are relentless in their utter dislike for each other. Like I said earlier. “Two out of three is not bad” and with a lot of love and understanding my new family is proving to be a blessing. Whenever a new child whether it be human or otherwise is introduced into an established family there are bound to be adjustments and unusual behaviour. As the mum of all of them it will be your job to bring them all together. If like Jessie and Ruby the daggers are out and seem permanent you may want to re- home the newbie. But if like me you already have a larger group in place a little perseverance and adjusting could make all concerned happy while you write your psychology thesis. “Cats and Dogs

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Filed under Pets by Linda Cole

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The Easiest Anti Barking Method: The Bark Dog Collar

by Craig Parsons

Excessive dog barking can cause a hassle and annoyance for more than just you. If you have neighbors nearby they can probably hear your dog barking or howling all night too and this is just not fair. As a dog owner it is your responsibility to ensure your dog is at least trained well enough that they will not be barking incessantly at all times of the day and night.

Dogs will always bark to express whatever sensations they have, but even so, there are a few things that you can do to restrain his barking. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, or don’t have the time for every day training, then a bark dog collar is probably your best choice.

Your Alternatives

If you have decided to get a bark dog collar for your favorite pet, then you need to decide which of the many types of collar you will get. The most well known one is the shock collar, which is a bit controversial. The shock collar is so called because it really uses electrical shocks to correct dogs, although these are very mild and won’t hurt the dog. These collars are not painful to the dog, yet many dog owners dislike the idea of giving their dogs any type of electrical discharge, no matter how small it may be.

If you would prefer a more humane way of training your dog to stop barking you could try the citronella anti bark dog collar. This collar works in the same way only instead of an electric shock, a simple spray of citronella is used. This is not going to harm the dog in any way and instead will stop him from barking because it will peak his curiosity.

The smell is very intense, and by nature, dogs will try to find out what’s going on. With enough time, dogs will link the barking with the citronella spray, and will learn to limit their barking whenever they are wearing the collar, A bark dog collar is only meant to be used for training, and it includes a switch that allows you to turn it off at night or when your dog should be able to bark freely; for example, when your dog is serving as a guard dog.

In this role, a dog will instinctively bark at any strange noise or person that it’s not familiar with; if they see that they aren’t punished for the barking, they will continue to bark until the stranger leaves or you are alerted of the danger.

These collars are really something great and work effectively on almost all dogs they are used on

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Filed under Pets by Craig Parsons

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Is An Anti Bark Collar A Good Choice?

by Rosie Craig

Excessive barking, specially when it’s late at night, can annoy the most patient person. Nevertheless, barking is a great advantage when we want our pet to function as a guard dog as well. In that case, we want our dog to detect if someone who we don’t know tries to enter our house. In these situations, the barking is a synonym of protection. In addition, dogs bark to let us knows of their needs in a non-verbal way, much like babies do.

This is natural, however, when the dog barks at everything without a valid reason, it becomes a nuisance. For instance, they bark at things that move, like toys, or worse, at our guests and relatives. If you find that your dog has this or similar behavior, it’s time that you take action. If you let the problem continue, it can lead you to problems with your relatives or neighbors.

Is There A Solution?

This problem is not new at all, and there are several ways you can deal it with, however, one of the simplest and most efficient ones is getting an anti bark collar. These collars are preferred by most dog owners because they do not involve pain or real discomfort to the dog, and they teach dogs to reduce their barking with some time.

There are a few different anti bark collar products to choose from. You could go with one of the citronella anti bark collar products. A citronella bark collar stops your dog from barking by shooting small sprays of citronella in front of their nose. The dog will stop barking, curious as to what the new odor is. Over time they will start to realize that every time they bark when they are wearing the collar, the spray comes out.

Another type of anti bark collar that’s popular is the ultrasonic collar. Like the citronella anti bark collar, the ultrasound anti bark collar doesn’t use electrical shocks to correct the dog. It works by emitting a noise that’s too high pitched for humans to hear, but that’s perfectly detectable by dogs. The sound causes on the dog the same effect that the citronella spray does.

Keep in mind that an anti bark collar shouldn’t be worn by your dog all day long. Barking is a natural process and you just want to reduce it, not eliminate it, because trying to do so will put unhealthy stress on your dog.

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Filed under Pets by Rosie Craig

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What Matters In A Bark Collar

by Fran Peacock

Are you tired of your dog’s constant barking? If your dog does not stop yapping even after you spend extra hours training it to behave well, it is time to consider getting a bark collar for your pooch. Yes, a bark collar may not be the most dog friendly training gadget on the planet but it serves its purpose.

Dog owners know that their pet is unique in the world, which is why it’s always a good idea to invest some time comparing the different types of collars available. If you are serious about getting a bark collar, here you have some common types and some basic information on how they work.

The Sonic Bark Collar

The sonic bark collar is one of the most popular anti-bark collars available in the market today. This type of collar produces high pitched sound whenever the dog barks. The sound is meant to distract the attention of the dog and stop it from barking. The high pitch sound produced by the collar is inaudible to the human ear so you won’t be bothered by its sound. Will the sound have negative affect your dog’s hearing? Studies show that high pitched sound used in sonic collars are safe so you need not worry about damaging your dog’s ears. Besides, most dogs stop barking upon hearing the high pitched sound from the collar so they won’t be exposed to it for a long time.

The Citronella Collar

This type of collar can detect barking and counteracts it by spraying the dog’s muzzle with citronella smell whenever the dog barks. Citronella is annoying to a dog’s taste. With time, the dog will figure out the relationship between the citronella spray and his own barking, reacting accordingly. The problem with this type of collar is that the smell of citronella sometimes stays on your dog’s nose well afte the barking has stopped. Some dogs might believe that the punishment still continues and might not make the connection with the barking. If your dog’s sense of smell is specially susceptible to citronella, then you’d better get a different type of bark collar.

The Shock Bark Collar

Putting a shock collar on your dog’s neck may be an effective way to stop your dog from barking incessantly but this practice may have some negative effect on your dog. Note that the shock collar sends electric pulses to your dog’s muscles whenever it barks. Although the electric shocks may be mild and tolerable, still, the electric shock can be a bit painful on your dog.

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Filed under Pets by Fran Peacock

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A Stainless Steel Dog Bowl The Bowl Of Choice

by Alice Washerstein

A Stainless steel dog bowl is the preferred choice of most dog owners. But is this really the best bowl for your dog? Let’s take a look at the different types of dog bowls.

The good and bad of each different kind of bowl

Plastic dog bowl the pros - it is lightweight, dishwasher safe, comes in many colors, and is not expensive.

Plastic The Inferior: easily chewed, conceals bacteria short life span

Ceramic Dog Bowl The Good: weigh more so they don’t move around as much, can be purchased to match your dcor, cleans easily.

Ceramic The Bad: can be too heavy, breaks easily, porous, cracks go unnoticed and give bacteria a place to breed, more expensive than plastic.

Stainless Steel Dog Bowl the superior qualities: wears well, endures dishwasher, slide proof, no holes for bacteria, sponges clean, dishwasher safe

Stainless Steel The Bad: more expensive than plastic, does not comes in different colors.

Now after seeing the differences in the material dog food bowls are made of you can understand why most dog owner choose the stainless steel dog bowl.

A stainless steel dog bowl can be found in a varied amount of sizes. Even a very large dog bowl can be found in stainless steel. You will need to buy one for food and one for water.

No matter what the size or material ,even a stainless steel dog bowl,you will notice a slime on the water bowl after your dog drinks a few times. You need to keep this clean.

There are automatic dog waterers if you cannot be there to do the cleaning and changing of the water. Pet stores even sell automatic pet food dispensers for when you can’t be around at feeding time.

A stainless steel dog bowl is an excellent buy. They can be used outside as well if you take care of them.

You can buy them with a non skid bottom if your dog, like mine, scoots his food around the floor when he eats.

Some pet stores even sell these bowls in two toned colors, so you can even be fashionable when choosing your style of a stainless steel dog bowl.

Dog bowls should be kept off the floor when possible. How high depends on the breed of dog. For large dogs having their bowls on the floor means bending their head and neck to eat and drink. This can mean joint and digestive problems. You can find a dog feeding station that is raised off of the floor and holds your stainless steel dog bowl.

Just remember to keep your dog bowls clean. Even a stainless steel dog bowl that is used for water can become slimy.

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Filed under Pets by Alice Washerstein

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What Do I Feed Cichlid Fry?

by Carey Malloy

Figuring out what to feed cichlid fry can be a head scratcher if you have never had the pleasure of raising cichlid fry or other tropical aquarium fish. Raising tropical aquarium fish, like cichlids, can be a very enjoyable experience for any aquarist, newbie or veteran. Hopefully I can give you a few ideas to get you started.

There are basically two types of brooding that you will find with cichlids. These types are mouth brooding and open brooding. Yes, there are variations of these two types of brooding, but breaking them down into two types will do for now. We are interested in what to feed these cichlid fry once they are basically free swimming.

Newly hatched cichlid fry will survive for quite some time on their yolk sac alone. But after their yolk sac is depleted, what should you feed them while they are still so small? One of the best foods for newly free swimming fish fry is newly hatched brine shrimp. They are packed with protein and the little guys just love them.

There is no doubt that brine shrimp make an excellent food for any type of fish fry, but if you are not prepared, you may not have any brine shrimp ready to go. So what else can I feed cichlid fry?

Have you ever thought about feeding cichlid fry hardboiled egg yolks. It is a very simple tip and the little guys will gobble it up. All you do is take a little bit of egg yolk and mix it with some water in a bowl. Eggs are inexpensive, so if it doesn’t look quite right, just try it again.

Be sure not to put too much of this food in the tank at a time. If you put too much of the egg yolk in the water, it could cause the water to foul. Try to put just enough in the tank that they will consume in about 30 seconds or so.

One way to control how much of the egg yolk you are putting in the tank is to use a straw to lower it into the tank. Put your finger of the hole in the straw and release it just above where they are swimming.

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Filed under Pets by Carey Malloy

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A Simple Step By Step To Learn How To Treat Ear Mites Effectively

by Wendell Ruben

Ear mites are a common pest among pets. They are one of many that need to be quickly and effectively dealt with. It is easy to learn how to treat ear mites. This keeps pets from getting permanent or serious damage from an infection.

Ear mites are a microscopic organism very similar to dust mites. Unlike the name suggests, these critters can live elsewhere on the body of the animal, not just the ear canal. They are not contagious to humans. However, they are highly contagious to other pets. They are transferred between animals through physical contact with an infected animal.

It is a good idea to frequently clean the ears of a pet. This can be done by using a solution of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide. Dip a cotton swab into the solution and gently clean the insides of the pet ears. Make sure to use a separate swab on each ear. This will help prevent the spread of an ear infection from one ear to the other. Cleaning ears also helps to see if any discolored discharge or build up is in the ears.

One symptom of infestation is it makes a pet itch its ears. This is because they cause inflammation within the ear canal, causing irritation. Pets will also shake their heads. Blood will also be noticeable as a discharge. This is usually dry and looks similar to coffee grounds. However, it can also be fresh. More serious infestations can cause an animal to be unbalanced. This is similar to people who have inner ear problems. If the pet has mites elsewhere, they might not be bothered by them.

If a mite infestation does not get treated, serious side affects can occur. These include permanent hearing loss due to damage to the ear canal and ear drum, skin disease and ear infections.

Treatment is available in many forms. There are over the counter treatments. These are liquid and are put in the dogs ear. These take twenty one to thirty days. This is because they do not kill mite eggs. The time is needed to kill off all mites plus give time for the eggs to hatch and kill the new mites as well.

Prescription medications are available at a veterinary hospital. These have a shorter treatment time of ten to fourteen days. These do have mite egg killing medication in them. They come in liquid drop form or can be injected.

Flea and tick medications, like shampoos and drops, will kill mites that are outside the pets ears. A pet on a flea treatment should not have mites on their body.

When treatment is required to rid the pet of a mite infestation, if there are multiple pets, all pets must be treated at the same time. This prevents repeat infestations.

There are certain times a pet should be taken to the veterinarian. These include if the symptoms are extremely severe, if there are recurring infections or if prescription mite medication is needed. Otherwise, mite treatment is simple and can be done in home without veterinary consultation.

Ear mites are a highly contagious pest. They infect animals both in the ear canal and elsewhere on the body. It is an easy thing to treat with readily available medications. However, if left untreated, the results are serious. Learn how to treat ear mites so pets do not develop these results.

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Filed under Pets by Wendell Ruben

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Alleviating Pet’s Hip And joint Pain With Canine Chiropractic Care

by Clare Branstetter

I treat Orville, my 13-year Golden Retrieve as my baby always. I have spared no expense in his care, including the best trainer, groomer, food and supplements, and veterinary care.

I began noticing signs that he might be having trouble with his hips and joints recently. I wasn’t too concerned at first as it might just be signs of aging. I was alarmed to learn that Orville might be in pain upon looking it up online. So I asked friends who happened to have a couple of older dogs as I hated the thought of my beloved companion hurting. They took their dogs to a veterinarian who specializes in chiropractic care for their canine, feline, and equine patients when they had a similar experience.

I scheduled an appointment with Ava Frick, DVM with her Animal Fitness Center, near St. Louis, Missouri since my friends recommended her. They praised Dr. Frick and were convinced that her care had made a difference in the quality of their dogs’ lives.

Orville’s introductory appointment with Dr.Frick took place one month ago and we just had his second appointment this afternoon.

Including pain that the pet might be experiencing in their back, leg, or even in their tail, Dr. Frick told me that she offers chiropractic care for dogs due to many reasons.

Basically, chiropractic care concentrates on disorders of the human nervous system, musculoskeletal system and how these systems affect our overall health. Animal chiropractic care is the same since it concentrates on the dog, cat, or horse and its nervous system, muscuskeletal system and their impact on the pet’s health.

Our first appointment involved providing Orville’s health history, similar to what you might expect the first time you visit any other doctor or veterinarian. It is important to establish a thorough, accurate history when you visit a health care provider for the first time, and a visit to the veterinarian is no exception. Dr. Frick asked questions about Orville’s current state of health and she also asked what led us to make the appointment.

She had Orville lie down so that she could exam him and adjust his spine, similar to what I have experienced when I visit my own chiropractor. Orville was okay all throughout the exam. He actually has always loved to be messed with and it seemed like he was relaxing during a massage. That is, until Dr.Frick paid attention to his hips. Orville snarled just a bit, so Dr. Frick was even more careful in that area, and for the rest of the exam.

Dr. Frick talked to me about the importance of making sure Orville gets more exercise after the exam. She said that we needed to strengthen the muscles in his back legs. Even a small amount of exercise each day would prove beneficial. Something that I thought was really interesting was Dr.Frick’s advice to tickle Orville’s tummy while he was standing. She said that this would help his spine since a dog will automatically hunch up when his stomach is touched.

I have been impressed with the care provided by Dr.Frick, and I am also glad that we have achieved such great results without stuffing pain pills into my dog.

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Filed under Pets by William McIntosh

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A Dog Water Bowl Is Extremely Important To Your Dogs Health

by Alice Washerstein

A dog water bowl may just be the most important item your dog has. A dog can go for days without food but can dehydrate in hours without water. When purchasing a water bowl for your dog consider how much water your dog will need in a day, or longer if you are going to be away.

An important thing to know is how much water does your dog need. An average a dog needs 1 cup of water for every 5 pounds of weight. A large dog may weigh 100 pounds, that would mean they need 20 cups of water in their dog water bowl a day. I don’t think a large dog bowl can hold that much water. On the other hand a small dog who weighs 15 pounds only needs 3 cups of water a day.

The selections for dog water bowls are stainless steel, plastic, or ceramic. Stainless steel dog bowls are the ones most chosen. They do not break very easily, they are not porous so no bacteria can build up in cracks or unseen areas, and they are easy to clean.

Now you need to think of the time you will be home to refill and clean your dog water bowl. If you have a large dog you will need to be there to clean and refill there bowl a few times a day. If this does not work for you there are automatic dog waterers that you can buy. One very good automatic one is the petmate fresh flow. This comes in two sizes. The jumbo one holds roughly 25 cups of water, which is great for a large dog. The regular size holds enough water for a small dog to drink out of for a few days.

After you fill the petmate fresh flow it pumps the water through a filter continously so it stays clean and fresh all day. The water comes down a chute and into a bowl for your dog to drink. Remember it is vital that your dog water bowl is clean and filled for the size of your dog. Standing water can cause parasites in your dog.

I have a large dog and he needs around 18 cups of water a day. I find that the bowl does get a film in it after he drinks a few times. So it is washed quite often. Also my dog tends to splash water every where so I also purchased a plastic pet mat that goes under the dog water bowl. This works nicely because the ends of the mat are raised which keeps the water on the mat not the floor.

Pick a dog water bowl that is good for you and your dog.

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Filed under Pets by Alice Washerstein

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