Posts Tagged ‘pets’

How To Socialize A Dog

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

A properly socialized dog can adapt well to any given situation - can get along well with all the pets of the family and all the members of the household. By socializing the pet an owner is assured to have an ideal and well behaved companion for life. Proper socialization prevents the development of unwanted behavior and turns the dog into a happy and well behaved member of the family. A first time dog owner may know about the need to socialize the pet but may wonder how this kind of training can be done.

In spite of the fact that dogs are acclaimed to be social creatures, some individuals would not interact well with people and with other animals as dogs too have different personalities. A shy or nervous dog would show fear or aggression if confronted by unfamiliar faces or new situations. A dominant one would try to control not only other animals but humans as well. Providing the basic needs of the dog is not the only responsibility of a pet owner. A dog owner has to socialize the dog so that it will grow into a well behaved dog that can interact with all types of people and animals in any kind of situation and all kinds of environment.

It is best to start socialization when the dog is between 8 to 16 weeks of age. This is not to say that older dogs can no longer be socialized. However, socializing an older dog would require more patience and persistence. Socializing puppies would be easier as apart from having a curious nature; puppies have not yet formed hard to break habits.

As soon as the vet has given the GET-GO, the puppy must be introduced to everything that it will be exposed to when it gets older. Grooming is the first part of socialization that will familiarize the dog to being touched. Being handled will prepare the dog to being touched by the vet, by the groomer and by other people.

An obedience school or frequent visit to the local dog park will be a good chance for the pet to interact with other dogs. It is necessary to give the pet a chance to meet as many people as possible and to be exposed to varied situations. If possible always take the dog with you. Entice the dog to respond well to socialization by using treats as rewards. These socialization efforts will develop the puppy into a well adjusted mature dog.

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At What Age Can A Dog Be Neutered

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Dog owners have differing opinions on whether the dog should be neutered or not. Neutering is often the option of responsible dog owners that are aware of the tragic plight of stray dogs - of the animals considered as man’s best friends that have to be put to sleep for being homeless. Dog lovers would not hesitate to support the program of minimizing the number of homeless dogs.

To prevent reproduction, the testicles of the dog are surgically removed. Would you believe that neutering aside from minimizing the number of homeless dogs also promises to give the dog longer, healthier and happier life. With the removal of the testicles, the risk for testicle cancer is removed as well. The hormone level of a neutered dog is controlled thus bad behavior that is associated with mood swings will be controlled as well. The inclination to roam is lessened with neutering thus accidents that can result to the death of the pet is avoided.

However, dog owners have many reservations on the right time to neuter the dog . Neutering has many unfounded beliefs. For instance it is believed that if the pet is neutered at an early age the personality and the physical development will be affected.

There is also a notion that if neutering is done before puberty the dog will not make an outstanding companion as the playful and affectionate nature will be obliterated. Dog experts refute the veracity of these beliefs. The personality and the physical development of the dog will not be affected at all. What is the best age to neuter the dog?

Except for newborn puppies, dogs can be neutered anytime. Considering the age of the pet would be rather hard if it was adopted from a shelter or if the dog that was adopted was a stray. Dogs at any age can be neutered as long as the testicles have descended but ideally, the procedure must be done before the dog has attained sexual maturity. Dog experts generally recommend neutering at 6 months of age especially for small breeds that reach puberty early. Dog experts recommend neutering large breeds at about 1 year of age as Great Danes, GSD and other large dogs take longer to mature sexually.

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Would Your Dog Like Big Dog Clothing?

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

It can be really comical to see an overly large canine, wearing a t-shirt, hat, or even a set of dog shoes on. There are a few manufacturers that create large dog clothing, which will without a doubt, make you and your dog stand out in public.

Adorning your large puppy in adorable or classy clothes will also provide them with extra warmth on cold days: There is a misconception among large dog owners, that a big canine is much less most likely to turn out to be cold than a little 1. There’s no factual evidence to back this theory up though.

Just like all humans have a body temperature of 98.6 degrees, a canine will have a range from 100 - 102.5 degrees and isn’t size or breed particular. This means that on a cold day, your larger canine could possibly love you for putting some big canine clothing on him or her.

Clothes for big or extremely large dogs could be hard to locate at local storefront retailers, but you will find plenty of reputable on the internet distributors that can you big dog clothing for man’s greatest friend, but also provide a selection of toys, accessories and numerous sell food for your animal — producing them a excellent one-stop shop.

These pet health care outlet stores will often be able to set you up with generic or name-brand designer clothing for your canine, at a discount over what brick and mortar companies charge you (less overhead costs for example shipping, electricity and labor). This is particularly convenient for those of you who may perhaps spend their week working that would rather have your dog’s clothing, as well as other add-ons waiting at your door,  as opposed to having to go out and shop inside your pet health leisure time.

Most times you’ll be able to even discover a matching collar, or leash to go with the other clothing you discover which will make your bigger dog look really cute at the canine park.

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Outdoor Dog Kennels And How They Help

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Putting your dog(s) in outdoor dog kennels might seem like a cruel thing to do, but when you think about that they should be able to breath fresh air into their lungs and get some mobility at the same time: It is really a much better alternative to leaving them cramped up within the house while your away from home or busy.

If you are taking spending budget into consideration, plastic outdoor dog kennels are ordinarily the least expensive, whereas steel wire kennels will price much more but last longer. The only issue with using a steel kennel is always that you need to make certain the steel is rust proofed very first of all, then also make certain it is a fairly higher grade of pet health care steel that won’t bend or distort simply.

Portability?

There are several portable varieties of outdoor dog kennels that are created to be transported from location to place. Your pet health and life will be created much easier should you look at reviews specifically about the particular kennel you would like to make certain persons like and promote the usability of the item before you purchase.

Accessories?

You’re most likely going to wish to get two stainless steel dishes for water and food, along with a bed or blanket to acquire them from the floor of the kennel. Sun shades are also a great concept — you don’t have to shade all areas from the kennel, just make certain the dog(s) have a shaded area to get a break from the sun if they need it.

Other Possibilities?

You may instead select to purchase a basic crate or a full-sized dog run. Whichever you select it’s a great concept to have at least one enclosure handy within the event you’re expecting the cable repairman, or your pet gets fussy with company around.

Ensure you clean the enclosure regularly to prevent bacteria and soiling.

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How Do Dogs Mate

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Dog mating can be embarrassing to some people but it is actually an impressive act. Dogs’ odd mating process is nature’s way of ensuring the survival of canines. Dogs are bred for various reasons. Breeding of dogs can be undertaken for financial reasons. It is certainly understandable if a dog owner would want to care for dogs produced by the pet.

Another reason for mating dogs is to develop a dog with the disposition and looks of outstanding breeds. Whatever reasons these dog owners have for breeding the dog, one thing is common. Professional breeder or pet owner, both would want to produce a healthy litter.

Dog breeders and long time dog owners would be accustomed to the mating process of dogs. A dog being mated for the first time would show signs of distress thus a pet owner watching the breeding process for the first time may panic. The concerned owner would fear for the well being of the pitifully whining pet. The mating dogs would seem to be ineffectually pulling away from each other thus an uninformed owner’s first reaction is to help. However, no matter how distressed the pets appear, a dog owner must never try to separate mating dogs. Being stuck together is a natural process of canine mating and trying to separate the dogs can result to injuries.

Not like female dogs that will allow to be mated only during the estrus stage, male dogs are always ready to mate. The flagging or the lifting of the tail to one side is only shown to a male dog when the bitch is ready to be mated. Once the bitch has given the invite, the dog will mount from the back in penetrate the vulva. One dog will twist around after the penetration so that both dogs will face the opposite direction.

A dog’s male member can achieve penetration even if it is not erect. The baculum is a small bone in the dog’s male member that has the purpose of keeping the male member rigid. After penetration, the tie will take place. The mating dogs will be tied together as the male member tissues swollen with blood traps the male member inside the female dog. The mating tie that lasts for about 30 minutes will be broken when the male member returned to its normal sizes after ejaculation. With the mating tie, the survival of canines is ensured.

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How To Calm A Dog

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Dogs are the best friends and protectors of humans. Dogs have made a significant difference to humans way of life. On many occasions, dogs have comforted and manifested their affection to humans. The mere presence of these animals have given pet owners a kind of reassurance that everything will be all right. Dogs are noted to be tough little and not so little guys that are always ready to comfort and defend the master but there are cases when these animals are the ones needing the comfort of their master. Pet owners have to learn how to calm a dog as these animals get stressed too.

Some dogs would easily get stressed with different situation in the environment. Frantic barking, excessive drooling, pitiful whining are manifestations of a stressed dog. Other dogs would react to the same situation in a different manner. Some dog owners find managing a stressed dog very difficult. Situations that would set off the nervous behavior of the dog can range from unfamiliar faces and places to loud sound such as the sound of firecrackers or the rumbling sounds of thunder.

Repeated exposure to these kind of situations will enhance the nervousness of the dog until it develops into a phobia. The quality of the dog’s life will be affected so that the dog may lose weight and be lethargic. Naturally, no pet owner would want to forever deal with a highly stressed dog. It is but necessary for pet owners to know how to calm the pet.

Pet owners should start off by knowing what situations set off the nervous behavior of the dog. Avoiding stressful situations would not be always possible thus the best thing an owner can do is to find effective ways to calm the pet.

Dogs appreciate being petted. Pet owners use massage to calm the pet. By slowly moving the hand in over the dog’s body, the tension is dissipated until the pet is calmed. Dogs are food motivated and frozen Kong toys are proven effective in distracting the dog’s attention from stress causing situations. Dogs are naturally energetic. Tired dogs are calm dogs thus an owner simply need to provide the dog with sufficient opportunities to exercise. Have you tried the trick of yawning to calm your hyper pet? Try yawning several times in front of your stressed pet and you will see that after a while the dog is already calmed.

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Have Fun While Training German Shepherd To Make It More Effective

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Once you collect the right information and advice on training the German Shepherd, than the task of training becomes easy.

 

Patience, knowledge, and an understanding of the animal is what are needed in German Shepherd training.

 

Keep in mind that it is easy to train some animals than the others.

 

The reason behind this is the nature and the way in which the pup was treated.

 

A pup from a bad and chaotic home will not be easily trainable when compared to the one from a caring and loving home.

 

Gathering information on German Shepherd provides a background and understanding of the nature of the animal and it should be done prior to the commencement of training.

 

To train a German Shepherd an understanding of the behavior of the animal is important. The owner must have a thorough knowledge of the specific behavioral traits.

 

The owner should actually enter the mindset of the animal to understand him fully.

 

This compassion will help the owner understand the reason behind the behavior of German Shepherd.

 

This knowledge is very much needed for training. Consideration of age of the animal is necessary.

 

A German Shepherd pup responds to training better than an older animal which has already developed a set of behavioral patterns.

 

It is better if the training is started early. It becomes very hard reeducating an animal with bad habits than to teach good behavioral practices.

 

While training German Shepherd remembers having fun is an important aspect.

 

The training experience must be enjoyable to both the owner and the trainer. In this way a bond and a sense of trust is formed between them.

 

The training should be favorable for both the owner and the dog and build a strong bond and a joyous association..

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Why Do Dogs Sniff?

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Did you know that the nose is the greatest asset of a dog? Smell is the most efficient and sensitive sense of a dog. Dogs are renowned for being excellent hunters because of their heightened senses.

Some breeds are purposely developed to be hunting dogs because of their excellent scenting abilities. Breeds of hounds are capable of finding a wounded prey by sniffing blood dropped by the animal several meters apart. This would make you wonder at the scenting ability of the pet. Can this be the reason why the dog is often seen sniffing? Dog have many common and not so common habits that amaze humans. Nevertheless, a dog owner would still wonder at the dog’s inclination to sniff.

You would see the dog sniffing the ground, its food and its own and other dog’s feces. Dog not only sniff humans but the backside of other dogs too. Something must encourage the dog to sniff. Dogs are very curious animals thus they have the tendency to investigate their environment and in the absence of hands the nose will be the dog’s most excellent tool.

Dogs are hunters but they are hunted as well. With the heightened scenting power of the dog, the location of a prey and the presence of a predator will be revealed. A dog merely have to sniff the air to know the imminent danger from predators.

Dogs use an excellent method to communicate with each other very well. We know how dogs efficiently use different movements of their body to transmit a message to other dogs. It seems that dogs are aware of their powerful scenting abilities so that they do a lot of sniffing to convey their message to other dogs efficiently. Are you not puzzled at the dogs’ tendency to sniff each other’s backside whenever they meet? The one of a kind smell of a dog is used to identify one dog from another. Although a dog’s scenting ability is far superior to what we humans have, dogs are still seen sniffing a lot. The inclination to sniff is a valuable asset of rescue dogs as with this ability, a lot of people have been saved from death. Dogs are now being used to detect cancer in humans. All these can be done by man’s best friends by sniffing.

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The Puppy Obedience Training Basics.

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

 

One of the most exhilarating things that will ever happen to you is bring a puppy home. It’s like expanding your family.

 

Despite that, it will take some effort to make your little doggy listen to you.

 

Despite the fact that it is generally known that teaching a puppy house training is done more easily than doing the same with an adult dog, remember a couple of things as you start teaching your doggy how to behave.

 

In the past, the way to go included using a lease or collar and employing a fair deal of manipulation in order to teach the little dog basic orders.

 

These measures can, however, become somewhat mean sometimes and even hurt a delicate kind of puppy.

 

Should you have gone for a sturdy doggy like a German Shepherd or a Bulldog, you could consider this option

 

With a Poodle or a Chihuahua on the other hand, more lenient approaches like handing out rewards or treats to the little dog, if follows your orders, and revoking them, if he does not.

 

Locking him up in with the dog gates, should he persist in ignoring your orders, is also an option.

 

Should the reward training fail, resorting to the stricter approach involving the lease or collar might be necessary.

 

A very common approach to the collar method is having the dog sport an electronic collar around his or her neck, while brandishing a remote control in their own hand

 

In case of disobedience by the dog, you shall press the button, causing the collar to discharge a low-intensity shock.

 

As these shocks do not have a high intensity, they do not cause any pain, but they will be dislike by the dog and in the end also evoke obedience.

 

Nevertheless, the best way of making yourself understood is to invent a language both you and your dog understand.

 

Words like yes, no, bravo, etc. will make him understand what you think.

 

Though it will create a lifelong bond between you and your puppy lasting your entire lifetimes, this might demand quite a bit of patience and a considerable amount of time at the beginning.

 

After you have been able to teach a hard-to-train puppy, you have the right to call yourself an expert in canine obedience training.

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German Shepherd Training Tips

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Among all pet dog breeds the smart and sturdy ones are the German shepherds breed

 

Their natural instinct and brilliance are the special characters that make them police dogs

 

Yet to accustom them is as tedious as any

 

Training an adult dog costs more time and patience and hence coaching the puppy is preferable

 

In spite of its strong respect for the alpha dog which can order any other dog, it has a strong motivation towards rage

 

If the trainer takes an alpha in his attitude the German shepherds obey you most often

 

The dog is known to keep trying for the alpha position and hence might challenge you.Don’t bother too much under such situations

Stay patient and authoritative that the dog gets back to obeying way

Training German shepherd should be commanding one for the German shepherd puppies and they might require physical exercises too

Lease and collar technique is of better use than reward or any other technique

Remember to note that the simple leases used to the puppy don’t strain the puppy

The battery operated electronic collar is the best suit for the unnaturally robust puppies which protest too much

Command can be provided via these collars tied around their necks

In case of any disobedience, they might be given a harmless electric shock using your remote which disrupts their ease

The dog begins accepting your ways as soon as it realizes that the only path of getting out of these is to obey you

The best dog a man can get is a properly accustomed German shepherd

They’re not only swift and keen but give you the feel of great safety around them

When greeted to be the beta, the successor of alpha, they’ll sacrifice themselves for you

 

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