Category: Pets

Did you and your family just adopt a new dog or thinking about adopting a new dog? If so then here are some tips you should know before bring home your new dog to make him feel the most comfortable when he arrives to his new and loving home!

First thing, make sure you have bought everything necessary to simply take care of your new dog. Your going to need a food and water dish, and maybe a dog placemat to catch all this little spills. Your also going to need a leach, a collar, a name tag with your family’s hone number, and of course, everyone’s favorite, the pooper scooper! Buying a few new special toys may also help comfort you new dog at his new home with his new family. He is also is going to need a place to sleep. Even if you plan on letting him eventually roam from room to room and letting him sleep where he feels that most comfortable, he will take comfort if you teach him one specific place that is “his spot” so he knows exactly what you want for now. Almost all dogs thrive on knowing what their owner want from them and where the boundaries are. That way they know exactly what is expected of them and they will know how to please their master. Now, although you certainly can go out and buy a dog bed, a clean warm blanket will also work just as well as a dog bed.

Make sure before bringing your new dog home you have set boundaries around the yard where he will be allowed to play and go to the bathroom. Then when you bring home your new dog hook him up to his leach, hold him close (within just a few feet of yourself) and walk him around the boundaries of the yard a few times. Do this at least twice a day for the first couple of weeks to help him learn where his outside territory is. Of course, you may want to set up boundaries for inside as well. This is usually best done by just keeping “off limits” room doors closed. What about your furniture? Will your dog be allowed to sit and sleep on the couches or will that be off limits? A good way to train new dogs that couches and chairs are off limits is, of course not letting them jump up on them in front of you, but what about when you are gone? How can you be sure they stay off then? One handy way to make sure they stay off is to buy office chair plastic carpets (you know, the ones with the little plastic “spikes” to keep the plastic carpet attached to the carpeted floor) and turn those upside down and lay them flat on the furniture. That makes it uncomfortable enough that your new puppy dog will want no part in sitting on them, without hurting him. Just make sure everyone is clear on theses boundaries before bringing home the new addition to the family. That way there will be no confusion for anyone when the new dog is brought home.

No table Scraps! Of course, this is a rule ultimately left to the master(s) of the household; but just remember that even if you do it just a few times in the beginning your dog will always try for more scraps from everyone with food all the time, including visitors. Although you can eventually train this behavior out of them it can be very difficult and take a long time so it’s best not to even start. Most importantly, dogs have different digestive systems than humans do so they don’t respond to food in the same way that we do. What does us good can do them harm so it’s best to not even take that chance.

Decide before bringing home your dog who is going to be the main trainer. Meaning that although everyone should enforce good behavior, there should be only one or at most, two people doing the actual trick and command training. Anymore than two people and it can get too confusing because people naturally have different ways of talking and enforcing, you don’t want to confuse your dog when trying to train him. You don’t have to worry because there are several online content where you can get helpful tips on how to train your dog properly. You just have to choose a reliable sources. To help you out, you can browse around this website.

Now there are many different things to talk about and prepare before bringing home a new addition to any family, hopefully theses tips have helped. Now, if I can leave you the one most important tip before bringing home your new dog, be ready with lots and lots of love! Believe me, you will be getting more back than you can imagine!

The indoor versus outdoor cat argument is probably as old as when humans invited the first cat to live in the Bronze-Age huts and share a bit of milk for mousing. Until fairly recently, cats have been more of an outdoor critter – or at least an indoor/outdoor pet – rather than an indoor-only animal and with good reason. Until the invention of kitty litter in 1947 by Edward Lowe, cats and cat owners had few options when it came for somewhere for them to relieve themselves, so the natural tendency was to allow cats to run loose (since it’s hard to fence in a cat). But nowadays we do have access to kitty litter and most people live in urban, or at least, suburban, environments. And even where I live, out in the wilds of Montana, there are plenty of reasons for keeping kitty indoors. Let’s look at them.

1. Reduce the feral cat overpopulation. Feral cats are a big problem in the United States. Cats, when they breed, naturally have kittens because breeding stimulates ovulation. While a good portion of those kittens die (some 75%), enough make it to the point where a single cat can produce 98 offspring within seven years if you count the number of kittens the single cat and her offspring can produce. Considering there is estimated some 70 million feral cats out there and – you get the point. Spaying and neutering removes the potential breeding, but if your cat gets lost or wanders off, that’s one more cat out on the streets.

2. Prevent your kitty from bringing home zoonotic diseases and parasites. Cats don’t just hang around and do nothing. They get into things, which could bring diseases and parasites back to you. Cats get into fights with wildlife and other cats, which makes them susceptible for getting diseases such as rabies, which, of course, is lethal to both you and your cat. Cats are the number one domestic carrier for rabies. And even if you get your cat vaccinated, vaccines do fail and owners do forget to have their pets vaccinated. Your cat can also bring home other diseases such as bubonic plague (from fleas), ringworm, various roundworms, toxoplasmosis, and ticks that carry Lyme disease.

3. Prevent your kitty from getting sick. There are plenty of cat diseases out there besides rabies. Some, like Feline Leukemia cause more deaths in cats than any other disease. Some diseases such as Feline immunodeficiency virus infection (FIV) and Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) have no vaccination and no known cure. Your cat is at risk if you let him wander.

It is important to keep your hand in the best of health and they are more prone to diseases at a faster pace so most people should strictly keep an eye on them and you can learn more about it through my site online that is titled ‘wildlife’. 

But, there’s more to sickness than just disease. A cat that is looking for something to drink in the wintertime may stumble on a puddle of water with antifreeze in it. A few licks could kill your cat in a painful and agonizing death. Likewise, if your cat catches a mouse or rat that has eaten poison, your cat could die eating that mouse or rat. Cats will often scavenge in garbage as well, which could make your cat very sick or even kill him.

4. Increase Your Kitty’s Lifespan. Cats who live outside have greatly reduced lifespans. Indoor cats can live an average of 12 to 18 years with forays more than 20 years. By comparison, the outdoor cat is lucky to see eight years of age, with the norm being around four to six years old. Outdoor cats usually die violently – usually due to being hit by cars, attacked by dogs or wild animals, or harmed by evil people who hate cats.

Years ago when I was a child, a remember seeing my best friend’s cat being run over by the school bus. It was very traumatic to see that happen and my friend was beside herself. The reality is all of this could’ve been avoided if the cat had been an indoor-only cat.

5. Reduce the destruction of native species. Cats hunt and kill small animals, including birds. According to the American Bird Conservancy, scientists estimate that cats kill birds in the hundreds of millions and more than a billion small mammals, many of which may be endangered. Domestic cats can carry diseases to native cats such as the bobcat, lynx, mountain lion and Florida panther. What’s more, predation by cats can compete against native predators and reduce those predators’ numbers.

The benefits to keeping your cat inside far outweigh the negatives. So, the next time you’re tempted to let the cat out, think again. You’ll be keeping your cat, yourself and your environment healthy by keeping your kitty inside and at home.

You are walking down the street on a bright sunny day. This is the kind of day that allows the tourist industry to market your region to those with a more northerly abode. In fact, it’s September and the thermometer still reads 95F.

While you are enjoying your walk to the corner store you come across another pedestrian with their dog in tow. Their pet is rather large, being it’s a St. Bernard, so you are obliged to yield the right of way to the mass of fur before you. Pleasantries are exchanged, while you patiently navigate this minor inconvenience, wherein the dog owner extolls their love for their furry friend but still finds opportunity to make reference to the overwhelming amount space the creature takes up in their apartment. You retort with something like, “Yeah, I can imagine!” and continue on your errand.

Did you really just imagine that scene? A huge dog, with a ton of fur, in a tiny apartment. What must that be like? Can the dog be happy? Can the owner? This premise leads to other thoughts that would imply the overall condition. The ethics of the person can be fulfilled when there will be availability of a fantastic read at the blogs. The owner of the house should select the best breed for the house. The reading of the blogs will be beneficial to gather information about the pets and different breeds. The ethics should be followed carefully through the person. 

That is a St. Bernard, a breed created for northern climates, not 95 degree Septembers. That owner, who professed their affection for the animal, probably has a job so they can afford to feed the object of that affection. This must leave the creature to fend for itself for hours at a time in that aforementioned tiny apartment. The breeder who manipulated the Saint Bernard into the work animal it is focused on creating a dog with mass, strength, and a resilience to the cold, not a pet that would be suitable for a Florida efficiency apartment.

Dog breeders are specialists at the art of accentuating the traits people want in an effort to make their product as marketable as possible. There are breeds of pets that are so mutated they can’t drink water without it going up their snouts. Some have so much excessive fur that they have to be cleaned manually after they defecate. To make matters worse, some animals are subject to conditions so far removed from the environment that they were bred to live in, that they will have to tolerate 110 degree temperatures through four inches of fur!

The conflict is glaring to anyone who would give it even a moment of thought. How can anyone say they love a Saint Bernard or Husky, then force it to endure climates that will melt asphalt, or leave it in a space that cannot accept an animal of their energy or mass for hours every day?

People often pick out puppies entirely for their own pleasure. They don’t often consider what quality of life they can offer the animal. They can somehow still profess their undying love for their apartment hostage even though their choice of companionship was based on purely selfish reasons.

If you are in the market for a new puppy, try considering what its life will be like in your custody. Puppy ownership is a responsibility. Your puppy will bring you unconditional love and companionship, and hopefully you will give some thought as to how you can reciprocate. Choose an animal that suits your personality and environment. If you don’t have time to spend with an animal right now, then it may be wise to wait until sometime in the future when you do. Avoid supporting puppy mills, unethical breeds, and the breeders that promote them. If people keep making money for breeding animals that are intentionally handicapped for the sake of novelty, there will never be an end to it.

Tips to remember:  Be sure you can handle the responsibility of puppy ownership (maybe try keeping a plant alive first)    Pick a breed that will thrive in your environment (ie. house, apartment, and climate)    Puppies get lonely too so wait till you have time to spend with it before getting one.    Avoid breeds that are overly manipulated as a novelty.    Avoid unethical breeders. (this can be tricky, just pay attention to details like cleanliness, health of the puppy and its’ parents, number of litters currently on hand, use referrals from friends, ask about a warranty on the animals health*.)

*Any ethical breeder will have an ongoing concern for the puppies health and will want to maintain their good reputation for producing healthy puppies. They are more aware of the puppy mill problem than anyone else so they should be doing their best to avoid being classified as one themselves.

I see that there is an increasing amount of people that seem to have trouble keeping their house pets from bolting into the street and getting run over. Would you believe me if I told you there was a way to keep your dog at home without needing to keep them locked in the house, on a leash, or put in a fenced yard? I do realize there are laws to keep a dog on a leash or in a kennel, and I’m not asking you to break any laws, but this method also helps to keep dogs content to stay on the leash and in their kennel. However, the method I use to make my dog choose to stay home is no quick fix-it pill and it takes more dedication than just remembering to take your dog for a walk everyday. Are you up for it?

My practice ring is my home in the country, but location is not important in order to use this method because even country dogs have a tendency to disappear on their owners when let out of the kennel. My dogs don’t have a kennel and yet they stay home. Here’s the trick-you must bond with your dog. You may already know what this means, but let me explain the type of bonding I mean.

Your dog needs leadership, lines of right and wrong. Dogs are sensitive to different types of punishment and reward. My dogs have always been very sensitive to verbal commands. Say, for example, they won’t come to me. I lower my voice and let my anger come through. My dog instantly will stop what he is doing and creep over to me with his head and tail down, and after he comes to me I let him sit and think about it. Then I still refuse to pet him as I tell him to follow. After a little bit I will call him to me again and if he comes promptly, I praise him and pet him in all his favorite spots as if all is forgiven. Thus, he learns the punishment for not coming when I call and the reward for coming. Play around with your dog. Do their favorite things for their reward, make them feel guilty as punishment. Don’t ever get soft-hearted and let them get away, just once, for disobeying you; it could mean the difference between calling them away from a moving car and getting them run over.

The next and last part of my method for making your dog want to stay home is simply-attention. It’s great to take your dog for a walk once a day. It gives them and you exercise and that may be all you can manage. But in order to make them want to stay home all the time you must take time to be with them. If you see here, you will realize the importance of spending some time with your dog. Surely, he or she will appreciate a walk in the afternoon. You should make time to plate with your pet. My dogs have no fences but love to stay home because they never know when I will come out to give them treats, play with them, or just come out to check on them. It doesn’t take much, only five minutes every few hours, but they want to be sure they are there when I come out. I have a full-time job, so I only see my dogs two hours in the mornings and four hours in the evenings, but I make it up to them on the weekends by giving them as much attention as I can. They are content, feel loved, and make a choice not to leave home.

The Bavarian Mountain Dog is a breed of dog known for its skills in overcoming large patches of terrain in Bavaria. Being from German, this dog is one of the most popular breeds for German hunters and has a great sense of smell to track down any prey that might be afoot. These mountain dogs are most popular in Germany, meaning they are rarely heard of anywhere else in the world.

Origin

These dogs have been known to be n Germany since the late 6th century. Used by farmers to help herd their cattle and flocks, Bavarian Mountain dogs also were strong enough to uphold small carts and drag them to a horse to be attached. They were also used by royalty for hunting purposes, to which they would track down pheasant and other game for their hunter masters. Today, they still have this purpose as well as being a friendly noble companion.

Appearance

With soft short fur and a usually tanned coloring, these hounds have a typical floppy eared look of their dog type. They have black around their short muzzles and droopy tired looking eyes. They are quite muscular for their medium size and can weigh up to fifty pounds. Their tails hang down low to the ground unless they are excited and their legs are sturdy and long. Their chest is well developed and exudes the strength they have used for centuries.

Temperament

Being courageous is one of the traits this dog shares with other hound dogs. They have this trait because of their fearless actions when it comes to hunting and tracking prey down. They are quite agile since their legs are long, a difference from the French Bassets. They are loyal and are always ready to please their master with whatever they bring back to them. As a companion dog, they enjoy the company of their family and children and always need to be in the same room with them.

Grooming and Health

Grooming is a snap since their coat is so short, they need to be groomed at least once a month to stop the little shedding they can produce. Health wise they can live as long as fourteen years and needs plenty of exercise. This dog is not suited for the city, and needs to live in a rural area with plenty of space to run freely. This will stop a lot of joint problems he can get in his senior years.

To learn more about this breed of dog, their behaviors, the proper ways of taking good care of them, things you should do, things you should not do and even the food they are allowed to eat, you can click site for more information.

Bavarian Mountain dogs are a dog most often seen in Germany for hunting reasons. Although they are a great pet, they need a big space so they can feel as if they are home in the wild.