Browse >
Home / Archive: October 2009
So you’ve made the decision to get a puppy. It’s not something to take on without a lot of thought. You have lots of choices, not only of the breed of pup that you feel you’d be able to cope with, but how you’re going to bring him or her up.
One of the most important things is to choose your vet. Even a dog that is in perfect health is going to need a vet from time to time and a check over when you get the pup is a good opportunity to talk through the schedule for vaccinations. At the same time, you should think about pet insurance.
Pet insurance is very worthwhile. Cover for naturally occurring illnesses as well as accidental injuries will give you peace of mind. Veterinary costs can be frighteningly high and could be a cause of worry if there’s no insurance in place. Lots of people say if you can’t afford the vet’s bills, you can’t afford the pet – but maybe for vet’s bills they should say insurance.
One of the best ways to prevent too many visits to the vets, which means fewer claims on your insurance, is to keep it at a good, healthy weight. If you start with a good diet as soon as you get your pet and keep to regular meal times, with minimal feeding of tit-bits, you’re starting in the right way.
You may not notice that you pooch has become a little more podgy than he should, but come booster time, your vet will probably want to check his weight. This is an excellent thing, as they can pick up any marked changes in weight since the last visit and draw your attention to it.
If there’s a problem with a slightly overweight dog, it is simple to address at this stage. You should take the vets advice on feeding. The type and quantity of food and how often you feed will be discussed and an ideal weight arrived at. You’ll be invited to go along and weigh in your pet to make sure that the plan is working.
An overweight dog is at risk of more problems than his fitter cousins. The heat will bother him more; he is more at risk of skin diseases, arthritis, diabetes and heart and circulator disorders. If an operation is needed at any time then there is more risk from surgical and anaesthetic procedures.
The cause of the problem is usually quite simply that you’re feeding more than the pet’s requirements. You could be feeding a good formula, but too many snacks or scraps and insufficient exercise could be taking their toll. As dogs get older they often need adjustments in their diet, due to sleeping more and requiring less exercise.
Although you should always check with your vet before making major changes to your dogs diet, there are a number of special slimming products available. These contain the minerals and vitamins your pet should be getting but with less calories. It can be quite tricky getting an older dog to adapt to a new diet and you have to be less soft-hearted and tell him it’s for his own good if this is the case!
It’s possible you won’t notice the odd pounds. Sometimes you’ll see an old photograph and realize that neither of you are looking as sleek as you once did. If you apply slight pressure on either side of his ribcage you should be able to feel your pet’s ribs. If you can’t then think what his diet really does consist of and maybe just cut down a little, or increase his exercise. If you stand over him when he’s standing up, you should be able to see his “waistline”. No waistline = too much fat.
Some breeds of dog are more inclined to put on weight than others. Pets that have been neutered and older pets are at risk too. Keep this in mind and keep up the vigilance. Enjoy your puppy.
You get a new pet, the 1st thing you do is organise Pet Insurance. But do you think about getting yourself Life Insurance. Probably not enough! Life Insurance is vital as its pays out a tax free lump to your family, if you die. Changed your mind, great – visit the Quotes For Life Insurance website. Here you will find great quotes on for Life Insurance and great Life Insurance information. So click on us for a fantastic quote.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/pet-insurance-watch-the-puppy-fat-1403958.html
Owning a pet is the greatest thing in the world because you have something that will listen to you and won’t pass judgment and your pet can be your best friend in the whole world so you don’t want to see anything happen to your pet. Dogs have been around for a lot of years and are known to be mans best friend. There are many things a dog can do for you when compared to other animals that you can have for pets. If you own a dog then you have to worry about UTI (urinary tract infection). Dogs are one of the most loyal and best friends you can have so you want to make sure that your dog is healthy.
Every dog has its share of illnesses and no dog is safe if there are bugs in the air. You want to make sure your dog is taken care of and that your dog is as healthy as it can be so any sign of illness, you want to take your dog to your local vet to make sure the sickness can be treated as soon as you know something or that your dog is acting weird. The vet can give your dog the medicine that you need to give to your dog so that your pet can get better and return to its normal activities.
UTI disease can be painful for dogs just like it is for us humans so you want to make sure that if you notice the warning signs of the UTI in dogs, you get your dog to the vet so that you can get the medication that your dog needs in order to get better so that your dog can be healthy and resume its normal activities. UTI in dogs is a very serious disease and about 14% of all dogs across the world have this disease but it can be cured if you bring your dog to the vet to get the medication you need to get better.
UTI occurs when bacteria begins to take over the immune system in your dog. Your dog can get the bacteria from bad food or tainted water. Once the bacteria get into your dogs system, it goes to work and is transmitted through the blood. If these bacteria are not flushed out of your dog’s system, UTI can occur and can become more and more dangerous for your dog’s health.
Female dogs are more likely to develop urinary tract infection than male dogs because the length of the female’s urethra is shorter than the males. Since the urethra is shorter in the female dogs, it is easier for the bacteria to find its way to the bladder as well as other internal systems easier than the males.
Want to learn more about UTI in dogs? On UrinaryTractInfectionInDogs.Com you can find articles about urinary tract infection in dogs, treatment of urinary tract infection in dogs and home remedies of urinary tract infection in dogs.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/urinary-tract-infection-in-dogs-general-overview-1400895.html
Owning a new puppy can be very exciting. But if you do not take the correct steps to train it that cute little ball of fur can turn your life into a nightmare. Proper puppy training must begin immediately. The sooner you start to train your puppy and let them know what you expect of them the sooner your puppy can become a loving member of your family. Most of what you expect your puppy to learn you should teach them before they turn 1 year old.
Get Free Puppy Teaching Tips
First, one of the most important and basic things to train your puppy is where they are expected to go to the bathroom. In the dog world this is usually referred to as house training. How you do it can differ from puppy to puppy. Some dogs go on a schedule. Some people walk their dogs after they have eaten some people have their dogs trained so they let their owners know when they have to go out. Some dogs respond to questions such as do you have to go make good dog? Some families have dogie doors installed in their homes and this can work well. Whatever method you choose make sure you start early so your puppy can become a productive and loving member of your family.
How to Find Puppy Information
Secondly, you want to train your puppy to walk on a leash or walk next to you without a leash. You want your puppy to know you are in control and not drag you all over the place when you walk them. It is also important for your puppy to know how to stay next to you when you walk them without a leash. You want to be in control of your puppy at all times.
Third, teaching your puppy to sit, stay and drop is very important. You want to be in control of your puppy at all times and if they can follow these three simple commands you can control your puppy whatever situation you may find yourself in.
Fourth, teaching your dog to fetch and release is important to teach your puppy during their first year. If you are going to play with your puppy and exercise them teaching them to fetch and release is most important.
Fifth, you want to teach your puppy not to jump. This goes for jumping on you or guests in your home. Nothing scares visitors more than visiting someone who has a dog that is not controlled and jumps all over them
Sixth, if there is more than one dog in your home you want to make sure early that your puppy learns to share. That goes for food and toys. You do not want your dogs fighting over these things.
Lastly, and maybe most important you want your puppy to know that you are the boss. There is nothing worse than homes where the animals run the house and they have no respect for their owners.
Bryan Burbank is an expert in the field of Pets.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/learn-how-to-know-what-to-teach-your-puppy-during-their-first-year-1398205.html
Taking a jog on the beach or a nice long walk through the gorgeous downtown area is just a couple of very good reasons to have a well trained dog. It really doesn’t matter where you live, a dog that is well trained is crucial to having a better life with your dog, but how do you choose a good trainer or reliable home dog training course?
There is good news because by living in Miami you have some wonderful options. There are quite a few dog trainers who can help you learn the art of obedience training or show you how to deal with certain behavior problems. You will also be able to find quite a few dog training guides through the internet that are produced by professional dog trainers.
Online dog training is especially useful to the people who are living on the fast track and just do not have the few hours to spare going to a trainers once a week.
*Get Some References
A good trainer should be certified, just don’t take him at his word. Go ahead and ask to see his credentials and do a little background check. Also, see if he will give you a list of some former clients he can use as references. Find out what kind of training methods he uses and if the results last a long time.
*Get Something In Writing
Go ahead and ask for a lesson outline. All good trainers have a written agenda about what each lesson is about.
*Can We Meet?
Since training your dog in Miami is what you are after, see if it would be possible to hook up at a few different locations that you and your dog frequent, the beach for example. Although this isn’t a must, it would be a nice added bonus, giving you the added confidence you need to hang out at the regular haunts with your dog.
*This Particular Breed
Even though obedience training isn’t breed specific, if the trainer has worked with your breed of dog – especially if this breed has a reputation for being stubborn – that would just be icing on the cake.
*Get Some Details
Try and get as many details as you can about the methods he will be using for the training. For instance, does he really push for the students to use prong collars? Do you think that you could be comfortable with his training style? If you can’t, there are plenty of other options.
*View It Live
See if there is any way you can come and observe some of the training. Watch how the trainer communicates with the dogs and their handlers. Does it look as though dogs are his passion? Does he act like patience is a virtue? Do the dogs seem responsive to this particular training style?
*What Questions Is He Asking?
You should get a pretty good idea about the type of trainer he is by taking note of what is required by you before you are admitted into his class. Does he seem to be only concerned about the cash? Does he let you know that you will need shot records?
*Gives You The Guarantee
If this trainer should give you “the guarantee” that your dog is going to pick right up on his style of training, then finding another trainer might be in order. No one method is going to work on every single dog. No trainer out there has a success rate of 100%, particularly on strong willed dogs. If he is a top notch trainer he may offer some follow up training if it is truly needed, but 100% guarantee is a caution flag.
There really quite a few options when it comes to training your dog in Miami, and the benefits of a dog that does what you ask is absolutely priceless. Don’t wait any longer.
Gerald has a passion for everything dogs. His goal is to continue to improve on and share his knowledge. Whether you want to learn how to train your dog or about fixing dog behavior problems he is there to help. Start dog training Miami today!Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-miami-1394080.html
Most dogs love attention so they have a natural desire to seek out new people who might provide more attention. While it might be cute to see your dog excited to meet someone new, it can be quite terrifying for the other person. Remember it’s hard to tell an aggressive dog from an excited one, especially for people who don’t know that much about animals.
For this reason, you need to teach your dog the proper way to meet and greet new people. You don’t want to stop him from meeting people. After all, this is a critical part of healthy socialization. But you do need to teach him the right way.
Meeting New People at Home
When a new person (new to your dog – not necessarily to you) visits your home, your dog might have a couple of different reactions. Some dogs are a bit threatened by the presence of a stranger so they may bark or seem a bit standoffish. Other dogs are eager to get to know the person so they may rush forward seeking out attention.
In both cases, you need to establish proper etiquette. First, you should have your dog sit and stay before you open the door for the new visitor. This is something you’ll need to practice a great deal. Staying will be a huge challenge for any dog in this situation. Just remember to practice and reinforce your desired behavior with treats and praise.
You should also instruct visitors not to have any contact with the dog – not even eye contact – until they have gotten comfortable in the house. At that point, you can release the dog from the stay command. If the dog is too excited or too forceful in getting attention, make him sit and stay until he calms down. Make sure your guests never give your dog attention until he is calm so they don’t accidentally reinforce a bad behavior.
If your dog barks at the guest, make him sit and stay. If he continues to bark, take him out of the room until he calms down then bring him back out. Again, don’t give him any attention until he is calm.
Try to bring over as many visitors as possible so you can practice these activities a lot and so your dog can become socialized with as many new people as possible in the home.
Meeting New People on the Walk
Dog walking is a great activity for meeting new people. If you go to the park, for example, don’t be surprised if people are eager to pet your canine companion at least once or more during the excursion.
The excitement of the other person, particularly if that other person is a child, can really excite your dog and cause him to be a little too energetic about getting attention. However, you must stick to the same type of routine as described above.
Make sure your dog is in a calm, sit and stay position before allowing anyone to give him attention. You may have to ask the other person to wait, of course, while you do this. Don’t be embarrassed about the time this takes. Your responsibility is to your dog and making him well-behaved not to the rest of the public to let them pet your dog on command.
Jumping Up on People
One of the most dangerous greetings dogs can give in an excited state is jumping up on people. You don’t need a very large dog to knock someone over when the dog is coming at full speed and the recipient of the greeting does not expect it.
You can teach your dog not to do this, and new people not to allow it easily.
When the dog is preparing to jump, the person simply turns around so their back is facing the dog. They don’t say anything to the dog and do not make eye contact with the dog. Because no attention is given, the dog quickly loses interest. At this point, you can make him sit and stay so he can receive the attention he wants.
If you don’t mind your dog jumping up on you at some points, you can train them to do it on command. This will actually reinforce your rule of not jumping on people because the dog will only do it when asked if you practice consistently.
David Beart is the owner of the PetYak. Our site covers cat and dog information as well as raising tropical fish and caring for birds.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/training-your-dog-to-meet-new-people-1390224.html
Next Page »
