The first step to having a well behaved dog is to fully understand the dog’s behavior. Only then will you be able to learn to communicate effectively with your pet, thereby, building a successful partnership. This is important, especially if you are the sole owner of the dog.

by ANDI2…..

If you are the sole dog owner, you will probably spend a lot of time with your dog. Another step toward having a great relationship with your animal is to make sure he or she receives proper care. This means that you should regularly walk your dog, take a vested interest in his or her health needs, and always make sure you provide love and affection.

If you are having difficulty with your dog’s behavior, there are steps you can take to work out a solution that will work for both dog and owner. This can mean consulting your vet for ideas, or enrolling your pet in obedience school. Obedience will teach your dog how to behave in certain situations as well as how to respond to given commands. A trainer can also help break bad habits your dog may have that is affecting his or hers behavior.

You will also be provided with step-by-step obedience exercises that you can practice with your dog at home. This will help to enforce the behaviors learned in class. Not doing so will most likely result in your dog resorting back to past behavior because the new behaviors are not being re-enforced.

It is also important to talk to and listen to your dog. Pay attention to how your dog acts and responds to those behaviors. If they are negative, try to find out what you can do to stop and prevent them. If your dog is doing well, be sure to give him or her, the proper praise that is well-deserved. Praise is just as important for dogs as it is for people and will help to promote continuing good behavior.

Bark Busters is Canada’s most successful dog obedience training organization and will come right to your home to help you!
http://www.barkbusters.ca/

Why dental care?
Lack of dental care can cause severe dental diseases in dogs, which can prove fatal. After dog finishes his meal, minute food particles remain inside his mouth. These food particles, and bacteria accumulate on the surface of the tooth causing plaque. Continuous formation of plaque can cause tartar (or calculus) to form, and the gums get swollen up and become red color. This stage is called gingivitis. If the tartar is not removed, it accumulates up under the gums, and this slowly separates gums from teeth. This encourages more bacteria. This stage is called “periodontal” disease. The dog has awfully bad breath (halitosis) at this time, and it is necessary to see your veterinary.

by greyhills2

Worse, the bacteria in mouth pass to intestine with food, and can cause heart, liver or kidney failure in dogs. The bacteria in mouth can go to the heart through the blood stream. These bacteria cause valve failure in heart, and your pet will get severely ill. Diseases of mouth are very painful for the dog, and being a dog lover you would certainly not want your dog to suffer this torture. It is therefore important that you practice oral hygiene for your dog, and protect him from severe diseases.

Symptoms of dental diseases
Bad breath is arguably the most common symptom of dental disease; there are many other ways to find out that your dog has a dental problem. Open the mouth of your dog, and check the teeth. If they are yellow colored, and have brown deposits on them, it indicates dental problem. Check if the dog gums are red and look swollen. More over, if the dog is unable to eat food, or cries in pain while eating, it means that there is severe dental problem with the dog.

Prevention and cure
You might already be wondering what could be the remedy. Well “Prevention is better than cure”. The best thing is to regularly brush your dog’s teeth. It is your first line of defense against plaque, and tartar. Regular brushing keeps teeth healthy, and stops bad breath. Start brushing teeth from the time your pet is young. This will make him accustomed to your finger, and the taste of paste. Later you can start using toothbrushes.

There are also a number of commercially available dog-foods approved by vets, and these can be provided sometimes to your dog. These foods are made such that your dog chews them well, and in the process, the plaque and tartar gets removed.

In case of gingivitis, and “periodontal” disease the vets give anesthesia to the dog, and mechanically remove the tartar. Scaling is often done to remove the tartar that is accumulated under the gums. Once this is done the teeth are polished so that it is difficult for bacterial to develop on the teeth. After treatment, you need to regularly brush dog’s teeth, feed hard food, and regular checkup is necessary.

It is therefore very necessary that you regularly brush your dog’s teeth just like taking care of our own and our baby’s, and maintain proper oral hygiene. Dental care is very important for the well being of your dog.

More about dogs caring can be found in http://dogandpuppy.simpleusermanual.com/

by miscpix

The first thing that you will need for your horse is a home. This may be a stable or a paddock. If you do not have somewhere large enough for your horse to live at your house, you may want to consider agistment or a place that rents out stables or land for horses to live. You will need to keep the home of your horse clean by removing his droppings daily for stables and weekly for pasture.

There are also many daily responsibilities that you will have as an owner. The first is feeding your horse. If you have it in a stable, you will need to feed it grains and chaff, as well as hay and make the stable comfortable for it by providing sawdust or hay for bedding. Horses also need large amounts of fresh clean drinking water. You will need to check the water you provide for your horse regularly during the day to make sure it has plenty and has not tipped it over or drank it all.

Horses also need to have regular exercise and plenty of love and attention. Make the time with your horse enjoyable by giving it a good brushing before and after you ride it. Offer affection and yummy treats such as apples or sugar cubes to encourage it to think of you as his friend. By making friends with your horse, it will try even harder to please you.

Do not forget to clean under your horses feet with a hoof pick daily, as well as before and after you ride it to make sure that it has not picked up a rock in his hoof as this will make it lame. You will also need to have his hooves trimmed by a farrier every 8 weeks to keep its feet from getting cracked, sore or overgrown.

Your horse will need to be wormed regularly and just like people horses need to have regular checkups from a vet, even if they are not sick, to make sure that they are healthy. If you have any concerns about your horse or what to feed it or how often, your vet will also be able to help you.

During winter, you may need to provide a rug for your horse, especially if the winter months are particularly cold. Horses that are in stables will also need to have rugs for the night as they can not move around to keep warm.

As you have read, one of the most important things that you will need is time. The time needed to take care of your horse properly and train it to do the things that you want it to do. When you are able to be patient and gentle with your horse, it will be the best friend that you ever had.

Kelvin is a horse enthusiast and runs his own site at http://www.borrowingfreedom.com. Looking forward to training your horse? You can learn more at http://www.borrowingfreedom.com/horsecare.html

1. Food and water bowls - For every dog, cat, bird and so on, having a food and water bowl is absolutely necessary. Dog food and cat food is something that will be given to your pets on a daily basis and will most likely be the object used most, aside from the leash possibly. Because of this, do not be afraid to spend a little more on the bowls than other items. Try and find a stainless steel dish or something that is sturdy and will last awhile.

by fallsroad

2. Bed - While not everyone considers a bed an absolute necessity, providing a bed is very much recommended for your pet. If your dog or cat has a bed, they can claim it as their own home. This is a place where they can sleep, go to when they are scared and be a place where they can go to get away for a while.

3. Grooming supplies - Just as with humans, pets fur and toenails grow. It is your job to keep your pet maintained and keep them healthy. By researching and shopping around, you can find the best shampoos for your pet, what types of brushes to use and how big of nail clippers to use. These pet supplies will keep your pet looking clean and lovable.

4. Traveling supplies - If you are not the type of person to travel around or bring your pet when you do travel, go ahead and disregard this note. If you do bring your pet with you, having pet supplies when you travel is essential. Some things you can bring with you that you use at home, such as bowls for the dog food and cat food, the leash and possibly the bed. However, it is worth investing into a kennel, especially if you are flying your pet to a different location. You may want to consider purchasing a bag of some sort as well to keep all of your pets toys and grooming supplies in.

5. Toys - Having a few toys for your pets to amuse themselves with and play with is absolutely essential. However, notice how I said a few. There is no point in buying your pet a hundred toys because this will only clutter your house with objects that will not get used. Giving your pet a few different toys so they have options will be sufficient enough.

As mentioned, the types of pet supplies you purchase will vary depending on the pet you have. If you have a fish, you will need an aquarium and aquarium accessories. If you have a dog or cat, you will want food bowls and toys. Regardless, it is important that you provide your pet with the essentials when it comes to pet supplies.

For a various selection of Pet Supplies, please visit the fastest growing Online Shopping Mall at MerchantLand.com. We offer the top brands in Pet Supplies at very reasonable prices.

by alicudi

Now what? He needs a name!

Over the course of its life, you will use your dog’s name more than 35,000 times. So be sure you’re picking a name you can live with and love.

With these seven simple steps, the key to finding the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips!

* Dogs understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well.
* Your puppy’s name shouldn’t sound like any commands. “Stacy” and “stay” are too close for comfort. Such a name will only confuse the issue.
* Remember, you’ll be using your pup’s name in public. “Boner” may be cute among your fellow fraternity members, but it won’t go over well at the veterinarian.
* Make your kids part of the decision process. Kids like it simple, too, so if calling your Champion Cavalier King Spaniel “Bootsie” works for them, consider keeping the hoity toity name strictly for AKC purposes.
* You may think it’s an honor to name your pup after you’re favorite Uncle Norbert. Naming your baby after him may keep you in the will, but naming your puppy after him won’t.
* If you’re bringing home an older dog, ideally, stick with the name it already owns. Can’t stand it because “Barney” was the first boy who broke your heart? Then stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. “Barney” morphs into “Farley” easily.
* Once you’ve chosen a name, try it out for a day or so. You’ll know right away whether it’s a keeper. If not, there’s always more puppy names on your list!

Take a look around you. Everywhere you are, you’ll find a variety of terrific ideas on what to name your pooch.

At first glance, a couple things will stand out about your new puppy. Enjoy him or her for a day or two and take these into consideration.

* Appearance. What’s your dog look like? His color, size, and personal style inspires a variety of name choices. “Stubbs” would be a great name for a dachshund pup. Or you may call a cream colored cock-a-poo “Buffy.”
* Personality. Given a couple of days, your new dog’s personality will really shine through. Try “Cuddles” for the sweet little guy who loves to get cozy or “Puddles” for the pooch who can’t seem to find the doggie door.

If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous dog names or foreign dog names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite puppy names when making your decision.

* Celebrity puppy names. Today, pooches have more celebrity following than their famous owners. Chew on “Lola,” a name used by both Hilary Duff and the Osbournes.
* TV dogs. “Scooby” and “Astro” come to mind if you want to honor a famous TV pup.
* Movie dogs. Cool movies and cool dog names seem to go hand in hand. Cool Hand Luke’s “Blue” would be a fitting label for a variety of dogs. Or try “Bodie,” from the weeper Steel Magnolias.
* Comic dogs. “Snoopy” will always be a favorite, but also consider “Daisy” or “Odie.”
* German dog names. For starters, try out “Fritz” or “Kaiser.”
* Irish dog names. “Finn” fits well for any pup, as does “Murphy,” which just happens to mean “hound of the sea.”
* French puppy names. “Pierre” and “Gigi” are top contenders for any dog, especially those with a little oo-la-la in their genes.

The choices are endless. However, with these simple tips and some thought, before long, you’ll have found the perfect puppy name!

Need a dog name? Jennifer McVey’s site, Favorite-Puppy-Names.com, delivers thousands of great name ideas.

by This Year’s Love

This study tracks 238 human deaths from dog attacks during a 20 year period. 24% of these attacks involved unrestrained dogs off their owners property. 58% of the deaths involved unrestrained dogs on their owners property. 17% involved restrained dogs on their owners property and less than 1% involved a restrained dog off the owners property.

Some of the conclusions of the study are not suprising. Yes, certain breeds are more likely to kill than others. Yes, deaths from dog attack are quite rare. Also it is sometimes difficult to determine the actual breed of a dog. Communities who try to ban specific dog breeds for public safety will find it difficult to define the parameters of what constitutes that breed.

Several factors interact with the dog to enhance the possibility of a human being attacked by a dog besides the breed of the dog. These factors include heredity, sex, early experience, socialization, training, health, reprodcutive status, quality of ownership and victum behavior. Additionally, this study did not look at intervening variable such as was the dog protecting his owner from serious harm or death or was the dog actually protecting himself from serious harm or death.

Male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite then female dogs. Sexually intact dogs,both male and female, are 2.6 more times likely to bite than neutered dogs and chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite then unchained dogs.

One suprising conclusion of several studies is the fact that many varieties of dogs have been involved in a fatal human attack for one reason or another. Topping the list of deaths by dog in a twenty year period is the Pit Bull and Pit Bull mix at 66 human deaths. The Rottweiler and Rottweiler mix was responsibe for 39 human deaths. The German Shepherd dog and mix were responsible for 17 human deaths. The Husky type dog was responsible for 15 human deaths as was the Malamute responsible for 12 human deaths. The Chow Chow was responsible for 8 deaths while the Doberman was responsible for 9 human deaths. The Saint Bernard was responsible for 7 human deaths and the Great Dane was also responsible for 7 deaths. The Akita killed 4 people, the Bulldog 2, the Mastiff 2, the Boxer 2 and believe it or not the Labrador Retriever was responsible for 1 death while Lab mixes were responsible for 4 deaths. The following dogs were responsible for killing one human each during these twenty years: The Bullmastiff, Cheasapeake Bay Retriever, West Highland Terrier, Japanese Hunting Dog, Newfoundland, Coonhound, Sheepdog, Rhodesian Ridgeback and cocker Spaniel.

The conclusion that I make from this study is that almost any dog of size can be dangerous, particularly to children. Dogs must be properly trained, supervised, and care must be taken when choosing a breed with the propensity to be aggressive. Most important, keep young children away from male, sexually intact, chained dogs.

Mitch Endick is a short article writer, editor and website developer for the popular pet site petpages.com.
www.petpages.com is a pet information site with free pet ads, dog classifieds, and puppy for sale info Petpages.com also offeres information on cats, fish, reptiles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, mice and even pet bugs.

by This Year’s Love

Never assume that because a dog’s tail is wagging that he will not bite. It can mean indecision on the dog’s part. If a dog is chasing you, never run unless you can beat the dog to a safe haven. Running is a sure way to aggravate an attack, so if you see a dog wandering loose without an owner and it approaches you, do not run away, yell or make loud noises. Stand very still like a tree and cross your arms over your chest, as if you are giving yourself a great, big hug. (This shape forms the trunk of your tree.) Look away from the dog, because dogs sometimes think direct eye contact is a challenge for power and control. Your intention is not to challenge the dog. Instead you just want the dog to go away. Toss an object away from you and away from the dog. This should attract its attention toward the object and away from you. The dog should move toward the thrown object to sniff and investigate it, which will give you a chance to slowly, turn and walk away. All stray dog encounters does not have to end in a bite.

If you believe that a dog is going to attack you, offer it whatever you have with you, whether it is a clipboard, briefcase, or purse. If the dog is truly aggressive he will grab the object and hold on. As the dog holds on do not let go of the object, if you do he will soon realize that it is not you and will more than likely attack again. Normally, once the dog realizes that he is having little or no effect, he will stop the attack, or at the very least, give you time to plan your next move. You should only strike the dog as a last resort. Inflicting pain on the dog can only make him more aggressive, as he will identify you as the source of his pain. If you happen to be knocked to the ground, remain motionless in the fetal position, and protect your face by crossing your arms above your head. It is also important to remember that turning and running are signals for a dog to chase and attack. Most people are bitten moving away from a dog when they turn to run. Dogs are usually less aggressive on neutral ground, so it is important to gradually increase the distance from where the dog lives, if that is where the encounter occurred. Sometimes all efforts to resolve a stand off with dog fail and the unfortunate happens.

If a dog that may attack you approaches, first follow some simple steps to avoid being bitten. If you are bitten or attacked by a dog, try not to panic. Immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and warm water. Contact your physician for additional care and advice. Report the bite to your local animal care and control agency. Tell the animal control official everything you know about the dog, including his owner’s name and the address where he lives. If the dog is a stray, tell the animal control official what the dog looks like, where you saw him, whether you’ve seen him before, and in which direction he went.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of Repeller Technology, provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today at: Repeller Technology.

by alicudi

Stress Out The Dogs

The thought of sharing my domicile with an animal has me a little stressed out. However, that should be short lived, as according to many experts living with an animal is supposed to help relieve stress in humans. Not exactly sure why that is. Perhaps having a creature you can speak your mind to, that has no recourse but to agree with you? Sometimes us human animals just need someone to listen, and agree with everything we say. Maybe the constant reminder of an animal who has no control over what they eat, where they sleep, how they play, and what goofy clothes they wear, makes people realize that maybe things aren’t so bad for them. Could be worse, you could be a dog.

First Puppy Wins US Open

Apparently exercise is supposed to be another benefit of keeping an animal in the house. Taking them out for walks, playing catch, and bending over to pick up dogie poo all seem wonderful. Really? I tend to like my exercise to be more of the competitive variety. Any chance rover can learn to pick up a tennis racquet? Animals playing sports? Now that’s got potential.

Animals As People Magnets

Need to find some new friends? Get an animal. Your guaranteed to meet other animal lovers, as they all walk their dogs / cats / hamsters through the park. Not so sure these are the best kind of people for me to meet though. Never have been much of an animal lover, so I’m not to sure how I’d fit in with this group. Those people with the big nasty attack dogs always scare me a little. It’s not so much the animal I worry about however, it’s really the owners that concern me. What would posses someone to want to own an animal that could kill you while you sleep is truly beyond me.

Animal Therapist

Apparently animals make great therapists. Hmm, maybe they meant animals are good therapy. That whole unconditional love and admiration thing. Not like the animals have much choice. Seems like a pretty one sided relationship to me. Well hopefully all the animal experts are right and there is some good (therapeutic or otherwise) to living with animals. I hope so, otherwise I may soon be the one in need of a therapist. Preferably a human one.

For more on animals visit http://www.animalswildonline.com or read other animal articles at http://foolishmumbles.com/category/animals/

photo credit: markhillary

A Staffordshire bull terrier might be black, brindle, white or a reddish tan. The original name of this particular breed of dogs was bull terrier. Later, it was changed to its present name. However, do not get it confused with an American Pit Bull Terrier. Although they look similar any lover of either breed could not mistake one for the other.

When you bring home a dog, you want it as your lovable pet. A ‘Staffy’ is not only devoted to you; it also possesses a very friendly spirit and a love of children that has given the nickname of the “nanny dog”.

These dogs are fighters by nature and are aggressive too with other dogs. Therefore, it is to be borne in mind to keep away your ’staffy’ from other same sex dogs. It becomes a mandatory rule for the ‘un-neutered’ male dogs. Therefore, always keep a strict vigil over cohabitation of your ‘Staffy’ and its companions. Two Staffies should never be left alone for long periods.

While breeding a Staffordshire bull terrier, the most important consideration you have to make is its temperament. Remember, that the objective of breeding is to improve the breed. Merely because a SBT is KC registered does not mean it should be bred. The temperament of a Staffordshire bull terrier is its greatest asset so breeding should be done keeping in mind the temperament of the parents.

There are also many health concerns that should be taken into consideration and dogs should be health tested before going ahead with breeding.

The breed standard of Staffordshire bull terrier

The Standard refers to the ‘blueprint’ of Staffordshire bull terrier. This is actually the ideal representative of the breed. There are some particular features, which do not tally with the idea of a Staffordshire bull terrier. Like, white and liver colors are strictly non-acceptable ones for the ‘ideal’ breed.

Keeping within the ideal standard there are some attributes that should be avoided when pairing dogs. Strictly, avoid a pink nose. The eye color is preferably black. Avoid a pink pair of eyes, unless they are enclosed with a white coat with short ears. Complete drop or full prick will be considered a defect. The ‘model’ tallness (at shoulder) and related weight is 14 to 16 inches/28 to 38 pounds (bitches, 24 to 34 pounds). Go for tight and clean lips. A tail that is too stretched or badly curled is an imperfection and the legs should be parallel when viewed from behind.

photo credit: markhillary

Of course, these are attributes that are desired when showing Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and again to meet the idea standards of the breed. Any dog that is born with these traits are loving and adorable pets just like all the rest.

Remember, a ‘Staffy Bull’, is very intelligent, brave and a faithful dog. It could become an indispensable part of your family if trained well.

Mal Keenan is editor and publisher of Staffordshire Bull Terriers Website.

Visit his Staffordshire Bull Terrier forum for more info on the dog breed and to meet with other Staffy lovers:
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Forum

photo credit: Raleene

While these are perfectly good reasons to consider this business, it’s important to take a realistic look at the rewards as well as the challenges of starting a doggie day care business and what you should look at to determine if you have the “right stuff”.

GROWTH AREA
First, let me say that focusing on the doggie day care business is a smart choice since the shifting demographics in the United States show lots of promise for this type of a service.

The typical client is two adults who both work and have no children. These two-income “families” have, in effect, made the dog the child of the family and are quite willing to pay for their pet’s happiness and wellbeing. These types of owners know that a happy dog is a tired dog and understand the pitfalls of leaving their dogs home alone all day while the’re away at work.

With 38% of all households owning at least one dog, this positive trend of more dogs and less time bodes well for the industry.

WHO IS SUCCESSFUL IN THIS BUSINESS?
People in the doggie daycare business come from a wide variety of backgrounds. What they all share is a love of dogs, a desire to run their own business, are self-motivated and have good people skills. While dogs will be your focus during the day, keeping the person on the other end of the leash happy is just as important. No dog has ever been known to write a check!

It’s also important to understand that owning and operating a doggie day care business requires long hours and lot’s of hard work. Since most people drop off their pets on the way to work and pick them up on the way home, you, or someone on your staff, will need to be there when your first customer arrives until the last one goes home. 6am - 8pm days are not uncommon.

HOW MUCH CAPITOL WILL YOU NEED TO GET STARTED
How much will it cost to create a doggie day care facility and get it up and running? Well, a lot depends on how many improvements you plan on making to your space. Extensive build-outs will cost more while a medium amount of modifications will cost less.

According to a cross section of active doggie day care business owners interviewed on the Doggie Day Care Business DVD, some have opened their businesses for as little as $10 - $15,000 while some spent as much as $100,000. According to information provided by the American Boarding Kennels Association (ABKA) a non-profit trade association, 50% of doggie day care owners spent $50,000 or less in start-up capital, while 24% spent $25,000 or less.

What they all agree upon, however, is the importance of having at least 6 months of working capital to keep you afloat until the business begins to catch hold.

photo credit: ebogjonson

BIGGEST MISTAKES
Probably the biggest mistakes that new doggie day care business owners can make is starting too big with too many dogs. Other pitfalls include taking in inappropriate dogs (unneutered males, aggressive dogs, dogs that are too shy, etc) and not training the staff properly to anticipate problems before they occur.

Most successful doggie day care business start small, establishing procedures and systems that they know are successful, and then gradually expand by adding more dogs per day.

Joining an association like the American Boarding Kennels Association (ABKA) will also help connect you with other doggie daycare owners and can assist you in acquiring group liability insurance as well as providing ongoing education and promotional opportunities.

Molly Locklin is the creator of the “Doggie Day Care Business” DVD as well as other educational DVDs on starting your own pet business. http://www.mypetbusiness.com