Pup Talk

Often times owners of pets go overboard with the pet supplies they purchase. Obviously you want to show your love and affection for your pet, but you can easily do so without going overboard. It does depend on the type of pet you have, but for most pets there is a border between too much and the essentials. Here are 5 essentials to pet supplies.

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.

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You’ve picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Then you went from breeder to breeder or humane society to humane society, meeting and greeting pups until you find just the right match.

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.

Dog breeds in general have similar characteristics. Some dog breeds are more likely to kill than others and some breeds are more protective of their masters and physical surrounding than others. There has been a 20 year study to determine which dog breeds are more likely to actually kill human beings. This United States study was done for the years 1979 through 1998.

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.