Pet Information

In Pennsylvania, which is a large state with lots of rural land, it can be difficult to find a good obedience school where you can get your furry companion cared for and trained the way you want. Instead of driving hours to have strangers teach your dog, perhaps you should consider being your own dog training service PA. By following a few simple tips, you can be on your way to getting your dog obedience trained from the comfort of your own home.

Being the Alpha Dog

If the dog you are looking to train is a puppy, the first thing you need to do is establish yourself as the alpha dog in the pack. Once the puppy knows that you are the leader, the obedience training becomes much easier than it was before. This, in fact, is a great reason not to drop your little one off at a dog training PA school where they will be the alpha dogs, not you.

If you have a grown dog, teaching him or her that you are the leader is still imperative, though it may not be as easy. At least early on, make sure you are the one feeding and caring for the dogs. Once they see that you are providing for the pack, you will quickly become the alpha dog and the training gets easier right away.

Nothing is Free

A concept taught in most dog training PA services is the idea that nothing is free. You can use this same idea in your home as you teach your dog obedience. Reward with treats, but never give them for just any reason. When you allow the dog to understand that treats, and nothing else for that matter, are not free then he will always be looking to please you. This method is as close to universal as anything in dog obedience training.

Be Consistent

If you are going to be your own dog training PA facility, then you need to adhere to the consistency such places will give your canine companion. Be sure that you do your activities at similar times each day. In addition, do not accept behaviors that are not acceptable and do not reward when a reward is not due. The consistency will help your training as well as your activities go much more smoothly overall.

Training your dog at home can really save you on travel, especially in a state like Pennsylvania where many of the facilities are so far away. In addition, you will save on money and time. However, perhaps the most important part of training your dog at home is that you get to bond with your pet.

Dog food aggression is one of those dog behavior problems that is difficult for us humans to fully understand. It just doesn’t seem to make sense that your dog would consider you a threat to his/her food resource. I mean you gave him the food in the first place, and if you feed your dog’s the same kinds of foods that I do, it’s not all that appealing anyway!

But, what is your dog thinking?

If your dog glares at you, snarls, growls and positions himself between you and the food he is actually saying to you “this is mine, go away, find your own”. He is basically telling you that he considers himself as the leader or alpha dog in your household. Dog food aggression (sometimes called canine possession aggression) is a dominance issue, it is serious and needs to be addressed immediately, it won’t just go away.

We’ve all made the mistake of laughing and even encouraging our feisty little dogs when they first display the “cute” signs of dog food aggression. Don’t fall into this trap! Food or toy aggression in dogs should never be tolerated as you never know when it can escalate into something more dangerous for you or a family member.

Why Does Your Dog Display Dog Food Aggression?

Canine possession aggression can be triggered by any number of factors but in most cases it can be attributed to one of these common causes:

1. Your dog is desperate for this food, in his mind he doesn’t know if or when he will get more food. Therefore he protects or guards his food, just like he would have done in a pack situation in the wild.
2. Your dog may begin to see you as someone who is always taking good stuff away. He comes to view you more as a threat than a provider (you’ve got to turn this thinking around).
3. Dog food aggression can be part of the general confusion regarding who the leader is in your owner - dog relationship. Often it is not an isolated incident, it’s something you need to rectify.
4. It’s possible that your dog doesn’t even understand that his dog food aggression is unacceptable behavior. In such cases there is an obvious communication breakdown between human and dog.

General Rules For Correcting Food Aggression In Dogs

• If your dog is directing his aggression towards other dogs the best solution is to simply separate them at meal times. Feed them in different rooms or in their crates.

• Involve all of your family members in this dog food aggression training.
• Take control of feeding time. You control the time and place of dinner time - own the food!
• Make your dog earn any food. Just simple tasks like sit or a down stay is fine.
• Make it clear to your young puppies that it’s good to have people around when they are eating. If you do this from day one you will almost certainly prevent dog food aggression problems.
• If you encounter dog food aggression it is a good idea to feed your dog after you and your family eat. This again is a throwback to your dogs pack mentality where the alpha dog or leader of the pack (which is you) eats first - your dog will understand this technique.
• Don’t let your dog “win” the food through his growling, this would reward the very behavior you are trying to eradicate. Don’t bully or intimidate your dog though, it’s much better to make him actually like having you around at meal time (follow the tips below to achieve this).
• Never respond to canine possession aggression with aggression of your own. In essence what this does is to lock you and your dog into a battle of wills. Your dogs next move will most likely be to step up his level of aggression to counter your action.

Dog Food Aggression Training Techniques

Firstly, be careful. If you believe your dog poses any real physical threat to you or family members I’d advise getting professional help. Speak to a professional dog trainer or animal behaviorist.

Below is a list of training techniques which could help your dog overcome his dog food aggression. Remember all of these techniques are designed to work towards reconditioning your dog to enjoy having you around anytime. Mix it up, show your dog who is boss.

• Hand feed your dogs, even stick your hands into your dogs bowl while he is eating.

• Stroke and pet your dog while he is eating and at the same time talk to him in a calming tone. All you are doing at this point is showing your dog that it is a good thing for you to be around.
• Stand at a distance your dog is comfortable with, then gradually reduce this distance over time. You can flick a few treats in (or near) the bowl as you slowly reduce the distance.
• Put your dogs bowl down with nothing in it, your dog will look back at you as though you are crazy. He’ll then literally beg you to come over and fill his bowl.
• Feed your dog as normal but hold back a few pieces of his meal. When he is finished licking the bowl, he’ll look back up at you, then you can come over and give him the remaining food.
• Drop a few of your dogs very favorite treats into his bowl each time you walk past it. After a while of this your dog will welcome the sight of you approaching the bowl.
• When your dog is eating, call him over to you, when he gets to you reward him, make it worth his while then let him back to the food bowl.
• While you are preparing your dogs meal put him in a down-stay or sit position, only release him from your command once you have put his bowl down. By doing this you are controlling meal time and establishing (or re-establishing) your role as your dogs leader.
• Work with another family member on this technique. Put your dog in his collar and leash and have him sit with your helper while you prepare the food. When you are ready release your dog and allow him his food. Again you are controlling the situation.
• Try the “Trade Up Method”. What you do is take away the food or toy your dog is guarding, and replace it with something better. You can use an obedience command such as “give” or “leave it” to encourage your dog to release the precious resource he is guarding. You then take this resource (the food or toy) and give the trade up item to your dog. Once your dog has finished with the new item, you can then give back the resource you took away. This technique proves to your dog that he will receive something great for giving something up, it will recondition his thinking.
• Every time you are with your dog have him in a pinch or prong collar with a leash attached. Whenever he displays any signs of dog food aggression you immediately administer a correction to your dog by snapping on the leash. What this does to your dog is build a negative association to the act of his food guarding antics.

Almost everyone sooner or later dreams of starting a home based business to make some extra money, or to be able to work part time. The one thing that stops most folks from acheiving this goal, is money. They just don’t have the financial stability to either borrow the money needed or are not sure they can pay it back. There is one business that anyone can start with no upfront money needed, all that is required is patience and kindness, this is the business of Pet Sitting.

In the U.S. over 70% of all homes contain at least one pet, there are over 65 million dogs and 77 million cats, and in 2005 American’s spent over $14 billion on their pets. All of these pets need care and treatment, and at many times throughout the year each pet has to be left unattended a large amount of the time. During these times, a pets owner often needs the services of a ‘ Pet Sitter ‘.

There are two ways you can operate your own pet sitting business, if you own your own residence, you can watch pets inside your home, having the pet owners drop off their pets at your residence. This puts you more at ease, and you have more time to devote directly to your home duties as well as the pet sitting business, since you don’t have to spend time traveling to the pet owners residence. Just make sure you have proper areas sit up for the pets that will be arriving, they must not interact with your own pets, as this can cause fights, unwanted breeding and the spreading of fleas and diseases. Plus pets dropped off at your residence will be scared because they will be in unfamiliar surroundings.

You may wish to stay at the owners residence and watch the pets while they are not home, like a babysitter. This has benefits and disadvantages as well. For one thing you will be traveling and will have to spend a great deal of time away from your own residence and money on gasoline. You may also break or damage something in the pet owners home, causing trouble for you. Or you may find yourself in a hostile environment, due to fighting between the pet’s owners, or other household members. Staying in someone elses residence could also get you accused of stealing something, even though you didn’t, but a babysitter faces these same obsticles also. The benefits of watching the pets in the owners home is you will have a lot less chance of exposing your own pets to diseases and unwanted breeding and fights, and the pets you are sitting will be calm and relaxed since they are being left in their familiar environment.

Either method of pet sitting you choose has it’s advantages and disadvantage, so you must carefully choose which is better for you. Just make sure that whatever type of service you choose, that you think of the job as carefuly as a babysitter would. Think of the pet as a small child, because a lot of pet owners love their pets as if they are children.

Make sure you have some knowledge of the pets you will be sitting, for instance read and learn about them all you can, dogs and cats are pretty easy, birds are harder, but snakes and lizards or turtles may be totaly unique and could even pose a danger to you, if your not familiar with them. Pets need sleep and rest time, they need activity or exercise, they need food, water and warmth, some even require medication at certain times of the day, but all pets need patience and love. Make sure you have emergency telephone numbers, so you can call the owners veterinarian or pet clinic in case you have too, and you may also need to get in contact with the pets owner, so don’t forget the telehone number where they can be reached at.

There is computer software that is made just for someone who is starting or owns a Pet Sitting business. The software is available for download at this website address: http://www.rb59.com/pet-sitting-software

By Robert W. BenjaminCopyright © 2006

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Fish death is one of the main problems that beginner aquarist and even some expert aquarist face. It’s frustrating to the extent that most quit keeping aquarium fish.

But fish death can be avoided. Most fish deaths are caused as a result of both an internal and external types parasites that compete with the fish in tank.

As a result if you watch your aquarium fish often you should be able to discover when they have been infected by this parasite and be able to treat them to avoid fish death.

Look out for the following White Spot disease behavioral symptoms in your fish.

- Constant lying on the bottom or hanging at the surface.

- Rubbing of the body against rocks

- Gasping at the water surface

- No response to feeding

- General dullness and lethargy

- Hovering in a corner

- Fish swimming with clamps up

The most common of the visible signs is the development of the pin head-size while spots on the body or fins. This ailment is referred to as White Spot disease and is caused by the parasite - Ichthyophthirius Multifillis.

This parasite has a free-swimming stage, which attaches itself to the fish. The most common chemical used in treating infected fishes is Methylene Blue. You could buy a one per cent stock solution from a reputable chemist or aquarium shop and apply at 0.8 to 1.0ml per gallon of water. This amount should be added all at once. Repeat after one or two days.

The fishes must remain in this bath until every while spot has disappeared. A water change after treatment is necessary or else prolonged contact with the chemical may affect the fertility of the fish.

Another tip if you are using a side filter with activated charcoal should remove it to prevent the coal from absorbing the Methylene Blue.

Another tip… during treatment you should use artificial aeration with coarse bubbles near the surface, since a dirty bottom would inactivate the medicament by absorption. A better measure is to remove all dirt from the bottom before treatment.

Methylene Blue is harmless to young fish and unlike the general belief, it does not affect plants if used in weaker concentration.

Dogs cannot be tamed without proper knowledge. They have many peculiar ways of showing their discomfort. A healthy dog is liked by one and all. To have a healthy dog one has to patiently handle all its basic necessities. To know the basic necessities, one has to improve their knowledge about dogs.

Dogs to be tamed should be taken care of properly. Its nails are also an important part of its body. Trimming of dog’s nails is essential. White nails can be easily trimmed. A dog with black nails cannot be trimmed easily. If one is unable to trim, they have to go to veterinary doctor or to groomers who will do the work efficiently. Nail cutting should be done on a regular basis, or else dogs may refrain from letting one cut their nails.

Dogs have long nails. Some dogs do not like their nails trimmed. The nails of a dog should not touch the ground. The noise of nails scratching the floor is a sign for the dogs to undergo nail trimming. There are certain differences in certain dogs. Dogs walking on hard surfaces have a habit of maintaining their nails. Longhaired dog nails should be trimmed very carefully with trimmers. In the same manner hairs at the bottom of the foot should be removed, as it is necessary for them to have a grip on the floor. Soft nail clips can be put to dog’s paws so that it does not hurt human beings skin. Dogs are very sensitive and so to avoid them from getting infected these nails are put on.

Dogs are very sensitive and so they get irritated and inflamed very quickly. Utmost care has to be taken to keep it healthy. Healthy can be maintained only with regular attention. Every part of the body has to be taken care of from the puppy stage. A periodical checkup with a veterinary doctor will help one to maintain the fitness of a dog.

The Afghan Hound is a medium to large 55 to 65 pound dog that grows to between 24 and 29″ in height. The Afghan Hound has long, silky hair and appears to be both elegant, reserved and agile. But, don’t let the looks fool you. They can run, frolic and play with the best of the dogs.

Afghan Hounds comes in a variety of colors including Black, red, cream, fawn and brindle. Fawn, cream and brindle Afghans typically have a black mask on face or on fringe of ears. White markings are discouraged by the AKC. In contrast to the long hair on its body, the Afghan Hound as a long, thin tail that curls on the end and is covered with short hair. Because of their long, thick hair, the Afghan Hound requires regular grooming.

They are very energetic and affectionate dogs. They get along with children, other dogs and pets, especially those that they know from puppyhood. They do not always get along with cats, especially those that they aren’t familiar with. Some Afghan Hounds can be more on the timid or high strung side, so they are recommended more for older or well behaved children. The Afghan Hound is an ideal dog for homes where they will get plenty of exercise, outside play and where there is ample room to roam and explore.

The breed can date itself back over 5000 years. It is native to Afghanistan. It is a sight hound and was originally used for herding, hunting and as a watchdog. Due to its quick speed, it made an excellent hunting animal to pursue game. It only reached Europe and the United States in the 1900s because its exportation was prohibited. The Afghan Hound is now used mainly as companion, watchdog and hunting dog.

This dog with a dignified air is a loyal and faithful companion. They make good watchdogs and a great companion for an active family that enjoys exercise and play. If you choose an Afghan then plan on a lifetime of love and enjoyment from your new pet.

My wife and I have been married for 32 years. In that time our pets, more commonly known to us as dogs, have taken a large part of that shared life together. It is no secret that these sometimes small friends are able to take the sting out of loneliness, the hurt out of bad relationships, or in our case, add happiness to an already happy time.

The first dog we had was a mix of german shepherd and black lab. The dog was a female, with mostly black, and some brown. We called her “Berny”, after her long name of Bernecia Bernard the first. My wife had picked her up when we first decided to tie the knot. She showed me this small puppy when we met the next day after she received her. I was glad, for I did like dogs.

It wasn’t long before I moved to another city some twenty miles away and took the small dog with me. A short time later, we were married and started our new life together. It was sheer h___, the first six months of our marriage. Two strong personalities that had trouble getting along. But, eventually we learned as other couples do. That is,that those differences when you were first married , you know the ones. Those things in each other you simply could not put up with, well after time and years, along with age; you decide that those things were not as bad as you thought. You simply stop fighting and started enjoying each other. It was during those times of the early years this german shepherd mix would be the friend to both of us. She was trained to go ask to go out, well trained to sit and stay, and a number of other commands. After awhile, it seemed the dog could just understand us as we spoke to her. We had her some 12 years, before she died. We missed her terribly. A good friend had left us. One we loved very much. A tear still fondly fills my eye as I recall this.

It was this shortage of dog power around, that led us to get our next dog. This one lasted fifteen years. A registered toy poodle named “Lady Cocoa Puff Bon Bon”. She was a fiesty chocolate color, with spit and vinegar in her spirit. We loved her from the start. She too became potty trained and with Berny, could almost seem to know what we wanted just by our talking to her. She, though, unlike our other dog, was stubborn at times. If she wanted to go with you and you left her home, be prepared to find her leaving a mess of torn up paper and anything else she could get ahold of. As she grew older, her sight went bad, she could not move well. In the end, she left us as well. I chuckle now, thinking of this small spitfire. We have had two dogs, some 27 of the 32 years of marriage. We never got another dog, as of yet. We keep looking, but with already having two of the finest dogs ever put on Gods earth, it is hard to think we could find another one as loyal, loving, and of independent character as the two we have had.

In all, we decided to, if we get another, “lets do a poodle again”…

Patio dog doors are essential especially when you are not around for your pets. Through the patio dog doors, your pets are able to come into the house or play out in the yard without any difficulty.

Installing patio dog doors

Contrary to popular belief, installing a patio dog door is not at all hard. Because this kind of dog door makes use of a ready-made tall and translucent pane that fits the size of an existing door frame on your patio. Right at the bottom of this panel is a flexible pet door, so that your dogs can step through with comfort.

Not exactly the handyman? Don’t worry. Cutting and drilling will not be problem, either. This type of dog door is simply inserted onto one part of your patio door’s side. You can also use this on sliding glass doors. There is no need to worry about the height of your patio doorframe, as these dog doors are basically available to fit various frame heights and come available in sizes apt for your pet’s body built.

How can the patio dog door be secured?

Dog doors have, however, been radically used as the main access of thieves to enter the house they are robbing. It is therefore necessary that you install patio dog doors that are comprised of top-notch aluminum that are harder for thieves to open. The patio dog door panel should also have a security lock system. Some can be attached to a plain patio dog door for added security. These devices ‘read’ the key attached to your dog’s collar so that only he or she can enter.

For nearly five years Anna Lamb, 36, has struggled with depression. She has sought help from doctors, taken various prescription and over the counter medications, vitamins, and an array of natural remedies all in an effort to control it. What has perhaps been the most welcome and effective antidote to combating her depression, however, came to her by chance in the form of a neglected, seven year old border collie named Mike. A friend of hers who is active in a border collie rescue group convinced Anna to bring Mike home and care for him. “It was hard to live alone,” she explains, “hard to come home at times. The only thing facing me was cleaning, the television, the computer, the telephone; no other living being. Mike has changed that. It’s nice to come home and have him waiting for me. One of my classmates even told me a short time after I got Mike that my disposition changed. I seemed happier.”

Researchers are working to determine whether or not there is any valid medical evidence to support what pet owners like Anna have professed all along, that pets make a positive difference in their lives. In recent years studies have been done with groups of people such as those who live alone, the elderly, and even married couples to see what health benefits, if any, are gained from owning a pet. These studies have included looking at the physical as well as emotional aspects of pet ownership.

Karen Allen, Research Scientist from the Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, specializes in research on the physiological effects pets have on humans. One of her studies involved 48 stockbrokers, all of whom were being treated with ACE inhibitors, medication for high blood pressure. They all lived alone and had not owned pets for at least five years prior to the study. Allen chose people who had the means and desire to care for a pet. “I wanted to make sure these were very responsible people,” she says. She also made sure each of them would welcome a pet into their lives if they were selected to be part of a group that was assigned pets. When the study began, half of the participants were selected at random and asked to acquire their choice of a dog or a cat. At the end of six months, when they were all receiving ACE inhibitors, those people in the pet-owning group remained significantly more stable during stressful times than those without the pets. They showed less of an increase of blood pressure and heart rates than the non pet-owner group. After the study was completed, and the participants were told of the results, Allen says, “They kept the animals, and in fact, at least half of the people [in the study] who got the drugs went out and got pets.”

“One interesting finding that we seem to have discovered,” Allen points out, “is that people who have the fewest social contacts seem to benefit the most. We think it’s because pets substitute for a certain type of social support.” An earlier research project she did involved elderly women, who lived alone, with a pet. She found that they tend to be more active and have lower blood pressure than other elderly women living alone with no pets. Because pets demand attention and exercise, quite often this makes their owners more active than their counterparts who do not have pets. Additionally, this increased activity translates into health benefits such as less depression and anxiety, and increased social behavior, which alone has been proven to be beneficial to our health.

So, should you rush out to the shelter and adopt Fido to improve your health? That all depends. According to Allen, people who benefit the most from having pets are those who view the animal as a cherished member of the family. You might think of Anna though, who has found a best friend and pseudo therapist in her dog, Mike. “He is very affectionate,” Anna says. “Mikie looks at me with his big brown eyes and forces me to get up when I’m depressed. It’s hard when he’s asking me to save his life and let him outside but he also seems to care about how I feel. Now I have someone to nurture.” But the truth is, Anna and Mike both have someone to nurture.

© 2005 PetsitUSA.com All rights reserved.

The Ragdoll breed of cat was developed by a breeder in California, Ann Baker, in the 1960s. She bred a white female Persian that carried Siamese markings to a male Birman. She introduced those offspring to a female Burmese, resulting in today’s Ragdoll, a medium sized breed with oval blue eyes and a medium length coat with Siamese markings. Mature Ragdolls (considered adult around age three), are heavier than other breeds; males will weigh anywhere from twelve to twenty pounds and females ten to fifteen pounds. They will live an average of twelve to twenty years. Their fur does not tend to mat or shed excessively, all though regular grooming is a must (something this breed does not mind).

A Ragdoll’s coat will start all white at birth then develop into four colors: seal, which has dark seal brown points with a light tan body; chocolate, which has milk chocolate points with an ivory body; blue, which has dark gray points with a pale gray body; and, lilac, which has pinkish gray points with a frosty white body. In addition to these colors, Ragdolls have three patterns: colorpoint, which has dark points (ears, tail, face, and feet) with a body of a lighter shade and no white markings; mitted, which has dark points and lighter body, but also has white ‘mitts’ on the front paws, white ‘boots’ on the back legs and feet, a white chin, a white strip on the stomach, and a white ruff; and, bi-color, which has the dark points (ears and tail), but the mask is interrupted by a ‘V’ running between the eyes and expanding into the muzzle.

Ragdolls make good family pets for several reasons. They like their human company and try to be ‘considerate’ of their family. Ragdolls take care not to scratch children and are gentle around them, and will follow their family around the house to be in their company. They are not noisy and talkative, and tend to keep their purring at a low volume.

Ragdolls are also intelligent cats and can be trained easily when given rewards. They are described as docile and laid back almost to a fault. Because of this temperament, Ragdolls are less likely to defend themselves in dangerous situations. For this reason, Ragdolls should be kept indoors at all times and away from more dominant animals (whether cat or another family pet). This is a healthy breed of cat and Ragdolls do not have any unusual medical concerns.

There is a website that has great information on Ragdoll and most other breeds of cats. It has details that pertain to a cat breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.