Sunday, March 31, 2013

A Deep Understanding Of Dogs Can Be Yours

It's a great feeling to own a dog. They are happy, loyal and friendly. They can be great friends to you, your children and your parents. To repay them, you've got to make sure you are doing the best job you can to take care of them. Here are some tips you can use to do that.

If you are considering owning a dog, keep in mind the size of your home when selecting the breed. Large dogs do not mix well with small apartments unless you have the ability to walk them frequently. They need exercise and room to roam. In this situation, a smaller barred might be the better choice.

Don't be upset if your dog does not want to get dressed up. It's becoming more popular to dress your dog in dog clothes, but some dogs just don't like the feeling of having clothes on. If your dog does not relax after the clothing is on, you should remove the clothing to avoid your dog trying to remove it by itself.

Don't forget to trim your dog's nails regularly. Long nails can make him uncomfortable, cause injury to his feet and will ruin your floors. If he makes a "click" sound when he walks on hard wood or linoleum, that's a good indication it's time for a trim. Ask your vet to do it if necessary.

If you have tried everything to get your dog to stop digging your garden to no avail, head to your kitchen. Mix up a batch of cayenne pepper (five tablespoons), hot sauce (also five tablespoons) and a quart of water in a spray bottle and spray it where he digs. It should discourage him quickly.

After reading the tips, you should have a good understanding of the kinds of tasks you can undertake to care for your dog. You can always make improvements, so make sure you put the tips into practice. When you start seeing results, you'll be glad that you did, and your dog will be happy too.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Cat's Natural Instincts

Your cat may not be a picky eater, but that's no excuse for feeding it processed can foods during each meal. Focus on setting up a customized diet with your veterinarian that works well with your cats individual physical needs. This guide was written to help organize this diet along with other health-conscious activities that you should be apart of.

If you don't want your cat to scratch up furniture, try filling a small spray bottle with water and spritzing your cat whenever he tries. Cats generally avoid water altogether for reasons no one is sure about, so he will not like this. Eventually he will stop scratching to avoid getting sprayed.

If you are having a holiday party with lots of guests, make sure to ask your guests to leave their small dogs at home. Lots of noise can make a cat feel uncomfortable, but their discomfort will be increased dramatically once they notice that there is a dog inside the home.

Cats have a natural instinct to hunt small prey. This can sometimes be a problem if you have other small animals in your home. Make sure that bird cages are hanging from the ceiling. If you have a gerbil or hamster, make sure their cages are secure and up high out of your cats reach.

Proper litter-box care is essential for a cat. Most young cats will know what to do with a litter-box naturally, though you may have to prod them gently. Clean the box daily, because cats are fastidious animals. If you change the brand of litter, add a little at a time with the previous brand. Then your cat can adjust.

If you want a cat to come your way, it may be a good idea for you to refrain from looking at them. Cats do not like it when people look them directly in the eye, so they tend to go the other way. This is why it seems as if cats always gravitate toward people who are not really fond of animals.

Even though no two cats are the same, certain breeds are known to possess unique characteristics. For example, bengals and other exotic breeds are notoriously active, especially at night. They have high energy levels and are less cuddly than other domestic cats. Bring home a bengal if you love a unique look and are willing to actively engage your pet.

Cats have their own body-types much like humans and they face their own problems while whipping that body into shape. Make a point to take your cat outside every day and practice a few of these activities to help burn the fat away. Once your cat is lean and healthy, you can turn your focus towards keeping it at that stage.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Canine Proper Care

While owning a dog is a fun and amazing endeavor, it brings with it a great deal of responsibility. Thankfully, this article was written by other owners to ensure you can learn from their own follies in the past. The advice here will make you the best down owner you can be, so read on.

Keep your dog warm during winter with the latest in canine fashion and accessories. You may think it's just for show, but dogs need protection from the elements too! Keeping your dog's paw-pads dry is essential to their health in sub-freezing weather, so invest in suede or leather footwear and pick him up a coat while you're at it. Make them instead if you are creative!

Always give your dog plenty of attention and affection. When your dog behaves properly, make sure you let the dog know you are happy and give them some affection. This will help reinforce the good behavior and the dog will try to behave in this manner for the positive attention..

Your dogs nails don't clip themselves, so it is important that you tend to them. Taking your dog out for walks is helpful, but they will grow regardless of how much time is spent on concrete. If you are too scared of hurting your dog, ask your vet to do it for you.

Respect your pet. When out on a walk, do not force your dog to interact with other people or animals if he does not want to. There is a reason why your dog may not want to get too close, and it is important that you listen to him. If you try and make him interact, your dog may begin to act out over time.

All of the expert advice contained above should have you ready to really take good care of your dog. That said, focus on love and everything else will fall into place. As long as you continue to adore your four-legged friend, and mistakes you make will be forgotten quickly and won't be so harmful.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Greater Joys In Life With Having A Dog

Raising a dog is a big undertaking and long term commitment. The responsibilities that come along with owning a pet are numerous, however so are the rewards. This article aims to provide you with a few useful tips to help you with the different aspects of owning and caring for a dog.

When taking your senior dog to the vet for an annual visit, make sure to request senior blood work. A blood panel can help your vet to identify any kidney, heart or vascular concerns. If caught early, treatment is often minimally invasive and less costly. This is a great way to keep your pet healthy for years to come.

Ease your dog into knowing a new baby that comes into your home. Dogs can be very jealous and you need to continue to show him plenty of love an affection, even though you've got a brand new bundle of joy in your life. Talk to the dog as you handle the baby and keep him in the loop.

Never give someone a dog as a present. Most animals that are given as gifts eventually wind up in a shelter. This is due to the fact that many people can not handle the responsibilities that come with having a pet. If someone wants a dog bad enough they should be the one to make that purchase.

Be a responsible dog owner, to represent the species well. For example, Pit Bulls are feared and often even hated in most places these days, due to irresponsible ownership. People tend to blame the animals when in fact it's the human factor influencing the dog's behavior. Train your dog well and leave a good impression on others!

Determine your dog's specific exercise regimen. Dogs have different fitness needs based their sex, overall health, age, breed mix, or breed. Every dog should have a couple 10-minute walks a day around the block. Dogs between 6 and 18 months, active breed or mixed breeds, terriers, hounds, and herding dogs will most likely require more fitness than others types of dogs.

There are few greater joys in life than the love you can share with your loyal companion. It won't always be a walk in the park but the rewards are more than worth it. Enjoy your pup and continue to learn more to help keep your lives happy and healthy.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Keeping Your Cat Healthy And Happy

There are many parasites that can feed on your cat. Fleas and ticks are two of the well known parasites, but there are plenty more that people forget about. The only way to stop these parasites is with knowledge. Learn how to combat them and keep them from preying on your cat with this article.

When training a cat, take the proper approach. Encouragement works better than anger. If you are trying to teach a kitten to use a litterbox, for instance, yelling will only frighten a small cat. When the cat starts to go outside the box, gently place them in the box so they learn.

A clean litter box is essential for a healthy cat. Litter training your cat is relatively easy. It is almost an instinct for a cat to use a litter box. Make sure you scoop it every day and every week completely change the litter and wash the litter box with dish soap.

Keep the litter box clean. Cats are naturally very clean animals, and a dirty litter box will have your cat looking for alternative places to relieve himself. Cats also value their privacy, so try to locate the box in an area that does not get a lot of foot traffic.

Cats hate a dirty litter box. Litter boxes should be scooped at least once per day, and completely changed each week. Cats are clean, picky animals, and if the litter box gets smelly or full, they will likely look for other areas to go potty. These include carpets, closets and other places you may not know about until the problem is already out of control.

This article featured a number of tips for dealing with cat parasites. These parasites should not be taken lightly. If ignored, they can possibly give your cat diseases, keep them from getting nutrients, and even kill them. Never let the health of your cat be taken for granted. You have the power to save them, so use it.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Expand Your Horizon On Dogs

Dog training requires some initial effort on both you and your dog's part. Make sure that you know what you're getting into ahead of time. Learning as much as you can about dog training ensures that you are armed with enough information to know what to do. Use the article below for tips to expand your horizons on dog training.

Take care to not punish any signs of desirable behavior. For example, if your puppy goes outside like they should, you should not immediately leave them. If they want to be near you and then you have just up and left, it will confuse them because they did something right and they may feel like they are being punished.

Stop your dog from eating poop! For some reason, certain dogs tend to eat feces, either because it tastes good or they are bored. Another theory is that a dog will eat its feces because it sees the owner cleaning it up, and is trying to imitate that behavior. If you see your dog doing this, use the basic 'leave it' command. If your dog already knows this command, it will work immediately. Reward desired behavior. One last thing - dogs will eventually grow out of this habit on their own, so don't worry too much about it.

You shouldn't wait for bad behaviors to start to begin preemptively addressing them. Most new dog owners can expect at least one bad behavior to crop up during their time as a dog owner! Start addressing inappropriate soiling, destructive chewing and separation anxiety as if they're likely to happen, and make sure your environment makes those things hard to occur!

If you're at a loss where to continue with your dog's training, consider joining an organized dog sport. Dog sports are excellent outlets for your dog's energy, and teach him discipline in the process. Best yet, they're a great place to meet like-minded dog owners. You might win a competition or two!

Invest time and effort in training your dog the proper way. Know what you're getting into and arm yourself with knowledge and tips. The tips from the article above should help point you in the right direction. Don't forget to read more about training your dog after this article.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Secure Your Home With A Dog

Home security is an issue that should be top priority in any household. Break-ins can happen at any time and anywhere. You should take measures to keep your family and your home and safe and secure. This article will go over some information that will be helpful to your home security plans.

You do not necessarily need an expensive home security system to protect your home. You can buy a dog. Dogs are great for home security. Not only will they protect your home while you are away, they are great additions to your family offering protection, companionship and additional security for your home.

Dogs are helpful in keeping your home safe. Burglars do not want extra attention drawn to them and even a small, noisy dog can deter someone who wants to break into your home. A trained guard dog may not make the best pet, and you don't have to have an attack dog to keep burglars away.

Consider hiding a spare key on your dog. If you have dogs who have free access to the outdoors, try taping a key securely to the inside of one of their collars. This will make your key accessible should you lock yourself out, while keeping your home safe. If you have multiple dogs, choose the dog who is least friendly with strangers.

Get a family dog to help guard the house when you are away. Dogs not only signify that someone in the house may be home, but also can put fear in the eyes of potential intruders. Do not install doggy doors, as intruders can use these to get into your home.

No home is exempt from intrusion attempts, but you can take precautions to prevent intruders from succeeding. When you take measures to secure your home, you will enjoy the peace of mind that your home is protected. Remember the information in this article and apply it to your home security strategies.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Simple Steps To Effectively Train Your Dog

Training your dog is important for a wide variety of reasons, including safety and health concerns, among others. Whether you plan on training your dog yourself or taking the animal to a professional trainer, the following tips can help you to end up with an obedient, well-behaved pet.

Your anxious dog should have something to do when you're not home. Many people have success with food-based distractions. By appealing to a dog's natural love of food and chewing, food shoved in a rubber toy can make a world of difference for anxious dogs that are home alone. Make sure this food cannot be choked on - there are many dog-safe recipes to be found online for various types of chewing toys.

A good dog training tip is to not spoil your dog by giving them dinner scraps all the time. The more you spoil your dog, the more you enable bad behavior such as begging. Instead, make treats part of a reward system. When your dog has been good, give them a treat as a reward.

You should provide your dog with boundaries and rules when you begin training. Have the dog wait for you to enter the house first, and don't allow him on the couch uninvited. This establishes your leadership to the dog, and allows him to relax and find his place in his human pack.

Allowing your new dog gradual access to all areas of your home will greatly aid you in training and will spare damage to couches, shoes and floors. As your dog learns not to do things like jump, scratch, and chew, open more doors to him. Many make the mistake of allowing full reign of all rooms, which really just offers the dog more opportunity to do the wrong thing.

These tips help to explain why it is necessary to ensure that your dog is properly trained. Even if a professional trainer teaches your dog how to behave, in the end, your dog has to listen to you, the owner. By following these tips, you can make sure that your dog always knows who's in charge.