There are many different techniques you can use to train your dog, and it is important to find one that works for you and your family in order to have the most loyal and well-behaved pet possible. All successful styles of dog training emphasize the bond between dog and owner, and the basis of a successful training program is earning the dog’s respect. It is fortunate that dogs are innately programmed to submit to a leader, it allows them to follow commands and make training easier.
This article will discuss one of the more common types of dog training –leash/collar training. Other articles will examine other common dog-training techniques, known as reward training or positive reinforcement.
Both the leash/collar styles of dog training and reward-based dog training have been proven to be effective methods of dog training over time. The method of training that is most effective is dependent on the dog’s breed and his temperament. Each dog has its own personality, which is emphasized even further by many years of selective breeding.
The personalities of individual dogs can be very different, even within the same breed. It is up to you, as the owner, to determine which method of training will work best for your dog, so it is important to work with the trainer in order to attain your goal of an eager, well-trained and friendly dog.
Leash/collar training is the best way to fulfill many factions of dog training, especially in circumstances where the dog must be very dependable. For example, certain working dogs, such as police dogs, rescue dogs or guard dogs, tend to gain from leash and collar training.
In leash/collar training, different levels of force can be used, varying from light modifications with the lead to firmer corrections. The level of correction used should be relative to the situation, as too much correction, or not enough, can prove unproductive.
In a leash/collar emphasized dog-training program, the dog is first taught a desired behavior on the leash. Once the dog seems to understand the command, the leash is then used to modify incorrect behaviors. The leash is used as the main form of control and communication with the dog in this form of training.
With leash/collar training, the dog must learn to trust the handler and follow commands without any hesitation. The dog is considered fully trained when the handler is able to show that the dog will follow a command even if he does not want to. While this does not mean using brute force, it will likely necessitate some physical handling. This type of handling is most effectively completed by use of the leash.
Anyone attempting to train his or her dog should understand that the leash is merely a device. While the leash is necessary for this style of dog training, it is important for the dog trainer to strive for the same results using whatever gear are nearby.
No matter what device the owner uses for training, such as the owner’s body and voice, the dog should be eager to comply. Building a trusting relationship between owner and dog is vital, and it is important that the leash is used as a tool rather than a crutch. A properly trained dog should be eager to obey with or without a leash.
2008年8月28日星期四
2008年8月22日星期五
Avoid Hot Dogs With A Kennel Shade Cover
Sometimes, life is for the dogs. Especially on those blistering hot summer days. That's the time that you need to pamper your best friend with a cool and comfortable kennel shade cover.
Pet owners have an obligation to provide the highest quality of life for their dogs. This includes time spent inside, and outside, the home. If your dog spends his or her time in an outdoor kennel, you must use a kennel cover to provide shade from the hot sun.
It's easy to find and install a dog kennel shade cover, and it doesn't have to be expensive. You can find a basic dog kennel shade cover to provide the degree of protection your pet needs, at a price you can afford.
If you have more than one kennel on your property, each one must have a shade cover. The shade protects your pets and helps keep them cool in the hotter months, and provides much needed shelter when the weather turns bad. Severe weather or extended periods of rain and snow can be very harmful to animals. Finding the right dog kennel shade cover is essential to ensuring your pet remains healthy, whatever the weather.
Don't Cut Corners
Some pet owners ask, "Why buy a shade cover, when I can throw a tarp over the dog kennel?" Of course, this is not the best method of protecting your pet. A tarp might keep the sun out, but the material cannot withstand everything nature has to offer. Over time, tarps will break down and tear, allowing the driving rain and snow to harm your pet. Tarps cannot deflect the sunlight, and may even cause an increase in the temperature of the kennel area.
Instead of using a plain tarp, spend a few extra bucks to invest in a proper dog kennel shade cover. These covers are slanted at an angle, and then simply secured to your structure. The slanting of the cover ensures that all rainwater, snow and melting ice will fall directly to the ground rather than pooling on top. This prevents the risk of collapse or flood.
Tie it Tightly
After installing the kennel cover, go back to double-check that it's properly installed and securely tightened, before you put your dog in the kennel. The cover could blow away during high winds, leaving your dog exposed to the elements and prone to injury from heavy rain, sleet or snow.
Size Matters
Dog kennel shade covers are available in a variety of sizes, and most can be added to an existing kennel that's already set up in your yard. Take accurate measurements of your kennel, and purchase a cover with a proper fit. There's no point in going to the time and trouble of installing a cover that's too large or too small. If you haven't built a kennel yet, you're better off looking for a complete setup that includes the cover in the kennel package. Otherwise, you'll end up paying extra for a cover later on.
When it's raining cats and dogs, your pet needs a place where he or she can be warm and comfortable. Above all, your pet needs to be safe. The money and time spent installing a dog kennel shade cover is certainly worthwhile. After all, nothing is too good for your best friend.
Pet owners have an obligation to provide the highest quality of life for their dogs. This includes time spent inside, and outside, the home. If your dog spends his or her time in an outdoor kennel, you must use a kennel cover to provide shade from the hot sun.
It's easy to find and install a dog kennel shade cover, and it doesn't have to be expensive. You can find a basic dog kennel shade cover to provide the degree of protection your pet needs, at a price you can afford.
If you have more than one kennel on your property, each one must have a shade cover. The shade protects your pets and helps keep them cool in the hotter months, and provides much needed shelter when the weather turns bad. Severe weather or extended periods of rain and snow can be very harmful to animals. Finding the right dog kennel shade cover is essential to ensuring your pet remains healthy, whatever the weather.
Don't Cut Corners
Some pet owners ask, "Why buy a shade cover, when I can throw a tarp over the dog kennel?" Of course, this is not the best method of protecting your pet. A tarp might keep the sun out, but the material cannot withstand everything nature has to offer. Over time, tarps will break down and tear, allowing the driving rain and snow to harm your pet. Tarps cannot deflect the sunlight, and may even cause an increase in the temperature of the kennel area.
Instead of using a plain tarp, spend a few extra bucks to invest in a proper dog kennel shade cover. These covers are slanted at an angle, and then simply secured to your structure. The slanting of the cover ensures that all rainwater, snow and melting ice will fall directly to the ground rather than pooling on top. This prevents the risk of collapse or flood.
Tie it Tightly
After installing the kennel cover, go back to double-check that it's properly installed and securely tightened, before you put your dog in the kennel. The cover could blow away during high winds, leaving your dog exposed to the elements and prone to injury from heavy rain, sleet or snow.
Size Matters
Dog kennel shade covers are available in a variety of sizes, and most can be added to an existing kennel that's already set up in your yard. Take accurate measurements of your kennel, and purchase a cover with a proper fit. There's no point in going to the time and trouble of installing a cover that's too large or too small. If you haven't built a kennel yet, you're better off looking for a complete setup that includes the cover in the kennel package. Otherwise, you'll end up paying extra for a cover later on.
When it's raining cats and dogs, your pet needs a place where he or she can be warm and comfortable. Above all, your pet needs to be safe. The money and time spent installing a dog kennel shade cover is certainly worthwhile. After all, nothing is too good for your best friend.
2008年8月14日星期四
Choosing the Right Fish for a New Fish Tank
Once you pick out your new fish tank and get it all set up your biggest decision is going to be what type of fish to put in it. One of the biggest factors that will determine the type of fish to buy is the size of the tank. If you have a small 5 or 10 gallon tank then it just doesn't make sense to buy fish that may grow to be 6 to 12 inches long.
One of your best resources when it comes to purchasing fish is the people who work at the local pet store. They can point you in the right direction, making the learning curve much easier. There is also a wealth of information across the internet about fish and fish tanks, so much so that it may take a little time to research the type of fish you think may work in your new aquarium.
If you are looking for a more decorative tank with lots of color then smaller more brightly colored fish such as tetras, neons, and even angel fish are a good choice. There are hundreds of small fish varieties to choose from and most of them will school, making for a constant display of flashing colors in your tank. Smaller fish are easier to care for as well, eating simple flake food and keeping aquarium maintenance to a minimum.
If you bought a large tank then your choices increase. For the truly adventurous large fish such as cichlids can be a fun choice. They are much hardier then smaller fish so there is less chance of them dying after you get them home, which is good considering they will cost more. Cichlids do have something of a mean streak though, so you have to be careful with the other fish you wish to have in the tank. They will attack and kill other fish and even those of their own species.
Cichlids will also grow to a rather large size, some large enough that they can eat feeder goldfish. Once you get them to this size there is little else you can put in a tank with them. They can also be quite messy, creating large amounts of waste material and they will push the gravel and any other decorative rock or items you may have in the tank around, creating piles of gravel and other debris wherever they see fit.
In the end choosing new fish for your aquarium will come down to the type and size of tank you have and your own personal preferences. Obviously the larger the tank to more choices you will have but even the smallest of tanks can add decorative warmth to any room.
One of your best resources when it comes to purchasing fish is the people who work at the local pet store. They can point you in the right direction, making the learning curve much easier. There is also a wealth of information across the internet about fish and fish tanks, so much so that it may take a little time to research the type of fish you think may work in your new aquarium.
If you are looking for a more decorative tank with lots of color then smaller more brightly colored fish such as tetras, neons, and even angel fish are a good choice. There are hundreds of small fish varieties to choose from and most of them will school, making for a constant display of flashing colors in your tank. Smaller fish are easier to care for as well, eating simple flake food and keeping aquarium maintenance to a minimum.
If you bought a large tank then your choices increase. For the truly adventurous large fish such as cichlids can be a fun choice. They are much hardier then smaller fish so there is less chance of them dying after you get them home, which is good considering they will cost more. Cichlids do have something of a mean streak though, so you have to be careful with the other fish you wish to have in the tank. They will attack and kill other fish and even those of their own species.
Cichlids will also grow to a rather large size, some large enough that they can eat feeder goldfish. Once you get them to this size there is little else you can put in a tank with them. They can also be quite messy, creating large amounts of waste material and they will push the gravel and any other decorative rock or items you may have in the tank around, creating piles of gravel and other debris wherever they see fit.
In the end choosing new fish for your aquarium will come down to the type and size of tank you have and your own personal preferences. Obviously the larger the tank to more choices you will have but even the smallest of tanks can add decorative warmth to any room.
2008年8月9日星期六
To Declaw or Not To Declaw - Is There Really A Question?
Cats are born with claws, the same way that humans are born with fingernails and toe nails. Cats need claws in order to mark or scratch a specific place or territory that they have been in. Humans need finger nails to, scratch themselves or others, or for opening a letter envelope. Cats basically stretch their agile bodies in order to prepare their muscles when they dig their claws deeply into wood perhaps or a tree, and then they pull back from their hold. Scratching is a basic physiological need of cats.
So do cats need to be declawed? If cat owners truly care for the welfare of their cats, they would have to think twice on declawing their cats.
Declawing, what is it?
Declawing is done by taking away all the front claws of a cat. In a way this procedure is equal to the amputation of all the finger tips of a human being. For cats this surgery is painful and, for someone who is walking on all fours, terribly unnecessary.
Though the recovery of declawed cats may only take a few weeks or so, its physical and/or psychological effects could last a cat's lifetime.
The following are the possible results once a cat has been declawed.
Ouch, ouch and ouch
Immediately after surgery, declawed cats suffer severe pain, though it is quite impossible to gauge how much pain they are experiencing. Declawed cats could be considered as amputees. Cats usually try to go on with their cat lives even with pain unless the pain eventually becomes unbearable. Although they may look and act normal does not mean they are free from aches.
Complications after the surgery
After the surgery, declawed cats usually experience one of the following post-surgery effects: presence of abscess, feelings of lameness, claw re-growth. Based on studies performed on declawed cats, it has been found that twenty five percent of them develop various complications. The same result has been found on cats who went under tenectomy. This is also a form of surgery that is currently being offered as an alternative to declawing. It is called this because only the tendons extended on the toes are the ones amputated.
Stiffness of the joints
Cats that are declawed experience stiffness of the joints since the tendons that manipulate the toes retract because of the surgery. As time goes by, these same joints freeze and ultimately they will no longer be able to extend their toes.
It has been thought though that cats really do not miss their claws since they also 'scratch' continually even if they no longer have anything to scratch with. However, this act is really the cats' way to stretch those frozen joints.
Catarthritis
Believe it or not, research shows that declawed cats immediately shift the weight of their bodies to the back and onto the larger pad in the front of their feet, away from their toes. The result is still evident despite giving these cats strong anti-pain relievers. If such an effect continues after declawing, the cat will ultimately stress its own joints in the leg, its spine and eventually suffer from arthritis.
Cats who cannot claw, bite
Since the natural instinct of cats is to claw especially when threatened or scared, in the absence of claws cats are forced to resort to another form of defense, that is, their teeth. Declawed cats that are aggressive naturally are more prone to biting.
Declawed cats have no nine lives!
There is a serious risk of death for cats that are declawed. Death could be brought on by the anesthesia they received, or any complications in surgery or hemorrhage.
Declawed cats that resort to biting run the risk of being abandoned by their owners. These cats could then be put in a shelter, and since they turn to biting, the probability of being adopted becomes slim. Usually un-adoptable cats are put to sleep or they are used to train dogs to fight usually as bait.
In summary, cats are extremely and highly trainable to be taught to use a post for scratching instead of common household furniture, rugs or curtains. Though declawing cats is one of the options a cat owner can take, it is basically an unkind and a very animal-unfriendly thing to do. It all depends on the cat owner whether Kitty is more (or less than) valuable than that expensive Italian rug. The choice is theirs.
So do cats need to be declawed? If cat owners truly care for the welfare of their cats, they would have to think twice on declawing their cats.
Declawing, what is it?
Declawing is done by taking away all the front claws of a cat. In a way this procedure is equal to the amputation of all the finger tips of a human being. For cats this surgery is painful and, for someone who is walking on all fours, terribly unnecessary.
Though the recovery of declawed cats may only take a few weeks or so, its physical and/or psychological effects could last a cat's lifetime.
The following are the possible results once a cat has been declawed.
Ouch, ouch and ouch
Immediately after surgery, declawed cats suffer severe pain, though it is quite impossible to gauge how much pain they are experiencing. Declawed cats could be considered as amputees. Cats usually try to go on with their cat lives even with pain unless the pain eventually becomes unbearable. Although they may look and act normal does not mean they are free from aches.
Complications after the surgery
After the surgery, declawed cats usually experience one of the following post-surgery effects: presence of abscess, feelings of lameness, claw re-growth. Based on studies performed on declawed cats, it has been found that twenty five percent of them develop various complications. The same result has been found on cats who went under tenectomy. This is also a form of surgery that is currently being offered as an alternative to declawing. It is called this because only the tendons extended on the toes are the ones amputated.
Stiffness of the joints
Cats that are declawed experience stiffness of the joints since the tendons that manipulate the toes retract because of the surgery. As time goes by, these same joints freeze and ultimately they will no longer be able to extend their toes.
It has been thought though that cats really do not miss their claws since they also 'scratch' continually even if they no longer have anything to scratch with. However, this act is really the cats' way to stretch those frozen joints.
Catarthritis
Believe it or not, research shows that declawed cats immediately shift the weight of their bodies to the back and onto the larger pad in the front of their feet, away from their toes. The result is still evident despite giving these cats strong anti-pain relievers. If such an effect continues after declawing, the cat will ultimately stress its own joints in the leg, its spine and eventually suffer from arthritis.
Cats who cannot claw, bite
Since the natural instinct of cats is to claw especially when threatened or scared, in the absence of claws cats are forced to resort to another form of defense, that is, their teeth. Declawed cats that are aggressive naturally are more prone to biting.
Declawed cats have no nine lives!
There is a serious risk of death for cats that are declawed. Death could be brought on by the anesthesia they received, or any complications in surgery or hemorrhage.
Declawed cats that resort to biting run the risk of being abandoned by their owners. These cats could then be put in a shelter, and since they turn to biting, the probability of being adopted becomes slim. Usually un-adoptable cats are put to sleep or they are used to train dogs to fight usually as bait.
In summary, cats are extremely and highly trainable to be taught to use a post for scratching instead of common household furniture, rugs or curtains. Though declawing cats is one of the options a cat owner can take, it is basically an unkind and a very animal-unfriendly thing to do. It all depends on the cat owner whether Kitty is more (or less than) valuable than that expensive Italian rug. The choice is theirs.
2008年8月3日星期日
Starting A Pet Photography Business
If you like pets, starting a pet photography business is a great way to make money. Not only will you get to make money, but you will also get to do so while enjoying your job. Moreover, it is not something that everybody is looking for in a career.But before you start a pet photography business there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind. Remember, you cannot simply start a pet business because you like animals. There is much more to it than that. And if you want to be successful at what you are doing you will need to be the best of the best.Before you start your pet photography business look into the market that you live in. There are two things in particular that you should look at. First off, are there enough people in your area that will want to use your service? Obviously, the bigger the city you live in the better your chances are of garnering a lot of business. You will also want to make sure that you do not have a lot of competition in this industry. If there is already an established pet photography business in your area you may want to reconsider where you open up shop. This is a specialized niche and if somebody has already tapped into it you may have a hard time grabbing a share of the market.To have a successful pet photography business you need to be good at taking pictures. That is the bottom line. If you do not have the skills to take top notch photos nobody is going to pay for your services. In addition, you will need to have the necessary equipment in order to be a success in this industry. This can cost a lot of money but it is something that you need to have to move to the top of the industry.And speaking of expenses, a good pet photography business has a professional atmosphere in which clients can bring their pets. You will need to have a space to do this, as well as different props and backdrops. Plus, keeping the area clean is an absolute must if you are going to be having pets in and out all day long. Giving off a good sense of professionalism is a great way to garner repeat and referral clients.Overall, a pet photography business is a great way to make money in an industry that is interesting. If you love pets and have a knack for photography, you should look into this industry right away. Who knows, you may carve out a niche in your area and garner more clients than you ever thought possible.
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