Things To Think About Before Getting a Dog

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If you’ve been thinking about getting a dog first of all make sure you can answer all the points below. Owning a cat is a very different kind of commitment to becoming a dog owner. On average a dog can live up to 12 years plus, so you have to be sure that this is the right move for you. First of all why do you want a dog? Is it for company, for your child, for protection or perhaps to breed from? Be honest as to the real reason as it will help you to answer the next set of questions.

Can You Afford a dog?

Sit down and list everything you will need to provide for your new pet on a daily and weekly basis. Be realistic about the cost of dog food. If you’re going to buy a big dog obviously you will be spending more on food. Of course the better quality food will be more expensive, but cost effective as your pets health will be better for it in the future. Think about vet bills and whether you can afford those visits that you didn’t plan for. If you’re starting with a puppy then you will have all of the start up fees to contend with. Neutering, worming and vaccinations will come with follow up consultations, which will be costly. Then you have the other accidents and illnesses to think about that you didn’t see coming. Who knows when any of us will become ill? Then think about pet supply costs. From dog bowls, leads and collars to their favorite toys and grooming equipment.

Is Your Home Big Enough?

If you are living in a one bedroom flat with no garden then obviously a Doberman will be a bad idea. If you have a house with a garden then think about how safe is your garden? Will you need to spend a fortune on fencing and gates? Then think about where your local parks are and if you will have the time and energy to daily walk your dog.

Your Time.

Walking, grooming and play time are all time consuming activities. A dog may also suffer from separation anxiety if they are left alone for too long, so think about whether anyone will be around in the daytime. Will your dog get a proper walk? Will they get enough attention and interaction with you? Don’t be cruel be honest. If you know that you work long hours, travel a lot and have a hectic social life then a dog is not the pet for you. Get a fish.

Do Your Homework

Research the type of dog you want to have. Find out about their character and temperament, their feeding habits etc. Find out exactly what you’ll be bringing home. For example don’t get a small snappy type of dog when you have young kids or an Alsation when you can’t give it adequate, daily, exercise.

Dog Training

This is a particularly important question to think about, especially if you’re bringing home a puppy. Dog training and socialization takes plenty of time and patience. There is no way you can leave a puppy alone for long amounts of time. Will you be able to commit to a continual program of training? You may need to invest in puppy training classes as well, so take that into consideration before you bring a puppy home.

All of these questions have to be thought about and truthfully answered. Of course the rewards of owning a dog are that you will receive LOVE, LOVE, and LOVE. However you must be able to give back that love and care 100% of the time.

 

Popular Types Of Lap Dogs

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As humans we need to interact and communicate with someone. One thing is for certain, if there is no one there for us, we feel empty and lonely. Enter the companion dogs, one of the most energetic and happy creatures on the planet. If they won’t make you feel excitement nothing will.

Choosing a dog as a companion is the choice of many because there are very loyal as a pet and have great personalities that will amuse and astonish you. Having a companion dog will make things so much funnier when you are alone at home or just spending quality time with the family.

Dogs come in a lot of different breeds that express different characteristics and different behavior. The range in behavior is so vast, it is impossible not to find a dog that will fit your lifestyle. Among these types of dogs we find lap dogs, ideal pets for owners that simply like small furry friends.

The glamorous Yorkshire Terrier

An all around great pet that will animate your life every time you come home. They will almost always adapt to life in a constraint space such as the apartment. But be aware that he is very sensible and won’t do well is he is left alone. Also he hates going out in cold weather or on hot summer days.

 Amusement is not problem with the Yorkshire Terrier, he is a natural. He will listen to you all the time, so much that he may start to impersonate you. Like all lap dogs, they will act goofy around the family, which is not a bad thing. As far as health goes they are not predisposed to any problems, all they need is the regular visit to the vet.

Get the Pomeranian for a good first impression

If you have never seen a Pomeranian then be prepared to be amazed by the combination of fluffy coat and smiling face. He is small, cute and full of life. A very important feature is that he will adapt to the apartment life with ease. Also, he is very affectionate with family members.

Having a dog that can perform tricks is not crucial but it sure does come as a delightful thing. You will attract a crowd once you start playing with this cute dog. It is a fact that he is a little high on energy but he consumes in fast. The biggest drawback to the Pomeranian is the shedding.

The loving and loyal Shih Tzu

 A lap dog originating from China, the Shih Tzu has been regarded to as a royal dog. His name translates to little lion, but he is far from fierce. This dog is an attention addict. You need to groom him a lot and thus you are probably better off paying someone to do it for you.

The term “couch potato” describes this lap dog’s character well. He won’t demand any extravagant exercising because he tires fast. This means that he won’t stress you too much with taking him for a walk or playing too much. This does not mean he is a boring dog. He will play just like any other type of dog. The family will mean a lot to this dog and he will try to express his love as much as possible.

Life can be so much more funnier when you have a lap dog. They will spread a state of wellness that will relax you like nothing else. If you feel you need a companion dog for the apartment theses dogs will lighten your life.

Helping Your Child Cope With The Death Of Their Pet

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Chances are your child’s first experience of death will be the loss of the family pet. How can you help them to deal with this and prepare for the departure of their beloved friend?

Firstly understand the bond that children have with animals. Most likely this will be the first relationship where they undoubtedly gave and received unconditional love, outside of parents, sibling etc. This will be the friend who was there for them when they had a bad day at school, when they got sent to their room for bad behaviour and also there for the fun, happy times. So bear in mind this will be a massive wrench for them. Don’t underestimate the love your child would have received and felt. There will also be a level of commitment and responsibility that they will have developed, from grooming and feeding, to walking and cuddle time. This will have created a huge bond and time slots in their daily life that will now be gone.

Secondly, when it comes to explaining pet death, stick to the truth. Don’t fluff it up or skirt around the facts. If your pet has an illness and is likely to be put down you will need to start preparing your child. A good way to know what they’re capable of understanding is to let their questions guide you. After the obvious statement from you telling them about what’s going to happen, they will likely have their own questions and that will be enough for them at the beginning. Don’t flood them with information let it gradually come out as the process goes on. If you do decide to euthanize your pet then you must tell your child. Let them know when it will happen and why. They will need to have time to say goodbye. They may not understand that your pets body is unable to carry on and explaining to them that this is the best option for the animal as they will no longer be in pain is a good start.

Adults struggle with the concept of death never mind trying to explain it to a child. No one can say what is best for your child you know them best. However it’s a good idea not to make it too complicated. Maybe start by asking them what their idea of death is. Children have wild imaginations so they may have formed a magical place in their mind that their friend has gone to. Encourage them to describe this place and what their pet is doing. Perhaps you could get them to draw it and keep it on their wall. Honesty is never a bad thing and regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs you can always say that you’re not 100% sure, if of course you’re not. In my opinion it’s not a good idea to use the phrase “they’ve gone to sleep” or are being “put to sleep” as this could cause fear for them at night when trying to sleep. Saying “they’ve left us and are in a better place” can make your child angry and feel that their pet had somewhere they wanted to go without them. Keep it simple explain that death can be from an accident or illness and old age. Let them understand that just like humans, an animals body can wear out and weaken from sickness.

Talk to them about grief and how it’s OK to be sad and miss their friend at times. Lastly, don’t try and replace their pet straight away with another one, give it some time. They may feel disloyal if they like the new pet straight after the death of the other one. Talk to your child about the fun things they used to do together and encourage them to speak to you about their favourite memories. Let your child pick their favourite photo of them with their pet and have it framed and put in their bedroom. If they want to hold onto a toy or a collar, don’t disapprove it will help them to feel that they still have some physical contact. Make sure you don’t clear the house of all the pet items straight away, your child will need to feel that not everything has been taken away and that there’s some normal feeling of the pet still around the house. A simple memorial in your garden or at the park is a constructive way to let your child say goodbye. Planting a shrub that they get to pick out for their pet and burying a special drawing they’ve done with it is also a good way for them to have some closure.

For Cat Lovers

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You have discovered that you are a cat lover. You absolutely adore these soft and cuddly animals. But, have you given thought as to how the four legged cats have evolved in our society? Most of us have only known the cat to be a pet.

We select our pet from the many breeds offered by pet stores. Or we have been given a kitten from a friend whose cat had a litter. Or a cat has arrived at our doorstep for adoption.

Did you live on a farm as a child? If not, did you visit friends or relatives who did live on a farm?

Can you recall how these four legged cats would roam around the barn and the house?

Cats were not considered as pets as we do today. They received minimum attention and their food for survival was supplied by the farm land.

Cats received attention when rats were not disappearing. It was the responsibility of the children to hunt for the cats and find why they were not doing their jobs of keeping the rodent population controlled. Did you ever have to search for the cats to discover why they were not destroying the rodents?

Or, worse, were you the child feeding the cats with food scraps and if your parents realized you were doing so you knew you would get a spanking?

Caring for cats as pets was unheard of in those years as cats were used to minimize unwanted pests of rats, gophers, and other creatures. The pests that they ate protected our human food crops. Cats had a very important role as working animals on the farm.

I can remember in our high school art class how we were researching housing developments for the future. We had to construct with heavy paper and paste the house of the future as illustrated in the text book.

With the passing years after graduating from high school, I saw large housing developments with their shopping malls being constructed as was suggested and illustrated in the text book.

If you have had similar experiences as I have had, then you have lived through the replacement of open fields, replacement of forests, and witnessed farming communities and small towns becoming suburban developments or cities. The needs of a growing population had to be met.

We left our small town and moved to the city. If you are like me you probably never gave a thought to cats. The four legged cats served as the pest exterminator on the farm as well as in small towns. Moving to a larger city introduced people caring for cats as pets.

There were a few street cats as most were being taken care of in private households. There were no leash laws for cats; they roamed freely.

Because cats are allowed roaming freedom:

• There are numerous cat kills from traffic hazards
• Increase in kitten litters
• Over population of cats in neighborhoods
• People complaints of property damage
• People concerned about contracting diseases
• Sleep disturbances from night cat fights
• Dogs chasing cats

Remedies:

• Public education to keep the four legged cats indoors to avoid traffic hazards
• Leash laws for dogs
• Spay and neutering of cats for population control
• Vaccinations for disease control
• Community insecticide spraying

Cats are still being used on the farm; however, greater populations are living in cities and are dependent on their owners for healthy pet care and proper housing.

Living indoors has brought about new medical problems for cats as humans learn how to feed and care for these animals.

Medical problems of our kittens and cats include:

1. Obesity
2. Diabetes mellitus
3. Bladder and kidney infections
4. Skin and allergy reactions
5. Behavior disorders

Learn Consistent Dog Training Skills

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If you’re thinking you want to start training your dog properly, but aren’t sure how, then you’re in the right place. The thing about proper dog training is that the more you know, the more you can use towards training your dog. Take note from this article and see what information applies to you and your dog.

Consistency is going to play a key role in successful dog training . If you and the others who are training the dog are not consistent about how the training is being done, the dog is going to get confused and not learn what you want him to. Be sure that everyone is using the same techniques.

Practice walking your dog over to a rug and asking him to sit whenever a doorbell rings. To do this, have a friend or family member ring the doorbell. Guide your dog by his leash to a rug or spot and have him sit. Praise him and offer a treat. Repeating this exercise will help him to remain calm and appear more polite when guests come over.

Reward your dog for obeying you, but only occasionally. Rewards like treats and excessive praise can be useful tools when training your dog. Just be careful that you do not condition them to expect this every time they do as they are are told. Reward them for following instruction, but do so randomly.

Feed your dog at a consistent time every day. Their digestive system will adjust to the schedule and they will be much more cooperative when you take them outside to relieve themselves. You’ll learn just how long to wait between feeding and taking them out, and both of you will be happy.

Figure out your training goals. Do you want a dog that obeys every command perfectly, or do you just want a good canine citizen with basic household manners? Take in to account how much time you have to train your dog, and the limits of the particular dog. Some dogs are easy to train, whereas others take a long time to learn each command. If you don’t have the time to train your dog, find a good trainer who specializes in the particular breed.

Watch what sort of activities you are encouraging your dog to do. Sometimes we may perform actions with our dog without realizing that they are training them to do something we dislike. If every time your dog chews something up you send him outside, you are teaching him that chewing something up is the key to getting outdoor time. Be careful with the actions you take, especially ones that tend to be consistent practices.

Specific feeding habits should be established with your dog. Training your dog to expect that when fed, once or twice a day, you will be removing the food bowl in 10-15 minutes, will lay down a feeding schedule that your dog will adhere to. Soon your dog will be finished with the meal before you are ready to remove the dish.

If your dog does not respond well to you during training you should not get mad at him or her. You are the teacher and he or she is the student, so if they are not responding very well to you it could be the fact that you are not such a good teacher.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you’re feeling like you can start forming some good strategies towards training your dog. Remember that the information in this article isn’t all there is to know about dog training so be sure to always be on the lookout for new information to apply towards your training regime Look for more information at http://blog.mypamperedpals.com

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What Can I Do About Dog Allergies Symptoms?

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It is suggested that if you are looking for permanent relief for dog allergies symptoms you need to go see a veterinary dermatologist. Here you can find the cause for sneezing in dogs, general allergies in dogs and most of your dog skin problems.

People medicines such as Benadryl and Claritin will only provide temporary relief of the signs and your dog will still be uncomfortable.

In some cases the dermatologist may be able to make up allergy shots if they find out the cause of your dogs allergies. You should not make any diet changes or treat your pet with any medication without strict guidance from a veterinarian. Look for my pet information at http://blog.mypamperedpals.com

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Changing the dog’s diet without the guidance from a veterinarian can make it more difficult for them to isolate the cause of the allergies. It’s entirely possible that the causes may involve specific foods. This requires an extensive food trial. However it could be environmental agents that are causing your dog allergies symptoms which would require further allergy testing.

On your own you could try hydroxizine or atarax for some relief. Do Not use prednisone, it is not the greatest it’s a steroid and have several side effects. You can also try eliminating the normal protein source with another protein like fish or venison. It takes up to 2 to 3 months of a diet change to tell if there is any effect.

Allergic contact dermatitis usually shows up in dogs as a hypersensitivity reaction to particular molecules in your pet’s environment. Irritant contact dermatitis happens when the skin is exposed to noxious substances in the environment. The symptoms and biologic mechanisms in these two disease structures are closely similar and are often discussed together.

Allergic contact dermatitis is a rare disease, which occurs when an animal’s skin overreacts to certain small molecules in the environment. Substances, which can cause allergic contact dermatitis in dogs include some antibiotics applied to the skin, metals such as nickel, materials like rubber or wool and chemicals such as dyes and carpet deodorizers.

Irritant contact dermatitis occurs when the dog’s skin is exposed to intensely irritating chemicals like the sap in poison ivy or road salt.

What are the symptoms of allergic and irritant contact dermatitis?

Lesions occur on the areas of skin that are sparsely haired and exposed to the offending cause. Areas like the back of the paws, abdomen, muzzle, and lips.

The affected areas are usually very red, have small bumps or blister-like lesions, and itch like crazy. Also in irritant contact dermatitis may occur.

The key to managing these dog allergies symptoms is the obvious removing or restricting of exposure to any allergen or contact irritant in the pet’s environment. If your not able to do this, then using fatty acids, antihistamines, biotin, and topical shampoos can at least control the itching.

As a rule, for any pet suspected of having an allergy problem that could include an allergic contact component, we recommend:

Glass or stainless steel food and water bowls, cleaned and rinsed well daily

Hypoallergenic detergents for the pet’s bedding

Routine hypoallergenic shampoos for the pet to remove any allergens

Restricting walking to sidewalks or paved surfaces-completely avoiding the grass,

if possible.

A Dogs Natural Instincts

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Even though they’re similar, it’s still hard to believe that modern-day dogs descended from wild wolves. Yet, this heritage is responsible for most of a dog’s behavior. Domesticated dogs have natural instincts forged over several thousand years of living in the wild. Learning what these instincts are can help you better understand your pet.

Be the leader

Dogs have a pack mentality derived from their wolf ancestors. Wolves hunted together for survival and traveled together for safety. In every pack, a social hierarchy would form with the strong leader at the top and the most submissive wolves at the bottom. For a domesticated dog, his human friends are his pack. Even if you live alone with your dog, you are a pack of two. It’s important for the socialization of your dog that you take the role of the leader in this relationship. Most dogs need plenty of reassurance that the leader of the pack accepts their behavior. By constantly giving your dog positive feedback or treats to reward good behavior, you can help reduce stress in your dog’s life. That explains why dogs fit so well into a family setting.

Dig your dog’s roots

But what about other behaviors that aren’t so adorable, such as digging? Believe it or not, this, too, is something that comes naturally to all dogs. Wild canines used to dig holes in the ground to cool their bodies on hot days or even bigger holes to raise their litters in.

Understand why accidents happen

You might also notice, mostly in puppy hood, that your dog soils the carpet or other areas of your home. This, too, goes back to the days of the wild when wolves would use their stool and urine as ways to mark their territory. This technique was critical to protect the wolves from other packs.

Listen to your dog’s instincts

Barking is another behavior that annoys some owners, but it can be traced back to a dog’s natural instinct to keep intruders away. It was also used as a means of communicating a dog’s location to other members of his pack, or to give them a heads up that trouble was on the way. Good communication was an important part of a successful pack.

Most of these behaviors can be trained out of a modern-day domesticated dog. Understanding where they came from and why they’re important will help you appreciate your dog even more.

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Steps to house train your new puppy

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Steps to House Training Your New Puppy

Understand dog behavior – dogs do not know right from wrong. What they understand is safe and dangerous. When your puppy comes into your house he doesn’t understand that it is “bad” behavior to urinate on your carpet. We want to teach your dog that going in the house is unacceptable. We do this by catching your dog in the act – not after the behavior has occurred but while the behavior is happening. Punishing your dog after the behavior has occurred can confuse your dog, making the house training process much more difficult.

Start to develop a schedule – Putting your dog on a feeding schedule during the house training process can make your efforts much more successful. A dog or puppy that is allowed to eat whenever he or she wants will make house training very difficult. Also, developing a schedule to take your dog outside will make it easier on you. Always bring a dog outside within 15 to 20 minutes after meals.

Acquire a kennel. It can be an airline type with a door or a simple laundry basket with a tray table lid hooked on. You can be creative, but basically he must not be able to escape. Most pups and dogs will not eliminate in their crate. When you need to go to work or have to leave the house for a while, you can put your pup in him or her crate. When you come home, you can immediately take her outside and not give his or her the opportunity to make a mistake in the house.

Using a crate is excellent for young dogs. At some point in your dog’s life he will probably have to go into a crate. The vet, travel, and grooming visits all require your dog to go into a crate. It is better to get him used to one while he is young. However, note that if your kennel is too big, the dog may still excrete in it. Dogs will not “go” in their immediate territory. Some dogs will go within 9 to 10 feet, and some will go within 3 to 4 feet. Make sure your kennel is properly compact.

Have a designated area for your puppy to “go.”

When you get your puppy home the first day, start puppy housebreaking him immediately. After he has been briefly introduced to his home and new surroundings, give him a drink of water and immediately take him outside to relieve himself. Take the puppy to the area you chose before bringing him home.

As soon as your puppy finishes, praise it excitedly and immediately take him inside. From that point on, take the puppy to the same housebreaking spot each time and encourage him with a command such as “go potty,” “hurry up” or whatever you choose. Once she starts, don’t say anything else. Once your pup is finished, praise and reward her immediately. You need to let your dog know that she is doing the right behavior. During the housetraining process it is a good idea to take your dog out on leash. If you let your dog out into a fenced in area and you are not there, you will not be able to communicate to your dog that she is doing the right behavior.

Be consistent using this single command only with the process of puppy housebreaking so that the puppy will learn to associate this act with the command. This will be a huge help in the future, especially when in a new environment or location when traveling, visiting relatives/friends, etc. Being completely housebroken and completely reliable is the final outcome you are looking for.

Get everyone involved – if you live by yourself with your dog this step will be easy. If your dog lives in a house with more than one person, make sure that everyone is taking the steps to make the housetraining process quick and easy. The closer everyone sticks to the plan, the faster the training will progress.

Take up the puppy’s water early in the evening and to not feed or water it after say, 6:00 at night, otherwise you may have to make more housebreaking potty trips than usual outside to let the puppy relieve itself.

Clean up any accidents (and there will be plenty) quickly and thoroughly. Hardwood (and tile) floors should be wiped cleaned, and then sprayed with a disinfectant. Carpets need to be cleaned with a carpet cleaner. This is probably the most important step because dogs have such a great sense of smell. If they can still smell the urine they will continue to urinate in that same spot. This is also why you should have a designated area outside.

A lot of people get commercial cleaners at the supermarket. A lot of these products contain ammonia. Ammonia smells like urine to your dog. So if your dog urinates on the carpet and you clean with an ammonia product, your dog will come back to that spot and think that a strange dog has gone on the carpet. Your dog will eliminate again on that same spot to cover it.

White, distilled vinegar and water works great. Follow up with baking soda, and vacuum up the residue when dry.

Let him be free in the house with supervision at first, for longer periods until you are sure he will ask to go out when he has to go. This strategy should not take more than two weeks for him to get the picture.

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