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| Puppy 101 By Suzanne Harris |
1. Never hit or physically punish your puppy.
Make sure children aren't either. Instead, reinforce his positive behaviors with praise and treats (when he pees outside, sits for a toy or treat, chews on his toys, or even just lies quietly on the floor). Don't be afraid to use food as a motivator - you can phase it out later, after he knows English and is in the habit of obeying your commands. Use part or all of his daily food ration as a motivator for good behavior. If you scold or punish your puppy for bad behavior, yet ignore him when he is good, you are reinforcing bad behavior. Instead, withdraw attention from him when he's jumping up or barking, and enthusiastically praise when he's doing what you want, even if he's only sitting, looking at you or chewing one of his toys. The lack of your attention = enough punishment for a puppy.
2. Start Housetraining NOW.
Do not put housetraining off "until later". This is the one main reason people give up their dogs at 8-12 months of age - because they are tired of the "accidents". Housetraining, if done humanely and effectively, takes 1-3 months but boy, will you be glad you got it over with. Be consistent and patient, and remember that any accidents are your fault, not his). Never punish for submissive urination either. (See Resources below for links to Housetraining and Submissive Urination information articles.)
3. Start Socializing NOW.
Socializing your pup is the most important thing you can do during the first few weeks of his life. Most dog bites are due to the dog's fear and/or lack of exposure to the bitee or situation, so your pup needs to experience many new situations while he is very young. Don't force him into a situation he's shy about; let him meet people, children, and other dogs at his own pace. His most impressionable "imprint" period is from 3 weeks to 16 weeks of age; but socialization should continue throughout his adolescent months and adult years as well:
Human Socialization: Even before his vaccines, invite friends and relatives, particularly young children, to your house often. Keep a bowl of puppy food by the door so visitors can treat him when they arrive. Hold your puppy while you stand in front of a mall entrance and let passers-by say hello. Go to schools, shopping centers, nursing homes, and take walks with him in different neighborhoods when he's vaccinated. Keep in mind that a pup well-socialized to 6 year olds is not necessarily well-socialized to 2-year olds; make an effort to have him meet a very wide variety of children and adults.
NOTE: Never leave a baby or toddler alone with a puppy or dog. However, your pup should meet many babies and toddlers, so an adult should treat/praise the pup when holding or standing next to a small child. Supervise older children who may not understand the need for keeping fingers out of puppies' eyes or refraining from pulling painfully on their tails, nor how to approach a puppy or dog to prevent being jumped on.
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Posted on Mar 14, 2008 21:14pm by admin
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| A Brief History of The Horse By Michele Anderson |
Before we get started on a brief account of the 'History of the Horse' here are a few facts I thought you would find interesting.
• Approximately 75 million horses inhabit our world today, no kidding! Can you even wrap your head around that many horses? Don' t worry, I find it very hard indeed.
• The height of a horse can be measured using hands. 1 hand is equivalent to 4 inches.
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Posted on Feb 15, 2008 20:33pm by admin
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| Animals Inspire Human Development By Sandy Cosser |
Humans are at the top of the evolutionary chain. At least that's what most of us like to believe. To believe anything else would jeopardise our claim as planetary rulers and do tremendous damage to many fragile egos. We may have learnt to walk on two legs, use our opposable thumbs, and develop writing systems, but that doesn't make us the pinnacle of existence. The truth is that no matter how advanced we think we are, we look to animals for inspiration when thinking up many new technologies.
Dolphins, like humans, need to be conscious or maintain a certain level of awareness to breathe. Both species also need to rest their brains by entering into an unconscious state. Humans simply go to sleep, but if dolphins switched off completely as we do, they would drown. In the interests of self-preservation, they have evolved the ability to shut down one half of their brain at a time. This ensures that they maintain enough awareness to tend to their physical needs, while getting much needed rest.
Being able to function on half a brain while letting the other half rest would be an invaluable ability in many professions. Military personnel could stay awake and alert in dangerous situations, and doctors would be able handle their demanding shift schedules. This raises the question of capability. Dolphins use the ability to maintain basic functioning. Doctors and members of the military need higher levels of functioning, as they are responsible for other lives. Would you trust a neurosurgeon with half of his or her brain asleep? Nevertheless, efforts are being made to manufacture stimulants that would allow people to mimic dolphins and maintain awareness for over sixty hours.
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Posted on Feb 14, 2008 21:32pm by admin
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| Dog Illnesses - Tips On What To Look For By Ron King |
For many of us, when our dogs are ill, it is often quite difficult to know whether or not dogs illnesses warrant a trip to the emergency room for a dog illness diagnosis.
In an emergency, the first thing you should know is where to take your dog. Many veterinarians offer 24 hour emergency service. Please make sure to ask your vet if this is a service offered by their office. If your vet does not offer this service, know where your local veterinary emergency hospital is located.
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Posted on Feb 06, 2008 18:55pm by admin
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| Adopting A Dog From A Dog Shelter Or Animal Rescue Group |
By Scott Jackson
A dog shelter or animal rescue group is a good starting point in your quest to find the perfect four-legged companion. Many people rule adopting a dog from a dog shelter or rescue group because they fear that the dogs are damaged goods. An animal rescue group does take stray dogs from the street but a g shelter isn't a place where bad or damaged dogs are discarded. In many cases, a canine will find themselves in a shelter because their owner can no longer accommodate them. This happens sometimes when people are forced to rent an apartment that will not accept pets, travel frequently for business, start a family or move into a city dwelling that isn't suitable for their dog. Shelters, for many of these dogs, are their last hope for being put into a loving home. With a constant new stream of dogs, all in need of a home, there is simply no place to house every single dog and some may be put to sleep if a potential savior doesn't step forward.
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Posted on Jan 27, 2008 22:10pm by admin
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| Places to Adopt a Dog By Ashley Peach |
Adding a pet to your home is a huge responsibility. Not only do you have to know the proper care, grooming, and training needed for a pet, especially dogs, but you have to make the right decision when you go to adopt a pet. You have to be prepared to adopt the dog and know they depend on you. So while there are several things to consider when you adopt a dog you also have to decide where to adopt the dog from. There are several places to obtain a dog that include breeders, kennels, rescue shelters, pet stores, humane societies, and private owners. Each place is going to offer you a little bit of a difference in the type of dog breeds available as well as their condition. Read further to find out what each place is like.
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Posted on Dec 03, 2007 19:57pm by admin
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| Everyone Deals With Grief Differently by Barry Mcgee |
The grief that you feel when you have to deal with pet loss is different for everyone. Ginger, who has had her cat for 16 years, might be grieving more, and longer, than Sally, who has had her dog for 2 years. Then again, Ginger's cat may have been very ill, so Ginger might have felt less sad about the death because she knew the suffering was going to stop.
Everyone deals with grief differently, and each situation is unique to itself. If your pet is ill for a long time, and you have to choose to euthanize or not, you may not be mourning quite as long as someone who's pet was killed suddenly and unexpectedly
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Posted on Oct 21, 2007 22:51pm by admin
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