I Love Animals

Picking out your dog’s clothes is a process that requires thought and planning. You must start by asking yourself if your baby needs something fun or functional. It’s also good to decide what style will fit their personality. The answers depend on your dog’s physical stature and the time of year. To pick the best clothes, you must measure and asses your dog and pick appropriate attire for the season.

It’s important to measure and assess your dog’s physical attributes to get the clothes that are best for him. One of the most important things to consider is size. Is your dog big or small? Bigger dogs tend to not get as cold as their smaller counterparts. If it’s really cold outside, they will benefit from some cover, but you don’t want to overdo it and make them overheat. Another important factor is coat thickness. For example, Huskies have a coat of thick fur made especially for cold weather, and they’ll rarely if ever need extra protection. All the breeds have differing levels of coat thickness, so examine your dog and use your best judgment on what he needs. If a jacket is going to be too much, then there are many different kinds of sweaters available. Also, you need to determine what kind of clothes your dog will tolerate. For example, will he like having a pullover sweater or a coat that wraps around his body? The wrap coat is faster and easier to put on but doesn’t cover as much of the body. Once you determine all of these things, it’s easy to shop around and find exactly what your furry baby needs.

Depending on the season and weather, the dog clothes need to be either heavy or light. This is common sense, but it helps to keep it in mind when shopping. Stores often have a sale of off season clothing, and it’s good to stock up, but don’t forget the in season pieces. For example, if it’s a rainy spring season, then you should pick out a quality raincoat. Picking the best clothes for your pet can be fun and easy if you follow these simple guidelines.

When it comes to aggressiveness in a dog this can be a very serious problem. There are new laws in many areas that state dog’s owner can be charged and the dog put down if the dog bites someone. Of course with some serious dog training our dog can learn to enjoy people not turn on them.

There are many reasons why dogs are or become aggressive. Maybe the dog feels his territory is being compromised, or he feels threatened. A lot of aggression comes from lack of confidence and insecurity. Simple obedience will not solve your dog’s aggressive problems only some serious dog training will do the trick. Aggressiveness doesn’t just mean biting; it means barking and lunging at people as well. This type of behavior needs to be addressed as soon as possible to prevent anything serious from happening to someone or another dog.

Your vet can recommend you how to go about finding someone who can work with aggressive dogs. Training aggressive dogs is a specialty and unfortunately could cost you a fair amount of money, but the end result is well worth it and you don’t have to worry about losing your dog. Most obedience and training schools won’t take aggressive dogs as most of the places run classes with other members and won’t let them be endangered. The best thing you can do is to take him to a proper dog school. Look in your yellow pages for one.

Always check the techniques used by schools on how they train aggressive dogs as training an aggressive dog can be dangerous some places may use out of date methods which could be harmful to your dog, although this isn’t always the case it is always better to be safe than sorry. I wish I could say it was easy to train your dog not to be aggressive but it isn’t.

At the end of the day what counts is that your dog stops attacking and he starts loving. An aggressive dog can bridle the relationship that you have with him therefore you and your dog aren’t having the best time together as you are always worried about him biting you, other people or other dogs. I recommend that you do what it takes to get the problem handled!

When I first heard Audrey Hepburn sing “These are a few of my favorite things” in the evergreen movie “ My fair Lady”, I never thought I’d have an occasion to present my own list some day. But you know what they say, “Every dog ahs his day”, and I got mine too. This Christmas, my dear owner in my eyes, is no less beautiful than Audrey. Hepburn herself, has asked me for a list of 10 things that I want. And God! I can’t wait to get started.

• The first and foremost thing I want is to have my own bean bag, in front of the television. With my own Bean Bag, I can be a part of the prime time audience.

• I also want to have my own car and a driver, so that I can go for long drives as and when I want. Oh what fun would it be, to just hop on to the back seat of a convertible, have the wind blowing in my face and to have no one pushing me to the extreme corner of the car seat. I can’t wait to lie back and say to myself, “Now that’s the way to live!!!

• One thing I always dream of is to have a cupboard full of dog bones, in all flavors – chicken, pork, mutton, egg and even fish!!! I can chew on it all day and treat my palate to my heart’s leisure. That’s called getting a real taste of life!!!!

• Another thing that has always been a secret passion for me is to have cat in my captivity. But something tells me, this wish of mine will remain a wish considering my owner goes “Oh chooo chweet” every time she sees a cat at her window still, sitting majestically – much to my rising blood pressure !!!

• One thing I have always dreamt doing is to fly first class. After all, my owner has always made me feel that I deserve the best!!! I would love to lie back in the comfy cozy chairs I see in the television ads, be served chicken/mutton soup, with chop lambs and a jug of my favorite milk that I can keep lapping up while admiring the clouds and the sky outside. I would love to be on cloud nine literally, this X’mas.

• I also want a nice big bed all to myself. Even though I have been provided a decent bed and I am practically the master of the whole house (at least my owner tells me so), I still would love to have a master bed, where I can sleep without having to worry about stretching too much. Sometimes, I feel I don’t manage to catch the other dogs and cats in my dreams, because I don’t have that much of space to run while dreaming.

• I also desperately need a mobile phone. You might not believe me, but I do have quite a few local friends. They are cool dudes and it’s nice to meet them when I go for my walks. But there are times when I’m getting bored in the house. No cat or mouse in the house to hold my attention and no maids or squirrels to bark at. That’s when you feel like just calling up your friends.

• I would love to have my own personal shrink. There are so many things I want him to analyze for me, especially my dreams. I want to know why I only dream to cats and dogs and chasing them unsuccessfully all over town. I wonder if I have any karmic debts to settle with them or is it just my ID, my ego or the super ego that is causing me so much of heartburn.

• You might find this funny but I would also love to have a skateboard for myself. You know how it is. Sometimes you just feel so tired. I do want to go out for a walk, but I somehow don’t have the energy to walk. At such to just step on to the skateboard and look around. Now that would be a real smooth walk, don’t you think????

• And last, but not the least, I would like to have my own ATM card. There are times when you feel like indulging in something particular, but my owner does not understand exactly what I want. That’s when I feel my ATM card would be very useful. I can just go and withdraw money and head straight for the nearest dog store and buy whatever goodies I feel like eating. With time I might even cajole my owner to get me my own credit card. I have seen how easy it becomes when you have one. Then I can got o the jazziest dog store and have a blast.

Come to think of it, my list can go on and on, but I have been told to stop at 10 things for now. I can’t wait for December and the jingle bells ringing. With my wish list all set for my very own Santa Clause, I have already started my countdown. I am going to be the happiest dog this Christmas with all my wishes set to be fulfilled. And all those who love my kind and me, please come forward and join me in chorus to say “Amen” to that. Soon, I shall call all of you from my mobile and thank you all personally for all your good wishes. Merry X’mas!

If you are considering opening a dog day care, then you need to make sure you have a dog day care business plan. A solid dog day care business plan will help you get started in the right direction.

My name is Kelley Blackston and I run a successful dog day care. The reason our dog day care has been such a success in our local area is because we have stuck to our dog day care business plan.

By making sure things are organized we avoid the pitfalls that many people have to suffer through when starting their dog day care business.

It would be very difficult for us to have a profitable dog day care if we did not have a solid dog day care business plan.

A dog day care business plan requires that you take into consideration the cost of resources and understand the laws of your area.

Be sure that your dog day care business plan takes into account all the various needs of your dogs and their owners.

You always want a strong dog day care business plan so that your dog day care business will continue to grow each and every week.

My main piece of advice for you is to make sure your dog day care business plan is very organized and easy to follow. Don’t make it more difficult than it has to be!

Good luck with your dog day care business plan.

As families decrease in size and we become increasingly urbanised the need to keep pets at home becomes more important for children’s healthy development.

Most kids at stage will ask – no, nag – for a pet of some type. Gold fish, guinea pigs, pet mice and rabbits are generally on city-dwelling children’s want lists for pets at some stage. The more conventional cats and dogs compete with more exotic species such as tortoises, snakes and parrots for kid’s attention in the large animal stakes.

The lure of pets for kids was demonstrated some years ago at the height of the electronic pet phase. Kids across the world were glued to their handheld monitors feeding, walking and caring for their electronic pets.

As it turned out electronic pets were no substitute for the real things and the phase thankfully has passed.

Pets contribute in four ways to children’s healthy development:

1. They teach children to take responsibility for something other themselves. Some pets are easier to care for than others but most have to be cared for, protected and fed on a regular basis. It is the regularity of caring for pets that is the greatest lesson for kids. Parents may give children chores and it may not matter much to children if they are not done. But the consequences of not caring for a pet are generally very real for children. Fail to feed a small animal and it may die. Forget to close the cage on the chicken pen and the dog may have an unexpected feast. These are real responsibilities that teach real life lessons to kids.

2. It is inevitable that at some stage pets will die. It is tough but that is life. Animals teach kids about the cycle of life. Dogs moult, lizards shed their skins and the call of the wild is just too great for some species in spring. The nature’s cycles become real when you have pets

3. Pets teach kids to be empathetic. When children care for their pets they become protective and look out for their welfare. They empathise with their pets if they are cold, hungry or it is stormy outside. Kids will often want the dog to sleep inside when it is cold or the cat to come in from the rain. They often blur the line between animal and human but at least they are emphasising with their pets – and putting themselves in their situation. My point – empathy is a brilliant life skill. Empathetic kids never bully and empathetic adults are brilliant to be around. They make great partners, workmates and bosses. These characteristics need to be nurtured in childhood and owning pets can allow for this.

4. Youngest and only child are usually surrounded in their families by people who are bigger and more capable than them. The opportunity to care for a pet puts them in control and allows them to care for something just as their parents have cared for them.

The type of pets that kids have will depend on their age, your circumstances and their wants. From my own experience it is necessary to instil in kids the responsibility that comes with pet ownership. Kids will often see an animal in a pet store or at a friend’s house and immediately want it. It’s a parent’s job to remind children that pets are for LIFE (of the animal) and that the fun of having a pet is balanced by the responsibility of looking after it.

Pet ownership is a two –edged sword. But so is life. That’s why kids should keep pets.

Purchasing a new pet cat can be a wonderful experience, yet, it can also be a little overwhelming and worrying, too, especially if you have other animals! So just how do you go about introducing your new pet to the rest of the household and do you really know the true needs of your cat in order to look after them properly?

Introducing Your New Pet into Your Home

There are a number of factors that you will need to take into account before you introduce your pet into your home. These include:

* When to introduce The Cat

While it may be extremely tempting to just bring the cat home and put it down onto the floor to roam around freely, if you have other pets it is an extremely bad idea! You simply cannot realistically expect your other animals to get on with this new arrival instantly. It takes time and if you do not introduce the cat into the home with plenty of time, you could face daily conflicts for a long period of time!

So just how is it possible to bring a new cat home and not introduce it to the rest of your pets? Well, the simplest way to do it is to put the cat into a separate room and give it a litter tray, food, water, a bed and plenty of toys to play with. Ensure that no other animal can get into the room but allow them to be able to sniff under the door. It is extremely likely that you will hear a lot of hissing and scratching as the animals sniff each other under the door, but that will fade in time.

* How to Introduce the Cat

As well as keeping the new cat in a separate room, it is a good idea to let the animals sniff each other indirectly. This basically means wiping the new cat with a towel and letting the other animals sniff it and vice versa. All the animals should, over time, get used to the new scent and they will accept it as normal.

Another way is to switch the cat’s rooms every now and again. Let the new cat into the main house and put the other animals into the cat’s safety room in order to let them sniff around. Once you have done this a few times, you can then step it up by allowing the animals to sniff and see each other through a safety gate. Monitor their behavior and obviously remove the animals from each other if they get too nasty with each other. Over a period of time of doing this, you will notice an improvement and eventually you will be able to introduce them into the main house altogether without many problems.

Bringing a new cat home is exciting and it can be very rewarding also. However, you really do need to take certain precautions if you already have other pets. If you follow the instructions above, you should be able to introduce your new pet into your home without much hassle. It just takes time and patience but you will get there if you persevere!

The “Frenchie” as he is known to his admirers is a breed that has endeared himself because of his happy personality and distinctive appearance. In essence, he is similar to a miniature bulldog with the exception of his ears, which are large and bat-like in appearance. He has a personality that can be somewhat stubborn and spoiled, demanding attention. Fanciers say that he expects to be treated as a human child in the family. He likes nothing better than a warm lap or soft bed and being treated as a “V.I.P.”.

This little dog has a short upturned nose and thus tends to snore. He can experience breathing difficulties in the heat. Eye injuries can be common since his eyes are round and protruding. His coat is quite short and he is the type of dog that should be protected when out in cold or wet weather. In appearance he is most like the larger Bulldog, except that his front is not quite as “bowed” in appearance. He should carry a good depth of chest and broadness to his front and should stand about 12 inches tall at the shoulder. The French claim to be the country of origin, but there is some disagreement to this. In the United States he is in the Non-Sporting group although in size he could be considered a member of the Toy Group.

The Frenchie is very loving and is considered a one person dog. If he is to be in a family with children he should be introduced at an early age to them. He can be encouraged to relate and respond to all members of the family but usually will pick a “favorite” that he considers belongs to him and will be a very loyal companion to that one person. This is a dog which can be clownish and delightful, he loves to play and is curious and thus can get into a lot of trouble. He is active and can be happy in the city and also on a farm, but should be a house dog. He does well on a leash and loves to go walking, but can be somewhat belligerent when he meets up with other dogs. Obedience training is a must, just because he is a small breed does not mean that he should be untrained and he has the strength to pull quite hard on a leash.

The French Bulldog is a breed which must be carefully bred as he can be one of those breeds which may only be delivered by Caesarean Section if attention is not paid to the size of the head. If a responsible breeder pays attention to this aspect the delivery can be normal. As with all the smaller breeds care must be taken that the dog is protected from over breeding. Unfortunately because a smaller breed is usually less expensive to raise it can easily become a profitable venture for unscrupulous breeders who are only in it for the money, rather than a commitment to maintaining the quality of the breed.

The Borzoi is a native of Russia. The appearance is elegant, tall and rather like that of a Greyhound with a silky longer coat. The original ancestor is most likely the dog known centuries ago as the Steppe Greyhound and the Borzoi retains many of the characteristics of this “sight hound”. Russian nobility cherished this breed for its qualities of perseverance and endurance on the hunt. The Borzoi is a breed that would give chase, surround and worry the wolf until it could be brought down by the hunter.

The breed in the United States has become a favorite in the sport of Lure Coursing. Of course it is also well known as an exotic looking breed in the Conformation ring, being a member of the Hound Group. In fact it retains the hound instinct and is being used more and more in the western states as a natural coyote hunter.

The Borzoi can have a coat of many colors, there are no specific restrictions. The coat should be thick and luxurious except for the face and the fronts of the legs which should be smooth. This is a breed that should have the appearance of refined elegance and its manner and movement should be graceful and balanced. The ears are fold over and the muzzle should have a distinct “Roman nose” appearance. The dog is tall (26 to 28 inches at the withers) and should have a very deep chest. Loins should have a distinctive arch, so that the dog can run with great speed and length of stride at a gallop. This ability is of course necessary because of the original function to hunt and bring to bay the wolves of ancient Russia. Furthermore this type of build allows for easy flexibility for quick turns. Form should follow function and in this case, regardless of the picture of beauty that this dog presents, it should be a dog which is able to carry out its original purpose. The total picture of this exotic looking breed should be that of aristocratic elegance coupled with especially graceful and free-flowing movement.

The Borzoi is not often considered as a pet. One can often see the Borzoi pictured in magazine photos as a hound walking with a fabulously dressed lady…but in truth it is not a dog for the inexperienced owner. It does have a streak of independence, as do most hounds. Many hound breeds were bred originally to run with a pack and therefore do not have the typical temperament of working breeds that functioned with humans as their pack leader. The Borzoi should be trained early or he will be aloof and will not regard his owner as his Master. Furthermore they have the strongly rooted instinct to give chase and should be kept confined when outside. Free exercise in a fenced in enclosure is preferable to daily walks, as this dog needs a great deal of exercise . He will not be satisfactory as a pet in an apartment situation.

Raising puppies, though often rewarding, can be a great deal of work. When it comes to raising little pups in your home, you should keep in mind that it is a lot of work. To get you going, though, here area few tips on how to raise a good puppy. Keep these in mind through the housebreaking and training and you should have a happy and healthy dog at the end of the road.

Give Yourself Multiple Sources of Support

Raising puppies can be a real strain. In order to deal with the tough parts of the chores, put together a list of people who can act as a support system to you. They should be experienced dog people who can lend an ear, give you tips, or even tell you how to deal with situations. Whether it is a housetraining problem or simply yelping all night, support will be key in your puppy raising adventure.

Keep Plenty of Chew Treats Around

When raising puppies, you will soon realize that they are little chewing machines. They will chew anything in site if you let them. In order to keep the chewing under control, make sure you give your little munchers something to chew on that will keep them out of trouble. Try carrots, toys, ice cubes, or even tennis balls, but make sure you keep them away from your furniture.

There is a Way to Handle Duty

When raising puppies, you will find that it is pretty much impossible to housebreak them before 6 months of age. So when accidents occur, and they will occur, make sure you clean them up as soon as possible. Fresh puppy duty is much easier to clean and can also let you know about the health of the pups. You can see if parasites or foreign objects have found their way into the puppy’s system.

These are just a few of the simpler tips that can help you with how to raise puppies. Though there is much to keep in mind, you can get started by putting together your support group. From there, just make sure you are raising puppies with plenty of chew toys and an eye on cleaning duty early and often. Before you know it, you will have happy and healthy adult dogs.

Brush your dog often .

Brushing will stimulate oils in your pets skin & keep it moist & healthy. Brushing will prevent matting of your dogs coat. Brushing is a great way to show your dog attention. Brushing eliminates dead hair in the coat that contributes to shedding.

Maintain the length of your dogs nails.

You can walk your dog often to wear down nails. Clip your dogs nails on a regular basis. If they are cut too short they can bleed & sting. Groomers usually charge a little less than veterinarians to cut nails. If you believe your dog will be aggressive about getting their nails cut it is best to take them to the veterinarian.

Bathe your dog regularly.

Buy dog shampoos & conditioners from pet stores. Do not use flea & tick shampoos unless your pet needs them, they can dry out your pets skin. Be sure to rinse your dog thoroughly, leaving soap on skin can cause problems. Bathing a dog with knots & mats will worsen them, be sure to eliminate these before or immediately after the bath.

When drying your dog use low heat. Dogs are sensitive to burning, keep this in mind while adjusting water temperature. Bathing your dog will cut down on chances of infestations of fleas & ticks. Place cotton in your dogs ears before bathing. Often water in the ears can lead to ear infections. By washing away dead hair, regular bathing reduces shedding of your dogs coat.

Keep your dogs ears clean

Do this with dog ear cleaner bought from any pet store. Put a small amount of ear cleaner on a cotton ball and swab outer surface of the inner ear. Keeping your dogs ears clean & dry will reduce chance of ear infections & ear mites. You can also buy ear wipes from any pet store to keep your dogs ears clean.

Dog groomers & veterinarians can also clean your pets ears for you. Many longhaired dogs grow hair in their ears that needs to be pulled to prevent ear infections. This hair can be gently pulled out with hemostats. Most people leave this to their groomer or vet.