Several Reasons for Aggressive Behavior

A couple of causes for your pets to become aggressive are getting a bath and trimming their nails.  The problem with trimming their nails is that it is easy for you to cut the nails too close and actually cut the blood vessels that are giving the nails their blood supply.  This makes the animal jittery whenever you pick up the nail clippers to trim their nails.  The second most common cause for your pet’s aggression is giving them a bath.  You take your pet to the shower or tub in the house.  Outside you may use a hose and somewhere that your pet will remain clean after you wash them. You are all set to wash them and the pet begins to struggle, so you do what come naturally, that is to restrain them so you can give them a bath.  Now whenever you say the word bath or try to take them to the shower, or tub, they will fight you.

What do you need to do to give your pet a happy experience when it is time to trim their nails or to take a bath?  If it is a puppy, start by showing them the nail clippers.  Rub their paws with the clippers, softly. Include a treat when they will let you rub their paws, with clippers, and not show any aggressive behavior.  Do this for a few times and then move into the next step which is actually trimming the nails.  Again, if they show an aggressive side, stop the trimming.  Go back to the rubbing of the paws with trimmers.   If your pet is an older dog you may have to break the aggressive behavior that the previous owner caused.  Start as if they were a puppy, and before long you should be able to trim their nails and give them a bath.  Make sure that the water is warm, not hot or not cold, when bathing your pets.  This will give them an enjoyable experience.  Follow the nail trimming and bathing with a treat.  Also, brushing their coats, between baths, will also go a long way to make them feel comfortable when it is time to bathe them.

If you are experiencing problems and what you have tried does not settle your pets down, take them to a vet.  Make sure you let the vet know there is a problem so they can work at making your pet comfortable.  There are also businesses that you can take your pet for a bath and trim.  There are even some businesses that will come to your house, instead of you having to take your pet to the groomer or vet.

Good trimming and bathing

Dogs and Their Toys

So it is your dogs birthday or it is some other significate date in the life of your pet, so you go out and buy toys for them to play with and have fun.  Are the toys costly? If the answer is yes or no the next question is do the pets destroy them?  If they do this can be costly to you and it can be dangerous to the pet.  They could ingest pieces of the torn toy.  So without toys to enjoy and chew on, they will turn to other items to chew and enjoy ie: shoes, furniture, and magazines.   What to do? 

You need to train your puppy by using the toys as a positive reinforcement. What does that mean? While training your puppy to follow your commands, and they do what you ask them to do, give them the toy as part of the reward.  As long as they respect the toy and don’t try to tear it apart, let them play with it.  If you observe them being rough with the to, distract them by calling their name or clapping your hands.  Once you have their attention, praise them for being good and give them the toy back. If they continue to play rough with the toy, take it away from them until the next time you have play time. Just remember that you don’t want to punish them, just let them know they need to be nice with their toys.  This will save you money because you will not have to continually purchase toys.  If your dog appears tense or will not bring the toy to you when you ask for it, it may take a professional trainer to help you train the dog.

For new toys, I would suggest that you do not leave your dog alone with them until you feel comfortable that are happy with the toy and will not destroy it while you are away.  Having toys for your dog to play with while you are away will help them not get anxious while you are gone.

Have fun[O1] [O2]  playing with you dogs and their toys

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Training my new puppy with  needed  skills

I have bought a new puppy.  How do I socialize the puppy so it will interact with the family, and public, in a responsible manner?  Depending on how old the puppy is you, you can find a puppy school, if young, or go to an obedience school, if older.  A puppy school is usually found at a veterinarian office.  This sets up a relationship with the Vet, provided you will use this Vet for the wellbeing of your puppy.  The puppy school consists of a group of owners and puppies to teach the new puppies different commands i.e. sit stay come etc.  You want a class with a small number of puppies so that you can do more one on one time with the instructors.  Also, look to see if the school has one instructor and a couple of instructor’s aides. If the puppy is older you can find an obedience school to enroll your puppy.  If going to an obedience school remember you need to enroll yourself for the class with your puppy.  You should also work with your dog, at home, to reinforce what the puppies have learned in class.

Once the pet has graduated from school, you still need to reinforce the training all the time.  Make sure you tell all of your family members that they need not to overwhelm your pet.  Let them eat in private and do not crowd them.  Family members should spend quality time with the pets.  Make sure to walk them to get exercise.  That is a good method to socialize them with other dogs in the neighbor as well as other humans. 

Millions feed our feathery friends

There seems to be hundreds of people that feel the need to help our feather friends by putting feeders in the trees and bushes.  This is to feed both wild birds and domestic birds.  You might ask the question why? Well they do it to bring beauty and song into their lives for relaxation and education.  There are many different feeds that you can purchase.  You can also make many different feeds from all types of material.  Here are some of the feeders you can buy: suet, fruit, liquid, platform, free standing, tube, platform and ground.

Cardinals eat a variety of wild and "feeder" seeds, including sunflower, safflower and most other seeds in basic wild bird seed mixes. In warm seasons they also eat insects and worms and feed their babies mainly an insectivore diet.

The adult cardinal food consists of insects, spiders, wild fruits, berries, and weed seeds. In winter, they eat more seeds and berries since insects are few. Cardinals prefer to perch while eating at bird feeders, so the ideal bird feeder would be is a hopper type.

Cardinals also enjoy ground feeding.   The best wild bird food for cardinals include black oil sunflower, buckwheat, black and gray stripe sunflower, and safflower seeds.  Cardinals usually are the first birds to feed in the morning and the last to feed at night.

There are many species of birds throughout the states and so many regions within each state, that you will have a good opportunity to add bird feeders to your patio or garden any time of the year

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susanne_Swann/2498578

Things to think about when bringing home a new kitty/cat

Are your kids pestering you to bring a cat into your lives?  You and your significant other have discussed it and agree that it is a good thing to do.  You have to talk to the kids and explain to them serious of bring in a cat or kitten.  They need to know what responsibilities that they will have.  Responsibilities such as making sure they have food and water.   Depending on the age of your children they may also be responsible for clean the litter box.  Since you brought in this new pet because your kids pestered you to do so, let them know that one of the responsibilities will be to play with the new pet  There are few essentials that you will need to purchase to make sure the cat/kitten make a good move into the family.

One of the items is food.  If you bring in a kitten rather then an adult cat, the food is different.  There are ingredients that may be bad for the kitten versus an adult cat.  Kittens need vitamins and balance between fat and protein for the proper development.

Ok so you have food and water for the new cat/kitten and they are settling into a routine that makes you and your kids happy.  But guess, what accidents will happen.  Also male cats urinate to mark their territory.  The cats/kittens may make a mess because they be nervous [O1] or stressed.  Get a good carpet cleaner and stain remover.[O2] 

The carpets are clean and stain free (ha,ha) let keep the pets happy.  Do you want to spend quality time with them?  Then purchase some toys to entertain them.  This also is a way to give them exercise and objects to play with that are not harmful to them.  Make for good bonding time while playing with pets  

Next let’s look at the environment of the animals.  If you are bringing in a kitten and already have adult animals that go outside,  you need to be prepared to fight disease that may be brought into the house from the adult animals.  The kittens may not have the antibodies to fight off the diseases on their own.

Lastly, the kitten will need a place to call their own.  They are semi social and like to hide when over stimulated. You need to have a bed for them to sleep in so get one with a cover.  I know from experience that they will hide in the closet or under the bed. 

Check out Luvforpets.com.  There you will find toys, beds, strollers & furniture, etc. for you cat.

Good luck with the new pet and have fun

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Andrew_Stratton/83489

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Paw Protection

Foot Protection is very important for your pets. Power Paws is the only foot protection solution available in 13 sizes across two different foot shapes. This ensures a great fit for almost all dogs from 6 pounds to 240 pounds. The Advanced version of socks is the only product that I know of that is available to offer a reinforced toe this is useful for dogs with long nails, or those that might involve tapping a toe or dragging a foot. There is also a Power Paws Reinforced Foot version that is  a ruggedized whole foot area. Power Paws is an outdoor solution for protecting the paws from all of the different elements. In the hot summer and early fall they protect paws from blistering pavement and other hot surfaces. In the cold winter, spray Power Paws with a waterproofing solution to keep the paws warm and dry and to protect them from the snow, ice, and salt.  During the spring and fall allergies, Power Paws are the only non-drug answer to dust, dirt, grass, and pollen issues. They also will work to help keep any foot wounds clean while providing air flow for healing. 

Which foot shape do I need? Most dogs will wear Power Paws, but if the pad group on the bottom of the paw is far longer than it is wide choose the Greyhound Edition. More breeds than Greyhounds and Poodles can have hare feet formally called "hare foot". And some dogs, especially the working and herding breeds, may have very different front and back paws.

Why would I choose either the Power Paws Advanced or Power Paws Reinforced Foot? The Advanced Power Paws (with an armored toe) will work well for most dogs. Dogs that do rugged activities outdoors such as camping, hiking, or hunting and those that walk on abrasive surfaces such as sand or pool decks will benefit from the more durable Reinforced Foot product.

How do I know what size to get? The weight and breed guides are a good way to determine size, but they are based on averages. The foot print guide is another check on the size. Unfortunately, some breeds don't follow the guide, and others have different sized and/or shaped front and rear paws. Despite all this, these guides are generally accurate for the majority of dogs. Know that the socks look very small so they can stretch to become the size of the foot, and then the elastic can hold it in place. A good fit is snug, but you can still put a finger in the sock. It will stay in place while playing, walking, or climbing stairs. The sock will be too small if you can’t get it on your dog’s foot. The sock will be too large if it falls off the paw or if it sags.

Suggested breeds depending on their weight and pad dimensions

Extra Extra Small (XXS) Advanced:

·  Weight: less than 12 lbs.

·  Foot Pad Width: 1.25" - 1.38"

·  Foot Pad Length: 1.25" - 1.38"

·  Typical breeds: Chihuahua, Maltese, MinPin

Extra Small (XS) Advanced:

·  Weight: 12 - 25 lbs

·  Foot Pad Width: 1.38" - 1.75"

·  Foot Pad Length: 1.38" x 1.75"

·  Typical breeds: Yorkie, Silkie, small Terriers

Extra Large (XL) Advanced:

·  Weight: 95 - 130 lbs

·  Foot Pad Width: 2.75" - 3.125"

·  Foot Pad Length: 2.75" - 3.125"

·  Typical breeds: Shepherds, Rottweiler, Basset hounds

Extra Extra Large (XXL) Advanced:

·  Weight: 130 - 180 lbs

·  Foot Pad Width: 3.125" - 3.5"

·  Foot Pad Length: 3.125" - 3.5"

·  Typical breeds: Danes, Mastiffs, St. Bernards

Extra Extra Extra Large (XXXL) Advanced:

·  Weight: over 180 lbs

·  Foot Pad Width: 3.5" - 3.88"

·  Foot Pad Length: 3.5" - 3.88"

·  Typical breeds: Wolfhounds, Largest of Giant Breeds

Life jackets and vest for your Dogs

                                  

Summer has started, and you will be taking your puppies out on the water , into a river or lake to swim.  They will also use your home pool to swim.  You need to think about water safety for you dog. If you have ever questioned if a life jacket is really a necessity for your dog, the answer is a resounding YES. Unfortunately thousands of dogs drown each year in home swimming pools accordingly to PET PLACE COM.  This number does not reflect the number of drowning accidents in rivers, lakes and oceans. Life jackets for dogs are imperative, no matter how good a swimmer you think your pet is.

Countless people believe all dogs are good swimmers, but that is not essentially true. While some breeds are better swimmers than others, there are some breeds like Bulldogs and other dogs with short heads, such as Pugs and Boston Terriers that do not do as well in water. Because they have heavy heads and chests, they fatigue easily and could sink to the bottom. For the mentioned breeds and others that are not good swimmers, it is important to get them a proper fitting life jacket.

 No matter if your dog is a great swimmer or not, they should wear a life jacket for the same reason people do when they are in open water or their swimming pools. Dogs are like us, they cannot swim all day. Choking on water or getting tired are really dangers to a dog in water, so give your pets the additional security of wearing a life jacket or vest that will keep them from drowning.  

A doggie life vest also helps to make your dog more visible in open water. Most life vests have reflective tape and you should get the life jacket or vest with the most reflective area that you can.