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Being able to own a dog can be an extremely rewarding and life changing experience. There are millions of dollars spent every year by dog owners to help in taking care of their treasured four legged friends. Some of the most important things that you will end up purchasing for your dog are of course the items that you are going to need to keep them properly groomed.  The following are some tips about selecting the best grooming tools for your dog.

You want to start out by finding a quality shampoo and conditioner for your dog. You never want to use your own shampoo to clean them as the shampoo will be way too harsh for your dog’s very delicate skin. You need to find a shampoo and conditioner that are made for your dog’s unique fur texture as well as skin.  This way you can be positive that your dog will be properly cleaned without having to worry about irritating their skin.

Getting a quality set of nail clippers for your dog is essential. You want to make sure that the nail grooming equipment that you get for your dog should be appropriate for the size of your dog. When you want to clip your dog’s nails you only want to clip the part of the nail that is protruding from the nail bed.  This is why you need to make sure that the size of your nail clippers is appropriate for your dog. You do not want to risk clipping more of your dogs nail and possibly injuring your dog. To help soften up your dog’s nails before your clip them you can soak them first in water to make them softer.

The next grooming item that you will want to purchase is a brush. A high quality brush will help you rid your dog of excess fur and dust from their coat. A good brush will also help you keep your dog’s fur from getting all knotted up. The type of brush that you get for your dog will greatly depend on the breed and texture of your dog. It would be a very smart choice to get a recommendation from a professional dog groomer or your veterinarian as to what type of brush you should get for your dog.

Other grooming tools that you could get for your dog will vary due to the type of dog that you have. There are combs that you can get to manage different types of  coats and there are scissors that help maintain certain styles of dog coats. There are electric razors that can also help maintain the coats of different dogs like a poodle for example. Dogs will have different grooming needs depending on what activities that their owners do with them. You will need to purchase the grooming tools that will best meet the unique needs of your dog.

Your dog is an important member of your family and you want to make sure that you take the best care of him as possible.  Taking the time to purchase the best grooming tools possible for your dog will help to keep your dog happy and healthy.

I must have been asked this very simple question more times than I care to remember so lets cut to the chase.

In this example we will use reward based training for your puppy.

These techniques will also work with an adult dog.

• Start the training as SOON as you have bought your puppy do NOT leave it a few days and then start training.
• Remember that a puppy will have zero attention span – One minute he will be giving you those puppy dog eyes gazing at you lovingly and next he will be attacking your shoes.
• Be patient – he’s just a baby.
• If you are working with an adult or older puppy/dog – remember you may be dealing with years of bad habits, and will take time to unlearn or undo these habits. Be patient while he learns your new rules.
• You may find the initial training a bit tedious – but stick with it.

 Ok lets get the environment ready for the training process – SUPERVISION

• You are in charge – so get the environment right – this will tell your puppy/dog who’s in charge and set the right tone. You don’t want him to have the chance to practice behavior you don’t want.
• If your puppy/dog never has the chance to eliminate inside you are creating a positive, consistent education environment.
• He will get into the habit of going outside to eliminate and you will reward him every-time.
• You have created the environment so it;s up to you to make sure that he never has the chance to eliminate in the House/environment.
• To prevent accidents – you need to watch him like a hawk – If you have a toy breed it won’t take a second for him to pee – so I mean it watch him like a hawk.
• For every accident that your puppy/dog has inside he is practicing behavior that YOU don’t want – and you are both taking a step backwards.
• Even a few seconds without supervision could set back the training process- I know it sounds daunting but it will work.
• Once you have created your environment, it will become a habit for you to watch your dog and manage the environment.
• You will be learning the routine together

In part two I will go further into the puppy training process and will introduce the crate.

The Burmese is a relatively modern breed of cat to Europe and the United States of America. Nevertheless, it is one of the most popular breeds. The Burmese is playful, affectionate, active and talkative, which makes the breed a real winner among cat owners.

The Origins of the Burmese

The breed comes from the country formerly known as Burma, now known as Myanmar. In its native Myanmar, the Burmese is known as Copper Cat and for hundreds of years the cat was worshipped in Burmese temples. The breed is also referenced in The Cat Book of Poems, published in Siam (now Thailand) between the years 1350 and 1767. Therefore, the Burmese cat had established itself as a firm favorite in the East centuries before it was introduced to Europe and North America.

In fact, it was not until 1930 that the Burmese was brought into the U.S. by retired naval doctor Joseph Thompson. During his retirement, Thompson spent time living in Tibet, as a Buddhist monk, where he became captivated by Eastern cats. Thompson bred a Burmese cat with a Siamese to distinguish the Burmese as a breed in its own right, rather than a variant of the Siamese.

Consequently, today, all of the Burmese living in Europe and North America are related to one common ancestor, Wong Mau, who was introduced to the Western world by Thompson. To begin with, he had trouble getting the Burmese accepted as a genuine breed, because Siamese breeders felt that the cat was merely an oddly colored Siamese that would pollute the gene pool. After being recognized as a breed by the Cat Fanciers’ Association, in 1936, the recognition was later rescinded, in 1947, only to be reinstated in 1953.

How to Recognize a Burmese

One of the most striking features of the Burmese is its strong muscular bulk, which leads some to describe it as a ‘brick wrapped in silk’. This also refers to the breed’s very soft, silky coat, which can be solid in color or pointed. A pointed coat has patches of color on the legs, ears, face and tail, similar to that seen on a Siamese.

There are three different types of Burmese:

Contemporary (the most popular)

Traditional (is most similar to the original Myanmar)

European or ‘Foreign’ (slimmer than the other two types of the breed)

Personality

The character and temperament of the Burmese is one of the principal reasons for its popularity. Typically, a Burmese cat is very affectionate, playful, intelligent and loyal. Unlike some breeds of cat, the Burmese is not particularly independent and enjoys the company of humans. Therefore, it is not advisable to own one if he, or she, will be left alone for extended periods during the day.

According to owners of the breed, the females tend to be more adventurous and active, whereas the males are more mellow and laidback. Like Siamese, the Burmese cat can be very noisy with a range of calls, cries and meows. However, typically, the sounds are not as loud as a Siamese’s are.

Potential Health Problems

There are not many health issues for a Burmese and one, which occurs in kittens, is easily fixed. Cherry eye, which is an issue with the cat’s third eyelid, can be a problem for Burmese kittens, but simply surgery can rectify the issue.

The only other common health problem in Burmese is gingivitis. Owners should, therefore, be prepared to ensure that their cat receives preventative dental care. Less common health issues are cranial deformities, weepy eyes and breathing problems, which can arise in the Contemporary Burmese, but does not seem to affect the Traditional and European breeds.

If you like the sound of the Burmese cat, ensure that you do some further research on the breed before welcoming one into your family. It is also wise to seek out a reputable breeder or adopt a cat through a local rescue center.

Al Bullington keeps all kinds of pets including a dog, cats, quail, bantam chickens, standard chickens, guinea fowl and parakeets.

Shih Tzu puppy training can be done faster than you may think. Here are the tricks to get started right…

Shih Tzu puppy training is essential if you’re going to have a well-behaved adult Shih Tzu. It isn’t that an older dog cannot be trained, but it’s so much easier to start your dog off right. With just a few general training principles your puppy can get off to a great start.

Remember that what is cute behavior in a tiny little dog could be annoying at best in your adult pet. Remember too that no matter how much you love your new puppy, that puppy will grow to be an adult dog. Many times unacceptable behavior in an adult dog results in the dog leaving it’s home, not by choice either. So, you must not let behavior go that will endanger your long-term relationship with your pet.

We are talking about discipline here. You must first do some thinking about what is acceptable behavior to you. You as the pet owner must make decisions. And start early to set boundaries for your pet. What do you expect from your pet? What are your responsibilities? Do not let behavior problems go unchecked. Caring for a Shi Tzu puppy is a major responsibility, but a fun one too!

If you see a behavior problem developing and you do not know what to do, get some help. Training resources are widely available either with a local trainer or on the Internet plus books and videos. See, your pet is looking to you for guidance. You must not fail your pet. It may be you that really needs the training and not your pet.

But it is a large mistake to expect too much from a tiny puppy. Little Shih Tzu puppies are very easily distracted and have tiny small attention spans. Your little puppy can learn quickly, but do not push too hard and fast with training. Be patient, very patient with puppies.

To be successful with Shih Tzu puppy training, try to link rewards with desired behavior. Link a less desired outcome with undesired behavior. Please don’t think violence is necessary. Firm but gentle is the way to head off problems.

One of the first training steps is housebreaking your puppy. Don’t start too early. Check with your dog’s breeder for a suggested time to start training. Housebreaking is a task that must be done or else your pet will probably not stay at your house.

One way to handle this is to monitor your pup closely and scoop the pup up and get to the proper place for elimination before it happens. There are several methods plus several different products to help. Products to help include dog litter boxes, doggie diapers and potty pads.

House training is just the start. You can move on to obedience training and even on to teaching tricks to your puppy.

Your puppy can grow to be a fun and important part of your family with just a little guidance from you.

Oftentimes considered the most intelligent of all breeds of dogs, the Border Collie originate in the English and Scottish border country, and is an excellent sheep herding dog.  They were plentiful in numbers in England and Scotland during the 1800s when they were used as fetching dogs in order to circle sheep herds and keep the animals close to the shepard. By 1873, sheepdogs known as Border Collies and became extremely well known when the breeds character was tested at the first official sheepdog trial in England.

The first known Border Collie on record, tested at this trial, was a male named Hemp.  He was used to sire more offspring and has oftentimes been referred to as the Father of Border Collies for this reason alone.  Hemp used a combination of eye contact and fear in order to herd the flock, and was considered the most intelligent dog of his day in the British Isles.

Despite the fact that the breed had been recognized since the 1800s, the name Border Collie was not deemed as the official breed name until 1915.  Sheepherders in the US who were in dire need of a smart herding canine welcomed the Border Collie with open arms upon their arrival in North America.  Unfortunately, where the AKC is concerned, they were never considered as a competitive show dog until the mid-1990s.

The two primary traits of the Border Collies personality are obediency and intelligence.  Unfortunately, if they are kept indoors to long and not tended to, they can become rather destructive in their efforts to entertain themselves and stimulate their brains. Additionally, the Border Collie at times will display an aloof, guarding type of behavior as they are extremely loyal and protective.  And this behavior is exhibited the moment a strange human, dog, or other animal gets too close to their masters.

Mental and physical stimulation on a day-to-day basis are critical issues with Border Collies and many breeders and dog experts have the tendency when appraising the dogs personality to say that the breed simply has a job to perform.  So they will take advantage of any such opportunity as it arises.  In so many words, this dog has been genetically programmed to perform a multitude of work functions.

Despite their desire to be indoors with their families, they are quite capable of tolerating mild to cooler weather conditions.  As the breed requires significant amounts of room to roam around for exercising, it is ill-advisable that you subject the dog to an apartment-like environment.  In fact, the more astute breeders will deter you from obtaining one if you reside in an apartment, condo, or studio-type residence.

Border Collies have been known to live as long as 15 years, but 12 years is their average lifespan.  Fortunately, there are no major health concerns with this breed so you do not have to worry about anything unforeseen arising during the dogs life.  The only issue on rare occasions is CHD – Coronary Heart Disease.  Minor health issues include CEA, hypothyroidism, lens luxation, OCD, PDA, PRA, and seizures, but these conditions are rare and seldom occur with any documented regularity.