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Archive for May, 2011

I used to wonder curiously about clicker obedience training for dogs. But then, my neighbor said that clickers are not meant for obedience training and they are only fit for making a dog perform circus-like tricks and stunts.

At first, I agreed with my neighbor. Those clickers seemed annoying to me and I didn’t believe that anyone would be able to teach obedience training commands to their dogs with that constant clicking sound.

I couldn’t be more wrong!

Listen, one day I was browsing a video site and this clicker obedience training video caught my attention. It was really well-shot, unlike some of those flimsy homemade clicker videos you often see on the web.

The video was made by a team of professional dog trainers specialized in clicker obedience training for dogs. So they designed a comprehensive clicker training course with videos which I downloaded straight to my computer.

After several home training sessions with my dog Brylow…

I must say their clicker training principles and techniques are spot on!

The 3 “super trainer” tips that helped me the most during training are:

Tip 1 – To clicker train your dog effectively, you need to employ a large variety of positive reinforcers. This means you should allow your dog to play with several different toys/object. The same goes for treats. Use many different ones for better end result.

Tip 2 – High clicking rate is crucial during the first few training sessions. Make sure your dog is able to earn a single click at a rate of every 3 – 5 seconds. This method works really well when I first conducted a clicker crate training session with Brylow.

Tip 3 – Minimize sloppy training. This means you should avoid the following during clicker obedience training: bending over your dog, repeated cues, nagging, and luring.

Anyway, if you’re interested in discovering everything from A – Z about training your dog with a clicker, follow this link: http://www.positivehomedogtraining.com/ to get download details. Apply the steps outlined in the complete manual and remember to watch those videos as well!

A dog whisperer is basically a dog trainer, who has sympathetic point of view on the needs and desires of a dog. For becoming a dog whisperer, you need to have time, a crystal clear mind and patience.

The following are the things you need to do if you wish to become a dog whisperer:

• You need to have a sympathetic point of view on your canine’s intention. Understand the fact that your dog’s thoughts, intentions, desires are uncomplicated. You need to understand that each dog has his/her personal and social needs such as playing, interacting and roaming. In addition, you need to provide the dog with proper food, water and sleeping area.

• By understanding your dog’s requirements, you can communicate with your dog effectively and thus, eradicate behavioral problems, if any. Dogs are social animals and thus, they need frequent interactions. This also helps the owners to know their pet’s behavior more deeply.

• Dogs are fond of playing and when they play, they like to play the game with their own sense. You need to make sure that you are the commander and not the dog. You may find numerous dogs, who hide or tear the clothes left open in the laundry. Dog’s like to hide under the table or sofa very often. If your dog indulges in an erratic behavior such as tearing clothes and other household objects, then instead of getting infuriated, you need think as per dog’s perspective. This will help you to rectify the erratic behavior of your dog effectively.

• You need to fix the meal times for your dog. Make him wait sometime for the meal, you can use command like `sit` to calm him down. In this way, you can make the dog realize that, you are the master. The firmer you are the more are the chances that the dog may obey you. However, firm behavior does not mean that you need to behave ruthlessly with your dog. Instead, you need to remain polite and lovable with your dog.

You need to understand that a Dog Whisperer requires proper understanding of a dog’s likes and dislikes along with proper communication.

If you love your dog and want to give your dog something special, then buy your dog a purpose made dog cage from Doggie Solutions.

Dog cages are very important for dog for many reasons, not just because they ensure a fixed place for your dog but because of variety of other reasons some of the reasons that people are opting for dog cages as follows:-

1.      Offers comfort and safety: The dog cage ensures safety and comfort for the dog, especially when they are just puppies; this is the time that a dog cage is a good option to protect them from getting hurt.

2.      Offers training: If the dog is kept in the dog cage from the beginning, then it will make the dog aware that your beds are not the place to play or sleep. So, if you want to help your dog learn where the best place to sleep in, then the best option is to offer a good dog cage.

3.      Offers better recovery during sickness: The dog cage is very useful at the time when your dog is recovering from any sort of operation as it is probably necessary to restrict the movement of your dog which you can do very easily by keeping it in his cage. This in turn will help your dog heal and recover much quicker.

The importance of dog cages is paramount, and the place that you can buy the best dog cages from is the online store Doggie Solutions, Doggie Solutions is one of the best and well know online stores that not only sells dog equipment but also sells lots of cat products too.

If you want to know more about Doggie Solutions and why it is considered as an inevitable option for both dogs as well as cats products, then it is advisable to have a quick look on some of its most important features. Some of the most important features of Doggie Solutions are as follows:-

1.      Ensures quality products: The first and the most important feature of Doggie Solutions is that it is one such store that believes in offering trusted quality products only. Unlike other stores where the quality is compromised to earn good amount of profit, Doggie Solutions offers quality first.

2.      Fair prices: The second most important feature of Doggie Solutions is that it offers fair prices on all the products it offers. So if you require best quality products for your cats and dogs that too with best prices, then there in no better option than Doggie Solutions.

3.      Wide selection: The third most important feature of Doggie Solutions is that it ensures wide selection of useful products for dogs as well as cats.etc.

 So your search for all important things for your cats and dogs ends at Doggie Solutions.

Here’s a scenario for you to think about.  Your child is out in the back yard, running about with your 1-year old dog, when unexpectedly, you hear that dog yelp in pain.  Wasting no time, you head out the door and observe that the dog appears to have an injured hind leg, holding it aloft as it trots along on the other three.  As if by magic, the dog starts running again on all fours like normal, appearing that nothing had been wrong in the first place.

To add to this scenario, it dawns on you that you have noticed this behavior becoming more and more frequent so now you are concerned enough that you wonder if you should call your veterinarian and make an appointment.  Stop wondering and make the call.  Your cherished pooch is most likely the victim of a luxated patella, or more simply, a lipped   kneecap (or trick knee).

This discomforting malady is hereditary and causes the kneecap to move out of its normal position (dislocates), typically shifting towards the inside of the animals leg. Additionally, it normally occurs in both of the back legs but to a more severe degree in one than the other.  When the dogs kneecap is positioned normally, it sits within a deep groove where it slides down and up in a controlled manner.

As this groove gets more and more out of shape or becomes increasingly shallower, the kneecap begins to slip out of its normal position more frequently.  The leg then locks up, causing the foot to be elevated off the ground.  As a result, the dog cries out from the discomfort that results.  Typically, the condition is more common in the smaller breeds of canines than the medium-sized or larger ones.  The result of the conditions onset is immediate lameness and pain.

In less severe cases, the kneecap slides freely in and out of position voluntarily, but as the condition becomes increasingly more severe, the dislocation can become permanent requiring a vet to either pop the kneecap back into place or, in the most severe cases, correct the condition surgically.  Also, as the condition worsens, the knee capsule itself is injured and the dog appears to be bowlegged.

As we mentioned above, the condition doesn’t just happen overnight, although the initial onset of it would make the owner of the animal speculate as such. Luxated patella is an inherited condition and is most likely present when the puppy is born.  Fortunately, the condition is not crippling even in its most severe stages.  The worst case scenario is that it will have to be surgically repaired and your dog should be able to live a happy and normal life afterwards.

As a final cautionary note, assuming that this condition is inherent to the breed of dog and then neglecting to take action is a huge mistake with unpleasant consequences.  In younger dogs, not  taking care of this oftentimes results in torn ligaments or more severe damage to the knee.  In older canines, neglecting the condition has been known to lead to diseases in the bones and the joints as well as causing arthritis.  So please, don’t gamble with your dogs well-being get the condition corrected immediately.

Household pets are susceptible to a multitude of dangers lying around the house and even some in their own bird cage. Like all other pets, pet birds are also subject to a number of risks. This is mainly due to their small size, sensitive respiratory system, fast metabolism and in the case of parrots, their curiosity to explore everything around them with their beaks. Owners are responsible for their pets safety and should take the necessary precautions to prevent any accidents. Here is a list of the top dangers faced by household pet birds. Starting with the most obvious, birds have a special dietary need and cannot digest most food processed by other pets and humans. High sugar or salt concentrations are inappropriate. Fatty foods are also discouraged. Chocolate is to be avoided at all costs as it is toxic not only to birds but also to other pets in general. Water is the preferred beverage choice. Caffeinated and alcoholic drinks are very dangerous!

Because of their sensitive respiratory system, birds are extremely sensitive to poisons and toxins. Some dangerous contaminants from cleaners, industrial fumes, and pesticides are fatal for birds. Strong and aromatic odours can also kill birds. Aerosol body sprays, Nail polish, cigarette smoke, and paint fumes are to be avoided. If, as typical, one dedicates a special spot for his bird cages inside his car garage, he should take care not to start his car inside the garage as carbon monoxide can lead to respiratory diseases. One should make special mentioning of non-stick coatings, which emit particular fumes that are toxic to birds when overheated. These coats are usually found on non-stick cookware, irons, space heaters, blow dryers and more. As many birds chew on many things small enough for their beaks, one must place safer bird toys, which are made from sanitised and toxin-free plastics or woods like eucalyptus and manzanita in order to avoid poisoning from ingesting or biting the toys.

Birds, which are left, to roam around the house are also at a risk of falling into sources of open water such as in toilets, sinks, buckets and water bowls. Even worse, they can fall into hot pots of water sitting on stoves in the kitchen, so it is generally preferred not to let birds out of their bird cages in kitchens. Ceiling fans pose a major threat to flying birds and have been the cause of several serious injuries and fatalities. Birds tend to get very agitated and nervous with moving things above them and may become stressed out of a ceiling fan running close to their bird cage. Other electrical appliances, which might not pose a direct threat to a bird, might have an exposed electrical cord. As most birds explore with their beaks, electrical cords can pose a danger if bitten. Cords should be concealed as much as possible using corrugated plastic tubing for example.

Even bird toysspecifically designed for parrots and other birds may not be totally safe. Apart from being made out of toxic materials, toys can be broken down by bigger parrots and parts swallowed. Remember that even if a particular toy looks pretty durable at the time of purchase,bird toys don’t last forever and should be checked from time to time. Rope toys can also cause birds to get tangled up in them and get strangled as a result. Finally, birds are rarely known for social interaction with many other pets and birds, especially cats. They can attract the predatory instinct of other animals and if attacked, any bites or scratches can become fatal to a bird. Therefore, cats or dogs around the house can be a risk to pet birds even if they are in their bird cage.

Shop and buy small, medium, or a large bird cage for you pet parrot and pet birds. All types and sizes of parrot cages and bird toys for your pet birds – http://www.birdcagesrepublic.com/