Cattle

Archive for June 28th, 2011

Teaching your puppy crate training is the first and best step in his life. It makes all the other steps in his training go so much smoother, much like a solid foundation makes for a superior wall. Establishing you as the Alpha member of his “pack” is one very good reason for starting your puppy in a crate when he is very young.

Another reason for crate training is that dogs love predictability. To know what is going to happen in any given situation makes him happy, and more apt to be the best-behaved dog he can possibly be.

A strong crate is the very basis of good puppy training. A wire crate with a lock is the best kind. Make sure it is large enough for him to stand up and turn around. But not so large that he can roam and wander around. A too-large crate will inhibit house breaking.

A crate that is just the right size will be perceived as his “nest”, where puppies never “go potty”. They will learn to hold it if you don’t make a prison out of it. Never leave a puppy under 8 weeks longer than one hour in his crate. He will soil it, after struggling and suffering as long as he can.

Put a nice pad in there with a bone. Start with placing a tasty treat in there, he will go in and get it. Do this several times without closing the door, let him come in and out freely for an hour or so. Praise him highly each time he goes in, make it all very pleasant.

Then when his attention is on his treat, close the door. Praise him quietly, “What a good boy, it’s ok, such a good boy!” In 10 or 20 seconds, no longer, let him out without a word, no praise, just a pat. Do this for increasingly longer intervals, but do not give him achance to get upset. You can do this several times the first day.

Make sure every training session ends on a happy note, this is crucial.

Once he sees the crate is his own private territory, he will go in there on his own, expecting treats and your attention. When he does, say, “Wanna crate?” with a happy face while getting his treats. Start leaving the room while he is in there for 2 minutes and onward, gradually. When you return, don’t make a fuss, just walk over and open the crate. In 3 days he will be officially crate-trained, ready to be left alone for an hour, no longer at first. Leave him gradually longer, slowly and carefully.

Q. Why do I want a crate for my puppy?
A. Because they love it is the best reason. They feel very safe and secure in there. Here are some more:
When you leave a puppy alone, he always has some measure of separation anxiety. This leads him to any behavior that brings him comfort, which is chewing, digging, or when it is severe, voiding his bowels.
When placed in a crate, he feels safe because nothing can get to him, nothing can harm him. He will sleep and chew and wait for you to return.
When leaving him overnight at the vet, if your dog is not crate trained he will cry the entire time, feeling lost and abandoned. With crate training, he is sure you will return, you always do. Of course the vet’s office is strange and will cause him some anxiety, but nothing like the pure terror he will feel without experience in being locked in.

NOTE: About crate-training, do not make a prison of his crate. Do not use it as punishment. Do not leave him there for more than 2 hours, just time for a long puppy nap and some chew time. After that he will cry. Do not remove him while he is crying. This will make him think he has to cry to get out. No matter what, make sure he is being good when you open the door. He will learn he has to be quiet to get out. Do not make a fuss when you are letting him out, just quietly open the door and take him out to potty. When he potties, praise him to high heaven! Dogs naturally do not go where they nest, but sometimes it happens. Do not scold, just clean it out with a bland face. He will learn the lesson. If possible, try to clean it while he is outside so he returns to a clean crate.

In 25 years of training dogs, I have never seen any one thing more critical for a dog’s well-being than good crate training.

Are you having trouble finding your fish in the fish tank due to cloudy water? There can be several different reasons for cloudy water in a fish tank, so let’s take a look at the most common ones. These are debris from new substrate, bacterial bloom, chemical imbalance, or even floating algae.

Most new rocks and decorations will cause cloudy water. If this is the case then your debris should settle and go away on it’s own in a couple of days. Before adding the next decorations or rocks it best to soak them in separate water to get all the loose dirt off before addingthem to your tank.

Another problem that can come from new fish tanks is a bacterial bloom. This can cause the water to have a haze and look rather gray. This can come from overfeeding the fish or dying plants.

A sure sign of a bacteria bloom is when your water is milky and has a very bad odor. Not all bacteria are bad but some bacteria blooms can be deadly to your fish. When the nutrient levels get extremely high the bacteria go ballistic and multiply rapidly.

Be sure to remove all dead or dying plants if you have a bacteria problem. If you are changing fifteen percent of your water and using a siphon to clean debris, this type of haze will not cause the fish harm. But it is essential that you get in under control quickly.

Another thing to look at is whether or not your fish are being overfed. This can also cause the water to get cloudy. Just check the bottom of the tank for leftover food – that would be a sure sign of overfeeding.

Fixing fish tank problems like cloudy water from algae can be a pain because it will be thick and green. One of the best ways to cut down on the amount of algae in a tank is by adding algae eating fish. Keeping your lights on for long periods will encourage algae growth as well as sunlight shining on the tank so make sure to watch the amount of lighting your tank gets to help prevent algae growth.

If none of the above helps you with fixing your cloudy water problems, you should follow with a test kit. The test kit will be used to check the ammonia and nitrate levels of your fish tank water.

Once you have checked the levels, the reading for a normal level for both the nitrate and ammonia is zero. If you have something other than zero then your water quality is bad.

What causes cloudy water in fish tanks with open or semi-open style tanks? Many times these style of tanks could possibly have a stopped up filter causing debris to cloud up your water.

If you are still not sure what is causing the cloudy water in your fish tank, don’t panic. As long as your water doesn’t seem extremely bad and your fish are acting fine, give it a little time. Sometimes if bacteria is the cause the bacteria will kill itself.

This is definitely not advice for all cases. If you are concerned about your fish you should probably remove them until you get your problem under control. It is extremely helpful to have a quarantine tank just for occasions such as these. Regular maintenance will also help you enjoy your fish tank without concern.

Germans have a centuries old tradition of breeding dogs. In fact one of the most well-known German dog breeds there are is the German shepherd,otherwise known as Alsatian, and it is famed and loved around the globe.

However, it is not the only German breed there is, it is just the most famous one. In fact, German dog breeds cover a great assortment of dogs.

For example some German dog breeds make very good protector dogs, Doberman is an example. Very loyal, defensive and protective of their owners, these dogs have very strong territorial instincts. Named after Louis Dobermann, who created the breed out of other purebreeds and some mutts these strong and powerful dogs have an imposing figure with swarthy colors, short and elegant coats. They are extremely intelligent and protective, which is why they need a lot of socialization in their early years in order to get them used to humans.

Other German dog breeds are better for sheep-dogs. The most well-known one being the German Shepherd, otherwise known as Alsatian. These breeds were made fairly lately, in 1900 by Max von Stephanitz. This breed was designed for working and herding sheep, but because of its high intelligence, loyalty, and obedience, it has become very useable in other tasks. it is one of the most used breeds in police and military forces because it can recognize and follow commands better than other large breeds.

Some German dog breeds were even developed for pulling sleds. The best example of this breed is the Eurasier. Of course, today, it is not used to pull sleights anymore, but rather as a companionship pet. Because of its disposition, it doesn’t make a good working pet. It makes an excellent family dog because of its loyalty. It also has the advantage of barking very little, which is good if you don’t want to bother your neighbors. They are also very quiet and calm indoors, but active when outdoors.

Another famous breed is the Great Dane, which despite its name is not from Danish origin, but rather it forms part of the German dog breeds. it’s one of the tallest and biggest dog breeds there are. Despite its size, it is an agile dog that can run very fast and needs daily exercise. It also has a very kind and gentle nature. Nevertheless, dog owners might be advised against this breed if they have small children, as the Great Dane has a weight and strength that might be too much for them. It is also not a good choice for people that don’t have much space or aren’t ready for such a big dog.

Other German dog breeds are there as well, however these are the most representative. In general, German dog breeds are highly intelligent, obedient, protective and loyal. On the other hand, German dog breeds require a lot of space, training and socializing in order to avoid aggressive demeanour.