Cattle

Archive for January, 2012

There are quite a few things that can create anxiety in you animals at home but there are some things that you can do to minimize your dog’s anxiety tendencies.
Here are a few do things.

Do:

Exercise the heck out of her. Really wear her out: the longer you expect to be away, the more exercise she should get before you leave.

For example, if you are leaving for work in the morning, she will probably be by herself for at least four hours; and, if you have got a dog-walker to take her out mid-day instead of coming back yourself, she will not see you as the person she really cares about – for at least nine hours.

So she needs a good, vigorous walk (fifteen to twenty minutes is the absolute minimum here!) before you walk out that door. More is even better.

Distract her from her boredom, loneliness, and anxiety by giving her an attractive alternative to pining, pacing, and whining. All dogs love to chew and why not play on this predisposition?

Get a couple of marrowbones from the butcher, bake them in the oven for 20 minutes (so they go nice and hard and crunchy and so she can not smear marrow all over your furniture), slice them up into chunks of a few inches long, and give her one about 15 minutes before you leave.

It will keep her happy and occupied, and will act as a smokescreen for your departure.

When you leave, put the radio on to a soothing station: classical music is ideal, but any station featuring lots of talk shows is also ideal. Keep the volume quite low, and it will calm her down a bit and give her the feeling that she has got company.

If at all possible, supply her with a view: if she can see the world going by, that’s the next best thing to being out and about in it.

Acclimatize her to your leaving. Taking things nice and slowly, practice getting ready to go jingle your keys about, put on your coat, and open the door. Then without leaving sit back down and do not go anywhere.

Do this until she is not reacting any more. When there is no reaction, give her a treat and lavish praise for being so brave. Next, practice actually walking out the door (and returning immediately), again doing this until there is no reaction.

Gradually work up and gradually being the operative word here until you are able to leave the house with no signs of stress from her.

Do not:

Act overtly sympathetic when she is crying. Although it sounds very cold-hearted, trying to soothe and comfort your dog by patting her and cooing over her is actually one of the worst things you can do: that is essentially validating her concern.

Make sure she can not tell that you feel sorry for her: do not ever say, it is OK, good girl when she is upset!

If you are interested in getting a more detailed look at how to deal with your dogs separation anxiety, you might like to check out a recommended book which might help you with your dog’s problems.

This book is a great learning tool for anyone who wants to learn how to deal constructively with their dogs problem behaviors.

As a mater of fact, all of the common behavioral problems are dealt with in detail in this book, and there is a great section on obedience commands and tricks too.

So you’re thinking about venturing out on your next trip with Fido? Sounds like a fun idea, but unless you’re well prepared, you may end up wishing you had left him at home.

But don’t get discouraged; traveling with pets is becoming as commonplace as traveling with children. In a sense, they really are our children. We feed them, clean up after them, groom them, praise them, and love them… why shouldn’t we take them along?

Problem is, some folks think just letting the family dog jump in the back seat is all it takes. Never mind securing that loved one in a car seat or harness like we do Junior. Why not? Okay, I’ll ask it again… why not?

In case of a sudden stop or crash, what happens? Oops. Or big OOPS, depending on the size of your pooch. He could cause a serious injury or even death to you or one of your passengers if he becomes a projectile. Why take the risk?

Making the best of pet travel begins with planning. You must first think about what it is you’re doing, where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, what you need… you know, like you do when you take a trip by yourself or with friends or family. Don’t exclude your pet’s needs and essentials just because… what, he’s a pet?

What vitamins or meds will he need? What about food, treats and water? Yes, it’s always a good idea to have a supply of good, cold water with you. Sometimes you just can’t just find water anywhere when you need to stop.

Do you have a car seat for the pet to see out (mainly for smaller pets) or a harness or seat belt? What about emergency contacts like vet phone numbers or a pet hospital near where you are traveling? In case you become separated, did you remember his ID tag? How else will anyone know to whom your four-legged child belongs? A travel ID tag is also becoming more popular that lists the contact information of where you’re planning to stay when you get to your destination or a cell phone number that could easily track you down in the event you get separated from your pet.

One of the most comforting things a pet can have with him is something familiar like a favorite toy or blanket. Remember how Junior is? By the way, did you remember his, too?

How about a portable exercise pen? Aunt Sally says she loves your canine, but does she really want him running loose all over her house? That exercise pen can be assembled in no time, and you sure won’t have to keep your eye on Aunt Sally’s glass figurine collection every second of the day.

And when you and your canine are ready to bed down for the night, are you just going to let him sleep where he finally drops? Is that where Junior will end up for the night? I don’t think so. That’s right, don’t forget that pets like to sleep comfortably, too, and that portable bed sure feels a little more like home.

There’s another thing you should remember. And that’s all you have to do, just remember it. And that is… reassurance. Your pet knows you better than anyone else. Give him the reassurance that you’re there for him and that you’re going to have a good time together. He knows your voice. You’re the one he trusts. So give him confidence in this new traveling environment. Provide him with the things he needs to make his trip as safe and enjoyable as yours, and I’m sure you will have many fun excursions together for years to come. Happy travels!

To begin the house training process with your Pit Bull puppy, you need to first determine a suitable place outside your house where he can relieve himself. Once you have found that place, give your puppy a little tour around to let him get acquainted with the new area.

The next step is to restrict his/her freedom inside the house. Your Pit Bull puppy is less inclined to relieve himself near his sleeping quarters. By restricting him to certain areas in your house, he will be more likely to hold himself. However, do not make him wait too long. Even if your Pit Bull puppy is physically strong, he still has very weak control over his bladder and bowel movements. In fact, any dog is physically incapable of controlling their bladder until they are approximately 14 weeks of age.

If you do not find the time to take him outside often enough, and whenever he needs to go, then you leave him with no other choice but to relieve himself on your carpet. Once you notice that he needs to use the bathroom, then you need to take him outside immediately and stay with him until he has finished relieving himself. As soon as he is finished doing his deed, remember to reward him with praise and plenty of treats to let him know how pleased you are.

Do not expect more from your Pit Bull puppy than he is physically able to do. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that a puppy can hold his bowels for as many hours as his age in months. For example, a three-month old puppy can hold it in for about three hours.

There is however, a limit to this rule. It is sensible not to expect your twelve-month old puppy to hold his bladder or bowel movements for twelve hours. If he is forced to stay inside the house for longer than you can reasonably expect him to hold it in, you are causing an accident to happen. At the same time, you are teaching your puppy to go in the wrong place. Installing a doggy door is a very effective way to house train your Pit Bull puppy. Once he gets the idea and becomes familiar with where he needs to go, he will usually let himself out to do his deed while you are gone.

When he relieves himself inside the house, he labels that area as his bathroom and will likely to go there again. If your Pit Bull puppy does have an accident in your house, clean and deodorize the area thoroughly and then block his access to that area. If you catch him in the act, say “no” in a firm voice and rush him outside. Punishing him for relieving inside your house will not help him learn any faster and in fact can hinder progress.

Before crate training your Pit Bull puppy, you’ll need to acquire a crate. There are many types and variations of crates available for purchase. It is important to pick the type of crate that will best suit the needs of both you and your puppy.

You should also take into consideration the size of your dog now, and how large he may be when fully grown to avoid having to purchase more than one crate. It is also important to remember that the crate will be his own individual space, and you want to make it as comfortable as possible so that your Pit Bull will enjoy his time there.

Since the puppy will be spending a lot of time in his crate, you should put several of his favorite toys and treats in the crate for him. Keep in mind that any toy you purchase should be large enough for the dog not to be able to swallow it, to avoid any injury to your pet. Having toys to chew own will not only give the dog something to chew that he can’t destroy, but it will help to prevent boredom while he is in the crate.

Due to the strength of the Pit Bull, it is important to purchase tough toys that are made to last. They tend to really like Kong toys, and they can be stuffed with treats, which will usually keep him interested at least for a couple of hours, or until he gets all the treats. You can also purchase bones and toys that are especially made for Pit Bulls, they are tougher and usually safer for them to have than regular toys and bones. Regular bones, such as rawhide bones, can be dangerous for Pit Bulls, because they are strong enough to chew off bits of bone and get them lodged in their digestive tract.

If your Pit Bull will be spending more than two hours in the crate, it is a good idea to equip it with a water bottle in case he gets thirsty. Many pet stores sell the same type of water bottles that are used for hamsters or gerbils, just in larger sizes. These tend to work well in the Pit Bull’s crate.

You should also put some kind of bedding in the crate to help your Pit Bull puppy be more comfortable. Old towels or soft blankets usually suit this purpose very well. Occasionally Pit Bull puppies will chew their bedding, if this happens, be sure to remove all the pieces so that the puppy doesn’t swallow them. If the puppy wets his bedding, just remove it until the puppy stops using his crate as a bathroom, then put it back in.

Since the crate is your Pit Bull’s own private space, it is important not to let children or visitors play with him while he is in his crate. He should be left alone to play or rest as he likes. If someone wants to play with him, he should be taken out of his crate first. You want your Pit to like being in his crate, and feel comfortable spending time there.

Alligators are the most life-threatening of the exotic pets. They’re like crocodilian, which comes from the family line of Alligatoridae. The name was derived from a Spanish word Anglicization, which was used by a Spanish people who were settled in Florida, U.S.A. Alligators are found by and large in America and China.

There are two types of alligators, Alligator Mississippians or the American alligator and Alligator Sine sis or the Chinese Alligator. The American alligator weights around eight hundred pounds and is thirteen feet long. The record for the longest alligator is of nineteen feet two inches, from Louisiana. Comparatively, the Chinese alligators are smaller in length and measure out not more than seven feet long. Alligators exist for more than fifty yrs. The most aged existing alligator is of seventy years, at the Belgrade Zoo, Serbia.

There are many characteristics of alligators that differentiate alligators from crocodiles but both of them belong to different taxonomical categories. Alligators have a wider muzzle and their eyeballs are sited nearer the upside. When light is blinked over their eyes, larger alligators have a red glow and smaller alligators have a green glow. This can be a very useful tip for those who are looking for alligators in dark. Even in daylight, we can observe that alligators have brown eyes and crocodiles have green eyes.

When the alligators close their jaws, only the upper teeth are able to be seen while in crocodiles, the upper and the lower teeth are visible when they close their jaws. The shape of an alligator’s mouth is like a”U” and the crocodile’s is like a”V”. Although the skin of both the animals is a darker, almost black, the color depends on their environment. The Chinese alligators have a light pattern skin, alligators which live in algae growing water are greenish black and in high tannic acid water which is released from hanging trees have a darker skin.

As the presence of the gastroliths (stomach stones) in the stomach of alligators they can eat anything. Young alligators depend upon crustaceans, fishes, snails, and insects for their food. As they grow into larger size even they need larger feed. Bigger alligators prey turtles, bigger fishes, birds, and, other reptiles and mammals. They even eat up deer, razorbacks, small alligators and even carcass of animals when they are very hungry. They have also been reported for few attacks on humans, but the number is on arising. People set out overconfident about this reality and enter alligator habitats without more caution, resulting in provoking their aggression. But alligators don’t right away attack humans, like crocodiles.

Today Alligators have turned very protected and regulated animals. Special processing is to be experienced to get the detention of an alligator. Normally baby alligators could be bought from Florida. Owners are given a special license and must be well aware of their duties. They’re against the law of many another states to take out an alligator from its natural habitat. Alligator pets should be provided with wide and wet habitat, same as the subtropical, to live in.