Cattle

Posts Tagged ‘standard’

All dogs are not created equally, and not all dogs will follow through with all of the standards of the breed. We all know of the snappy Golden retriever or the affectionate poodle that goes against everything that you thought you knew. And while there is always the exception that proves the rule, there are enough of the dogs that do follow standards and traits to make them worth exploring when you are considering adding a dog to your family. Remember, dog breed traits are merely guidelines and may not fully and adequately describe each individual animal. Always evaluate a dog on its own merit, keeping in mind any potential traits that might seem troublesome to you.

Some dogs are known for being hyperactive, rambunctious creatures that have the potential to be destructive, incorrigible and potentially nuisances if they are not properly trained and monitored at all times. These include the Jack Russell terrier, the Labrador Retrievers, and the collie. Jack Russell Terriers also tend to dig when bored, while the lab will show his unhappiness by refusing to be fully housebroken. (Again, these are just generalizations, I am sure your lab is a perfect angel and only piddles outside!)

Some breeds are rampant barkers, or even worse, howlers. Vocal dog breeds include the Boarder Collie, who has a sharp, hard to take bark, the bored beagle that howls and, of course, the yappy poodle. Timid dogs tend to overreact to every sound or movement and will bark as well. This behavior is usually found in the smaller breed dogs, including the Chihuahua, the Pomeranian and the Lhasa Apso. The Chihuahua is also notoriously stubborn with housebreaking and tends to be a bit of a biter. (Mine would lay outside on a sunny porch for hours, get up, stretch and then dash inside to pee on my floor, so do not get me started.) Hound breeds tend to be the howlers, especially if they hear trains or sirens. Hounds in the city are bound to be miserable, and freak out all of the neighbors.

There are some breeds that no one would say a bad word about, and then there are the opposite- the breeds that no one would say a good word for. Golden retrievers are generally highly praised dogs, quiet, good natured and gentle, but there is bound to be a barking, biting golden to deal with. And of course, we all know that it is the pit bulls and their close cousins that get all of the negative press. While these are the dogs most affected by negative press and bad ownership, it is still probably worthwhile to consider owning these only if you are willing to properly, and gently train them, and learn everything that you can about the breed.

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Due to constant comparison with their canine counterparts, people have said that cats cannot be trained. True, they may not be trained like a soldier but cats are incredibly intelligent animals that can be trained towards developing good habits if effort is put into work and understanding them.

Most cats that are adopted from a shelter, bought from a breeder or even just rescued from the streets don”t require a lot of instruction or guidance. Cats are quite self-sufficient but can still benefit from some training. Cat training is well worth doing because it will do good for the health and safety of both cat and owner.

There is no standard procedure to follow for cat training but there are a few cardinal rules in doing so. The first is that owners need to favor incentives over deterrents when possible. Cats also have self-interests so owners and trainers would want to leverage those. Using the cat’s natural preferences to induce the cat to the desired goal will prove to be helpful. Second rule is to not let training damage the important bond of trust between owner and cat. Cat training would ideally strengthen the bond between pet and owner during training sessions. The third rule is that owners need to consult with a veterinarian to investigate any possible medical issues for any observed behavior problems. Some cats that exhibit aggression with no previous incident of violence may be showing pain aggression due to an illness or injury. Training the cat during this case is not advisable.

Before starting cat training, it is advisable that a bond be established with the cat. Cats value and look forward to attention and affection that can be gained from training. But cats would only participate when they can determine that they would not be put in any harm by the handler. It would seem that the cat is more dependent due to that aspect of their training. Although cats in the wild tend to work alone, domesticated cats are quite social.

Cats may not be pack animals that carry the instincts to please a leader but due to their curious nature, they respond to learning, playing, eating and relaxing with their human owners. Although the relationship between cat and owner would aid in training, cats still have that independent streak. Any cat owner who opts for cat training must keep their expectations realistic to avoid working under false pretenses while going through the training sessions.

Okay, so you’ve decided you want to do some agility training with your dog. That’s great! You’ve seen some competitions, know you need some dog agility equipment, and decide to go to the pet store looking for some of the standard training items such as a tunnel. When you get there what you find is there are a lot of options to choose from but you really have no idea which one would suit you and Fido best. Not so great.

Well fortunately, here is some information that can help. This is the information you need to know how to select an agility tunnel.

Tunnels come in several different types. The basic selection for competition comes in 10 ft, 12 ft, 15 ft, and 20 ft lengths. They can be 4 inch pitch or 6 inch pitch. The Pitch refers to the amount of space between the metal that structures the tunnel inside. It can be heat sealed or sewed. Sewed is better for a hot climate like Az. The rip stop industrial strength fabric is very durable. The sun can actually make a heat sealed one fall apart after a while.

Various Agility venues have different requirements for the pitch. AKC, and USDAA, for instance requires 4 inch pitch. The pitch lends durability, stability, and weight to a tunnel. The heaviest weight may be required when hundreds of dogs are running through one, but for your own training needs at home to practice, a 6 inch pitch will usually work just fine. It really depends on your level of competition and the wishes of your trainer for you and your dog.

All sizes of tunnels are used on an agility course. You need longer ones to do a U or L shaped tunnel. You also may bend them underneath other pieces of contact equipment like an A frame or dog walk to teach the dog to discriminate between two obstacles. Most dogs find tunnels really tempting, so it is a distraction of sorts.

There are also collapsed tunnels or they are also referred to as Chutes. These are attached to a barrel and clamped on to form a flat or collapsed tunnel which is usually more challenging for the dog and it also takes longer to get through. You should never leave a chute unattended in your back yard as a dog can get tangled in one and there may be dire results of injury or worse. It is only to be used with handler supervision. Most dogs like these with practice.

If a person is in a puppy class or has a young dog and they want to do some back yard fun training, a practice tunnel made of light weight nylon type material is available for this type of activity. It is less expensive and easy to transport or store.

In order to stabilize your tunnel, you should ideally have tunnel weights or fasteners that look like straps on both ends and possibly the middle to keep it from moving or pitching when a fast dog runs through it. Milk jugs filled with sand and a rope or cord may have the same effect if you don’t want to immediately purchase tunnel bags, but that is what they are designed for-to keep your tunnel stable.

Tunnels can be a multitude of colors. You can mix and match and have fun making your course colorful.

Now a trip to the pet store to purchase dog agility training equipment won’t be so overwhelming since you know how to select an agility tunnel.

The choice of cages available for hamsters today is extremely vast. You have simple metal cages, tanks, novelty cages and expandable cages. You also have the option to build your own cage. So just how do you know which one to choose for your hamster and how can you create the ultimate hamster cage?

Understanding the Different Cages

Before you can make a good decision about the type of cage that you should use for your hamster, you first need to understand the benefits of each one that is available.

Standard wire cages tend to be quite popular because they are inexpensive, they are strong and they are fairly easy to clean. They tend to consist of a plastic removable bottom and the sides and top of the cage are made from metal bars. Another reason why these types of cages are so popular is because the hamster can climb up the bars which gives them a little exercise as well as something to do. You can purchase metal cages with accessories inside them and with tubes that lead out of the cage and then back in again or you can purchase them on their own. The brand to look out for if you are looking for a good quality metal cage is “Ferplast”.

Novelty cages and expandable cages are definitely two of the most popular types of hamster cages available today. This is especially true if the hamster belongs to a child. Novelty cages basically involve cages that are shaped in some kind of theme. It could be a space theme for example and everything in the cage would be designed to suit that theme. Expandable cages can also be classed as novelty cages as they are really fun to build. They come with tubes to connect the cage to another one. The most popular range of expandable cages is either “Habitrail” or “Rotastak”.

Tanks are not really the best choice for hamsters but you could use them if you wanted to stop them making a mess around the cage.

Generally it is always better to personalise your hamster cage to your individual hamster. Creating your own cage can be extremely fun and your hamster will really appreciate it. Of course you could always build a cage from scratch but that would take a lot of time and effort. So if you want to create the ultimate cage but you want to use existing cages to help you, then stick with the expandable cages. You can choose from hundreds of different compartments and you can join everything together with tubes.

No two expandable cages will look the same!

When creating the ultimate cage for your hamster you should include plenty for them to do. All hamsters love wheels and going through tubes so include at least one wheel and plenty of tubes and ladders. Don’t clutter the cage too much and give the hamster as much space as possible.

Overall, choosing the perfect hamster cage is easy once you know what to look for. Expandable cages do allow you to create your own personalised cage by connecting various compartments together. So if you are looking to create the ultimate cage then why not take a look at the ever popular expandable and novelty cages available today?

In response to people’s requests for input concerning Spaying and Neutering Animals, I offer this staggering statistic. In the metro nine county area where I live with less than 300,000 human population, the local shelters publish their intake/adoption/euthanized statistics each month in a periodical filled with photos of adoptable animals. Their monthly average of the animals euthanized in over 72 per cent of the animals brought to them for possible adoptions. Over 72%! Personally, I am a soul on my journey through the material world at this point in Kali Yuga who has rescued cat- and dog-bodied souls, and is steward to two rescue cat-souls who live indoors only.

It behooves those of us with human forms to take responsibility for the world we have created by taking proper care of any other being in our care. I’m not going to get into any scriptural discussion here. Just plain common sense, people. Kali Yuga is a challenging time to live for every soul, in every form of body. So, take care of the animal-bodied souls by getting them Spayed and Neutered as soon as you can. Their sex desire is then finished. (that it should be so easy for human-bodied souls!) And the lives of all concerned will be able to focus on facets of life other than “unwanted” animal offspring. Using our common sense is imperative to most of our actions. Humans often forget that they have Common Sense to utilize.

By the way, these two cat-bodied souls who live with me receive temple prasadam salt added to their cat food, and I always greet and talk with them using the Names of Their Lordships. We also listen to kirtan and dance together every day! And they are very appreciative. So, treat these souls as fellow travelers on their Eternal Journey, just as you would wish for them to treat you, if you were the one in an animal body. You may not desire to have any animal-bodied souls to live with you.

Yet, too many so-called devotees treat these souls with disdain, just because of the body they are in. So, who’s on the bodily concept? I have a feeling that this letter will trigger the ire of many so-called brahminical standard-practicing souls. So be it. Just remember that none of us really knows who any other soul is. Nor do we know how Lord Caitanya is using anyone to spread this Harinama Sankirtana movement. Those with a loving heart will understand what I’m trying to say.