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When it comes to finding the best organic pet food for your dog, you have to sort through a lot of hype and claims. One of the biggest and most confusing claims you will find is the difference between “all natural” and “organic.”

Many people will mistakenly believe that organic and all natural mean the same thing. Each designation, however, will lead you down a path to a very different road. Although there is some cross-over, you need to know the difference.

The Difference Between “Organic” and “Natural” –

Pet food is not regulated as strictly as the food made for human consumption. This means that producers can take organic vegetables add some non-organic beef and chicken and some toxic ingredients like chemicals and preservatives and still call it “organic.”  Basically, this means that a pet food does not have to be 100% organic to be called “organic.”  The USDA seal means that 70% or more of the food is organically produced.

What you have to check out is the company (their website and their reputation); you need to check to make sure there are no animal by-products, no chemicals, no pesticides, no herbicides, and no fillers. A good quality organic pet food will list this right on the website. They will want you to know and make it clear that they do not put any of these cheap or harmful ingredients in their product. It won’t be hidden.

It is Hard to Prove but Easy to See –

It is impossible to prove a company does not use anything improper. However, pet foods that are organic will want you to know. They want you to know they are completely organic and so will other people. People talk about the results from the organic pet food and often leave reviews on web sites about how well their dogs do. If your dog does well on the dog food, leave a review for others to see as well.

The best way to for the best organic dog food companies to survive is by word of mouth. Let other people know how well your dog did while eating a particular organic dog food. This way others can share in your knowledge and your great find.

Where to Find the Best Organic Dog Food –

Generally, you won’t be able to find the best dog food in your grocery store. You will need to look online. Ask your friends for recommendations because sometimes the best dog food is found by word of mouth. When you do find one that works well with your dog, by all means spread the word. Let everyone know – that way other dog owners can benefit from your great find.

Have you considered using flea and tick spray on your dog or cat but hesitated because you didn’t want to pay for the medication, you weren’t sure it was safe for your pet or your family, or maybe you just didn’t know if you needed it in your area, for your pet.

Well, trust me… a good flea and tick spray (or flea drops, which are a little easier to use) can be a very good investment.

There’s nothing like sitting around on the couch with your dog, enjoying some snacks and a movie when you reach over to pet her and notice creepy-crawly fleas scurrying along her skin. If that doesn’t get you reaching for Advantage flea drops or Frontline Plus flea and tick spray, I don’t know what will!

In fact, this happened to me with my guide dog puppy, Kera. I asked our local Guide Dog Program coordinators what I should do, and they recommended Frontline Plus for dogs.

We used it and it worked right away.

You get a little vial of the medication and you just put a few drops along the dogs backbone and it spreads over the body, and is retained in the skin, where it is effective for a month.

This was super. After that I didn’t worry about taking Kera to the park, or on long walks through the woods.

We still checked her out to make sure there were no ticks hiding, but we didn’t see any. After a while, my husband and I were more worried about the ticks getting on us than on our dog.

So, we were using flea and tick spray, and it seemed easy. Kera was happy and felt good, and my husband and I didn’t have to get the itches (imaginary or otherwise) when we sat down to enjoy her company.

Emily J. Cressey enjoys tromping through the woods, jumping in the river, snuggling in a warm sleeping bag and sipping hot coffee at sunrise – preferably with a dog by her side.

Part of many cat’s personalities is independence. Since most cats can fend for themselves, are very good hunters, and cautious by nature they may not be very social. Or in pet terms, they just don’t care if you want them to do something; they do what ever they want.

This really irritates some people to no end. They want to have a pet that responds to their directions. For the most part, my advice for those people is to get a dog. But cats can be social or friendly with a little training. I’m not absolutely sure they may really mean it but they will at least act like it.

Two things all animals respond to are food and affection or positive reinforcement. Many animals will not respond to punishment or physical discipline, especially cats. So the best method I’ve found is to bribe them. Many cats who are prone to hissing or even threatening to strangers do so because at one time or another they were mistreated. Cats aren’t very trustworthy to begin with and any memory of a bad situation just confirms their belief that all strangers may pose a threat.

I’ve spent a lot of time rescuing abandoned or feral cats and in order to catch them and find them a home you need to gain their trust. Food and patients are your only means of trying to restore that trust. Some who were recently abandoned are pretty easy; cats who were born feral are a lot tougher. Sometimes it takes up to 6 months of constant work to bring them around. A few never adapt depending on their age and natural disposition.

But if you have a cat that is aggressive or hides when company comes, you have a cat with a social problem. Some may not even have had a bad experience; they are just suspicious of anyone. You may never completely eliminate the problem but you can make some serious progress. It does take a little work and effort.

One of my best tricks is to get the stranger to offer the cat some food that they especially like. Obviously you need someone to help in this type of training. And you may have to take it in very small steps. The food is offered to the cat, if they still don’t calm down or if they still run away, set the food down in a neutral area. Not to close but not to far away. Over time the cat will come out or stop the aggressive behavior, inch by inch.

The room needs to be quiet, no sudden movements by anyone, and once you put down the food you need to pay no attention to it or the cat. The food has to be irresistible and I try not and feed the cat for a few hours before the training exercise. Most of my experience shows that on the first few times you may have to put the food down and back away at least 20-25 feet, giving the cat a clear escape route. Slowly but surely you move the food closer to the person.

Once the cat starts taking the food right in front of the person, they need to slowly try and pet the cat. No fast or sudden motions, and just one or two strokes to start with when petting. Once the cat starts recognizing that they will get food and attention from a stranger, they will start being friendlier.

Aggressive cats require very quick reactions just in case. Never put yourself at risk, I’ve seen a cat shred someone’s hand or ankle in nothing flat. And on the scardy cat problems, you need to start eliminating the far away hiding spots. Give them somewhere to hide but keep it close so they can smell the food and get used to new people being in the same room.

Like I mentioned, this may take months of working with the cat. Repetition will get results but you need to be patient with the cat. You are trying to overcome a basic insecurity (that may be justified) and these behavior modifications are slow to stick. And some may never totally overcome their problems but most do improve. I had one especially aggressive feral cat that started out as one mean son of a gun. Within a few months he would come up and rub against people. Now you still had to keep any eye on him, but he wouldn’t beat up other cats (he also used to beat up dogs too) or take a swipe at people who went to pet him anymore.

One of the key factors on finding a rescue cat a home is that they learn how to behave around new people and quickly adapt to their new family. And a cat that will attack people is definitely not a good thing for visitors, human or animal. Positive reinforcement and a little effort can make a huge improvement on cat social skills.

If you have a dog then it makes common sense to take out dog insurance, UK dog owners can end up paying an absolute fortune in vet bills if their pet has an accident or develops a chronic condition of some kind. Most pet insurance policies will not cover any existing conditions, and as a general rule the insurance will not cover you for the necessary vaccination jabs and annual boosters that your dog will need.

As with any kind of insurance it is always a good idea to shop around and get several quotations before you sign up. You should be sure to check with insurers what exclusions, i.e., what things may not be covered by the policy before you sign a contract. Most pet owners are perceived as caring people, something that the insurance companies will have noticed and so there are probably almost as many different dog insurance schemes in the country as there are dogs.

Supermarket giants such as Sainsbury’s now sell insurance for dogs, but again it is not a good idea to get the first insurance policy you look at, there is a lot of choice around and you should look until you find something that fits both your budget and your dog’s needs. There are some things that you need to look out for when you are buying dog insurance, UK insurers that do offer pet insurance may do so on a yearly basis, which means that if your dog contracts an illness while on the first policy, when you come to the renewal, you may not be covered for that condition.

Pet insurance in the UK varies by the type of animal you want to insure, for example cat insurance in the UK is usually cheaper than an insurance policy for dogs. You want as much cover as you can get for your money, just like everything else in a credit crunch, vet bills are rising all the time and unless you have dog insurance, UK costs soon mount up. If your dog is involved in a road accident and you have not taken out insurance then it could cost you hundreds of pounds to get things put right, X-rays and other specialist vet treatments are very expensive.

It is worth undertaking some research online and perhaps to look at one of the insurance comparison sites that are so popular now. These sites bring together a number of different companies and will give you an idea of what a policy might cost and what kinds of things you can expect for your money. As a general rule you should probably expect to pay somewhere between ?6 and ?10 a month for your dog insurance.

Shop around to see if you can find an insurance company that will cover your dog on an ongoing basis rather than your having to renew the policy every year. Your dog is probably in very good health and you may not see the need to take out a policy, but think hard before you decide not to insure. When you do take out a policy you’ll find it’s a lot cheaper to pay for dog insurance, UK vet bills can be ridiculously high.

The Bichon Frise (pronounced ‘Bee-Shone Freeze’) is a curly all-white dog with a puffball appearance and a very puffy head. It has been around since the 1300’s, and throughout their history they have been popular among Italian sailors, the Italian and French royal courts, and eventually with French street performers. Their name ‘Bichon Frise’ is in reference to their curly white coat.

Their diverse history of human companionship is proof of the Bichon Frise’s easy going temperament. These Non-Sporting dogs are independent, gallant, and full of energy. The Bichon loves people and is happiest when he is in his owners company. However, the Bichon Frise is also friendly to strangers, adores playing with children and doesn’t mind other family pets.

The Bichon is intelligent and is easy to train. By nature, he is a natural worker, which is why he got along well with street performers and made a wonderful circus dog once upon a time. This also means that the Bichon can be quite the little clown and enjoys learning tricks.

As was previously mentioned, the Bichon Frise is covered from head to tail in a curly white coat. His coat does not shed, making him a great companion for those who suffer from allergies. Nonetheless, the coat of the Bichon needs daily brushing to keep it free from mats. He will also need a monthly bath, and will require a full coat clipping every few months.

Since the Bichon’s coat gives him such a fluffy appearance, you may be surprised to learn that he isn’t as large as he may appear. For instance, the height of the Bichon Frise only reaches 12 inches and they weigh between 7 ‘ 12 pounds.

It is important to keep a Bichon in trim shape to avoid the possibility of him becoming overweight. This is best achieved by feeding him a sufficient diet and providing him with significant exercise. Because of his size, and the fact that they can happily live in an apartment, one may think that the Bichon does not need too much exercise. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Bichon Frise enjoys being active and likes talking long walks and the freedom to run around in the open.

Those interested in the Bichon Frise will discover that he is a long lived companion with an average life expectancy of 15 years or more. Bichons have a few hereditary problems such as cataracts, ear ailments, knee dislocation and epilepsy. Nonetheless, the Bichon is still one of the more healthy breeds available today.

The Bichon Frise will become miserable if left along frequently. He loves to be included in the activities of his family and owner as much as possible. Human companionship is what makes the Bichon a happy go lucky canine and the best friend you could ask for.