Cattle

Once all the research, planning and waiting is complete and the aquarium is full of water and has finally finished cycling you will finally be ready to introduce your first fish.

It is important to ensure that you make the right choice though as there are some fish which are suitable to be added at this stage and there are fish which are not.

Do you know what you are looking for in the selection of your first fish?

Firstly and foremost the fish you choose must be relatively hardy. The reason for this is that the saltwater aquarium is new and the water will not be completely stable. Another reason is that as aquarists we all make mistakes at one time or another and with having a hardy fish they are more forgiving to these mistakes.

You will probably have an idea as to the type of fish you would like to keep in your aquarium therefore it is imperative that this fish you choose now will be compatible with future tank mates. If you added an aggressive fish for example at the start then whenever you decided to add a new fish there would be fighting in the aquarium. Not what you want at this stage really is it.

Which fish are good fish to start with?

Below is a list of what I believe to be good starter fish for a saltwater aquarium. They are all relatively hardy, peaceful and none of them have special feeding requirements.

* Clownfish
* Orchid Dottyback
* Royal Gramma
* Blenny
* Chromis
* Firefish

Lets have a look at each of these in a little more detail :

Clownfish

The clownfish to me is a fantastic little fish. The way it swims, the way it lives in corals etc and especially the colours – a great addition to any aquarium. They are also one of the most popular starter fish. They are quite hardy and are very well suited to captive life in an aquarium.

You can keep these singularly or you can keep them in pairs. When kept in pairs the most dominant fish sometimes will turn into a female and the two may even end up breeding.

There is a mis-belief that clown fish must be kept with an anemone. This simply is not the case. Clownfish will be more than happy in an aquarium without one. Anenomes are quite hard to keep and at this stage of the aquariums life the aquarium is not yet ready for one, possibly neither are you.

There are various species of clownfish, however the best ones to start with are :

* Common clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
* Black and white clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
* Percula clown (Amphiprion percula)

Clownfish can be purchased tank bred and if this is an available option it is recommended that you follow this option.

Orchid Dottyback

The orchid dottyback (Fridmani pseudochromis) is a relatively peaceful fish which grows to around 3-4 inches in length. The good thing about the orchid dottyback is that they can be purchased tank bred.

One thing to be noted is that you should not mix this fish with other fish of the same shape (ie the royal gramma below) or with other dottybacks.

Once the fish has become accustomed to life in your aquarium it will become quite bold and swim happily around the aquarium.

Royal Gramma

Royal grammas (Gramma Loreto) are a peaceful fish with the exception of their own kind and are very colourful fish with the colours changing from purple to yellow along the fish’s body.

There are other fish which can easily be confused with the Royal Gramma as they look very similar so ensure that it actually is a Royal Gramma prior to purchasing it.

Blenny

There are a couple of blennies which in my opinion make good additions to the aquarium as starter fish and there are the Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas) and the Bicolour Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor).

These are both fantastic to watch. They both like to either rest on a ledge or find a hole and simply watch the world go by.

Chromis

Chromis (Chromis viridis) are great to add to an aquarium. They are relatively hardy and if you have a larger aquarium then you can add a small group. They normally come in two colours (blue and green).

One of the good things about chromis is that they do not grow to be that large. They normally do not grow larger than 2 inches in length.

Firefish

The normal firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) and then purple firefish (Nemateleotris decora) are great starter fish to add to the aquarium. Both of these are very colourful fish which grow to a maximum size of about 4 inches.

The firefish has a large dorsal fin which it uses to lock itself into a hole in the rocks which is normally down at the bottom. This hole is where the fish retires to when the lights go out but it also uses it when it becomes startled. These fish are prone to jumping when startled therefore you need to take care to prevent this.

Unless you can locate an established pair I would recommend that these are kept singularly.

Despite what some naysayers are claiming on the internet, the Goldendoodle dog is NOT a fading FAD. The truth is, the Goldendoodle dog happens to be gaining popularity with each and every passing day. Perhaps in the beginning, when breeders in Australia started mixing Poodles with Golden Retrievers, they believed this gorgeous hybrid would not last. But honestly, even I was surprised that those wanting Goldendoodles surpassed those wanting purebred Golden Retrievers. Goldendoodles have become a breed that many enjoy loving. The fact their coat is low shedding and low dander and of course, their lovable cute mug only helps their “AWE” factor. A few naysayers claim that the shelters are filled with Goldendoodles….a “mutt” that is “substandard”. Excuse the heck out of me??? Since I began my Goldendoodle breeding program in 1999, I’ve not heard of very many people being able to find these wonderful dogs inside of shelters.

As a matter of fact, the reality is, many people HAVE to purchase through a breeder because there are so few Goldendoodles available at shelters…and that’s great news! I am very glad that so far, very few Goldendoodles can be located at shelters. This means that those who originally bought them….are keeping them and not dumping them at their local shelter or letting rescue groups have them. The sad fact is, too many “rescue” groups are in it for the money even though they claim they are in it to “help” dogs find homes. On facebook alone, I’ve discovered the fact that there are many bogus groups who are not ligitimate groups at all. Some are hate groups who are out to bash and trash breeders of hybrids and many are claiming to be “rescue” groups when they are really in it for a quick buck. Many breeders, such as myself, have devoted years of unpaid hours to their Goldendoodle breeding program and to their dogs.

I do not get paid for what I do. I think that the prices we ask for our Goldendoodles are beyond reasonable especially given the fact it is very expensive to raise, house and care for animals these days. My expenses always far exceed what I take in. I discovered one Goldendoodle naysayer claiming that Goldendoodles are “high energy” dogs. This is not an accurate statement in its entirety. I’ve written many articles over the years about the Goldendoodle dog. The truth is, SOME Goldendoodles can be high energy dogs…depending upon their lineage and how they are created. NOT ALL GOLDENDOODLES ARE CREATED EQUAL.

 While a rose is a rose is a rose….the Goldendoodle is not a Goldendoodle is a Goldendoodle. If a breeder does not pay attention to the pedigree of their Poodles and Golden Retrievers, then by all means, of course it is possible for the dog to be “substandard”. Goldendoodle dogs, like any breed, can not be lumped into one single group. I personally spent 2 years researching the pedigree history and lineage of both my Poodles and Golden Retrievers. My own Goldendoodles have a very impressive lineage of champion ancestors that date back to the early 1930s. Because their lineage is very heavy with companion dogs, our Goldendoodles make the most wonderful family companion anyone could ask for. Because their lineage does have quite a few Master Hunters and Utility dogs (champion working class dogs) our Goldendoodles can, sometimes, be stubborn when they want to be; they absolutely are attracted to water and water sports; they love to explore outdoors and they are highly intelligent dogs. Being highly intelligent is a double edged sword.

On the one hand, our Goldendoodles can easily learn new tricks and commands….but they can also learn destructive habits just as easily and such habits must be nipped in the bud by their owner immediately. If not properly trained and supervised, yes…very intelligent Goldendoodles will easily find themselves getting into trouble. But that is the owner’s fault. It is not the fault of the dog. Bad dogs are not born. Bad dogs are created by human owners. My days revolve around my dogs. Nearly every hour as a matter of fact. If I am not with them, I am writing about them. If I am not writing about them, I am talking about them. If I am not talking about them, I am running errands for them. If I am not running errands for them, I am with them. My day doesn’t end at 5pm. There are times I am awakened in the wee early morning hours…while everyone else is snuggled into bed….finding out what is going on due to the ruckus or barking of my dogs. Some naysayers will tell you, “Don’t buy your Goldendoodle from a breeder”. Well…why not? What makes these naysayers believe that a shelter dog is any better?

What can a shelter possibly tell you about the dog you are adopting? About its history? Where it came from? What its lineage is? What it likes and doesn’t like? How are they able to provide you with an accurate birth date? The truth is….they can’t. The truth is….not all shelter dogs end up at shelters or rescue groups because the owner was a bad owner. There are bad breeders out there just as there are bad dog owners. If a breeder isn’t particular about how they are creating their Goldendoodle dogs, then yes….a buyer will have a mess on their hands. If the buyer is inexperienced and has never owned a dog before, that mess then becomes a shelter dog because the buyer will dump it there. Naysayers will have you believe that breeders are the reason for the population explosion at shelters and ligitimate rescues. That isn’t accurate nor is it right that these naysayers blame every damned thing that happens, on the breeder. The truth is, there are entirely more purebred dogs filling up shelters and rescue agencies because it’s a money maker. If you believe that rescue groups and shelters do not earn a living off the backs of dogs and cats or other animals, then you live in an enclosed bubble. Animal control or Humane Societies earn a living by confiscating and bringing in the animals that they take in. HSUS has been closely scrutinized for many years because of the fact their founders and excecutives have earned millions of dollars off the backs of animals and very few of dollars has gone back into the caring of those animals.

Many “rescue” people and groups have actually had the animals they claimed they were “rescuing” confiscated because of neglect and abuse at their hands. All is not what it seems with many of these agencies and groups. Let’s look at the reality that shelters, animal control and Humane Societies get paid by their state. They are state funded. The employees have their vehicles paid for; their fuel paid for; they often have a 401K; they are paid by the hour or even earn a bonus and they receive benefits. They make a living off the backs of animals. But I am getting off topic here. When I think about all the negative comments or articles or blogs written by these type of naysayers, it does get my blood boiled. As someone who is very involved with my dogs, it makes me angry to read absurd comments and content that is written by people who aren’t breeders…who are not Goldendoodle owners and who has never owned a Golden Retriever or a Poodle before. Their content serves one purpose and one purpose only and that is to rile up Goldendoodle fans and to stir up trouble.

There has been a battle of words going on for many years between breeders, rescue agencies and animal rights advocates. I personally have spent since 1999 writing about the Goldendoodle dog because I didn’t like the fact there was very little information about this wonderful hybrid and what I did find, was inaccurate. Much content that I’ve seen on the internet is even inappropriate. There are many articles written by fly by night writers who pretty much just take bits and pieces of content from all over the internet and they jumble it all together just to put an article out there. They don’t really know anything at all about the Goldendoodle dog. They simply wanted an article put out there with their name attached to it. Since 1999, I’ve been pretty much caught up with the Goldendoodle dog. It’s been my personal mission to put out accurate and factual information so that those who have fallen in love with them, can learn and understand the truth about this breed. Hybrids are not a fad. They are dogs that are going to be around forever. AKC (The American Kennel Club) realized that the Goldendoodle and Labradoodle dog was NOT a fad. Which is why they began to allow these hybrids to become registered with their kennel club. Make no mistake about it, folks! AKC laughs itself all the way to the bank.

 They are nothing more than a registrant service for purebred dogs. They do have a nice data bank for dog owners if they desire to dig into the lineage and history of their dogs. Sure, AKC puts on some pretty elaborate dog shows for breeders who rake in thousands of dollars from their puppy sales. Go to an AKC dog show sometime and take a look at the vehicles and toys sported by those dog owners. You will see expensive Rvs, Motor homes and even semi trucks owned by those showing their dogs. Why? Because they sold their puppies for up to $25,000 a peice! Their purebred puppies fetched that wonderful price because the parents gained a few ribbons. If you do not think that the animal world is a money making machine, then I am not sure what planet you live on. Private hobby breeders never live off of their puppies and dogs. They are not a commercial enterprise. Show breeders, commercial dog breeders, vets, animal suppliers, website owners that charge breeders and animal businesses to advertise upon their site……businesses that sell dog supplies, clothing and other essentials….these are the enterprises that are making where animals are concerned.

The pet industry is a billion dollar a year generator for many. This is not so for the private, hobby breeder. Naysayers should stop putting down the Goldendoodle dog simply because they want others to believe that hybrid breeders are causing this, that and the other. I personally help minimize the amount of owners surrendering their Goldendoodles by having a strict purchase policy in place. It is because our buyers are required to spay and neuter and purchase under a contract agreement, that we have had very few of our buyers surrender the doodles they’ve added to their families. Breeders who operate with a code of ethics requiring their buyers to purchase under a spay/neuter agreement and who have incorporated a purchase contract/agreement help ensure their puppies are going to proper homes. If shelters have any Goldendoodles whatsoever, it is either because the dogs were confiscated by the shelter itself (so they can bring in revenue for their shelter) or it is because the owner was inexperienced with dogs and failed to return the dog to its breeder. It was more convenient for the owner to dump the dog at the shelter than to return the dog to its breeder.

Then of course, the economy collapsed and many lost their homes. Those who fell into this category had to relinquish their pets and I am sure they were very heartbroken about it. Circumstances where an owner has died or had to go into a nursing facility or long term hospital care facility, these situations are unavoidable if there is no one to help the dog owner prevent their dogs from making its way into a shelter or rescue situation. The reality is, some buyers do not honor the breeder’s purchase contract. We discovered this reality a few years after becoming a breeder in 1996. This is why we incorporated our spay/neuter policy and required our dogs to be spayed or neutered BEFORE leaving our premises with its new owner if the dog was five months of age or older. We realized that some of our dogs purchased, were now our competition because the owner bred it instead of honoring our spay/neuter requirements. This has happened with quite a few other breeders as well. Many dog buyers start out with the best intentions, but then somehow get caught up in the doodle mania not realizing how expensive it is to breed and maintain litters of puppies. Rescue groups and shelters who do have good intentions, will contact the breeder to get the dog back to the breeder.

 Since 1996, we have actually only been contacted by two seperate shelters regarding dogs we sold to families who didn’t honor our contractual purchase agreement. My husband drove all the way to Virginia to collect one dog. The other shelter contacted us, and we agreed to go get the dog, but the owner got the dog back a few hours after the dog found its way there. One other instance I can recall is a buyer who purchased one of our Goldendoodles for his very young daughter. When the novelty wore off, the daughter refused to take care of the dog. Because we were not able to take the dog back, we did find a new home for the dog and the owner sent the dog to the person we found for the dog. Thankfully, he has found a FURever home and for several years now, he’s enjoyed a much better and much deserved loving home than its first buyer offered. Who better to take the responsibility for their dogs than the breeder? Many shelters do not have a spay/neuter agreement and they adopt their animals out to the first applicant that comes along. I was very fortunate when I first made the decision to become a breeder, back in late 1996. I had two mentors. One was a successful show breeder and the other was a vet. I learned as much as I could from both. I learned about their successes and I learned about their failures. I didn’t want to repeat their failures. Instead, I focused on what made each one of them successful.

Being prior military and having been taught hard core values, this helped me shield myself from the naysayers so that I could not be ran off by the sword of their words. Having over ten years of regional manager skills, this allowed me to bring to the breeder’s table entirely more than what many had to offer. When I create my Goldendoodles, I ask myself, “in what way will this pair of breeding dogs benefit the Goldendoodle?” . “What is my goal?” “What is it in the Goldendoodle structure, am I aiming for?”. Unless a breeder has a clear cut goal….they are simply creating a mess. I do not create messes. I do not create fads. My Goldendoodles, Poodles and Golden Retrievers are the backbone to many doodles that reside in the United States. As a breeder, it is important that I gain as much scientific knowledge about breeding as possible. It is important for the breeder who wants longevity for their Goldendoodles to obtain the best breeding stock possible and to know the history and the pedigree of those dogs. Know what characteristics you are creating and your Goldendoodle will never become a “Fad”.

 *About the author: Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World has been writing about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. She is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog for the entire southern region of the United States. Dee Gerrish is a Goldendoodle expert who has spent many unpaid hours learning about the dogs she writes about. To learn more about Goldendoodle World, visit http://www.goldendoodleworld.com

Having a pet at home has over the years has become a tradition. People enjoy having pets and most people keep their pets within the home environment. There have been several different surveys and pieces of research that have shown that the most common pet is a dog. . If you are going to have a pet dog it is very important that he has a dog house and this is part of the basic care of a pet dog.

Every animal has basic needs and one of these basics is a house. People like to keep their dogs within their own apartment but it is important to remember that dogs have feeling to therefore it is very important that the dog has its own house either in the garden or within the owners home. Animals like to have a place where they can get away from everything, sleep and eat and this is one reason why a dog house is very important.

It’s a very good idea to give your dog a house that is the correct size and the size will vary depending on the size of the individual dog. It is very important to make sure you get a house that is suitable for your own specific dog as all dogs are individual just like humans.

Prior to either making or purchasing a dog house it is very important to measure your dog to find out what size he is. It is very important to measure both the height and the length of the dog. It is very important to ensure that the house that you build for your dog has the proper level of ventilation and that the ventilation is at floor level. It is also important that the house is designed so that it is able to keep the dog warm during the winter months.

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.

Like all the other pet owners you also love your pet, and it is your priority to make sure that their living conditions are clean and hygienic.

As dogs come in many different shapes and sizes, there are several small and large size accessories that are essential for dog and should be changed from time to time according to their breed, age and size.

One such object is your dogs’ dog cage. Obviously you love your pet and want it to be able to have the run of the house but for its’ own safety while you cannot always be there, it is a good idea that it has a place of its own, and a doggiesolutions dog cage is perfect for this.

You can easily fulfill one such requirement for your dog by going for the best quality dog cage from a recognized company.

It is a fact that in the market you can find numerous stores offering dog cages and claiming that the quality and price offered by them is unmatched in the market. But most of these stores generally go for fake claims.

It doesn’t matter whether you are searching for a store online or in the high street, it is better that you do your research in advance, feedback reports from other customers are always very helpful, and your best efforts will lead to an optimum quality and reliable dog cage.

One of the best places to purchase high quality dog cages from is doggiesolutions.co.uk  you can have a look at the optimum range of dog cages available with Doggiesolutions. It is one of the most popular pet solution providing stores and it is located in South Heighton, Newhaven. 

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?      Consistent: Doggiesolutions.co.uk is presently a leading online store which is consistent in its service proving right from the beginning. This is mainly because it operates in the market with a clear-cut objective of offering complete service and satisfaction to its customers.

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