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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.

Natural Horsemanship is a philosophy of training and working with horses by communicating in the same language of the horse. Horses use body language to communicate with each other, and thus the foundation of natural horsemanship technique is based on body language.

History of Natural Horsemanship
Many say that natural horsemanship has been practiced in one form or another from the beginning of man’s relationship with horses. Classic dressage training focuses on principles of natural horsemanship. There are several “modern” practitioners of natural horsemanship, each with their own techniques. The recent movement toward training with natural horsemanship developed in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions. Trainers included Tom and Bill Dorrance, and Buck Brannamen. Another prolific practitioner is Pat Parelli. He has founded schools and clinics all over the world to disseminate his methods.

Get Started
Each of the trainers mentioned above practices their own techniques, many of which overlap. To get started practicing natural horsemanship, first find a community of like-minded horse owners, riders and trainers. Natural horsemanship techniques are many and varied; however, though the techniques have been practiced for literally ages, the idea is still new to some people. With the rise of the internet, it is easier than ever to connect with others walking the same journey with their horse. The American Association of Natural Horsemen is a great resource for beginners and professionals alike to connect with others.

Discover the Method that Works best for You and Your Horse
Natural horsemanship techniques all point toward a better relationship between horse and human. To decide what works the best for you and your horse, try different techniques. Read books by different trainers, and read online forums for tips and tools. Learn from those with more experience, and ask lots of questions. Then, try what you have learned. If something does not work, try something different, or relate your experience to your fellow horsemen and see what they have to say.

Find a Mentor
The journey of natural horse training can be bumpy, exhilarating, frustrating and rewarding—all in one afternoon! To have the best experience possible, find a mentor to help you along the way. Your mentor could live in your hometown, or they could live half a world away. Again, by using online communities and forums, you can connect with people all over the world from which to learn. A great mentor is someone who will let you ask a lot of questions, and who has the time to devote some personal attention to your cause.

Keep it Up
Consider the practice of natural horsemanship as a lifestyle and not a one-and-done solution. The journey on which you embark with your horse is one that will last your lifetime, and provide continual learning opportunities. Enjoy the journey, as it is just as rewarding as the results.

When we think of a guinea pig, we usually picture the American Guinea Pig – the “classic” or “standard” guinea pig – and also the most common. But there are also several other breeds in addition to the common American Guinea Pig. This article will introduce you to a few of the breeds commonly found in homes today.

Abyssinian

The Abyssinian is a long-haired breed. The coat on this animal is quite distinctive because it tends to curl itself into whirls and swirls. These whirls and swirls are called rosettes. The Abyssinian is one of the oldest breeds that can be found today. If you are looking for a low-maintenance guinea pig, keep looking. This particular breed requires daily attention to the coat to avoid tangles and keep the pig looking well-groomed.

American Guinea Pig

This is the variety that first comes to mind when we think of the words “guinea pig”. It is also sometime called an English guinea pig. This is a short hair breed which makes it suitable for a pet. It does not require grooming and can be handled and petted without messing up its coat.

Peruvian

The Peruvian breed is an extreme long-haired breed. Its hair can grow to an amazingly long length of a foot or more. The hair is smooth and straight and tends to part in the middle and hang naturally to either side of the pig. The long hair requires a lot of care; so many owners prefer to keep the coat trimmed to make this task easier.

Silkie

The Silkie is a less common breed and is also referred to as a Sheltie. It has a very long (and, of course silky) coat – similar to the Peruvian. In contrast to the Peruvian, the hair does not tend to part naturally down the center of the back. The hair of the Silkie sweeps backward from the head. The coat of the Silkie is also softer than that of the Peruvian.
Guinea pigs are also categorized according to varieties. Varieties are coat colors or patterns and are also subdivided into three categories.

1. Self colored guinea pigs are a single solid color.

2. Agouti cavies have a coat made up of two colors. Each individual hair of the undercoat has a light-colored tip and a darker-colored base near the skin. The longer hairs which make up the outer protective layer are the same darker color as the base of the undercoat hairs.

3. Marked guinea pigs have markings, patches or islands of color (often white) in their otherwise solid or agouti coats.

This article has presented a short survey of some of the more common guinea pig breeds. No matter what the breed, variety or color; guinea pigs make great loving pets and can help to brighten a household. Although long haired breeds tend to look more exotic and sometimes make good show animals, the common short-haired American breed is a very popular household pet because its coat requires very little care.

Anyone who has owned a pet knows that buying pet supplies can become an extremely expensive endeavor. Pet needs are almost always underestimated until you actually have the animal living in your home, and you quickly realize that the animal needs proper bedding, toys, a carrier, leash, outdoor containment, grooming tools, as well as medicine and food. Properly taking care of your pet shouldn’t have to cost a fortune.

The resources below will help you find pet supplies, medicine, and food that will cost far less than the retail prices you’ll find at any grocery or department store.

Coupons for Pet Supplies

One of the first places to look for significant savings on pet supplies is through using coupons. Coupons can provide some significant savings on supplies, sometimes up to or greater than 50%. Various outlets, such as PetSmart, even offer free shopping for orders over a certain size. This means that by simply doing your pet supply shopping online, you are saving a fortune.

One of the best coupon providers with the most coupons for pet supplies is Coupon Mountain, with coupons for pet supplies, pet medications, and online deals for most of the major pet supply retailers. A few examples of the deals to be found at Coupon Mountain

• $5 to $20 off K9 Advantix at 1-800-PetMeds
• Get $15 off orders of $75 or more at PetCo
• 15% off orders over $40 at PETsMART
• 10% off any order at DogToys.com
• 15% off orders over $100 at PetCareRx
• 15% off Lambert Kay Pet Care products

This is only a very small sample of the long list of coupons and deals provided at Coupon Mountain.

Direct Pet Superstore

Direct Pet Superstore is a large discount retailer of everything you could possibly need for your pet. This includes toys, treats, grooming supplies, flea & tick management, medicines, and even an entire section with additional coupons and promotions.

Direct Pet has an entire section dedicated to saving money on your pet’s prescriptions called “Pet RX”. You can find medicine from Pfizer, Virbac, Boehringer Ingelheim, and other pharmalogicals at impressively competitive prices.

Other ways to save at Direct Pet Superstore:

• Sign up and you will be notified of exclusive specials on new products and sale prices for existing products.
• A current promotion is a $100 shopping spree for five lucky winners.
• Request a free catalog
• Discounts on supplies and medicine throughout the website

My Pet Outlet

MyPetOutlet.com is a fantastic discount pet supply website with multiple deals going on every month. A few examples from the main page include Dr Noys Swizzle Teaser for 15% off, a Merrick Meaty Beef Dog Bone at 25% off, and Kitty Hoots “Zoom” Organic cat nip at 20% off.

Categories at MyPetOutlet.com include supplies fro dogs, cats, birds, fish, and even reptiles and small animals. There’s even a clearance section where you can find some rock bottom prices. This week MyPetOutlet.com is offering 15% off every order over 50, as well as a free toy and free shipping. With prices this low, it doesn’t make sense to walk into a retail pet store anymore – shopping online saves so much more.

Pet Portraits, Send 5% Savings to an Animal Rescue Foundation

One of the most unique things you can do to capture the character of your pet, and to show people how much love you have for your furry friend, is to have a pet portrait done by professional artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. She will accept photos through the mail of pets, and then create stunning portraits from those pictures. Pet portraits are ideal because they can be done from a photo (as apposed to getting the pet to “pose” at a studio.)

The great thing about Nikky is that she’s a pet lover herself, and this is reflected in how she runs her business. She discounts every commissioned painting by 5%, and sends those savings as a donation to an animal rescue foundation. This shows how Nikky’s love for all animals is not only reflected in her heartfelt portraits, but also in how she runs her business.

PetCo

Of course, another way to save a fortune off of pet supplies that you wouldn’t normally save if you simply visit a brick-and-mortar store, is to visit that store’s website. Petco also has a comprehensive online website where shoppers can shop virtually for all pet supplies. Petco provides internet only discounts to internet shoppers, such as free shopping, some of the lowest prices available anywhere for Frontline products, and each category (dogs, cats, fish, etc.) has a section devoted to sales, where you can find some impressive discounts off all kinds of pet products.

In addition, over the years, the parvo virus has mutated into at least two different strains. Every case of canine parvo virus, or CPV, comes from these two strains.

Every different species has its own parvo virus and it cannot be spread outside of the species, so there is a human parvo virus, a canine parvo virus, a feline parvo virus, and so on. However, it can be spread by contact. For instance, if your cat would wander through your neighbor’s yard and would pick up the virus on her feet, she can track it inside of your house and infect your dog.

Sadly enough, my neighbour’s puppy contracted parvo virus. The puppy had all of the classic dog parvo symptoms, yet my neighbour really did not know what was wrong until he took the puppy to the vet. Once he did that, parvo treatment began immediately. After several days of intensive treatment for parvo virus, the puppy was free to come home. The puppy was lucky. Many dogs die from parvo virus before they can be treated.

The parvo virus works in two ways either through the intestines or through the heart. When a dog gets an intestinal infection, it is picked up by the animal through oral contact with contaminated feces. Simply put, your dog would have to come into contaminated feces from another dog. The intestinal dog parvo symptoms occur when the virus attacks the bone marrow, rapidly dividing cells in the intestinal crypts and the lymph nodes. This allows normally occurring bacteria from the intestines to enter the blood stream to make the animal septic. The virus can be shed in the stool for up to three weeks thus making this a very contagious disease for pets that have not been inoculated.

The cardio form of this infection is usually seen in puppies that are infected before birth or shortly thereafter. It is noteworthy that the cardiac form of CPV is not as common since the mother passes immunity on to her pups from birth. The parvo virus will then attack the heart in the infected puppy and death will occur shortly afterwards.

Dog parvo symptoms usually present themselves within 3 to 10 days of contact. They include the following: lethargy, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. The diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and secondary infections. The dog will not usually die from the virus but from a secondary infection.

Survival rate depends on how quickly CPV is diagnosed and treatment is begun. When the case is not caught early the best treatment option is an IV through which fluids are pushed to re-hydrate the animal more quickly, in addition anti-nausea and antibiotic shots may be given intramuscular.

The prognosis is good with proper care but an absolute death sentence without it. There have been a few reports that the human antiviral, Tamiflu, can be effective in treating CPV but there are no studies to substantiate this. A veterinarian will advise you to give your pet a parvo shot about eight weeks after they are weaned. With the prevalence of the virus and its ability to kill some precaution should be taken to protect your canine.