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For a dog or a small child, living in a cabin can be a huge treat, with lots of places to explore and play in. However, it’s best to keep an eye out to make sure that they are safe when enjoying their time outdoors and in.

When you first buy or rent a cabin, or are coming for a visit to your vacation residence, do a walkthrough to make sure that there are no unwanted animals or insects currently residing in the home. Black widow and brown recluse spiders make their home in the North Georgia mountains and tend to like dark, undisturbed areas. Check corners, untouched items, etc for signs of these spiders. Shake out bedding, clothing, and towels if they have been left lying for a while.

Another walkthrough outside is necessary to make sure that there are no poisonous plants or animals residing in the immediate area. Poison ivy can make a vacation wretched for a child or pet that stumbles into it. Some ornamental plants that thrive in many Georgia homes and gardens can pose a threat, such as Lily-of-the-valley and oleander, as well as common plants like buttercups and bracken ferns. Teach your child not to eat anything found in the woods unless given permission and keep your pets on a leash until you’ve checked out the immediate area.

Georgia is home to 6 varieties of poisonous snake: the Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Coral, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake and the Pigmy Rattlesnake. Children and pets are much more susceptible to the poison of these snakes than adults and special measures might have to be taken to discourage snakes from viewing your home as their home. Most of the time, snakes won’t bother people and pets if they are not bothered, but children and pets tend to be curious and heedless of danger.

Most wild animals don’t pose a threat to your pets and children. However, there is always the chance that your child or pet might surprise a wild animal. Bears are common in the north Georgia mountains and can be aggressive if surprised or if they are searching for food. Teach your child not to approach or feed any wild animal, no matter how cute or non-threatening looking. Teach them what to do if they encounter a bear. Tell them not to stick their hands in dark places without making sure that there’s nothing in there that might take offense to their intrusion.

Pets should be kept under control when allowed outside; if they are not absolutely reliable about sticking around and coming when called, it’s best to keep them on a leash. A pet can harass wildlife and pick up parasites and diseases by running in the woods, eating tainted meat or fighting with a wild animal infected with a virus. Rabies is still alive and well in the southern U.S.; make sure your pet is up-to-date on its vaccinations. Also, the stories about dogs leading bears back to their owners are not all legend. Keep your pet under control.

Wildlife and plants are not the only things that can be dangerous for your children and pets in northern Georgia. The wilderness holds many natural dangers, such as cliffs, rivers, inhospitable climates and, of course, the lack of directional signs. Your children should be taught how to avoid getting lost and, if they do become lost, what to do. Proper attire is also imperative to dealing effectively to sudden weather changes. A light rain shell doesn’t add much weight to a pack and can mean the difference between soaked and relatively dry.

A wholesome respect for the power of natural features will also not go amiss. Rivers can be deceptively fast and deep, as well as having hidden undertows and currents. Cliffs and ravines can be tricky to traverse safely. With these, as with just about every aspect of the north Georgia wilderness, common sense and education go a long way to keeping your children safe.

Pets, as always, should be controlled and prevented from dashing headlong into an unknown stretch of water or down a new path. Even a strong swimmer can be overcome by an unexpected current or slip on a crumbling path. Obedience training is a must for dogs taken into wilderness areas, even if they are never let off the leash.

Prevention is the key to having a fun time at the family cabin. Teaching children how to respect the environment and what is in it will keep them safe. Training and controlling pets will keep them safe as well, so that you can focus on the many natural beauties surrounding you at your north Georgia cabin.

Anaconda snakes, for sure, conjures up an image of a gigantic, black, serpentine creature slithering in mud and constricting a hapless creature to death. You are not to be blamed for this. Instead, blame those numerous movie directors and novelists who, thanks to their imagination or lack of it, portrayed these docile creatures as vileness epitomized.

Urban legends and rumors are awash with horror tales of anaconda snakes gobbling up innocent kids, regurgitating and re-swallowing their victims thereby giving them a slow and painful death and so on and so forth. So much for the creativity of human brain! Ask a biologist and you will get a drastically different image, an image of a docile, fearful and reclusive creature tucked away in the dense forests of South America.

Classified as members of the boa family, anaconda snakes represent one of the lowermost strata in the pyramid of evolution. Found naturally in the dense tropical forests of South America, these serpentine creatures are worlds one of the biggest constrictors. Anaconda snakes come in two distinct and attractive colors, dull yellow and green. Wet and tropical climates, dense forests and undergrowth, and abundance of food are what make the ideal habitat for these visually majestic snakes.

In this era of instant gratification and consumerism, you do not need to go all the way to the dense forests of Trinidad or the swamps of Amazon to achieve the glory of viewing an anaconda alive. Drive down to the nearest snake park, or even easier, search for a view of anaconda in many famous sites and you shall get to see many antics of this particularly gigantic snake head. However, to appreciate Mother Nature true wonders you have to get your boots dirty.

Anaconda snake viewing is one of the most exotic adventure tourism available to us. All you need to do is consult your travel agent, fix up a packaged tour, and get a guided tour of Amazon. With a little luck and some time, you can see not only live anacondas, but also experience anacondas in conjunction with their own, natural ecosystem. No amount of National Geography documentaries viewed in widest of the wide screen televisions can substitute the rush of adrenalin that you will get while watching a true anaconda snake attacking a wild pig.

Planning a trip to the exotic Amazons is easy enough. A little research on the internet will give you sufficient information to plan your trip depending on your appetite for adventure and precious time available with you. A session with your travel agent will further fine-tune the travel plan and will ensure that what you get dovetails with what you expect.

Starting from specialized and trained guides, to boutique hotels offering you unmatched view of the jungle, a whole industry is waiting to help you experience the nature in its purest form at the Amazons. Now get out of that couch and grab a ticket to the Amazons, for watching anaconda snakes in its natural habitat is a sight to remember.

Many people don’t have the patience, energy and/or time to dedicate to training their dog. There are not many other activities that require as much as all this, if the end result is to have a safe, well-adjusted dog and be a happy human. For those people, the answer is to hand the reins of training your dog over to the efforts of a professional trainer.

As in any other profession, price and quality will vary. And, like many professions – particularly those involving human-animal interactions – training philosophies differ considerably. So, you already have some constraints to guide your selection of a trainer for your dog.

Assess your budget and your needs. Depending on where you live, dog training can range anywhere from free – sometimes supplied on a weekly basis by volunteers at parks or shelters – to $100 or more per session. What determines a reasonable fee will differ depending on geography, trainer experience, length of program and the goals for your dog.

Take a look at your schedule. Training programs can be weekly while others are more often. Sometimes, you will be required to leave your dog and pick it up later or, more likely, you may prefer a program where the training involves you directly. Many will advise that you spend some time training the dog each and every day consistently, whether at home or at the trainer’s facility.

Think about your commitment. Dogs, especially at the beginning of training, require regular, large blocks of time and attention in order to learn. An hour a day is not all that unusual.

In certain cases, ‘boot camp’ training programs are preferred. The dog goes away to a special facility for a predetermined length of time usually up to several weeks. The training is consistent, long and rigorous. Don’t worry about your dog. They love the intense training! At the end of the training period, you will probably be required to participate in order to ‘transfer’ the obedience from trainer to you.

But the results can very often be amazing. Dogs, who ‘graduate’ even when not special service dogs, are disciplined and ready to follow instructions. Yet, the irony is, these dogs show no signs of being repressed. They’re happy and play with much enthusiasm.

Examine your goals. You may want a dog that can be entered in shows, or you may just want them not to chew on the furniture or dig up the yard. In either case, regular training is necessary. How much and what kind will vary with breed and individual temperament.

Some dogs are fearful, either through being mistreated formerly or from a natural tendency toward submission. Some are too assertive, again through abuse or natural striving for alpha (pack leader) status. Whatever type of training you select will be dependant on how you want to influence them and what attributes they have you want to shape.

Whatever your goals, budget or commitment you want a trainer who exhibits enormous patience and boundless energy, of course, along with a deep love for dogs. Most have these characteristics in spades and then some.

Other than these basics, you’ll want a trainer whose philosophy makes sense to you and consistent with your goals. Some insist that dog training is more about training the owner than the dog – and there’s some truth to that in some cases. Some are relaxed and friendly, leaning toward the ‘touchy-feely’ style. Others tend more toward police or military style training. And the others lie between these two extremes.

It’s doubtful that there is one training style that will suit everyone, but neither is it entirely subjective. Even where there are disputes there are common principles that most will agree on. Patience, persistence, consistency and the requirement for the human to lead are only some of these.

Request recommendations from those you trust and don’t hesitate to shop around. Don’t be afraid to change trainers once or twice to find one suitable for your needs. Be careful, though, not to change on a whim. Dogs need consistency and a regular environment in order to take in what’s being taught.

Good luck and good hunting for your dog trainer!