Cattle

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Dogs and Cats. Eternal enemies, right? Through proper dog obedience training you can teach your animals to live together.

The first mistake that most pet owners make when introducing their pet dogs and cats is to allow them to make their own introductions. This is a mistake! As I stated above, these two species are eternal enemies. You can’t just set one down near the other and expect great results. (Ok, I know that can happen and does happen, but my job here is to teach you about dog training. My version of training calls for prevention with dogs and cats rather than creating a problem and then being forced to fix it. As Mom used to say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.) There is a good deal of prevention that should be used before allowing your dogs and cats to co-exist.

Whether you are introducing a new cat to a home with a dog or vice versa I want you to start out the same way. Start out by using your trusty dog crate. Put your dog in the crate and allow the cat to be in the same room. There are several possible outcomes to this action :
1. Your dog shows complete indifference. This is ideal. If your dog behaves like this you will have a quick transition.
2. Your dog shows fear. This is not ideal but it will make the transition easier than some other outcomes.
3. Your dog shows nervousness and anxiety. He whines, he paces in the crate, paws at the door of the crate, etc. This behavior tells you that he wants out. There is something about that cat that is exciting and he wants to know what it is.
4. Your dog shows overt aggression. He barks, claws at the door of the crate, and he knows exactly what he wants to do with that cat. This is going to be the toughest dog to train, but it can be done.

For the first few days don’t let your dogs and cats near each other. Keep the dog in the crate. This doesn’t mean you need to keep him in the crate 24/7. When you want him out of the crate just make sure that your cat is shut off in another bedroom to avoid contact. What you hope to accomplish with this action is to train your dog to be indifferent to the cat. You want your dog to view the cat as ‘background noise’. The cat is inconsequential, the cat doesn’t matter, there is nothing interesting or exciting about the cat. In other words, your dog is safely tucked away in the crate and casually observes the cat move around the house. For categories 1 and 2 this will be simple. It will take no more than a day or two for your dog to think of your cat as just another ‘thing’ in the house. Categories 3 and 4 will take more training and time.

For categories 3 and 4 you need to attach a negative association to showing cat aggression. To do this, get a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with either plain water, water mixed with lemon juice, or for very stubborn dogs, water with vinegar. At this point, your dog is still tucked away safely in the crate. The next part of training will be conducted while you are sitting near the crate, ready for action. The instant your dog shows aggression (barks at the cat, claws at the door, whines in frustration, etc.) toward the cat spray him in the face with your spray bottle. Every time he shows aggression spray him with the bottle. When he isn’t showing aggression give him soft praise, “Good boy”.

Make sure that your dog never gets a chance to show aggression toward the cat without having a bad experience. This means that you must always be ready with the spray bottle or make sure the cat isn’t near the dog. If you aren’t vigilant and your dog has the chance to show aggression with no adverse consequence, you are training him to show cat aggression.

If you are consistent with this exercise you will soon notice that your dog will show less and less aggression while in the crate, it just isn’t worth the squirt in the face for him. You are on your way to getting your dogs and cats to co-exist.

When your feel comfortable that your dog is indifferent to the cat move on to the next step. As I said, for categories 1 and 2 this is probably one or two days after beginning the crate training. For categories 3 and 4 get your dog to the point where he is indifferent and maintains that attitude for several days if not a week.

The next step is to get your dog out of the crate and get those dogs and cats together at last! You are going to move slowly, though. Put your dog training collar and leash on your dog and make sure that he is always wearing it around the house. Keep your dog near you and allow your cat to be in the room. If your dog makes any move whatsoever to chase the cat, bark at the cat, or perform any of the stereotypical behaviors that dogs and cats do, give him a very strong correction with the leash. You want this leash correction to be a very memorable one so it must be very strong. You want to form a very negative association toward cat aggression.

Be consistent with this training. If you do this properly you will notice that your dog has less and less of a desire to chase after or bark at the cat. As you notice your dog changing his behavior give him more and more freedom by allowing him to be closer to the cat and further away from you. Eventually you will phase out the use of the dog training collar and leash.

Even if your dog isn’t showing aggressive tendencies, never let him chase after the cat in the house, even playfully.

Even some of the hardest to train dogs will respond to the above method. There exist, however, certain dogs that have such strong prey drive that only drastic measures will cure them of their desire to chase and kill cats. For these dogs I employ an electric dog training collar.

Read the instruction manual on proper fitting for your electric dog training collar. With a stubborn dog that needs an electric collar the method is simple. With the collar on his neck and turned on to a high level of stimulus you are going to correct your dog every time he even looks at the cat. As your dog even sneaks a glance at your cat press the button to deliver the correction. Don’t say ‘no’, don’t react in any way, just correct him for looking at the cat. Do this as many times as it takes. Let’s examine this from your dog’s point of view. He wants to get to the cat, wants to chase, wants to kill. But the very act of looking at the cat causes him pain. You don’t tell him anything so he doesn’t associate the correction with you. He soon will learn to believe that the cat is ‘evil’ and he had better not even look at it because it the act of looking causes pain.

As with all training, you must be very consistent. Your dog must never have a successful chance to even chase or want to chase the cat. Be consistent, though, and soon your dogs and cats will be able to co-exist.

You love your ferret, and you can do anything for him/her to have all the worldly comforts and enjoyment. You love playing with ferret; you give him/her nourished food; you give exciting toys to play; but amongst all the things, do you have any idea about how to train your ferret!

Ferret needs training, and this is very essential to meet normal chores efficiently. However, you need to train your ferret in an organized manner, so that your ferret can remain clean and tidy, and smart. Here are some of the effective ways that would help you to in training the ferret:

• Be patient when you give the ferret litter training. As compare to the cats, ferrets are not fast learners, and you need to spend quality time before he/she gets accustomed to using litter box. While choosing a liter box, make sure that you choose the box which is safe for the ferret. Simply reject the litter boxes made from cedar, pine etc., as these may cause problems in the respiratory tract.
• Bring the droppings of your ferret and show to him/her in order to give a fair idea on where to eliminate, defecate or urinate next time. Irrespective of the fact whether ferret is baby or full adult, you are likely to face the problems when you provide him/her bathroom training. You tend to get irritated while training him. But, no matter in whatever way the ferret behaves, you have to be patient.
• As the part of training, you should be punctual in washing your ferret’s cage. This is very necessary because when you wash the cage with water you are ensuring to minimize the odor coming from their droppings and urine.  Further, cleaning the cage gives a refreshing and healthy atmosphere for ferret’s stay.
• Place litter trays in specific areas inside, and around your home, in order to efficiently potty train the puppy. Whenever the puppy eliminates in the tray, reward or retreat him/her accordingly. Giving your ferret all the recognition if he/she does it correctly will encourage him/her to the job in the same manner and correctly.
• If litter box training is not serving in the rightful means for the ferret, then, try out paper training procedures. Place the newspapers in a segregated way around the house in those places, where the ferret can eliminate the waste easily. Paper training is also advantageous to your means as you’d be able to throw the newspaper easily by folding it. However, be cautious that you use old newspapers.

Even after training the ferrets, some of the problems still exist, and these problems arise out of personality differences. Follow these tips:

• Ferret should be brought out of the cage when he/she is eliminating
• Adamant and stubborn ferrets should be thrown in the company of trained and matured ferrets to impart potty training effectively. Old ferrets will not stand the nuances of young ferrets.
• Big and small litter box should be adjusted inside the ferret’s cage with the help of wires and clips. Keep the small litter box inside the big litter box.
• Keep the food in the areas where the ferret litters. This is to ensure that ferret doesn’t eliminate anywhere in the home.

Be determined and committed, should you decide to train your loveable and adorable ferret.

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When one first sees the Puli, the question is always asked “How on earth do you give this dog a bath?” The answer is, obviously, “It takes a LONG time!”

The Hungarian Puli develops a “corded” coat as it ages. The coat tends to naturally gather itself together in ringlets which are very tightly curls and gnarled together into long cords. A mature coat takes a good 10 to 12 years to reach its full glory for the Show Ring, as a consequence there are Pulik (the plural of Puli) who are still in the prime of their show career at an age when most dogs are being shown in Veteran’s Class.

Among the other breeds which have a similar coat one finds the Komondor and years ago the Poodle. The tight cords protect the breed from weather and harsh elements. The preferred color is black, however there can be white, rust colored and various shades in between. The Puli was originally bred in Hungary as a herding dog and those with a black coat could be more easily seen by shepherds and thus be distinguished from the sheep.

Pulik are nimble on their feet and smaller than they appear, usually standing less than 20 inches at the shoulder. Like most herding breeds, they are built so they can move quite nimbly, nipping at the heels of the sheep to keep them grouped together. They are even known to run upon the backs of a tightly bunched flock of sheep.

This is not a common breed. Most folks who own Pulik do keep the short coat if they are not being shown, since a corded coat is difficult to care for and develops a strong smell if not kept clean. Which brings us to the question, “How are they bathed?” Usually the entire dog is immersed in a large tub filled with room temperature water and a bit of shampoo, the individual cords are squeezed by hand and the skin is gently massaged.

Care must be taken not to damage the cording or the individual cords will become tangled together and the show look requires that the long cords hang naturally and separately from each other. Once the shampoo has been squeezed through the coat, the dog is immersed in several tubs of tepid clear water as a rinse and also sprayed thoroughly and finally, toweled dry with the same squeezing process. A blow dryer can then be used, provided it is not so powerful that it “frizzes” the coat. The entire process usually takes a full day. Since the cords are long and reach to the ground, it is important to keep the dog from running in underbrush and that sort of thing.

One would question why this dog with this kind of coat can be running with sheep, but the fact is that this coat when it is in a natural state completely protects the dog from thorns and brambles. The thick wooly cords are also natural weather barriers to rain and snow, so that the body of the Puli is well protected from the elements of harsh weather. Furthermore a would-be predator can not sink its teeth into the flesh of this nimble dog and can only get a mouthful of hair. Thus the Pulik are naturally quite self sufficient out in the flock, needing little in the way of human care.

Their job requires a certain independence and they are not necessarily in need of a lot of human companionship. Pulik should not exhibit shyness or nervousness , usually are wary of strangers and should not be aggressive. They are energetic and require a job of some sort or plenty of exercise or the owner of a Puli will find that it is getting into all sorts of things, out of boredom.

In order to be a pet sitter, you really need to have a good understanding of what types of situations you can handle regarding the care of someone else’s pet, and those that you cannot.

There are a variety of ways that pet sitters will care for someone else’s pet. Sometimes they will visit a few times a day, staying about 30 minutes while they care for the pets basic needs. Other pet sitters will stay overnight.

Regardless of how the pets are cared for, it’s important to be aware that pet sitting does not always go as well as planned.

Most people may think it’s easy to be a pet sitter. After all, the only thing you have to do is make sure the dog or cat or other pets have fresh water and receive their daily food allotment and if needed take them outside to relieve themselves a few times during the day.

Yes, it’s true, the life of the pet sitter does seem rather easy. Yet, there are situations that a pet sitter needs to be aware of that could actually become very dangerous.

Sometimes having to care for dogs, especially outside house dogs, can become very dangerous because outside house dogs can be very territorial. Most owners know their dogs well enough to know whether there is any danger for the person who may need to come into their home to take care of their pets when there away.

This is not where the problem is. The real problem comes in when the pet sitter is required to take care of the dogs by entering their yard to provide them with food and water. This is where the pet sitter needs to have extra caution. Before accepting a job where you must deal with outside dogs, you need to make sure they are well behaved and well socialized.

If there is more than one dog, and you enter their yard, the situation could become very dangerous. If you become fearful and the dogs sense that you don’t belong there, they could see you as a threat and even decide to attack.

Trying to cope with a nervous dog, or worse, several nervous dogs can become a pretty scary situation.

Always stress to the owners that it is important for them to be honest with you and tell you how well socialized their dogs are. You may want to ask if any of their dogs have any tendency to be aggressive. Do they jump up on people? Do they get nervous when someone enters the yard? Do they have any problem with strangers coming into their territory?

With some of the larger breeds, you may want to have a test run when the owner is hidden away from the house, yet close enough to help out if needed. You can test to see how the dogs will react when you enter their territory while they think the owner is away.

Before you enter the yard, you need to take note of how the dogs behave. Do they seem nervous or anxious? Or are they thrilled to have a visitor? If your gut tells you it’s not safe, you should not to accept that job.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Pet sitters really need to understand that it’s not always a good idea to take every job. Before taking on any pet sitting job, make sure you meet with both the pets and the owners. Ask questions about how well the dogs behave, what types of problems the owner may have or have had in the past.

This is not only the time for the pet owners to interview you, it’s your time to interview them as well. Never accept a pet sitting job if you do not feel comfortable with the pets or the owners.

Most times pet sitting is truly a great job to have. Just remember that all jobs are not for all pet sitters. Sometimes it’s best to say no.

Keeping your pet well groomed is an essential part of being a new pet owner. We have compiled a few tasks that each owner should do on a regular basis. If you make sure these things get done, you will keep your pet happy and healthy.

Trimming your dogs’ nails is critical in keeping your pet free from toe infections. You should always keep your pet dogs nails trimmed to the proper length. Taking a daily walk with your pet will help wear down their nails. If trimming their nails doesn’t make you queasy, you can pick up a pair of nail clippers at your favorite online pet store and trim them yourself. You want to be sure not to cut them too short as their nails will bleed and cause them discomfort. If you don’t feel that you can trim their nails or that your dog might be aggressive when you’re trying to trim them, you can take your pet for a minimal charge to your groomer or veterinarian.

Keeping your dogs ears clean is necessary to prevent excessive wax build up and prevent diseases or pests from settling in. Since most dogs’ ears lie down and cover the bigger opening they aren’t susceptible to most ear problems. However, dos with ears that stand up are especially vulnerable to many dangers. Most online pet stores carry a variety of dog-ear cleaners, which are very simple to use. In most cases, you simply put a small amount of ear cleaner on a cotton ball and swab the outer surface of the inner ear. Regular cleaning of your dogs’ ears will reduce the chance of ear infections and help eliminate pests such as ear mites.

If you’re not comfortable cleaning your dogs ears, you can always take your pet dog to your groomer or veterinarian and they will clean your ears for you. If you’re cleaning your dog’s ears and notice that they have long hairs you can remove those gently by using a set of hemostats. In most cases, we believe this to the groomers or veterinarians’ job.

Giving your dog a bath is a great way to bond with your pet. You can purchase shampoos and conditioners designed and formulated specifically for your pet. It is not recommended to use flea and tick shampoos unless your pet absolutely needs it to get rid of those nasty pests. One of the most important things you should be aware of when giving your pet a bath is to make sure you thoroughly rinse your pet so that it does not cause any skin problems. Leaving the shampoo on your pet can cause extremely dry skin, which will cause your dog to scratch and ultimately end up in a nasty skin infection. Any dog that has a thick or matted coat should always be brushed out before giving them a bath. This ensures that you can adequately bathe all layers of your dogs fur. Bathing them before you do this will only make the problem worse Towel drying your pet dog is recommended, but you can use specially made doggie hair dryers. Be careful not to bathe your pet too frequently, only once every couple of months unless they are extremely dirty.

Brushing your dog regularly will keep shedding at bay and also help the coat to shine. Regular brushing of your pet stimulates natural oils in the skin and help to keep it healthy in shining. Frequent brushing will also help eliminate problems such as matting and tangles. While brushing you also get hands-on time, which keeps you well informed of your dogs health. This allows you to notice if there’s a new growth, cut or bite that you’ve never noticed before. If you see anything unusual, be sure to inspect it further and take your pet to the vet if necessary.

These simple tasks will keep your pet healthy and free from major medical problems. It is important to be diligent about the things you can control, because there are always circumstances you can’t. Take care of your pet and they will reward you for years to come.