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Posts Tagged ‘program’

postheadericon Turtles have always been popular as pets

Turtles have always been popular as pets. There are multiple reasons that make people may want to keep turtle as pets. Turtles are interesting to watch, they’re distinctive from traditional pets, or perhaps people may think that turtles are easy, low maintenance pets.

Turtles and tortoises can be prove to be more time consuming and expensive than expected, since they have a very specialized set of needs that are very different from those that you need to provide for your average furred companion. If a turtle or tortoise owner does not provide these requirements, the turtles will lead a very poor quality of live and die a premature death.

Obtaining a turtle or tortoise as pet is a very important decision. It is very important to know the reasons for owning one and the responsibilities for keeping one. Some things to consider before you obtain a turtle or tortoise as pet are:

• The price you pay of purchasing a turtle or tortoise is the cheapest part of owning a turtle. Providing an appropriate housing, foods, vitamins, bedding, humidity and veterinary care, can total hundreds of dollars a year.
• Turtles and tortoises are a long term commitment. They can live for a very long time, often 25 years or longer.
• Turtles require clean, fresh water and bedding. You should spend at least half an hour each day caring for the turtle.
• Some species need to hibernate, which is sometimes quite stressful for the turtle.
• To properly care for a turtle or tortoise, you need to fresh fruits and vegetables. Even for species where formulated food is available, this should only make up a portion of the diet.
• Most turtles grow fairly large and need correspondingly large tanks or enclosures.
• Turtles and tortoises should have exposure to ultraviolet light, either through the use of UVA/UVB producing bulbs.
• Turtles and tortoises do not interact with or particularly like humans.
• Turtles and tortoises are not recommended as suitable pets for most children because of the risk of salmonella infection.

How to choose the right turtles
The next step is to research the different breeds available. There are major differences between turtles, tortoises and terrapins. Choose a species that fits your lifestyle and your environmental niche. By narrowing your options ahead of time, you can make your decision an educated and easy one.

Do I have a place to house my pet turtle? While most turtles and tortoises can be housed either indoor and out door, some types like the Russian tortoise are preferred for outdoors where they can freely move in natural surroundings.

If you are sure that you understand all the above requirements for keeping turtles and tortoises as pet, then you should consider one more important factor before you choose turtles as pet, and that is where did the turtles come from?

Before you purchase a turtle or tortoise, make sure that it has been captive breed and raised. Breeders that provide good housing, nutrition and controlled breeding programs are much more likely to provide healthy species and good husbandry information. There is never a reason to purchase a wild caught turtles.

So with all that is mentioned, you may now begin preparing and narrowing your options before buying or adopting a pet turtle. Visit your local pet shop and veterinary to get some professional advice and choose the right type of turtle and tortoise as your pet.

postheadericon If you are a cat owner, you must have given up on obedience training at some point in your life

If you are a cat owner, you must have given up on  obedience training at some point in your life. Maybe you thought cat training was similar to a dog’s and you have tried unsuccessfully to train your cat to do a simple task or to recognize your voice but ended up frustrated. You see, teaching cats obedience is vastly different from dog training.

Cats are not obedient by nature and they don’t correlate your words to the action you want them to do. You have to be patient and determined with cats and you have to understand how their thoughts work. If the cat is not in the mood to obey your command or what you’re asking him to do is not in his nature, meting punishment on him will not change anything. Your cat will simply zone out on you and go where he can avoid you. To make cat obedience training a success for you and your cat, here are some tips to try.

The first thing to keep in mind about cat obedience training is that more weight is given to rewarding positive behavior rather than to punishing bad behavior.

  • Cats want affection and attention from their owners and speaking to him in a soothing voice and patting him when he does something you approve of is part of cat obedience training.
  • Praise him when he gets into the litter box and refrain from scolding him when he doesn’t. Cats also love treats. Always keep some on hand and give him one when he gets into the harness without any resistance. This will make him associate the act with the treat and soon, he will get into the harness without any trouble as he anticipates his treat. Repeat this type of cat obedience training with everything else.
  • Reward him for doing what you want but don’t punish him if he doesn’t.
  • Stretch your patience and dig your feet in with determination. It won’t be long before you see the effectiveness of your training and you are the proud owner of an obedient pet cat.

In your training program, review the behaviors you are teaching your cat to do. The behaviors you have in mind might be activities that cats don’t consider normal or natural for them. Unlike for dogs, fetching a ball and returning it to you or jumping through hoops are not typical cat behavior and your cat can be obstinate and refuse to do them. Instead of thinking that your cat obedience training is not successful and blaming yourself, stop and think about your cat’s nature. Unreasonable commands are not part of cat obedience training.

Teach him to stay away from houseplants or keep out of high shelves, not to catch a Frisbee or to roll over. Knowing what and how to teach your cat is one way of turning him into the obedient pet he ought to be.

postheadericon Though dogs don’t eat nearly the number of sweets and other substances dangerous to their teeth, it still makes sense that at least some base dental care is needed to ensure that they enjoy the best health possible

Though dogs don’t eat nearly the number of sweets and other substances dangerous to their teeth, it still makes sense that at least some base dental care is needed to ensure that they enjoy the best health possible.

The first step in healthy teeth and gums is a healthy diet.  This will go a long way toward ensuring your dog’s dental health.  Bones and other chew toys are also an essential part of your dog’s dental hygiene program.  But occasionally a more hands on approach is required.

The first sign of a problem with your dog’s teeth is recurring bad breath.  This is a common sign of gum infection and must be dealt with quickly before it becomes more serious.  Bacteria are the cause of the bad breath and eradicating them will quickly freshen the dog’s mouth.  A combined effort of proper hard food, chew toys and brushing with a canine approved paste constitutes a good combined strategy.

Dogs are not overly prone to cooperation when it comes to dental hygiene.  The first few times you try to brush your dog’s teeth will be a chore to say the least.  A paste that is appealing to your dog will help ease things.  Make sure that you brush gently so as not to cause pain.  If the dog enjoys the taste of the dental paste, he will soon relax and even look forward to the brushings.  Start early with puppies and avoid having to convince an adult dog that you aren’t out to hurt him.

Do not use tooth paste designed for humans on your dog.  The fluoride and other chemicals can cause serious harm to dogs.  Dog specific pates are available from your vet or in pet stores.  Make sure you use a soft bristle brush to avoid harming the dog’s gums.  Tooth paste designed for dogs is alright to swallow and is one of the rewards for submitting to a tooth brushing.

Start the brushing slowly and only try for a few minutes.  As the dog becomes accustomed to the process, you can increase the time.  Once a week is usually good enough as long as your dog is eating enough hard kibble and has sufficient chew toys.

Don’t forget to give your dog a treat after brushing.  This is just another tool to make the dog happy to get his teeth brushed.  Pretty soon your dog will be waking you up with his toothbrush in his mouth.

postheadericon Dog training helps you to change your dog’s behavior

Dog training helps you to change your dog’s behavior. By training your dog in a proper way, they will listen to your commands such as walk, come, sit, stand and hence your dogs will decrease jumping, barking and biting.

Few dogs are very friendly and easier to train. In case, if your dog is not responding to your dog training program, then you need to follow the below given tips:

1. Spend at least 10 minutes every day to train your dog. Few dogs will not respond to your commands because the training program is a collection of fits and starts. If you spend a few minutes on Monday, nothing until Thursday, and again you start on Saturday, then it would be difficult for your dog to learn the commands.

2. Managing your dog’s behavior is a major part of dog training program. To make success we need to understand and apply basic management skills. Dogs misbehave a lot when you are not around them. Destructive behaviors, chewing, house training all these tend to happen when you are not at home. One of the best management tools is use “crate” which allows you to leave your dog lonely without the opportunity to get into trouble.

3. Don’t feed your dog frequently because “food” can be used as a strong motivator to your dog. It’s very difficult to use the food to reinforce behavior, when your dog is allowed to eat whenever it feels like.

4. Make your dog to look at you when you give any command to it. Most of the dogs fail to pay attention to owners command. So, always make sure that you have your dog’s attention before you give the command.

5. Dogs are always active animals. Most dogs were bred work long hours in the field. They have never had to herd sheep or any other type of livestock. We have to make sure that they get exercise in other ways such as retrieving games, tug games, hiking, and swimming.

6. Whatever you are trying to teach your dog has to have a value. If you are teaching your dog a behavior that you want to happen it over and over again, start to get back the behavior. You need to apply the type of value for the behavior.

7. Dogs are animals that always respond to a social structure. If you are really serious about dog training then you should establish the leadership quality. The better you are at being the leader the better your dog will respond to you. Establish the leadership quality and your dog will listen to you much better.

By these basic tips, you will start to get the results that you are looking for. It is also very important to remember that you can train your dog.

postheadericon Feline obesity is a threat to the health and lifespan of your cat

Feline obesity is a threat to the health and lifespan of your cat. This article will help you work with your cat to lose the needed weight with minimal struggle.

Feline health is, in many ways, common sense. Since cats are mammals like us, many of the same basic premises apply.

When a cat is overweight, he or she is at risk for heart problems, diabetes, and the exact same complications obese humans experience. Good feline health practices for reducing obesity are the same tactics used for people who need to shed a few excess pounds.

Essentially your cat needs to take in fewer calories and get a little more exercise. That’s all there is to it unless there is some genetic setback causing the feline obesity.

You might think it’s hard to get your cat on a diet and exercise program, but in truth it’s quite easy. Where you lead, your feline friend will follow.

The first step is to ask your vet what your cat’s target weight should be. Your veterinarian should be able to give you a good range to shoot for with a basic physical exam.

Fewer Calories In Your Cat’s Diet

Once you have a target weight goal, you’ll need to start by adjusting your cat’s caloric intake. Your vet can recommend a good food with fewer calories.

Also you can adjust the current feeding schedule. If you’re leaving food in the bowl all day long, start feeding your cat twice a day instead.

Take the bowls up after your cat eats in the morning and set them out again for the evening meal. Again, once the cat has had a good meal, take the food up again until the next morning.

Clearly if you have multiple cats it might not be as easy to manage your obese feline’s diet. If you don’t want to put all cats on a reduced schedule just find a food with fewer calories and eliminate treats until the target weight is reached.

And certainly stop giving your cat people food! Especially in cases of feline obesity it is counterproductive to share people food with your cat.

Feline Exercise Program

Chance are your cat is already somewhat active. Even cats who “sleep all day” have at least one activity period during the day.

Felines are polyphasic, meaning they have multiple periods of sleep and activity during the day. You may simply be unaware of when your cat is running and playing.

Your job is to get your cat involved in a period of exercise and brisk physical activity for about ten minutes each day. And you can do this by simply playing with him or her.

Drag a string, throw a catnip ball, or do something else to intrigue your cat into motion. Keep him/her running, jumping, and swatting for ten minutes or longer without stopping.

You can use catnip to stimulate your cat if needed. Many felines get a rush from this herb and will become more active for several minutes after rolling in or eating it.

It takes a little focus on your part to correct a feline obesity problem. But you owe it to your cat to put forth the effort on this because after all, you are the parental figure in this relationship.