Common Meanings Of Cat Behavior

A lot of people think that cats work on their own agenda, not paying much attention to their owner provided they have clean litter, food, and water. Cats can behave in odd manners at times, which can easily confuse their owners and make it really hard to determine what the cat wants. As much as cat behavior can be confusing, there are some ways that you can solve common cat behavior mysteries.

A common behavior that almost all cats do is push their heads into any type of object that will allow them to do it. Youve probably seen your cat do this before, probably against table legs, TV stands, or another object. This can be noticed more when you have other people who own animals or those with allergies over at your house. When a cat notices this, he will rub his head against the person. In doing so, he will put a touch of saliva on the individual. In a cats mind, he owns what he puts his saliva on.

By putting his saliva on something, that object or person will have a familiar scent. Although this can be very annoying, you have to understand that other people in your home are seen as odd or weird to your cat. When a cat does this, he is simply trying to make the visitor belong. When he brushes up against them and puts his saliva on them, he is trying to put his scent on them which in his mind will mean that they belong in his territory.

Even though marking someone or something with saliva is beneficial to the cat, saliva is one of the most common forms of pet allergies. When someone wipes the saliva off of them, the scent will be gone and the cat will go back and attempt to do it again. Even though it may appear that cats target those with allergies, cats are actually just trying to make the visitor belong at the house. If the guest simply cannot take the saliva, allow the cat to rub himself on their pants leg a few times. Normally, this is all takes for a cat to leave the person alone.

Those of you who an indoor cat should expect the cat to spend quite a bit of time lying near windows. During this time, you may hear your cat make very strange noises or weird movements. You shouldnt fear though, as he is simply acting out his hunting instincts. Whether its another cat or object outside moving about, the cat will see it and simply go into his native hunting instinct.

As most already know, cats love to play. They love to played with, especially with toys. They will pounce on things on occasion, which should always be expected. If you try to prevent this type of behavior, your cat will take a very negative approach and youll end up with a lot of broken things in your home. You can always play with your cat using a string, as he will love to chase the string around the room.

The longer you own your cat, the more odd behavior youll see him exhibit. Cats behave in strange ways, although they always have a reason for behaving the way they do. If you can understand why your cat behaves like he does, youll have no problems keeping him healthy and happy. If you simply pay attention to your cat and the way he behaves at times youll be able to understand him better than ever before.

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Feb 28, 2010 | 0 | Cats

Dog Training House Training Your Dog

One of the most confusing and anxiety-ridden areas of dog training is house training. Yet, it is one of the most important, especially for the humans involved.

The best way to understand and find success with house training is to use the dogs own nature to help you.

Dogs are, by instinct, very clean animals. They would rather not soil any areas where they normally sleep or eat. Dogs are also creatures of habit — they like to know where theyre supposed to go urinate and defecate. If the dog is taught to eliminate on gravel or concrete, they will tend to look for either of those surfaces to do so. If theyre taught to eliminate on grass or dirt, thats where they will choose. Use these habits to your advantage.

Setting up the training area

This is the first step. Make sure the area you choose is small and confined. A bathroom works for this, or a place in a kitchen or garage also work well. Remember that crate training works well for puppies or small dogs, but for the larger animals, the crate is too confining.

You need to spend some time with this aspect of the training. You need to play with your dog in this area, and this is also where the dog will be taught to sleep and eat. Put together a special bed. This can be something you make up with items around the house, or you can go to the store and purchase a bed. Dont worry of your dog eliminates in this area at first. Once they figure out that this is where the sleep and eat, theyll stop eliminating there.

Once your dog realizes that the bed is for sleeping, you can begin to move it around the house. But, only when youre there. When youre not, put the bed back in the training area.

Setting up the toilet area

Now you need to determine where the toilet area is going to be located. Presumably, this will be outside the house. Wherever it is, it has to a place that the dog can go to whenever it needs to go. You need to go there with your dog so you can give the appropriate rewards for good behavior.

Establish a set feeding schedule for your dog. If the dog is in the habit of being fed at certain times, the natural process of elimination will also begin to occur at certain times. Once you learn when those times relate to the eating times, it will become much easier for you to guide the dog to the established toilet area.

Dont forget to make sure your dog has ready access to the toilet area. That way mistakes arent as likely to occur.

Continuing the house training process

Once your dog is in the habit of eliminating in the toilet area and not in the sleeping/eating area, you can begin to extend the training area to the rest of the house. Do this slowly. Start by expanding to one additional room, and then gradually expand into other areas. Dont expand into new areas until youre sure your dog has control of its bladder and bowels. At first, do this only when youre around. If youre away, then put your dog back in the original training area.

Speeding up the process

If you have to move this process along more quickly, you can do so. Remember to proceed with caution, though. Its better to go slowly than to have to try to retrain a dog later. If youre going to try to speed things up, you will have to be there in order to reward your dog for successful eliminations. It is also important not to punish for mistakes. That will only confuse the dog and slow the process even further.

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Feb 09, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Identification Tips

According to the American Humane Society, just 15% of dogs in shelters ever find their way home again. Thankfully, these loved pooches had identification, enabling shelter personnel to contact and return them to their owners. With such discouraging statistics, it becomes clear how important it is to tag or identify your new puppy.

Even if your dog doesnt go outside much or is always in your company, you must identify him or her. Windows and doors can be left open, offering your pup a too-tempting escape to the outside world. What should you do to keep your pup safe at home?

There are several ways to ID your pet to prevent against loss or theft. Ideally, implement at least two methods to ensure a safe return should your dog go missing.

Tattoos and microchips provide permanent ways to identify your dog. Shelters, veterinarians, and research laboratories know to look for these keys when animals are brought to their facilities.

Tattoos: this permanent identification system involves tattooing a code onto the dogs skin, often inside the outer ear or on the inside of its leg. Veterinarians or trained specialists will ink the code for you. You will need to list your dog with one of the many tattoo registry programs around the country.

Microchips: these minuscule electronic chips are embedded under your dogs skin. Because special scanners are needed to read the information located on the chip, most veterinarians, shelters, and research laboratories have these on hand to scan all strays for identification. Several registries offer membership for dogs with microchips.

While tattoos and microchips offer excellent safety measurements at a reasonable cost, the fact is most people dont know to look for a tattoo or have the means available to scan for microchips. As a result, its essential you provide your pup with an ID tag worn on its collar. ID tags are often the first thing searched for when a stray is found by someone.

At a minimum, the tag should list a current phone number. Because people move and phone numbers change often, a second phone number of a trusted friend or family member is also recommended. If space is available, additional information to include is: your puppys name, your address, and any medical conditions.

Luckily, dog ID tags are not expensive to purchase, so it should be one of the first things you get your dog, once youve chosen a name. You can usually find just the right tag, too, that fits your lifestyle and your pets personality. Tags come in different materials, such as aluminum, brass, stainless steel or plastic, and in a variety of shapes and colors. Todays glamour pooch can even have his or her own tag made of Swarovski crystals! When it comes to choosing a fun dog ID tag, the choices are limitless.

Whatever methods you use when protecting your pet against loss or theft, please remember to keep the contact information current. Just a few minutes of your time to update registry information or purchase a new dog tag can make all the difference in the world in your beloved dogs life.

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Jan 31, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Barks When Left Alone

Please let me know if you have any suggestions to help curb a barking problem when we are not home. Our 2 year-old Shepherd/Chow mix rarely barks when we are home, but when we leave her in her nice pen outdoors when we are gone she yips and barks. We have tried stuffed animals and kong toy with food inside. Do we need to get a bark collar? Any other suggestions or info on the collars would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Beth Nordstrom

Dear Beth:

First, I would try to figure out what is causing the dog to bark. It may be nothing more than nuisance barking. In which case, a bark collar would work best.

But I’d first rule out all other factors, such as:

- A neighbor’s kid who may be taunting your dog.

- Lack of exercise/stimulation.

- Throwing a toy outside of the pen and then barking in an attempt to “make it come back”

- Any number of other factors that could be eliminated before dropping $100 on a bark collar.

I don’t know what type of exercise regimen you’ve got your dog on now, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to buy a bicycle and start taking your dog for long runs. (It’s good for you, too!)

As for which bark collars to use… the ones that I’ve had the most success with are the Tri-Tronics Bark Limiter. I’ve tried the cheap yellow ones they sell at the pet stores and have found them to be poorly engineered, consistently over or under-correcting your dog, and resetting themselves too quickly.

The citronella collars are largely a joke. The get clogged and jam frequently. The citronella runs out. Plus, I’m not crazy about spraying the stuff in your dog’s eyes.

That’s all for now, folks!
Adam

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Jan 14, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Dog Aggression: Children and Their Pets

It’s terrifying how common tales are of dogs savaging young children. You might think that its just Pit Bulls or certain breeds that do this kind of thing but it’s common across all breeds. Children have the uncanny ability to make dogs angry without intending.

Most families will luckily never have to deal with anything remotely as traumatic but if you own a dog and have children; or have children visiting often – then you too must take some responsibility for their actions and behavior.

You want to prepare your children by teaching them a few simple rules about playing with the dog.

The first step to understand the aggression. So, what causes dogs to become aggressive? There are a few different kinds of aggression that dogs experience. If they are scared they become aggressive, if something threatens their territory or family and as an act of dominance assertion.

An aggressive dog’s ears will pin back; their tail might stand up and they will growl. The growl is a warning.

Whats the best way to deal with an aggressive dog?

If you have the luxury of realizing before something happens that the dog is upset and about to hurt your child or you there are some things you can do:

- It’s most important to try to keep as calm as possible; the dog will sense your fear
- Speak in a soft voice – remove the disturbance if possible.

What can you do to prevent an aggressive dog?

- Teach your children that the dogs have feeling too and are to be treated with care. This means no rough playing with the dog. Some breeds of dog become agitated and roughhousing can greatly upset them. Enough to bite your child!

- If your children are very small you will need to take care to supervise them at all times. You cannot leave a toddler with a dog without risking something going wrong. Very young children do not understand how to treat animals yet.

- The importance of having a well trained dog cannot be stated enough. When you get a puppy take them to obedience classes straight away. Even if you don’t have children it’s important to have a well trained dog. You don’t want your beloved pooch to harm someone else’s children.

If you have children and are considering buying a dog; there are some considerations that can make it far less likely for an aggressive dog. Choose carefully – some breeds are known to have a low tolerance and others are known to be child friendly.

Dogs have a long standing relationship with humans – dogs love people and visa versa. By following these pointers you should be assured of a happy calm dog that won’t harm anyone. A carefully trained dog will give you peace of mind and most importantly – become an important part of your family life.

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Jan 13, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Discover How To Train Your Dog and Help Her Become

Discover How To Train Your Dog and Help Her Become a Better Pet

Training your dog will help him to be a more obedient animal. It will also help him to be a better pet. The time that you spend investing in this training will reward you for many years. Your pet will be closer to you and will respect you even more. And, it doesnt take away for his or her personality. But, what is does is sets the rules, the boundaries which help an animal to feel secure.

Your pet is communicating with you. They want attention and will do whatever it takes to get it. Believe it or not, you may actually be unconsciously telling your dog to behave badly if you do not provide them with the attention that they are in need of. If you yell at your pet for doing something wrong, for example, having an accident on the rug, you are providing attention to it and therefore, they may keep doing it to get that attention. You are excited which makes them excited. Instead, try ignoring your pet when they do something wrong like this.

On the flip side, then, positive reinforcement works well on many pets. Reward your dog for good behavior. What can you do? Things like giving them a treat or just verbally praising them works well. Or, take some time to pay extra attention to them. This does several things for your pet. The pet will realize that good behavior, whatever it is, will get them this type of reward. And, it will help to promote you as the leader. You need to remain the leader of the pack, even if your dog tries to challenge this. For those who need to learn this, and even those animals that are less assertive, obedience training can be quite beneficial. When the dog uses his or her instincts to follow a leader, the pet will feel more secure and behave properly as well.

Positive reinforcement type training can work in a number of different ways. For example, the capture reward process where the pet is rewarded when the good behavior is displayed is commonly used to gently coax the animal into giving you the desired reaction. The professionals will likely tell you that it is best to use several senses for training. The use of verbal communication and the use of hand signals are necessary. Things like sit, come, go, stay are all verbal signals. You need a release signal as well which will inform the animal that she has done a good job. You would give the release signal and then her reward right afterwards. This links the signal with the fact that the animal has done something good.

Now, who is going to teach your pet and how will they do it? First of all, you can do most of the training yourself. You can tap into the resources that you find at the library and bookstores on training the dog in how to type books. You can get quite a bit of the information you need to do it right on the web as well. If you do want to find additional help, seek that of a professional in your area. You can find them through pet supply chains or your local humane societies. Classes can be a great way to help your dog to socialize and to educate yourself. You can find local personal trainers for your dog as well. These individuals will come to you and work with your animal in a custom way to give them the support that they need.

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Jan 08, 2010 | 0 | Dogs

Correct any kind of upsetting behavior with dog training collars

Correct any kind of upsetting behavior with dog training collars

Using a dog training collar is an efficient and safe way to correct your dogs unpleasant behavior. There are several types of dog training collars on the market, but they all operate according to the same system. The dogs learns in time to associate the unwanted behavior such as barking or going places it does not have permission to with a harmless yet unpleasant reaction generated by the training collar.

Initially, people developed dog training collars for hunting dogs. Those were shock-training collars. Such collars released a high level of electric current each time the dog misbehaved. These shock collars have undergone many modifications to be less cruel and painful to animals, but the controversy remains. Although such collars are not recommendable and are even under ban in some countries, they still exist on the market and are capable of releasing different levels of current. There is a lot of controversy surrounding shock-training collars and many people suggest to owners to try them on themselves before putting them on their dogs.

Recent studies have shown that dogs subjected to wearing an electric training collar have high levels of stress and are nervous around people, sometimes even attacking out of fear of shock. Since the apparition of electric dog training collars, many developments have taken place, which no longer hurt the dog physically, but make him uncomfortable by spraying a jet of scented air or water into the animals face.

Your pet will be so amazed and startled by the noise and sensation released by the dog training collar that it will stop barking. Barking is the dogs natural way of noticing against potential dangers and scaring off threats. Dogs also bark to communicate with other dogs or with their owners. However, such behavior can become upsetting if every little thing triggers it.

Dog training collars are available for small or large dogs and the jet spray can have an unpleasant odor such as lemon, citronella or mustard. Some dog training collars do not have unpleasant odors because they emit a cold jet onto the dogs neck to distract it from the unwanted behavior.

The market has seen the development of a new kind of dog training collar that emits sounds that only dogs can hear and that bother them. These ultrasonic collars are just as effective as citronella collars and electric collars and gradually replace electric collars.

These canine training collars use either sound or vibration to determine whether the dog is barking or not. The best ones use both types of sensors, so they do not accidentally release the spray because of outside sounds. You can use such training collars to confine your pets access to particular areas of your yard such as flower or vegetable beds. These invisible fences are very successful and your dogs behavior will meet its adjustment in no time.

If you have tried everything to stop your dog from barking or digging up your flowers and nothing has worked, you should try a gentle dog training collar that just takes your dog by surprise and stops it from misbehaving. Improve the behavior of your dog by training it with the aid of a dog training collar that you can choose from a wide range of harmless and yet helpful dog training collars.

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Dec 27, 2009 | 0 | Dogs

Considering Getting A Dog?

I have been a pet owner nearly all of my life and a veterinarian for almost half of my life, so I have seen my fair share of animals and animal owners. One of the biggest things I hate is to see people jump into the decision of buying a dog without taking time to think through the decision. When the decision to get a dog as a pet is made without care, the owners and the dog suffer equally from it.

Before you run out and purchase a dog, take time to carefully consider your decision. Think about your current lifestyle. How would bringing a new dog into the picture affect things? Do you have enough time, energy and money to adequately support bringing a dog into your family? Sure, the idea sounds great now, but is it a wise choice?

If you are sure that you can handle bringing a dog into your home and you are sure that you have what it takes to really care for your dog, then move ahead with caution and begin to research what kind of dog might be best for you. A dog is not a dog is not a dog. I hate hearing people talk about not really caring about what kind of dog they get. Each variety of dog is different and requires vastly different care. Learn what you can about the dogs you are interested in before making a purchase.

It is great to visit people who own the kinds of dogs you are interested in. See what their lives are really like with a dog in the picture. The more research you do, the better off you will be when you finally bring a dog into your home. Learn all you can from other dog owners and get their wisdom for you. I guarentee you that having a dog as a pet is a wonderful but hard thing.

Prepare your family before bringing a dog into your home. Talk honestly about the responsibilities that bringing a dog into your home will mean. Divide up those responsibilities so that everyone feels like they have an important part to play. A family will always do better with a dog when they have a right understanding of the work and commitment it will take to keep the dog alive and well.

I love seeing families bring a dog into their homes. I am insistent, however, on seeing the process done well. Please use caution and wisdom as you seek to make a dog part of your family.

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Dec 26, 2009 | 0 | Dogs

Breaking Your Pit Bull Terrier’s Jumping Habit: Dog Training Help

Breaking Your Pit Bull Terrier’s Jumping Habit: Dog Training Help

As you have probably already learned, Pit Bulls are highly energetic animals. They love to run and play, and get excited easily. One of the more annoying habits they develop at a young age is jumping. Jumping can be particularly annoying when they do it as a way of greeting, especially if it is young child or someone who is afraid of dogs. Teaching your Pit Bull to curb this behavior is not an easy task, but is your responsibility as a Pit Bull owner.

Many people have stopped their Pit Bulls from jumping on them by using treats. When they come inside, they throw some treats on the floor, and then greet their dog while his attention is fixed on the treats. The treats usually work as a good distraction to pull your Pit Bulls attention away from jumping on you. If you dont like using treats to train your Pit Bull, or if the method just doesnt work well for you, then you have to try other ideas to train your Pit Bull not to jump.

One thing you can try is teaching your Pit Bull that it is nicer to sit than jump. Go outside, leaving your Pit Bull inside, then come back in and calmly greet him. If your Pit Bull starts to jump on you, turn your back to him, and ignore him. When your Pit Bull puts all four feet back on the floor, turn back around and pet him. If he starts to jump on you again, turn back around and ignore him. This will teach your Pit Bull that when he jumps, he doesnt get any attention, but that if he sits nicely you will pet him. This technique may take quite a while for your Pit Bull to learn, especially if he is a very excitable dog. But, if you stick with it long enough, he should learn that jumping is not going to gain him anything other than losing your attention. Once you get your Pit Bull thru this step, try to teach him to sit still for a few moments before you acknowledge him. If he gets up, use the same routine of ignoring him, and then when he sits down, pet him again. This would also be a good time to try to teach him to shake hands when he greets people, rather than jumping on them.

You can also further entice your Pit Bull to not jump by tempting him and then rewarding and praising him for his good behavior. Hold treats up in the air so that your Pit Bull will have to jump to get them. If he jumps, ignore him, and when he is calm try again. When he is able to remain seated, praise him, give him the treats, and some extra attention. He will soon learn that by behaving the way you want him to, he will not only get extra attention, but some extra treats as well, which is double incentive for him to obey.

Another method that tends to work well in teaching your Pit Bull not to jump is to have a designated place for your Pit Bull, and teach him to go there when you need him to, for example, when someone is at the door. To start this training, you will need to pick the spot, and put maybe a bed or blanket and some of his favorite toys there. When the spot is ready, spend some time with him while he is there. Giving him special attention and treats will help him attribute the spot as a good place that he wants to spend time at. As your Pit Bull becomes accustomed to his place, start sending him there occasionally. At first, you will want to be close to the spot, and eventually move farther and farther away from it as your dog learns. Make it a point to give him special attention and treats each time he goes to his spot when you ask him to. Eventually, your Pit Bull will learn that by going to his spot when you ask him to, that you will reward him for it.

The biggest thing you can do to help your Pit Bull learn not to jump is to keep your own greetings calm. I know it is hard when you have been away from him all day not to come in and play and wrestle with him, but this will only get him more excited, and he will expect this same attention from everyone that enters the house. Until you can completely break the jumping habit, it may be best to ignore him for the first few minutes you come home, and then play with him once he settles down. It may take a little time, but your Pit Bull will soon learn how to tone down his excitement.

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Dec 08, 2009 | 0 | Dogs

A Dog Is For Life Not Just For Christmas

My family run an animal sanctuary in Birmingham, England. Even though we love what we do, we feel that some people need to realise that a pet should be a long term commitment. They should not be seen as just a bit of fun which they can then get rid of when they get bored.

Many people arrive at the animal sanctuary with their pets, which are mainly dogs, with many excuses as to why they are no longer able to look after or care for them. I am sure many of their reasons are valid but am also aware that many others are just an excuse to offload them.

The excuses they give are varied:

I have recently divorced from my husband and can no longer afford to keep this dog as a pet

The dog has started to bite my children

The dog is too difficult to handle and is destroying my furniture

We have recently moved into a flat. One of their rules is that no animals can live in these flats

The dog barks to much and it is upsetting the neighbours

Our other animals do not like the dog

The dog is affecting my health

I am too ill to look after my dog

It is not our role to question these reasons but what we then need to do is to find another suitable home for the dogs. This is easier said than done as we need to ensure that the new owners will be able to care for them, for hopefully the duration of their life.

We also keep many of the dogs as our own pets, especially the ones which nobody else seems to want. One such dog is called Cassie. She is full of life and has been ill treated it seems when she was a puppy. Half of her left ear is missing and she is seemingly quite afraid of men.

Cassie is need of a huge amount of care and attention. She can be too lively at times which is possibly why three people who attempted to re-home her, have bought her back. She is not aggressive in any way but does tend to jump up at people.

What we did with Cassie and what we will continue to do, is to give her lots of love but also a little bit of training of what is good and what is not acceptable. It takes a long time, but she is now able to understand that the jumping is not wanted and that she needs to chill out at times.

Cassie is turning into a wonderful dog to have around the house and now feels for the first time as part of a family.

With a little more patience most other dogs can turn out this way. This is why we want more people to take more responsibility and to give their animals more of a chance to settle into their homes, and to get used to a new set of rules.

Having animals as pets can be very rewarding, nearly as rewarding as having a child. A dog however will rarely answer you back.

If you are having problems with your animals you can always phone up animal sanctuaries for advice and to hear about possible solutions. The people who work there are animal lovers and will help you as much as they can.

If you are unable to continue looking after the pet, the sanctuary should be able to take them off you.

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Nov 15, 2009 | 0 | Dogs