Friday, October 1, 2010

Why do dogs have separation anxiety?

Dogs have certainly made a great difference to people's way of life. Dogs form a legendary bond with humans thus it is not surprising if these animals are considered as man's best friends. Dogs are truly man's wonderful companion as aside from being loyal and affectionate they also form a strong bond with their owners. Dogs are different from aloof cats as these pets are very dependent on their owners.

Dogs would thrive well in a situation where they are constantly given attention and where they are allowed to be in the company of the human family. Because of this, dogs are dubbed as Velcro pets. Ironically, this close tie dogs have with humans is the reason why many of these animals are abandoned by their owners and end up in animal shelters or even euthanized. Separation anxiety causes dogs to be problematic pets because they turn destructive.

Barking, chewing, digging, house soiling are normal canine behaviors that a dog owner has to put up with. However, this normal canine behaviors becomes excessive in dogs suffering from separation anxiety. When a normally well behaved dog manifests inappropriate behavior like excessive barking, chewing and digging when separated from its owner, it is highly likely that the dog is suffering from separation anxiety. Severe cases of separation anxiety can make the dog jump through windows, mutilate the body and cause serious destruction every time the owner is not around.

What causes dogs to have separation anxiety? Being social creatures, dogs would always love to interact with all the members of the family. Dogs are seen following their masters around. Because of the close bond, dogs would want to be with the master always as when the master is not seen the dog would have panic attacks. It is necessary for dog owners to take the role of the leader of the pack. Dogs, especially those with weak willed owners would think of themselves as the leader of the pack and consider humans as pack members lower in rank. Dogs that consider themselves as the leader of the pack suffer from separation anxiety when separated from the owner.

Generally dogs that have a separation anxiety disorder are dogs that were abandoned and abused. Dogs that start to be destructive as soon as the master leaves home are suffering from separation anxiety disorder. The destructive behavior of a dog suffering from separation anxiety will be triggered if the master is seen taking the coat, picking up the car keys and opening the door.

To protect your furniture from your dog that is suffering from seperation anxiety try using a pet scat mat or spray deterent.

Sarah's Dogs has more information about dog separation anxiety and dog first aid.

What makes dogs shake in their sleep

Dogs are truly man's most loyal and affectionate pets. These affectionate creatures have become man's silent best friends - always ready to offer comfort and protection. People choose different animals for a pet but dogs are probably the ones given the most love and care. Pet owners on tight budgets would not hesitate to shell out bucks as long as it will ensure the well being of the pet. Despite the long association, a pet owner would not really know what the dog feels. Dog owners noticing the pet to be off color would worry because dog cannot be asked what ails them.

Dogs form a strong bond with their owners. This is very apparent by the inclination of the master and pet to be always together. It is not uncommon for people that get too attached to the dog to constantly watch the pet's movements. Pet owners that get so attached to the pet will watch it even when sleeping. A dog owner would worry if the sleeping dog is seen shaking. Seizures are common in dogs thus an owner would worry that the pet is fitting.

The shaking of the sleeping dog can be a symptom of an illness. The shaking of the pet can be due to discomfort. A dog that is made to sleep in an inadequate shelter outside the home will shake if the weather is cold. Sleeping puppies will shake too if they have crawled away from the mother's warmth.

Perfectly healthy dogs that shake while sleeping may simply be having a dream. We know how great sleepers dogs are. Once the dog has reached the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, the dog, similar to humans would dream. Just like in humans, a dog that dream is experiencing again what has happened when it was awake.

Humans would talk in their sleep, others would sleep walk. The same is true with dogs. A dog will shake if it is dreaming of giant rabbits.

As traumatic experiences are relieved when the dog dreams, an abused dog is more prone to shake while sleeping. Dogs are happy creatures thus it is expected that they will have happy dreams but nightmares will make these animals shake in their sleep too. Although dogs would snap out of the nightmare, your presence would help calm the pet.

Find out more about why dogs shake when they sleep and dog first aid at Sarah's Dogs.  While your at it check Pet Fences too.

Puppy Training Biting - The Best Approach to Take

A very powerful point you should considered when training a puppy is puppy training biting. This is the most difficult troubles most puppy proprietor faces, most especially if your young children are residing with you. I'm gonna give some recommendations about puppy training biting. For more info, go visit stop puppy biting.

First, when a puppy is born they like twiddling with their tooth. I feel this is natural and also utilizing their feeling of odor eyes and ears to discover the globe.

Puppies like challenges, at the previously stage of their life; they start to produce their feeling. If there are any pups close to them, they are going to like twiddling with them, rolling, leaping and biting every single other. This really is what they do for the early phase of their life to have the ability to come tops.

Your puppy is at home now, so that you will begin to acquire charge to signify him as the mum. Constantly remember that pups like enjoying approximately so he would would like to select or chew something he finds round the house. Your kids might need to fit your hand in his mouth, but that poses a major threat. You should find a way to stop this. This is known as perform biting.

You should educate your little one how to play with young puppies. When you place your hands inside the mouth in the puppy the puppy will wish to hold it, however the baby in return will wish to pull it off. Thinking it can be a game, the puppy keep firm for the palm harder, and this pose a major threat or scares the little one far from the puppy. Although the teeth will nevertheless be a milk tooth at the first 20 weeks of his lifestyle, but as the puppy grows outdated it becomes much more wild and unsafe. Teaching your dogs puppy training biting is the best in the puppy stage.

Puppy training lessons- A very powerful.

The most effective way of doing this can be by bellow" ouch" in a very deep gruff voice. Test as a lot to use this to placed a surprise in his encounter. This will likely make him obey you and release his tooth.

Often give him something to perform with, it may perhaps be toys or one thing connected. Immediately after twiddling with it for someday, try to take it faraway from him with deep gruff voice I informed you earlier. This can make him obey you as times goes on.

You must find out not to be hash together with your puppy. At all times go gentle with him even when he is biting you. All you must do is stick to the directions as stated over to present him an excellent and much better puppy training biting lessons. For more info, you can visit stop puppy biting.

To keep your puppy from chewing your furniture check out pet scat mat or spray deterent.

Here's How To Get Rid of Ticks and Fleas

Ticks and fleas infestation on dogs can be bothersome both to the pet and to its owner. These blood-sucking parasites also dwell on furniture, in the carpet or any place where your dog stays regularly . These creatures will not only bite dogs but humans as well. Frequent bathing and using fine-toothed pet comb should be part of your preventive measures rather than think of it as flea and tick remedies.

It is wise for dog owners to ward off ticks and fleas at the onset of infestation using products such as frontline spray treatment which can be very effective for flea and tick control for dogs and puppies. The product can be sprayed on your pet's back, side, stomach, legs, neck and shoulders. Do not spray directly on the head area; instead, spray the product in your gloved hand and rub it in your pet's head.

A lot of experts recommend Frontline brand products because of its proven efficacy in fighting fleas and ticks. The use of frontline flea spray gives your pet the continuous protection by breaking the parasites' life cycle.

Ticks and fleas bites on dogs can really get so itchy that it will cause our pets to itch and scratch really hard. Too much scratching can cause lesion on the skin which might eventually lead to infection and serious skin problems. Add to that problem is the fact that you are also going to have a terrible ordeal with those ticks and fleas because they will also prey on human skin.

Controlling ticks and fleas should not be concentrated on treating the dogs but on the environment as well. Thoroughly cleaning the areas where the dog sleeps and plays is is also one of the best ways in controlling the problem.

Regularly vacuuming the carpet and sprinkling it with insecticidal powder can remove adult fleas, therefore preventing the proliferation of the parasites. Pet bedding material should be washed with soapy hot water.

If the above suggestions won't render any positive outcome, then it should be appropriate to refer the problem to the expert - your friendly veterinarian!

In the meantime use a indoor pet barrier to keep your flea infested pooch out of the babies room.

Your Dog's Wellbeing

Medically, dogs are like people in that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Dogs don't need annual mammograms or cholesterol screening. On the other hand, they do need regular visits to the vet, a healthy diet, good dental hygiene and many other processes similar to those humans undertake for our own wellbeing. If you've never considered what it means to provide preventive health care for your pup, let this article open your eyes to a few areas you can work on, and then research further for yourself, beginning with contacting your trusted vet.

Of course, one of the first things you can do to help your dog stay healthy is to make sure he has the correct dog medications. Right away, you must ensure that he gets or has had the necessary vaccines. Not only will your dog benefit from this protection, but it'll keep you from contracting things like rabies from him, too. Then you'll also need to give him his needed prescriptions. Do not neglect some kind of medication for heartworm, plus a prescription to keep off fleas and ticks. Your dog doesn't appreciate the little biters any more than humans do, and he'll bring them right into your house if you're not careful.

Second, be sure that your animal has a balanced diet. Stores offer myriad brands of dog food, but not all of them are a good bet for your beloved dog. Some can make him sick, even deathly ill. Others simply won't provide him with all of the nutrients he should have to live a long, happy life. One thing you should consider is the meat, grain and fat content of the formula you feed your dog. It's important that he eat enough protein. Unlike humans, dogs can't really be vegetarians. They're born carnivores. Many people now advocate giving dogs completely grain free dog food, since that may better resemble what they'd eat if they hadn't been domesticated. Regardless of the brand you consider purchasing, make sure to do your research and read reviews, in addition to talking to your veterinarian.

Finally, don't forget about your dog's skeleton and nervous system. Many types of purebred dogs have been so inbred over the years that they regularly end up with health issues like arthritis, bone and joint pain, or tooth and gum conditions. Right from the start, you may want to buy your dog a good bed, like one of these, to keep him comfortable. You should also read up on his specific breed to see what health problems are endemic to his breed.

Underground Dog Fence

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Cat Supplies. Why So Expensive?

Okay, let me start off by saying something you'd probably never expect to hear from someone writing an article about cats. I am not a cat person!

That all changed the day I met Tyco.

Tyco was the new cat that my eldest son wanted more than anything. And even though I am a dog guy, I could see that this new addition to our home was something that was going to happen. I also very quickly realized that getting Tyco would mean finding a never ending source for the cheapest cat supplies.

Being an internet savvy person, I knew that the best prices for cat supplies (and most things) happen online because the companies are not paying for retail space and all of the overhead that goes with that.

It's hardly news that after doing simple Google searches for "cheap cat supplies" that the usual cat brands popped to the top. But I wanted more...I wanted to buy from someone that had a real name and a real face.

The upside to being able to buy cheap cat supplies online is the time and money savings. The downside being the not knowing who can be turned to if a mistake is made with the order.

In the end, we bought the flea and tick collars, the fake mice toys and the scratching poles an underground cat fence (which was compatible with our underground dog fence)... all of which were delivered as advertised.

After having gone through the process and having gotten all of my cheap cat stuff over the web, I still marvel at how the offline distributors are ever able to keep up.

Do Not De-claw Your Cat

Here in the United States , domesticed cats  are allowed to be declawed. But a lot of countries around the world have outlawed this practice , because it is considered inhumane. Here in the US people take this option in order to protect their piece of furniture. As you may know, cats have a tendency to scratch at furniture to keep their claws keen in order to capture and eat prey . It is in their inherent aptitude since the domestication of cats.

Now when a cat is declawed, you leave it defenseless. So if it escapes outside, it is vulnerable to its enemies and cannot capture prey to feed itself. Declawing is actually the removal of your cats toe.. The actual removal is painful and I am sure the recovery is painful also. So what can you do to stop your cat from scratching your furniture? There are several things that can be done short of de-clawing would not be necessary:

1. You can train your cat to scratch something else, such as a scratching post. We had a scratching post and put cat nip on it to train our cats to use the scratching post. In addition, if they slipped up and started scratching the furniture, we would shake a can which had coins in it. This would startle the cats and make them to stop scratching our furniture.

2. You can also have nail caps put on their claws . This is painless and very effectual.

3. Trimming of your cats claws on a regular bases will also help your furniture.

4. You can also put double-sided tape on your furniture. This protects your furniture

5. There are also resistive sprays you can purchase from pet stores .

6. There are pet deterrent products like pet barrier kits, pet scat mats or spray deterrents you can use to keep pets away from furniture.

These are some of the things you can do without having your cats declawed.  I am sure there is more, take the time to learn and implement these actions to protect your cat from unneeded surgey.  They never had this problem before the domesticated  themselves.