Shelter

Dog Breeds – Doberman Pinscher

December 14, 2021 Comments Off

Doberman Pinscher Dog Breed

It never ceases to amaze me just how interesting the history of many dog breeds are. This is especially true of the Doberman Pinscher. Many years ago, during the 1800s, a man named Louis Doberman from Thuringen in Germany had a career of collecting taxes. Every day he would set out on foot and literally walk door-to-door asking people to pay their overdue taxes.

Needless to say, this job was obviously quite rough and Mr. Doberman needed an excellent guard dog to accompany him on his rounds. He then set out with the goal of creating such a breed. The most likely mix came from the old German Shepherd and the German Pinscher, with later crosses using the Greyhound, Weimaraner, and the Black & Tan Manchester Terrier.

Soon enough Mr. Doberman gathered the perfect prototype of the breed which today bears his own name. The original Doberman dogs looked a little different than today’s Doberman Pinschers, with rounder heads and a thicker bone structure, which in time was bred to have a more narrow race-like look. By the year 1900, the Doberman Pinscher became so popular that it had its own breed club.

The first Doberman Pinscher found its way to the United States in the early 1900s. Both the US and European nation took to this breed has a perfect police dog and guard dog. In time, it was also used as a war dog. In time, these valuable functions became the desire of many household families, in addition to the sleek, defined appearance of the animal. By the year 1977, the Doberman Pinscher was the second most popular dog breed in the United States.

Personality

The Doberman Pinscher is a highly intelligent animal that is one of the most capable guard dogs and watchdogs a family could own. Not only is it a highly dependable family protector, Doberman Pinscher dogs are also one of the most easiest breeds to train. They are alert and always ready to serve. These dogs are quite sensitive, obedient, reserved with strangers, and are committed to loyalty.

Taking Care Of Your Doberman Pinscher

Upkeep of the Doberman Pinscher takes more than average daily exercise. Bundled with enormous pockets of energy, this dog can become very frustrated and even destructive when kept indoors too long without physical and mental stimulation. Families considering owning a Doberman Pinscher should be prepared for a lifelong commitment of daily brisk walks and plenty of vigorous dog games to play outside. Dobermans Can live outside in both hot and cold temperatures, but is more comfortable when inside with its family.

Health Information

The Doberman Pinscher has a lifespan of up to 12 years, with 11 being the average. Veterinarians suggest that these dogs get specifically tested for hip dysplasia, eye problems, cardiac issues, and DNA for vWD. Major health concerns that may arise are gastric torsion, demodicosis, vWD, and osteosarcoma. Occasionally, minor health problems sometimes include PRA, albinism, narcolepsy, and hypothyroidism.…

How To Find A Home For Lost Cats

November 1, 2021 Comments Off

There are situations once we will see a stray cat wandering round the neighborhood and climbing over the cars. Often times these might really infuriate us – but what takes place when one of those cats carries a collar? That is a sign they have lost their way and someone out there may very well be in search of them. Which means that you have to find the better way to bring them back to the worried owner.

The first thing that you will have to do is bring them into your own home or at least into the garage or enclosed porch. You want to be sure they do not bite or scratch you. Who knows just how long they’ve been lost and what form of problems they may have contracted.

Give them some food and water so that they will be well fed. This can even make them feel better about you taking them into your house as well as getting anywhere near them. Just be sure not to offer them cat nip of any type. It’s possible on their behalf to go crazy on something similar to this.

Next you must set up simple signs around your neighborhood and the town that you live in. Put up a picture of this cat plus your phone number. Tell them that you are looking for the owner – but don’t put your address on it. This is never a secure thing to do. Try to look on the collar to be sure that there is no number or address on it.

A lost or found cat is not always an easy thing to return. If no one calls up after a few weeks you could keep the cat. If this is not an option than give it to your humane society or the pound.…

Protecting Your Furniture And Carpets With Cats

October 24, 2021 Comments Off

Those of us who are cat lovers know that our love of felines comes with a little frustration at times. One such time occurs when our kitties employ their claws to acts of destruction on your carpet or furniture.

We have all tried to train our cats to stop scratching the backs of our couches; many of us have experienced this is not a simple matter to correct. While some people resort to yelling or shooting water at their cat’s nose, there is a much more effective way to correct this issue.

If you’ve taken basic psychology, you’ll remember there are two types of reinforcement, positive and negative. Employ both reinforcement tactics to training your cat and you’ll be through the woods before you know it.

Negative Reinforcement � The idea behind negative reinforcement is to take something away to impact behavior. When it comes to your cat scratching in areas you don’t want destroyed, you want to provide motivation for your cat to stop scratching.

One of the most effective ways of providing this motivation is through a product called Sticky Paws (available or your favorite pet supply retailer). To use this product, place the tape on the areas your cat has been scratching.

Positive Reinforcement � Once you use the Sticky Paws, the next step is to provide the place where you want your cat to scratch. This can be as easy providing a scratch post, either large or small. These posts come in two varieties, cardboard and carpet, and either will do the trick.

Beyond just supplying the scratch post, you need to attract your cat to the post. A very easy way to develop this attraction is to spray the post with some Catnip Spray (Whiskercity makes one cats love). This can make for a playful transition from an undesired scratch area to a more appropriate one.

Old habits die hard � More so for us, the human, than for our cats sometimes. If you’ve been caught yelling at your kitty, this can be a difficult habit to break. You may have become accustomed to hollering every time you hear your cat scratching. When you put both the Sticky Paws as well as new scratch post in place, you’ll want to become very intentional about checking where you kitty is scratching before open your internal megaphone.

Keep in mind all three of these areas. If you provide either the negative or positive reinforcement, you will be ineffective. To be successful you really need both. Likewise, if you continue to holler at your cat when they start scratching at your preferred scratch post, you’ll prevent them from forming the habit of scratching at the right spot.…

Dogs Benefit The Health Of Your Child And You

October 19, 2021 Comments Off

In a recent study conducted by State University of New York at Buffalo shows that children that live with pets during the first year of their life are healthier than those that do not. It is believed that exposure to pets early in life can stimulate the immune system to do a better job of fighting off infections.

Children who owned dogs in the first year of life had 31 percent fewer respiratory tract infections and 44 percent fewer ear infections.

Cats also seemed to have a beneficial effect, but not as strong as dogs.

Previous studies have also shown that future allergy risk are decreased when children lived with a pet during infancy. Early exposure to certain bacteria that is carried by our pets acts similar to a vaccine for children.

These recent studies do not surprise me in the least as I believe it has always been obvious that there are health benefits to owning pets for children and adults.

It has been common knowledge for many years now that owning a pet can lower stress and anxiety levels. Pets have long been used in hospitals and nursing homes due to their ability to aid in healing physical and emotional problems.

Owning a pet can lower your risk of having a heart attack. Pets are beneficial for those that suffer from mental struggles such as depression and bipolar disorder. Pets also play a huge role in helping people become more social and boosting self esteem. So it is clearly good for us to own pets.

As a long time dog lover and new mother myself I was overjoyed to hear the news of these recent studies involving dogs and infants. I have had many people try to tell me that I shouldn’t allow my dog in the house anymore because of the germs. Now, I can tell them that they should allow a dog in their how because of the germs. I find that a little ironic.

Of course, I could have already told you from watching the interactions of my seven month old daughter and my dog that it was a beneficial relationship.

Our dogs are so much more to us than just our best friends and protectors. They are also our healers. We have so much more to learn from the animals that we befriend than we have ever realized. We have just began to scratch the surface of what benefits we gain when we open up our hearts and our homes to pets.

So the next time you come in the house to find your dog on the forbidden couch or in the forbidden babies room– just remember, there are more benefits to that dog being around then there are drawbacks. So suck it up and give that dog a hug.…

The Quick Guide To Buying Pet Insurance Online

August 16, 2021 Comments Off

Not so very long ago, the idea of insuring a pet was almost laughable. It was the sort of thing reserved for those who owned posh pooches, the cr?me de la cr?me of the pet world. It made sense to insure pedigreed pups and their feline companions when they cost so much. Things have taken a turn, though. Rising vet fees and publicity about the expenses of owning and caring for a pet have prompted many people to invest in insurance for their pets.

Of course, the trick is to find the right pet insurance policy – the one that offers the best cover for your pet at the lowest price for you. The internet makes the process of comparing and choosing the best pet insurance policy far easier and quicker, and allows you to purchase and pay for your choice instantly online. Here are some tips to help you find and choose the best pet insurance.

1. Evaluate your needs and prioritise.

This is always a good first step, but especially so for pet insurance which covers so many different options. Do you need a policy that will cover a lifelong condition like diabetes? Do you have a pedigree pet? Is your pet a breed that has a higher chance of snapping or biting others? In each case, you’ll want to be sure that the insurance you choose covers specific claims. So know what you need before you start searching.

2. Search for “pet insurance reviews” in your favorite search engine.

A search for “pet insurance” will bring up lots of individual insurers. That’s helpful, but it’s not much better than calling around to each insurer. By searching for reviews, you’ll come up with a list of internet sites that allow you to check out and compare many different insurers at once. Some may even compare policies side by side for cost and benefits, and many include reviews from people who have used the firm’s insurance. Some of the criteria you might use for comparison are:

-Premiums – how much does the policy cost per month?

-Voluntary Excess – do you pay an excess for each condition, or an overall excess per annum?

-Benefit Caps – how much will the policy reimburse in total? Is that per condition, per incident or overall?

Other benefits – policies offer a wide variety of other benefits from discounts on pet care products to paying kennel fees if the owner is hospitalized overnight. They may include reimbursement for expenses to find a lost pet or for canceled holiday tickets if your pet becomes ill and you return home early.

3. Narrow your choices and investigate further.

Read any reviews offered by customers on the review site, then check the company’s own web site. Do a further web search to check for any complaints that might be on discussion forums.

4. Apply for the policy that suits you best.

Before you enter any personal information, be sure that you’re on a legitimate web site and that the page on which you enter and submit your information is secure. Most insurers will confirm the acceptance of your policy immediately, and some will even email your policy documents.…

Train Your Pit Bull Terrier: Whistle Dog Training

June 14, 2021 Comments Off

Pit Bulls are an intelligent breed that can be taught nearly anything, as long as they have a good trainer. Having a good trainer doesn?t necessarily mean a trainer that you hired. Many Pit Bull owners are finding that their pets not only are eager to learn, but they also gain much when they opt to train their Pit Bull themselves. Owners who opt to be their dog?s trainer will find that they enjoy spending the extra time with their beloved pet.

Many methods of training exist, and just which type you wish to pursue is totally up to you. Depending on what you wish to accomplish as well as how much time you can devote to the task is just a couple of things you?ll need to factor in when picking a type of training for your pet.

Over the years, one of the training methods which has began to rise in popularity is whistle training. This type of training uses a whistle to give the dog commands rather than using the spoken word. Each task is allotted a certain amount of blows, or pips, on the whistle.

If you?d like to attempt whistle training for your Pit Bull, then the first thing to do is to pick out a good quality whistle with which to give out the commands. Using your own mouth to do the whistling isn?t a good idea. Your pitch would vary, and if you needed to give your Pit Bull a command from a distance, he may not hear you. For these reasons, it?s best to go with a good quality metal whistle.

One whistle command you can teach your dog is to come when called. A good way to do this is to use his feeding time as the starting ground. At mealtime, as you put his food down give two short bursts on the whistle. Continue to do this at every mealtime for about three weeks. Always remember to use the exact number of bursts on the whistle.

Once you have made it for about three weeks with the mealtime whistling, try blowing the same command when your Pit Bull is not expecting a meal. Be sure to have a nice treat for him at the ready, for when he does come you?ll want to reward him with a nice snack and a reassuring rub.

This type of training is useful if take your dog to the park or anywhere in the outdoors. By whistle training your Pit Bull, you?ll know that wherever he is, he can hear you and come at your beck and call.…

Rules To Remember When Traveling With A Cat

June 9, 2021 Comments Off

Traveling with a cat can bring unique challenges to your holiday. Dogs are often trained ahead of time, but people rarely think about training a cat. So, where do you start with travel-proofing your fussy feline and making sure you all get along on the road?

Before you leave home, it’s a good idea to spend a few weeks preparing your cat for holiday. They need to get used to three things before you travel: wearing a harness, using a leash, and being in a cat carrier.

Practice getting your cat used to these before you take your pet on holiday and it will make for much smoother sailing when it comes time to depart. Your cat needs to be comfortable during your holiday, but the only way to keep control while traveling with a cat is to keep them confined in a small, comfortable and secure area.

While your cat is in the vehicle, they should be in a cat carrier at all times, and it should be buckled into the back seat with an approved harness for added safety. When you go to release the cat from the carrier, you need to be ready for her to come out quickly. Before you open the carrier door, all car doors should be closed, and all of the windows rolled up. With these precautions, if your cat gets spooked and runs, she is still confined to the vehicle.

You should be seated in the back seat beside the carrier, with a leash in your hand and ready. Open the cage door, let your cat out, and secure the leash clip to the cat’s harness before opening any car doors and moving inside. Alternatively, keep your cat inside its carrier until you are inside the holiday accommodation and enclosed with all doors and windows closed.

On holidays, you should always use a harness, which are much more secure than collars for cats. It also stops them choking on a collar if they become spooked or get caught on something in an unfamiliar environment.

Of course, you should also make sure that the hotel or rental booking you have chosen specifically allows cats. Traveling with a cat can be challenging in pet-friendly accommodations, because many hotels that call themselves ‘pet friendly’ are actually only welcoming of dogs. Double check that the pet-friendly holiday option you have chosen will allow cats before you leave for holiday.

You should also bring food, litter and favored toys that your cat is used to using at home. Cats can be disturbed by new surroundings on holidays more than other pets, but little comforts like a favorite toy or their own brand of litter can make them feel more at home. Taking your pet’s food along will also prevent upset stomachs during your trip.

Make sure they know where their litter, food, and bedding is as soon as they get to the holiday location, and keep these items in the same place while you are travelling with a cat.

Like many humans and other pets, cats are creatures of habit, so as long as they know they are safe and secure, and have familiar routines and items around them, they can make great holiday companions.

Just know before you go how to be clever when travelling with a cat!…

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