Does Your Barking Dog Drive You Mad?
December 31, 2008 by admin
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For some people it is an offence to have a barking dog around them, they think that dogs should be seen and not heard. This is slightly unfair given that the bark is a dog’s voice and like yourself it uses it to communicate.
In some instances of course you want your dog to bark loudly such as when a suspected burglar approaches or if you fall into trouble of some sort and need urgent assistance. In most cases your dog is just trying to talk to you, perhaps he is just happy about something, dog obedience training will help you to find this out for sure.
The problem is that the language barrier between barking dogs and humans is well nigh impenetrable. Therefore, you are forced to resort to the facts of the situation in which your dog is barking and try to understand from its body language just what it is trying to say.
Apart from that many people ask just why do dogs bark? This is a very difficult question as dogs appear to bark for many different reasons.
Naturally they will bark when they are happy about something such as greeting you on your return or perhaps they are happy about running around in the park.
Some dogs having barking bred into to them such as toy dogs or sporting breeds where they are trained to bark in order to notify their owners of the presence of a particular quarry being hunted. Other dogs like the guarding breeds are trained only to bark when a threat is perceived.
Some other possible explanations for your dog barking might be that it is in need of the toilet, feels lonely of just wants you to play.
Again the context of the situation will help you to decide the likely cause. But of course it is not fair for you to try to shut the dog up. She may be communicating for a very good reason, you just need to spend some effort in understanding her.
However, dogs are not stupid animals there are situations where they realise that they can use their bark to annoy or force their owner into a particular action. At times such as these it is imperative that you show your dog just who is the boss in your house.
For instance you dog may have decided that it is time to play and continues barking until you give in and drop what you are doing to amuse her. The problem here is that the dog then learns that all she has to do is to bark whenever she wants something and you will oblige.
This can get very wearing after a quite short period of time. The best approach would have been to show the dog that it cannot get its own way by giving it the cold shoulder.
Ignore it, do not even say anything just turn your back. After repeated actions your dog should eventually get the message.
A gentle reminder that walks and playtimes are to be had at your convenience, not when your dog barks to demand them. This teaches your dog respect and hopefully makes for a quieter household with limited barking dog problems.
Consult a good book on dog obedience training like SitStayFetch to solve many of the problems you will encounter when you are training your dog.
Toilet Training Your Cat in Two Quick Steps
December 31, 2008 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Nearly anybody who possessed an indoor cat knows how much of a chore it is, to take care of a kitty litterbox and sanitize it every day. And so many owners of indoor cats have experienced what an even greater chore it is when the cat doesn’t use the litter box! For sure there are many among us who dream of more important things and do not care to learn more about litter box cleaning. For these kitty owners, there is good news now. Yes, believe it or not, cats can be trained, to use a real toilet. When you do the toilet training with your kitty, you will teach it in the process to go ahead and use the toilet instead of the litter box. While this sounds too good to be true, moderate your imagination a little bit with the realization that you still have to flush the toilet for your kitty.
1. Relocating Your Cat’s Litter Box
Just in case that your cat’s litter box is not already in the bathroom, you have to place it there. The box should be by the toilet on the ground for some days. After a few days you will raise your litter box up several inches using something very stable to sit under it. If you have no furniture to secure the box, you can use books if they are stacked in a stable fashion. The goal is, to reach the point where the edge of the cat litter box and the toilet bowl are even. Only then you should put a sturdy aluminum pan over the toilet bowl in a way that will support your cat without wobbling as you start the toilet training. You should put less than an inch of cat litter over the bottom of the pan.
2. Get your Kitty Accustomed to the new Toilet Seat
When you have taken away the litter box and have the cat using only the pan, you are now ready to start with the last part of toilet training of your cat. You will begin the training by putting some holes in the surface of one side of the pan. Of course, you should cut back on the cat litter so that it doesn’t leave through the toilet. Plus, you should consider using flushable cat litter at this time. The holes are supposed to direct the kitty to put its front paws on the toilet seat when it needs to potty. After your cat has been doing this for some days, you can put holes on the opposite side of the pan so that the cat can stand completely on the toilet seat. The difficult part of the toilet training is that you have to take away the pan after your kitty has been doing this successfully for quite some time. If you have been successful with the cat toilet training, your kitty will from now on take the bathroom toilet!
One Last Info on Toilet Training your Cat
These two lessons could take as long as two or three months time with a stubborn, senior cat. So be patient with your little friend. Always remember water isn’t exactly what felines are naturally comfortable with. Don’t stop if your cat doesn’t use the toilet a couple of times in a row. Just keep your pan in case your feline friend is not willing or is momentarily not in the mood using this toilet. Put the pan back on the toilet seat and the cat can be re-trained to use the toilet again pretty quickly. The advantages of toilet training your cat are many.
Typical Cat Health Problems and Cures
December 31, 2008 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
There are many surprises to new cat owners, including that of the numerous health problems that are very common among most cats.
No matter what breed of cat you own, cat health is one of the major topics you will have to know about. Some problems can be expected in any breed. Even though some are easily prevented, others are hereditary. No matter what breed of cat it may be, worms are a very common and recurring problem.
Some of the most typical worms to infect cats are tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms. You should contact your vet and have your cat tested for worms if he or she has problems gaining weight, fleas, or if you see white spots in his or her stool. Although they can be treated with medicine, worms can prove to be fatal if they are left untreated.
Hairballs are the most common health problem for cats. All cats groom themselves on a daily basis, normally swallowing the loose hair that comes from their coats. On occasion, this loose hair will gather into a ball and become lodged in the digestive tract instead of passing through in your cats stool. When your cat starts to cough and hack, he is normally coughing up a hairball – as a popular cat owner manual confirmed recently. Although it can be rather disgusting in the end, most cats can dislodge hairballs without any problems. Hairballs may occasionally move through a cats intestine and block food from getting past.
Blockages are not to be ignored, since they can kill you if left untreated. A change in appetite, constipation and a dull coat could be an indication that your cat has a blockage. You should make an appointment with the vet as soon as you notice any of these symtoms.
If you want to prevent your cat from getting hairballs and blokages, you should get rid of shedding hair by brushing your cat 2 to 3 times every week. Urinary tract infection, also a common health problem with cats, can be controlled by feeding him food designed to control hair balls.
Urinary tract infection is more common with male cats that havent been neutered, although females can suffer from this problem as well. When a cat suddenly stops going to his litter box, this problem is normally the cause. One symptom that your cat may have a UTI is strong smelling urine, and if this symptom is there they need to go to the vet. Your vet will supply you with the proper medicine, and give recommendations on how to avoid this issue in the future.
Nowadays, vaccines are available to treat the disease, feline leukemia, which used to be the greatest cause of death in cats in the past. To treat the disease, your cat will need to be given the shot before he or she is exposed. Even though death doesnt happen immediately, cats that are exposed to feline leukemia normally don’t have a long life span. If you know your cat has feline leukemia, you should never allow other cats around him, as the virus is highly contagious.
To protect your cat, you should always make sure that you take him to the vet for his regular check ups. If you keep him up to date on his vaccinations, he should lead a healthy and productive life. Although some health problems can’t be avoided, most of them can. If you take cat care seriously, take him to the vet and keep him healthy he will be your companion for years to come.
