Drop a Little About Your Pet

Archive for November, 2009

I need a list cause me and my friends are thinking about having some lol

I know that you need a license and all that, I just want to know where you can legally buy them. By exotic I mean like tigers etc.

I have a 20 gallon tank that I keep on a fish tank stand. there isn’t any room for the to get up next to it, so that isn’t a problem. I also have a top for it that would keep them from getting to the fish, even if they could get to it.
For a small bowl, I recommend putting it up on a shelf or in a place where the cat can’t get to it. My friend put her betta bowl on top of the refigerator, but she is in a small apartment where you can still see the fish from pretty much anywhere. If you can’t get it out of their reach, then keep a vigilant watch. Anytime the cats gets close either make a loud noise that startles them, or spray them will water to teach them that it is not acceptable. Do your cats get on your kitchen counter? If not, you can keep the fish there where it is out of their site (if its at the back of the counter) and they may never even know its there.

Statistics show the most bitten member of American society are children under the age of 12 and most dog bites causing serious injury involve medium to large sized dogs with children under the age of 5. The dog is usually known to the child or is the family’s pet.

To understand how these bites occur, what causes them and how to prevent them, a little education in the nature of dogs and the nature of small children will help shed some light on these aggressive behaviours.

A dog’s temperament is first inherited (this is deeply ingrained responses to the world surrounding them and is unchangeable), and then modified by events and/or proper training in his life.

Genetics: Some breeds and certain bloodlines within breeds are friendlier, more suited to living in a family environment, more tolerant with children and more adaptable to training. Most of their actions are instinctive. By default, a dog will react to situations according to what his instincts tell him unless these instincts are overridden by the consistent training and socialization he needs to receive from his owner throughout his life.

Some unscrupulous breeders who sometimes intentionally breed dogs without adequate knowledge of dog behaviour may use unsuitable dogs (i.e. those with poor temperaments) for breeding. These are dogs that are mentally unpredictable or have illness or physical defects that affect their behaviour.

A dog’s basic temperament, instincts and training have the biggest effects on how that dog reacts to the world around him and his levels of tolerance. Therefore, a responsible breeder should always put emphasis on good temperament when selecting breeding stock.

Past events & experiences with children: If your dog has had several painful or frightening encounters in the past with children, then he is probably going to be apprehensive around children, sometimes to the point of being aggressive. On the other hand, a well-socialised dog from an early age takes stressful and unusual situations in his own stride. Such dogs tend to be much less fearful of a busy family environment with noisy and unpredictable children around.

Here is one of the most commonly reported scenarios in a bite case:

A very young child sees a pretty dog he’d like to pet. The dog may not want to be petted. The dog’s first instinctive reaction is to show his displeasure by giving a warning — growling. The growl means that something more unpleasant will follow if the warning isn’t heeded.

Almost any dog will bite under the right circumstances.

A dog is an animal whose behaviour isn’t the same as humans and can’t always be predicted with 100 percent accuracy, no matter how friendly or reliable he is.

The type and number of warnings that a dog gives out can vary, few dogs actually will strike without giving some form of indication beforehand. When faced with a child in this situation, normally many dogs would just walk away. Walking away can be considered a form of warning.

If the child keeps trying to pet the dog, a sterner warning, usually a growl, will ensue. Other types of warnings can be more subtle – for instance, a stiffening of the body and showing of its teeth. Small children may not recognise this as a form of warning or understand what a growl means even though it may be quite obvious to an adult.

Dogs instinctively set up an invisible “fight or flight” boundary around themselves as their safety zone. The size of this boundary depends on his level of confidence and tolerance. A fearful dog will give itself a wider area than a more stable one.

When someone whom the dog perceives as threatening invades his area, the dog reacts either by running away or staying put to fight and defend itself no matter how afraid it might be. Some dogs will choose to fight first, rather than run.

A small child who keeps petting or hugging a dog has already intruded well within the dog’s flight or fight boundary. If the dog’s attempts to warn the child fail, the dog (in his mind) has no other recourse — he bites. This is a perfectly acceptable and instinctive behaviour to the dog. He is responding to what he perceives as a threat and is doing what his instincts tell him to.

Dogs do not think in the same way as humans do. A child’s innocent action, petting the dog, can often be provocation for a bite.

Don’t forget dogs have predatory instincts. Running, playing, screaming kids can trigger an instinctive predator-prey reaction in some dogs. Children who wrestle with dogs unknowingly encourage them to use their teeth and provoke a bite. Dogs equate this kind of play with littermates or other dogs where using teeth is allowed. Startling a sleeping dog or petting him when he’s eating can also bring about the same dangerous reaction from the dog.

Guidelines for families who already have a dog or are thinking of getting a dog for the children and what can be done to prevent dogs from attacking children:
* Take your time when looking for a dog. Research, do your homework, learn the differences in the various breeds and choose one that best suits your lifestyle and experience.

* Be honest with yourself about the amount of time and work you’re willing to invest in a dog. If you don’t have time to raise and train the dog properly, don’t get one.

* Consider postponing the purchase of a dog, especially a large one, until your children are at least 6 years old.

* Never leave any child under the age of 12 unattended with any dog or puppy. So keep supervision a strict rule in your household.

* Babies and toddlers should always be kept higher than the dog and keep your young children off the floor when there is a dog in the same room. This is to make sure that the dog (that sees the world in hierarchy) sees your children as a leader and not a littermate which it will boss around, push over, growl at and even bite.

* Educate and involve your children in your dog’s care even if they are small tasks – for example you child can instruct the dog to sit before you put the food bowl down, help brush and groom the dog with you holding the collar, attach 2 leashes to your dog so that you child can hold onto one too. This level of involvement from an early stage will help the dog build a positive association with your children.

* Avoid giving your dog items that it can get possessive over with children around such as pig’s ears, smoked bones, rawhide etc. It is very important to rain your dog to allow things to be taken away from his mouth by trading higher value treats for the item first.

* Obedience training and socialization are an absolute must for a dog that will be spending time with children. Remember that a dog will act according to his instincts if he doesn’t receive proper training or if that training isn’t kept up through regular practice. The dog needs to be taught to obey commands under all conditions no matter how distracting. Just as responding to the command to “come” could save the dog’s life someday, an immediate response to the command “leave it!” could save a child from serious injury.

* Children need to be taught how to be respectful to dogs. They need to learn what kinds of games are appropriate, how to touch the dog properly, how to interpret the dog’s body language and when the dog is not to be disturbed. Avoid wrestling, spanking, kicking, ear pulling, pony-riding, tug of war, fur grabbing, toy hitting, rough play and chasing.

* Telling the toddler to stay away from the dog just isn’t enough! Your children may be too young to understand, so it will be up to you to physically supervise them and protect them from potential harm. Remember that young children do not recognise when they may be in trouble. Adult supervision around children and dogs is absolutely critical. Small children should never, ever be left alone with any dog, no matter how reliable the dog has been before.

* Buy your dog from a reputable, responsible breeder who puts priority on good temperament and health and consistently produces dogs that excel in those areas. Choose a breeder who’s experienced and willing to guide and advise you about care and training throughout the dog’s life.

* Teach your children how to behave correctly and safely around dogs and to respect them. In order to promote a healthy relationship between your dog and your children, educate your children about the way they should treat a dog – for example dogs should be petted softly, stay away from food dishes, toys and bones and not to startle the dog especially when it’s sleeping.

* Remember that what your dog tolerates from your own children may not be tolerated from someone else’s. You need to take extra safety precautions when other children visit and make sure that the children obey your ground rules.

They are trainable right?
Do they bite?

IM curious because most sections on here seem to think you cant keep dogs with children as they get bitten or killed?
Parenting and pregnancy are the worst sections for this
Me i have a dog and i never leave him alone with my children i have 4 children and my dog is well trained?
Do you think dogs and children don’t go together even if you know you should never leave them alone together or if they are well trained
Its just i don’t see the harm With children and dogs if your responsible!

Most Common Problems Pet Owners Face

Pets enrich our lives in an almost endless number of ways. Whether greeting us at the door, keeping us company when we are down or simply entertaining us, having a pet in your life is a great way to improve the quality of your life. For all that they add for our lives, we owe it to them to do all we can for them in return. One of the ways to ensure your pet enjoys a long, happy life is to understand the common problems pet owners face.

Inappropriate EliminationInappropriate elimination refers to the unseemly practice of dogs urinating, defecating, or both inside the house. The first step is to find out why your dog is having accidents inside the home. Dogs do not naturally soil their dens, so why the home?

Young PetsPuppies and kittens less than nine weeks old are too young to know any better, but for adult dogs there’s often no excuse. Some offenders were never properly housebroken in the first place and that’s usually the owners fault. Others were housebroken but, for some reason, have suddenly started having accidents inside the house again after years of appropriate behavior.

Medical ConditionsMedical conditions that increase thirst and urination, or in which the bladder or gastrointestinal tract are irritated, may contribute to the house-soiling problems in pets. It is important to have your veterinarian perform a thorough physical examination to rule out underlying medical conditions as a cause of inappropriate elimination behavior. This is particularly relevant if your dog has had a sudden breakdown of its house training.

Territory MarkingDogs and cats, like many other species, use urine and feces as a method of communication. Territory markings are a mark that signals possessions and territoriality. Marking typically involves the spraying of small amounts of urine in strategic locations around the house. Unneutered male are regular urine markers, but some neutered males and even spayed females mark their territory with urine, too. Neutering and spaying your pet corrects this problem in about most of the cases, but many pets persist in marking for months or years after the surgery. It is crucial to spay and neuter while they are still young and have not picked up the habit.

The behavioral approach to treating territorial urine-marking in neutered males and females involves increasing your leadership status and thoroughly cleaning urine-marked sites with an odor neutralizer. If the slightest trace of odor remains, your pet is likely go back to that same area to eliminate again. If this measure fails to address the problem, treatment with medication may be the only solution.

Separation AnxietyYour pet eliminate when you are away from home. In all likelihood anxiety is triggering the behavior. Dogs with separation anxiety typically have a dysfunctional history, follow their owners around the home, look distressed when about to be left alone, whine or bark immediately after their owner leaves, fail to eat in their owners’ absence, and greet them exuberantly when they return home.Anxiety-based problems are now treatable, thanks to modern medicines and a better understanding of the root cause of these problems. Drugs like buspirone (Buspar®) and fluoxetine (Prozac®) have revolutionized the treatment of anxiety-based inappropriate elimination problems.

Litter Box ProblemsThis is a behavior problem in which the cat chooses not to use the litter box for any one of a variety of reasons, electing to use an alternative area for elimination. Affected cats simply avoid shun the litter box and select a quiet, carpeted spot behind a chair or in the closet.There are many reasons why your cat may dislike his litter box:•Too few boxes•Inappropriately positioned boxes (high traffic area) •Inconvenient location•Hooded box (most cats don’t like hoods)•Box too dirty (rarely scooped)•Box cleaned with harsh smelling chemicals (such as bleach)•plastic liners•Plastic underlay (not always appreciated by the cat)•Wrong type of litter•Litter not deep enough•Animosity between cats in the house (guarding of litter boxes)•Difficulty getting into/out of the box, especially in elderly

Destructive BehaviorsAs most of us know, our pets can wreak havoc. While dogs use their teeth, cats use their claws. Before attempting punish you pet for their behavior, consider the signs or symptom of the matter.

Scratching is Good for CatsScratching provides your cat with a form of physical therapy for the muscles and tendons of his paws. While he is scratching, his claws are getting practice extending and retracting. The front legs and shoulders are getting some stretching and strengthening exercise, too.

Knowing why your kitty likes to scratch your expensive couch might make it easier to understand. However, you don’t have to live with that behavior. By gentle and consistent correction and by providing alternative scratching areas, you can persuade your cat to scratch where you want him to.

There are several Deterrents are things that discourage your cat from scratching where he isn’t supposed to scratch.•Covering a piece of furniture with heavy plastic may alter the texture so your cat doesn’t enjoy scratching there.•You can spray moth repellent that contain naphthol. You’ll have to spray periodically because the odor fades.•Feliway may work. The spray contains a pheromone that deters your cat from scratching. •”Soft Paws”™ (or Soft Claws) are plastic nail caps that can be super-glued to a cat’s claws following a preliminary nail trim. The caps have to be replaced every month, or you can replace each one as it falls off. They usually keep the furniture from being damaged.•Keep your cat’s nails well trimmed will ensure that you cats don’t inflict injury on other and themselves. You must use a sharp pair of nail trimmers made specifically for cats – don’t use human trimmers.•Having a Scratching Post preferably near scratching sites that your cat has selected for himself. Gradually you can move it to another place that you like.

Dogs Love to ChewWhether it is a bone or you dress shoes, a canine with a penchant for chewing can transform your valuable coffee table into rubble in a matter of hours. Because reasons for chewing are so diverse, it should be considered a sign or symptom of the motivation. Before attempting to change your dog’s chewing behavior, it’s first important to understand just why she’s laying into your stuff.

Curiosity Propelled ChewingDogs learn about their environment by mouthing and gnawing on objects. Typically the targets are random, and may include shoes, books or bedposts. Investigational or “play-related” destructiveness of this kind is a normal behavior for a growing dog.

Puppies seem to escalate such chewing behavior around teething time. The most expedient solution to play-related destructiveness is a dog bed. Ideally, your puppy should be acclimated to a bed from the first day in her new home. Also helpful for house-training, have the bed be in a small area to limits your pup’s access to valuable items while allowing her to rest and chew at her leisure on appropriate items provided by you.

When your puppy must be left alone for long hours, a bed’s too confining and among other things, may force your pup to stand or lie in her own urine or feces. Instead, when you have to leave your pup for a few hours, it is better to restrict your pup to a larger area, such as a kitchen, by means of a baby gate. Even then, introduce freedom only slowly and just for short periods. Well-designed “food-for-work” toys, which can be filled with treats, can keep your dog busy for hours.

Anxiety-Related ChewingNormal chewing is dog-years apart from the anxiety-based chewing of anxiety ridden dogs. Separation anxiety-related destructiveness happens when your dog is alone. The dog gets severely upset when “abandoned” by their owners each morning. In frenzied efforts to escape the house or find its owner, a dog of this persuasion will dig and chew at doorways, windowsills and curtains. The dog may also search for shoes, pillows, purses and other personal items to chew on to alleviate the anxiety. If your dog suffers from anxiety, it can cause dramatic damage to your house. Your dog may also develop fears of thunder, fireworks, wind, and a variety of other noises.

Anxiety-related chewing is treated indirectly by addressing the anxiety itself; if you suspect this to be your dog’s reason for chewing, ask your veterinarian for help in addressing the problem. Most typically, a temporary anti-anxiety medication will be prescribed – along with a behavior-modification program – to help your dog feel less stressed and react more calmly when left alone or when exposed to storms.

Training my Out-of-Control dogDogs like humans have a mind of their own and sometime it feels like they get too out-of control. Here are some tips to take control back:•Use a head collar. Out-of-control dogs almost all universally respond to a head collar, or head halter, a humane and simple tool for training.•A leash is valuable – even indoors. Dogs that jump, leap and run out of reach should be kept on leash before a problem actually occurs. He will quickly learn to behave appropriately if his good behavior is rewarded while his “bad” behavior is ignored or corrected each and every time. •Increase your dog’s exercise. All dogs enjoy and appreciate regular exercise. Some dogs, however, require particularly vigorous exercise, such as running, swimming or regular and extended games of fetch. Whatever your dog’s exercise regime, consider increasing both its duration and quality. •Consider professional help. If the problem seems too difficult to change without help, ask your veterinarian for assistance or for a referral to a behavioral specialist. Although most overactive dogs are normal and will respond to behavior modification, a minority may be suffering from true, physiological hyperactivity, which may require medication in addition to a training program.

Reward good behaviorWe love our pets that’s no surprise, but what is surprising is that one of the big mistakes people make is focusing on punishing their pets for bad behavior rather than focusing on rewarding them for what we consider good behavior. A perfect example of this is letting a pup eliminate behind the couch when you are in the other room. The dog is unlikely thinking they are in trouble for eliminating in the house. They probably think you don’t like to see them eliminate, so they learn to hide behind the couch to do so. Like children, pet also need a clear set of rules and boundaries to help them stay safe and ensure that he or she is with you for their whole life. By rewarding your pet with treats or praises for going to their designated area to eliminate gives them the expectation that it is permitted only in that area. Punishing your pet will damage your relationship with your pet. They may end up fearing you make them more likely to eliminate when they see you enter the room. Instead, focus on managing them (using supervision and confinement, such as keeping them on a leash or in a pet-proofed room or crate) to set them up for success and rewarding for good behavior.

Spaying or Neutering petsSome people still think that spay or neuter their pets is like mentally destroy them. Aside from the fact that there is a serious pet overpopulation problem, Spaying and neutering your pet means it is less likely to wander away to look for a mate and in doing so potentially get lost, hurt, hurt others, or contract diseases. Overall, spaying and neutering will greatly increase the length and quality of your pet’s life.For males, neutering eliminates the chance of developing testicular cancer and may reduce problems with aggression and decreasing inappropriate urination issues. For females, spaying decreases the chance of developing breast cancer if done before the first heat cycle. It also eliminates the chance of developing pyometra (a potentially fatal infection of the uterus), decreases or eliminates mood swings associated with heat cycles and eliminates spotting.