Toys For Your Pet That Are Safe and Fun
By Christine Arbor

There are plenty of toys on the market to keep your favorite pet entertained for hours on end, but there are also a number of factors to consider when purchasing toys for your pet. As with children's toys, safety should be first and foremost in your thoughts when considering a new toy purchase for your pet.

Be sure not to give your pet toys that can be broken up and potentially stuck in their throats! Dog toys, like dogs themselves, come in various shapes and sizes. Dog toys should be durable, fun, and safe. Hard rubber toys such as the Kong line of products can provide your favorite dog with endless hours of chewing fun.

The Kong can also be filled with a mixture of your dog's favorite treat and peanut butter! Please check with your veterinarian to ensure that it is okay to feed your dog peanut butter. Rope dog toys and rubber rings are always a big hit with dogs that love to play fetch or tug-of-war. Playing Frisbee can also provide hours of entertainment for dogs and owners alike!

Dogs may also enjoy stuffed and furry toys, but be sure your pet cannot get at the stuffing inside as it can be a serious choking hazard. Toy birds and mice have traditionally proven to be very entertaining for cats. They especially seem to like the ones attached to string that you can pull and entice your furry feline to chase about!

They also seem to love simple cardboard boxes, tin-foil balls, and scrunched up newspaper! A recent favorite of cats and cat owners is the laser pointer. Cats never seem to tire from chasing that little red dot around, just be sure not to direct it at their eyes. The feather-and-pole type of toy is also very popular. Scratching posts are excellent forms of entertainment for cats, and they provide your cat something other than your furniture to dig their claws into! Hint: try sprinkling catnip on the post!!

There is also a series of catnip-stuffed toys and pillows that your cat will love. There are literally hundreds of pet toys on the market, just be sure to put safety first!

About The Author:
Christine Arbor is a pet lover who works as a contributing writer for information on pet supplies, dog beds, cat toys and more.


Top Ten Dog Training Mistakes
By Rachel Brett

If you are in the process of training your dog or considering it, then you might like to check the following list to ensure that you are not making one of the common mistakes.

1) Giving different words for the same command.

If you want your dog to obey your commands, you must be consistent with the words that you use. For example you may issue the command - Sit - most of the time. It is no good expecting your dog to also sit down when you say - Get down off my favourite chair.

2) Rubbing nose in urine.

This has no affect on training a dog. All you are doing is burning its nose. Which is probably something that you don't want to do.

3) Smacking, hitting and punishing the dog.

Experts dog trainers have shown that this type of human behaviour has no positive effect on a dog.

4) Shouting.

This will just confuse the dog. Remember, that the whole point of verbal commands is that you have taught the dog to learn from the sound of your voice to link it to an action that he needs to take.

5) Letting the dog eat at the same time as you.

This indicates to the dog that he is your equal. What you need to do is let the dog eat after you. This will teach him that you are the master and in control.

6) Making training session to long.

15 minutes is just about right for a training session. This keeps it fun for young dogs that can have a short attention span.

7) Starting training too late in the dogs life.

It's far easier to train a young puppy. As a dog gets older you will have to put in a lot more obedience training and may have to take the dog to a training school.

8) Puppy crate to big.

Puppies don't like to be a in a big crate. It makes them feel uncomfortable. You can get crates that are adjustable. So that as the dog gets bigger you can adjust the size of the crate to accommodate him.

9) Training the dog when you are in a bad mood.

Don't train the dog when you are in a bad mood. This means that the tone of your voice will be different and the dog will not be able to link your verbal commands to the action that he should take.

10) Not giving lots of praise.

To enforce your commands, when the dog has taken the right action give him lots of praise.

About The Author:
Copyright Rachel Brett 2005
If you need more information about dog training techniques then please visit my dog training resource website for information and techniques on how to make improvements.




Top 5 Best Gifts For Your Pets
By Christine Arbor

Most individuals or families view their pets as a member of the family as well. That said there is no reason why they should not be included in birthdays, Christmas or any other holiday for that matter. It's a special day for them as well and it should be celebrated. So what are you going to get for your feline friend on their birthday? Why not consider some of these popular ideas which are sure to excite your pet on their special day:

1. Pet Carrier - Your pet will love this gift! A pet carrier is a bag large enough to allow room for your pet. Your pet then sits in the carrier while you tote them around town. Imagine how excited they would be to go everywhere and never have to walk a step. These items can cost anywhere from $20 to thousands of dollars depending on the style, make and size of the bag.

2. Pet Clothes - Just as humans like clothes for the birthdays, pets do as well. They like dressing up and they also like sweaters to keep them warm in the winter. There are many places to buy clothing for your pet and they can cost as little as $10 or as much as thousands depending on your preferences and the amount of money you are willing to spend.

3. Tasty Treats - Every pet will love the gift of food. Their favorite treats are sure to make them feel special on their birthday (or other occasion) and this can end up being a very inexpensive, yet effective, gift.

4. Pet ID Tags - These items can be personalized with their favorite designs or characters but what's most beneficial about these gifts is that if they get lost they will be brought back to you. That would probably be the best gift they could wish for.

5. Manicure/Pedicure - I know this sounds crazy but it really isn't. Think about how much walking your pets do on their paws. Just like we like manicures and pedicures, your pets will appreciate the special treatment as well. Keep in mind this will only work for animals with paws and most likely is only best for those of female nature.

There are many other great gift ideas for your pets. It's up to you to decide which is best for them but also within your budget. Many individuals spend unreasonable amounts on gifts for their pets but you really don't need anything extravagant, just something small to let them know you care. In the end it's the thought that counts -not the price tag.

About The Author:
Christine Arbor is a pet lover who works as a contributing writer for information on pet supplies, dog beds, cat toys and more.


Why The Horse's Eye's Are So Important When Training
By ContentMart Editor

They say the eyes are are the gateway to the soul. When it was said, they were referring to us humans. But the truth is, it also refers to horses.

Many horse owners don't understand the importance and usefulness of the horse's eyes while training. That being so, let me share with you some things you may find useful - some you may know...some you may not.

First, there's the eye which reveals a little about the character of the horse you're working with. It may have a kind eye. A kind eye indicates the horse will be agreeable to train and will readily respond to your aids while training.

One way to tell if the horse is nervous is by noting his eyes. Horses can be very expressive in their looks. And you can tell if a horse is a nervous horse by the eyes appearing sort of "worried like."

Obviously, this nervous horse would require more thoughtful handling than would a non-nervous horse.

I have a horse that would get mad after a while of riding. She used to get what I call mad eyes. Her expression was actually a sort of angry expression. Mostly, the expression came from her eyes. Here eyes would get red after a while.

Jesse Beery, a famous horse trainer from the 1800's, talked a lot about the eyes of the horse. Even those many years ago he knew about the horse's eyes. Beery discovered there were four different disposition types of a horse. Certain characteristics of the eyes would tell you much about the horse's personality and how much work it would be to train the horse.

Berry's classic disposition type 3 was most interesting. Beery said "Where type #2 will allow you to do all the work, type 3 will do all the work for you. You only need to control its movements."

In all my training experience and many things I've read, I concur with Beery's discovery. The eyes play an enormous role in horse training.

To read more about Beery and his methods, you can go to this web address.

There is still more to know about the horse's eyes.

For one, when you work with a horse, it's advisable to look him in the eye a lot. Why? Because horse's an extremely observant animal and they study their surroundings. If you're in their surroundings they are studying you too. If they see you looking at them in the eye it sends a message to them about who is in control.

If you're working with a horse that's cunning and known to run over people then you rarely want to lose eye contact with this horse. Sometimes when you look away for just a second he knows it's his chance to charge at you. But keeping eye contact helps minimize that possibility.

Although a horse's ears are part of the plan. the eyes are how the horse interprets his world. The horse gladly desires to approach an object or person that has caused him pleasure. Likewise, he runs from objects or persons that cause him pain. (Pain could be a number of things like work, misuse of aids such as spurs, being talked to in an abrasive manner, etc.)

Lots of horse owners get discouraged with their horse because they develop bad habits. One particular habit is kicking. I once read a great book on horses and it said this about kicking:

If a horse kicks at a man and sees he inspired the man with fear and makes him draw back, he will remember this and kick any man who goes near him whom he fears or has the memory of displeasure with.

Note the author said "...and see he inspired the man with fear". The point is the horse "saw" the man was inspired with fear. The horse used one of his greatest tools...his eyes. If a man shows no fear and knows how to handle a kicker, the horse will "see" he cannot inspire fear in the man and be less apt to kick (although, if confirmed in the habit of kicking, it may require several training sessions to eradicate this from the horse's memory).

In short, the eyes are the mirror of the horse's mind.

Disclaimer: The author of this blog is not responsible for the Advice, Information and Stories contained herein. This blog is intended for entertainment only.