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by Eric Weinstein
Of course, we all spend time grooming our pets. If we are lucky enough to have enthusiastic subjects, these hours spent together give us and our furry friends quality time to bond while we brush, comb, scrub and bathe our dogs. We all know that good grooming creates a full, shiny coat, but grooming can also be the first, best defense when it comes to your pet's health.
Grooming and bathing your pet is a great opportunity to get a closer look at your dog's or cat's overall health. While making your pet more beautiful, take the time to push its hair aside and examine the skin underneath, checking for signs of ticks, fleas or other skin irritations. In addition, look for areas where the hair may be matted, tangled, or showing signs of dandruff, etc. If your pet seems to have areas where it is extra sensitive, gently check these areas with extra care. If you find no signs of illness or parasitism, it may be that your pet has a general sensitivity to being touched in this area. By learning where your pet enjoys being touched and groomed - and where it is more sensitive - you can make grooming more enjoyable for your dog, and make it more likely that your pet may actually come to enjoy its bath time. Letting your dog sniff the brush or comb before you begin grooming, and speaking in a reassuring tone while your groom your pet, you will keep your pet calm and healthy.
Regular grooming is absolutely essential to any dog's health and overall well-being. Regular brushing, combing and bathing provides a number of benefits for your pet. Attention to your pet's scalp and coat stimulates its skin, and releases the oils that will bring a luster to your pet's fur. In addition to the ailments mentioned before, this is the perfect time to check for inflammations, lumps or hair loss that may presage a serious illness or condition.
Here are a few tips on proper grooming:
Combing Always comb in the direction of your pet's hair growth, and deal with small sections at a time. This will allow you to find all the tangles and mats, and remove them effectively. If you discover a particularly stubborn mat, carefully remove it with scissors. It is in the combing stage that you are most likely to find any abnormalities with your dog's scalp. In addition to a sturdy comb it may be helpful to use a product like True Blue Easy Comb Detangling Spray. This can eliminate the need for cutting your dog's hair, and will assist you in examining your pet for any signs of illness or parasitism.
Brushing Once you've thoroughly combed your pet, and removed the tangles and mats from its coat, begin your brushing with your pet's head. Work your way gently, but firmly, toward the legs and tail. Your dog's legs and flanks can be particularly stubborn areas for matting and tangles. Just like with combing, always brush your pet in the direction of its natural hair growth. Brush your dog several times a week in order to maintain a shiny, healthy coat.
After brushing and shampooing, consider using a product like True Blue Moisture Rich Conditioning Crème. This will maximize the luster and body of your dog's coat, and show off all of your work!
It is vital to establish a regular schedule where your pet's grooming is concerned. Just like walking and playing, grooming is something your pet needs consistently. In fact, grooming your dog after a walk, can be a great time for your dog to relax and enjoy the process. Long haired dogs may need daily grooming, while short haired dogs can usually get away with grooming twice a week.
About the Author
Eric Weinstein is Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at www.PawsChoice.com an online retailer of all natural pet food and organic pet products.
Los Angeles Times
SF Gate
When I learned that the late real estate baroness Leona Helmsley named her nine-year-old Maltese Trouble as a trustee (originally for $12 million and later reduced to $2 million) and left a mind-boggling estimated $8 billion to be used for the care and welfare of dogs, it got me thinking: what would happen to The Doone if I was taken out by a bus tomorrow?
The "Queen of Mean" and her famous (and now uber-wealthy) sidekick, Trouble.
Admittedly, I don't have a will (or much to leave in one for that matter), and until reading about the "Queen of Mean" (who clearly had a genuine fondness for canines coupled with some serious disdain for her grandkids), I'd never considered the inclusion of a pet.
That's when I called Joyce Tischler, founder and general counsel for the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). Among many other things, the ALDF provides advice and counsel on issues concerning pet custody, protecting pets in natural disasters and pet wills and trusts.
According to Tischler, being able to include our pets in wills and trusts is a relatively new development. Around 2000 (thanks in great part to the efforts of ALDF), states began to adopt new policies that allowed pets to be named as beneficiaries to what we leave behind. And because our pets are living longer, healthier lives, this makes a lot of sense. Tischler sees it as a positive sign that, "our society is caring more about the health and safety of our animals."
So, assuming that most of us don't have a few extra million to bequeath to our dog, cat or horse, how do we decide how much is enough? Tischler recommends sitting down and doing the math: what would your pet need in terms of food and medical expenses to continue living the life he or she currently has? And if you're like me and don't currently have a will, Nolo Press is a great DIY resource for learning how to write your own under California law, including adding provisions for pets.
It's important to make the language general, advises Tischler. "You'll want your will to cover whatever companion animal or animals that are living with you," she says. And informally designating a "God parent" for your pet isn't a bad idea either. "If you are suddenly hospitalized, who will take care of your pet?" she asks. "Pets aren't like toasters. They need to be fed and walked and cared for right away." This means setting up an emergency plan in advance and making sure one or two friends or neighbors have keys to your home should they need to look after your animals in your absence.
Have any of you included your pets in wills or trusts? Do you have an emergency plan in place for them?
For more information, check out these ALDF resources:
Including Animals in Your Will
Establishing a Trust for Your Animals
ALDF will be contributing a regular blog to the Pets Page, so be sure to read their inaugural post, "Animal lawyers have the best clients."
Posted By: Amelia Glynn (Email)
American Chronicle
by Rebecca Simpson
It is time to add the pitter-patter of little feet to your family once again and you have decided that the pitter-patter is going to belong to a Shih Tzu puppy. The first thing you are going to need to do is find a reputable Shih Tzu breeder in your area that you are going to be able to not only get your dog from but maintain a relationship with for many years. Bringing your dog home does not mean your relationship with your breeder is over.
You will want to find a Shih Tzu breeder that you are comfortable with so make sure that you talk to many breeders and do not settle on any one until you feel like that is absolutely the person you want to do business with.
It is unusual, but not unheard of, that good Shih Tzu breeders choose not to list with the National Kennel Club. To find the local Shih Tzu breeder near you then you can search on the Internet or use your local phone book.
It is possible to find a local Shih Tzu breeder that is not listed in the National Kennel Club registry and the first place you can try that is on the Internet or in your local phone book.
A vet is always a great place for a referral on where to find a reputable Shih Tzu breeder. If you have pets of your own already then ask your vet for a referral to a good Shih Tzu breeder. Your vet may already do business with a breeder, which would be a great help to you.
If you do not have a vet then visit your local vet for advice or ask one of your family members or friends who have pets who their vet is and take it from there.
If you do have Internet access then another really great resource for finding good hih Tzu breeders is to find and participate with various Shih Tzu online chat rooms and message boards. Shih Tzu owners from all over the world participate in these forums and this is a great chance to get advice on a breeder and any other Shih Tzu advice you may be looking for.
Finding a good and reputable breeder to buy your first Shih Tzu from is very important. A good breeder is going to be involved in your life, and your Shih Tzu’s life, for many years so you want to be sure you not only get someone you trust but you also get someone that knows what they are doing and can offer you the right advice when you have a question or concern. So take your time and choose your Shih Tzu breeder carefully as the happiness of you and your family is pretty much riding on it.
About the Author:
About the author: Rebecca Simpson is a passionate lover of the Shih Tzu and has a popular website that can show you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Shih Tzu. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about Shih Tzu pups plus a whole lot more.
About 67 percent of pet owner travelers have stayed or plan to stay at a pet friendly vacation rental, up 19 percent from a similar survey conducted in 2007, according to TRIPSwithPETS.com, an online travel guide for pet owners.
Vacation rentals are responding to the increase in demand by offering pet amenities and activities, such as pet friendly beaches, fenced-in yard, dog parks, pet beds and gourmet dog treats.
“In addition to the property itself and the destination, people planning a trip with their pet take a close look at the pet amenities when deciding where to stay with their pets,” said Kim Salerno, president of the company. “The more ‘pet-friendly,’ the more compelled they are to book a stay.”
Cat House Training Made Simple
by Jovan Johnson
You finally decided that you need some good-oh cat house training. Great, but where do you start? I will give you the roadmap to cat house training in this article, so if you're serious about really learning how to train your cat, you are at the right place. The sad story is that most people go out and just buy a cat because they just want a cat. But prior to even getting a cat there is a list of things that you have to do.
Cat House training roadmap:
1. Buy the right litter box This is something that is really overlooked by just about every cat owner. Most people go to there local pet store after they get the cat (must buy litter box before you get the cat) and jus pick any litter box. If you did this and are wondering why you cat is peeing on your carpet, then it is because you got the wrong litter box. It may be to big for your cat or to small.
2. Do not use cheap litter for your kittens litter box, it's just that simple. Cheap cat litter does nothing but makes you cat potty on your carpet and hurts your cats health. Yes, your cat health is at jeopardy when you use cheap cat litter and that is due to dusty litter. this cheap dusty litter get caught in you cats lungs and may give your cat breathing problems. And your cat just does not like it because it does not have a good texture.
3. Buy toys! Your cat is not going to be a happy cat if there are not any toys to keep it busy. Cats are really curious by nature and they do not like to be bored. So buy different types of toys at first, then after a while you will see what type of toys your cat love to play with. This step by itself will make cat house training so much more easier.
I wish I could give you a list of every cat house training tip I know but your best bet to fully learn how to train your cat is in tip 4.
4. Get a cat training book! Here's a great Cat training book that I strongly recommend. It will teach how train your cat to use the litter box guaranteed! Its a really great book check it out. And not only will you learn litter training but you will learn how to solve any cat training problem in a couple days!
About the Author
You finally decided that you need some good-oh cat house training. Great, but where do you start?
Toy Poodles: When Barking Is Too Much
by Richard Cussons
Smallest among other Poodle varieties, Toy Poodles are said to be one of the most trainable breeds. Their sensitive yet pleasant, happy and lively personality is what makes them great household pets. They are eager to please people and good with children as well as other dogs and pets. As mentioned, they are highly trainable dogs because of their remarkable intelligent. A person will definitely enjoy having a Toy Poodle around.
Not all seemingly perfect things are in fact perfect. Toy Poodles have their own share of the so-called downside. An untrained Toy Poodle may tend to bark a lot. Barking is a natural behavior of dogs. It is their way of warning their masters of what they perceive as danger. As natural watchdogs, it is expected that they will be barking at some things from time to time. However, barking is not normal anymore when your pet is barking too much, too loudly or at wrong times that it annoys your neighbor living across your house.
The first step to address this problem is to determine what triggers them to bark too much or too loudly. One major reason for this behavior is improper confinement. Leaving a dog alone in a locked room especially without toys, leaving a dog in a dog crate for too long or enclosing a dog in an area unprotected from elements are some examples of improper confinement. A responsible dog owner should know these things. Problems such as loneliness, boredom, fear, playfulness and even separation anxiety can also cause excessive barking.
Keep an eye on your dog's barking. What time of the day or season of the year does the problem takes place? Is it raining or are there thunder and lightning? Are you in the car to see the vet? Is there any strange person or thing or other animal? Has your dog been barking since it was a puppy? Does the barking took place when you're not around and he is left alone in a locked room? These are just some of the questions you need to ask to determine the underlying factors of this dilemma.
If found out that the reason is improper confinement or inappropriate shelter, provide a comfortable place for your dog. It is important that this place can provide warmth during winter and keeps him cool during summer. If this behavior occurs only when you are away, teach your dog to stay home alone. Try to leave the radio on and leave lots of interesting toys to keep his intelligent mind working. Take time to play or walk with your dog. This will relax tense muscles at the same time give your dog something else to think about.
About the Author
Richard Cussons knows a lot about Toy Poodles. Check out this site to discover useful Toy Poodle training tips.
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