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5 Tips To Stop Dog Growling

To make the task of stopping a dog from growling easier, we ought to understand why the dog growls in the first place. Growling is considered to be an assertive behavior which is triggered by any unfamiliar event, person or even another animal. Thus a dog would growl when an unknown or sometimes known entity comes his way. This is his way of saying that he wants to be left alone or he does not approve what he expects would follow.

In other words, he feels threatened. As soon as the approaching person or animal moves away, this would be interpreted as showing respect to the dog and soon the animal should stop growling. Anyone who has a pet dog at home should understand many such myriad ways in which canines communicate so that there could be safe co-existence between the dog and the rest of the family.

This is especially important when the household has children, who are known to be particularly affectionate towards any pet. What happens when someone ignores the growling and continues to approach the dog casually? The dog treats the situation as threatening and expects adverse events to follow. Therefore he may start barking, or even snap and bite the approaching individual or animal as the case may be. Having briefed you so far on the reason why a dog growls, let me provide you with 5 sure-shot tips to stop the dog from growling:

1. It is recommended that you should never punish a dog for growling. Your punishment or reprimand may stop the dog from growling temporarily, but he would develop a latent behavior where he bites or snaps at people, without any warning in future. So the best solution under such circumstances is to respect the animal and let him be. He would stop growling as soon as he realizes that there is nothing disturbing his peace any more.

2. Explain to your children why a dog growls and if the dog starts growling suddenly, they should immediate stop doing whatever they were doing as it is obvious that the dog is getting irritated with their activity. Ask them to simply move away gradually from the dog’s vicinity. Tell them to never run away from the growling dog as it irritates him further. Such incidents must always be

reported to the parents, as then you could focus more on this area while training.

3. It must be understood that dogs growl when intimidated by some one. Sometimes sheer size is perceived as a threat and the dog starts growling. So when a huge man approaches a dog, however kind his intention may be, the dog thinks him to be a threat. In such cases the man should squat and bring himself at the same level as the dog. Then approach him gently with extended hand – palm facing up. Then talk to the dog in a calm and gentle voice.

4. If you find that the dog is growling for no apparent reason and is snapping at every thing, it might be right for you to get a medical check up done for the dog. Your vet could do some tests to check hormonal balance, neurophysiologic functions and allergies, if any. You never know, there could be underlying causes for his growling, which when corrected could stop him from growling.

5. There are some dogs which growl when he is eating and someone gets close. The reason for this is that he is simply possessive about his food and scared that this person might take his food away. To correct this behavior, choose an adult who the dog loves most. Let this adult start feeding the dog and stay close to him while he is eating.

To start with, simply stay with the dog and talk to him with a reassuring and calm voice. Once the dog is used to this, then let the adult approach the dog while he is eating, go on reassuring him with his gentle voice.

Once the dog is used to this habit also let the adult touch the dog with slow and gentle movements while he is eating. Though this procedure to stop him from growling could take a long time, but this happens to be one of the sure-shot ways to reassure a dog and take away the threat element, which makes him growl in the first place.

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Exercises For Different Dog Breeds

Dogs of different breeds behave differently and have different physical characteristics. It is therefore advised that different breeds of dogs should get different exercise routines so that they do not get over exhausted or obese. Selecting the right exercise regime for your dog depending on the breed is therefore essential.

Breeds and their exercises

Based on the different classes of breeds, a set of exercises can be determined.

1. Terriers- This class of dog includes breeds such as the Jack Russell Terrier, Irish Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Welsh Terrier and the famous American Pit Bull Terrier. They are highly intelligent and full of energy and can thus manage mind and body games such as obstacle courses and Frisbee. Chasing games are also good for this class of dogs.

2. Companion Dogs/ Toy Dogs- These are generally dogs, which are bred for companionship rather than utility such as Chihuahua, Pug, English bulldog and Shih Tzu. They require only minimal exercises such as walking. However, some breeds, which are also for companionship like the Dalmations and the Yorkshire terriers, need walks that are more vigorous.

3. Hounds- The hounds can be sub classified into two more subtypes: the scent hounds (which are bred to search on the basis of scent e.g. Harrier, Coonhound and Dachshund) and the sight hounds (which are bred to search on the basis of sight e.g. Greyhound, Irish wolfhound and Basenji). They have tendency to switch between work and play and therefore are recommended for walks, runs and hikes.

4. Guardian Dogs- These include breeds like the Bullmastiff, Great Dane, Great Pyrenee, Doberman Pinscher and the Rottweiler. These are strong dogs that can be quite active, however behaviorally they tend to start taking the play quite seriously, which could be problematic. It is therefore recommended that these dogs should be given exercise in the form of runs and obstacle courses but within limits.

5. Northern Dogs- This class includes dogs from breeds like the Chinook, Siberian husky, Malamute and Chow Chow. They are highly active and should be exercised a lot with hiking, runs, games (like sledding) to keep them active.

6. Gun/ Sporting Dogs- This class includes breeds like the Irish Settler, Labrador Retriever, English Cocker Spaniel and the Standard Poodle. Being bred for sports and hunting, these dogs have a lot of stamina and require a lot of exercise. Long walks, hiking and running activities are good. In addition, games like fetch can be played to keep the activity up.

7. Herding Dogs- Breeds, which come under this class, include the English Sheepdog, Welsh Corgi, Collie, Border Collie, German Shepherd, and the Schnauzer. These breeds generally have a moderate to high energy level and are therefore suited to a variety of exercises. Almost any games and sports are good for the dogs, especially runs, walks and challenging hikes.

Thus, depending on which class of breed your dog falls into, you should select an appropriate exercise regime for it. You must also determine the personality of your dog to best choose games and activities, which it can do for its wellbeing.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

Mental Exercises For Your Dog

Dogs, like humans have a brain, which also requires some activity to keep them active. Physical exercises are good for the body of the dog; however, they often tend to miss out the intellectual component, which are needed. This is why there are some special mental exercises, which you should perform with your dog to keep it healthy in all aspects.

Why train the intellect?

An intelligent dog will be able to handle itself better in a variety of situations. After all in today’s world, animals cannot just survive on brawns. The smarter your pet is the easier it will be for it to survive in case something goes wrong. In addition, intelligent dogs can perform tricks and be a better companion to you as well. It is therefore needed to train the brain of the dog as well as the body.

Mental Exercises

Mental exercises often go hand in hand with most physical exercises. This is because most physical exercises require the dog be active mentally as well. Alertness is therefore a component of physical exercises albeit a small one. For example, a dog that is swimming needs to be mentally alert to keep paddling and see where he is going.

Nevertheless, this type of exercise is not sufficient to train the dog’s mind. More complex mental exercises are as follows:

1. Use of toys

Toys can be a great non-tiring mental exercise, which the dog can perform indoors as well as outdoors. Popular toys involve some easy puzzles, which require the dog to tackle to get to the prize of some dog food or biscuits. Such toys help in solely training the dog so that it comprehends the fact that it needs to do something in a particular way to receive the reward (the biscuit).

2. Games

A variety of different types of games helps in developing different aspects of the dog’s mind. For example, a game like Frisbee, which is primarily for the purpose of physical exercise, is also a great mental exercise. This is because in Frisbee the dog has to calculate the movement of the Frisbee so that it can catch it successfully.

Other games for example, chase is a good way to train the dog to follow you. In this, you must take some article, which is valued by your dog and run so that it runs after you. Then in turn you must give the dog one of your articles and you must chase it. Slowly develop strategies to catch the dog, and it will also do the same by developing its mind.

Another game worth mentioning is “hide and seek”. This game develops the dog’s intelligence to use its senses to track down things. This is particularly important for training dogs. You can play this game with the dog indoors as well as outdoors.

3. Training

Training your dog to perform tricks is a great mental exercise, although it requires a lot of discipline on your dog’s part and a lot of effort on your. However, training your dog will definitely improve the ability to handle the dog better.

Getting your dog to perform these mental exercises can be a little tricky though. The best way to enforce these mental exercises for your dogs is to incentivize it with some sort of reward in the end. This will train the mind of the dog and also make a better pet out of it.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

Exercise Your Dog With Games

The best exercise for your dog, both physically as well as mentally, could be the various games which you can play with it. The health of your dog could be determined by how active it is in mind and body. Playing games to improve your dog’s fitness is far better than to just take it for a walk or jog as it will lead to both the physical and mental well being of the dog. A few of the games which you can play with your furry friend to maintain its health are:

1. Frisbee: One of the best games, which you can play with your dog is Frisbee. This game involves complex movements and calculations which the mind of the dog has to perform so as to comprehend the trajectory of the disc to catch it. This will act as the mental exercise for the dog. Apart from this, the game also involves running and jumping which will give the dog the physical exercise it needs.

2. Hide and seek: Hide and seek is a great game, which you can play with your dog to enhance his sensing capabilities. By playing this game, the dog will learn to use his senses better so as to track you down. This enhancement of the senses will help the dog’s development.

3. Chase: This game involves you taking some object, which is of value to the dog and running, and the dog will chase you down. Try to outrun and try to run in varied patterns so that the dog has to use the mind and the body to catch you. The game is great for the health of both you and the dog as you will also end up getting some exercise. Similarly, you can reverse the role and let the dog run with something, which you have and you should chase the dog.

4. Fetch: The classic game of fetch involves you throwing an article like a stick or a ball and your dog will run to retrieve it back. In this the dog can get physically healthier and mentally more alert as well. To improve mental alertness of the dog you should sometimes just pretend that you throw the stick and see if the dog runs.

5. Wrestling: mild wrestling with your dog over stuff can increase his strength. But in this game care should be taken that the game doesn’t get out of control. Don’t overdo it or else either the dog or you will get hurt. Also playing this game a lot is not good as it could hamper the way the dog looks to you. It is better to play this game only occasionally.

These are just 5 out of the many commonly played games by dog owners with their furry friends. You can even develop your own personal game with your dog depending on its nature. It is very important the game which you play matches the behavior of your pet, so choose wisely and enjoy yourself.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

Exercises For Your Injured Dog

A dog, which is injured, should not be made inactive, as it will adversely affect its health. Exercises for your dog are a must to keep it healthy and fit. Although, upon injury, the dog would probably be a little incapacitated to do various exercises, you can choose the regimen below for the proper exercises for your dog’s recovery.

Type of Injury

Identifying the type and area of the injury is essential to determine which exercise will best suit the dog. Generally, dogs get injured in the legs and hence cannot perform most exercises. Sometimes however, facial injuries or other parts can also get hurt. The dog can then perform a variety of other set of exercises.

Choosing the correct exercise

Depending on the type of injury or disorder, specific exercises should only be done by your dog.

1. Swimming

One of the best exercises for an injured or recovering dog is swimming. Swimming in water reduces the load that the dogs’ feet are exposed to. It is generally the legs of the dogs, which get injured and hence should be cared for the most. Swimming in warm water is a great exercise for an injured dog or one who has orthopedic and neurological injuries. The dog would feel like doing this exercise more since the pain associated with the load bearing on the joints is reduced.

The thing about swimming is that it targets a number of areas in the body for the dog to be healthy. Swimming improves the cardiovascular circulation, joint range of motion and strengthens muscles and ligaments of injured areas. Thus swimming is a great way to maintain, if not improve the health of an injured dog. However, swimming also means that there is exposure to water. If there are any flesh wounds to the dog, it is better to avoid swimming as exposing that to the water could result in infections. For such injuries it is important to let the skin heal prior to exercising or to look at other exercises which the dog can do.

2. Walking

Injured dogs can generally not walk and it is in fact advised to not walk the dogs for a particular period of time to allow the injuries to heal. However, once the healing period is over (which again depends on the type of injury), you must encourage your dog to regain its strength in the injured parts by walking gradually. In-door walking is preferred initially until the limping of the limbs is reduced.

Encouraging the dog to walk will help the muscles and ligaments to regain strength and is an important part of the recovery process for injured dogs. If the dog can is injured in a part of the body, which does not affect the way it walks, it is a very good exercise for it. In such cases, walking in all forms be it indoors or outdoors, is good for the dog. Care must be taken not to exhaust the dog as it is still recuperating from some other injury.

3. Running and Other Activities

Running and other strength and stamina activities such as hiking and playing games should be avoided until complete recovery of the injury has taken place. It is highly risky to make an injured dog run or play. However, once the dog can walk outdoors in a regular manner, slow trotting and small hikes should gradually be encouraged so that the muscles and joints strengthen more.

Keeping the type of injury that your dog has and the above-mentioned exercises, you must devise a good exercise regime for your dog so that it remains healthy and can recover faster.

For more information about pet health and banfield pet insurance, visit the author’s site at www.petinsurancepro.com.

Myth vs. Fact Helping Homeowners – Another Perspective

The looming mortgage crisis has affected almost everyone in all facets of life. When the homes stop selling the builders stop building, the carpenters stop nailing, the painters stop painting, paint stores stop selling and Home Depot stock hits record lows. Vertical damage is universal in almost all aspects of retail, services and durable goods. Let’s face it, America is a nation that is fueled by land development and salesmanship. One look at all of the runways across the world and you can see that we have the greatest airplane sales people in the world. Unfortunately, ingenuity, invention and production have taken a back seat to Americans selling products owned or built by other countries. For Goodness sake, GM is second in sales to Toyota now, who’d a thunk it?

The reason for this article is not to bemoan today’s economic footprint but to help people understand the most common myths that you hear about the housing and mortgage debacle. What you hear from our completely un-biased and non-partisan media auspiciously omits some of the important facts that might help the average American better understand exactly what we are up against.

Domestic Cats That Were Once Feral Cats

Some ecologists say that the domestication of feral cat harms environment or ecosystem, as excessive population of feral cats result in large hunting of small birds and animals in both rural and urban areas.

Feral cats have a considerable effect on the environment, as these cats have put several native animals and species to danger and even death.

Even, people now consider feral cats as the most vicious creatures on small islands. Other species that are vanished on small islands include burrowing bettong and spectacled hare-wallaby. These animals were found once abundant on small islands.

Environmental Issues:

Researchers state that feral cats in the USA, every year, kill large population of animal and bird species, and hundreds of those in Florida. Thus, these cat breeds have great impact on environment as well as wildlife animal species.

This may result in disruption of food chain and limitation of local wildlife populations. In fact, feral cats in countries such as New Zealand and Australia have killed native birds and animals and have damaged the natural flora completely.

In Australia, feral cats have killed several wallabies, thus there is a considerable drop in the population of wallabies over the years. Many ecologists found that feral cats were to blame mostly for the dropping population of rock wallabies in a remote area of tropical Queensland.

Even though feral cats mainly depend on rabbits for their food source, they do little to lower the population, as the population of rabbits is as same as the amount of feral cats in Australia.

Not only the feral cats have a substantial effect on food chain, but they also affect the other local creatures by depleting their sources of food. These include the wedge-tailed eagle, hawks, the eastern quoll, reptiles such as the Lace Monitor and Goanna and the dingoes.

Feral cats eat nearly all those foods that are vital for other local species. Because of such huge population, not only these cats eat all other native species, but also provide nothing for other local species. In most regions, hawks and eagles have had to alter their routine diet to survive due to these cats.

Even, the native cats are in danger. Feral cats more often affect domestic cats such as Quoll. For instance, if feral cats come near female quolls, they become infertile. Here, people cannot help them out, but as there are several feral cats around, the best way to avoid is preventing domestic cats to outside exposure. A recent report study states that several female quolls have already become infertile and their populations are declining day-by-day.

Overview:

Feral cats also carry certain incurable diseases, which are fatal and harmful to other species, especially for the local marsupials. Toxoplasmosis is the name of one such disease, which causes paralysis, blindness, respiratory disorders, and loss of infantile because of stillbirth and impulsive abortion.

Feral cats are also the carriers of Rabies, a disease affecting not only animals and species, but also the human beings. It is more excruciating and devastating to the whole ecosystem.

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook about Cats and Kittens at Cats. Cat and Kitten Zone also has information on Kittens, Cat Supplies and a Cat and Kitten Forum where you can connect with others who love cats and kittens. You can Find Cat and Kitten Zone at www.catandkittenzone.com.

Learn About Cats And Kittens Origin

Curious, to know the origin of the word cat, then here is a brief history, which will help people to understand as how the word ‘cat’ originated. The English word cat was not into usage until 300 AD. It is very remarkable that, in numerous languages around the world, cat owners call this domesticated animal by the term (name), which is very alike the English word of cat or may be puss.

People consider that the name puss is originated from the Pasht, the ancient Egyptian Goddess. This Goddess had the head of cat. People looked on her as a darker reflection of Bast or Bastet, who was the creator or the mother of all felines in the universe. The Goddess sent all the cats to all corners of the Egypt. Hence, it led to the origination of the word puss.

Some tribes in Egypt called this goddess as Mau, which means the one who can see everything. Perhaps, this word also has much to do with the imitative reference to meowing of the cats. This typical voice matches up to the phonetic transcription of hieroglyph (primitive writing) of cats.

Detailed History:

In later years, Copts, the high priests of the church popularized the word chau. Therefore, people in the ancient Egypt later referred to cat as chau. Moreover, the term tomcat has very interesting etymology. Egyptians worshipped atoum, the sun god, which they compared to feline. Thus, it led to the formation of new term tomcat.

Studies reveal that another Greek tribe called cats as ailuros. This word was the combination of the terms aiol as well as ouros, which means wagging tail. People in Latin America referred wild cats as felis. People started domesticating the cats to get rid of rodents. The word felis got wide recognition around the world.

In later period, when people in Rome domesticated cats of orient breed, they used the word cattus instead of felis. In fourteenth century, when the agronomy treaty was signed in Palladius, commonly referred as De re rustica, the officials coined the word cattus for cats in scientific context. This word also appears in the Bible, but then they used this word for night bird. According to the Isidore of the great Seville, the word cattus originates form capture, which means to take or probably from cattare, means piercing look.

In seventeenth century, people called cats as murices, musio or murilegus, which means the one who catches the mice.

Cats In Other Languages:

Although, the word catus was in usage for long years, the originations of new languages lead to newer names for cats. In Portuguese and Spain, people call cats as gato, whereas in Italian languages people call cat as gatto.

In Slavic languages such as in Russian, people call cat as kochka. People refer cat as katze in Germany, cat in English, Chat in French, Cath in Welsh, Kitt in Arabic, Kot in Polish, Puccha in Sanskrit, Pushak in Persia, Puize in Lithuanian and Pus in Irish. Thus, this is all about the etymology of the word cat.

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook about Cats and Kittens at Cats. Cat and Kitten Zone also has information on Kittens, Cat Supplies and a Cat and Kitten Forum where you can connect with others who love cats and kittens. You can Find Cat and Kitten Zone at www.catandkittenzone.com.

Learn About Cat Beds And What Cat Bed Is Best

Ecology is the science of relationships between organisms and their environments. When looking for cats, people have to consider a variety of aspects, such as the natural habitat or the environment. To make sure the environment at home is the safest for cats, owners have to make available certain things such as first aid kit for cats and play items for their recreational purpose.

Several people assume that since domestic and wild cats get enough water and food, cats may survive in cold climate because of their thick coats. Although, studies say that in harsh climate, shelter is preferred the most over any other needs. Without shelter, wild and domestic cats develop risk of possible dangers such as frozen paws and ears. Severe climate may harm their respiratory system too. Particularly, in the rains, fur of cats get wet and may cost them their lives.

Types of Shelter:

Styrofoam Cooler Shelter:

A general Styrofoam cooler may provide shelter to cats. This type of shelter is available at grocery stores and in departmental stores as well. It is also available at restaurants that obtain shipments of meat and fish filled in Styrofoam containers.

Plastic Bin Shelter:

Such type of shelter needs two plastic bins of Rubber made type, and they need to have lids of which one has to be big enough so that the lid and smaller bin fit inside it properly. Other than this, some straw for bedding along with a Styrofoam insulation of 4 by 8 foot is required.

Temporary shelter:

An abandoned or homeless cat may survive in a shelter made of commonly available items. A strong container or a heavyweight-shipping crate built with plastic and having resistance to bad climate is the ideal one.

Insulation and Bedding:

There are other ways for providing shelter to domestic cats. An insulating stuff inside the shelter house of cats gives their body the required heat and warmth. It is better to use straw for this purpose. Owners may avoid using towels, blankets or newspapers that suck the body heat of cats. In addition, owners need to change the insulating material for keeping it dry.

In cold climate, cat owners may use a Mylar blanket to line the floor or the interior walls of the shelter. Mylar imitates the body heat of cats. Mylar blankets are available at cheap prices. One more type of blanket that is available in pet stores is the Flexi-Mat Purr Pad.

Other Options to Buy Shelters:

Cat owners who have no time, skill or liking to build shelter for their cats, there is an alternative. Recently, pet stores offer cat shelters insulated with wood of superior quality. Cat owners willing to buy it may go through the web site of the store, for checking the price list or visit the nearest store.

Cats - Adaptability

Cats accommodate themselves in many places. May be an apartment, a mansion, camper or a houseboat, they get used to the environment easily. However, basic shelter requirements of cats include a litter box and provision of warmth. Owners can make available all the necessary items for cats, indoors.

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook about Cats and Kittens at Cats. Cat and Kitten Zone also has information on Kittens, Cat Supplies and a Cat and Kitten Forum where you can connect with others who love cats and kittens. You can Find Cat and Kitten Zone at www.catandkittenzone.com.

Run Barack Run!

Do you remember Jesse Jackson’s run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988? Do you recall the hope and pride that filled the streets of the African American community during Jackson’s two campaigns? Streets filled with the chant, “run Jesse run.”

That same hope has been reborn with the announcement that Illinois Senator Barack Obama will make a run for the White House in 2008.

Many have compared Obama’s bid for the White House to John F. Kennedy’s election in 1960. At the time, many critics did not believe that the American public would elect a Catholic to the run the Oval office, but his victory over Richard Nixon captured the imagination of the American public, and started a love affair between Americans and the Kennedy family.

However, the presidential hopeful has also faced intense criticism from the African American community for not being “Black enough,” and from conservatives for his lack of experiences on many foreign and domestic issues.

At a recent forum, critics blasted Obama’s health care plan, while praising rival Hilary Clinton.

“I think he needed to know a little more about health care issues and he was just unprepared,” said Daniel Romo, 45, a member of Service Employees International, sponsors of the forum.

Despite criticisms of his health care plan, supporters praise Obama for his plan to get troops out of Iraq, beginning with a drawdown in May that would last until next March. However, many critics believe that plan is virtually impossible because President George W. Bush plans to veto any bill that calls for the withdrawal timetable.

Although Obama has discovered that support in the Black community is not guaranteed, he has picked up an endorsement from Black Entertainment Television co-founder Sheila Johnson, despite the fact that her ex-husband Robert Johnson is endorsing Clinton.

“Barack Obama’s campaign of change brings hope to America,” said Johnson.

However, the majority of African Americans in Long Island, New York support Clinton who has a long history of supporting causes that are important to them such as health care, education, and affordable housing.

Despite Clinton’s popularity in Long Island, her 40-point lead among African Americans is gone and now Obama has an 11-point lead, according to a poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post.

“Both of these candidates have enormous potential to offer, not only to the Black community, but to the country at large. Not everyone in the African American community is always of one mind, but it’s clear that the African American vote will be critical and crucial as it has been in the past three presidential elections,” said civil rights attorney Fred Brewington of Hempstead, New York.

On the contrary, many conservatives recently blasted the senator for his membership in a Black activist church that preaches a “Black Value System.”

Obama received criticism for distancing himself from the pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., who has supported Louis Farrakhan and Moammar Gadhafi in the past.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, and the political pressure that Obama has endured over the recent months, his campaign has lit a fire across America, and not just Black America.

Voters see a confident and charismatic leader that they can envision leading America in a new direction in 2008. Furthermore, his success can lead to an entire generation of young Americans changing the course of this great nation for the near future.

Todd Smith is the web master for Regal Mag The preeminent Online Magazine for African American Men

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