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June 20th, 2009 by Ned D'Agostino

If the idea of house training a pet is enough to keep you from getting a companion for your home, then a cat just might be the perfect pet for you. There’s very little training involved. All you need is some cat litter and a litter box, and you now have a pet that can stay inside all the time.

Many kittens are already litter trained by their mother so there’s really not much for you to do. Once you are sure he knows where the box is, you rarely need to worry about him going someplace else. But you will have to make a decision, and that is deciding what type of litter will work best.

If this is your first cat you’ll be a bit shocked when you see all the different types of litter now available. So how do you decide what’s best for you and your pet?

If cost is a primary factor, clay litter is always a good bet. It’s cheaper and was one of the first commercial litters available. But it does have some drawbacks. You will need to clean it and change it more frequently. Clay absorbs liquid, but it also absorbs odors, and nobody wants their house to smell like cat waste. And if by chance your kitten is prone to allergies, clay may cause some problems. Dust tends to fly up as your pet scratches around in his box.

The most popular litter right now is probably clumping cat litter. That’s because the litter combines with the moisture in the waste to form, as the name suggests, clumps. These clumps are easy to scoop away, meaning there is no need to change out the entire box. Once you scoop the waste, just replace the missing litter with some new litter. And the scents this litter is available in will do a decent job of hiding the smell, although it won’t get rid of the odor all together. The biggest problem with clumping litter is that some cats will actually eat the clumps. Watch your pet carefully.

Silica litters use water, sand, and crystals to control the odor and moisture. You’ve seen those little packets in new shoes or some medicines. Those packets are there to absorb moisture and contain silica. Because of it’s moisture absorbing capabilities, those same crystals are now used in cat litter. You scoop out the solid waste and the liquid is absorbed by the crystals. On the down side there is no clumping. On the plus side, this litter is usually biodegradable, returning to a sandy base when decomposed.

Paper litter is also becoming more popular, especially among those concerned with the environment. It is made from recycled paper or pellets. It’s very absorbent, weighs very little, and of course, is also biodegradable.

Another litter quickly gaining in popularity is litter made from wood. It too is biodegradable. Pine is the most frequent wood used, primarily because of it’s ability to naturally absorb odors. But really, all softwood litters are good at both liquid and odor absorption. The result is a more natural litter because no chemicals are added.

Once you decide on the type of litter you want to use, your cat will undoubtedly let you know if he agrees with your selection. Some cats for example don’t like the smell of pine litter. Others won’t use silica because the crystals don’t feel good on their paws. In either case, your cat will tell you whether or not he approves by either going or not going in his box.

The key is to become as informed as possible about all the different options. Then you can make an intelligent selection. Of course you’ll still have to run it by your cat to see if he approves.

June 19th, 2009 by Ira Nelson

If you’ve got a dog and you don’t have the energy, time or patience to train him yourself, you may want to hire a trainer. This is an activity that requires a lot of all three qualities, if you want to have a safe, happy, well-adjusted dog and be happy yourself, too.

As with any service, cost and quality are going to significantly vary. And as with any profession, especially those that involve both human and animal interactions, training philosophies are going to vary, too. There will need to be some parameters for you to select the right trainer for you.

Determine what your budget is going to be. The cost of the services you hire will vary depending on where you live and what services you use. You can sometimes use free services, often supplied weekly to parks or shelters by volunteers, or you may pay $100 or better per session. What’s a reasonable fee for you? That will vary, depending on where you live, the experience of your trainer, how long the program is, and what your goals are for your dog.

What’s your schedule? Some training programs are done on a weekly basis, while others happen more often, even daily. Do you want a training program where you have to leave the dog and pick it up later? Or will you participate directly in the training? Most programs also require that you spend some time training the dog yourself every day, whether you do so at home or on site with the program.

In some cases, you may want to consider so-called “boot camp” training programs. In that case, your dog will go away to a special facility for quite awhile, up to several weeks. The training the dog receives is intensive, happens over the training period of time, and it happens very regularly, too. However, don’t be concerned that this is too hard on dogs. Dogs love this type of treatment. Near the end of this type of training, you, too, will usually have to participate so that the dog’s obedience is “transferred” from the trainers to you.

The results of this type of training school can be amazing. Dogs who complete this type of program usually end up eager to follow instructions and very disciplined. This is true even if they’re not special service dogs. Even so, these dogs usually don’t show signs of frustration or repression. Their moods are bright and they play with energy and gusto.

What are your goals? Do you want your dog to be entered in shows, or do you just want a dog that doesn’t chew on your favorite shoes or pick on other pets? Whatever your goals, you’ll need to train your dog — and do so on a regular basis — to get the results you want. How much training is required will depend on your dog, his age, breed, and temperament.

Take a look at your dog’s temperament; for example, is your dog fearful, either because he was mistreated before or just because it’s submissive? Or, your dog may be assertive, either because it’s been abused previously and has had to fight back, or simply because it wants to be “leader of the pack.” The training you choose is going to depend on how you want to influence your dog and the characteristics you want to mold.

Whatever the goals for your dog, and whatever your commitment and budget, you will want to hire a trainer who has infinite patience, energy, and a deep love for dogs. Most dog trainers have these characteristics very strongly.

Beyond the basics discussed, you’ll also want a trainer whose philosophy matches your own and makes sense to you, and who will respect and match your goals. Some trainers have a viewpoint that “dog” training is really about training the owner, not the dog, and there may be some truth to that a lot of the time. Some dog trainers are more permissive, friendly, lenient, and focus on emotionally “connecting” with your dog, while others are much more commanding and demand respect and obedience. Still others use a mix of these two schools of thought.

Your training style preferences will vary, but regardless, training style is not usually entirely subjective. Even if you have disagreements with your trainer, you’ll usually have some areas of agreement, too. Consistency, persistence and patience, as well as your need (as the pack leader) to lead are just a few of these commonly held principles.

When you choose your trainer, ask for friends or family to recommend someone, and don’t hesitate to try a few out. It may be that you’ll have to change once or twice to find someone who really suits your needs. However, be careful about being too quick to change, and don’t just do it casually. Dogs need regular environment and consistency in order to really absorb the training they are being given.

June 18th, 2009 by Andyl Hannerl

If you want to train your dog, you have to understand and know that the type of training that you will need to use will depend on the breed of the dog that you have. Training a dog pet is really vital as you would need to make sure that they are aware that you as their owner, are the one in control and the one whos in charge.

Some reasons why you would want and need to have your dog trained is so when they are housebroken, they will behave and not do anything bad like jumping on your visitors when they come to your house, chew on your shoes or your counter table.

For example, you have a Boxer dog, then the training that you will need to learn is the Boxer dog training. And here are some Boxer dog training ideas and tips that can be useful and helpful for you.

Getting Started

So when it comes to Boxer dog training, you need to get started somewhere. The first step that you are going to want to take is to make the dog realize that you are the one in control. The number one reason that dogs act out and dont listen to their owners is because they feel as though they are able to get away with anything and that they are not going to get in trouble for doing anything.

Even as puppies and yes they can be really cute, you have to ensure that your Boxer pups know that youre in control and that they will be punished if they do something bad.

Making a program for training dogs is going to be very crucial here. This is a subject that you will need to take very critically. And when it comes to dog training Boxers, training is going to be a long term thing.

The most convenient time for you to start and go through with Boxer dog training is when they are still puppies. This is because this is the best time for them to learn the most in training and whatever it is that they learn here, they can take to adulthood.

If you are going to have difficulties or if at some point you feel as thought you can not take this deliverable on yourself, know that there are so many great professional trainers out there who will be able to help you go through this. You can also hire them to do the training for your dogs.

June 17th, 2009 by Tanza Tripp

Golden Labrador may sound fascinating for a breed name but this same name is the cause of dispute and confusion among some people in the dog breeding world. When people hear this name, they automatically assume that this is either a golden Labrador or a new breed made from mixing a Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever. These are possible assumptions but one of these, people should stay away from and the other should accept.

For one, there is confusion as to whether there really is a golden colored Labrador. A yellow Labrador Retriever is of existence but would it be possible to have a golden Labrador? If you know or have heard some people trying to sell a golden colored Labrador, be warned for this is a wrong and deceitful way of describing a Labrador Retriever variety.

There are only three colors accepted for the Labrador Retriever and these are: black, chocolate and yellow. Golden is an unacceptable variant and is said to be non-existent. Golden-colored Labrador is a name supposedly coined by breeders who found a strong-yellow-colored Lab in from a Labradors litter.

If breeders insist that there is such a thing as a golden Labrador but wishes to sell one, authorities advise to steer clear from them because they most probably are scammers. There have been instances where buyers who indeed bought the said golden Labs were surprised to realize that their golden Labs and yellow Labs are just the same variant. Some deceitful sellers would even state that DNA testing has been done in order to prove the existence of a golden Lab but experts say there is no truth to this.

Now that it’s clear that there is no such thing as a golden Labrador, the question now remains as, “What then is a Golden Labrador?” Just like what the other assumption stated, a Golden Labrador is the result of mixing a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever. These parent breeds are one of the most popular dogs around the world and practically millions of people own them. Their hybrid offspring, the Golden Labrador, is beginning to be another phenomenal breed for it is gaining popularity by the day around the world.

A cross breed of two or more different purebreds generally comes out as multi-faceted dog in terms of temperament and may inherit different physical attributes from both parents. In temperament, it is never that 50% disposition is taken from one parent and the other 50% is taken from the other one. Each characteristic of the hybrid may be taken from either parents or it may develop its own but it is never likely that the distribution will be 50-50.

For instance, the Golden Retriever is famous as a waterdog and is known as an outstanding swimmer. The Golden Labrador may not necessarily inherit this trait and its possible even that it will be a poor swimmer. As for the Labrador Retriever, this breed is known as the most desirable pet in the US and is a great sniffer of sensitive things such as drugs and explosives.

The crossbred Golden Labrador may or may not be a completely superb detector like the Lab because it all depends on the genes that it inherited. This hybrid may sometimes come out having the distinct characteristics of one parent or sometimes it can be a combination from both the Golden Retriever and the Labrador. The appearance of the Golden Labrador also varies and sometimes may look like the Golden Retriever, the Labrador Retriever or both.

June 16th, 2009 by Craig Clemins

Housebreaking a puppy is by far one of the most frustrating of all the things you will encounter when get a new dog. House breaking puppies require a person to be patient and learn to be more consistent with their work. Most of the time because housebreaking a puppy is such a hard job most of the dogs end up inside the shelter because their owners simply don’t have the patience to put up with the dog going potty all over their house.

Well trained dogs are in most cases happy and trouble free, they have usually be well trained by owner who show love, attention and have plenty of patience. It’s always easiest to train dogs when combining these three traits.

Upon discovering that your puppy has made a mess on the car pet, or somewhere else in the house – don’t yell at him. This is the last thing you should do. You also cannot let your dog get away with him mistake as this will leave your dog feeling like he’s the boss. One thing that can work well is to keep your dog inside a crate when you are not watching it. You’ll find that dogs hate to go to the toilet near where they sleep or eat, so in most cases your puppy will learn to wait till he’s outside to go to the toilet.

Crate training is the preferred method of housebreaking dogs by many leading dog trainers and dog owners. Crates provide just enough space for dogs to sleep and eat and over time will become one of your dog’s favourite places to just chill out.

Dogs usually need to go to the toilet first thing in the morning, after meals, and sometimes before going to bed. A good idea is to get into a good routine and give your dog a chance to go outside at these times. Try to give your dog plenty of time and don’t hurry him to go to the toilet. If you are late in letting your dog outside, you may quite likely find an accident waiting for you.

For people who live in downtown apartments or places that don’t have outside space, paper training may be a more convenient way of housebreaking your dog. Paper training works by teaching your dog to always use the paper as his toilet spot. If you use paper training you’ll need to replace the paper each day.

Remember also that dogs will let you know when they need to go to the toilet by scratching the door, barking at it, sniffing the house and circling. To stop him you will need to promptly say to him to “stop” in your most commanding voice without yelling. When he has done what he is supposed to you will then reward his behavior and then give him a treat to let him know you are pleased.