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July 26th, 2009 by jack Adams

Raising dwarf hamsters, just as with any other domestic animal, requires the use of supplies. They still need the proper implements that will address their health concerns and day-to-day requirements.

A dwarf hamster must live in a cage. This is an important dwarf hamster supply as this is where he will be spending most, if not all, of his time. Make the cage a large one. It does not matter if it is wire, plastic or an aquarium tank as long as he can freely move about, especially if you have more than one dwarf hamster.

Remember that baby dwarf hamsters will grow, so do not base the size of the cage on his size when you purchase him. Line two inches of substrate on the cage floor and six inches of substrate on the walls. Your dwarf hamster will need a place to go up and down, as well as a place to dig.

Get a hamster potty and fill it with cat litter (pellet form, if they are not in pellet form, your dwarf hamster might have health complications). You can also fill it with hay. Look for the place in the cage wherein your hamster leaves his waste, and place the potty there.

Chew toys are another essential dwarf hamster supply. In order to control the size of their teeth you have to give your dwarf hamster a chew toy as this provides their teeth with a filing effect, keeping the size of their teeth small. Soft wooden chew toys in eye catching colors are best. Clean your dwarf hamster’s chew toy everyday.

Make sure your hamster gets his daily water requirements. Let him drink, drink, drink all he wants. Make sure he drinks from a fresh water supply that is changed everyday. Get your dwarf hamster a water bottle and let it hang on the side of the cage. Do not get him a water bowl. These are prone to contamination and are easily knocked over anyway.

A dwarf hamster needs a little hideaway within his cage. This is yet another essential hamster supply. Because they are reclusive creatures, they need a little nest where they can hide away.

The supplies discussed above are quite easy to obtain. Caring for dwarf hamsters really require little maintenance. There are no special requirements with the environment they must be placed in and all the essential provisions for their maintenance are easily within reach.

July 25th, 2009 by Louie Lindsay

The Yorkshire Terrier makes a wonderful companion for most people, as they are loyal, friendly and amusing to be around.

General Appearance and Description

Yorkies are popular with people who enjoy being able to take their dogs with them everywhere.

It’s believed that the Yorkshire Terrier was originally a much bigger animal than the tiny dog that’s so popular today. Likely there was some selective breeding that went on and the dog gradually become smaller and smaller over the years. The first Yorkie who looked like the dog we know today was introduced at a dog show in 1870.

The Yorkie has a long, fine silky coat that is very straight and falls straight down from the spine on each side. Yorkie puppies are usually tan and black, while adult dogs are mostly steel blue on the tail and body and tan everywhere else.

Most owners who are not showing their Yorkies will keep the hair long and shaggy, but if the dog is shown, his hair will be clipped shorter and given more structure.

The hair on the top of the head gets very long, so most owners will pull it back into a distinctive ponytail on the top of the head, while others will clip the top hairs so they stay out of the dog’s face.

Yorkshire Terrier breeders will tell you there’s no true Teacup Yorkshire Terrier. All Yorkshire Terriers are small and the teacup is not an official designation at all.

Basic Temperament

Yorkie dogs are entertaining for many reasons but one favorite character trait of many owners is the dog’s obliviousness to his size. He thinks he’s a bigger dog and will enjoy any adventure that a larger dog might enjoy.

Always energetic, the Yorkie is brave, extremely loyal to his owner and clever. He’s intelligent and a willing companion on any adventure.

Because he’s somewhat dismissive of his tiny size, the Yorkie will be willing to take on any challenge, and sees himself as a watchdog. He generally does a fine job of it, but his size ensures that he’s not a terribly good match for whatever walks through the front door.

Like most small dogs, the Yorkie needs clear direct leadership. You must lead the Yorkie with a firm but gentle hand.

If you establish that you are the leader of the pack, the Yorkie will submit to that, but if you don’t, he will exhibit troubling behavior problems like jealousy, aggression, barking, snapping and separation anxiety.

Care Required

All that fur means that some grooming is essential. The Yorkie’s coat needs to be combed or brushed at least weekly. If you keep the long hair on the top of the head tied back, you should replace the elastic or ribbon weekly.

The Yorkie develops plaque easily on the teeth, so they need to be cleaned regularly.

Good for allergy sufferers, the Yorkie sheds little.

When looking at know more about Yorkie dogs, read and learn as much as you can because this is truly a fascinating little dog.

Exercise Requirements

While he might not be able to walk too far, the Yorkie likes s a daily walk, as well as regular play (but you should never substitute play for the daily walk). If you don’t give your dog a daily walk, he will be more likely to display behavior problems.

If you notice that your dog is running around the house in a bit of a crazy fashion, that’s a sign that he needs more exercise than he’s getting.

When you do take him out, be cautious of the conditions outside. Yorkshire Terriers are very sensitive to cold and prefer warm areas, as in warm climates, or simply being indoors on a cold day.

The Toy Yorkie is truly a very special dog.

Training

The Yorkie is easy to train, but he can be stubborn, so be sure to establish yourself as the pack leader and give him clear boundaries when you’re training him. That will pay dividends when you try to train him.

Some Yorkie dogs can be hard to housetrain.

Height and Weight

The Yorkie will be about 6 to 7 inches tall and will weigh right around 7 pounds.

Health and Longevity

While most Yorkies live long lives, they do run the risk of several health problems.

Most Yorkies suffer poor digestion and the owner should avoid giving too many special treats. Yorkshire Terriers should be given dry food only, because they run the risk of serious tooth decay and dry food keeps their teeth strong and sharp.

Yorkie dogs can also run the risk of bronchitis; fragile bones can easily lead to fractures.

Most Yorkies will live to be approximately 12 to 15 years old.

Suitability

If you have an apartment, the Yorkie is an excellent choice. They enjoy being indoors and will find their activity inside happily.

Because the Yorkie considers himself a companion pet, he enjoys senior citizens and others who will be happy to take him on adventures. If possible, he should not be placed in a house with young children who might be a little too rough with him.

Yorkies can make surprisingly adequate watchdogs.

More Information

More information about the Yorkshire Terrier can be found here.

July 24th, 2009 by Geraldine Dimarco

Sure, we all love our dogs. The indoor poop and the pee spots are unfortunate incidents that happen to come with the package. Wouldn’t it be great though to not have to deal with cleaning up his mess anymore? With your patience and these tips on potty training dogs, it can be done.

Not a lot of people jump for joy at the mention of house training dogs. As a result, some people who adopt older dogs will be surprised to find them still untrained in ‘doing their business’ outside. While it may be easier to teach puppies to eliminate properly; adult dogs can still be taught correct toilet behavior anytime.

It is much simpler to train a dog how to do something than to guide him in unlearning wrong habits. A lot of times, you will end up feeling frustrated. What you should do instead is to teach him a new way of doing things in place of the former. In this case, its using an outdoor area for relieving himself.

Find a suitable spot outside your house to use for his toilet needs. Bring him out for a walk fifteen minutes after he finishes eating. Walk around the designated spot saying ‘go potty’ or ‘get pooping’ whatever word or phrase you want him to associate with the activity. Repeat it until he finally does and praise him profusely right after. This will let him know that this particular code word is a signal to eliminate. Do this for a few weeks using the same pattern you have started out with. In house training dogs, patience and consistency are fundamental.

When accidents do happen in the midst of your training plan, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Potty training sometimes takes a while. If you see the poop but not the dog, do not look for the culprit and start yelling. He will not understand why you are getting mad. If you catch him in the middle of the crime, startle him and bring him quickly outside to finish. Reward him with a treat and praises right after. Be extra attentive to your pet post meal to avoid future accidents.

When the accidents do happen inside your home, make sure you clean up the mess thoroughly with a deodorizing antibacterial solution immediately. This will get rid of stains and more importantly, any smell it will leave behind. The principle in potty training dogs is that they will return to their spot to do it again and they will find it by sniffing the place out. Make the canine’s cage as small as comfortably small as possible to avoid more accidents to occur indoors.

Do not bring food and water to your pet two hours before sleeping or else you might find yourself sleepily leading him out at night for toilet breaks. Take him out to walk early morning or right after he finishes nap time. When you have successfully accomplished training him to go potty outdoors, ensure that going outside is accessible and convenient for him. An open back door will encourage him to continue his newly found talent in discharging outside.

Potty training dogs is a priority for the responsible pet owner. It serves as good mental exercise for your dog and your home will be thankful to you for it.

July 23rd, 2009 by Chris Copeland

When you set out to buy a dwarf hamster for your child you should go to either a private person or even a breeder to get one. Of course most people will instead buy them from a pet store though. It’s due to convenience that most will choose this option.

But there are reasons why you should check into either a private person or a breeder. These people will usually make sure the hamsters they breed will be in better health, and be much better around people in general.

The good thing about looking for a breeder is these creatures are bred to be very healthy, and have a great temperament. After all, the breeder is showcasing the hamsters com petitions, so they need to be top of the line. You know like the dogs in dog shows.

Breeders usually enter their hamsters into shows, this means they will take special steps in assuring the health of the baby dwarf hamsters. Plus in most cases a breeder will take much better care of the animal than pet stores.

You can also check into a rescue home to see if they have any dwarf hamsters that you can adopt or buy from them. These will most likely be a bit older but still you will be helping out an animal that has no place to stay. These rescue homes will check out the health of the hamster when they come in, so you shouldn’t have a problem with that either.

Or you can look into a rescue shelter, where they place abandoned animals. They have hamsters in some cases there too. With these animals you will know that they have been checked out completely. When they bring in an animal they will look it over to see its health condition and correct it if there are any problems. Plus this will be a great way to help out with an animal that has been badly treated in the past.

July 22nd, 2009 by Al Paloosa

If you’re new to horseback riding, you may be overwhelmed by all the different kinds of saddles for sale. Knowing what distinguishes each horse saddle from the rest may not be so easy for a novice. Especially because many of a saddle’s characteristics are not exactly detectable by looking at it.

After you take a saddle home and place it on your horse, you will notice right away that it has it’s own feel to it. And again once you yourself climb into the saddle, you will discover that your own body has a lot to with with how well the saddle works out. When you test a saddle, it’s a good idea to sit in it and go with your initial reaction to how you like it. But beyond that, what else should you look out for in a saddle?

All saddles for sale have some important things to think about:

First and foremost, it is critically important when you find a saddle for sale that it will fit the horse properly. It is important not to become so fallen with a saddle that looks like the perfect saddle when it is simply not a good fit for the horse. Such a saddle could prove very uncomfortable if not outright painful for the horse.

Additionally, it can create a severe hazard for the rider since the improper fit could make staying on the horse difficult. Clearly, both are situations best avoided. The best way to actually avoid this would be to take a proper measurement of the horse prior to purchasing the saddle.

If you are looking to save money on a purchase, buying used can be a wise idea. However, it is important to inspect the saddle for wear and tear. Some used saddles hold up remarkably well even after having been put through enormous use.

That is not to say that just because a used saddle is a made by known brand name that you can overlook excessive wear and tear. If someone is selling a saddle that is just torn to shreds, it is useless, regardless of the original maker.

Sometimes, even the best looking saddle can have problems. By best looking, we do not mean a saddle that looks like a visually appealing model. We mean one that might not show any obvious signs of wear and tear. In fact, it may even seem like a great fit once it is strapped to the horse.

The saddle may be a bit loose on your horse causing you to shift while you ride. It’s always a good idea to do a test ride so that you can know for sure if your saddle is snug.

Also, even if the saddle rides well, it could have problems. If you notice dark black spots on the horse after riding the saddle, these are bruises that would indicate the saddle is painful for the horse. Such a saddle would have to be replaced as well since it is a problem for the horse.

Buying any of the thousands of saddles for sale today can be quite a process and may take a little more work than you might expect. However, if you make a careful and informed selection, you will definitely be rewarded with many years of safe and enjoyable horseback riding.