Basic Training for Your Dog

Getting a dog can be exciting and rewarding. It can also be stressful. Whether you are getting a puppy or an older dog, you can bet that there will be an adjustment period while you all get used to each other. One of the best ways to make this transition period successful is to begin basic training with your new pet right away. Training for puppies can begin as young as 8 weeks, and with older dogs the sooner the better! Having a properly trained dog can lead to much happiness for you and your pet. Here are a few tips on teaching your dog to come, sit, lie down, and stay.

First, let's look at the basics of basic training. All dogs, especially puppies, learn more quickly with positive rather than negative reinforcement. Just as with humans, a little love goes a long way. The best reinforcements for good behavior are verbal praise, affection, a favorite toy, or a piece or two of your dog's regular food. Using treats can be motivating, but a dog can come to expect a treat if used too often, and using treats can become expensive. If you work on training immediately prior to your dog's normal meal time, your pet will usually be hungry and pieces of food as a reward will be welcomed. The reward should be given immediately following every correct response in the beginning. Once your dog has progressed, verbal praise should be offered each time, but a reward should only be given for exact responses performed in a timely manner. Gradually reduce the number of rewards given until you only give an occasional reward, but offer verbal praise each time. Dogs retain their training for the longest period of time this way. Also, you should use

Cat Facts

Cats prefer foods at body temperature--the temperature of freshly killed prey. They also prefer their food cut into ¼ inch chunks (especially when they are sick and need to be tempted.) And did you know that 60% of all cats like cold tomato juice? I've tried V-8 and it doesn't seem to be at all tempting. We use this trick to entice kidney-failure cats to drink more liquids.

Cats are either right or left handed, showing a distinct preference for one paw over the other.

A healthy domestic cat can reach speeds up to 31 miles/hour, but can't maintain that sprinting speed for more than a minute.

A cat licks their fur to keep cool in hot weather. Like dogs, they sweat only through the pads of their feet.

The cat's whiskers are specially adapted to act as antennae. They are used to navigate, to detect movement and to judge the width of an opening. Whiskers are also an indicator of mood--when the whiskers are back, the cat is angry, so watch out. Some people think finding a whisker is good luck. I know one woman who is a millionaire that has a cat whisker collection!

Eight Things to Consider When Adopting a Shelter Dog

Adopting a fully grown shelter dog is usually not considered when a family decides to get a new pet. It may actually be the best choice for your family.

A fully grown shelter dog may already be house trained, trained in basic obedience and be past the teething stage. That means no messes in the house, no damaged furniture and a dog that listens to it's owner. That sounds like a dream dog to me. You'll also know what you're getting in your new dog regarding it's size, color, temperament and personality. There are fewer surprises and you'll have the advantage of knowing what you're getting before you get it.

If you're looking for a loving family pet a shelter dog just may be the answer. If your looking for a show dog it's probably not. I say probably because I've seen pure bred animals, with papers, in the shelter I worked in. It was rare but it did happen. Sometimes the dog out-grew it's family and sometimes it was disobedient or chewed up something in the house. Occasionally the owner just wasn't responsible enough