Who Takes Care of Your Pets When You're Away?

Can your dog wait 10 hours to go for a walk? Will the cat have enough food and a clean litter box if you are away for a week? What if you can't come home Wednesday nights because of a prior commitment?

Anytime a pet owner needs to go away on vacation, stay long hours at work or has regular scheduled activities that take them away from home they must consider how their pet will be cared for. Pets provide entertainment and companionship but are also a huge responsibility. You show respect for your pet by taking its needs into consideration and planning accordingly.

Fortunately there are many services available to assist you in caring for your pet during times when you can't personally give them the attention and care they need. What are they? Which is best for your pet?

DAY CARE

Social animals, like dogs, can suffer emotionally from a lack of attention. If your dog has access to the outdoors they will be able to relieve themselves when necessary but a house-bound dog will physically require a walk or you will come home to an accident on your rug and a frustrated animal.

Day care centers provide the needed social stimulation most dogs crave. At the day care your dog will spend time with other dogs and have people looking after its physical needs. If you have a young dog this can be especially important as your dog may become destructive with a lack of supervision and an abundance of unused energy.

BOARDING KENNELS

If you plan to be away overnight or for longer your dog or cat may be placed in a boarding kennel. This can be expensive but will ensure your pet is cared for daily and overnight.

IN-HOME CARE

If you are comfortable leaving your dog at home all day you may find the in-home services of a visitor or dog walker to be sufficient and less costly while still providing personal attention.

Cats and other animals may not need daily visits if you come home in the evening but will need some attention if you are away overnight or for several days. Cats prefer their own homes rather than the highly social aspect of day cares or boarding kennels. Other pets, such as birds and reptiles, will most likely do better with in-home care as well.

In-home care can be as basic as someone taking your dog for a walk in the middle of the day or as inclusive as having a sitter stay in your home with your pet.

Examine your situation and budget when choosing a method of care. Take your pet's best interests in mind. If you are having someone come to your home be sure they are reputable. Licensed businesses should be insured and bonded when employees are trusted with entering and locking up your home.

5 Tips for Puppy-Proofing Your Home

Ah, puppies...so adorable, filled with boundless energy and curious about any-and-everything around them. That's why taking steps to puppy-proof your home will go a long way in protecting these little ones from harm. And on the flip side, your precautions will also safeguard your belongings from possible damage.

Your first task is to get a puppy's point of view. How? By going from room to room, getting down on your hands and knees and taking a good look at what your puppy might be enticed by. Remember, they are new to the world and like toddlers, puppies are inclined to explore their surroundings by putting things in their mouths and poking around in nooks and crannies.

Cabinets

Be mindful of cleaning supplies and personal care items that are stored in low storage areas like kitchen and under-sink bathroom cabinets. Needless to say, the ingredients in these products are extremely harmful and can even cause death. If the cabinet doors can be easily pried open, think about storing these items in some other place. Another option is to purchase plastic child-proof cabinet locks that can be temporarily attached to the handles or knobs. These safety locks can usually be found online or in local pet supply (or baby) stores.

Electrical Cords

How tantalizing is an electrical cord especially when it's looping down from a table or desk? "I can jump at it, pull on it, wrestle with it and even gnaw on it," Puppy thinks to himself. Well, the dangers are obvious: a falling lamp or electrocution can cause serious injury or worse. Wrap up loose hanging electrical cords or at least block access to them. And for cords that need to run across the floor, use rubber or plastic cord/cable runners that can be purchased at an office supply outlet or home improvement store.

Plants

Household plants are attractive to most puppies but they are toxic. Ingesting a bite or two can cause nausea, vomiting and in some cases death. So re-position your plants so that they are out of reach.

Small Objects Around the House

Be alert to small items around the house that can be swallowed or cause choking such as coins, jewelry, sewing supplies, batteries, medication and miniature knick-knacks left on low surfaces. And don't forget to block access to trash receptacles in the kitchen, your home office and even the bathroom. Now speaking of bathrooms...

Toilet (Or, "Beyond the Great Rim")

To an adventurous puppy, the challenge of climbing up, up and over the rim of your toilet is a tail-wagging delight. Unfortunately, falling head first into this big, slippery bowl of water is not so delightful especially for a smaller-sized pup. Simple solution: make it a house rule to keep the bathroom door closed at all times.

Puppy-proofing your home may seem like a hassle but providing the safest environment possible is a necessity. After all, your lovable, four-legged bundle of joy is worth it.

Dog Training #3

Dog Training

My Book Review: "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer"

I found that the information in this book provides everything you need to know about training your family pet. Which covers all three categories of dog training, from fixing the many different dog problems that exist, and to training a new found pet! Many extra’s are included in this book, like the section "Tips and Secrets." Covers all breeds and ages of dogs. Click Here!


The book addresses:
Works On Any Breed Of Dog - Even the toughest breeds... Like Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, Akitas, Chows, Terriers, Greyhounds, and Huskies.
Easy For Anyone To Use - Once you understand how to use the same dog training equipment and techniques that I use, you'll realize that you don't need muscle, strength, expert timing or "intuitive" sense of dog language to get amazing results.
Safe And Fun For You And Your Dog - No "violence." No hitting. No abuse. I don't put up with that kind of nonsense and neither should you. Once you learn how to give properly timed corrections and motivational praise, you'll notice your dog's confidence begin to skyrocket and she'll start to really love you as the "pack leader" or "alpha dog" in her life.

The topics in this book covered all the important information I was looking for when searching for a dog-training manual. I did not know what type of dog-training techniques were available, nor which ones I should use training my dog? After reading this book, I realized what I was doing wrong! This book made it so easy for me, I wondered why I didn’t purchase it sooner?
"Before you buy a pet for the family read this book! Don’t be stuck with a dog that has a bad temperament! " Click Here!


The book addresses:
Best kept secrets on how to choose the right dog for you
Rules about specific breeds that will debunk the myths and nonsense perpetuated in the breed books you find at pet stores
The truth about adopting a puppy from the dog pound
Tips you can use if you're considering adopting a puppy as a house pet or companion dog.
Why selecting the right individual dog within a breed is 1000% more important than which breed you choose
The importance of drive and temperament if you want a dog that will be easy to train.

"Like everyone, I like saving time and money. Avoiding mistakes and disastrous situations. This book is one-of-a-kind and not found in bookstores. Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer is the only book I needed when it came to training my pet! Also, it is offered with a "Full OneYear 100% Money-Back Guarantee!" Click Here!


Dog Training
Dog Type

Dog-Training #2

Dog-Training

Does your dog do these things?

"He chews up all my pillows and shoes."
"She barks and barks until I can’t take it no more."
"Jumps onto the kitchen table and eats the meal you were about to eat?"
"He won't return after calling, whistling, or whatever you try?"

Then it may be time for some dog training with your pet, "Spot.". Many animals have never been trained, but we all expect them to act like they have been? Many folks end up yelling at their poor Fido or smacking their family pet. Maybe you have, once or twice caught yourself hitting your dog on the butt with a newspaper. You have to realize just like people, dogs need to be taught too! Don’t be one of the many who give up and then place their pet outside to live his/her days in solitude. And please, don’t even think about taking him/her to your locate pound, because you think that this animal is just out of control…. This is your family pet?

When it comes to training your pet, there are many forms of dog training. For example, behavior dog training (obedience training) would have prevented many of these problems and can help solve the bad behaviors that exist. Many people think that behavior dog training is something that is done to a dog to make it perform some certain activity on command.

Behavior dog training is to train dogs to be obedient, to obey anything and everything they're told to do. It covers a wide range of lessons a dog can learn, including tricks, good manners, show routines, and skill demonstrations.
Sniffing dogs, service dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue dogs, sled dogs, hunting dogs -- all carry their behavior dog training to the highest degree. They have been trained to obey an unusual set of commands, which increase their value as helpers to man.

"Dog Type" also plays a part when training your pet. Training would be a breeze if our pets and we spoke the same language. With the different dog type comes attitudes, voice and body language, and mindset. They can be stubborn, dominant, submissive, or fearful, characteristics that can make them difficult to train. So please keep your dog type in mind when training your pet.

"A little trivia for all the dog lovers!"

Q: What are the "dog days of summer?"

A: It is the time of year when Sirius, the "Dog Star," appears on the horizon, just before the sun rises in the morning.

Dog-Training

Dog Training

Welcome to my dog training blog. If you have been searching for a quick and easy way to train your dog, you found it! Dog training can bring you many hours of enjoyment while spending time with your pet.

I will be posting information on my blog for the many dog & animal lovers in the next couple of days.