How To Stop Your Dog From Chewing

Puppies always chew on anything they can get their mouths into. This will include your furniture, clothing and you as well. This is because puppies just want to explore their world and environment, and they enjoy tasting everything. This might cause a problem if there are certain things you just do not want puppy to put into his mouth.

The tendency to chew will vary from one breed and one individual to another. But most dogs will chew on objects in and around the house. Keeping them focused on objects intended for them is a continuing challenge.

Younger dogs, puppies in particular, will usually have a greater tendency to chew and less discrimination about what they choose. But even young puppies can be discouraged from grabbing things the owner would prefer to keep whole.

What you can do is to remove harmful objects from the dogs reach to start with. This includes electrics, wires, cords, chemicals and other dangerous substances. Tiny objects like marbles should also never be left lying around where the dog has access to.

You should provide your dog with the hard and soft rubber chewable toys which are the best and can be found at pet shops and department stores. If your dog has something in its mouth at all times to chew on, they will be less likely to chew on you or your furniture.

A sharp tone or a mild tap for grabbing an unsuitable object, such as shoe or sock, is useful and appropriate. Yelling or harsh physical punishment is counter-productive. It is better for both dog and you to vent that frustration elsewhere.

Putting your dog outside will let it to explore natural items like grass which it can chew on. But do not forget to remove your plants if you do not want them ruined. One tip that you might use is to put a little cayenne pepper paste on the leaves of attractive plants.This will eliminate the chewing from your dog.

If chewing eventually turns to biting then you will need to consider dog training. A dog trainer can curb this chewing and biting behavior which is dangerous particularly if you have children.

However, training a dog might take time, so you have to be patient. Stay alert and keep a cool head, even when they have just chewed a hole in that new carpet. That is expensive and annoying, but carpet can be replaced. Your relationship with your dog cannot.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

Joe Steven works as a dog trainer for years. He loves dogs and wants every dog in this world to be a good behaving dog. Find out how you can train your dog effortlessly in no time at www.bestdogtrainingcamp.com

Dog Health Alert!

Written by: Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , Ohio

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM.

I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but.... Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give I V fluids at 1 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.

The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine! over 5 ( 1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.

He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to
euthanize.

This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.
Confirmation from Snopes about the above...

Potty Training a Puppy - Things You Ought To Know

Potty training is one of the most important things your puppy must learn. Common sense should tell you why it is the most vital part of raising a puppy and has to be done consistently to be effective. Apart from the maintenance of your household hygiene, trained dogs are happy dogs.

There are numerous ways to potty train your puppy, depending on your circumstances and dog type. Paper training is suitable for puppies that have not been vaccinated yet and for those who live in high raise apartments where access to a garden by the dog itself is almost impossible.

Crate training, suitable for urban living dogs make use of the dog's instinctive nature of not messing up their sleeping area to train the dog to control its bladder and relieve only when he is out of the crate.

The common choice would be to train your dog to go outside to the back yard or the garden to relieve.

The idea potty training age is when your puppy reaches the age of 8 to 12 weeks old. Remember the adage about how old dogs can't learn new tricks? It is not completely true but right in some ways because it is much easier to train a younger dogs when undesirable habits are not formed. So, don't take any chances.

There are many ways and things you can do to achieve the right results. Of them, there are hard ways and easy ways, right ways and wrong ways. The best course is to combine the easy way with the right way and get the best results. Much effort, time and positive reinforcement is needed. Let's see how best to achieve what we want in order to potty train our new puppy.

To begin, you should allocate an area for your puppy to eliminate outside or inside the house, you should show him the way to this spot and praise him generously after he finishes

If you praise and reward him immediately after he finishes his job, it encourages him to eliminate in that area alone. The odor of his urine that he leaves behind will linger till his next visit and he will soon mark that area as his sole place to do his business.

To help the puppy to remember, always use the same door and spot where you want your puppy to eliminate. Use soiled newspaper to mark the area and hint your puppy on where is the right spot.

Next in line is to make your puppy learn about his elimination routines. Dogs are habitual animals, they are born instinctively to keep to routines. At age six to eight weeks, your puppy should go out to eliminate every couple of hours. The frequency will reduce as he grows older and can control his bladder better. During puppyhood, take him to the allocated elimination area at the following times of the day - Upon waking in the morning, after naps, meals, play, training session and just before bedtime.

Taking your pup out at around the same time every day will be very beneficial for the both of you. This will help in establishing a routine, and will make him learn to hold it in until you become available to take him out.

At this time, you must learn how to look for clues, if your puppy is accustomed to roaming freely around the house, search for signs that show you he needs to do it. Be attentive and observe your behavior when he needs to relieve himself, such as sniffing heavily, circling around, and staring at the door intensively to get out.

Teach your dog the "Hurry up" or "Potty" Command to hasten the dog's potty time, teach him to eliminate when you give the command for it. So, say "hurry up" or "potty" in an encouraging tone just when he gets the urge to "go". He will soon learn that when you say the command, he will begin to sniff, circle and then get down to business. Once he's done, praise him lavishly.

During potty training, your puppy is bound to make mistakes like any other puppies. In part 2 of this article, you will learn how to excuse his mistakes and more tips to help you train your puppy in double quick time.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

Moses Wright is a proud owner of 3 beautiful dogs and loves to help new dog owners deal with their dog training problems. You can get his dog obedience training book, a collection of his dog ownership experiences here: Free Dog Obedience Training Book

Puppy Training Basics - Essential Guide

Often people wonder exactly when puppy training should take place. Well, the answer is as soon as possible. A puppy is able to learn things as soon as he can walk. And the earlier you start training, the more acceptable to it the puppy will be.

Training introduced at an early age will yield good results and cooperation; at a later age it will prove more difficult and meet with resistance. So, get your puppy started on the right track with some proper training, and he will become a welcome addition to your home.

A puppy's brain grows and develops dramatically in the first six months of its life. This is a time where you can have an enormous influence on how he develops regarding his learning, socialization and emotional behavior. In fact, a puppy can start training as soon as he opens his eyes. Socialization training is very important to a puppy and it is sensitive to this during the third to sixteenth week of its life. It can prevent behavior problems, presented as aggression, at a later age. A well-socialized puppy will turn into a happy, secure dog. Initially, the puppy is around the rest of its litter. Handling by humans should start early also. As he grows he should be taken out, so he can continue to be around other people and pets. By spending time with your puppy through play, the puppy will develop a bond with you and will want to please you.

It is important to establish who is in control. A puppy that is allowed to roam as he wishes, with no limitations on behavior, will learn he is in charge. He will take signals from his setting as to how he should act. So, it is good to set restrictions. Start by setting up an eating area and his crate area. Get a crate just big enough for him to stand in. Too big a crate will allow the puppy to have an area to use as a potty. And house training is one of the first training areas you should address. Take the dog outside frequently so they have the opportunity to go outside. This way they will sense where they are supposed to go. If he messes in the house, clean it up, give him a firm 'NO', and take it outside. This way he will know where it should go. Try to keep his urine smell out of the house, as he will associate that with the potty area.

Puppies also love to chew on things. They will do this when they become bored. So play with your puppy and keep him entertained. Also provide him with plenty of chew toys especially if you catch him chewing on something he is not suppose to. It is also a good idea to start early in teaching the puppy not to bite people. While playing with the puppy, try to get him to bite you. When he does, say 'ouch' really loud to startle him and stop playing. After a few minutes go back to playing with him and keep repeating. He will get the idea.

Puppy training should be done routinely on a daily basis. And it should be consistent. Stick to the rules. And make sure the whole family does also. Dogs do have a short attention span; so make sure each session is short. It is also important to never hit the dog when he does something wrong. Instead, reward good behavior. He will get the point. Positive reinforcement for good behavior, and a firm 'NO' when he does something you don't like, should do the trick.

Simple commands such as "sit", "stay", "down", "come" and "no" can be taught the first year sometimes even by the 8th week. Their brains are like sponges in the early months of their lives. Say their name and commands often. They will learn through repetition. Reward them with treats initially to get them to follow a command. Later you can withhold the treats and instead offer a 'good dog' as a reward.

It is important during your training process, to have a great deal of patience with the puppy. You should never yell or hit your dog. Instead reward good behavior. They will respond better to this, than harsh words. Through proper training, and lots of love, your puppy will grow up to be a well adjusted, sociable, happy and obedient dog. And you will be a proud owner.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

More Dog Training Articles at Dogs-Today.com. Get Your Own Successful Niche Website Network at eWebCreator.com. Matthew Hick has been designing profitable Adsense Tools for over 5 years.

Training Tip - Cooling Hole vs Digging

During the hot weather of the summer months do not punish your dog for digging outside when your dog is only digging a cooling hole to satisfy a physical need. A cooling hole is a large shallow hole that your dog will lay in to keep cool. If your dog is digging a cooling hole please bring them inside instead of punishing them for digging.

How To Stop A Puppy From Biting

Most normal puppies will bite and chew. While you cannot completely erase this behavior, they can regulate it and influence the puppy’s behavior. To control your puppy’s biting behavior, you should understand the reason behind it. Overall, puppy’s bite and chew because it is a learned behavior; however, learned behaviors can be changed.

Puppies learn biting behavior from his mother at younger age. Young puppies often play with their mouths by grabbing or biting one another. Controlling this learned behavior requires training your puppy because biting and chewing can be harmful for your family and friends.

How to train your puppy to stop biting

*Understand “bite inhibition.” Bite inhibition is the process of making your puppy know the difference between people and playmates. You need to train her and make her understand that biting hurts people whenever she tries to do it.

*Discover the reason behind her biting. One explanation may be anxiety or your aggressive behavior. You need to have patience while training your puppy. You should earn trust and socialize in a proper manner before your puppy is 4 months to teach her biting control. If your puppy trusts and respects you, the biting behavior can be alleviated. However, slapping or kicking your puppy for her biting behavior is not the solution. Thes actions will lead to mistrust and disrespect and may make the puppy more eager to bite rather than control it.

*Allow plenty of time for your puppy to socialize with other puppies and dogs. Socialization will teach her restrain the biting behavior.

*Speak in firm tone whenever your puppy bites. A firm tone can minimize the intensity and frequency of her biting behavior.

*Avoid aggressive behavior such as yelling at or hitting your pupply. Yelling or hitting your puppy because of her the biting behavior minimizes your ability to alleviate her biting control. When a puppy does something right or wrong, you should show it by your behavior. For example, if your puppy does something right, then you should reward her. On balance, if she does something wrong such as engaging in biting behavior, then you should show that you are unhappy by disengaging from her..

Every puppy behaves differently. Therefore, you cannot expect to use the same techniques to train two different puppies. You must adapt your training techniques based on the puppy’s behavior. Often, you need to be experimental and use trial-and-error to determine the best training technique to control the puppy’s biting behavior.

Only you truly know your puppy, so you will need to develop your own training techniques. Adapting continuous changes in your techniques is a good idea. Your puppy may try to gain your attention by nipping you with a “gentle bite.” At times nipping can also cause irritation, and you should make your puppy understand you don’t like this behavior by not responding to her nipping. Because biting can be harmful and dangerous to you and your family, you must adapt the necessary training techniques to stop the puppy from biting.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

Terence Young - For more dog obedience and training tips and ideas visit: www.obediencedoggytraining.com

Keep Training Positive - 3 for 1 Rule

For every negative correction you give your dog give him three positive praises. Your dog will respond so much quicker if you keep your training positive. Plus, your dog will be happier with all the positive attention you are giving him and he will want to continue his good behavior to keep getting the positive attention from the family.

The Most Important Part Of Pet Housebreaking

Housebreaking can be a nightmare for many new pet owners especially if they are not aware of how to start. Successful house breaking your pet will ease up your initial pet ownership anxiety.

To begin, here are some guidelines that worked for me and many others in toilet training their pet. So, if you are still struggling with housebreaking your dog, use this as a guide immediately and be CONSISTENT!

Housebreaking your dog is one of the most important training for all pet owners if they want a more pleasant life. It is not difficult to train even an old dog to do this so long as you are consistent when guiding her. Avoid allowing your dog free run of the home when you first bring her home. She is most likely to eliminate at the wrong places most times and it can be a back breaking experience for u too! Ensure close supervision if you allow her in the home and reprimand her immediately when she make a mistake.

1) Confine your dog to an area (e.g. kitchen) when you bring her home. Do not let her roam around the house as chances are she is going to eliminate anywhere she likes to mark his territory. You may wish to keep her there for few days to 2 weeks to let her get used to his place. Ensure that his den is free from hazardous materials or household cleaning agents that she can reach out. Dogs that are bored can start to get into their mischief when alone at home, so make sure her area is sheltered and safe for her to be left alone there. Once she is more consistent in eliminating at the same stop during confinement, you can start to let her move around freely in the house. If you must bring the pet out to the living quarters, ensure that someone can closely supervise her and when a mistake is made, immediate punishment is enforced to ensure your pet knows it is wrong to eliminate in the living quarters.

2) Place newspapers in the area where you want your dog should eliminate.

3) Each time she does it at the right spot, praise her like she is the smartest dog on earth and give her some treats if you wish. When the same action and same feedback is given to the dog consistently, she will learn very quickly what to do to get those treats. Ease off those treats when she have mastered the skills.

4) If your dog eliminates on the wrong spot, reprimand her immediately by using a low stern voice. Soak up the pee with a tissue and place it at the spot where she is supposed to eliminate and show her again where she should be doing it. You may have to carry her to the spot to show her the right place for toilet. Correction must be immediately for fast result. Even if there is a delay of few minutes after the act, correcting her will be fruitless as she cannot relate the mistake she made with your unhappiness.

5) The trick to this is to eye on your pet like a hawk. When you notice she is about to eliminate at the wrong spot, distract her so she stop the act, scoop or lead her to her toilet and command her to do it there. Ensure she is confined there until she eliminates. Remember to praise and reward her for faster result. This is the fastest way to housebreak your pet but you have to be very attentive to her and know the right time to scoop/lead her before she actually eliminate on the wrong spot. If she eliminates before you can get to her, take the opportunity to reprimand her and punish her as you have caught her in the act. This requires support and cooperation from family members especially if you are busy with something or not at home, ensure someone can help to guide her.

6) Place more newspaper on a bigger area at the start of the training and reduce the paper spread gradually when your dog gets better at it.

If eliminating at home on papers is not an option for the family, then set up a routine to walk your dog at least 2-3 times a day. Dogs do not usually soil their own den (i.e. your home), so if the walks are frequent enough, she will hold it till their walk. Puppies need their toilet break more frequently usually immediately after their meal. Be prepared to bring her out for toilet breaks after every meal or after every 2 hours or so. Place papers just outside the house if need be to train them to eliminate outdoors.

Do remember that consistency and patience is of the essence to housebreaking your pet. Do not give up too early, some dogs take a day to learn, others take months. Each and single one of them is unique, we just have to practice patience and a lot of consistency for the training to be a success.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

Veronica Eng researched on dog care from various sources for many years and summarized many effective yet simple guides to dog lovers. Her techniques have made her dogs healthy, vibrant and gorgeous coat that many envy. Natural pet health is her passion! More tips at www.dogcarezone.com

Stop Your Dog Separation Anxiety

Dogs do behave badly when they are going through separation anxiety. Some of this misbehavior can be damaging and risky to the dog or even the public around them.

Behavior problem connected to separation anxiety includes, undue barking, chewing, damaging property, scratching, unacceptable urination, defecation, and other self damaging conduct.

These misconduct often comes up in the absent of the owner for extended period. For the health and the safety of the Dogs, they need to be trained to deal with long period of separation.

Here are some things that you can do to reduce your Dog Separation Anxiety:

1. Having a preparation and scheduled separation with the dog. This will increasingly adjust the dog to get used to being on its own and separated with the owner.

2. When parting with the dog, keep it monotonous and simple, like a simple bye will do it. Do not and exaggerate your farewell as this will raised the separation anxiety in the dog. They are social animal and they can feel your unwillingness to leave them.

3. Leave your dog with plenty things to be busy with, like chewing toys, balls, treats, etc.

4. Have a planned play time; this is the time where you can offer your dog your complete attention. This is helpful to relieve boredom and anxiety in your dog.

5. Giving your dog with plenty of exercise will be a good way to relieve separation anxiety as the exercise will provide him with a good rest when you are absent from him.

6. If your dog is still a puppy, it is crucial to get him familiar to being alone, this can be done by crate training.

7. In more complicated case, it is necessary for the owner to take no notice of the dog for an extended period of time. This will diminish the dependency of the dog to its owner.

8. Prescription although not recommended, sometimes can be used to help reduce the anxiety in the dog.

9. Naturally the last and most effective approach to help your dog overcome separation anxiety that is harmful and very destructive is by training him the correct way. Do not just believe the claim being made by dog trainer, if you love your dog, you should find out more on the correct method of dog training yourself. This will give you a more satisfactory relationship with your dog.

There you now have the 9 methods to help you ease your dog separation anxiety. This is very important as your dog can cause a lot of harm to himself or to the people around him with his destructive and damaging behavior.

Remember that your dog well being and the people you love are at risk and should you think that you are not able to cope with your dog behavior problem, consult with the professional. It is better to do it as early as possible before you face unnecessary heartache or even unwanted lawsuit because of your dog behavior problems.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

For Free Information and Tips on Proven, Simple and Effective Dog Training Leo Enoch highly recommended You visit: www.DogTrainingSolution.com.

5 Effective Dog Training Essential That Often Overlooked!

This article provide 5 simple effective essentials in dog training that often overlooked even by many dog training school or by training professional.

1. Almost all dogs love to play! Incorporate play into the doggy training session, use your dog's natural excitement is as motivation. This is a really simple yet effective technique and you should really try to include this in your obedience training routine.

If your dog doesn't enjoy it then he/she will not want to do it in the first place and you will most likely just end up wasting both your time and your dog's.

2. The trainer needs to enjoy the training session As well!, If you are not in the mood, do not even think of conducting the training session at all. A lot of people or trainer brings their frustration into the training session which could do much more harm then good.

When you are not in the mind to train and your mind is always wondering about problems that you might currently be facing, then move the dog training session to another slot of time

3. Just like human, long and tiring training session will not be effective as it will demotivate them. Keep all these training session short 5-10 minutes. Human alone, the highest being in this planet has hard time when sitting in a training room for more than 1 hour, what's more with your pet.

So keep the Training Session short but fruitful

4. Dogs do get confused, so keep your command short,clear and consistent.

Example: Not differentiating between "Off" and "Down." "Off" means get Off something. "Down" means lie down. So next time you tell your dog "down" to get them off the couch and they lie down and look at you, its because they were told to lie down there! They are confused, not misbehaving.

When you want your dog to do something for you, normally you call him "Come" but when he did something wrong and you want to reprimand him, you also called hime "Come". This is definitely will get your Dog Confused and after giving him the punishment, the next time you asked him to "Come" he will not come because in his mind, it means big trouble.

5. Dogs also need to be rewarded. Reward them if they did well. Then they will remember that command that they followed to get the reward. This will be very effective in training them to obey your command.

Well, that's the 5 effective dog training essentials that often overlooked or forgotten by the Dogs Trainer which might happen to you when you are Training your Dogs.

Remembering them will definitely improve the quality of your relationship and brings a more meaningful and enjoyable moment for you and your dogs.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

For Free Information and Tips on Proven, Simple and Effective Dog Training Leo Enoch highly recommended You visit: www.DogTrainingSolution.com

Tips For Traveling With Your Dog

If you prefer traveling with your dog, or you are thinking about doing so for the first time and are a little wary of how he or she will handle it. Today, many hotels, motels and other traveling accommodations welcome pets into their facilities and the following tips can help to make the trip safer and more comfortable for you and your dog.

First of all, you should take your dog to the vet to have him checked out to make sure he is in good condition before attempting to take him on the road. If your pet is sick, taking him in a car or a plane into a new environment will just stress him or her out even more. Also, make sure all vaccinations are up to date so your dog is safe from diseases such as rabies and distemper. If your pet gets lost, having him tagged and his vaccinations up to date will also help you get him out of the pound quicker. While you are at the vet, you should also make sure you have enough medication to last your entire trip if your pooch is on any meds. It is also wise to ask the vet to write you another prescription in case the medicine you are carrying gets lost or damaged in some way.

Before packing your dog along with your suitcase, you will also want to consider what type of traveling method you are using. Most people prefer to take their pets along when they are driving, because dogs tend to handle driving better than flying. However, if you must fly, make sure you contact your airlines well in advance to make good flying arrangements for your friend.

You should also pack a doggy suit case for your trip along with your own. Pack all his medication, prescription information, extra ID tag, health records, some toys he or she enjoys playing with, and of course his food and any treats he enjoys.

Most importantly, you will want to consider your dogs personality before taking him on a vacation with you. If your dog is a social animal and enjoys being around other dogs as well as people, he or she should be fine to take along. On the other hand, if he is anti-social, meaning prefers to be just with you and your family, you might want to think about leaving Fido with a friend. When you bring along an anti social animal, they are going to be unhappy, and consequently make you unhappy in the process because you will be constantly worrying about their well being.

By following these few tips, your trip with your dog should be a happy one - enjoy!

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

Author Barney Garcia is a proud contributing author and enjoys writing about many different topics. Please visit my web sites @ www.number1-vacations.info and www.vacation-station.info

Excerpts from a Dog's Daily Diary:

8:00am Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30am A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40am Walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00pm Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
5:00pm Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00pm Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00pm Wow! Watched TV with my master! My favorite thing!
11:00pm Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary:

Day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and myself are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.

The audacity! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded!

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe...for now...

Tips On Making Your Cat And Dog Coexist

If you have a cat and a dog or are planing to have both, you need to know how to make them coexist. The phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” didn’t come up as someone’s idea of a joke just for cartoons (Tom and Jerry comes into mind). Dogs are often territorial and will fight not just new cats but other new dogs as well. They tend to mark their territory and will fight anyone who invades their space. Cats have the same tendencies and even if they are smaller than to dogs, they will scratch and fight for their territory.

Most pet lovers who have both a cat and dog have a hard time making their pets coexist with each other. The usual response to this is separating the two pets and making sure they won’t meet. This is not really a practical solution to this problem as both pets tend to wander around the house and there will come a time when they will meet. This will also cause a lot of wasted time if you have to allot twice the time for playing with your pets. Another response would be to cage both pets but this method is frowned upon by most pet lovers. The best thing to do is to train both cat and dog to coexist peacefully. In this article is a series of steps to finding harmony between cats and dogs.

Perhaps the hardest thing for pet lovers to do is the introduction. Introducing a new pet requires both time and patience as both cats and dogs requires time to adjust to something new. Both cats and dogs take up to 30 days to adjust. It is even longer if you have older pet, but with proper retraining you can teach your old dogs and cat’s new tricks.

The first step is obedience. This is necessary especially for the dog which is usually the aggressor in this kind of situation. You have to train your dog to obey when you say “no”. This can be done by showing him some treat and every time he looks at it you say “no” you stop him from eating it. Do this every day and reward him every time he obeys.

While doing this with your dog, make sure the cat and dog are isolated from each other, allowing your cat to wander around the house. Cats love to roam and this will make her scent scattered in your home. After doing this, lock your cat in one room and let your dog wander around the house sniffing for the cat’s scent. This will make your dog acquainted to your cats smell and train the dog that the cat is part of the household.

Once you’ve done this for about a week, it’s time for them to see each other physically. This part requires that you have someone to help you. Have someone who can hold your cat safely and that knows how to react quickly and get your cat to safety if the dog is showing aggressiveness. Your part is to be able to restrain your dog and making sure that if he starts lunging for your cat, you’ll be there to stop him.

Dogs usually start barking whenever they see some other animals in their territory, hoping to scare them away. They won’t really lunge at something immediately. Once he starts barking, this is where the obedience part starts to come in. Say “no” and make him realize that the cat is also a pet.

If your dog starts to calm down when in the presence of the cat, then it’s the time to let him sniff the cat. Once your dog starts to decide not to bark at your cat you know that you’ve done the introduction part successfully.

The final step is making sure that both pets have the time to coexist. This part is usually the cat’s fault. Cats have the tendency to be aloof and stay away from the dog and other people. It’s not because they are afraid of the dog but more because it’s their nature to be alone. Be sure that your dog sees your cat as often as possible. You can allot some time nightly where you can do some activities with both your cat and dog.

This will allow them to play with each other and you’ll have the confidence that they won’t start fighting when they’re unsupervised. As they say, knowledge equals power, so continue to read information on this topic until you feel you are adequately educated on the subject.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

Ken Charnely is webmaster at two of Internet's popular article directories. For more articles on this topic and for free content for your website visit ArticleTeller.com and ContentWOW.com

Check out the ASPCA's 2007 Action Plan!

Visit the 2007 ASPCA Action Plan

Dogs & Kids: Happy Together

Dogs and kids, it's a combination that at it's best can be the stuff of childhood dreams. At it's worst, it can be a source of heartache and pain and even injury. How can you ensure that your child and Man's Best Friend have a loving and safe relationship? Mostly, it's the responsibility of the adults of the house to teach toddlers and even older children that a dog is not a toy. It's a living, breathing creature that feels pain, shame and humiliation as much as love, pride and happiness. A dog that bites a child may only be defending itself the only way it knows how. But to minimize ever having to worry about a parent's worst nightmare, family animal psychologist, Larry Lachman, M.S., a member of the Animal Behavior Society, the American Psychological Association and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, offers the following advice:

SAFETY PREVENTION TIPS TO TEACH YOUR CHILD:

-Do NOT reach for a dog's head the first time they meet a dog nor excessively rough house around their own dog's head and face.
-Do NOT look a dog straight in the eyes, which could be seen as a threat or challenge by the dog. -Do NOT run up frantically to a dog, which may react fearfully and defend itself or jump and bite at the child's face.
-Do NOT scream loudly at a dog, which could stress a dog or startle it, causing an aggressive response.
-Do NOT bother the dog while it is eating or chewing on a chew toy, which could trigger an aggressive guarding response, especially if the child is under seven years of age, where he/she is looked at by the dog as a competing animal in the pack.
-Do NOT hit, kick, slap, ride, or tease the dog in any manner.
-Do NOT leave the child and dog alone until the child is older than 7, and can control its impulses.

Adults Should Take The Time...

-To show the child HOW TO POSITIVELY interact and pet the dog under direct supervision.
-To show the child how to be a junior dog trainer, and get the dog to sit with a treat, under parental supervision.
-To only give the dog attention when the child is also receiving attention so the dog makes a better association with the child. Following these tips will minimize conflict and teach your child to respect your dog and treat her as a member of the family.

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

Gene Sower is the publisher of the DOG BYTES newsletter and owner of http://www.naturalpetsworld.com/, a site devoted to offering a huge selection of natural pet foods at discount prices.