The new single from Daniel Merriweather, produced by Mark Ronson. Released on 17 August. Download on itunes now!!! HONOURS FOR THIS VIDEO -98 Top Favourited (15 July – 15 August) – Music -81 Top Favourited (15 July – 15 August) – Music -75 Top Favourited (15 July – 15 August) – Music -94 Most Viewed (15 July – 15 August) – Music

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It can be confusing figuring out the best way to train your dog, and there are a lot of options available. How can you decide what the best dog training courses are? There are certain things to look for when determining where or who to take dog training courses with. Here is a list of tips to help you in your search for the best dog training courses for both you and your dog. Tips for selecting effective dog training courses:

1. Ask your local veterinarians, groomers, and shelters who they recommend the most. Someone who is a dog training professional is probably known around the local area, and chances are, the other dog service professionals will know about them.

2. Do an internet search for dog training courses in your area. Some pet stores hold classes, although they are not always the most conducive to learning. National professional organizations, like The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, have membership directories you can browse through. You will also be able to locate any dog kennel clubs in the area that might have training.

3. Once you have a list with a few names on it, it’s time to begin contacting. Always speak with a trainer directly to ask questions about their experience, how the classes are run, and in what manner they train. You might even ask for references. It is also important to ask a trainer if they are comfortable working with your kind of dog or its issues. Do they mind having your breed in class? Have they worked with it before? If your dog has special issues, you definitely want to get a sense of how they feel about it and how they would deal with it. Is your dog shy or scared or dog aggressive? What are the techniques they will use? You never want to get to a class and find out your dog won’t really get the kind of attention and education it needs.

4. Ask to watch. A reputable dog trainer or kennel club will not mind allowing you to watch a class in progress before deciding. You want to make sure you are comfortable with the trainer and the dog training courses themselves. How well is the information conveyed? Is the trainer able to control the class?

5. Group Size: How large a training class is should be a big consideration. You want to know that you will be able to ask questions and receive appropriate attention with your dog. Dog training courses should never be larger than 10-15 dogs, but in small spaces, less than 10 dogs should be in a class. Selecting effective dog training courses requires you to do a little homework to find a training professional with a good reputation. Ultimately, speaking with the dog trainer and watching his dog training courses personally will help you decide if you are comfortable both with the trainer and his style of training.

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We might have faced a situation wherein we have been greeted (sometimes knocked down) by pet dogs when visiting someone, with their embarrassed and apologetic owners trying stop them. As a dog owner, it does not seem to be a pretty situation to be in. Yet, it is a problem for owners to prevent their dogs from jumping upon and licking their visitors.

It need not be distressing. Just as you teach your dog to do things with patience, here too you can do it. However, here you may need to be more innovative and sneaky in order to teach your dog to behave.

The most common method is to command at the top of your voice “No!” to stop your dog from charging. However, you can not always be there to stop your dog or the dog may not obey. Other methods include using chains to stop the dogs which can be dangerous for both as the sudden jerk of the chain can cause injury. Here too, you can not always be there to stop the dog. Others used keyed chains which creates rattling noise when moved. Dogs find this noise unpleasant and stop doing whatever they are doing. This helps when they are wearing but to make then suffer this noise would be cruel. Hence, a better solution is needed.

Sometimes one finds solutions by accident as it happened here. The owner unable to stop the dog from charging through the usual “key collar method” threw a regular chain at the door and yelled “No!” at the same time. The sudden clanging sound of the falling chain plus the loud command had a dramatic effect on the dog which stopped then and there.

This method has proved to be effective; but you need ensure that your dog does not that you are throwing the object or else it shall be scared of you. You can use chains, bottles, stones, or sand to do the trick. Remember the aim is to grab the dog’s attention and not hurt it. This method sends a signal to the dog “If you ignore your master, something shall happen”. Hence, the sudden falling of the object is bound to frighten the dog to realize that something is amiss and it is better to obey you. The thought of creating noise whenever someone comes, might not appeal to all, however, it is still better than apologizing for the dogs’ behavior. Moreover, this need not continue, for the dog shall learn to obey your command and stop the moment you say “No!”

The same method can be applied outside, whenever the dog tends to ignore you. The combination of the sound and object falling (like bottle with stones), plus your stern and loud command speeds up obedience and the dog is conditioned to obey you or else face the unpleasant situation.

Learn more of dog training aids, videos, cassettes, books, magazines from the library or workshops. The television show; “Dog Whisperer, Caesar” can also help.

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hey everyone this is Milo [AKA] Babies he is lasy and loves to take cat naps hes fun to play with. ps:i am making parts because i have alot of cats.each part has one cat.

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Even though there are bags of commercially manufactured pet food available in the market, a true dog lover will always favor nature dog food recipes over them. The reasons for this bias are not hard to fathom. For one homemade dog food is safer and secondly it is also not that difficult to make, if you are willing to invest just a little bit of your time and energy. One person who is best placed to advice you on natural recipes for your dog is your vet. They can offer you valuable tips on the ingredients based on your dog’s breed, size and the climatic conditions in your place. Here are some great tips for natural dog food recipes for the overall good health of your pet dog.

Organic or raw meat is something that finds a place in many nature dog food recipes. You can try out various cuts of organic or raw meat. Nature dog food recipes with assorted grains are also known to be a healthy option for your dogs. They are known to provide all the energy that your dog needs throughout the day, while also making them feel ‘full’. If you have some garden space available in your home, you can also try out nature dog food recipes with juices of vegetables and fruits, which are home grown. Dogs are known to love these juices, especially during the hot summer months. Apple bits and baby carrots can be used as snacks for your dog. Additionally you can try giving them ice cubes during the summers. These snacks make for excellent nature dog food recipes. Homemade doggy biscuits with natural ingredients are another option that you have got. Not only are they quite simple to make, they are also highly nutritious and help in keeping your dog’s daily calorie dietary intake’s calorie count low.

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To ensure perfect growth, dogs require fiber and other nutrition’s beside meat in their diet. The Dog Food Purchased from Market is not full of all required Nutritions. Make the best healthy Dog Food Recipes at home and Increase the life span of your Dog by 134%. If you don’t know how to make healthy dog food recipes for your Dog, then this is the most important message you will ever read- <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://dogsfoodsecrets.blogspot.com/2008/07/dog-food-secrets-review.html”>Click Here</a>

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February 24 is officially Spay Day USA 2009, an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States to inspire people to save animals lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats.

Originally I thought that I might republish one of the very first articles I had ever written as a way to inspire people. In rereading it I realized that not only was it dated and too regionalized, having been published in “The Laramie Sunday Boomerang,” December 19, 1982, but that after all these years I finally wanted to follow the advice of a teacher, and write it differently. I guess with my increase in age and experience his wisdom finally had a chance to sink in!

At the time I was living in Laramie, Wyoming, and decided to take a class on how to get published. The teacher was Donald Murray, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist. I was not really certain why I was taking the class other than the opportunity to be guided by someone who could write well enough to win such a prestigious award. In retrospect I think it was my writing blood yearning for an outlet.

My assignment for the class was to choose two topics on which to write, write them up as a query to a publisher, and submit the final for publication. Having no idea what to write about, I decided to write about what I did know, animals. Topic Number One was a story about my pet rats (which ultimately resulted in a cooking column for the University of WA student paper, a story for another time). For Topic Number Two, I approached the local animal shelter and asked if I could research an article about the shelter and the animals they tried to save. They agreed, and I spent a week tracking the animal residents, looking for the angle that would result in a good story. And I got it, but like so many stories there is always more under the surface to be unearthed.

But before the final choice of story was made there were others that did not get told. The Laramie Animal Shelter is a city shelter like so many others across the United States, small and underfunded. Staffed by dedicated and hardworking men and women who did their best to make the right choices and care lovingly for the many animals that came their way-an overwhelming tide of animals. At that time over 10 million animals were euthanized in shelters every year due to a lack of enough homes. The Laramie Animal Shelter was no exception, as of 1982 an average of 25 percent of its dogs and 12 percent of its cats had to be euthanized.

Most of the 24 cages and 35 kennels at the shelter are usually filled. The animals are well taken care of, but they lack one thing – a loving owner. Everywhere you go the paws reach out for you, and the eyes of the animals are filled with the hope that you might be the one they are looking for.

As I cruised the aisles, face after furry face stared back at me. The dogs would lunge joyfully toward me in hopes that I was the answer to their canine prayers. Number 4717, an eight-month old puppy, was no different. For every visitor she put on a tail-wagging exhibition guaranteed to soften the hardest heart.

My attention was caught by one large black dog who did not greet me eagerly, he huddled in the back of his cage, and his gaze spoke volumes to my heart, he wanted to trust but was no longer sure that he could.

I took notes of the numbers on each cage, and the occupant, and asked the shelter workers for what background stories they had. Most of the dogs had been found wandering, numbers increase dramatically during the summer. Tourists frequently left Fido behind by the side of the highway, apparently a dog was too much trouble to take care of while having fun on vacation. One story that stood out for its special lack of humanity was the dog surrendered because the owners had redecorated, and he did not match the new décor.

The cats were less effusive in their greetings, but nonetheless hopeful. My gaze was caught by one way up top who peered down at me and meowed. The size of his big apple head belied the information on the cage that he was female, and when I questioned a shelter worker his sex was double-checked, and it was discovered that she was a he. My question bought him another week of life, and the possibility that he might find a good, loving home.

I spent a great deal of time interviewing the shelter workers, asking about their lives and how they handled the difficult task they had chosen to do. Every week there are animals that have to be euthanized to make room for more, an unending cycle. One worker said, “You get used to it, but you never get to the point where you can accept it.” Another stated, “Sometimes I almost cry if I have too put an animal to sleep by myself. I look at it this way, I would rather put an animal to sleep than have it be pregnant or be a puppy out in the cold, be hit by a car, come down with disease, or be neglected.”

Much as I dreaded the thought, I finally asked the workers if I could be present when the next group of animals was euthanized. I felt as though I would be letting the animals down if I was too much of an emotional coward to witness the reality of what happens when lack of spaying, neutering and proper education results in overpopulation. The workers were concerned as to how I might respond, and were reluctant at first to agree to my presence. Ultimately they made me promise that I would not cry, a promise that I sincerely hoped that I could keep.

When I arrived that day I was understandably nervous, and as it turned out, I was about to get my story.

The cats were first, a paw was pulled out of the cage, and the injection was administered quickly. Next were five dogs, and Number 4717 was among them. Four dogs in turn were placed on the examination table, and given an injection to the heart. Each dropped instantly. It was all so quick, and so business-like, that I was able to hold strong emotionally as I had promised, although I imagined that I would pay for my current emotional distance later, in private.

And then it was Number 4717’s turn. And the injection missed the heart as sometimes happens. She did not drop instantly, it would take more time for the injection to take effect. So, they put her down on the floor so she could wander around freely, and everyone continued on with their morning chores.

The puppy was thrilled to be out, and ran from person to person, tail wagging happily. Her movements got slower and slower. Finally she went to the man who was washing up the food bowls, and with a quiet sigh she laid her head upon his foot, and died.

At that point I lost it, in order to honor my promise I had to go cry in the bathroom. Even now as I write this I am crying, even after all these years. I will never forget that moment as long as I live, a moment that spoke so eloquently of all the years of devotion and love that those shelter animals had to offer, lifetimes that now would never be.

When I emerged from the bathroom, somewhat under control, the bodies of all the dogs and cats euthanized had been laid out in neat rows in the garage in preparation for transport to the city dump. There their bodies would be tossed into an earthen pit, alongside any road-killed animals, and some dirt would be bulldozed over them.

Lest you think this heartless, the city did what they could with what budget they had. There was not enough money to cremate the animals, this method of disposal was quite common in rural areas. It was tough to stay, but I hung in there, feeling as though my presence at least bore witness to the lives of these animals, victims in a quiet war on overpopulation, and gave them some honor in their passing. They did not go unmourned, I cried for them, and for the countless others who had gone before, and the untold numbers yet to come.

Here is the original beginning to “The Animals Are Waiting At the Shelter,” and the epitaph that I wrote for the puppy:

“Number 4714 waited for her owner for five days.

“No one came.

“She waited another five days for someone to adopt her. Again, no one came. She was given a shot of Sleepaway, and at the age of eight months the black and white puppy went permanently to sleep with her head resting on the feet of the only person who cared, an officer of the Laramie Animal Shelter.”

At the time that article was submitted to my professor, Donald Murray, he thought it well written but suggested that there could be more emotional appeal in it. I disagreed, wanting to reach people with logic. In retrospect I realize that deep down I was scared to expose myself emotionally, I just was not brave enough.

Now, years later, I realize that someone else besides the shelter workers did care; I did, and I still do. I now have both the emotional chops and the courage as a writer to dare to share how I felt. This new article was written in hopes that my words will inspire others to care, and to take action.

In checking up on Prof. Donald Murray I discovered that he passed away in 2006 at the age of 82, immersed in an internet project to mentor aspiring writers.  Wherever you are now, Prof. Murray, I hope you are pleased that I finally took your advice to heart, and put mine out there in hopes of making a difference.

We have made progress in the intervening years, now only 4 million animals are euthanized each year, due in part to aggressive spaying and neutering programs, but that is still 4 million too many. The bad guys are not the shelters, but people who add animals to an already taxed population. The choice you make when you adopt a pet could take a home away from a shelter animal in need.

Here are some suggestions on how you can help.

Don’t buy from backyard breeders. Check with purebred rescue organizations before buying a puppy, there are many adults needing homes.

Encourage your neighbors to spay and neuter; while they may dearly love Fluffy, want kittens like her, and promise to find them good homes, the birth of those kittens means less homes for animals on death row.

Pass this article along to as many people you can think of, whether they have pets or not. They may be in a position to help educate someone else.

Got feral cats in your neighborhood? There are organizations that can help you get them spayed or neutered. Check out the Animal Shelters and Rescue Groups in the Resources section on my website for some suggestions.

Dare to care, and to show that you care-the life you save could be someone’s future pet.

Postscript: After he ran out of time for the second time, I adopted the male cat mistakenly identified as a female. He was a big, loving mush-bucket of a tiger cat, and we named him O’Malley. Goes to show you the power of a single glance!

Rose De Dan Copywrite 2008

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Pets come in different shapes and sizes. For those who don’t want that much maintenance, having some fish in the aquarium will suffice. If the owner wants physical intimacy, a dog or cat are the usual animals that come to mind.

According to one survey, many people want to have something more than what is frequently bought at the pet store. These are classified as exotic pets that owners claim to be just as fun. A good example of such a creature is a ferret.

Ferrets have been around centuries and are related to badgers, otters and weasels. People first used this creature to flush out rodents. Known to be friendlier and more playful than cats, it is no wonder that many consider this to be an ideal pet.

Should the individual decide to get one, here are a few tips that should be kept in mind.

1. Ferrets are usually active in the early morning or late afternoon. The owner must make sure that there is time for the animal to exercise its muscles outside its cage because being locked up may cause stress and make it sick.  2. Ferrets are carnivores and buying some mice or rats at the pet store can satisfy this craving. If this is too expensive, you can settle for the same food given to a cat.  3. When ferrets are brought home from the pet shop, many have experienced that the animal hasn’t yet been toilet trained. There are two ways to solve this. The first will be putting some cat litter in a box. The other will be bringing the creature to the designated spot whenever there is an urge.

4. Ferrets are prone to diseases and pests commonly found in dogs and cats such as viruses and mites. Regular checkups with the veterinarian will ensure the health and safety of the pet.

5. Ferrets love the outdoors especially in the garden. Those who love to work with plants will love to have this creature as a companion but should be careful since some may wander off and never be seen again.

6. Ferrets are cute and long furred creatures. The proper way to hold them will be to get the animal from behind with one hand holding the chest while the other is on the hips.  Companionship is the primary reason why many people decide to have a pet. If the person is busy with work and really wants one, the best to buy is a ferret.

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Most dogs seem to have the begging habit where they beg for attention, love and food and continue to do so until they are taught not to beg. Some owners find this behavior cute while others blow up easily whenever the dog begs and especially when they can see and smell delicious food.

Is it wrong for a dog to beg?

The dog may look cute while begging, but it is not good to encourage the begging for it is actually a demanding or aggressive behavior in disguise. Besides, it helps the dog to slowly gain control over the pack which is the family here. The dog sees itself as a member of the family pack. Hence, it may look amusing to see your dog rolling over its back and expecting you to rub its belly whenever it sees you or it may look painful to see the dog looking sadly at you, while you are eating but this behavior can become hostile and aggressive.

How much hostile can the dog become?

If you have an impression that your dog will not bite your hand if you refuse to give a small food morsel every time it begs, you can be wrong. As in the case of a person, who always fed the puppy something by hand at the time of eating be it pieces of bread at breakfast or sandwiches at lunch or bacon at dinner time. It was a routine done daily.

With the passing months, the puppy grew up into a dog and larger too. As it is the person did not expect that the dog would develop a dominant leadership by feeding it whenever it begged, but later on realized the gravity of the situation after a painful and shocking incident. Once, the person decided not to feed the dog as usual during the meals and ignored its pleas and whines. The dog became aggressive and barked ferociously. Then, suddenly without warning the dog jumped at the persons plate and snatched the food along with a piece of the persons finger. This was unexpected but it happened.

Proper training can make the dog stop begging

The above incident may look far fetched, but it shows what a dog can resort to if it does not get what it wants. Hence, this is a serious problem and needs to be looked into and checked as early as possible. The dog needs to be trained on the rules of begging.

Therefore during the meal times, train your pet dog to quietly sit and wait in another separate area while the family eats their food. It should not neither come near the table nor beg for food. This will take time but slowly the dog shall learn to sit at one place until the end of the meal. After the end of the meal and when everyone has had their fill, you can give the dog its meal in its own food bowl. Also remember to praise your dog for following the rules.

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If your dog is about fifteen weeks old or more than that, then he should not be having this habit of biting or nipping. A lot of dog owners are still striving to curtail this issue of biting of their dogs which are more than fifteen weeks old, such that most of them have gone to the extent of putting a muzzle over their dogs mouth in order to deal with the biting. Before your dog reaches fifteen weeks, you should give appropriate training and basic common commands so that it stops this irritating habit of mouthing. However, if this habit persists or you have taken in a dog that is over 15 weeks old or the dog is new to its home, you can try out the following to make it stop biting the hand and fingers.

a) The very first thing to do to curb this habit is to stop immediately all the dog games involving rough play. Whenever a new puppy or dog is in the home, we generally play games like wrestling and tug-of-war which are sadly not good for the dogs. As, if the dog still bites, it is imperative to stop the above game activities. These games send a wrong signal to the dog that it is okay to indulge in rough play with anyone whenever it wishes. You need to be extremely cautious not to let your dog become hostile to young kids and strangers.

b) It may be okay to allow gentle and soft biting from the puppies which are still very young. But for dog over 15 weeks, biting of all forms should stop at all cost, even if it is a simple harmless nibble on your hand or finger tips. You need to stop the dog by commanding it to stop biting firmly and at once take away your arm.

c) You can try out a method that will shock your pet dog to refrain from biting. This method is quite harmless and involves a spray bottle by which you can spray water quickly on the head or body of the dog while it is biting or nibbling. This shall startle the dog to stop this habit. This ploy is very effective and is many times the only thing needed to stop this mouthing issue.

d) A method of putting across your message is through disciplinary and firm commands. It can be applied to puppies or dogs of all ages and for all purposes too. Hence, whenever you feel the dog is going to bite your hand, it is okay to quickly say firmly and loudly No Bite! command to your dog while staring at the dog. You need to remember two things while using this method. Firstly, you should not say the command loudly such that the dog gets scared and misses the point. Secondly, you should stare at the dog for sometime only as you are trying to make the dog focus on you. If you stare for long, the dog will think that you are confronting it.

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Sugar and Freakin’ love to provoke the vacuum… to come hither! This is the best way to get rid of excess fur and dander. For some strange reason, my pets just adore the vacuum cleaner. Also enjoy the fantastic music of St. Louis trumpet great – Jim Manley. The featured song is “Mattress Mambo” off his Lip Trip album. Enjoy!

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