In-Tune News You’ll Want To Use

When I was a kid, lo these many years ago, there were no leash laws. Dogs roamed freely and frequently got hit by cars, got into fights, created, through some mysterious process, new dogs to enhance, scare and delight the world.

We had a dog in our household. We didn’t own a leash; never even considered it. My uncle who lived with us claimed that he owned the dog. Maybe legally, but he worked nights and slept all day, so we took care of the dog. Dash was its name. My uncle had brought home two dogs, male and female; named them dot and dash after his interest in ham radio and Morse Code. Dot was not kept. My younger sister claimed that Dash belonged to her because he was a boy dog and Dot would have been mine because she was a girl dog. My sister, younger and smarter than me, applied some rare sort of logic with such biblical authority that I reckoned she must be right.

Dash was free to roam the neighborhood, but didn’t stray very far from the source of his livelihood which he perceived not as people but a dish which somehow magically kept being re-filled.

Neighbor dogs, on the other hand, intruded dangerously into other people’s business, especially if those people had dogs. One such pet was more interested in the amorous sensuality produced by the availability of human legs. This was distressing to all the neighbors. We never knew who owned that Don Juan Perro.

We had to keep water hoses and sticks ready to break up fights between a German Shepherd and his nemesis; a mongrel misnamed Duke. This was such a regular occurrence that it became something like tuning in The Lone Ranger on the radio at the designated time each day. (Are you beginning to see how old I am?)

Things are different today, what with Dobermans, Rotweilers and Pit Bulls creating havoc. (letters of protest from dog lovers welcome)

Most states or counties or cities have strict laws about dog freedom now. Here is a sample: “Any person owning, harboring, or controlling a male or female dog whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, licensed or unlicensed, sterilized or unsterilized, shall always keep such animal from running at large by either:
(A) Securely confining such animal within an adequate fence or enclosure, or within a house, garage, or other building or
(B) Accompanying the animal on a leash.”

This is serious business. Stray dogs are picked up by animal control centers and put in cages for awhile. Either they are adopted or destroyed. Destroyed means killed. The typical method for this is a chamber in which the dogs are shoved and the door is sealed and the air sucked out. This is more humane than it sounds since the dogs quickly go to sleep and don’t know what hit them.

Even so, not a pretty picture.

Dog owners who do not obey the law can be severely fined. If their dog kills a baby, the consequences are devastating to all concerned. The dog is usually killed, the owners may be jailed and fined and most certainly are ostracized by the neighborhood.

Bleak!

It is easy to find dog training schools. It is easy to secure your dog. It is easy to have your life ruined by being careless about your dog.

I wish you a merry neighborhood free of dog trouble.

Love thy neighbor as thy dog.

Occasionally watching Animal Planet does have its advantage. You can really learn how to train your dog for different situations.

There was a program on in August, 2005 about a dog that loved to swim in a nearby lake. Whenever the dog left the house, you would find him in the water. The dog would just wade in the water for hours. The family would then need to go into the water and get the dog out.

Instead of going in a getting the dog out of the water, why not train the dog to get people in trouble out of the water. So the owners decided to teach the dog to save lives while enjoying the water at the same time.

Of course, an expert was brought in on training the dog to actually understand that if there is someone drowning in the water, what actually needs to be accomplished.

As a matter of fact, in the past, when the owner’s daughter was having difficulty in the water, the dog was able to bring her to the dry ground but just left her there and went back into the water. Good on one hand, but what if she was unconscious?

So the training began with a long leash. The dog had a long leash on. The trainer just threw a favorite toy in the water. The dog retrieved it and came back out of the water.

The trainer then threw in 2 balls covered in a sheet tied at the top so this way the dog couldn’t actually grab the balls but was able to take the knotted material in his mouth. That is what this dog did. The dog dragged the material with the balls out of the water to safety. The material acted just like a human’s clothing where the dog would say grab a collar or loose clothing the person was wearing.

Then the next step they did was to use a boat with 2 people in it. The trainer threw in a favorite toy, I think it was attached to the rope outside the small boat. The dog brought back the toy and the rope attached to the boat to safety.

Their goal was to train the dog to possibly save lives on a boat that was unable to get to the shore safely. Also, if anyone was drowning, that the dog would pull the person to the safety of the ground and to get help.

This particular dog was very smart and was picking up what the trainer was doing. So if you are looking to train your dog to save lives in water, then using a long leash and doing what the trainer did above, can start you on your way.

Of course, you can find books on this very specific training method.

Copyright 2005 Fern Kuhn, RN
Specializing in Diabetes

http://www.dogtrainingcenter.info

http://www.diabetestestingcenter.com

You may reprint this article as long as you keep the links active.

While it is often hard to tell your Pit Bull no when he begs for your food, you should be strong and do so. Feeding your Pit Bull table scraps is a bad idea for several reasons. The obvious reason is that you will be encouraging him to beg at the dinner table, you will be feeding him an unhealthy diet which can lead to health problems, and also teaching him that it is okay to eat whatever he may want.

If you give in when your Pit Bull begs for your food, especially if you are at the table, he will think that behavior is okay, and will associate it with getting what he wants, table food. Giving in will help reinforce bad behavior. It may be okay with you that he begs while you eat, but can be very annoying if you ever have dinner guests over.

Feeding your Pit Bull table food also can contribute to many serious health problems. The food we eat is often considerably higher in calories than what he needs to meet his nutritional requirements, therefore leading him to be overweight. Studies show that over half of today’s pets are considerably obese. Obesity often causes the same health problems in animals as in humans. Table scraps are usually low in vitamins and nutrients, and can overload your Pit Bull’s system with fat causing stomach and digestion problems. Many foods that we eat contain toxins that are safe for us, but can be detrimental to your Pit Bull’s cardiovascular system. If you still intend to feed your Pit Bull table scraps, consult your veterinarian so he can let you know what foods to stay away from. You will always be safer only feeding him dog food and treats, as these are formulated specifically for him with all of nutritional requirements in mind.

By allowing your Pit Bull to eat food other than dog food, you are encouraging him that it is okay to eat whatever he wants. This can be deadly if he were to come into contact with antifreeze, deadly household chemicals and poisons, or many toxic plants. He doesn’t know these things are bad for him, just that he wants to eat them. As you let him explore other foods, he will want to taste everything he comes into contact with.

To ensure your Pit Bull’s health, you should really only feed him food that is intended for dogs. Again, you talk to your veterinarian, but to me, it is too risky. Your Pit Bull’s health should be the number one priority, and just like children, he doesn’t know what is best for him, you have to make those decisions.

To learn all about Pitbull puppies and training a Pitbull terrier, visit www.pitbullsrevealed.com/ today.

Cat spraying can cause some nasty stains and odors if not taken care of. One of the best solutions in removing cat urine stains and odors is by preventing the problem. In order to do that, you must first ask your self why your cat is spaying. Yes, there is more than one reason.

Before you can do this however, you need to first understand that cat spraying is a marking behavior and not a litter box problem.

So why do cats spray?

There are numerous reasons why cats spray. The following reasons can include marking for territory, sexual encounters or when they are in conflict with other felines.

By understanding these reasons, you are in effect able to possibly prevent your cat from spraying.

Let us take a look at how shall we.

In order to try and prevent your cat from spraying, you need to first find out which one of the reasons mentioned above fits your cats profile. Generally your vet will advise you on neutering or spaying your cat. However, before taking this route, first consider the following options;

If your cat is spraying because of a conflict problem with another cat or pet, try keeping them separated. If your cat is spraying because it sees another cat, try doing everything you can to block your cats view. If in the end you find that all attempts are futile, then most likely you will have to take the advice of your vet.

As sad as the last option may seem, it can also save your house from bad stains and odors that could potentially cost you a lot of money in the long run as you find yourself continuously purchasing pet urine cleaning products that might or might not take care of the problem, and ultimately leading you to have no choice but replace your ruined carpet or furniture, just to find it getting ruined in the same manner as the previous one.

So, as you can see, prevention is by far better than the cure when it comes to dealing with your cat spraying.

Dogs have been bred for the purposes of hunting with humans for centuries. Whether hunting for food or sport, various breeds of dog have been used to help flush the hunted animals out into the open, to retrieve downed animals (especially ducks, pheasant, and other birds), and to sniff out and track animals for the hunter. It is with these potential duties in mind that a hunting dog should be chosen.

When choosing a dog for hunting purposes you may want to evaluate your needs and base the choice on what you want the dog to do, how easily it can be trained, whether it is likely to be “spooked” by the report of a weapon being fired, and how good its nose is.

Hunting Breeds

There are several breeds of dog that have a natural aptitude for assisting in various aspects of hunting. Hounds, for example, make excellent trackers, especially bloodhounds. They have a very acute sense of smell, even for a dog, and have no problem following several scents at once. Retrievers are quite keen at, well, retrieving. And make excellent bird-dogs.

Hunting breeds are separated into four general groups. These are the general hunting dogs, gun dogs, retrievers, and bird dogs. Some specific dog breeds may fit into more than one category.

Retrievers

Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are experts at finding and fetching fallen prey. They are especially useful on duck hunts because their oily coats help them move effortlessly through water to find and retrieve the fallen waterfowl.

Pointers and Setters

These dogs are useful in hunting because they let the hunter know when prey is nearby. They are most often used in bird hunts and are trained to freeze and point their bodies in the direction of the hunted bird (pointers) or hunker down low to the ground when they locate a bird (setters). Spaniels also make good pointers.

Hounds and Trackers

Bloodhounds and other dogs with heightened senses of smell are used to track all manner of animals. Whether it is their traditional use in the British fox hunt or their usefulness in tracking down deer, bears, and other such game for hunters in the US, they serve their purpose exceptionally well.

About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.

Source: www.isnare.com