Natural Pets World » 2010

Dog Obedience Training For Happy And Well-Behaved Dog

By genesower on Monday, December 20th, 2010 | Comments Off

Most dogs want to make their owners happy, but certain behaviors such as walking on a leash without pulling, potty training, or controlled barking require training, as they do not come naturally. This is why dog obedience training is so important for all dogs, regardless their size, breed, or character.

Understand Your Dogs Basic Needs

Before you start dog obedience training, you should try to learn about his basic needs. Obedience training for dogs requires a “partnership” with your pet: your dog is not the only one who has to work on his behavior. Just as other types of dog trainings, dog obedience training requires a lot of work and determination, but the benefit is that you develop a great bond with your dog. As a result of this training, your dog will learn to trust you and communicate with you.

Dog obedience training concentrates on five commands: sit, stay, come, down, and drop-it. The key objective of dog obedience training is to teach your dog the proper behavior around other people. These commands will definitely make your daily interactions easier and hassle-free.

Dog obedience training can be a challenging process, as requires a lot of patience and determination. So, start with a command that is easy for your dog to learn teaching your dog to come to you when you call his name. Your dog will not learn a command after one time, thus repetition is key in dog obedience training. It takes multiple attempts for your dog to understand what he is expected to do.

Many dog owners believe that dog obedience training involves punishing your dog when he does not perform or misbehaves, especially if you didn’t catch him in the act (you found your half-eaten shoe). Punishing him afterward will not achieve anything, as your dog won’t connect your anger with his behavior from hours before. However, if you do catch him misbehaving, simply address him with a stern “No.” Hitting or yelling at your dog may have an opposite effect and cause more aggressive behavior instead of improvement. Thus, try to express your disappointment in a calm, but firm manner.

Keep in mind that dog obedience training is a continuous process. You should always find time to work with your dog so he can master the commands.

Dog obedience training is a wonderful occasion to interact with your dog making the special bond you two share stronger. As you learn to trust each other, you can also focus on behaviors that will keep you all safe and happy.

For more information on dog obedience training click here.

How To Groom Your Guinea Pig?

By genesower on Friday, December 17th, 2010 | Comments Off

Although guinea pigs are low maintenance and easy to take care for pets, they still require some routine grooming.

The Nails

Your guinea pig’s nails need frequent trimming. You can also let your guinea pigs file his nails on rocks, rough stones or bricks, so you don’t have to clip them.

The hardest part of trimming your guinea pigs nails is holding him still, as most likely he will be nervous and will squirm a lot during the process. With patience and practice, the process will become part of your routine and your guinea pig will likely get used to it and grow to be less timid. The best solution is to have someone to help you. Wrap your guinea pig in a towel, with his feet sticking out. Have one person hold the guinea pig while the other trims the nails. If you have no help, place your guinea pig on a tennis racket and cover him with a light towel, which should calm him down a little.

Be careful not to cut your guinea pig’s nails too short. To avoid cutting into the quick (the part inside the nail where the blood vessel and nerve endings are located) do not clip more than 1/4 inch of the nail tip. In light or translucent nails (in most guinea pigs), the quick is clearly visible, in black nails, the quick is nearly impossible to see, so you will need to guess.

If you accidentally cut into the quick and cause some bleeding do not be terrified. Simply stop the bleeding using Kwik-Stop powder or similar product that all pet stores sell. You can also use iodine, which will stop the bleeding altogether. Make sure the bleeding stops before putting your pet back in his cage.

The Teeth

Like most rodents, your guinea pig has two incisors that may require regular filing by your vet. If the teeth grow too long your guinea pig won’t be able to eat. Eating or chewing on hard foods and objects helps to keep these teeth in check, so make sure there are a few things in the cage for your pet to chew on. Still, inspect your pet’s teeth regularly for chips or broken teeth as well.

Brushing

Regular brushing will keep your guinea pig coat clean, shining, and healthy. The brushing time is also a good opportunity to inspect your pet for lice or skin sores. For short haired guinea pigs the brushing needs are nominal – a few times a week works well. But if you have one with longer hair daily brushing is vital.

For short haired pet use a small brush with gentle bristles. Long fur that might get tangled, will require a small metal comb, which will remove all of the excess hair and mites.

Bathing

Bathing is quite stressful for guinea pigs, since they do not like to be bathed. Fortunately, most guinea pigs rarely need bathing, if ever. If however, you do need to bathe your guinea pig (lice or recommended by your vet) use a shampoo formulated especially for guinea pigs (cavies); a mild shampoo for kittens, or baby shampoo will work as well. Dry your guinea pig with a towel the best you can and keep her warm until he is completely dry.

For more information on grooming your guinea pig click here.

Dog Training Tips That Can Radically Transform Your Dog Behavior

By genesower on Monday, December 13th, 2010 | 1 Comment

From getting your puppy potty trained, to teaching your dog new tricks and how to behave properly – dog training can be challenging. Here are some dog training tips that can help you make drastic changes in your dog’s behavior when he is dealing with other animals and other people.

When is it a good time to start dog training?

The recommended time to start dog training is when your dog is between six to eight weeks old. You may try earlier, but that depends on the puppy, so use your judgment.

Be Positive, firm and friendly

Positive attitude and friendliness are essential dog training tips. Use positive reinforcement by offering dog treats and a lot of praise when he acts properly. Your tone of voice should be associated with the command. For “heel” and “come” you want to use a happy, friendly voice. When you want your dog to “sit” or “stay” your voice should be firmer.

Understand your dog

Although only an animal, every dog has unique personality, aptitude, patience, and receptiveness to dog training. In his mind you and your family are pack leaders who give orders and your dog obeys. Understanding your dog’s capacity is one of the fundamental dog training tips, since it is vital to his successful training.

Use Simple Commands

Dogs do not communicate the way humans do. When you training your dog you want him to understand what you want him to do, understand that you are pleased with his behavior and that he is being praised for his actions. The easiest way to develop this mutual understanding is to use this dog training tip – when training your dog follow simple commands, such as sit, roll over or lie down.

Play games with your dog

A different positive dog training tip is to play games with your dog that help reinforce proper behavior. These games are an excellent (and fun) learning experience for the dog. Though repetitive, these exercises will entrench your dog with good habits.

Relate commands to different situations

Dogs are situational learners and they do not understand that “sit” applies to every location and situation. To train your dog’s behavior effectively, you need to practice in various surroundings until your dog responds correctly regardless of location or situation. It is also important that everyone in your family practices with your dog, so he will learn that he needs to listen to everybody.

Other handy dog training tip proposes sending your dog to for obedience classes that could be useful for both of you. Your dog will learn the importance of obeying commands, and you, as the dog owner can learn how to successfully train your dog at home.

We all want to be proud owners of well trained and obedient dogs. The advices on how to train your dog effectively are countless. Still, the basic dog training tips are: keep it short, keep it simple, keep it fun.

For more information on successful dog training tips click here.

African Grey Parrot – High Maintenance But Beautiful And Smart

By genesower on Friday, December 10th, 2010 | 1 Comment

Originating from central Africa, African Grey parrots are one of the most beautiful birds available for taming. They are highly intelligent and known for their exceptional talking and cognitive ability. African Grey parrots are capable of developing a large vocabulary and communicating easily with their owners.

African Grey parrot is a medium-sized bird 10 to 14 inches in length. There are two different types of African Grey parrots: the Congo African Grey with light gray coloring and a red tail, and the Timneh African Grey, of a darker charcoal gray color and a maroon tail. Typically, male parrots are slightly larger than females – 12 to 14 inches in length. Although both sexes look almost the same, Female African Grey parrots normally have smaller head and a slender neck.

African Grey parrots are in for a long commitment

African Grey parrots have a long lifespan up to 60 years, thus they need an owner who can make a long term commitment to them. Because of their high intelligence and sensitivity, African Grey parrots call for a caretaker who is knowledgeable and who can easily recognize their needs. They get bored easily, so a stimulating and interactive environment is a must. Without their intellectual needs met African Grey Parrots will exhibit behavioral problems, become cranky or show signs of self-mutilation.

Discipline your parrot to avoid behavior issues

Typically properly behaved and well mannered, nurturing African Grey parrots brings a few challenges. They pick up behaviors very quickly so teaching them good habits should be an easy task. Still, these parrots need to be disciplined and watch closely; otherwise, they will get into trouble: they might chew wires or bite.

These parrots love affection and attention

African Grey parrots are very social birds. In the wild these parrots typically flock together. In home environment, they will adopt their owner’s family as their flock. African Grey parrots are known to cuddle with their owners. Still, limit your affection to petting and head-scratching, as these parrots do not like intense physical contact. Regurgitation (throwing up small amounts of food with the intention of feeding it to a loved one) may not be considered a pleasant by the owner, but for African Grey parrots is a sign of deep affection and love. They will also try to “kiss” their owners on the mouth.

It is important for their owners to understand these birds’ need for a companion. African Grey parrots express their loneliness excessively, by becoming very vocal, plucking their own feathers, or they may start to bite. Because of these tendencies, African Grey parrots may not be good pets for a family with children. Their beaks are hard and strong and they might unintentionally hurt the children.

African Grey parrots have unique and exceptional human-like personalities. If you are one of the lucky owners, you will enjoy the intelligence and eccentricity rarely found in other animals.

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