First Coast Pet

Archive for July, 2009

Information about why does a dog bark and how to stop your dog from barking excessively!

A dog that is constantly barking can become irritating to the quietude and peace around the neighborhood.

But Why Does Your Dog Bark?

While it’s not exactly rocket science, your dog’s barking is its way of communication to the world; it can also mean several other things such as:

• It is trying to get your attention due to dog separation anxiety, boredom or loneliness.

• It may feel threatened or senses non-pack members intruding into its territory.

• It is trying to alert you and members of their pack of impending threat or danger.

Ways And How To Stop Your Dog From Barking

Negative Association – This is also commonly known as the squirt gun method. Together with the command "No", call out the command and spray your dog with water when you catch him barking excessively. Consistent use of this method will cause your dog to associate barking as an unpleasant experience as most dogs do not like to get wet.

Training Collars – Anti-dog barking collars can be very helpful if you need to leave your dog alone while you are away at work. Some of these training collars release a harmless, nontoxic smell or a mild shock that your dog does not encounter on a regular basis. As a result, your dog will become distracted and cease barking.

Additional Useful Dog Training Tips You Should Know And Apply

• Make sure that you dissuade your dog from barking immediately. Do not wait to correct your dog after five minutes of barking, your dog will not understand the reason for the discipline. This can cause or will lead to undesirable side effects, such as your loving dog becoming fearful, shy, aggressive and even more afraid of you.

• After your dog has stopped barking, reward him or her with a treat. This way, your dog will equate quietness with yummy treats and will therefore learn to stop barking so much.

• If your dog continues to barks excessively even after positive reinforcement training and corrections, it may be a symptom of a larger problem. Your dog might be suffering from a mental or physical issue. Visit your local vet to have the problem assessed. Any health issues must be addressed first before any training can continue.

Finally, without your dog barking excessively, you will find your relationship with your canine grow more lovingly and affectionate. Therefore, instead of formulating a negative relationship with your canine, take proactive measures today and start training your dog not to bark!

 It’s amazing how much it hurts when those puppies get a hold of you with those sharp teeth. You need to try to prevent your puppy from forming this habit of biting. To stop puppy biting you may have to use a little trial and error. Any little annoying or bad habits should not receive a reward. If you want your pup to mature into that wonderful family pet, you will need to take responsibility for helping him. Dog behavior is never “good” or “bad” it’s just behavior. Stopping habits like biting needs to be done no matter how difficult the task.

Learn How Here

The playing behavior for a litter of puppies involves lots of nipping and biting. It is probably the first problem every new owner will have to overcome because it is so common for puppies to nip and bite. All new puppies take part in this behavior, but as a new member of your family actions will need to be taken to control it.

“NO, no biting” with a sharp tap on the nose is an action that can be taken when he grabs a hold of your hand or ankle. The habit of biting will only be encouraged if the tap on the nose is done to softly. A puppy who becomes a little bit more aggressive could be the result of to timid corrections. One good tap on the muzzle, that gets the puppies attention could stop puppy biting. Another way to go is, immediately after he bites, grab his muzzle with one hand, point at him with the other, and firmly say “NO”, this will eventually tell him that biting is the wrong behavior. Some pups catch on pretty fast and some of them, well you will just have to be patient. Once your little bundle of joy understands what is going on, when you say “NO” he should stop. You will be grateful later on down the line that you taught him what the word NO means, especially when he starts testing his teeth on your new pair of shoes.

Get Help Here

Doggy bones and chew toys have been used successfully in helping keep the pup from chewing up your stuff. The chew toys and doggy bones will also come in very handy during the teething stage when he will need something to chew on to help eliminate the pain. Choose the right kind of toys that can hang in there for a long time under the intense gnawing pressure of your puppies sharp little teeth. The toys can get stuck in your puppies throat if they are to small so choose carefully.

Any biting while rough housing with your pup needs to be discouraged at this young age or otherwise it will become more difficult to stop puppy biting. It is going to take some time to fix the problem no matter what method you choose to use. All puppies are going to go through the biting stage. Remember to just stay firm and show a lot of patience and this stage in your puppies life will be history.

Get Help Here

Dogs are fancied by many people to keep them company in an apartment, for the most part because of lonliness.Pet lovers will be happy to learn that there are various breeds of dogs to consider for apartment dwelling.

These dog breeds are not only friendly with people, they are also small and fit to stay in an apartment.As these dogs don’t need any long yard for running and playing in, they are fit for living in an apartment.

As boxers make great companions and are medium in size, they are great choices for your building.As they have short hair, they are easy to take care of and they have a pleasing personality.They require only short walks to keep healthy and happy.

Though the English Bulldog is a large dog, its calm disposition makes it the right choice for apartment living.You have to take it out only to go to the bathroom as it is quite content staying in an apartment.

The Lhasa Apso weighs only 15 pounds and is therefore just suited for apartment living.The only drawback here is that it requires some time and effort in maintaining its long coat with regular grooming.

You could also consider having a cocker spaniel in your place.These dogs are happy just lying in the apartment and waiting for its owner to return to give it its regular exercise. Weighing between 22 and 38 pounds, these dogs are bigger than other dogs. However it is still possible to manage it in an apartment.

The Pomeranian is a small, fluffy and lightweight dog that weighs only 5 pounds, making it the perfect choice for your apartment companion.It is because it has a small figure that makes it fit for use in an apartment.There are so many dogs to choose from for your apartment that you are sure to find something suitable for yourself amongst them.

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The cliché “dog is man’s best friend” is so true. It is also very true that some owners resemble their dogs, or is it the other way around. So no one should be very surprised to learn that the allergic reactions that your dog will get are very similar to those that a human being would get. Did you know that you can have the same bad reactions to foods as your dog can of vice versa? For instance dairy produce can bring out on allergic reactions in both humans and dogs. The difficulty with dog allergies is when your dog is suffering from an allergy, it’s hard for you to know. But there are certain signs that you can watch out for.

Your dog and dog allergies

The first sign that a dog has a problem is usually when you see that it has a skin complaint. When your dog has a dog skin allergy , there’ll be more scratching than usual. And allergy could surface in far more frequent scratching than is usual. Flea bites are known to cause a dog to chew on one area incessantly, or scratch that one area incessantly. This is a particular reaction to the flea bite. Your dog is basically having an allergic reaction to the flea saliva. If you notice any unusual itching you should take your dog up to a veterinarian straightaway.

Dog allergy and the human

Unfortunately human skin be allergic to their dogs or can become allergic to their dogs. Sometimes the decision of many pet owners with dog food allergies is to get rid of the dog straightaway. There are loads of things that the dog owner can purchase or do in order to counteract the effects of a dog allergy. Making sure that your dog keeps out of certain rooms in your home which will be then allergy free. Your bedroom is not the place for your dog, don’t allow it in their. You should also consult your veterinarian or your physician who will be able to give you some advice.

Dog Grooming Brush Video

Introduction:

Grooming and brushing a dog is not quite as simple as it sounds. If you think you can use any of the several types of brushes available to groom and brush your dog, you will be so wrong. Each of the grooming tools available in the market is meant for a specific use, and a good understanding about the specific application is necessary to make grooming easier for you.

Professional dog groomers have the experience and expertise to look after your pooch in a better way than you can manage. The expert dog groomers would use slicker brushes to remove knots, mats and tangles from the dog’s fur for all types of dog coats. A slicker brush would remove dead hairs from the undercoat and the coarser hairs from the outer coat of the dog’s fur.

There are various kinds of brushes which are used for grooming and brushing:

Undercoat rakes:

Undercoat rakes are useful for dogs that shed. The brush has one row of metal prongs which remove the dead hairs from the dog’s undercoat. To remove hairs from the soft loose undercoat of your dog, you should use an undercoat rake which is especially designed for this purpose.

Undercoat rakes remove the loose hairs without disturbing the longer hairs in your dog’s upper coat. During the time of the year when your dog starts shedding, an undercoat rake becomes very useful to keep your dog from shedding, and it also helps maintain skin health by gently stimulating circulation to the skin and removing dead skin.

Thoughtful consideration of  Pet zoom review by looking at   a professional review is always recommended.

Wire-pin brushes:

The wire-pin brush is an excellent tool for general grooming of small to large dog breeds. The loose hair in your dog’s coat is lifted out smoothly by this brush, taking out the debris from the fur. Brushing your dog every day, or at least every alternate day, keeps the skin of your dog healthy, while distributing the oil present in the hairs evenly through-out the dog’s coat.

You can also use the wire-pin brush to remove the fluff from your dog’s coat by brushing against the direction of hair growth. Wire-pin brushes are available with or without rubber tipped ends, and these brushes are mostly preferred for dogs with medium to long hair and those with woolly or curly coats.

Slicker brushes:

These brushes are essentially used to remove mats and tangles from your dog’s coat, and as you brush your dog the brush helps to remove dead hairs. Slicker brush gently stimulates the skin of your dog as the layers of the dead skin are taken out leaving the blood to circulate evenly. A slicker brush is often used at the end of grooming and brushing, giving a finished shining appearance to your dog’s fur.

There are various sizes of slicker brush available for the larger to smaller dogs. Slicker brushes are generally made from thin metal wire mounted on a soft padded material, looking somewhat like a hair brush. The soft padded material on which the wires are mouthed ensures that the dog does not get hurt as the brush is used.

Summary:

Brushing your dog helps to remove dead hairs from your dog’s coat and clean the surface free of parasite as well. Brushing also helps to keep away fleas, and while you brush you can check for the physical appearance of the animal.

While you groom and brush your dog you can easily find out of presence of any unusual bundle, or bald spot which you may take care of immediately. As you brush your dog as frequently as every day or every other day, you slowly build up a bond between you two, and brushing would become a friendly invitation for your dog.

Following Dog Health Care Advice

Often pet owners will have dog health care questions that they want answered without having to take them into the dog veterinary office to do so.  Thankfully, today there are many different veterinary websites that offer this dog health care advice for free, thus giving pet owners solid information to better take care of their pets.  Pet owners do have to be careful of the source of the dog health care advice, making sure that it comes from a site that is run by certified veterinarians, rather than by individuals who are only pet lovers themselves.  Following dog health care advice is important to the health and well-being of the dogs so that they are more likely to live long and happy lives.

Dog health care advice An Tips

One area of dog health careadvice that often gets ignored by pet owners is that of keeping the dogs exercised properly.Lack of exercise leads to frustration in some breeds of dogs.  The dog that does not get enough exercise will often start to exhibit problem behaviors such as whining or barking, tearing up things around the house, or becoming more aggressive toward other pets or humans.  The solution to these problems is usually exercise, according to dog health care advice.The problem behaviors can be solved by taking a dog on a regular walk and also merging a couple of rounds of play time per day.  These walks and play times should be at least fifteen minutes long so that the dog has time to obtain physical exertion as well as psychological stimulation.

Another area of dog health care advice that is often ignored is that of proper feeding.  Often the dog is given the cheapest brand of dog food rather than the type that is most beneficial to its health.  There are many types of dog food that use fillers in them as the main ingredients rather than whole grains and meats.  If the first ingredients are not meat products, but are rather meals and by products, then the dog food usually should not be used because it is not giving the dog proper nutrition.  In addition, the pet owners will often ignore the dog health care advice on the portions of the dog food that the pet should have, instead, filling the dish to the top.  This leads to overweight animals that develop other health care issues.The waist of the dogs should be clearly visible behind the ribcage.  The individual ribs should not be visible, but the ribcage should be in a dog of healthy weight.

Lhasa Apso Video

Dear fellow Lhasa Apso lover,

Probably of the the most challenging aspects of working with nipping and biting in the Lhasa Apso is that it quite often starts when the Lhasa Apso is a puppy.

The behavior, when the puppy is small, is often considered pretty cute.

A tiny Lhasa Apso puppy growling ferociously or chasing and nipping may appear to be almost comical but once the Lhasa Apso is full grown, the nipping is no longer funny and the cute growling has turned taking the dog out in public into an embarrassing and stressful event.

Controlling a dog’s aggressive behavior is challenging for most people. It is further complicated by the fact that some dogs are more dominant than their owners, or a least more dominant than some family members.

Thankfully even young children can be taught to properly respond to aggressive behaviors with the family pet and the dog will quickly learn to change their negative behavior into something more positive and acceptable.

Why Do Dog’s Nip and Bite Then?

Well, that a great question.

Dogs nip and bite for a variety of reasons.

In interactions between dogs nipping and biting is a way to for one dog or puppy to indicate they don’t like what is going on.

It is a way for puppies and dogs to say “Stop” to each other.

As dogs mature they may nip for other reasons including demanding attention, avoiding something they don’t want to do, or becoming excited or frightened.

Each type of nipping and biting will require a different type of correction and understanding why your dog is nipping is a starting point.

Think about the times that your dog has nipped, then answer the following questions:

1. What was your Lhasa Apso doing at the time ?
2. What was I doing (or the person that was nipped)?
3. Was the dog in a new environment or with new people?
4. How did I respond to the nipping?
5. How did the Lhasa Apso respond?
6. What happened after the dog nipped?

Biting for Attention or in Play

Dogs and puppies may have learned that biting or nipping gets them attention or that is all part of a game.

Some owners may try to pay additional attention to a dog that nips to keep it from nipping or biting them again. In this situation the dog has trained the human, not the other way around.

Depending on how long the dog or puppy has engaged in biting or nipping, the corrective training may be very short or it may take a bit longer.

Usually attention and play type biting is more prevalent with puppies that are learning how to interact with humans.

How Do You Go About Stopping The Nipping Then?

To play nipping & biting follow these guidelines:

* Give a sharp, high pitched “Ouch”, “Stop” or “Ow” then “No Bite” in a lower tone, without yelling at or verbally intimidating the dog or puppy

* Ileave the puppy or dog alone immediately, don’t speak to them or touch them.

* If your Lhasa Apso continues to try to bite after you give the verbal “No Bite” try putting a few pennies or marbles in a clean tin can. Shake the can at your Lhasa Apso immediately after the “No Bite” command. This will usually startle the dog or puppy and will reinforce the verbal instruction.

* If the bite or nip occurred during a game immediately stop the game and do not continue until the dog is calm and in control.

* When they are calm, immediately provide attention and praise.

Most Lhasa Apsos will respond to this training when they realize that they get attention and fun when they are not biting or are practicing what dog trainers call “bite inhibition”.

Biting For Fear or Anxiety

If your Lhasa Apso bites or nips when in new places or when new people are present it is likely a nervous or fearful dog.

How to stop your Lhasa Apso from biting that is behaving aggressively out of fear is very different from the technique used for the attention seeking or nipping dog.

Dogs that are nervous or fearful need extra socialization, not isolation or being ignored.

Ideally socialization should mostly occur in the first few months of a puppy’s life and continue throughout the dog’s life.

Lhasa Apsos that are kept isolated from other dogs, animals, people and new environments are naturally more fearful and self-protective when they are exposed to new experiences.

For the most success with lhasa apso; it is suggested you take the time to do a little online research.

A dog’s natural defense is to bite or run so when you are out with your dog on a leash the only option the dog has to protect itself is to bite.

One of the best ways to work with a dog that bites from fear or anxiety is to take him or her to an obedience class.

It is very important that you speak to the trainer ahead of time and follow the instructions that the trainer provides for bringing your dog into the class.

Try taking your dog to as many new places as possible, but watch for signs that they are becoming agitated or fearful. Nervous behaviors such as the following should be monitored:

* Tail low or tucked between the back legs
* Whining or growling
* Pacing
* Excessive panting

When your Lhasa Apso starts exhibiting these symptoms immediately remove him or her from the environment and place him/her somewhere comfortable such as the vehicle or their crate.

Praise them and pay special attention to them as they gradually become more comfortable in new situations. You may also wish to consider one of the halter type leads that attach over the muzzle area to prevent any possibility of biting during the socialization period.

The key is to work with the dog’s level of trust and comfort and gradually extend your time out as the dog becomes more confident and socialized.

I hope this brief outline introduction to Managing Nipping and Biting has been helpful to you.

Lhasa Apso Training Video

A Lhasa Apso dog is a wonderful companion and certainly an extremely important member of the family.

They give unconditional love and expect nothing in return except love and attention. We can certainly learn a lot from our dogs can’t we?

Your pet greets you with excitement, a wagging tail and dog kisses whether you have been away for one minute or for many weeks. I never get sick of this!

Research has shown that pets, such as dogs and cats, reduce peoples stress levels and lower their blood pressure.

Your Lhasa Apso can amuse and entertain you, keep you from getting bored and turn a bad or boring day into a great one. A dog loves you no matter what you wear or how you look.

They teach their owners about devotion, acceptance and patience and in return, you nurture your pets and care for them.

In return, we, the owners try to teach our dog’s acceptable behavior to prevent dog behavior problems, such as excessive barking.

How Your Lhasa Apso Communicates

Yes, I know the picture is not of a Lhasa Apso, But I just couldn’t resist using this!

OK… so when any dogs bark, growl, whine or even howl it is a natural and normal behavior and their way of communicating with each other and with their human families.

Starting when they are young puppies they use vocalization to communicate. This may include crying sounds when they are frustrated, afraid, hurt, or soft whining sounds when they are hungry or cold. Older dogs make many different sounds for different situations such as:

* Whimpering or Whining – Dogs often use whining or whimpering as a means of communicating when they seek attention or show submissiveness when greeting other dogs. Many also whine when they are in pain, frustrated, lonely or want something, such as a dog treat or someone to take them for a walk.

* Howling – Many dogs use howling as a long-range means of communicating. If a dog hears another howling in the distance they often howl back as a form of communicating. Some howl when they hear sirens, certain music or go hunting.

* Growling – As most owners will tell you, dogs growl not only as a warning, to show aggression, dominance and in defense but also when playing. A wagging tail and lots of movement can often accompany play growling. You can tell the difference between play and aggressive growling by a dog’s posture; a dog that remains stationery, snarls or stares is using an aggressive growl and they are serious.

* Dog Barking – Barking dogs and excessive barking are ways dogs communicate. Some breeds are trained to bark, such as working or herding dogs and guard dogs. Although barking is normal behavior often used to get attention show excitement and other emotions, excessive dog barking may create many problems.

For the most success with lhasa apsos; it is recommended you take the time to do a little online research.

Tell Me About Excessive Lhasa Apso Barking Then.

Lhasa Apso barking turns into a problem when it becomes loud, unwanted, inappropriate or excessive.

When people hear continuous dog barking, it is not only disruptive but also causes stress and annoyance to you and others, such as neighbors.

Nervous, uneasy or lonely barking often happens when your pet is left home alone and they experience separation anxiety or fear.

As your Lhasa Apso becomes more upset, lonely or anxious, the barking gets higher and louder and often annoys neighbors. Many dogs think than when you close the door and leave you are never going to return and this starts the continuous, loud barking.

What’s Your Lhasa Apso’s Environment Like?

An uninteresting, boring environment that offers no stimulation often creates a bored barker, that makes a lot of noise as an outlet for his or her pent-up energy.

Lhasa Apsos left alone outside or inside for long periods often demonstrate this continuous barking behavior.

They are social animals, and when confined alone in a kennel or yard the result is excessive barking because they are bored or lonely and want some attention.

Since nobody is there to stop them from barking, it almost becomes a hobby to them

Dogs love to play ball, Frisbee and games with their owners and often bark when they become excited. Unfortunately, some get too excited and the dog barking turns into a major problem for anyone within hearing distance.

Did You Know This?

The percentage of male and female purebred and mixed bred Lhasa Apsos that bark excessively is essentially the same,

Lhasa Apsos that do not get enough exercise often bark or whine to release tension. Some dogs seem to be very hypersensitive to movements and sounds around them.

Often, when a person gets a new puppy and it barks, they yell at them to stop their barking. Unfortunately, a puppy takes this as a sign that you are answering them back so they continue and this eventually turns into excessive barking or inappropriate dog behavior.

Sometimes owners unintentionally train their Lhasa Apso to bark by giving them the attention they want. If your Lhasa Apso barks to go in or out, for a treat, to play ball, for a tummy rub or other reasons, they learn quickly that barking gets results!

How About Some Tips To Help Control Barking Then?

Well, here are a few proven tips on teaching your Lhasa Apso to stop his or her excessive barking:

* As amazing as it sounds, teaching your Lhasa Apso to speak or bark on command is a simple way to teach them to stop barking.

Find something that makes them bark, such as holding their toy or treat away from them. Once they bark, praise them and keep repeating the word ‘speak’.

When you do this often enough, your Lhasa Apso learns that the word speak means bark and the dog will start barking on command.

Now you teach them the word ‘stop’ or ‘quiet’. You do this when they are barking, say the word and give them their treat or toy.

When repeated often enough, it does not take long for your dog to figure out that saying the word quiet or stop, means for them to stop barking and they receive a reward.

If someone comes into your home and you tell your dog ‘quiet’ and it stops barking, praise him or her and keep reinforcing your dog’s good behavior.

* The best way to teach your dog to stop barking is by training them well when they are very young. If you have an older dog, don’t give up though!

* There will be times when you must leave your dog alone. To get your pet used to this without barking, start by leaving the house for a few minutes.

Never make a fuss of your dog when you leave and after being gone a few minutes, come back in. Again, do not make a fuss of the dog.

Gradually increase the time you are away but make it seem very natural so your dog knows you will return. This way they do not feel quite so stressed.

* Some Lhasa Apsos are calmer when they hear a person’s voice so try leaving the radio on low.

* Try to keep your Lhasa Apso away from things that start him barking, for example looking out the window. Close your curtains or blinds and if this doesn’t work, give the command ‘quiet’ or ‘stop’, then slam a book down or shake a can full or marbles, to make a loud noise. Once he is quiet, have him sit, praise the dog and give it a treat.

* Exercise and mental stimulation are extremely important and help keep dogs from nuisance barking or exhibiting bad dog behavior.

Letting your Lhasa Apso out in the yard for a few minutes is not enough exercise. Your pet needs a long walk, brisk exercise or playtime daily, to run off some of his energy and keep his barking controlled.

Remember that a tired dog does not bark as much. When out walking, your dog smells and sees different sights, which keeps him from getting bored. Try teaching your Lhasa Apso new tricks or obedience training, as they need mental stimulation to keep them from barking.

A Final Word For You.

When properly exercised, rewarded and trained there are very few Lhasa Apsos that cannot learn to control their barking.

It is very important to remember that dogs bark as part of their natural behavior, just like humans speak to communicate. Never try to eliminate dog barking completely from their repertoire, and only use positive training methods to accomplish this.

Most Lhasa Apso owners will be able to curb or prevent problem barking.

Need More Help?

I hope this short outline introduction to Managing Barking has been helpful to you.

Cat lovers enjoy almost every thing about their pets. The purring, adorable antics, meowing and affection the cats show their owners, make cats a joy as pets. The litter box is another story, nobody enjoys cleaning out a dirty, smelly litter box. Cats are clever and clean creatures and with a little effort on your part, your cat can be trained to use the toilet. Professional animal trainers have been potty training cats for years. Training your cat to use the toilet, not only eliminates a dirty job, it saves you money. Cat litter is expensive and it’s an environmental hazard. Training your cat to use the toilet will rid your home of the unpleasant smells of a litter box. Here are some basic tips for cat toilet training.

The Litter Box

If your litter box is already in your bathroom, you’re halfway there. If your litter box isn’t in the bathroom, move it slowly, a few inches each day, until it is in the bathroom this is training your cat. Once you have the box in the bathroom, begin elevating it. You can use bricks , concrete blocks or telephone books. Make sure it’s secure so your cat can’t knock it over. Raise the box until it is level with the toilet. As you raise the litter box, slowing reduce the amount of litter in the box, so your cat becomes used to using less litter.

After the litter box has been raised even with the height of the toilet, move it closer to the toilet by increments, a little at a time. You are trying to get the cat to understand that the toilet is a litter box. Moving the litter box as close to the toilet as possible will help. Keep using smaller and smaller amounts of litter each day so the cat becomes accustomed to not having much litter. When you reach a point where there is less than an inch of litter in the box, you can stop redu! cing the amount.

Replace the Box

You can train a cat to use the toilet if you can teach the cat that the toilet is where he or she should be when it comes time to use the bathroom. Thus, you now need to replace the litter box with a training box. To do this, lift the toilet’s seat and secure an aluminium pan to the edges. Next, put the seat back down so that the pan is secure. Add flushable litter to the mix. You may need to use industrial strength tape to keep the pan from moving when the cat sits in the device.

The last step in training your cat to use the toilet is to cut a hole in the litter pan. Start with a small hole and gradually increase the size. Some toilet training aids may have sections that can be removed. Eventually, as the hole becomes larger, the cat will become accustomed to not having any litter. When the hole in the cat pan is almost as large as the! toilet opening, its time to remove the pan. This training process is slow and will probably take several weeks or more to complete. This takes patience on your part, since cats don’t like change. Don’t expect Fluffy to flush, that’s another training lesson.

 

If you are searching for chicken coop designs on the internet, then you are probably searching for the perfect way to create a chicken coop. However, there are main things you need to know in order to select the best plans that fit your precise situation.

Tip #1 – Construct Your Coop for Easy Maintenance

One of the greatest obstacles when sustaining a chicken coop is cleaning it. Some people do not make their coops with ease of this in mind, and suffer the consequences later on. But you can understand from their errors, and ensure that your coop will be easy to maintain in the future. One very important feature is to make sure the floor of the coop is sloped downward toward the main door. When you wash the inside of the coop, the water will necessarily drain outside, instead of puddling in the midpoint.

Tip #2 – Make sure of Enough Space

Do not scrimp on the size of your chicken coop. Chickens that live in tiny coops resort to abnormal pecking and even cannibalism. You do not want this! As a rule of thumb, you should assign about 4 square feet per chicken. So if you have a coop holding 10 chickens, 40 square feet will be ample room for your chickens to grow, feed, and produce.

Tip #3 – Shield Your Coop From Weather and Predators

It is important that you construct your chicken coop with protection in mind. Both weather and predators can wreak havoc on your coop, so construct it with these tips in mind.

Build the coop on a high area with generous drainage and locate it facing the sun. In the end if it rains, this site will not only make certain that the coop does not get flooded, but that it dries fast when the sun comes out.

Build your doors with suitable strength mesh wire. Believe it or not, this step is one of the most frequent blunders people make when building their coop. Without the proper stability, your mesh wire will collapse to even the smallest of hunters, allowing them easy access to your chickens.

Build a Chicken Coop