First Coast Pet

Archive for July, 2009

As in any pet care, the wild origins dictate a lot of what is important in Guinea Pig care. The guinea pig is a species of rodent sometimes known as the Cacy. They are not in fact pigs, as their name would have suggested.  They come from the moutains of South America, and studies have shown they have been breed from closely related species such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii, and do not exist naturally in the wild.
They play an important role as both a food source and the culture of many South Americans. Guinea Pigs were domesticated 5000 years ago for nourishment and have appeared in many folk stories and are often used in metaphors.
They came to Europe in the 16th century by European traders and since then has seen common reputation as a household pet.  Originally they were seen as an exotic pet and even Queen Elisabeth I had one. They were widely used for biological experimentation since the 17th century, giving way to the metaphor “guinea pig” for a test subject, though more recently they have been replaced by mice and rats.
They are very calm easy to care for and are easy to handle and feed and are therefore popular with pet sitters. They are timid explorers and rarely attempt to escape. Guinea pigs will often make a noise like a whistle when interested, like for when the owner comes – or they hear the food container opening.
There are many breeds of domesticated guinea pigs, which differ in color and hair differences. The most normal varieties are the shorthair (or American shorthair), the Abyssinian with a ruffled coat. More unique long hair types include the Peruvian and the Sheltie (or Silkie) and the curly long hair Texel.

So should I choose a Guinea Pig?

Guinea Pigs are very sociable animals – so require time for fuss, otherwise they will feel lonely and this might lead to stress and sickness. This could be important if you are buying one for the kids, on the understanding that the children will care for the guinea pig. Noting they typically live for around four, but may live for 8 years and the Guinness Book of Records has the record age for a guinea pig at 14 years.
Guinea pigs are relatively big for rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200g (1.5-2.5 pounds), and measuring between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 inches) in length. So they need quite a large cage. Though as a tough pet, this could be located in a shed or a protected spot outside. They will deal with cold better than excessive heat. Avoid wire mesh floored crates, as this can damage their feet and lead to infection.
As for many pets you do not want to put two males together as they will fight  together when they become mature at about 6 months for leadership. Females can however be grouped together. Obviously you do not want to add a male to the group as they breed very easily.

Grass is their normal diet in the wild, so they have a very long colon to help the digestion. This is however not long enough, so if they are eating a lot of grass you will see them eat their faeces. Like humans they cannot produce vitamin C and will need to acquire obtrain this through their food,   the guinea pig version of scurvy is deadly. Scurvy is often identified by sluggishness.  So feed them regularly fresh, raw fruits and vegetables (such as cabbage, broccoli, apple, carrot, spinach and celery). Alternatively, but not a preferred option through dietary vitamins. They are fickle eaters when mature, so with a young guinea pig give a wide variety of foods. They feed continuously, so ensure there is hay available for them to eat.
Guinea pigs, as well as scurvy, may also suffer from respiratory tract infections, diarrhea,  abscesses due to infection (often in the neck, due to hay embedded in the throat, or from external scratches), and infections by lice, mites or fungus.

They are energetic throughout the day and will sleep on and off, waking for some activity. They often groom themselves and will groom others.

The shetland sheepdog is not the breed to think twice responding to a global following (despite its renowned brand of reserve), and is capable of a big heart and genuine devotion in responding to that love. But as all veteran sheltie owners know, the dog has some personality issues that need prompt training into desirable behavior by the time the dog is mature. Otherwise, both owner and pet risk incurring so much misunderstanding and miscommunication later on due to the foregone opportunities to get things ironed out. Older dogs naturally can still absorb learning, but it is less complicated skirting a problem in puppyhood compared to setting aright one later in the future.

In the same degree that they love their people, some shelties are given to a stubborn streak. The patience of owners may get tested again and again for a while as the sheltie verifies if there is really no room for gray areas. The sheltie’s smartness will also sometimes loom high as it is capable of recalling what it learned, what it has been able to pull off before, and how can it pull it off again.

Despite itself, the shetland sheepdog is not some botched breeding experiment! The dog in fact has a rich working history. Working with livestock instilled in the dog a bravery that exceeds the dog’s size, and of a bark that is worse than the bite. But in the modern home, the dog has to be trained and motivated to bark only to give warning, and not to bark for the pure sake of barking. A young sheltie will be capable of understanding the distinction.

With their high degrees of intelligence and energy, Shetland sheepdogs are easily bored, particularly if they don’t have an opportunity to be active. Moreover, they’re people dogs, and if they’re denied sheltie training, or the opportunity to spend sufficient time with those they love, they’re apt to use their famous voices to demand attention.

A sure hallmark of a sheltie pet is that their loyalty and dedication to their master is beyond question; many an account of a selfless sheltie’s heroism has been passed around the internet. This implies that the development of separation anxiety in a sheltie cannot be taken for granted.

While Shetland Sheepdogs have a host of charming qualities that make them oft-unparalleled companions, they have two traits that may warrant a careful lifestyle-review from pet-owners. They tend to shed profusely and they bark. Before getting a Sheltie, you need to carefully check if you are willing to assume the special responsibilities associated with these.

To teach dogs to learn how to go potty outside or learn new dog obedience commands, you can try clicker training puppies. Clicker training is based on positive reinforcement in which you reward your dog for performing desired behavior instead of punishing them for doing something bad or wrong.

Clicker training involves using a click sound to help positively reinforce a desired behavior. A treat is then given to the puppy as a reward. You can pick up a clicker at the pet store or produce the click vocally.

If you want your dog to learn how to sit on command, you can make the click sound every time he sits and give him a treat at the same time which will teach him to associate getting a treat when the click happens after he sits. Your dog gets a clear signal from the click that he will associate with the behavior that he just finished performing.  The click has a consistent sound each time it is made, whereas an obedience command like “sit” will not always sound the same depending on the inflection and emphasis used as well as any emotion behind the word.

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Clicker Training Puppies Basics

Clicker training puppies is a flexible training method that can be used to teach your dog many desired behaviors. To see how how the clicker training process works can be illustrated using an example with potty training. To potty train your puppy to go outdoors, you need to first select a permanent spot where he will always go. To train your puppy to go potty outside, always go in and out of the same door and go over to the permanent potty spot each time.

Watch for you puppy to start going potty. Click at the same time that he finishes going potty.  Make sure you don’t click until after he is completely done or he might not finish. Hand your puppy a treat after clicking. Timing the click is crucial in getting your puppy to associate the click with going potty and being positively reinforced with the treat.

Using a click has the advantage that your puppy can begin to associate the click sound with his going potty outside and getting a treat.  He isn’t rewarded with a treat and is not presented with the click sound when he goes potty inside the house.

Benefits of Clicker Training Puppies

Clicker training puppies is advantageous in that it builds up desired behaviors by using clear signals and positive reinforcement.  There can be a lot of ambiguity in the communication between animals and humans and this leaves that out.  To properly train your puppy to perform desired behaviors, it isn’t necessary to punish him. You will find that the training you do is both fun and rewarding for yourself as well as your puppy.

Clicker training puppies should be conducted in short training sessions due to the fact that puppies do not have long attention spans. Clicker training sessions should probably only run about five minutes at a time. You can also use clicks for teaching obedience commands like stay, come, sit and down in addition to potty training. When teaching your dog obedience commands use the same steps that you did for potty training.

To teach your puppy how to sit, you need to watch him until he is about to do it.  When his rear end is about to touch the ground, make a click and then give him a treat.  After he begins to associate his sitting with the clicking sound and his reward, you can start using the verbal command “sit” and eliminate the click eventually.

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If your dog is an indoors dog, then you it to yourself and to your dog to have him housetrained or housebroken. The positive thing about it is that it is not difficult, nor is it messy, and it does not have to be a struggle. In the Internet alone, there are few, easy to find authorities when it comes to implementing effective and proven housetraining. But the explanations (such as this one) boil down to honest to goodness involvement; the more involved you are in training, the shorter the training period is. 

Effective house training dogs is rooted in at least two rules or principles that always get repeated in more or less different ways.

First, if the puppy is not caught acting out the accident, then there is no sense in punishing him for anything, and much less in planning to punish him.

Second, your puppy deserves praise and some good treats if things go ahead as planned. If all they get for any accident is a terse “No”, then  let them know when they do things right!

There are many methods to housebreaking a puppy. One scheme is to get the dog used to eliminating in a single precise location outside the home. To start, a homeowner will need to use specially-scented paper that attract the dog to make use of it. When the puppy starts acting as if it wants to go potty (i.e. it is circling the floor while sniffing it), calmly pick it up without talking, then gently lay them on the paper or pad. Heap verbal praise and treats on them when they eliminate on the “bathroom.”

When the dogs are already using the papers consistently, the papers are moved closer to the door, and-or another set can be placed on a spot outdoors, and visible from the front door. This time, the concentration of the toilet habits is from a spot inside the home, to one outside. The last segment of this process is to eliminate the papers when the dog is able to relieve itself for the most part on the spot outside. Experts think that a downside to this method is that the dog is encouraged to eliminate inside the home for a stretch of time. House training may also take longer under this method.

What about verbal cues? Experts suggest making use of a word to signal that it is time to go to the bathroom. In fact, experience seem to show that in the case of initating this activity, a verbal command from the owner is better compared to just passively waiting for the dog to accomplish things on its own. Short, simple words like “Outside?” will do fine. Lastly, the entire must also be in agreement to use the word (or gesture) in the dsame way when giving a command.

A last word on the impact of the feeding schedule on housebreaking training. Note how the puppies need to visit outside when they wake and within 30 to 40 minutes of their meals. Do your best to be on the dot when you feed the animal; this way, you can actually predictwhen they need to relieve themselves. Work your trips around these patterns.

Many have come to think that housetraining a puppy is essentially bringing around a stack of old newspapers. But contrary to such a limited view, what is also known as housebreaking calls for tons of patience, vigilance, and loyalty likewise to your dog. Keep track of the advice below to reduce house-soiling accidents. Nevertheless, brace yourself for a few violations of your best laid plans. But this is hardly a surprise since it is all part of raising a puppy. Remember that more consistency in following the basic housetraining procedures mean faster learning of good habits by your dog

Establish A Routine
1) Puppies, just like babies, learn lessons and dog house training in particular when they train according to a regular schedule. In this regard, you will need to take out your puppy often, such as every two hours, or whenever he wakes up, or finishes playing, eating or drinking.
2) Train the puppy to make use of a bathroom spot instead of soiling the house. Designate a spot near the door as the dog’s bathroom spot, and always take your puppy to that spot using a leash. Then take some soiled rag or paper towel from a recent accident, and bring some material containing the scent to the bathroom spot. The next time your puppy looks for a place to eliminate in, he will often have recourse to this prearranged spot.

3)

Lavish praise on your dog, or give a treat each time he eliminates outdoors. Some dog experts even advocate acting like crazy before the dog, so that it is impressed on him that he did well eliminating there. But this positive reinforcement needs to be performed the moment the dog is done eliminating. Giving the reward on time is vital, since by rewarding your dog for eliminating outdoors, he will realize that this is an appropriate behavior.

4)  Feed the dog on a regular schedule as best as you can. By feeding your puppy on the same consistent times each day, you make it more possible that they eliminate at the same times as well. This tip is a big boost to your housebreaking.

Whatever your housetraining preparations, brace yourself for the odd occasion that the dog commits an error in the house. But stay calm, since accidents beyond your utmost efforts are part of housetraining.

1)  When you see the puppy about to eliminate outside the bathroom spot,  interrupt the act by making a startling noise (which however must not frighten the dog). Then bring the dog to his bathroom spot. Take time to praise him and give him a reward in case he fully eliminates there.

2) Don’t blow your top in case the puppy eliminates in the house. Moreover, If you find a soiled area with the dog nowhere to be found, there is no way that a correction or a short but loud rant can help. The best thing to do with regard to the dog is to leave it alone, since the point is that animals can’t comprehend punishment after the fact, even if it happens seconds after. It is in this instant that punishment actually harms, instead of being good.

3) LAstly, cleaning the soild area will motivate the dog to stick to the agreed-upon bathroom spot, since he will actually want to eliminate in any spot that bears the scent of his feces or pee.

Using the supervision and confinement steps of these housebreaking tips explained above will help to bring down the dog’s accidents and errors. However, if the puppy is allowed to eliminate just about anywhere in the house, he’ll get his housetraining mixed up!

For faster headway into your Boston Terrier Training, you will need to start with positive reinforcement to achieve making this handsome animal into an unforgettable companion.

Very smart, sinewy and compact…Most people are easily impressed with the Boston. However, it can also be very sensitive to the atmosphere and mood around it. The dog can actually tell if its owners are feeling low or very positive. As such, it is therefore important to start giving your boston terrier the proper obedience and behavior training as early as possible.

Every dog training begins with the necessary socialization of your dog as a puppy between the ages of three weeks to three months old. But in order for this, too, to take effect, you need to work with the fact that the dog is a pack animal. From the early days of puppy hood, it is part and parcel of their make-up to figure who are the authority figures surrounding them. And this is where most owners drop the ball, so to speak.

Being your typical loving owner, it is easy to get caught up showering affection on your new puppy at no cost, and no conditions. You can let them play on any furniture, jump up on anyone and anything. Nevertheless, the issue is that just because it is a puppy does not mean that it will not learn anymore about “dont’s.”

By considering this otherwise fine gentleman as an “equal” and not as a pet, you fail to set up disciplinary boundaries, and more worrisome is that you miss what could have sped up the Boston Terrier training. What is this element? It is to firmly and promptly get the dog to understand your standing as authority in the pack (in fact, all human family members need to be the dog’s leaders in the pack). Failing to insist on this simple idea in the early stages will make it hard for your dog to be trained later on.

But if you don’t have a Boston yet, have you at least tried to balance the pro’s and con’s of having one?If you are not after a lap dog, and need a small but strong one, then perhaps the Boston will be happiest being with you. Boston Terriers do not take well to a life devoid of games and chasing balls. They’re usually quite good with kids and the elderly. Add this all to the fact that they are capable of living up to fifteen years, and you have a dog that has undeniable need for scheduled playing time everyday, or at least some boston terrier training.

Cat Scratching Furniture

Cats are very good pets as they don’t require as much attention as other options such as a dog.

You don’t have to walk the cat and you don’t have to deal with it barking at everything that happens to walk by your home.

The only thing you may have to spend on is cat furniture, which is essential for a healthy and happy cat.

With so much modern cat furniture available you should enjoy shopping for it.

Young cats are extremely playful and you can interact with them when you want to. However, most cats are content to play with toys or to be independent.

This doesn’t mean that cats aren’t excellent companions though. They can be silly at times and they often enjoy curling up on your lap and purring.

Your cat won’t come running when you are home at the end of day and knock you over.

They also don’t lick or bite so you won’t have to worry about how they will interact with others when you have company. Cats always seem to be able to tell when you need some comfort.

Taking care of a pet can help a child to become more responsible but some pets just come with too much time required.

A cat makes a perfect choice for children because they tend to take care of themselves. As long as they are given sufficient food and water they will remain happy.

Indoor cats will have to be trained to use a litter box but most of them learn very quickly so you won’t have to deal with cleaning up such messes around your home.

However, you need to clean the litter box regularly because cats do not like to use a dirty litter box.

There is an abundance of cat litter furniture to be found on the internet, and you will definitely find something to suit your taste in design, and budget.

Cats are clean animals as they spend a large amount of time grooming themselves each day.

In the majority of cases, cats lead a very happy and long life without too many problems.

They don’t cost very much because cat food and litter are very cheap. They don’t require as many vet visits for routine shots either like dogs do which can become quite expensive.

For those that have problems with mice, cats make a great natural system for taking care of them.

This means you won’t have to deal with messy traps or dangerous poisons around your home. Many cat owners claim they haven’t come across a mouse in their home for years with this line of defense.

Cats are very precious and beautiful animals as well. They have a gentle hum to them that can be relaxing for humans.

They have coats in all colors as well as eyes that are very shiny and bright. Each cat has their own personality and you just can’t help but adore them.

There are many breeds of cats if you want a particular kind but some of the most beautiful cats are those that are mixed breeds.

Cats are very smart animals too so they will quickly catch up to what you like from them and what you don’t based on the praise you give them.

Contrary to popular belief, cats are obedient and they want their owner’s to be happy with them.

They will learn fast that you don’t like them scratching on the furniture or putting their tail in your face while you are sleeping.

To prevent them scratching on your furniture you can buy them their own cat scratching furniture.

For your entire cat furniture needs please visit www.catbedandtoy.com.

oral irrigator

The symptoms and treatment of gingivitis is such that it could be handled by any individual regardless of your financial status. Very many people get concerned when they begin to notice the symptoms but are not informed about how to treat it. Let us get it straight first; gingivitis is associated with the inflammation of the gums caused by some bacteria that feed on food debris in the teeth. When this intensifies, it leads to some other stages of gum bleeding, severe pains and this could cause pain.

Some believe that one of the major causes of gingivitis is due largely to poor oral hygiene such as not maintaining a regular brushing habit and negligence but that is not always true.Some symptoms start to develop such as gum bleeding. These are sure symptoms which should never be taken lightly as they may indicate gingivitis.

As part of the treatment, effort should be made to ensure the use of a tooth brush that is not so hard but adequate for the activity. Daily brushing should be utilized after meals as this will help to prevent food particles from collecting around the gums and being infected by bacteria. Proper rinsing of the mouth after brushing is also necessary. An oral irrigator can be helpful.

Many people avoid their dentist. This is not a good idea. Regular visits and checks by a certified periodontist is a good preventive measure. An ozone generator may be of use as you can make an oxygenated mouthwash with it. The proper treatment of gingivitis is very much within the reach of everyone if adherence could be given to practicing good oral hygiene and also seeing a dental specialist for dental check ups.

Once you have identified the symptoms at the early stage, get started with the treatment and see your dental specialist to avoid the chronic stage.The hydro floss, not to be confused with the hydro pulse is a very good tool to start with. Get basic training on the use of this device from your dentist or hygienist.

*Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to advise, treat or diagnose any health condition. If you have or think you might have a health condition, visit your doctor or periodontist for advice, diagnosis and treatment.

America’s sweetheart dogs for many years now have been the yorkies and bichons. But what if these two number one choices of pets be mixed together and bring out an yorkie bichon mix?.
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However this sort of a yorkie bichon mix will have its own drawbacks just as any other mix would. The outcome is fairly unpredictable. If the ancestors do not have a good history of cross breeding, there’s a fair bit of chance for all to go hilariously wrong. This could lead to a poorer outcome.
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In many cases the yorkie bichon mix will come out as the cutest thing you have ever seen. But this doesn’t mean that there isn’t any chance for a failure. Even the experts on the field will not be able to predict the offspring of a yorkie father and a bichon mother, or for that matter the vice versa.
In many yorkie bichon mixes the crop is more than likely to have 50-50 ingredients from both the breeds, provided that both the yorkie and the bichon are from an original breed.
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It would be fairly heartening to observe the characteristics of a yorki bichon compared to their parents. The dog is almost assured to be faithful and loyal to you while the mannerisms are set to take more to the yorkie’s side.

Yorkie Bichon mix is supposedly more fashionable than their father or mother.They tend to develop a rich and smooth hair unlike their parents. The size is more likely to be as same as their parents where they’d weigh up to around 10-15 pounds.
These cute little yorkie bichon mixed dogs are more than likely to make a better spirit around the house and be as playful as their parents.Even though with their active nature there isn’t a great requirement for a lot of exercising to be done because of their smaller body size. Their lower built will make sure that only a little amount of bodily functions will provide them with the daily stretching they need. These smaller packaged dogs are easy to carry around and handle.

For you to get cheered up for the whole day at home, it would be a smarter option t pet or adopt a yorkie bichon mix. and finding one is as easy as it is with the help of internet. Dogs could be more than a man’s best friend when they are as cute as yorkie bichon’s.

Want to adopt a cute little puppy? A yellow lab puppy could be your best option. With their soulful eyes looking straight at you, you are sure to fall in love with it the moment you see them. It does not matter if you buy the yellow lab puppy from a pet store or a home breeder as long as you know what the yellow lab puppy will be like once it matures.
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The yellow lab puppy comes from a famous breed and can be found easily in most places. Having more information about the Labrador dog breed will give you an idea about what you can really expect once the yellow lab puppy turns into a fully grown dog.
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One thing a future owner could be happy about is that the yellow lab puppy comes from a very famous breed. A mature dog will live up to around 12 years or even more. If you are one of the lucky few, your yellow lab puppy could even live for a good 15 to 19 years.
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Overall you will find that a yellow lab puppy can turn out to be very happy dogs if they are looked after well by their owners. They can adjust well to new surroundings and are very much playful with both children and adults. When the yellow lap puppy matures into a fully grown dog, they may need a lot of space to live and run around as they are quite big in size.

Sometimes having too many pets in the same household can become a problem, especially when trying to bring in another new pet. If you are about to adopt a yellow lab puppy, you need not have to worry over such minor issues because they can adjust themselves quickly to their surroundings.

The yellow lab puppy comes from an intelligent breed. They come with a gentle temperament and can be easily trained by anyone. Many institutions use grown up yellow lab dogs for disabled people as they are intelligent enough to be trained to take care of such people.

Exercise should become a part of their daily routine. Being overfed and not getting enough exercise can result in the yellow lab puppy getting sick easily.