A dog that appears to be misbehaving is most likely not a bad dog, it’s a bored dog. Like people, dogs need to be entertained and have their minds stimulated. That’s why it’s important to take your dog on walks and play games with your dog. Of course, there will be times when you won’t be able to devote a lot of attention to your pet.
Quality toys, like interactive dog toys, can make a difference. One of my personal favorites is the Talking Babble Ball. This hard plastic ball talks when touched. The funny sayings, like “let me out of here,” keep my dog entertained for hours pushing around and chasing after the talking ball. When my pet is done playing with the ball it automatically turns off. I never have to worry about my dog acting out because he has plenty of interactive toys to keep him entertained.
Dog pens can be used for so much more than just keeping a dog away from guests or to keep it from getting underfoot. In my home, I have successfully used my dog pen as a training tool. Whenever I get a new puppy I establish that the pen is a place of learning. All new commands are taught inside the dog pen, that way the puppy associates the place with learning and is more likely to pay attention. Later on the commands are practiced outside of the pen.
I also use the dog pen to teach the puppy not to bite. We will play and cuddle together in the pen, and if the puppy bites, I step out of the pen and do not return for at least 10 seconds. Eventually the puppy bites less because it doesn’t want play time interrupted. Leaving the puppy in the dog pen for a while by itself also teaches it to deal with separation anxiety. Make your dog pen a place of learning and positive reinforcement.
My puppy, Sasha, is a French bulldog. I got her almost one year ago on my birthday as a gift from my husband, Gary. I was ecstatic upon opening a big box that had secretly been ventilated to find that it had a 7-week-old puppy inside. She was wearing a lavender dog collar with tags that read “Sasha,” the name of my favorite stuffed animal growing up. And now it was almost as if she had come to life.
After admiring my new four-legged friend for several hours we promptly went to the pet store to pick up the necessities for Sasha’s wellbeing. On our list was: food and water bowls as well as puppy chow, a dog exercise pen, a cozy puppy bed, a matching lavender leash and a few toys. I was so excited I forgot to get any grooming supplies, oh well; I knew I could find them online.
It’s no secret that animals, specifically dogs, love to play around with their owners. From puppies to grandpa pooches, every dog embodies a pep and free spirit that is lovable by nature and tender to humans. Give them a bone and watch as they chomp the rawhide with delight or toss them a ball to see them jolt after it in a joyous frenzy. No matter the toy, no matter the dog, all pups (young and old) love to play.
After a long day playful exertion, it’s best to reward your pooch with a soft and comfy place to rest. A dog bed gives them a tiny piece of paradise that they know as their own, a place to rest their tired paws after an afternoon at the dog park or after a vigorous walk. Satisfy your pet with a warm and cozy place to call their own and their tails will always be wagging to see you.
Dogs don’t care that there’s a blizzard outside, they need their exercise! Instead of letting man’s best friend run wild through your home, try using a dog exercise pen. They’re easy to put together, collapsible when you need to store them away, and give your dog plenty of room to run around safely. Dog pens aren’t just for exercise, they can serve multiple purposes.
Dog exercise pens are great for temporary containment, especially if you need to keep them out of sight while an allergic guest is over. For dogs that are on crate rest but have anxieties about being cooped up, a dog pen set to a smaller size gives them a great place to rest anxiety-free. When you take the pen apart, you can use the individual pieces to create barriers or gates in doorways. Now your dog won’t be able to sniff through the food in the kitchen when you’re preparing meals.
Scratching is a natural, instinctual behavior of cats. Scratching keeps the claws clean by removing the dead, outside layer of the claw. The practice also allows your cat to fully stretch its muscles. Unfortunately, a cat’s favorite thing to scratch is your furniture!
Since you love your cat, and would never consider declawing him or her (a practice that is quite cruel to pets), you need a product that will meet its needs and preserve your furnishings. Cat scratchers are the best solution. They are specifically designed to withstand the scratching of your pet and they come in all shapes and sizes from stand alone posts to ones that hang from ceiling or door frames. Put a little catnip on the scratcher for the first few tries to encourage your cat to use the scratcher and not your furniture.
When I brought my golden Labrador Olivia home from the humane society, I looked past her rambunctiousness and didn’t mind that she chewed up every object within reach. The fact is, puppies are prone to making mischief and the only way to rid them of the habit is through scrupulous training. Chewing is a perfectly natural behavior in dogs; the trick is to convince the dog to chomp on dog chew toys rather than tennis shoes and electrical cords.
It didn’t take long to find out that Olivia was crazy about peanut butter. In order to distract her attention away from household valuables, I started smearing some peanut butter on her Kong dog toys. I only did this if she stayed away from sneakers and books for the entire day. Eventually she pieced together that this was a form of positive reinforcement. Good behavior led to peanut butter, at least in her mind, and from there the training process was simple.
A well-groomed dog is a happy, healthy dog, and this is especially true of the Rottweiler breed. It’s best to establish good grooming habits early in the dog’s life – preferably when he’s still a puppy. You might think that a Rottweiler’s coat requires less attention than that of some other breeds because of its shortness. To the contrary, regular dog grooming with a Furminator will keep the coat looking healthy and lustrous.
Whereas you can’t really overdo it in the brushing department, the same cannot be said for bathing your pet. Give your Rottweiler a bath about once a month, and only use gentle pet shampoos. Bear in mind that dogs don’t need to bathe as often as humans because they don’t have sweat glands. You can make exceptions, of course, if you dog has been out playing in the dust or mud.
New bird owners are often confused by their parrots’ behavior, and it’s really no wonder why. Sometimes these birds’ natural patterns of activity are counterintuitive; a perfectly normal part of parrot behavior could be misconstrued as a warning sign or a cause for panic. First off, you should know that parrots – and all birds to an extent – are apt to loose some feathers. The molting process is regulated by the bird’s environment. Parrots that stay indoors in parrot cages will probably molt less than their counterparts in the wild.
It’s also common for new owners to assume the worst when their parrot begins tossing its seeds around the cage and ignoring their bird toys. This behavior is the result of evolution; when dining on seeds in the rainforest, a bird will scatter the leftovers down to the earth. In time, new plants will grow to nourish future generations of parrot. For a bird owner, the practice merely means extra cleanup is required after every meal.
My close friend Claire does publicity for nonprofit organizations, and she’s often called to cities around the country on short notice. A few months ago, she had to go to San Diego in preparation for a cancer walk-a-thon, so I volunteered to look after her cat Mitzy. My own feline, Frank, was less than pleased by this prospect. Introducing cats can be a bit of a crapshoot, especially when they’ve never had to share territory before.
I looked up some cat behavior facts online just before the introduction so that I’d know what to do in case of trouble. As it turned out, neither cat was especially territorial. Frank started hissing when Mitzy invaded his personal space, but eventually they were sniffing each other and getting along fine. I’ve set up separate food dishes and purchased discrete cat bed for each of them so that they don’t infringe on each other’s turf, and we’re making it work.