Pets Sitters

Every dog owner knows that planning a vacation means more than booking a flight and hotel room. Equally important is booking the right boarding facility or dog-sitter to care for your pet while you are away. After all, we go …

Communication with your Deaf Dog

Communicating with your deaf dog is a step above regular dog training in that everything is done in complete silence. Fortunately, besides its sense of smell, a dog’s world is based largely on subtle (and some not so subtle) body language so it is inherent in your dog to take cues from your behavior. These cues include facial expressions, body posture, and changes in body movement.

The most important thing to communicate to your deaf dog is a sense of peace. Since your deaf dog compensates by taking cues from the behavior of humans and animals around him/her, he/she looks to you as a leader and guide to show him/her how to react in situations. The easiest way to tell your dog to be calm is to project that attitude yourself by mimicking calm body language that is universal to dogs. This body language includes yawning, having your eyes half-closed and blinking slowly, slow breathing, looking away and pretending to be day-dreaming, and relaxing the muscles in your body. The body language you do not want to project is fast and shallow breathing, open-mouthed breathing, wide-eyed stares, tense muscles in your body, fast movements, or shaking. Even your facial expressions are important. As your dog gets to know you better, he/she will soon learn all your facial expressions, so be careful what you project. In general, it’s always best to adopt a positive and calm attitude regardless if you have a deaf dog or not! Yet it is even more critical to have such a personality because your dog’s emotions will be based off your emotions.

Tip 57 – Dog in heat – signs your dog is in heat – the Estrous cycle

Once a female dog reaches puberty it begins its regular cycles of Estrus or heat which allows the dog to release eggs and reproduce. Most females have 2 cycles per year. Signs that your dog is in heat include vaginal …

Reverse Sneezing in Dogs – Pet tip 233

If you have a small breed dog, chances are that you are already familiar with the term “reverse sneezing”. This phenomenon is most commonly seen in small dogs (especially those with shortened snouts), although it can affect any breed. Dog …

RAO in Pet Horses

One of the more common problems affecting horses is a condition known as Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO); it can also be referred to as heaves or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). This is a respiratory disease that is characterized by coughing, increased rate and effort of breathing, and often, nasal discharge. Severely affected horses can also have what is known as a “heaves line” – this is a visible line on the horse’s side, between the lungs and the abdomen, caused by the increased effort of the abdominal muscles to help with breathing; the line is really the increased definition of those abdominal muscles. Other than the respiratory difficulties, horses are otherwise normal. There does not seem to be a breed or gender preference, although older horses are more commonly affected.

Tip 66 – Dog training courses – obedience training – socializing your puppy

In general, puppies that have had obedience classes with other puppies have less behavioural problems than those without any training. This is because dogs are natural pack animals and need to learn how to act with other pack members. Within …

Vitamin C and Guinea Pigs

What do guinea pigs and people have in common? The answer is that they are both unable to make their own vitamin C. This means that they need vitamin C supplied in their diet in the correct amount every day …

Stolen Dogs and Cats- Pet tip 235

You take your dog on a walk and decide to do a quick errand at the same time. So you tie your dog to a parking sign and go into the grocery store for fifteen minutes. Your dog is well …

How much Does Owning a Dog Cost?

How Much Does It Really Cost To Own and Care For A Dog?

Depending on where you live, and the type of dog you are considering, there can be substantial differences in the costs to acquire and care for a …

How Fish Float

Fish are an exceedingly popular pet because they provide their owners with countless hours of relaxation by doing what they do best – swimming. Most people however are likely not to know the answer to an obvious question; how are …