Ecosysmp.com

posted by admin on Aug 27

Every person desires for a dog that is well trained, but at times your pet may be a little problematic or you simply may not have the time or be acquainted with how to train him correctly. Fortunately you can get assistance and it is as easy as signing up your dog in a dog obedience school.

Maybe you have come across people with disobedient dogs, or possibly even have prepared to accept to yourself to believe that your dog will by no means do as he is told. Perhaps you have got accustomed to returning home from work and finding chewed up shoes and litter all over the house. Possibly you have even started to take your dog for a walk at night because that is when no neighbors are outside. For the reason that you just cannot manage him when people and other dogs are all over.

You do not have to give up yourself to start believing that your dog will by no means be controlled and in reality you are accountable to yourself and your pet to do all the things that you can in order to get him trained appropriately. Possessing a well bred dog can put away difficulties for both yourself and your pet. A disobedient dog may perhaps bite off a neighbor or child creating legal troubles for you. If your dog howls a lot and tries to get loose most of the time you might get yourself in a problem with the police as well. And most significantly, if your dog will not come up to you when called, you have very few ways to keep him away from creating any trouble.

A trainer with a dog obedience school will give you an idea about you can establish contact with your pet to make him to pay attention to you. He will be trained how to act with people around and also with other dogs and the fundamental instructions such as “sit”, “down”, “heel” and “stay”. Your dog will most likely even take pleasure in this, as he will be able to pass time with you, which is all that he in fact wants in the first place.

Selection of a dog obedience school is sort of like deciding on a school for your kids – you would like to be in no doubt to send him to the proper one. Of course, given that you will in all probability be attending as well, you would like one that works for the both of you so you have to do a bit of investigation before you decide on the school.

One thing to think about when making inquires about dog obedience schools is a recommendation from others who have been at the school. Maybe you have a co-worker, a neighbor, or a friend you can inquire from. If not, feel free to request the school for recommendations and call up somebody who has experienced the course. You ought to have a list of essential queries you can inquire about the school and the effect of the dogs training. If you get encouraging replies then you might have found your school, or else, it is time to shift on to the subsequent alternative. One more thing you have to do when cutting down your selection of obedience schools is to drop in at the “campus”. Just like selecting a college, you would like to be convinced that the school puts forward a fine atmosphere. Be sure that the school appears well structured and the instructors are well informed. In addition, you will almost certainly wish for a pleasant surrounding where your dog and you feel at ease.

Chatting up with the instructors at the school is also a good plan. Find out about the techniques that each trainer uses and you may even bring in them to your dog to be certain they will get along. Your training will be much more effective if both you and your dog are at ease with the trainer.

posted by admin on Aug 22

We have two Italian Greyhounds (affectionately referred to as IG’s). Dixie was two when we brought Yankee home. I read that IG’s are happier with another animal and thought that another IG would be half as much trouble and twice as much fun. After a few days of establishing a pack order the two became great friends.

For those not familiar with IG’s, they are about ¼ scale of the famous racetrack breed. In their finest form they look half-starved, even though it may look cruel to most pet owners, that’s when they are the most active and truly happiest. A pound or two slows them down tremendously and even becomes dangerous.

They are fearless leapers. No matter how many times I try to explain to them Newton’s Laws of Gravity, it does no good. Heart-stopping stories abound over the internet chat rooms about their Superman like tendencies. The extra weight increases the risk of broken bones.

They are also tremendous jumpers. In her hey-day Dixie could jump straight up over 6 feet high to grab a snack. At will she could jump flat-footed on to the dining room table, landing as soft as a butterfly with sore feet.

But more than anything, those long thin legs were meant for speed. Unfortunately, they can run faster than they can think. IG’s become single focused when running. Twice I have nearly had a heart attack as they ran full speed into each other from opposite directions, tumbling like out of control race cars. Chasing after one another, they’d scrape the trees so close that bark literally flew off and misjudging turns, wiping-out in to brick walls and other immoveable objects was a common occurrence.

Well, one day the inevitable finally happened, Dixie went into a door facing and snapped her left leg. The break was clean through. Her little paw dangling 90 degrees from just below her knee told me everything I didn’t want to know.

I did the best I could to immobilize it as my wife called the vet. As soon as we got there they took her back for x-rays. She was obviously in a lot of pain but had quit yelping after I first picked her up. In fact, she was the calmest of any of us.

My wife was crying because of the dog. I was crying because of the bill. If I would’ve known how much it was going to cost in the lobby I would have cried a lot harder. This was going to be a big payday for the vet.

The choices were simple, they could try a cast, but it would probably not set right because of the very tiny, toothpick-thin fibula. The vet recommended a titanium plate and screws.

The surgery alone would run $1,000. The total bill would actually end up over $1,800. I could have bought 3 Dixies and a lifetime supply of dog food for that much. My wife got mad because she didn’t like my sense of humor, but I wasn’t joking. I know the power of the purse, and I have no intention of getting hit by hers again so I relented.

The next morning they put in the custom made plate and screws. It was really tricky because the screws had to be big enough to hold things together, but small enough not to interrupt blood flow.

More painful (if you can believe that) than the vet bill, was the care and attention Dixie would require for the next 3 to 4 months. For the next three months she would have to be kept in a crate at all times.

For the first three weeks when we took her out to go potty we would have to hold on to her. No walking was allowed. It is absolutely crucial for dogs to find the perfect spot to relieve themselves, not any spot will do. Humans cannot fully appreciate this until they miss an entire showing of Monday Night Football.

A few weeks after the surgery we got a bit of good news, the leg was healing fine. She would still have to be crated, but we could put her on a real tight lead and let her stand on her three good legs to go potty. In about two to three week intervals after that she was allowed a little more freedom.

Slowly things got back to normal. The first month after she got full clearance to run was rather tiring. Each jump, every full trot run brought held breaths in anticipation of another vet trip.

It has taken two full years to get to where she no longer yelps or pulls up after a full run or sharp turn. She has lost a noticeable amount of her initial burst. She can longer track down Yankee from behind, but they still love to chase each other in the backyard and that gives us great pleasure. If you’ve never seen these gracious runners play at full speed then you cannot fully appreciate why we went to all the trouble and expense.

My wife loves to show Dixie’s scar to anyone who comes by. She talks about the whole adventure like it was The Good Old Days. Out of fear that my wife will read this article I will state that if I had to do it again I would. But I won’t like it.

posted by admin on Aug 17

Before you can determine whether or not a particular dog will be of value to you there are two basic items that must be addressed. One, you must know the breed of dog you want. Are you after a German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain dog, Newfoundland, Yorkshire Terrier or other type? If it’s a German Shepherd that you want you should be looking for german shepherd dog breeders. And two, you must be aware of some specific information about that breed. The information you need to be versed on includes the correct size for your dog breed, how often it needs to be brushed, how much activity or exercise it needs daily, if there are genetic diseases that are common with this type, have there been tests performed that have ruled these diseases out in this pup, and what else is required in maintaining it’s health such as clipping its nails.

There is a lot of additional information that is important for you to know as well. Some dog breeders don’t actually do the breeding themselves, but buy their animals from other areas. You should stick with a breeder that breeds and raises the pups on site. The reason for this is because you can better determine if this puppy was raised in a clean environment. Without examining its place of birth you have no idea what sort of environment it was raised in. Puppies can end up with mental or physical deficiencies if brought up in a cruel or unkempt environment.

Another item for concern is the age of the puppies that you are interested in. The puppies should be at least seven weeks old before they are placed. Their parents should be at least two years old before breeding and should have been tested for any possible genetic diseases.

When purchasing puppies it’s important that the pups have had some interaction with other animals and children. This is to help ensure that the dogs will be friendly and sociable. It’s also a good idea to get your puppy from a dog breeder that will allow you to call him later with any questions or concerns you may have about your animal.

There is a lot to know about breeding dogs and it’s very hard to find a competent experienced dog breeder who raises more than 4 or 5 different breeds. If he raises 6 or 8 or more it’s probably a good idea to look else ware for you puppy. Also, most experienced breeders belong to one or more breed clubs so ask them if that’s true with them.

As you are concerned about the specific breeder he should also show some concern with you as well. If he asks you questions about they type of environment that you will raising the pup, your family, and your experience with animals it’s usually a good sign that the animal has been raised with love. The breeder should have concern for the placement of his puppies.

Once you have made a decision to buy a specific dog there are few other items that should be addressed. A suggested diet should be provided for your animal. You should receive a registration certificate with your purchase. You should also require the seller to give you a 3-generation pedigree chart for the dog, a health record of the animal that includes dates the puppy was inoculated or received other veterinary care. Another important item is a health guarantee and you should require one. If it’s later discovered that the dog suffers from a genetic disease, for example, you should have some recourse. Along these same lines you should have in writing that you are allowed, within a reasonable amount of time, to have the puppy examined by a veterinarian at your own expense. And if it is found that the dog you have purchased has any defects, as determined by the veterinarian, you can return it for a full refund.

Finding the perfect dog can be a long and tedious process, but with a little preparation, education and effort it’s possible to obtain a quality animal that you will be proud to own.

posted by admin on Aug 12

Leaves are falling and paws are crunching in the parks….

What a beautiful time of the year to get out with your canine companion and enjoy the crisp, cool air, frolic in the falling leaves and take in the visual splendor of nature. A walk in the woods can be an exhilarating experience for you and your dog, especially if you’ll take a moment for some basic dog care preparations. Minimize surprises and emergencies by following these simple steps.

I don’t know about you, but I will drive hours to find a place where the dogs can run free in nature. We all love it and often spend the whole day in the mountains together. I’ve developed a list of easy dog care to-do’s to ensure we have a great time and arrive and leave together safely.

I recommend the following items for your outdoor adventures:

1. Orange vests for you and your dog
This may sound like overkill, but I recently had an experience with my dogs that scared me. I was out in the woods with my dogs when I heard shots fired not far from me. I couldn’t see my dogs and terror ran through me. Immediately I realized we were not prepared for the hunters. Bright colored vests would have helped the hunters know we were not deer, and please don’t shoot us. Every year you hear the stories of accidental shootings. Don’t be the next casualty — don your orange vests!

2. Current dog tags on collars
Keeping a collar and current dog tags on your dog helps others get him home if you get separated. One thing I have recently done is change the dog tags to read “I must be lost. Please call Mom. (xxx) xxx-xxxx”. This gives all the pertinent information, yet doesn’t provide information for an easy abduction. I don’t want someone to know my babies’ names, which might lead the dogs to believe the stranger is a friend.

3. Foot and body check during and after the outing
I check my dogs’ paws and body frequently to remove the debris from the fall season — gum balls, seeds, burrs, rocks, thorns, pine needles, and leaves can add up to irritation or lameness.

4. Fresh water and a bowl
If I can help it, I don’t let my dogs drink standing water. I carry fresh water instead. I have had to deal with stomach problems in the past from bacteria in standing water. Carrying your own water is a small thing, but doing it can prevent lots of pain and suffering, a vet bill, and a 10-day supply of antibiotics.

5. Towels
I love towels, lots and lots of towels. To me, dropping dirty towels in the washer is much easier and less smelly than detailing a car or working to get that horrible wet, dirty dog smell out of fabric and carpet in my truck.

6. Whistle — long range
Lastly, I whistle-trained my dogs. If we do separate, a blow on the whistle has them running to me. Chances are, they don’t like not being able to see me and will be happy to have me back in their sights. I highly recommend the ACME whistle that sounds from 2-5 miles. Get it on a lanyard and carry it with you.

These 6 simple steps can make your outdoor trip so much more enjoyable, for you and your dogs. And paying attention to the basics in dog care shows your dog just how much you love her.

Happy hiking!

posted by admin on Aug 7

I have been a pet owner nearly all of my life and a veterinarian for almost half of my life, so I have seen my fair share of animals and animal owners. One of the biggest things I hate is to see people jump into the decision of buying a dog without taking time to think through the decision. When the decision to get a dog as a pet is made without care, the owners and the dog suffer equally from it.

Before you run out and purchase a dog, take time to carefully consider your decision. Think about your current lifestyle. How would bringing a new dog into the picture affect things? Do you have enough time, energy and money to adequately support bringing a dog into your family? Sure, the idea sounds great now, but is it a wise choice?

If you are sure that you can handle bringing a dog into your home and you are sure that you have what it takes to really care for your dog, then move ahead with caution and begin to research what kind of dog might be best for you. A dog is not a dog is not a dog. I hate hearing people talk about not really caring about what kind of dog they get. Each variety of dog is different and requires vastly different care. Learn what you can about the dogs you are interested in before making a purchase.

It is great to visit people who own the kinds of dogs you are interested in. See what their lives are really like with a dog in the picture. The more research you do, the better off you will be when you finally bring a dog into your home. Learn all you can from other dog owners and get their wisdom for you. I guarentee you that having a dog as a pet is a wonderful but hard thing.

Prepare your family before bringing a dog into your home. Talk honestly about the responsibilities that bringing a dog into your home will mean. Divide up those responsibilities so that everyone feels like they have an important part to play. A family will always do better with a dog when they have a right understanding of the work and commitment it will take to keep the dog alive and well.

I love seeing families bring a dog into their homes. I am insistent, however, on seeing the process done well. Please use caution and wisdom as you seek to make a dog part of your family.