Pets: How Do You Choose?

Having a pet can be one of the greatest joys of life; after all, who wouldn’t want something that offers unconditional love, companionship and often an unbiased shoulder to cry on?

Before you run out and purchase your new companion though, there are a few things you should take into account.

With such a wide variety of animals that can become pets: from dogs to cats, birds to fish, rabbits to guinea pigs, horses, mice and the more unusual like snakes and spiders the choice is only limited by your ability to meet each animal’s requirements.

The first thing you need to do is take your surroundings and lifestyle into account. Depending on where you live and how much time you have to offer your pet will go a long way to deciding what type of pet you should get. If you don’t have a lot of room or keep irregular hours perhaps you should look into a smaller animal: fish, mice or others that don’t require as much of your time. If you have a large home or backyard then maybe you can handle a dog or cat etc.

You also need to know who is going to be the primary care giver to your animal, while we all love the idea of watching our children grow up with their dogs, we need to remember that for the most part, you as the parent, will be the person most likely in charge of your pet’s welfare. Whoever is chosen as the primary carer will need to be willing to offer the time and requirements needed for the chosen pet.

Money is also a major factor when it comes to deciding what type of pet you are willing to introduce into your family. Not only will the initial purchase of the animal probably cost a certain amount depending on what type of animal, whether it’s a pure breed or not, along with other initial costs, you will also need to take into account the food, vet bills (such things as vaccinations, worm tablets, flea treatments etc) any toys or other requirements, if it needs certain training or has other specialised equipment or needs, along with any other odd expenses that might arise.

If you’re planning on holidays you will also need to take your pet into account. If you can’t take it with you, is there somewhere you can send your pet to receive the care it needs while you are away, or do you have a friend or family member that is willing to come to your home to make sure the pet is fed and exercised etc.?

Once you’ve taken the above factors into consideration and started to narrow down what type of pet you would like, always do some more research: try to find out exactly what type of needs your pet will have (and while this is particularly important if you’re deciding on something a little more exotic it’s just as necessary even when considering the more usual pet like a dog or cat etc.) make sure you know where you can get any toys or other equipment (aquariums, specialised food etc) in case you need something in an emergency. If you have young children, make sure the chosen pet is suitable for them: if a dog – will it be able to handle a bit of rough and tumble etc?

These are just a few tips to help you on your way to choosing a pet. No matter what animal you decide to get, know that having a pet is a wonderful and often long-time experience that will provide you with many hours of fun and companionship.

Peculiar Pets

People have found shelter and comfort in pets since the beginning of time. Animals have been man's best friend, protector and a source of great pleasure. Dogs, cats, parrots, birds, rabbits and horses are the most commonly kept pets. In societies people keep undisruptive animals. Hardly any house is left that does not have a pet! Pets are considered no less than family members, and hence are given the same shelter, love, food as any of their family is liable to receive. Human nature possesses an inclination towards matchlessness. Peculiar pets are found across the world and by the passage of time their number is increasing. These animals vary from reptiles, endangered species of birds, snakes, lizards, spiders and so on. Rare animals are now managed and controlled and made pleasant, exuberant companions.

There are many people in this world who are fond of being different from others. They crave for anything that is extraordinary and distinct. Dogs have been kept as pets since the begging of time and there is simply no substitute for them. Over the lapse of centuries dogs have earned their status as the man's best friend. There are common dogs and these are poodles, hound dogs etc. There are some dogs that can be categorized as rare dogs because people do not keep them as common pets. Bull terriers and Beardies are two species of rare exotic creatures. Beardie is a dog that was used a long time back as a shepherd dog. Bull terriers are vicious looking dogs and they suit people living in countries sides because they are a good source security. These dogs are a mixed breed of a bull dog and an extinct white English terrier. These dogs are highly aggressive and need their space. They are huge and scary and perfect athletes. They can be particularly friendly towards people.

There are monkeys that aren't still very common but these pets are full of enjoyment. Monkeys can imitate and learn quickly that is the reason people want to keep them as pets now more and more.

There are people who pay thousands to possess boa constrictors and other snakes and keep them as pets, enough to scare a visitor. Spiders such as tarantulas and camel spiders are increasing in number. There are kangaroo cats, iguanas, monitor lizard, etc. Some people also keep panthers, lions as pets and often face dangerous consequences. But however keeping such animals as pets makes people feel extraordinary and distinctive.

You've Got To Love Pets

Do you have a K-9? That is super-scientifically advanced talk for "dog." If you are a dog owner, where do you keep him/her? Is it an indoor pet, or does he have to stay outside? This will certainly have some effect on your pet's personality. In fact, indoor pets are likely to be happier than ones who're always forced to stay outdoors.

They just can't receive the same level of love and affection if kept outside. Now, another concern when owning a dog is dog obedience training. What have you taught your K-9? Does he/she know how to sit, stay, roll over, and stay out of trouble? These are definitely some of the basics, but dog obedience training goes much further than this if you're interested.

You've got to love pets. No matter how rough they have it or how much you're gone at work; they tend to still love you more than anything. Okay, so I'm really just talking about dogs here. If you've ever owned a cat, then you must know that they can be quite bitter if neglected. Just try leaving your feline alone for a week with just food, water and a litter box. He/she may just pee in your shoe or poop on your couch out of mere spite. This is common in the cat community.

They want revenge on those who neglect them. Dogs on the other hand aren't typically so bitter. Even with out a few dog obedience training classes, your K-9 will still probably do alright. However, if you have what's considered a vicious dog, who may attack someone at random when you're walking them, you may want to acquire dog obedience training. This is for your own protection and the protection of your dog. Hey you don't want your loving pet attacking some child who just happens to look them in the eye. This would be a catastrophe.

I recall one man back where I used to live, who had a young daughter that was attacked by a pit bull, while the owner was out walking him. The aggressive dog leaped forward at the child and bit her face. Later that day the man showed up at the owner's home and proceeded to beat the pit bull to death with a bat in his kennel. There were no charges brought against him. This is just something to consider when owning a dog. Although you assume your K-9 is perfectly harmless, he/she may need some special attention or dog obedience training. It's worth looking into.

Caring For Your Pets

It is very easy to get attached to pets, so make sure you can care for the pet before getting one. It would be hard to get attached to a pet and then have to give it up because of an unexpected move. or so rule that you were not aware of. Its also important to choose the right pet for you. Consider the life span, and gender of the pet, do you want a male or a female? Pets life expectancy is not as long as humans, so you may want to mate your pet before it is to late, so that you can always have one of your own pets off springs, which will help sooth the pain of losing a beloved pet. Pets depend on you to take care of them, just like children do. Some people even treat their pets like children, they shop for clothes for their pet, take them to the saloon for grooming, treat them to special foods, and some even let their pets sleep with them. If you are a pet lover and don't have the money to purchase a pet from a pet store, there are many wonderful pets at shelters just waiting for someone to give them a home. You may have to pay a small fee, but it will be well worth it.

1. Why do dogs eat their poop?

One reason dogs eat their poop is because it just plain taste good. Another reason is it could be a vitamin deficiency. One other reason for the poop eating is that it is an instinctual behavior in the wild to eat the poop to keep other predators from tracking their movements. Some solutions for stopping poop eating are: You can put meat tenderizer on their food and it is supposed to make the poop taste bad once it goes through the body. Check to make sure your dog food is nutritous enough and they are getting everything they need in their diet. The best and most effective way is to clean up after your dog immediately.

2. How do I get my dogs to stop barking?

Dogs bark as a form of communication. Dogs will also bark out of boredom. Dogs that are not with their pack [you are their pack] will bark to get the packs attention to let them know they are lonely. Dogs will bark to alert that there is a person walking by or another dog in their territory it is a natural form of communication. If you remove the stimulant then there is no need to bark at it. The best way to stop nuisance barking is to exercise/socialize your dog. If the dog is with their pack then they is no need to get the packs attention. Dogs also bark when they are excited it is their natural way of communication.

3. How do I get my dog to stop chewing up the furniture?

If you have a puppy it is probably teething and in some pain. The chewing is satiating to them and can possibly be soothing their gums. You can give them a cold carrot to chew on, make sure you give it to them outside it can get quite messy. You can also freeze chicken broth in ice cube trays for them to have to help relieve some of the discomfort. You can also use Bitter Apple spray to detour them from chewing. Mature dogs usually chew out of boredom and stress. Exercise is the best way to release the stress. You can turn there attention on to something else that is more exciting then your dinning room table leg.

4. How do I get my dog to stop nipping and play-biting?

One way is to yelp very loud and startle the puppy. If the puppy was playing with another puppy and it bite to hard then the puppy would yelp to let them know it hurt. If the play stops as a result of biting too hard then the puppy will learn from being shunned away that biting stops the play time. Another solution for play biting is to have a toy and redirect the attention on to something else. You can also change the dogs environment take them outside for a walk is very helpful.

5. How do I stop my dog from potting in the house?

Once a dog start using the bathroom in the house the only method that works is PREVENTION. Every time your dog uses the bathroom in the house it takes 10 consecutively times using the bathroom outside that teaches it outside is where to go potty. So if you get to 9 times outside and then they have a mistake inside you have to start all over again. You must look at your dog/puppy as a 9 month old crawling baby with out a diaper on. Surely you would not let a 9 month old baby loose in your house with out a diaper on.

Training Pets

Dogs mostly are more intelligent than most people realise. They understand far more than we give them credit for. And, by using this canine inherent ability we can soon have pets doing anything we ask of them.

A big secret in training animals is using their inherent abilities to our advantage. With dogs, this inherent ability could relate to their ancestral purpose, such as hunting, so ingrained in terriers or with kelpies or border collies that love to muster almost anything that moves!

Those dog breeds that love to hunt are dogs that also love to seek things out, while other dogs love to muster. These traits are things that dogs just love doing naturally, and we can use these traits to make it fun for pets to learn new things. I once had a Jack Russell terrier called Pippy and she loved to muster cattle and sheep. She became one of my best “cattle dogs!” working with a kelpie and collie. This goes to prove you need to watch what your dog loves doing and use this trait to advantage when teaching.

This also applies to goats. My wife raised two orphan Angora Kids goats. They were snow white and were smaller than a toy poodle. They loved to sit on my wife’s lap in the lounge room and watch T.V. with her. Their names were Charlie and Jeanie. My 14 year old son took a liking to Jeanie and soon had her doing all sorts of tricks. He simply used the goat’s natural ability and love of jumping up onto chairs, rocks or any high object, a sort of King of the Castle game that goats seem to like doing. Anyway, in a short time he had Jeanie learning to jump from one 12 litre oil drum top to another, several lined up in a row.

It was a simple task to teach Jeanie to jump onto the first barrel, then jump to the next, and jump four more in a row. At the last barrel my son would extend his arms out to Jeanie and call her and she would launch herself into his arms. She did this simply because she loved jumping on things, which my son simply exploited.

Then one day when Jeanie was almost fully grown, the vet came to check the goat herd and Jeanie was amongst the flock. But as the vet moved amongst the flock checking their general health Jeanie just followed him about like a ‘shadow’. Eventually the vet straightened up and asked me what was up with the young goat that kept following him? He then made the fatal mistake of holding his arm out to point at Jeanie. Instantly she noted the signal and launched herself into the vet’s arms nearly bowling him over amongst the other goats. It frightened the life out of him!!!

This sort of training is easily achieved with dogs. Many dogs love to jump onto things and so do cats. But this is where ‘bribery and corruption’ comes into play. This bribery is achieved with some small tasty tit-bits. You use small pieces of meaty bits like cabanossi or chopped off pieces of sausage or chicken. Anything tasty will do that your pet loves.

You use these small food bites to teach them to obey a whole range of commands such as:

• To sit
• To come
• To walk easily on the lead without tugging and pulling.
• And to teach your pet to do tricks.

It’s of real value to use a shoulder harness when walking your dog or any other pet such as your cat, goat or even a pig. If your pet is in the habit of trying to pull too hard on the lead or rush at other pets being taken for a walk, you simply quickly turn the pet around in the opposite direction and walk away. The pet usually looks astonished at this sudden change in your behavior. But your pet is more intelligent than most people it credit for. You only have to do this a few times and the pet gets the message and behaves perfectly. You can also use your ‘bribery and corruption’ food bites to take your pets attention off anything that you want it to, by giving it a quick sniff of the food and it will switch its attention to you immediately.

There are many training systems that you can use. I have reviewed quite a number. Some are a waste of time and money. But I have found a few that are really good. To check out the best go to my review site below.

If you have a pet that is misbehaving you will find among these training systems one that will suit you and your pet, which will make both your lives really enjoyable.

What You Don’t Know About Pets

Everybody knows someone who owns a pet. This is inevitable. Why exactly do people own pets? Are there benefits to having one? What are the detriments to having a pet? What kind of pet should you look for?

The reasons people own pets are as diverse as the pets they own. Some people want something “soft and cuddly” in a pet. They desire to have something that they can hold and care for. People like this usually will enjoy a pet along the lines of a cat, or perhaps a rabbit. Other people want a pet that will offer them a certain level of security or protection. While the reasons for wanting that protection may vary, their needs are generally the same. These people most frequently purchase dogs but the types of pets available for this purpose vary around the world. In Japan, crickets have been used for thousands of years as an early warning system of sorts. The crickets will quit chirping when someone approaches, thus warning the owner of impending danger.

Why would someone want a pet with no readily apparent benefit? While not everybody will see the inherent gifts of pet ownership, there are other factors to consider. A cat can be a loving companion for an otherwise lonely person. It will always be there for them when they come home, they rarely complain and they are always there when the owner wants a comforting companion. Doctors and scientists have actually proven through case studies that pet owners live longer than people who live alone. That alone would be a major benefit. While there are other benefits, there are also other factors to consider. If you are going to purchase a pet, you need to make sure that not only does the pet meet your requirements but also that you will be able to take care of the pet as well.

Many people purchase their pets during holiday seasons or as gifts for someone without taking into consideration the needs of the animal. While pets can be beneficial, they do have needs as well. Make sure that you or the person you are getting the pet for has both the time and the means to take care of the pet. Dogs may be relatively low-maintenance but they have been known to chew things up or do other assorted “deeds” when they are left alone for too long in a home. Cats fair somewhat better when left alone, but all of your pets still need to eat on a regular basis. It is best if you can put out fresh food in the morning and the evening time. They will eat when they are ready to, but it is much easier if they have fresh food available to them. Most people would not be willing to eat something that has set out all day; pets are not really much different there.

When you are looking for a pet, you need to try and define what exactly you want from that animal. There has been a recent surge in the trend of birds. Many people will find an appeal in the more exotic reptilian pets. These include snakes, which are not only very low maintenance, but also serve well as conversation starters. Once you have figured out what you want, it will be that much easier to find it and make your selection.

Chameleons As Pets

Chameleons are appealing in appearance and their mystical ways of changing colors are fascinating. Keeping chameleon as pets could be difficult as compared to other pets as they are not very friendly and they need a lot of extra care. But if you are serious about raising a Chameleon you will find they are by far the most fascinating pets you could ever ask for.

When selecting a chameleon, it is without question best to find a captive bred one. Wild caught specimens are usually extremely stressed, carry a heavy parasite load, and difficult to acclimate to captive conditions.

Chameleons are generally best for intermediate reptile keepers. Therefore, prior reptile experience or reading would be beneficial. It is very important to have knowledge on chameleons before you keep one as pet.

Sometimes because of negligence many die due to stress, disease, improper care, dehydration or starvation hence it is very important to know about their health, diet, housing them, etc.

Depending on species, captive-bred male chameleons generally live 4 to 6 years in captivity, whereas captive-bred female chameleons live only 2 to 3 years in captivity. Wild-caught or imported chameleons do not live as long in captivity and may only live for a few months to a few years.

Before you buy a chameleon always ask your pet store where your chameleon came from and if it has been deparasitized.

They must be re-treated for parasites periodically. Ask a qualified, knowledgeable staff person or expert. If you are a beginning keeper, seek the advice of others with more experience.

Take them with you to help you choose your animal. Choose an animal with a plump, well-rounded body. Hips or backbones that are protruding are signs of several underlying problems.

Also check the eyes to see that they are bright and alert, have no "crusty" appearance, and are not sunken into the animal's head. Make sure your animal looks active, rather than lethargic.

Remember that not all species will react in the same way. Learn what to expect and make your choice based on what you have researched. If you are a beginner, you might want to start with a hardy species that is easily kept and maintained.