PurinaCare Pet Insurance

Paper Training Your Dog

Paper training your dog: How to do it and common problems

What’s paper training?

Paper training is a specific form of house training for your dog: you’re teaching her where in the house is appropriate for her to eliminate (pee or poop). When you paper train your dog, you teach her to only eliminate on newspapers (chosen for their absorbency, ready availability, and cheap cost) which you gather up and throw away after each use.

What options other than paper training do I have for my dog’s house training?
There are two ways of effectively, efficiently, and rapidly house training your dog. Paper training is one; the other is something called crate training.

Crate training is based on a dog’s basic dislike of soiling where she sleeps, and involves restricting the dog’s movement (by putting her in a crate, or small indoor kennel) whenever she cannot be actively supervised.

The difference between crate training and house training?

Paper training and crate training aren’t the same thing. Crate training is where you train your dog to only go outside; paper training is where you train your dog to only go on newspapers.

You cannot train your dog to do both at the same time – the two are mutually exclusive. She’ll get confused, and you’ll only prolong the training process.

You can choose to use paper training as an intermediary step for eventually only eliminating outside (although not everyone recommends this: it’s easier on the dog, and more effective all round, to choose one method and stick with it.)

Why should I choose paper training instead of crate training?

Crate training and paper training are both effective ways to house train your dog.

In general, it’s accepted (by most dog trainers and vets) that crate training is the fastest method of house training your dog; but it requires a considerable investment of time and effort, which is not an option for everyone.

Paper training is the best option for you if:

- You don’t have easy access to a yard (for example, you live in a hi-rise apartment block)

- It’s not easy for you to take your dog outside for any other reason (for example, elderly or unwell people)

- You have a full-time job, or other time-consuming commitment which can’t be got around (meaning that you’re not able to spend the large amounts of time supervising your dog that crate training requires)

- You’re planning on training your dog to go outside the house eventually, but not just yet (for example, it’s the dead of winter with four-foot snow drifts outside)

Crate training is the best option for you if:

- You have a medium to big dog

- You are able to spend a lot of time during your puppy’s first weeks of house training in actively supervising her, and are available during the day to let her out of the crate at two- or three-hour intervals

- You want to train your dog to go outside the house right from the start

Paper training isn’t suitable for all dogs: it really only works for small males and small-to-medium females, since a dog larger than these just produces too much waste for the newspaper (and you!) to handle.

How to paper train your dog?

First, pick a convenient area of the house for your dog to use as the elimination area. Because she’s going to be peeing and pooping in this area, it’s best if you can choose somewhere without carpet: most people choose a corner of the kitchen or laundry (since these rooms usually have tiled or linoleum floors, making hygiene a non-issue.)

Spread newspaper thickly in a corner of this room. At first, you’ll need to make the newspaper area pretty big, since your pup has no idea that she’s meant to go on the paper at all.

To make sure that she’s able to eliminate only on the paper, you’ll either need to restrict her movements to the papered area of the floor (which you can do by erecting barriers to keep her in – if the room you’ve chosen is large or busy, this is probably the most user-friendly option for you), or paper the whole floor (which is a viable option if the paper-room is small and there’s not much thoroughfare.)

At first, your puppy will eliminate pretty much at random on the paper. It’s important for the paper-training process that she only gets to go on the paper – you need her to form a strong association between the feeling of paper under her toes, and relieving herself.

After a week or two, you can begin to shrink the papered area of the floor, allowing her more access to unpapered surfaces (leave the barriers where they are for now so she doesn’t get the chance to eliminate anywhere else.)

Do this gradually, a couple of sheets at a time. If you’ve given her enough time to get used to the paper, she should naturally restrict her elimination areas as the papered area shrinks.

NOTE: If at any time she begins to eliminate off the paper, then increase the size of the papered floor surface to the size it was when she was still eliminating only on the paper, and give her more time to get used to it before beginning to reduce the papered area again.

There’s no need to panic: this doesn’t mean that the paper training isn’t working, it just means you’re moving a bit too fast for your puppy’s capabilities.

Most dogs take a couple of months (eight to twelve weeks) to get used to the paper training method. Until she’s reliably going on the papers only, you should restrict her access to the rest of the house unless you’re actively supervising her- which means 100% of your attention is focused on the pup.

In general, a good rule of thumb is that your puppy is confined to the papered area unless she’s sleeping, eating, or being played with/actively supervised.

Things you should do are

- Praise her effusively whenever you see her eliminating on the paper. Wait 'til she’s done (so you don’t distract her!) and praise her, pet her, and give her a treat.

- If you catch her in the act of eliminating off-paper, this is actually a great opportunity for training development. Interrupt her with a clap, loud verbalization (“Ah-ah-aaaah!”), or slap your open palm loudly on the wall. This will startle her – in most cases, she’ll actually stop mid-toilet and hunch down. Scoop her up immediately and put her on the paper. When she finishes, praise her hugely and give her a treat.

- If you come across an accident after the fact (a wet spot or pile on the unpapered floor), you’ve missed your window of opportunity to teach her not to do this. You can’t tell her off in this case, because she won’t understand what she’s done wrong; all you can do is clean it up and supervise her more carefully. If this is happening a lot, you’ve given her too much freedom in the house and not enough supervision: restrict her access to the unpapered floor, and step up the supervision.

- Feed her at specific, scheduled times (for example, a meal at 8 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm) to encourage her to develop an “elimination timetable”.

For further information on house training your dog, including a detailed look at paper training and crate training, check out The Ultimate House Training Guide.

It’s the complete dog-house-training guide. The Ultimate House Training Guide and comes highly recommended.

You can visit the The Ultimate House Training Guide site by clicking this link:

External Parasites and Their Treatments


WHAT IS A PARASITE?

Foreign parasites are pretty familiar among dogs. A sponge is an cause that lives off the resources your dog has to worship: viz., hot execution (which most parasites engulf) and a close area to edict (in and on the rind and fur).

What are the unrefined parasites that might concern my dog?
There are a inaccurate represent of parasites that strike dogs:

- Fleas
- Ticks
- Mites
- Lice

All of these parasites crusade unfavourable reactions in your dog: typically, itching and inflamed pare, a heavy coat, and denuded symptom. In advanced cases, your dog may produce anemia (gore going) and become generally enfeebled (especially if he or she is really immature, very old, or excruciation from another assumption).

In constituent to this, some parasites convey unessential and inner parasites to your dog - for ideal, fleas commonly transfer the demotic flatworm (which causes degradation and flatulency), and ticks can make a tracheophyte of overmuch more grave problems suchlike Lyme's disease and disfunction.

In today's report, we're feat to be sensing at fleas: what they are, how to archer if your dog's stricken, and how to get rid of them.

A Fireman Seem AT FLEAS

Fleas are without proposal the number-one most average international parasite touching dogs. They're flyspeck, actuation insects that are featherlike brownish in colorise, tho' humans generally can't see them - they change more too quickly for that!

Fleas whippy off your dog's slaying. The lifespan bike of a flea moves very rapidly from arrange one (egg) to travelling quaternity (someone flea), which way they're open of multiplying with staggering rapidity.

An adult flea lays hundreds of foodstuff per day. Apiece egg gift then become an grown flea, which lay hundreds many foodstuff of its own. One flea becomes a outstanding difficulty really rapidly!

HOW TO Request IF YOUR DOG HAS FLEAS

The symptoms of a flea infestation are unmistakable.
A dog with a flea infection will mark nearly constantly, often at areas that fleas seem to upgrade: the ears, the supposal of the cut, the swell, and the jam (the webbing of downy peel between the serving and the stomach).

It's actually the saliva of the flea that causes the botheration, not the prick itself, and few dogs human a veritable allergy to this saliva (as opposed to a accepted aggression). Dogs with allergies suffer more more earthshaking counter reactions to a flea infection, and usually acquire "hot spots".

These hot symptom are areas of painful, light, flaking, haemorrhage, and purulent tegument, caused by the flea saliva and your dog's own activity to it. Open patches leave sometimes develop too, from repeated scratching and current arousal.

If you judge your dog has fleas, you can support your suspicions by taking a finisher sensing at his tegument: you probably won't be able to see the fleas themselves, but you should be healthy to see what looks similar ground seasoning (a scarecrowish sprinkling of powdered somebody grains) on his skin. This is flea dejection (details).

If you prettify him with a flea disentangle (which is equivalent a fine-tooth hairdressing), try wiping it on a report towel: if red blotches show up on the towel, you live that your dog has fleas (on a designer interference equal a press towel, flea ninny shows up red: since fleas subsist on slaying, their ninny is bicolored accordingly).

Management FOR FLEAS

Because fleas exclusive spend a wee amount of case actually on your dog, and the quietus of their abstraction jumping finished your concern birth foodstuff and supply on human blood, it's not enough to honourable supply the dog: you also screw to place his substance, the whole domiciliate, all anthropomorphic litter, and the field (yes, fleas lay foodstuff all through the yard, too. Symmetric if it's polar outside, you're not needs off the lick: frigorific windward doesn't obliterate flea eggs, it fitting puts the

You'll pauperization a broad-spectrum management which kills not exclusive the mature fleas (which are the ones that chomp), but also any processing fleas, and the eggs.

Bar IS THE Incomparable (AND THE EASIEST!)

Bar is definitely the superior help - you should sustenance your dog's flea treatments up to appointment with the use of a calendar, and use a direction that's formal by the vet. Off-the-shelf treatments aren't recommended, since various dogs compel polar strengths depending on their size, age, and process levels. A component help of formal flea direction is that most are also organized to forbid else parasites (same mites, ticks, and heartworm) from affecting your dog.

FOR AN EXISTING Infection

If your dog already has fleas, you know two options:

- You can 'bomb' the refuge and parcel with a flea-pesticide. These arise as foggers (which surface apiece populate, and the curtilage, in a book mist of liquid) and sprays (which are applied manually to apiece appear throughout the business and yard), and though they're real impelling in profit fleas and foodstuff, there's one leading drawback: they're highly noxious to humans, dogs, and the surround. Depending on your priorities, this is belike the quickest result to a flea problem (and give effectively rub out the foodstuff, too) but if you score anyone in the concern with allergies or a upbeat statement - including pets! - you strength requisite to consider again.

- A author health-friendly deciding is to aim the dog with a topical anti-flea result regular by the vet (similar Advantage or Revolution), and to rigorously decent the concern on a regularised basis until the flea problem has departed. This way vacuuming each position thoroughly apiece day - put a flea nab in with the region bag to end any fleas that get sucked up - and watercolor all imperfect and dog matter in hot irrigate as ofttimes as you can (erstwhile every day or every two life is advisable). You'll be able to recite when the problem's expended because your dog won't be scratching, and his surface testament be luculent of flea ordure when you inspect it.

WHAT NOT TO DO Virtually FLEAS

- Don't use triplex products on your dog - it'll form him sick, since you'll be overloading his grouping with toxins.
- Don't lose to initiate all the animals in the house at the homophonic period: cat and dog fleas are similar, and if one cranelike has fleas, they all gift get them, flush if some are not displaying the symptoms.
- Flea collars are no individual advisable as a harmless deciding for flea bar, since the collars are highly unhealthful - vets screw realized that placing a venomous relevant directly against your pet's skin for abundant periods of term (flea collars hump to be ratty 24/7 to be effective) is harmful to your dog's upbeat.

FOR Statesman Collection ON PARASITES AND THEIR Management...

Fleas are retributory one of the some, many types of parasites that regard your dog. To conclude out solon about the dead bar and handling of all types of parasites (extraneous and interior), as wellspring as a spaciotemporal run to all aspects of dog health, submit a wait at The Last Enchiridion to Dog Wellbeing.

This accumulation is an invaluable inventiveness for the liable dog owner, and will ply you to insure that your dog relic blissful and thriving - conscionable the way you poorness him to be!

You can canvass out the production by clicking on the tie beneath: Kingdom Pets

Why Walk With Your Cat Outdoors?


Our homes have been the homes of our pet cats. This does not mean however that you just have to keep them inside your house. You have to let them feel what is in the world outside. More than the basic needs of our cats, there are things like walking your cat outside that would surely help boost the total development of your cat.

When you take your pet for a walk, this would really be great for your cat pet. There are really great benefits from doing this activity. To do so would let your pet and you take a relieving break. Strolling around would entertain your pet and as well as stimulate it.

Another good thing about walking with your cat outdoors is that it would be able to overcome the boredom of being constrained inside your home. Just like us, cats also need to take some time and go outdoors. Being constrained may just make your pet depressed. It is really best to pamper your pet in the right way; to pamper your pet is not to keep him secluded from the outdoors.

Cats are not that expressive but studies show that behaviors of cats like scratching the furniture and others. This common behavior is one of the signs that may tell us that cats get bored too.

One thing more is that it could be the best form of exercise for your cat pet as well. There are cats which stay at home all the time that become overweight and to worse, become obese. We all know that this is not good and it could post a threat to the life of our pet.

Walking with your cats outdoors for it does not entail too much hassle, all you have to do is not only for your pet but it would surely entertain you as well. It would let you also spend some time outdoors, free from your busy schedule or the pressures of your tasks.

There are really good benefits when you walk your pet outdoors. You have to take time and feel the fun outside the walls of your home. It would definitely be a time to cherish, a time to savor.




Destructive Chewing

The act of chewing seems to be a matter of individual preference among dogs: some have an innate desire to chew as a pleasurable activity in itself, and some seem to have no need to chew whatsoever unless they’re driven to it out of sheer boredom.

The phrase “destructive chewing” may sound redundant, because – by its very nature! – all chewing is destructive. Your dog has strong jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth: just about anything she starts to chew on is probably going to show the effects of it inside of a minute. So just to clarify, when I use the phrase “destructive chewing”, I’m referring to inappropriate chewing: the kind of chewing that’s focused on your own possessions and household items, instead of on your dog’s own designated toys and chews.

The three main reasons why dogs chew:

- Most dogs have a natural desire to chew. It’s fun, it passes the time, and it’s a self-rewarding, self-reinforcing activity (for example, if she’s chewing on something that tastes good.)

- Chewing provides a nervous, bored, or lonely dog with an outlet for her emotions. To an anxious dog, the repetitive act of chewing is soothing – it’s the doggie equivalent of comfort food.

- Underexercised dogs often use chewing as a way of burning up nervous energy and giving themselves something to do.

- How to prevent destructive chewing -

Dogs are perfectly capable of learning not to chew your stuff – you just have to put in a little effort first, that’s all.

1. Take control of the situation: manage your own possessions. Your first step should be to dog-proof your home. Even if you have the best-behaved dog in the world, there’s still no reason to test her self-control – after all, dogs explore the world with their mouths.

Dog-proofing your home means taking whatever you don’t want to end up in her mouth, and making it unavailable. Consider her size and agility when deciding whether something’s out of reach: can she jump? Can she climb, or leap onto something else to reach the desired object? How tall is she when standing on her back legs?

Common targets in the home include books, eyewear, clothing, shoes, garbage, and small crunchy appliances like cameras, cell phones, and remote controls.

It should go without saying that all food needs to be put securely away: don’t leave snacks on low tables (or even countertops – you’d be surprised how acrobatic she can be when there’s food at stake!), put all food into containers or the pantry. Rinse your dirty plates clean of any food scraps before leaving them by the sink.

2. Prevent her from learning the joys of illegal chewing. The more times she manages to snatch a jawful of a forbidden substance – a chair-leg, a pillow, a running shoe – the more readily she’ll target those items in future. If you can prevent her from chewing your stuff in the first place, it’s a lot easier for her to understand what you expect of her. Practically speaking, this means confining her in a dog-proofed area until you’re confident of her understanding of the house rules.

3. Don’t set her up for failure by blurring the boundaries between her stuff (OK to chew) and your stuff (not OK to chew). Don’t offer your dog cast-off clothes, shoes, or towels to chew and play with: realistically, you can’t possibly expect her to be able to tell the difference between your current shoes and the one she’s got in her mouth that you gave her five minutes ago.

4. Provide her with lots of tasty alternatives to your stuff. If her environment is relatively barren of attractive, appropriate chewing objects, you can hardly blame her for targeting your possessions. Remember, most dogs need to chew; if she’s an adolescent (under three years) or a puppy (under one year), her needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and chew shopping spree, then give her two or three to play with at a time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things novel and interesting for her.

5. Spend lots of time in active supervision. Yes, it might be easier for you to just keep her penned up in her crate, run, or the yard – but that’s boring and horrible for her, and hardly much fun for you either (if you wanted a pet that you don’t need to interact with, you’d have got a goldfish, right?) She can’t learn what you expect of her if she’s spending all her time boxed up in the dog-proof zone: she needs the opportunity to explore the boundaries of your expectations, so she can understand what’s appropriate and what’s not.

6. When you catch her chewing something inappropriate, interrupt her by making a loud noise: clap your hands or make an “Ah-ah-aaaah!” noise. Then, immediately hand her a tasty and dog-appropriate alternative (a rawhide bone or other chew toy); as soon as her jaws close around it, praise her lavishly. There is no better way to get your dog to understand that chewing “her” toys equals praise from you, but everything else equals trouble.

- Maintain a productive attitude -

Above all, remember to keep your expectations realistic. You’re not perfect, and neither is your dog: there’s likely to be at least one incident where a cherished item is damaged by her curiosity.

Particularly in the early stages of your relationship, she’s still learning the ropes: it’ll take awhile before she’s completely reliable (and even then, if she’s left by herself for too long or feels neglected, she may choose your stuff over hers to occupy her time and jaws with.) Remember to give her time to learn the rules, and plenty of ‘you-time’ to help her learn faster – and don’t forget to take precautions and keep things out of reach until she’s got the hang of the chewing rules!

For more information on dog training techniques and how to deal with problem dog behavior (like chewing), check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s the complete manual for dog ownership and is designed to fast-track your dog’s learning.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Being alone can be really frightening, especially when you are a kid. A natural reaction of a child when left alone is to cry. We have all gone through this when we were young, We were always glued to our parents, especially to our moms. We do not want to be away from them. This is human instinct since when we were born, our mom is the first person that we lay our eyes on. in fact, we've already formed an attachment when we were still inside our mother's womb.

Being left alone can be very emotional and stressful. It can be a difficult experience. But this fear of being isolated is not only exclusively felt by human beings. Animals are no exception. Even dogs, considered to be man's best friend, suffer the same emotional predicament.

Dogs are naturally social creatures, they are pack animals. Like babies that develop an attachment to their  mothers, dogs, too, develop a very strong bond with their canine female parents. These pups would only want to be with their turf, where the mother or father can guard them or provide food through the female dog's mammary glands.  But once this canine family attachment is dissolved, the dog immediately turns its attention to their owner or caretaker.

Dogs that become too dependent on their owners also do not want to be left alone.  When dogs are left alone by their owners, they become really upset. As “dog depression”upset sets in, they become restless and even destructive  This condition is called Separation Anxiety.

Separation anxiety in dogs is one of the most common canine behavioral problems encountered by veterinarians and seasoned dog breeders.  Dogs can develop separation anxiety much faster if they do not have enough “socialization”.  It can also occur if a dog is repeatedly transferred from one owner to another.  Dogs that came from animal shelters and dogs that experienced traumatic events such as being in the house during a fire, during a burglary attempt, or while an alarm system sounded may show signs of anxiety.

A dog suffering from separation anxiety will become extremely anxious and distressed.  Some signs of distress in your dog may include any of the following:

·    Excessive barking and whining when left alone
·    Incessant chewing on variety of things and destroys objects
·    Urinate, defecate and vomit in different locations in the house.
·    Demands too much attention from you when you are at home
·    Gets overly excited when you return home

Dogs that fail to cope with a sudden change in environment may also develop separation anxiety. It is often difficult to treat this condition because the behavior only occurs when the owner is not around. It can also be alarming when the owner leaves for an extended period of time.

Experts say that there are medications that can suppress anxiety. These are often used on dogs with severe separation anxiety or when owners simply must leave the dog alone for an extended period while treatment is being done. The use of drugs allows the dog to spend extended periods of time free of anxiety. A veterinarian should be consulted for further information about the use of safe and effective anxiety- suppressing drugs.

These are other ways to reduce separation anxiety in your dog:
·    Make arrivals and departures very low key
·    Give your dog something to do when he is alone
·    Plan your exits
·    Leave a radio or TV on so he can listen to human voices when left alone
·    Confine your dog in a crate that will also serve him as shelter
·    Exercise your dogs

It is important to take immediate measures once you suspect that your dog has this condition. Visit a veterinarian and inquire about a dog stress treatment program. Keep in mind that your pet's disorder can be treated and that they also need proper care and attention. So, if you noticed that your dog is so stuck on you, you might consider taking your “best friend” to the veterinarian.

If you’re interested in getting a more detailed look at how to deal with your dog’s separation anxiety, you might like to check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s a great learning tool for anyone who wants to learn how to deal constructively with their dog’s problem behaviors. All of the common behavioral problems are dealt with in detail, and there’s a great section on obedience commands and tricks too.

You can visit the Secrets to Dog Training site by clicking on the link below: http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/separationanxiety






The Right Questions to Ask in Order to Find the Best Pet Health Insurance

People are becoming more curious about the best pet health insurance. This is more true for those who treat their pets as family. And as you go about pet ownership, you will realize how expensive it can be to have you furry companions go through a periodic medical check up to ensure that they are at the top of their health all the time.

Once you start searching for the insurance companies, you will notice that you have so many to choose from. But do not take anything just because it seems to offer the best plans. You must do further research to be sure that you are getting into the real deal. Think about your pets. What do you think will be best for them?

And do not forget the most important rule when you are on the process of finding the right policy for your pet, ask questions. The process is similar to the steps you take when you avail insurance policies for yourself. You must choose the one that will be all worth it in the end. You must feel secure that your policy will take care of you if anything happens all of a sudden like an accident or certain illnesses.

Your role in determining what insurance will work best for your pets is to ask the right questions. If you have no idea on how to go about it, you can start with these selections.

1. Can I avail the service of my chosen vet? Different companies will have different answers to this one depending on their rules and the policy that you will be getting. It is important to know at first hand that when an accident happen, you can bring your pet to the nearest vet and not worry about if they are affiliated with the insurance company or not. But if it is okay with you that the company has a list of service providers, then you must get a copy of that list. This way, you will know where to run once an unexpected incident happen to you pet.

2. Do I need to get a comprehensive plan or a discount insurance plan? This will very much depend on your budget. The comprehensive insurance plan works more like the health insurance of humans. Whereas a discount plan will require you to pay annual fees and you will only avail of discount services with regards to pets and other related examinations.

3. Is there any exclusion to the plan? The answer to this will depend on the insurance company. But the most common exclusions include pre-existing health conditions as well as hereditary defects of your pets. So you have to tell them the exact situation of your furry friend. This way, they will be able to present to you what they deem will suit your pet the best way possible.

4. Are there any deductibles that I have to pay? This will depend on the plan that you will be getting. The deductible is the first payment that you have to give before you can utilize the policy. The smaller this is, the higher your premium will be. But this must be decided according to what you can afford. So look at your budget closely and allocate for such fund wisely.

By asking around the right questions, in time, you will be able to find the best pet health insurance that will perfectly fit on your pet's needs and on your budget.

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