Have You Any Wool

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The Pros and Cons of Using a Head Halter on Your Dog
Dog owners with hard to control dogs use head halters in an effort to control their dogs without having to resort to harsh pinch and choke dog training collars. Head halters are similar to halters used on horses and the halter fits around the dogs head and works on the assumption that if you control the dogs head, you control his body as well.
Dogs will accept a pinch or choke collar easier than a head halter. This is because dogs are used to wearing a collar around their necks but the feeling of the halter around their head will be a strange and unfamiliar experience. Your dog may even throw a mini temper tantrum and put up a fight, so make sure you are very patient and calm during this crucial time.
Once your dog has begun to accept the head halter, you will find that it provides you with surprising control over your pet. Halters also eliminate the risk of windpipe damage on dogs that are strong pullers. Head halters are a good option to try on larger sized dogs and they can be a good tool to use on dogs that bark incessantly or who are very aggressive.
Head halters can be found at most pet shops as well as online, and they are usually very affordable and require no special training in order to use them. While no training is required for their use, you should be careful when using a halter on your dog so as not to cause serious injury to your pet.
You should think of the head halter as a transitional tool to help you train your dog while youre teaching him basic obedience. Use voice commands while your dog is wearing the head halter to enhance his training and soon you can move to a regular collar once your dog has learned to obey your verbal commands.
Make sure you discuss your plans to use a head halter on your dog with your veterinarian. Your vet may decide to check your dog for any neck problems before you begin using a head halter to determine if it is safe to use on your dog. Always practice common sense when dealing with your dog and do everything in your power to protect your dog from injury and harm. Your dog depends on you for his life.
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off

Dogs Are Like Kids; They Need Leadership
Dogs live in packs in the wild. These canine packs have a natural hierarchy of leadership, dominance and submissiveness. Through a complex play of strategy and aggression, natural leaders emerge to lead the packs. The dogs are called Alpha dogs. It is their job to make sure the dogs work together towards their common goals.
With domestic dogs, the same urges and instincts are present. They will either be dominant or submissive. Problems can arise if a domestic dog begins to believe he is the leader of the pack. It is your job to provide the leadership necessary to prevent this. You have to leave no doubts that you are in charge of the pack and will tolerate no insubordination.
All teams need and crave leaders. The home is no exception. But being the leader brings with it responsibility. You have to display the characteristics of a leader. You must be disciplined and consistent to come off as a leader to your dog. Once you have those qualities you will earn the dogs respect and your home will be a much more orderly place.
Leadership is such an integral part of a dogs life that they need this in order to feel safe and happy. Many owners believe the dog is looking for a friend, while in fact they are looking for someone to take charge. Naturally dominant dogs will sense a vacuum in the leadership structure if you are not providing it. They will try to take the role and can become aggressive. Many dogs get aggressive protecting their toys or dog beds.
Though one person will come out as the top of the pack, there exists a hierarchy also. Other members of the family must ensure that they take their natural place in the upper levels of the structure. Kids must be taught about their role as a leader. Use this opportunity to teach kids about responsibility and what it means to be a leader. The dog will have no problem with that as long as the child behaves responsibly.
Most of the behavioral problems associated with dogs stems from a problem in the hierarchy. If your dog is acting up you need to reexamine the power situation in the home. Just like children can develop behavioral problems in homes where the parents fight, dogs can also be affected. The dog views the fighting as a battle for dominance. It is confused as to who is at the top. If only the dog could understand the woman is always at the top.
It is important that all family members understand that the dog needs discipline and consistency. Get everyone on the same plan before you even bring the dog home. Planning makes all the difference.
Thursday, July 15th, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off

Lyme Disease and Dogs: Common Symptoms
Though Lyme disease has been around for many years, it seems to be showing up more and more. Dogs, especially puppies, are especially susceptible to its effects. Humans are also at risk, making the issue that much more important.

Lyme disease is spread by deer ticks making it reasonable to see the disease is much more common in warm months. It is also more common in areas with heavy vegetation, especially in the Midwest and northwest United States. Since it first showed up, the disease has been found in more than 40 states.
Deer and mice are the most common hosts for the tick that carries the disease. Mice spread the ticks, which lay in wait for your dog. Once on the dog, they begin to feed on the animals blood. During the process, material enters the dogs bloodstream which carries the disease.
The ticks are prone to bite anywhere on the body but prefer areas where the dog cant get to them. The head, ears and neck are the most common locations, but the feet should also be closely examined. The longer the tick is allowed to remain on the dog, the greater the chance of disease transmission.
Once infected, symptoms include fever, lethargy, difficulty walking, swelling in the joints and general lack of energy. The bite area might be inflamed, though this can be difficult to see depending on the dogs hair and skin color.
If you notice these symptoms and suspect that your dog might have been exposed to the disease, get him to a vet right away. The earlier treatment is began, the better the chance that the dog will recover without serious effects. In its later stages, the disease can leave the dog paralyzed. Eventually it will spread to the chest area and the dogs breathing will cease. Depending on how far along the disease has progressed, the animal may require a stay in the hospital.
The internet has several good resources on Lyme disease. Its easy to find websites that show what the ticks look like, what the signs of infection are and what you can expect from the disease. There you will also find advice on how to keep your dog tick free. Avoiding an infestation is the best way to prevent the disease. Your vet can also help educate you on the disease. HE will be able to tell you how common the problem is in your area and what you can do to prevent it.
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off

Vaccinating our Pets- Too Much or Too Little?
A few years ago, getting pets vaccinated at their annual vet exam was a pretty straight forward matter. We would take the pet, the vet would do a quick exam and then he would give him a few shots. Nothing to it and the pet was fine. Welcome to 2010. These days there is controversy surrounding even the simplest of things. Pet vaccinations are no exception. There are many people who have began to question the entire theory behind vaccinations and whether they might actually do more harm than good.
Vaccinations, whether in pets or humans, work along with our body’s own immune system. The vaccination contains small quantities of the virus or bacteria that causes the illness. Sometimes the pathogens are dead and sometimes they are weakened forms of live organisms. The body does its thing by reacting and producing antibodies. Once we have the antibodies in our blood, we are immune or at least better able to fight off that infection. In essence, we make ourselves a little sick so we don’t get very sick later.
Unfortunately these vaccinations can often lead to reactions in humans and animals. These reactions can very often lead to death. Another side effect of regular vaccinations is that they can lead to stronger strains of other common infections. It’s a little like over prescribing antibiotics. Skin allergies, urinary track infections and other normally minor problems can be made worse. Though the makers of the vaccines are quick to say that these reactions are very, very rare, other tests indicate that the numbers may be as high as 1 in 10 animals having problems. Smaller breeds have an even greater incidence of problems due to vaccinations.
The problem is that evidence pointing towards possible problems is still somewhat circumstantial while the evidence of vaccinations’ effectiveness is well proven. Therefore it is the law in most jurisdictions that pets be vaccinated against communicable diseases whether there is a threat or not. Many of the diseases the vaccines prevent are untreatable if the animal contracts them and they will die. Considering this, and the relatively minor problems associated with vaccinations, at this time it’s still worth the risk.
One thing that is happening as a response to the potential problems is that vaccination schedules are being revised. Animals aren’t required to get every vaccine every year. Instead, a three year schedule is becoming common. Less frequency means less chance of problems. If you are really determined to save your pet from a vaccination, the animal can be checked for antibodies of particular diseases. If the antibodies are still present, then the pet doesn’t need the vaccine. This is of course a little expensive.
All drugs have potential side effects, vaccines included. But the diseases they prevent are too serious to entirely give up the vaccinations. Though we don’t want to gamble with our dog’s lives, the odds are still in favor of the vaccines.
Friday, July 9th, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off

Is Your Dog Shy?
Believe it or not, dogs can have a shy personality also. They might never have to face a demanding audience while giving a speech, but they too have to deal with meeting new people. Signs of shyness in dogs include hiding under the bed when you have visitors and general nervousness around new people and new dogs. The cause of the shyness may just be a natural condition of their personality or it can be caused by something that happened to the dog in the past. Certain breeds are also known to be more shy than others. Knowing why your dog acts the way it does can be important, especially if this is a new dog you have adopted. An abusive past needs to be addressed and the dogs behavior must be assessed.
The most frequent cause of fear and shyness in a dog is physical abuse. If a simple extension of your hand to pet the animal results in the dog flinching or cowering, then you can be pretty sure that the dog has been abused in the past. This is especially true in dogs that you have rescued or adopted as adults.
An illness or injury will also cause a dog to act timidly. If you dog normally doesnt suffer form this condition and suddenly starts to act fearful, you need to check him thoroughly. Injuries in dogs are not always apparent. Since the dog cant tell you what the problem is, you have to take it upon yourself to look for and recognize the problem. Examine the dog from head to tail and look for sensitive areas. If you find one and cant see any evidence of injury, get the dog to a vet. It could be a sign of an internal injury.
Some people actually scold their dog for being timid. The only thing that does is worsen the problem. Since dogs often urinate when scared or nervous, owners punish them for the accident. This will only make them more likely to do the same thing next time. Instead, gently reassure the animal that everything is OK.
Some dogs can be brave in most circumstances, but cower fearfully in the face of certain things. Loud noises are among the most common trigger of this behavior. Dogs sensitive ears make things like vacuum cleaners and large trucks especially daunting and they will often retreat to their dog crate. Once again, your response should be to reassure the dog that everything is fine.
Puppies should be socialized so they are used to both new people and new dogs. If they are kept sequestered they will naturally be fearful of new things. Dog parks are good places to get this kind of contact. If that isnt available, just a simple walk around the neighborhood should help.
Just like people, probably even more so, dogs are naturally fearful of new things. Help them through this by exposing them to as many new things as possible. A gentle introduction to many new experiences is the best cure for natural shyness.

Pool Halls Necessities
Billiard is one of the famous sports around the world and mostly if not everyone enjoy playing this game. If you are a kind of person with a passion for this thing, think about having your own pool table and billiard supplies in your home or much better if you make a business out of that passion. If you decided to pursue that business, it is important to make all the things and plans organize and detailed to avoid any confusion and delay. First of all, you need to be financially ready and stable as the things for this business are expensive.
Now, after you have completed the lists of the things you need, it is important to have a place where you can put these things, in other words, the pool hall. Your pool hall must be equipped with proper lighting and furniture aside from the pool table accessories. These things are important to play the game properly. Pool table lights vary in designs and style that would compliment to your existing pool hall decorations. It must also be properly installed and at the right level of height. The light should cover the whole pool table so that you can avoid shadows in the play area. Select from the single to a row of pool table lights. Proper lighting will help the players play the game accurately.
It is also important to treat your customers nice by providing them comfort while they play. Playing billiard will not alone satisfy your customers. They also need something to eat or drink while they are waiting for their turn to hold the cue sticks and strike the ball so much better if you have a bar inside the playroom. Game room furniture like chairs, bar stools and tables are essential for your pool hall as this will provide space of comfort for everyone in the hall.
Thursday, July 8th, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off

Under normal conditions, you trust your dog has superior recall. Regardless of the countless distractions, your dog is well trained off leash and walks by your side. His stay is impeccable; down is devoid of hesitation, the sit instantaneous and he heels with almost military precision.
Regardless of your best instruction efforts, sooner or later your dog won’t be able to avoid temptation and may chase something without regard to his own well being.
And that’s the reason teaching, ingraining, hard wiring a faultless emergency memory is crucial.
Crisis memory is founded in a lone order that you in no way use for a different reason. It must be something your dog isn’t likely to hear by chance called out at the dog park or that you or a different family member employs in conversation or any type of play or interaction with the dog. It must be something that your dog is only going to hear when he absolutely, positively has to come to you. One excellent instructor I an familiar with utilizes the expression, duck-duck-goose. You and your family members should use a word or phrase that is memorable and instantly recognized by your dog. As you press the panic button and indecision causes pause as your dog is racing toward a hazard, you have to be capable to remember the appropriate instruction. This possibly life saving word or phrase should be hard wired in your dog’s subconscious as it is in yours.
The technique my trainer friend taught me is easy and superbly successful. Even a husband should be able to do it!
There are three essential ingredients you will need to train this crucially significant performance: an commitment of time, inflexible consistency and some type of reward which is one of your dog’s most preferred treats on the planet, one that has him drooling shamelessly from its merest mention. Only when he has reacted properly to the recall command can you present him his treat. That’s the most complicated step.
Fill a pouch with the delightful treats and you’re prepared to get going. Initiate at a long length from your dog. Exclusive of using the code word, obtain the dog’s concentration and upon his coming toward you, yell the new order. To strengthen his behavior, continue utilizing the command as he arrives to you. When he comes close to you, hand him a treat and repeat the command; go on with the goodies and say again the order for around half a minute. Repeat three times.
Replicate this procedure three times every day, in multiples of three, ensuring to be lavish with the goodies and recall order. For at least two weeks, duplicate this procedure daily, at the same time as expanding the distance and increasing disruptions. Don’t add too many distractions too rapidly; you do not want to have to begin again with a another verbal instruction!
As you cultivate a correlation between the goodies, performance and order, have other family members participate in the process.
While you are getting faultless recall, devoid of pause, even with disruptions, start extending the exercise periods. You can start to slowly reduce the sessions to a weekly schedule, being sure to receive three perfect recalls each session. If you can’t get those recalls, return to the initial drill until you are back to where you need to be.
Emergency recall is a practice that requires you exercise periodically, for example once per week, maintaining the dog involved in case you actually need it.
Saturday, July 3rd, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off

Choosing a Dog for the Family
Bringing a dog into the family is a huge decision with long term consequences. The great thing about dogs is that they are almost always loveable and endearing in some way. However, different dogs have different needs, and you should take many factors about your unique family into consideration before choosing which dog would be best for you. To make an informed choice, its best to give yourself an idea of what is available out there, and what sort of special needs some dogs may have.
The first question you should answer is who in your home will shoulder the most accountability for the care of the dog. That person should be responsible, caring and home a reasonable amount of time. Dogs need to be fed, picked up after and loved in general. If you are in a house full of people who will spend most of the time away from home, then a dog may not be a good idea at all, unless you have a neighbor of friend who will agree beforehand to take on the responsibility.
If you are getting a dog for your child, and plan to have your child as the primary caregiver, make sure your child is fully aware of all that the responsibility entails. The child needs to understand the seriousness of a lifetime commitment. Make sure your child understands that owning a dog isnt all fun and games.
If you plan to have an elderly person take care of the dog, you should first decide whether or not that person is up to the task physically. In such cases, little dogs or dogs that are decidedly low maintenance are preferable. Shelters will have a good mix of bigger and smaller dogs. There will be a lot of mixed-breed dogs at shelters as well. Talk to the people at the shelter to get a good idea of personality. Keep in mind that while dogs of specifics breeds are generally known to share common personality traits, dogs are still very much individuals.
If you are an active family and you enjoy the outdoors, youll want a dog that can keep up with you. As far as breeds go, the best outdoor pets are German Shepherds, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, or Border Collies. They love to run and can easily be trained to do all kinds of physically challenging activities; they are also great swimmers. They are very intelligent and extremely loyal companions.
Some smaller breeds are also suited to active families. Terriers can be extremely active and in fact Jack Russell terriers are considered hyperactive. They demand a lot of exercise to stay healthy. Chihuahuas are great pets for the elderly, they are small and short haired, and thus extremely low maintenance. A Chihuahua can spend a whole day in your lap or on a couch. They make great watchdogs though as they bark at strangers a lot, unfortunately this can make them rather annoying as well.
If a big dog is what youd like though, you may want to consider a Malamute or an Akita. These are beautiful wolf-like dogs, they can be difficult to maintain though due to their long, thick coats. Great Danes and Saint Bernards are huge dogs; they require special orthopedic pet beds as their joints often suffer wear due to their size. They dont like to exercise a lot, but will of course benefit from some exercise. If you want an active dog, these will not be the best breeds out there for you.
Apart from the fact that they often require professional grooming, poodles are great dogs for almost any handler and any lifestyle. They are extremely intelligent, very sociable, and there are hyperactive poodles as well as more docile ones.
Knowledge is power! When it comes to choosing the right breed for your family, there is no shortage of literature on virtually all breeds of dogs available on the internet. While conventional wisdom dictates that you are better off with a dog with a pedigree, pure blooded dogs are not always the best. They tend to be more high-maintenance, they tend to have more specific needs and they are prone to more illnesses and genetic diseases. They are also more expensive, both to buy and to care for. However, their traits are more predictable, and you can earn a bit of money on the side by doing some breeding of your own.
Nowadays a lot of alternative breeds are available too, they are 50-50 mixes of known breeds that are not quite as fragile as typical purebreds. There are Labradoodles (Labrador-Poodle crossbreeds), Puggles (Pug-Beagle crossbreeds) and even Jackshunds (Jack Russell Terrier, Dachshund crossbreeds). Such dogs are bred to mix desirable traits from both breeds. Whatever dog you choose, just remember that dogs can give you years of happiness and great companionship as long as you take care of them the way they deserve.
Thursday, July 1st, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off

The Wonders of Designing your Kids Bedroom
There are so many ways to go about in decorating your childs bedroom and getting the right kind of childrens bedroom furniture is just a start. When designing your kids room it is possible to have the right equipment, coupled with style, safety and comfort. One thing you just need to keep in mind is the total effect you and your kid would like to have.
A touch of color would not be bad at all. Most parents have almost always had their kids room done in the typical pink for girls, blue for boys room color but it is all too acceptable and even considered cool to have a little bit of color like red, green, yellow to be part of your childs room color effects and what you just need to keep in mind is to preferable use water based paint to make cleaning them easier.
Another way to decorate is through the flooring of your kids bedroom. What you would want of course is something that is non slippery because safety first is important, we all know how clumsy a child can be or just plain mischievous and will run instead of walk, jump and hop around too. You can choose a nice carpeting to make it livelier or other great wood flooring to give a nice touch to your kids room.
The main event in your childs private hideaway is of course the various great pieces of childrens bedroom furniture. The vital items would be their bed, closet, desk, and book shelves. There are so many available furniture online and what you need to keep in mind is that it is of high quality material and the color and designs of each matches, provide items with round edges. A great way to be able to have a space for everything is to choose furniture that has several functions like a bed that has drawers for toys, clothes and linens.
Knowing the best way to go about decorating your childs bedroom can help you save money and time in the end.

Top 5 Training Mistakes Dog Owners Make
All dogs require training in order to learn basic obedience commands. The decision whether you do the training or you hire a professional trainer is largely matter of how well trained you want your dog to be. If you only desire your dog to know the basic commands, then you can probably get away with doing the training yourself and saving some money. If this is what you decide to do, there are some commons mistakes that people make when training a dog that you need to be aware of.

Perhaps the most important thing is to avoid confusing your dog by being inconsistent in your commands. Your dog is capable of learning a large number of commands, but if you show him something slightly different each time he will become confused and even stressed. This will set your training back.

Some dogs learn one trick almost immediately and then the next one, seemingly just as easy, takes forever to master. Many owners lose their patience because of this. Its better to only spend a few minutes a day per trick. This will allow both you and your dog from losing patience. If the dog senses your frustration, he will become stressed and be even less likely to do want you want.
Start at the Right Time
Some people start their training too soon. Puppies just dont have the attention span needed to learn obedience. They must mature both physically and mentally before they are ready for serious training. The right time to start training most dogs is at 4 months. If your dog doesnt seem ready, its OK to wait until up to 6 months. By hti sage all dogs should be ready for training.
Dont be too Generous
Dogs need to receive some sort of reward for successfully completing a task, but many owners give these away too freely. The dog needs to learn to perform the trick without getting a treat every time. Instead of using treats each time, use other forms of rewards like petting. This can be just as effective since dogs crave attention.

Confusing with Punishment
Lets say that you are trying to train your dog to come when you call him. Now he has learned the trick and is good about performing it. One day you are mad at him and you call him. He comes to you and you punish him. He has no idea its for something he did earlier. He thinks its because he came to you when you called. Dont confuse reward actions and punishment actions. Do not punish your dog by sending him to his dog crate, he will be confused.
Training your dog is not hard and can be fun for both of you. Just keep in mind that dogs are logical creatures and little things like those mentioned above can seriously confuse them and make training difficult.
Saturday, June 26th, 2010, by Shepard, Filed under: Uncategorized| | Comments off