Making the Bathroom Pet Safe

Making your bathroom pet safe sounds like overkill.  But if you’ve ever had a puppy or cat in the bathroom overnight and they have chewed through the supply line on the toilet,this will save you a lot of money as oposed to paying an extreme water bill.

Yes, it can happen, and has happened to me.  Besides the mess of a flooded bathroom and having to replaced the vinyl tile that came up, the bill from the water department was slightly more than $180 more than normal.  And if I had thought about it, it only takes a few moments to make the bathroom pet safe.

• Turn the supply line valve off to the toilet so if it does get chewed, you don’t have an extreme bill.
• For puppies especially, that soft, pliable line is a perfect size for a puppy to chew.  Wrap the line in a towel so he doesn’t find it.
• Close the lid on the toilet so it doesn’t create a problem if your puppy exploring.
• Make sure the tub doesn’t have any water in and is drained.
• Make sure that the shampoo and medicines are off the floor so your puppy doesn’t accidently poison himself.

The bathroom is a small room that often is perfect to house a puppy/cat at night with his water and food dish.  It just takes a thoughtful moment to insure his safety.

 

Sale of unsterilized dogs and cats prohibited?

Hawaii sounds like a wonderful paradise, but recently in 2012 the legislature is considering a bill that will make it illegal to sell a cat or dog unless it has already been spayed or neutered.

In 10 years or less, what sort of pet population would you expect in our 50th state?  No kittens.  No puppies.  And I imagine any imported animal would have to fall under the same law — if they make this into law.  How many other states would adopt this same law in the continental U.S.?

I was raised with cats and kittens, dogs and puppies.  We always found homes for the offspring without a problem.  And raising cats especially was a great learning experience with the kittens.  I cannot imagine that a state would even attempt such a law — which has not been passed as yet.  It is only under consideration.

It does sound like the state is shutting down puppy mills.  And that probably is a good thing.  The law will not apply to shelters or humane societies, so it sort of sounds like the shelters and humane societies will be the only ones breeding pets.  I’m not sure what sort of trickle down effect that will have in the future.  Shelters will be the new puppy farms perhaps.  They will certainly have total control on the population, and maybe that is for the good.  There won’t have the inbreeding of poodles and labradors = labdoodle.  But I feel sorry for the cat or dog who would have loved to have at least one litter before being fixed.

And I’m sure there will be some underground breeding farms that will be illegal, and therefore the price of a non-spayed or neutered pet will go sky-high.  Most people won’t be able to afford them, nor will they be able to take them to a veterinarian for annual care, as they would be reported as illegal.

I’m curious if the state of Hawaii is actually trying to rid the islands of pets, period.  It wouldn’t take long to rid the islands of all but the very old cats and dogs if all the pets were to be fixed.  But at what price to the community, and to the children?

To see the bill, check out http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2012/bills/SB2504

 

Animal Shelters: Don’t Forget Grant Monies Available

In 2011 The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) introduced a contest in order to get the area communities behind area shelters.  The community had to vote online to send their shelter to the challenge.  The top 50 agencies with the most votes would be the official contestants in the 2011 $100 Thousand grant challenge.

The first $100 thousand challenge began in 2010.  The whole idea was to help save animal lives.  They wanted to award the largest increase in lives saved of cats, kittens, puppies, and dogs beyond the minimum of 300 lives over a three-month period.

ASPCA website – http://www.aspca.org/Home/Adoption/100k.aspx

Congratulations to Austin Pets Alive in Texas that won the Grand Prize with more than 850 additional lives saved this year over last during August, September and October.  Second place Winner went to Human Society of South Mississippi with 835 more lives saved.  Five regional winners that collected $20,000 for their efforts are:  Greater Androscoggin Humane Society 629 lives, Ramona Hume Society with 476 lives saved, Humane Society of Greater Savannah with 414 lives saved. and Independence Animal service representing the Midwest Region with 400 additional saved lives.

It was the shelters that went to work across the country with some great ideas for more adoptions, getting creative.  Our Independence shelter in this area had Whisker Wednesdays for Shelter cats if the populations of cats rose above 85 per cent.  They instituted ”30 Thursday” special program allowing cat adoption for free on Wednesdays.  Then they instituted “30 Thursday” allowing dogs housed for 30 days to be adopted for $30.  That’s where I found my “Patches”, a most lovable Beagle who wouldn’t have survived at the shelter much longer.

Kudos to the City of Independence Animal Shelter and all the others who found the grant monies available from the ASPCA and went for it.  Now of course, we’re waiting to see what will be offered in 2012 and hope the rest of the national also takes not and gets their community involved.  There were only 93 shelters across the nation that initially competed.  Can you imagine if we got the word out what we can do in 2012!

 

Is There Such A Thing As A Stupid Dog?

I have answered this question on three occassions just this week from people who say their dog is “stupid”.  Dogs are like horses in that respect.  A horse won’t know what to do unless you hold tight the reigns and lead him.

Dogs can be confused by the way you train them.  If you don’t remember the correct command words you originally used to train your dog, your dog will be confused and do nothing.  If you don’t remember the correct hand signals, how do you expect him to follow your commands.  If you say “Here Boy” when you call him instead of using his name, he’s not going to come when he’s called.

Dog’s are very smart, that’s why they’re called “man’s best friend.”  They’ll do anything for you.  But don’t try to trip him up by changing the original rules you taught him.  If you trained him to “come” when you clap your hands twice, don’t stand at the back of the house clapping your hands repeatedly.  He’ll only be confused.  That’s not what he learned.

If you need to reinforce the commands, carry little treats in your pocket so you can reinforce his completion of the command.  You need to reinforce those commands at least until he obeys without hesitation.

Either write down the special words for commands you use, or use a training program that will guide you well.  Actually, a good training program is a great way to train on the fast track.  A blue print to follow will help you to train your dog quickly and you can easily track the command signals you use so you don’t forget.

Get into a habit of using all of the commands and training your dog every day.  This will help both you and your dog to remember the signals.

 

It’s Illegal to Kill a Neighbor’s Pet

Cats & Dogs playing together

I grew up with cats and dogs and never knew there was a problem. But when I moved, I realized a lot of people believe they can never get along. That’s sad when people train their dogs to chase or worse, kill cats.

Granted some dogs seem to be bred that way.  I guess of just never owned one.  We’ve had shepherds, collies, lots of mix breeds, cattle dogs, chows, beagles, blue heelers.  And they all got along fine.

If you have a dog that chases or kills cats, realize that it is illegal to kill a neighbor’s pet.  You need to retrain that dog, and quickly.

A few years ago our tiger cat, “Tiger” was sunning himself in the front yard.  Two large dogs were running up the street and spotted her.  I ran for a baseball bat and was outside in a moment.

“Tiger” was use to dogs and stood up, arching her back.  I ran at the dogs trying to scare them away, flailing the bat.  In an instant, one of the dogs grabbed our cat and flung it a few feet away, while the other dog was trying to fetch the small piece of fur.  I wailed at the wind, missing the dogs with the bat, but they finally ran away.

“Tiger” was still alive, and I went back into the house to get a cookie sheet so I could brace her limp body without further trauma and take her to the veterinarian.  I tried gently to move her unto the sheet, but I heard her spine snap.  All I could do was pet her and cry as she slowly passed away.

I was furious with these dogs, and their owner.  “Tiger” was the sweetest cat and belonged to my kids. Killing a neighbor’s pet, small dog or cat is illegal.

If you have a dog that chases or kills other small dogs or cats, fair warning.  It’s is illegal to kill a neighbor’s pet. Get your dogs trained BETTER!  Don’t say it’s the breed of dog because that is not an excuse.

 

I’ve adopted another cat!

This wasn’t suppose to happen!

I have two cats (both ferrel) and two dogs.  Now another cat shows up at my front door.  I don’t know what to do. It’s going to be freezing tonight, and I have this beautiful female all black cat showing up at my door, as friendly as any kittden could possibly be.  I’m afraid she will freeze during the night, so I opened the door, and she walked in…amid the two dogs and two cats.

It’s weird.  I’m not a cat lover as much as a dog lover.  But my old friend “Bama” — short for Alabama — came to me from a neightbor, and actually belongs to the neighbor.  It’s just that the neighbor couldn’t keep “Bama” in his yard.  She kept climbing over or under the fence, choking herself on the collar, until my neighbor said, “she’s yours, unless you move, then please giver her back”.  So I have aother dog.

Now I have cats coming to my front door and walking in as if they know me.  I have a black kitten in the bathroom now as we speak.  Don’t know where she came from.  Have been feeding her at the front door for the last few days, and suddenly, she walks in the house as if its hers.  What’s happening?

I’ve set her up in the bathroom, away from the cold outside and the other pets inside.  I don’t mean to be a pet magnate, but they seem to keep coming.  All my cat’s are wild, and this one seems to be as well,but just as lovable, and I can pet her, and she didn’t seem terribly scared as I lifted her up and took her into the bathroom for the night with fresh food and water and kitty litter.  She does seem to be without a home, and that breaks my heart.  She’s a beautiful kitty, and my two dogs seem to accept her as such.

Why are there so many abandoned pets out there????  They are so adorable.  I have turned out such adorable kittens before, and they last out in the open less then a year.  I cannot do that again. If this little black kittie belongs to anyone in the Independence, Missouri area, please advise.  She needs a good, loving, home!!  I’m not going to take her to a shelter, because I know her time there is limited.  And there are so many kittens already there that are probably more adorable than she. Hopefully, if an owner sees this, they’ll call…816 254 0554….otherwise I assume she is ferrol, and like all my cats and dogs….no one seems to want them.  So Sad!!  You are missing out on so much love!

But again,I only have so much room.and can afford so much food. Please open you doors for abandoned petsl  This year, especially there are so many!

 

 

Are You Feeding Your Beagle Too Much….Or Too Little?

Feeding too much?

When you have more than one dog, it is sometimes difficult to control the weight of both.  As you can see the black dog, the Blue Heeler is overweight, stocky without a waist, and her belly is rounded when you look at her from the side.

The Beagle is trim, you can feel his ribs without them protruding, and he has a good waist when he stands.

How much do you feed your dog? 

Purina has done a 14 year study and has written guidelines to help. You still need to depend on a dog food (I prefer dry kibble) that has all the vitamins and antioxidants and at least 18% protein.  Simply, feed according to the current weight of your dog.

13-20 pound Beagle, 1 – 1 1/3 cups of dry food per day with plenty of water

21-35 pounds will consume 1 1/3 – 2 cups dry dog food

36-50 pounds should be fed 2 – 2 2/3 cups dry food per day (That would be a mixed breed beagle like mine)

So What Do You Do When You Need To Put One Dog On A Diet?

Alabama, the Blue Heeler definately needs to be on a diet.  I know she is older, so actually I need to take better care of her health.  I never had a dog that ate too much, so this was new to me.  My Dad always told me an animal won’t overeat.

I mentally noted the amount of food she ate, and realized she would go to the bag of dog bones on the floor, duck her head in the bag, and pull one out — any time she wanted.   The treats she ate were based in wheat as the main ingredient.

I moved the bag of dog treats off the floor and into the back pantry where I would have more control over the distribution.  “Bama” has since learned to beg.  But within another few weeks she should be able to show a waist again.  This would be a simple solution.

I also feed “Bama” outside with her allotted food, and the Beagle inside the house.  Somehow I have to keep the two seperate until I can get the weight under control for overweight dog.

If you have suggestions, would appreciate it.

 

Give Your Newly Adopted Dog A Chance

Introducing New Dog To Family

Make sure there is no one in the house, not pet or family.  Just you and the dog.  If he’s going to be a house dog, guide him in through the front door of the house and take him out of the crate or off the leash.

Hopefully, the family is in another room as well as any other pets. You need to keep the dog calm. Let him sniff and explore.

Let The New Dog Meet The Family One At A Time So He Isn’t Overwhelmed.
Don’t have three kids rushing at him and wanting to pick him up. Let the dog explore and sniff his way through these first meetings, one child at a time.

If you have a back yard that is fenced in, it may be a great time to open the back door and let him explore. By then he’ll want to pee and pooh, excited as he is. Give him a little time to explore.

If a house dog, and you already have another dog, make sure you bring the new dog to the older dog already in the house. You’re not uprooting the original dog’s territory. You’re inviting the new dog into the territory, and being the master of the house, your older dog should respect your wishes.

Make it easier on yourself. Have the rest of the family go for a walk for about twenty minutes. You need time for the pets to get to know each other.

After a while, depending on how well the two dogs are doing, introduce in the same manner, any other pets, dogs or cats, one at a time.

By the time the family returns from their walk things should be calm. The dogs and cats may be ignoring each other, but they’ll soon realize they are meant to live together under one roof.

You’ll need to escort the new dog outside every 2 hours at first to pee. Get him use to the idea that is what is expected. Dogs brought home from a shelter may not have had the opportunity to pee outside. You’ll need to correct that behavior.  Just need to bring the housebreaking rules back into perspective.

Above all, be patient. Your new dog will take a few days to truly fit in.

 

Thanksgiving is Coming….How will my dogs react to company?

It’s not time to panic, but I do like to plan ahead. During Thanksgiving weekend, the kitchen will smell of pumpkin and turkey, the aroma filling the house like a magic mist. And I know my dogs will be easy to trip over as I scurry from stove to counter, stuffing turkey and making pumpkin pies.

For Guests Who Are Allergic to Dogs
Do you invite the person in who is allergic to dogs? Well, they always have a chance to say “no”, knowing you have a dog. Let’s face it. I probably am NOT going to clean the house from floor to ceiling, including the carpets, couch and chairs. I would simply make the offer, and remind her in a polite way, “I still have the dogs…and 2 cats.” I think she would certainly say “no”, she’s made other plans.

Calming the dogs
I use to put up a baby gate at the kitchen, but quite frankly, it was in my way going from table to kitchen.

Luckily, my dogs are no longer puppies. They tend to lay down under the table during dinner, not looking for hand outs. They just want to be close to people. You wouldn’t even know they were there. They don’t bark. They don’t jump on people.

If company comes to the door and your dog starts to jump in greeting to Aunt Nancy, take Aunt Nancy by the hand to steady her and ask her to step forward.
It throws the dog off balance and the dog will retreat quickly.

If you haven’t trained your dog as yet, Thanksgiving with all the guests, and the doors opening and closing, the voices, the clatter and the commotion may be too much for your dog.

If you don’t think your dog will do well in a crowd, have a plan. If it’s too cold to put him in the back yard, away from the crowd, what are you going to do? If he won’t stop clawing at young Chad, what are you going to do? If you lock him up in a bedroom, is he going to scratch continually at the door?

There’s at least 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. Train your dog!

You need to train your dog to LISTEN to you and mind your commands. He should mind your hand signals so you don’t have to scream over the din.

Teach your dog “Down” above all things. Your simple hand signal should get him to comply, and as the Alpha Dog head of the pack, his eyes should be on you for commands.

So in the end, you’ll have a wonderful meal, rested guests, and a happy dog or dogs that will simply enjoy the company.

Check out Daniel Steven’s Secrets to Dog Training for instant download so you can start training your dog today!

 

Costumes for Dogs?!!

"Giddy up"

Do they do this everywhere? — of just in the United States?

Am curious.  You see a cute little beagle, his ears hanging over a stuffed orange shirt and he’s dressed like a large pumpkin.  Or better yet, headgear that looks like antlers at Christmas time.

Trick or Treat?  Is it cute?  Is it sad?

For some great Costume Ideas, check out http://23ao.com/dog-apparel-football-3/

What we put our pets through!

Would like a wild vote regarding your thoughts on “should we, or shouldn’t we”…or do some of us have nothing better to do?

Give me a minute, Target has a “hot dog” costume I think would look “adorable” on Patches.  No.  I think my dog would growl and shake the the thing off, but not before he’d tear it to shreads.

Personally, I think a dog should be a dog….even on Halloween….and Christmas.

And actually, when we take those “cute” photos….does the dog look happy? — guess it depends on the dog.

What do you think?