We are well into the winter weather season and I hope everyone's pets (and the Humans too) are doing well.
This is just a quick reminder that the cold weather can take it's toll on cats and dogs. Please do make arrangements for your pet to be warm and comfortable. The best scenario would be to allow them into the home, but this isn't always possible for many reasons.
Some of the cats, and the dogs, as well as the monkey we have around here have to stay outside, but they are provided with shelter from the wind, as well as access to a heated area. Now this is South Texas and we don't get the 20 below temps, but it does get cold enough at times to be a danger to them.
This is also a time to make sure the cats and dogs have plenty of quality food available. Food will provide the calories to burn, which in turn provides some warmth. If your pets are like ours they are much more active in the cooler weather, which will also impact their food needs.
A supply of fresh water is also a must, and in the colder climates where freezing is likely please check into a heated water dish.
That is it for these basic reminders. We will be updating this blog more frequently with fresh ideas for the Health, Care, and Training of our pet Cats and Dogs. Please Bookmark us, and check back often.
Till then,
Kevin Lee
Monday, February 20, 2006
Friday, February 17, 2006
Why dogs bark and debarking
A barking dog can cause a lot of problems for their owners, as well as the neigbors. Debarking your dog should only be considered as a last resort solution, just the same as declawing a cat. This short article by Keith is packed with information, and I thank him for allowing us to share it with you.
Kevin Lee
by Keith Londrie
Picture this, you're walking in the park, minding your own business when suddenly a dog comes up to you and starts barking. You start to panic because there is no reason for this dog to be barking at you.
Why is this dog barking?
Dogs bark because we humans want our dogs to bark. For years our domestication process and selective breeding has allowed our dogs to develop their barking abilities. Wolves don't bark, so through genetic engineering and the selective breeding process, dogs these days have the ability to retain juvenile characteristics. This is through the process known as neoteny.
Humans have chosen to retain the infantile traits of wolves like large heads, flat faces, large eyes and of course the ability to communicate, barking. Barking was further developed in dogs in order to scare intruders or to help the master out (i.e. on farms to assist in gathering the sheep).
Most dogs simply bark to communicate, to get attention, or simply to show their excitement. Training and lifestyle are important factors in teaching the dog how to communicate with its master.
Dogs are extremely social animals. Wolves themselves always travel in packs are usually never alone. Bringing a dog into your family is basically like bringing a wolf into a pack. It becomes a part of the family. Try not to leave it alone otherwise it will feel as if it was abandoned by the pack. Dogs are like having a baby in the house. They need love, attention, and someone to be there to take care of them. Like people they need a companion to blossom. Meeting your dog's emotional need for companionship and play will allow the two of you to form a strong bond together.
Sometimes having a second dog in the house can minimize the barking and minimize the loneliness. Although this may be rewarding at some times, it can also be a pain. Your best bet would be to maximize training of your dog when it decides to bark. Sometimes having two dogs may cause havoc because they may teach each other to bark more.
From the example above, dogs who bark at people are trained in a specific way. Everything boils down to how the owner trains their dog. If you reward the dog for barking, then the dog will understand that it's a good thing to bark. If you don't reward the dog for barking, the dog will understand that it's a bad thing to bark. If you are training your dog to become a watchdog, sometimes their barking can be very selective and discriminating with certain people. Sometimes they may just bark at anything they see. It is important to train these dogs by developing their intelligence level and how they interpret various events.
Dogs who simply bark because of activity or excitement are relatively hard to eliminate. Most of the time these dogs are unaware of their barking and in turn becomes a process that is hard to eliminate. You must turn to a dog trainer who teaches the dog to debark.
Debarking can be somewhat inhumane because the dog is trained to let out a low, raspy bark which cannot be heard from more than a few feet away. If you consider the process of debarking your dog you must weigh the pros and cons. It can be beneficial in the sense that your dog will no longer be the irritating dog on the block who barks at anything he sees but may be a problem if the dog is in danger. As an owner you would want to know where the location of your dog was if it was in danger.
About the Author Keith Londrie II has written several articles about animals. He has put up an informative web site at http:///about-animals.info/ Please feel free to drop by the web site to learn more about animals. Keith E. Londrie II infoserve @ mchsi.com about-animals.info/
Kevin Lee
by Keith Londrie
Picture this, you're walking in the park, minding your own business when suddenly a dog comes up to you and starts barking. You start to panic because there is no reason for this dog to be barking at you.
Why is this dog barking?
Dogs bark because we humans want our dogs to bark. For years our domestication process and selective breeding has allowed our dogs to develop their barking abilities. Wolves don't bark, so through genetic engineering and the selective breeding process, dogs these days have the ability to retain juvenile characteristics. This is through the process known as neoteny.
Humans have chosen to retain the infantile traits of wolves like large heads, flat faces, large eyes and of course the ability to communicate, barking. Barking was further developed in dogs in order to scare intruders or to help the master out (i.e. on farms to assist in gathering the sheep).
Most dogs simply bark to communicate, to get attention, or simply to show their excitement. Training and lifestyle are important factors in teaching the dog how to communicate with its master.
Dogs are extremely social animals. Wolves themselves always travel in packs are usually never alone. Bringing a dog into your family is basically like bringing a wolf into a pack. It becomes a part of the family. Try not to leave it alone otherwise it will feel as if it was abandoned by the pack. Dogs are like having a baby in the house. They need love, attention, and someone to be there to take care of them. Like people they need a companion to blossom. Meeting your dog's emotional need for companionship and play will allow the two of you to form a strong bond together.
Sometimes having a second dog in the house can minimize the barking and minimize the loneliness. Although this may be rewarding at some times, it can also be a pain. Your best bet would be to maximize training of your dog when it decides to bark. Sometimes having two dogs may cause havoc because they may teach each other to bark more.
From the example above, dogs who bark at people are trained in a specific way. Everything boils down to how the owner trains their dog. If you reward the dog for barking, then the dog will understand that it's a good thing to bark. If you don't reward the dog for barking, the dog will understand that it's a bad thing to bark. If you are training your dog to become a watchdog, sometimes their barking can be very selective and discriminating with certain people. Sometimes they may just bark at anything they see. It is important to train these dogs by developing their intelligence level and how they interpret various events.
Dogs who simply bark because of activity or excitement are relatively hard to eliminate. Most of the time these dogs are unaware of their barking and in turn becomes a process that is hard to eliminate. You must turn to a dog trainer who teaches the dog to debark.
Debarking can be somewhat inhumane because the dog is trained to let out a low, raspy bark which cannot be heard from more than a few feet away. If you consider the process of debarking your dog you must weigh the pros and cons. It can be beneficial in the sense that your dog will no longer be the irritating dog on the block who barks at anything he sees but may be a problem if the dog is in danger. As an owner you would want to know where the location of your dog was if it was in danger.
About the Author Keith Londrie II has written several articles about animals. He has put up an informative web site at http:///about-animals.info/ Please feel free to drop by the web site to learn more about animals. Keith E. Londrie II infoserve @ mchsi.com about-animals.info/
Saturday, February 04, 2006
OK, we are back
The picture to the left is "Misty". She is 16 years old and slowing down in her senior years.
Here we have "Belle". She is the matriarch of the cats.
To the left is "Fizzle". He was the first "Truck Cat" we had when driving OTR, but he started climbing the walls.
What a trip. We had a few problems after the move getting back online, but now they are all straightened out. We have a few more pictures of the gang to post, and believe it or not, there will be more coming later. It is almost like a zoo around here even with out counting the wild animals.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Moving Day is Coming
Looks like the clan here at Pet News for Cats and Dogs is going to be moving. The blog will still be here, but we will be saying Goodbye to the City Life. Well at least temporarily until the Doctors can get their act together.
We had a whole bunch of new things we planned on doing on this site but we have decided to hold off on that until we get settled into the new digs.
At least there may be some interesting stories about moving 3 cats, and 1 dog 100 miles down the road, with only one pet cage between them. Last time we tried taking 2 of the cats with us on a short trip we had one that got sick within 3 miles of the house, and the other one never made it out of the parking lot. Sure wish I had gotten a picture of her hanging upside down from the headliner in the car...She definitely wasn't a happy kitty that day.
We had a whole bunch of new things we planned on doing on this site but we have decided to hold off on that until we get settled into the new digs.
At least there may be some interesting stories about moving 3 cats, and 1 dog 100 miles down the road, with only one pet cage between them. Last time we tried taking 2 of the cats with us on a short trip we had one that got sick within 3 miles of the house, and the other one never made it out of the parking lot. Sure wish I had gotten a picture of her hanging upside down from the headliner in the car...She definitely wasn't a happy kitty that day.
Kevin
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