Care | Pet Pampering

Selecting Your Pet’s Daycare

Image via Wikipedia

Sending your dog to pet daycare can be as scary of a proposition as sending your own child to a daycare. Horror stories of rampant germ transfer exist, and this can occur in animal care centers. But, rest assured that any quality pet daycare center makes incredible efforts to keep the place clean and as germ free as possible. With sanitizers like bleach being used on common area floors daily, germ spread is kept to an absolute minimum.

As for the benefits of using a pet daycare, just remember that some of them are almost as good as pet spas. The people who work in the care facility tend to love animals, that’s why they’re there in the first place. They’re up on the latest trends in healthy animal behaviors, and will most likely have your dog interacting with other dogs on a daily basis while you vacation. Don’t be surprised if your dogs seem happier when you see them again following your trip, than they were when you dropped them off!

By choosing poorly, you may end up handing your pets over to a daycare that’s more interested in profits than in creating a cheerful environment for your pet. To avoid this case, what you’re looking to avoid is a place where movement and motion aren’t present. Look carefully. Are tails wagging and dogs looking excited when you show up? If all the animals at the daycare look like they’re simultaneously participating in nap time, it’s a bad sign for the overall vitality of the place. Standards may be low, and community exercise time might be a long distant notion. Your pet will be unhappy when it returns from a poorly managed daycare!

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Day care, Dog, Pet

Is Your Backyard Big Enough for Your Pet?

It’s a collection of rooms, an abundance of corners: your home is where you roam, shuffling from corridor to corridor, and taking advantage of the space that belongs to you.

What waits beyond that space belongs to your pet, however, and its size must be examined.

While a yard may be tailored to your needs (with management HOA companies maintaining a lawn and its beauty), it may fail to please your pet. Different animals require different elements; and it’s vital to recognize those elements to determine if an area is worthwhile.

Useable Footage

It’s an easy assumption: a backyard is thought to be a gathering of sod and wildflowers, the open stretch of a lawn. Too often, however, is that assumption proven wrong – with a space dominated by concrete patios, in-ground pools, play areas, flower gardens and more. The useable footage your pet may have can be tiny compared to the size of the yard itself. It’s imperative that you then understand how much space you can spare. You must know how the area is being utilized and if that can accommodate your dog or cat. The square footage must be enough to compensate.

Size of Animal

Logic is an uncertain word, too often demanding laborious thoughts and complicated statistics. There are times, however, when it’s instead simple: and understanding the worthiness of your backyard is one such time. You must remember only this — a tiny pet needs a tiny space; a large pet needs a large space; and the presence of multiple pets requires an excess of acreage. These are the only rules to recognize.

Remember these suggestions when surveying your lawn.

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Animal Logic, Pet, Space

Why spoiling your pets is bad for their health

Pets fill an important gap in our lives. The loss of a partner, or even taking the place of children in some cases. We shower them with gifts providing only the very best and in return we receive loyalty, love and companionship.

Sometimes we can go a bit far without realizing it and actually harm our furry friends. Spoiling a pet can lead to illness and a shorter life span. Below are two great tips to keep your pet happy, healthy and in your life for as long as possible.

Limit the treats! It’s the same for pets as it is for humans, snacking between meals is bad for our health! If you want to spoil your pet then give them only healthy treats made especially for dogs or cats and ensure you stick to the guidelines for feeding. Over-feeding your pet can lead to your pet becoming overweight, suffering from diabetes, organ failure and a greatly reduced life expectancy.
Brush their teeth! Keep your pets teeth clean by regularly brushing with special pet toothpaste. It may be a struggle to start with but if you reward your pet and take the time to train them from a young age it should become a pain free exercise. However, if you have a strong willed pet your vet can help you with regular cleaning and tartar removal. Purchasing special dental treats and ensuring your pet has hard, crispy biscuits to nibble on will also help keep teeth clean.

The most important thing is to treat your pets body as you would treat your own. Watch what you eat, exercise regularly and keep your teeth clean!

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: feeding, Health, pets

Pets are Good Parenting Preparation

A lot of people use pets as a learning experience to prepare for having children. The notion is not as odd as it might sound – pets require daily care and regular feeding, just as children do. They develop illnesses, adopt specific personalities, and attach themselves to their owners much as children attach to parents. There are some exceptions, such as reptiles, which care little for interaction with humans. But the vast majority of pets, be they fish, hamsters, or dogs, do appear to enjoy their owner’s presence. Fish, you might ask? Indeed. Certain types of fish, notably angel fish, will swim to any end of the fish tank that a person appears at, and remain there for an extended period. While you watch them, they watch you, in a game that seems to imply connection.

It’s not the same with fish as it is with most other animals that people choose as pets, of course. It’s impossible to handle fish like one does with a cat or a dog. And it’s the handling that creates some of the bond between owners and their pets. That’s why a lot of people prefer soft furry creatures as pets.

And of course, that’s why mammals are good teachers for those who desire to have kids in the future. Much like children, they can be picked up, touched, and fed in an air environment, rather than water. So while fish can seem to have personalities and character, if you want to experience the bond making that occurs between pets and their owners, go with mammals. Whether that leads you to a horse, dog, or cat, you’ll appreciate the learning experience that accompanies the raising of any of these creatures. Each occurrence will prepare you for raising a child well, whether that’s related to nutritional input or presenting a caring face when your loved one falls ill.

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Dog, Ownership, Pet

Pets Spas: Better Than Grooming

T hose cat and dog owners who like to pamper their best friends with the very best will probably have them groomed quite often. Instead of selecting a typical groomer, why not choose to visit an actual pet spa with your pet? Pet spas are different from ordinary groomers in the products they use, the services they offer and the complete experience both pet and owner receive. While pets are being pampered, owners can relax in softly lit, well decorated spaces with a cup of herbal tea and some light, soothing music. Your dog or cat will be professionally washed, dried and brushed. Some pets will enjoy the massage that spas typically offer. Nails will be clipped and, if you request, painted a lively color to reflect your pet’s personality. Most pet spas will use only the best and safest organic products for your pet, ensuring that there has been no animal testing in the development. This also helps to strictly limit the chemicals that your pet may be exposed to.

M ost small dogs need to be clipped and have their coats trimmed for their best look and health. Pet spa staff members will gently and carefully cut or shave fur as you request, always with the best interests of the pet in mind. Pet spa prices will differ greatly depending upon the area of the country, so doing an internet search before you choose your pet spa will help you find the best value for your money, without scrimping on your pet’s luxury. It is also common for pet spas to offer a selection of services, allowing pet owners to choose individual items or a complete package of washing, grooming and trimming. End your trip to the spa by picking up a gourmet treat or new toy.

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Dog, Ownership, Pet

Choose a Dog Daycare

Dog day cares are increasing in popularity in the United States, especially among working single professionals. Because many people do not have all the time and energy to devote to their pets, dog day cares can be a wonderful solution. Reputable dog day care centers will strictly screen their staff members before hiring and will only employ those individuals who enjoy and work well with dogs of all breeds. While your dog is at day care, he will be able to socialize with other selected dogs and staff members, get plenty of exercise and praised often for his good behaviors, further enforcing your hard work in training him. Also, many dog day cares offer grooming services.

Most dog day care centers also offer overnight or short term boarding for your dogs. If you have to go out of town for several days, the dog day care service will take care of your pet much better than a typical boarding center. Because they ask you to provide your own food, you can be sure that your dog is being fed the type, brand and amount of food that you request. Also, dog day care center staff members are able to administer any medications that your dog may require.

When screening dog day care centers in order to choose the one that is best for you, be sure to ask about their staff screening methods. You should also ask to see the areas where dogs sleep, where they are fed and where they are exercised. Some dog day care centers even often web cameras in their exercise rooms; you can peek in on your pet during the day to see just how much fun he is having.

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Day care, Dog

Using Animals to Treat Addiction

There are many different ways that people can overcome their addictions, but the most common journey is for people to commit themselves to the care of a rehabilitation program or facility like Rehab-International.org. Professional help can go a long way toward helping someone with an addiction develop the new lifestyle changes and healthy habits that are essential to overcoming addiction. There are a wide variety of ways that these facilities can treat the addiction, and one such way is to use pets for the purpose of helping to treat the addiction.
The way that addiction treatment is going to involve pets will generally involve two different aspects of recovery. The first is to build a nurturing relationship between the animal and the person. The second is to help the addicted person resume a level of autonomy and adult responsibility – by caring for the pet – skills that eroded because of the addiction. In many circumstances, a pet is going to be capable of providing both of these things in the form of unconditional and lasting love and unconditional and lasting friendship. The pet will also demand that the person exercise the required responsibilities that are essential in caring for the ability.

Some rehabilitation programs, including those offered by rehabilitation facilities like Rehab-International.org, not only support the use of this type of rehabilitation program, but they also even recommend that you bring your pet with you when you come into the program. The reason for this is because it is believed that a beloved pet can greatly increase your chances of being successful during the recovery process. Pets can play a profoundly positive impact on your ability to overcome an addiction, so if you have an important pet you should find out about bringing the pet with you into your recovery.

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Drug rehabilitation, Substance dependence

Choosing a Pet for Small Children

Image by pkingDesign via Flickr

If your family is ready to start thinking about choosing a pet, but are unsure which types of pets would be best with a small child in the home, you will need to examine several considerations. For instance, do you want a pet that will grow up with your child, or something that will require minimal care? Many small children can get excited about helping to feed and clean up after fish, gerbils and hamsters, but the very short life span of these types of pets can call for some complicated discussions you may not be ready to have. Most families with small children will eventually settle on a dog; either a larger, outdoor breed or a small dog that stays inside. Cats are not often chosen by families with small children because they are much more reclusive and intolerant of rough play.

There are a number of smaller, indoor dog breeds that are known to be great with small children. Very small, toy or miniature breeds are not recommended because most are quite temperamental. Any of the sizes of Schnauzer can be great with kids. The Bichon Frise is another good choice, as he will be happy to play and very affectionate. Beagles also make good pets for homes with small children. They are lovable and sensitive, and typically enjoy a lot of petting, hugging and cuddling. Beagles are very rarely aggressive, and those that do exhibit such behavior can typically be trained out of it.

If you prefer a larger dog, there are several breeds that are known for their willingness to tolerate children. The Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and standard Poodle are all very good with kids. These breeds will require a bit more in the way in grooming and exercise than smaller dogs, so you should keep that in mind when deciding on your pet. Choosing the right pet now can mean years of a happy friendship between your child and your dog.

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever

Common Mistakes of Pet Owners

One of the biggest mistakes that pet owners make is that they think training their new pet is going to come naturally. Unfortunately, animals like dogs and cats really only can be as good as they are taught to be. If you train your pet properly, it is going to be less likely to get into places where it does not belong. An improperly trained pet may destroy prized furniture like poker tables and living room furniture.

A trained pet is going to be a happy and well-adjusted pet. Dogs, especially, are going to thrive by having a sturdy social structure. Having a master, you, is a necessary part of giving your dog the chance at good mental health and good emotional health. Dogs need a hierarchy in order to be happy because this is their natural system of understanding. You should never chase your dog or hit your dog because your dog will not understand why you are doing these things. You must train your dog in terms and ways that he or she is actually going to understand. Basic commands have the best impact, such as “come,” “lay down,” “sit,” “stay,” and “off.” These simple and basic commands are going to make all the difference in determining how well your pet is going to behave.

Teaching your dog or cat basic manners is going to have a profound positive impact on how well your pet is able to behave and perform in your home, regardless of whether you are there at the time. If you want to avoid coming home to find that your pet destroyed a piece of furniture or a furnishing, you need to make sure that you have trained that pet completely. A little bit of basic training can really go a long way in ensuring that your pet is a good citizen in and outside of your home.

Filed Under: Care, Training | Tagged: Tagged With: Dog, Mental health, Pet

Is Expensive Dog Food Worth the Money?

With the economy currently trying to pull itself out of a deep recession, most American households are looking for ways that they can trim their budgets. Of those homes with one or more pets, those expenses are often one of the first considered. Grooming, vaccinations and food expenses can combine to a rather large total which is exponential based on the number of pets. While no animal lover would advise skimping on medical or preventative care, there are some ways that you can save money, even as a pet owner.

Many expensive dog food brands claim to be better for the dog. The truth is that even expensive brands may include a large percentage of fillers, additives and even chemicals, none of which is healthy for your pet. Instead of looking for the brand with the highest price, try using the same technique as when you shop for your own food: read the labels. Keep in mind that dogs are, by nature, carnivorous. That means that they will need for their food to be mainly protein based. In addition, you will want to avoid any dog food that uses corn or a byproduct of corn as a filler. There are currently several well known brands on the market, claiming to be nutritious, that use corn as the primary ingredient. Unfortunately, corn is an especially difficult grain for dogs to digest and may even cause allergic reactions and other adverse effects.

The ingredients that are listed on the label are in the order of concentration; that means that the first few ingredients are the bulk of what the food is made from. For this reason, you want to find a brand that lists a type of meat as the first few ingredients. Beef, lamb, chicken and turkey are the most likely meat types you will find. Of course, you will probably find some type of vegetable filler, but it should be as low as possible in percentage.

Filed Under: Care, Pets | Tagged: Tagged With: Dog food, Food, Pet