pets

Discover: How to Prevent Dog Bites Case

2007-10-02T04:55:00.001-07:00

Discover: How to Prevent Dog Bites Case

Of all the aggressive behavior in dogs dog bites is the most serious. However no matter how serious it may be you can contain it if you are able to diagnose the cause of this aggressive dog behavior.

In the following 8 tips

1. Before you treat any illness you have to be able to recognize the type of aggression your dog is exhibiting. Bellow are few aggressive dog behavior you have to notice I will be expanding the subsequent tips.

Fear aggression
Possessive aggression
dominant aggression
dog to dog aggression
aggression towards infants
punishment or pain elicited aggression
protective or territorial agression

2. Then you have to consult an authority like professional trainner, veterinary behaviorist.

3. You need to avoid situations that elicit aggressive dog behavior.

4. Lots of the aggressions are even fault of the dog owners. Many employ punishment in teaching obedience commands. All you have to do whenever you want to teach obedience comman is to use reinforcement methods.

5. Fit your dog with a head halter while training, a humane way to treat and control your og. Use this option only on a temporary basis. Employ the service of experience head halters to fit dog handler.

6. Fit your dog with a basket muzzle if restraint is necessary for extended periods (about 3-5minutes).

7. A helpful technique for behavior modification is obedience training, though this type of training will hardly eliminate a dog aggressive behavior.

Easy Tips for Healthy Pets

2007-10-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

Easy Tips for Healthy Pets

Do you want a long and healthy life for your pets?

There are things in our pets' environments that can rob them of precious health and long life. I'm not talking about cars accidents and mean kids in the neighborhood. I'm talking about things inside the home. Things like:

1) Food Food is meant to be good tasting and good for you. The same applies to our pets. Unfortunately, both people food and pet food are full of stuff. And most of this stuff isn't found growing naturally.

Manufacturers have taken the place of growers and cooks. To make foods taste better things are added.

To make foods last forever on the store shelf, things are added. For example, tomatoes are now designed to look good after a long trip to the store. They are not grown to be nutritious and safe.

On TV we see reports about how additives, preservatives and stuff are making our children unhealthy. The same thing applies to our pets' food.

Preservatives keep food fresh by altering the DNA of the creatures living on the food. What do these preservatives do to the DNA of the child or pet eating them?

See where I'm going?

Altered hormones, cell mutations (cancer), sickness !!!

The only way to minimize this stuff in our pet's food is to make the food ourselves. There are recipes all over the web for the kitchen literate.

Most people don't have the time to make their pet's food and treats. There are places where good wholesome pet foods can be purchased.

2) Chemicals in the home

What do you use to clean your counter tops? Where do you store it? Can your pet get to it? Can your kids get to it?

A large number of children and pets are poisoned each year because household products are very attractive to inquisitive minds. There are a lot of products on the market that won't harm anyone if swallowed.

We had one 6 month old child find and swallow a cleanser. The parents didn't think he was old enough to get to the open bottle.

3) Mold in the home Most people consider mold in the home an unattractive nuisance. But it can cause allergic reactions in children AND pets.

One house we investigated had two sick, allergic, asthmatic kids. But they called us in when the dog started sneezing.

Does your pet sleep in the laundry room? Lots of mold there too.

Mold can cause:

* Allergies,
* sinus problems,
* itching,
* stomach problems,
* hyperactivity,
* skin and hair problems.

This list applies both to kids and pets.

But be careful about what you use to clean away the mold. Bleach doesn't kill mold but does burn sensitive lungs.

Don't use any product that your store owner or pest control person won't drink in front of you.

Easy Tips for Healthy Pets

2007-10-01T04:54:00.002-07:00

Easy Tips for Healthy Pets

Do you want a long and healthy life for your pets?

Manufacturers have taken the place of growers and cooks. To make foods taste better things are added.

To make foods last forever on the store shelf, things are added. For example, tomatoes are now designed to look good after a long trip to the store. They are not grown to be nutritious and safe.

On TV we see reports about how additives, preservatives and stuff are making our children unhealthy. The same thing applies to our pets' food.

Preservatives keep food fresh by altering the DNA of the creatures living on the food. What do these preservatives do to the DNA of the child or pet eating them?

See where I'm going?

Altered hormones, cell mutations (cancer), sickness !!!

The only way to minimize this stuff in our pet's food is to make the food ourselves. There are recipes all over the web for the kitchen literate.

Most people don't have the time to make their pet's food and treats. There are places where good wholesome pet foods can be purchased.

2) Chemicals in the home

What do you use to clean your counter tops? Where do you store it? Can your pet get to it? Can your kids get to it?

We had one 6 month old child find and swallow a cleanser. The parents didn't think he was old enough to get to the open bottle.

3) Mold in the home Most people consider mold in the home an unattractive nuisance. But it can cause allergic reactions in children AND pets.

One house we investigated had two sick, allergic, asthmatic kids. But they called us in when the dog started sneezing.

Does your pet sleep in the laundry room? Lots of mold there too.

Mold can cause:

* Allergies,
* sinus problems,
* itching,
* stomach problems,
* hyperactivity,
* skin and hair problems.

This list applies both to kids and pets.

But be careful about what you use to clean away the mold. Bleach doesn't kill mold but does burn sensitive lungs.

Don't use any product that your store owner or pest control person won't drink in front of you.

Is Dog Obedience School for You?

2007-10-01T04:54:00.001-07:00

Is Dog Obedience School for You?

Are you thinking about dog obedience school? Do you know what to expect out of it? Do you know what it costs or where to find a good school?

If not, let me help take out some of the mystery of finding one to make sure you and your dog get the best experience you can.

If you have searched the web in this topic, you probably found some sites that are basically search engines within search engines, no real information about dog obedience schools. Or you might have found some obedience schools that were on the other side of the country. Needless to say, neither one was of much use.

Chances are you have a dog obedience school of some sort in your town, unless you've got a population of less than 20,000. In that event, you might need to opt for dog training videos or books, and I will go over some good resources for that later.

The first thing I want you to do is look for someone with proven experience. You can start in the yellow pages and look under "Dog Training" as opposed to "dog obedience school."

Ask a LOT of questions. These people are going to be molding the mind of your impressionable pup and you want to know that it's a good fit.

Ask things like:

What will the dog be taught? What is the success rate? What happens if you're not satisfied Will you be taught how to continue with your dogs new training? What are their methods of correction when the dog disobeys? Visit the facility too. Check it out. Meet the trainers and see how they act with people and dogs.

Ask if you can watch a training session or a video of a session so you get an idea of what your dog will be subjected to.

Don't make a final decision on a dog obedience school until your dog has met the trainers. Dogs are extremely good judges of character.

For the most part, someone in this line of work is going to be a good person and a dog lover. Some, however, will be doing it just to get a paycheck and may not have your pal's best interest in mind.

If your dog doesn't like them... take another route.

You might want to consider the local 4-H club. 4-H is where I learned how to train my own dog as a child. It isn't a dog obedience school in the traditional sense. It teaches kids how to train their dogs, or a friend's dog. It's a youth education program and it provides many facets of education, one of which is often dog training.

Read more about dog training videos, if you would like an alternative to dog obedience school.

Secret Signal That Tells You Your Dog is Ready and Eager to Learn

2007-10-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

Secret Signal That Tells You Your Dog is Ready and Eager to Learn

No one knows your dog better than you, and as such you will find your dog has ways of telling you, it's time to play. This can occur by him bringing you the collar you use while training or he may run back and forth to the front dog around training time.

Different times of the day and evening, We find it's best to Practice commands at different times of the day and evening as your dog gets better and more adapt at learning.

The best way to motivate your dog to learn

Your dog LOVES to please you, as such when your dog does what you want him to do praise him HEAVILY and use high tones a lot of rubbing and food reward. This will ensure that your dog will look forward to learning

Different body positions while issuing command

Does your dog really fully understand a given command? Try giving the command when you're in a different position than usual. For instance, if you are sure your dog understands the command "Stand", try issuing the "Stand" command (from a sit or down):

A) While you're lying down on the floor, stomach side down.

B) While you're on the sixth rung of a ladder.

C) While you're one flight above or below your dog, each of you located at the opposite ends of a staircase. Different levels of volumes and different tones of voice

Try issuing commands to your dog in several different volumes (whisper, quiet, moderate and loud) and different tones of voice (squeaky, in a low voice, grumbly, singing, etc.). Disappearing after issuing command Give a command your dog knows well, and then go out of sight for 3 minutes. Does your dog remain in position until you return and release him or her?

What 3 Things you should never do when training your dog

1)Never correct the dog by hitting,
2) never use the same command to mean 2 different things
3) never train the dog when you are in a bad mood or not feeling well

Who do dogs mind better, men or women?

Dogs do not have a preference they love their masters equally if male or female what they do respect however is consistency in commanding. It keeps them from getting confused.

Disappearing before issuing command

First, try standing behind your dog, facing away from him, when giving a command. Use a mirror when possible to watch your dog. Then give your dog a "Sit-Stay" command, and then go out of site for 1 minute (i.e.: into the next room where your dog can't see you). Then, while still out of your dog's sight (but within hearing distance), issue a command for your dog to "Down".

So You Want To Own A Ferret?

2007-10-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

So You Want To Own A Ferret?

You've seen them in movies and on TV shows, and the local pet store usually has some for sale. They seem to be intelligent and cuddly. But what do you really know about owning a ferret?

Ferrets live an average of 6-8 years, although some can be as old as 10. They tend to sleep a lot (about 18 hours a day!), but when they are awake they are very playful and fun to watch.

The domestic ferret is not to be confused with their wild cousins, the Black Footed Ferret, which is an endangered species. Never take a ferret from the wild to keep as a house pet.

Many people have the misconception that ferrets stink! Although they do have a slightly musky odor, it is not an offensive scent, and occasional bathing helps with this. Most ferrets sold in North America for pets have also been descented and neutered before sale, and this aids in cutting any odor they might otherwise have.

The name ferret is derived from the latin furonem, which means "thief." If you've ever owned a ferret, as I have, you know the name is well deserved. They will steal and hide anything that appeals to them, especially if it is shiny and easy to carry off.

There are many good quality commercial ferret foods on the market. It used to be a common misconception that you could feed ferrets a quality cat food, but research has shown that a quality ferret food is recommended. Ferrets require a diet high in protein (34 -36%) and one that contains about 20% fat. The source of the protein should be animal protein?vegetable protein is not adequate for a ferret's metabolism, as it is indigestible to them.. Be sure to read the labels at your pet food supply store to ensure adequate nutrition. You can give your ferret treats such as apples, raisins and bananas or there are commercial treats available at your pet food supply store. Treats should be given sparingly, and are a great incentive for training purposes.

A ferret should have a cage that is large enough for them to move around in. They are very active animals when awake, and it is likely you will want to confine them to a cage when you are not home.

Ferrets can be trained to use a litter box. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Initially, keep the litter box in the ferret's cage. Generally a ferret will use the box, and can be rewarded with a small treat when they do so. 2. After the ferret is used to using the litter box in the cage, you can gradually move the litter box further from the cage if you wish. 3. When you ferret is out of the cage, take them to the litter box frequently and reward them when they use the box with lots of praise and perhaps a small treat. 4. Ferrets back up to defecate or urinate, so if you notice your ferret backing into a corner when out of the cage, take them to the litter box.

Ferrets love to play! They will play with almost anything, so it's very important that the toys they have available to them are safe. Things that are sharp or have small parts that can be swallowed should be avoided. Soft rubber toys are not a good choice as ferrets have sharp teeth and will destroy them quickly. Most of what a ferret plays with ends up in it's mouth, so it's much like "babyproofing" your house. Suggestions for ferret toys:

1. hard plastic balls

2. hard rubber balls

3. things they can crawl into?commercial ferret "tubes", or a section of PVC pipe at least 3" in diameter

4. paper bags and cardboard boxes

5. rattles, teething rings, etc (toys made safe for human babies)

6. small stuffed animals

Remember?they will steal anything, so make sure you "ferret proof" your house. Oh?I forgot?.When I bought my first ferret, I was told they do not climb. They are very good climbers, as I found out.

After reading all this, if you have decided you still want to own a ferret, Good For You! They are delightful, entertaining pets. I will never regret having a ferret as a FurrKid at one point in my life.

The Truth About Declawing

2007-10-01T04:50:00.002-07:00

The Truth About Declawing

There seems to be an alarming trend to have cats declawed...whether it's due to personal convenience, apartment house rules and regulations, or simple lack of knowledge on the part of responsible pet owners.

There are many fine vets out there that actively discourage declawing, but there are also many who perform this surgery on a regular basis while never completely informing the pet owner what this really entails nor explaining the possible dangers of the procedure. If people were more informed, perhaps this trend would reverse itself.

Declawing a cat is a major surgical procedure, performed under general anesthesia. It is actually amputation of the last joint on each toe, not a simple removal of the claw itself as many are led to believe. The following article explains the procedure of declawing.

Cats walk on their toes, unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of their feet. Their musculature, joints, tendons and ligaments are all designed to distribute their body weight to their toes.

The claw is not a nail like human fingernails or toenails. It is actually a part of the last bone in a cat's toe. If you were to "declaw" a human in the same way a cat is declawed, you would be amputating all 10 fingers at the last joint!

I found this description of the surgery in a veterinary textbook: "The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second and third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest . The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated (disjointed), and the deep digital flexor tendon is incised (severed). The digital footpad is not incised." This clinical explanation sounds horrific, doesn't it?

There is a real possibility of complications after any major surgery, and declawing is no exception. There is the possibility of hemorrhage, infection, extreme pain, bone chips, possible regrowth of deformed claw, back, muscle and joint problems, damage to nerves, abscess and possible lameness. If the claw does regrow, it is often deformed and yet another surgery must be performed to correct this problem.

In addition to the possible physical complications, often there are behavioral problems following this surgery. The cat can become withdrawn, distant, fearful and/or aggressive, and often start biting, as this is the only means of defense left to them. Occasionally the cat will stop using the litterbox, because immediately after surgery it was painful to scratch in the litter box, and now they associate that pain with the litter box. Because of the amount of stress the animal experiences after this procedure, they may become more prone to other diseases, as stress tends to compromise the immune system.

The animal is in extreme pain following the surgery, and rarely do veterinarians offer any sort of pain medication for the cat.

There are alternatives to having your cat declawed...such as claw covers, scratching posts, regular trimming of the claws and behavior modification.

Many countries have banned declawing as an abusive practice which causes unnecessary pain and trauma to the animal. A veterinary textbook by Turner and Bateson on the biology of cat behavior concludes a short section on scratching behavior with the following statement: "The operative removal of the claws, as is sometimes practiced to protect furniture and curtains, is an act of abuse and should be forbidden by law in all, not just a few countries."

Unfortunately, declawing is not banned in the United States at this time. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says it is their policy to "recommend considering such surgery only if concerted behavior modification efforts have failed and euthanasia is pending."

Declawing a cat is an abusive practice. Being informed of a procedure and possible complications should be the goal of every responsible pet owner.

Flea Control

2007-10-01T04:50:00.001-07:00

Flea Control

Last summer, we added a new pet to our family - our cat, Ally. She was a sweet, shorthaired, stray kitten that we picked up from a neighbor's house. Ally had one problem though - fleas. She was completely infested with them, which in turn, infested our home with them.

We tried everything to get rid of those pesky blood-suckers, including flea collars, indoor foggers, and bathing her with flea shampoo. And everyone knows how much cats hate water! Nothing that we tried worked. Just when we thought we were rid of them, more would hatch.

We even considered putting Ally back outside, but we decide to try one more thing before resorting to such drastic measures.

We took her to the vet, where we were provided with more effective flea foggers and a flea spray for our home called Siphotrol Plus II. We used these to kill the fleas in our house while Ally was at the vet getting a flea dip. They also treated her with Frontline Plus, which was applied to the back of her neck. Our trip to the vet wound up costing about $150, but it was worth it. We were rid of the fleas, and we were able to keep Ally in the house.

We were instructed to reapply the Frontline Plus monthly, however, we found another product at our local Co-op that is much cheaper than Frontline Plus and seems to work well so far. It is called Flea Halt! and is made by Farnam Pet Products.

Grieving Our Pets Death

2007-10-01T04:48:00.000-07:00

Grieving Our Pets Death

Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen to our secrets, and give us unconditional love. Losing a pet can leave us with a muddle of other feelings in addition to the sadness: anger, anxiety about other problems we couldn't address because we were so busy caring for our sick pet, and even guilt, especially if your pet died suddenly or of an unknown cause. We may think to ourselves, "My pet trusted me to take care of him/her. Should I have taken him/her to the vet sooner"? Or maybe we are not convinced our pet got the right medical attention. Losing a pet can also bring up pain from previous losses we have experienced.

When we lose a pet, we may encounter well-meaning people who do not understand why we are so upset about losing "just an animal." They may encourage us just to "get another one." Not everyone is bonded in the same way to their animals, and that's okay. But it's not whether our loved one was a person or an animal that determines our "right" to be upset. It's the quality of the relationship and the level of our love. It's hard to recover fully from the loss of a long, possibly many-year, relationship in just a few days or weeks.

You're not crazy to hurt so much. You have had a loss, and you deserve support. It may help to talk about it to people you feel understand and will be sympathetic. Grief is a powerful emotion and is one of the most painful we face as human beings. The good news is that if you get a chance to talk and work through some of the pain, grief is a time-limited process. Over time, the pain recedes a bit, and you can access the happy memories of the love you and your pet shared.

It may help to look at grief recovery as a process of convalescence. The dictionary definition of "convalescence" is "gradual return to health and strength after an illness." Seeing grief in this way can help us to be patient with ourselves during the process and know that, in time, we will feel better again. Crying, some trouble sleeping, or loss of appetite is normal after a loss. But if you are having physical symptoms that are of concern, please seek medical attention. If you feel you may be "stuck" in grief after a long period of time, you may benefit from professional help.

Tips on Choosing a Boxer Dog...

2007-10-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Tips on Choosing a Boxer Dog...

An easier and more pleasant journey with your chosen Boxer starts with checking out the parent dogs for unbecoming traits like aggression, hyperactive and extreme shyness.

This is easier to do when you get your Boxer from a reputable breeder or from a pet shop that get their animals only from known breeders.

Exercise prudence if you are getting your Boxer puppy from pet stores, which often get their supply from breeders of unknown reputation.

These "puppy mills" as they are called are not known to put much emphasis on the quality and health of pups they are producing.

Reputable breeders would adhere to the accepted standards for Boxers in terms of uniformity in the breed, good health, temperament, size and color.

Reputable breeders would be able to show the pedigree and registration papers and/or pictures of the parent dogs that may reside somewhere else.

Professional breeders are also there to produce dog show champions or prospects.

Even if you are not looking to raise a show champion Boxer, known breeders can provide you with some "best buy" puppies because not all the puppies in a litter are show prospect/champion materials.

But the full litter would have had benefited from the same proven bloodlines, nutrition and medical care. So you can choose from among the good-looking brothers or sisters of potential champion for a bargain.

Your other source option is animal shelters that in the US alone receive up to 12 million homeless dogs and cats every year, and about 25% of them are purebred. Paying the adoption fee is a lot cheaper than the price you will pay to a breeder or pet store, and you will be saving a life.

The definition of good stock or purebred must include beauty, and in a Boxer good look means the coat is fawn and brindle, with the white markings or "flash" covering not more than one-third of the entire coat.

Sometimes the distribution of the "flash" alone may make the difference between a show champion and just a pet Boxer.

The all-white Boxer or "check" is prone to blindness and deafness, and the American Boxer Club members are not to register, sell or use the "whites" for breeding.

When it comes to choosing male or female Boxers, there are not much clear-cut differences in their personalities.

At times, the male is calmer, more tolerant of other dogs, willing to hold still for those hugs than the female. But at other times, the female can be so. One owner said the female Boxer is hyper and more aggressive especially toward other females, and that the aggression has increased as the female gets older.

Dog Obediance Tips...

2007-10-01T04:44:00.000-07:00

Dog Obediance Tips...

Training your dog can be time consuming and frustrating at times, but it's well worth it. Here are several tips that should help things go much smoother and faster... plus reduce the frustration both you and your dog feel!

Conduct "play training" where by the training tasks are made into fun games and your dog's play drive is used as motivation. There are a lot of really good books available on this type of training.

Intelligent dogs can also be stubborn, so you may have to outwit them!

While training your dog, you have to make him want to do what you want him to. You can't make him do stuff unless it is fun. Otherwise you are wasting both your time and his.

Try to make your dog's training so fun that it becomes his or her favorite activity. This will make learning much easier and more enjoyable.

Most dogs love to play! You can make your dog the happiest just by spending some time with them, giving your undivided attention each day. Without this, your dog will feel ignored, bored, or think they're in trouble. When this happens they're more likely to chew, tear things up, and not listen to you.

How to Start a Pet-Sitting Business

2007-10-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

How to Start a Pet-Sitting Business

Everyday someone asks me, "How do you start a pet-sitting business?" I try to answer their question succinctly. But the truth is, starting a pet-sitting business, or any business is not always a succinct process. Following are 21 tips that I know can lead to pet-care business success in any economy.

1. Accept what you don't know. Not everyone who starts a pet-care business is an expert on every type of household pet. Be honest with clients who call requesting care for a pet you've never cared for. Your honesty and commitment to learning from them will go a long way in building long-term trust in you and your company.

2. Commit to learning about business. Unless you've run a series of successful small businesses before, you must create a self-education plan for yourself. No matter how much you love animals (and they love you) your business will flounder without attention to the mundane details of accounting, sales, marketing and filing.

3. Have a realistic budget. Set up a realistic budget for running your business. Be honest about how much money you need in order to pay your bills and invest in your business. Many pet-sitting businesses close because the owner did not evaluate how many visits they would need to perform in order to meet their basic financial needs.

4. Evaluate the competition. Make sure you understand what the other pet-sitters in your area are already doing, and what you can do better or more efficiently. If there are no other pet sitting companies in your area, find out what your potential customers currently do to care for their pets when they can't be there.

5. Set realistic rates. Yes, you love pets and you can't believe that you can get paid to have fun - that's what a great many star athletes say too, yet they manage to make millions of dollars each year. You won't likely be able to draw clients in by charging thousands of dollars for your services, but you won't be able to serve pets well if you quit in 6 months because you need more money to survive.

6. Listen to pet-lovers. Ask pet owner's what is most important about their pet's care. Never imagine that you know everything - a pet owner always knows their pet best. Listen and you will learn how to serve them better.

7. Enjoy the people. I often joke that "Until that puppy can write a check, I work for his Mom!" And it's true. The people who love their pets are your customers - even if you don't see them. Check in with them and find out how they feel about your service. Make sure they understand that you are happy to work with them and you appreciate being part of their care giving 'family.'

8. Make business decisions. You are in business, so treat yourself like a business owner. If you intend to work as a sole proprietor, make a decision to work only with the clients that contribute the most to your bottom-line.

9. Build Alliances. Work with the other pet-sitters in your area. If you need a back-up or you are booked, you need to know the other quality caregivers who service your area. You can ruin your great reputation simply by recommending someone who doesn't live up to your standards.

10. Build alliances with other small business owners in your area. Who better understands the 'downside' of pet ownership than the dry cleaner or housekeeping service in your neighborhood? Their businesses are based partially on the pet-owning clients in your area. Ask to place your cards in their shops, or if you can run put a flyer in their monthly bills sent to their clients.

11. Serve the client, not your ego. It's a heady experience to feel the power of running a business and sometimes you will think you know what's best when caring for someone else's pets. Realize that you need to ride the fine line between educating customers and talking down to them.

12. Be genuine. Everyone wants to work with someone "real." When people are making decisions about letting a stranger into their home to care for their most precious possession, they want to feel that you are a real human being with an understanding and appreciation of their relationship with their pet. You need to be a business person with a heart - have all your forms and policies in place, but let your personality shine through.

13. Believe in yourself. This is the most important success factor I have found. Define your success by your rules and wake up every day with the knowledge that you can and will succeed.

14. Ignore the naysayers. Plenty of people are going to doubt you when you tell them this is your goal. Don't listen. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and never stop moving forward.

15. Create systems to work smarter. Everything can be systemized to help you get everything done. Make a list of all your 'must dos', 'should dos' and 'want-to-dos' and determine how often they happen (annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily). Sit down with a calendar and plug in the activities that will accomplish your lists.

16. Network. Just like building alliances, you need to step up your 'face-time' in your community. Investigate several networking opportunities in groups that are industry specific (like pet-rescue organizations, pet-sitter networks) and business or community specific (like the Chamber of Commerce, or NAWBO). After visiting several, select the ones that are most effective for your business - both in terms of referrals for new business and for educational purposes.

17. Evaluate. If something is working (or not) for you - find out why. Ask questions of everyone - your happy (and unhappy) clients. Find out what keeps happy customers coming back. If someone decides not to hire you for their pet's care, ask them what influenced their decision. If their decision was based on an area where you can't compromise - you won't provide every other day service for cats - move on. If it's something you can improve upon - they thought you were too abrupt on the phone - fix it! Get to the heart of what drives your business and take time each day to improve.

18. Set goals and action plans. You must know what your objectives are for you and your business. When you envision your life in a year, three years and ten years, what will you be doing? How will your business be running? Whether you intend to serve ten clients for life, or you want to establish the top pet-sitting franchise in North America and Europe - you need to have a goal and a plan.

19. Find your niche and stick to it. When I started I was intimidated by narrowing to a niche. By defining your niche and marketing to them, you are not turning away other business (our niche is big dogs and puppy potty training) you can continue to accept all the business you want that is outside of your niche (ask all the terriers, birds and rabbits we care for!).

20. Strive for success everyday. Never compromise your ideals to meet someone else's expectations. The reason you started your own business is because of your passion, so always stand by your convictions and work hard to exceed your expectations each day.

NOTE: You'll encounter people who don't do business the way you do, and you'll find clients that don't live up to your expectations?don't lecture, don't get on your soapbox, just politely point them in a different direction.

21. Help someone else succeed. The more you give away, the more you will receive. Whether you are helping another pet-care business get started (with more than 65 million dogs and 77 million cats in American households according to APPMA- there's room for more pet-care providers!) or you're helping another person achieve their dream, you will be more successful because you participated!

Follow these tips to achieve your own brand of pet-care business success!

Puppy Basics: Potty-Training, Reprimanding, and Rewards...

2007-10-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

Puppy Basics: Potty-Training, Reprimanding, and Rewards...

Potty Training Your Puppy:

Make sure you feed your dog at regular times every day as this makes bathroom breaks regular as well. Feed your puppy 2-3 times a day.

As soon as he is finished eating, take him to a grassy "potty area". Speak the words "go potty" or "go in the grass" before and while he is eliminating. Be sure to praise him when he is done.

What you are doing is building word associations with the dog that will allow you to encourage his potty activity on command.

This comes in handy when you and your dog are at unusual locations and at pit stops during long haul travel. It also saves you from cleaning unwanted fecal material off the carpet at home.

It is a good idea to train your puppy to use a place where you can easily clean up and dispose of the droppings into the sewer. This is because worms that infect dogs and make them sick get spread around through the eggs or larvae found in the feces. Some, like the roundworm, can also infect children.

Reprimanding Your Puppy:

Talk to puppies like you would to children when they do something wrong.

Tell them "no" and show them immediately what the correct behavior should be and reward them for doing it right. After a few times they'll know how to do it right.

For example, tell him "NO" when you catch him chewing the shoes. Then immediately give him his own toys to chew and cheer him on to chew on the toys. Praise him for doing so.

Use sparingly those reprimanding words like "No," "Stop that," "get off" and "bad dog!" Instead use more praises to reward good behavior in your dogs, this way the reprimands will take on stronger meaning.

A correct reprimand is short, sharp and immediate.

Only reprimand when you catch your dog doing something wrong, and punish only with your voice.

Hitting, kicking, slapping or spanking your dog can create more problems and usually makes existing problems worse. You may just end up with a barking and chewing dog, one that is leery, hand-shy, fearful or aggressive.

If you really have to spank one with your hand, just slap him across the behind.

Repetition and Rewards:

Repetitions are a crucial aspect of any dog's training. You should always reward them for doing something right while training. The more often he is rewarded, the better and quicker he will learn. Create situations where your dog can get plenty of practice at doing the right things.

Be sure to praise and love on him when he does a good job. This is simple but not always easy to do. Bad behaviors like biting, constant yelping and barking and tearing the house apart get our immediate notice. What we easily forget to acknowledge are the good parts - when the dog is lying down quietly, chewing on his own toys, leaving the carpet unsoiled.

Praise and reward are the most important part of maintaining your dog's good behavior and preventing him from getting into trouble.

Dog Toys, Games and Treats:

Foods, treats or praise will bring out the best responses from your dogs during training.

Treats can come in the form of their favorite food, toy or something they really love to do.

Some favorite treats are ice cream, cheese, ham and chicken. One Boxer dog even fancies a handful of ice cubes to crunch on though he's not thirsty. Test human food treats a little at a time though, because some dogs can be sensitive to certain things. Milk products for instance, can give a puppy diarrhea.

The all time dog favorites of fetching, tug-of-war, and hide and seek games can be made more treasured using your dog's favorite ball or toy, and giving him plenty of stroking in between throws.

So are you ready for a Boxer Dog?...

2007-10-01T04:40:00.002-07:00