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Puppies are adorable, but
despite their undeniable cuteness, a poorly-trained puppy can wreak havoc in
the home. Some breeds are calmer and more naturally obedient than others, so be
sure to research your breed (or combination thereof) to determine the level of
training they will require. You might even find it worth your while to invest
in dog training classes for your puppy early on. Otherwise, here are some
simple tips for training your puppy at home:
- Crate train your puppy from the very first day you bring it home. Puppies enjoy
den-like spaces, and using this instinct to your advantage will begin one of
the most important housebreaking techniques you can use.
- Don't let your puppy take control of the training. You should be initiating
and terminating any interaction with your puppy, not the other way around. You
decide when it's time to bring your puppy out to play and when it's time to go
back in the crate.
- As difficult as it may be, don't compromise with your puppy. If he doesn't perform the desired behavior,
such as sitting or staying, don't just give up and walk away. Persistence is the
key to conditioning your puppy to do certain things at certain times.
- Your puppy should only be rewarded for good behavior and obedience. This
means that you can't just give out a treat every time your puppy looks cute and
cuddly--that's a lot of treats!
- When you're spending time with your puppy, talk to it and pet it often. This
helps establish that trustworthy bond that will forever define your
relationship.
- Never use violence on a puppy or any other animal. If firm words or commands
don't work, talk to your vet about what you can do to modify certain behaviors;
or hire a professional dog trainer.
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 Many pets have an
instinctive fear of unfamiliar surroundings, which can result in stress-induced
behaviors or even illness if you're not careful. If you're planning on moving
to a new home, there are some things you should consider if you have pets. From
the minute you begin packing the old house until the last object is put away at
the new house, follow these tips to ensure a safe and comfortable transition
for your animals:
-Begin packing early, room by room, to ensure as little chaos (and as little
stress on your pets) as possible up to the time you leave.
-In the weeks before moving, keep your pets' routines - from feeding times to
walks - as normal as possible. Also make sure to give them plenty of love and
attention.
-If you'll be going to a new vet, make sure to request your pets' records and
make sure they are all up to date on their shots.
-If your pet has health problems or is easily upset, ask your vet if they would
recommend a mild sedative for travel.
-Keep your pet relatively confined at your new home until they seem comfortable
with their surroundings--both inside and outside. Cats, especially, have a
tendency to wander off when placed in a new environment, so you may want to
keep them inside at first.
-If you have a bird, put it in a place where it is undisturbed until it becomes
accustomed to its new surroundings.
-If you have fish, test the water for similarity to that of your old home and
adjust it to the needs of your fish if necessary.
-Help bring about that "at home" feeling by using the pet's familiar
food and water dishes, bed, blanket, toys, and so forth. Try to put them in a
similar location as they were in your old house--food and water bowls by the
back door, bed in the family room, etc.
-If you're moving to a new city, locate a competent veterinarian and establish
care for your pet as soon as you get settled.
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Many people view health insurance for pets as comparable to
insurance against bubonic plague, but for pet owners who have a tendency to
rack up hefty vet bills, pet insurance has some appeal.
Is pet insurance a worthy investment? Not for everyone. Coverage can cost
anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 over the average pet's lifetime. In the case of
a generally healthy animal, you'll never spend that much at the vet. But for
many, pet insurance can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars in pet care
costs.
Good candidates for pet insurance include breeds that are prone to certain
illnesses and conditions. Are your pets susceptible to any breed-specific ailments,
such as hip dysplasia, cancer, skin allergies, ocular problems, etc? How old is
your pet? Keep in mind that some policies won't cover animals over a certain
age (depending on the breed, health, and other factors), and if they do,
they're likely to charge higher premiums, the older the pet is. Find out if
your rates will increase as your pet ages.
Let it be known that veterinary science is making some impressive strides in
the realm of technology. Advanced treatments and sophisticated equipment that
are available to humans are, more and more, becoming available to animals as
well. Just a few years ago, it was unheard of for some of these treatments to
be applicable to veterinary medicine. While it's wonderful that we have these
options, not all of us can afford to pay for it outright.
If you're one of those people who would pull out all the stops to save your
pet, even if it meant expensive radiation therapy or a kidney transplant,
you're probably better off purchasing pet insurance than going into debt.
Determine whether you need it based on your situation, the overall health of
your pet(s), and the extent to which you can afford to pay for pet care.
It's not easy to assign a dollar value to your pet's quality of life, but if
you're thinking of getting a pet, make sure you can afford it --and this will
vary from pet to pet. If you can't afford the potentially high cost of caring
for an animal, the best insurance is not to get the animal until you're in a
position to meet its needs.
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In This Issue:
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Contact Us
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Your Name
800-123-4567
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Fun Pet Facts
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Did you know...
- 94% of
pet owners say their pet makes them smile more than once a day.
- 'Fido'
means 'loyalty' in Italian.
- Cats step
with both left legs, then both right legs when they walk or run. The only other
animals that do this are the giraffe and the camel.
-The
position of the dog's tail can represent as many as six different messages.
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Pet Alternative Therapy
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From doggy acupuncture to
kitty chiropractic, alternative forms of veterinary medicine have really taken
off in recent years. Holistic veterinary work aims to make your pet as healthy
as possible by gradually building up their immune system in an effort to
prevent the need for quick-fix treatments like antibiotics and steroids. As in
the case of humans, the holistic veterinary approach offers a scope of practice
that treats the whole animal, stimulating the body's internal healing force and
harnessing its natural abilities to heal itself.
Holistic veterinarians believe that a weak immune system plays a key role in
causing disease. Nearly everything that goes wrong with the physical health of
humans and pets, with the exception of things like broken bones, can be traced
directly to a sub-par immune system. Nutrient-poor diets, an overuse of
prescription drugs, and environmental pollutants all compromise immune health.
A strong defense system is the key to self-healing. It protects our pets from
everything from flu germs to cancer cells. Antibiotics fight infection, but
they don't eliminate whatever weakened the immune system to begin with. This is
why alternative pet therapies focus less on things that cause diseases and more
on things that affect the body's defenses.
Holistic veterinary medicine is comprised of many of the same products,
therapies, and principles that make up the realm of human holistic medicine.
Such aspects include natural diet and nutritional care, animal chiropractic,
acupuncture and herbal medicine, homeopathic consultations, yoga, reiki, and
massage. If these things are important to you, why not pass on the quality of
life they provide to your cats, dogs, birds, lizards, and even fish! A number
of holistic healing products and services are available for all types of pets.
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Strange Pet Behavior, Demystified
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Scenario: You're
walking down the hall, in your own little world, when suddenly a flying,
foot-snagging cat grabs a hold of your ankle and takes a bite. "But he was
purring away on the couch a few minutes ago," you think to yourself.
"What happened?"
Explanation: Chances are your cat is simply practicing skills he would normally use
in the wild, such as: stalking, chasing, swatting, clawing, and biting. He may
draw his ears back, twitch his tail, freeze in a low crouch before pouncing,
and/or wrap his front paws around your hand or foot in an attempt to bite.
These are all body postures cats, large and small, show when searching for and
catching prey.
Despite your kitty's playful intentions, they can result in scratches, bites
that don't break the skin, or serious injury (scratches and bites that break
the skin and become infected). The most common play aggressors are cats less
than two years of age, those living in a one-cat household, and cats spending
8-10 hours a day home alone.
Playful "attacks" commonly occur when unsuspecting owners round a
corner, come down the stairs, or toss around under a blanket. These attacks can
often be distinguished from aggressive encounters by a sideways hop or pounce,
an arched back, a half open mouth, or silence (the absence of hissing,
growling, or spitting).
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