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Q: Can you  train cats?

A: Yes, training a cat is not as challenging as many folks assume it is. Kitties are not as attentive to training as Fido or Rover are but they can be trained. Food rewards presented as positive reinforcement is most likely the main method to train a cat.

Q: Why and how do cats purr?

A: Adult kitties purr because they are happy and contented and to manipulate humans — who can resist a purring cat? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to assist in bonding them. It is widely believed that the purring is a vibration of the voice-box as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.

Q: What is the reason some cat owners are allergic to cats?

A: Cat allergies are caused by the proteins in cat dander generated from the cat’s saliva. The dander dries and becomes airborne. People with cat allergies demonstrate a reaction because their immune system is beginning to combat the alien protein and creates histamines.

Q: How do you curtail bad cat behavior such as clawing?

A: The best way to stop naughty cat behavior is the same way the mother cat controls an errant kitten. This is by scuffing the cat. You firmly but gently grasp the cat by the scruff of the neck and hold it down until it calms down. You must do this at the time of the naughty behavior.

Q: How do you litter train a cat?

A: You really shouldn’t need to do any training for a cat to make use of a litter pan, but if your previously litter trained cat has begun to avoid the litter box you need to determine the cause. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to visit the veterinarian. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have changed litter you may have to change back or sprinkle a little catnip in the litter to attract the cat to the new litter.

Q: How do you keep cats off the kitchen table?

A: This is the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a challenging one. Cats like elevated spots and they often find food or food aromas on counters and tables. It is best to keep the surfaces clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the counters.

Some dogs just absolutely refuse to become house trained. No matter how long and hard you have tried to implement techniques to get your dog to use the bathroom in the proper areas, he still chooses to be “vengeful” towards  you by not following your instructions, right?

Wrong! The common misconception that your dog is trying to be vindictive and countermine your housetraining efforts by refusing to follow the rules is a complete myth.

Dogs only have the capacity for simple, direct emotions, such as being happy, sad, or scared. Their minds are not capable of plotting ways to seek revenge for that swat on his rear, or how you scolded him an hour ago.

Dogs do, however, remember and draw upon past experiences that they associate with current situations.  But it is important to understand that these associations only create an emotion in which they will feel when going through a similar experience.

In other words, lets say that you punish your dog for urinating on the front porch. If you continue to scold him for this behavior then eventually your dog will become fearful of using the bathroom outside. All he knows is that he is “outside”, not on the front porch. Your efforts will countermine your housetraining goals.

For this reason alone, it is important never to punish or yell at your dog when he uses the bathroom inside the house. Most housetraining problems actually stem from owners who completely instill fear in their pets when they go potty on the floor. This creates enough trauma to completely halt all of your housetraining efforts.

The key is trying not to react. Instead, remove your dog from the room and take him outside in a very calm and relaxed manner. Be sure that he does not see you cleaning up his mess. Quietly clean the area and be sure to use an enzyme-containing house cleaner. Vinegar or liquid soap will do just fine as well. By completely removing all of the older, this helps reduce your dog’s need to urinate and mark the same spot over and over.

Dog House Training Tip: Avoid using ammonia because the smell is very similar to that of a dog’s urine and can stimulate him to pee in the same area.

When all else fails, schedule a visit with your veterinarian so that the doctor can do a complete health checkup of your dog to make sure that there is not a health-related reason for his inability to become house trained.

House training a dog problems… Some dogs can be harboring illnesses that may prove to be the cause of not having the ability to control their bowel movements. Such illnesses could be caused by ticks, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or the most common reason: a urinary tract infection.

Spring is already upon us, which means that the Parvo season has begun, and there is an infinitely more aggressive strain of Parvo that is killing dogs at a scary rate. The 2c Strain can kill both fully-vaccinated adult dogs and puppies within 6-12 hours after symptoms first appear.

To see whether you’re current with the latest Parvo situation, we’ve put together the following short quiz. These questions are all True/False:

1. Parvo is a puppy disease and my adult dogs are safe.
2. All of my dogs are up-to-date on their shots, therefore they are protected.
3. I’m worried that my cat can get infected from my Parvo puppy, should I be?
4. Foul-smelling dog diarrhea mainly comes from eating junk food.
5. Canine Parvovirus is not contagious to humans.
6. My vet quoted $750+ for Parvo treatments for my dog, I heard this is low?
7. Parvo cannot survive snow and desert-heat temperatures.
8. Parvo can only be spread via infected dog feces.
9. Parvo can incubate from 3-15 days before symptoms appear.
10. Parvo tests at the vet are always accurate.

People seem to have many misconceptions about Parvo. One thing is for certain, it will devastate your pet and can take him away from you if you don’t take immediate action. Many times, people are taken by surprise and simply have no idea what to look for. Parvo symptoms can appear from absolutely nowhere – one minute your dog is playing and the next minute he is lying around, not eating, no energy – basically, not the dog you know and love.

The typical symptoms of Parvo can confuse you at first. You may suppose your dog has just swallowed something that disagreed with him, when in fact he may already be infected and very ill with the scourge of the Earth, Parvo virus.

This is the reason why we wrote Parvo Treatment 101, which is a FREE eBook that will help you learn much more about Parvo and what are the dog Parvo symptoms to look out for. We also talk about exactly what makes for an effective Parvo treatment.

Without a doubt, you will run across many treatments for Parvo, and we can shed light on their pros and cons, as we’ve done hours of research into the subject matter.

We hope you found this information both useful and interesting and once you download your free copy of our eBook, that will clear up many issues about Canine Parvo virus.

And finally, how did you score on our little Parvo Quiz? You’ll want to miss no more than 1 … Well, we can help you out. If you visit our Parvo Emergency Treatment Blog we will have all the answers to this quiz and perhaps other questions you may have on your mind.

If you have thought of buying an exotic bird, there are a group of things you must consider before buying it. You must have more details about their house hold, feeding, behavior and special cares. To obtain an ideal relationship with an exotic bird may take some time and patience.

Naturally, exotic birds are really costly due to care and origin factors. Generally, to support an exotic bird includes special foods and expert vets. You must realize that there are vets who are experts at exotic birds and to visit them can be costly.

You must remember that your exotic bird will need company. Remember that parrots usually like being with other birds, so if you are not home much time, it is advisable to buy other exotic birds.

Many exotic bird species are renowned all over the word because of their beauty and friendly behavior. They are lorikeet. There are three types of lorikeets which are considered incredibly beautiful Rainbow lorikeet, Blue Lorikeet and Red Collared Lorikeet. All of them require special cares and they have special needs.

Rainbow lorikeets which are from Australia, show rainbow colors in their feathers. They usually eat pollen and nectar in the wild. When you have them at home, it is necessary to prepare a homemade food similar to nectar. On the contrary, Blue lorikeets live in the Polynesia and they like being active during the day.

Red Lorikeets are famous because they always lie in pairs or in small groups. Though these exotic birds are plenty of beauty, it is prudent to choose other exotic birds which are not in danger of extinction.

Obedience training is one of the most important aspects of having a dog.  When I say training I mean more than just house training your puppy. In fact, if you love your dog and you love being a dog owner, both you and your dog will be happier, easier to live with and get along with, and even safer than if you fail to train your dog.

A well-trained dog is a pleasure to own.  A well-trained dog requires fewer restrictions and a well-trained dog does not create embarrassment and will always reflect well upon his or her owner.

Just to cite a few examples, a well trained dog will not frighten or annoy the visitors to your home with excessive barking, inappropriate jumping or other annoying habits.  Also, a dog that is leash-trained and will heel nicely at his owner’s side and will do a sit command without hesitation is much more welcome in a public place among other people and pets than a rowdy and out-of-control.

The bottom line is that the more reliable and trustworthy your dog is, the more of a pleasure he is to own.  Also, a well-trained dog receives much more positive attention and interaction from other people, be they family members, friends or even people you have never met before.  Nobody enjoys an unruly and ill-mannered dog but a well-trained and obedient dog can melt many hearts.

You are your dog’s leader.  You are the alpha dog.  It is your responsibility to turn your puppy into a well-mannered adult dog.  Training also strengthens the bond between a dog and his or her owner.

It builds mutual respect, communication, understanding and makes it clear to your do that you are the leader of the pack, or what is commonly referred to as the “alpha dog”, if your dog does not respect you as the leader, both of you will encounter problems, especially if your dog is a bit more high strung and rowdy by nature.

A well-trained dog that responds quickly and efficiently to voice commands is also a much safer dog.  Imagine if your dog slipped out of his collar in the middle of a busy intersection, if you can safely heel him back across the street and then have him sit and put his collar back on, many tragedies could be avoided.

Also, if the gate is inadvertently left open and your dog leaves the yard, if he is trained to follow your commands you can quickly bring him back home, saving you time, energy and frustration.

Many of the dogs that end up in shelters do so because of a lack of training by their owners.  It is the owner’s responsibility to train the dog to conform to the family’s rules and to be a good “dog citizen”.  A well-trained dog is also easier to adopt into another family, thereby saving the dog from an untimely end.

Far fewer dogs would end up in shelters if the owners took obedience training seriously. A well-loved and well-trained dog is a pleasure to own.  A rowdy and out of control dog is a hardship to own but it is not the dog who is responsible for that.  It is always the owner.

A well-behaved and properly trained dog is a pleasure to own.  Your dog will be able to go anywhere and do anything without being a nuisance or annoyance to you or to others.

So why is my yorkie always so excited to use my pee pads? There are a few different reasons I will share with you. I strongly believe that when a dog does something right you must reward them.

Whether it be a treat or love. When potty training my dog I always give here a treat after each use on the puppy pads. When I would leave the house for a few hours she would wait for me to get home. The reason? She wanted that treat after I watched her go potty. Always remember to be consistent in your training.

Make sure when using housebreaking pads that you change them regularly. If they build up to much potty mess, the dog will want to go other places. My yorkie will wait for me to change them and immediately run over and potty on them right after. Then she patient waits for her reward. In the beginning make sure you regularly take your dog to there potty area.

Pee-pads.com is the best place to buy. Buying in bulk can save you a lot of money. They offer 3 different sized pee pads to fit your potty area needs. The smallest size is 17”x24”. These come 300 per case with free shipping at a low cost of $54.99.

These work great for dogs that weigh less than 8 pounds. Another popular size is the 23”x24” pee pads which come 200 per case. New are the Jumbo 23”x36” pee pads which come 150 per case. Please share with me any potty training tactics that work for you.

There is a huge difference between people who breeds dogs and you should be aware of that when you are thinking about buying a dog. It is easy to go to a store and to fall in love with a puppy in one of their cages, even feel sorry for them sitting in a cage, but where do they get their puppies from?

Most, if not all puppy stores, get their dogs from breeders who is in it for money. No serious breeder will sell to puppy stores. You will never see a papillion puppy from Crisanda Papillons in a puppy store for example. People who are in it for the money don’t care about the dogs at all. They are called puppy-mills and breeds dogs out of greed.

Their dogs live in filth, small cages and have a miserable life. Lots of puppies are sick with kennel cough, worms, bad coats and not bred to standard.

People can go to puppy stores to look at the different dogs they have or go to a dog pound, but they need to stay away from puppy stores to buy one.

People should stay away from most web sites that have puppy ads too. Why is that? The reason for that is that most of them don’t care who advertise their dogs on the web site. 95% of the ads is from puppy-mills and scammers. One good indication of a scammer is that they do not have a web site and if they do they have stolen puppy pictures from a real breeders web site and use them to sell their puppies.

One web site that you should use is PawsitesOnline.com. Every ad has been screened and all breeders who advertise is a serious breeder so if you plan to buy a puppy, that is the only website we recommend.

You may think that dog training aids are out there for you to spend money and not actually reap any benefits from. That is not the case. Dog training aids are there to help you succeed in teaching your dog, this could be teaching him obedience, agility or any other type of teaching you want to do. There are many aids available but only a certain few will work with your dog and his temperament.

I find the best training aid to be treats, small pieces of human food chopped up and given to him when he has done something good has always worked wonders, that is unless your dog doesn’t really have an interest in treats. This is a really cheap method of a training aid but if you want to blow some cash there are hundreds of options available for you.

For dog agility training aids that are available are e.g. anti bark collars. Many dogs have a problem when they do dog agility. They start barking constantly basically because of the hype involved. Anti bark collars do one of two things or sometimes both, they give a small electric charge when your dog barks and spray some water up into their face. People may think this is cruel but it is completely harmless. It just lets your dog know that barking is not acceptable. These collars are available at pet shops and on the internet and are not too expensive.

For dog obedience some dog training aids that are available are dog clickers, the newest craze out on the market which allows owners instead of associating sit with a word they use a click instead and reward with treats, no punishment allowed. Another aid available is a harness; this gets fitted around your dog’s upper body so when you are teaching him to heel a slight tug on the harness pulls him back completely. The harness is a widely used obedience aid and is greatly used for bigger dogs such as German shepherds and Rottweilers.

There are also dog training aids available for around the home. These are simple and effective. Many people turn to dog training aids when nothing else has worked but they don’t have to be the last thing you try, with aids so cheap these days there is no reason why you can’t invest in something that will make your dogs learning process a lot more exciting!

Cats are the coolest animals on the planet. Yes, that statement is rife with conjecture and straight up personal opinion—based on personal pet preference. But they really are amazing creatures.

Cats have their own laundry or body soap solution, and can wash themselves in all areas except the one area Moms used to nag about—behind the ears…at the nape of the neck. Oh, and they can be picked up (with teeth!) by that nape of the neck, without ever flinching or griping or calling out in pain.

Cats don’t hassle or pounce, relentlessly, when you enter a room. They have little interest in your command performance attention—the quality and quantity of which had better be delivered, according to their mortal foes, dogs, or you’ll get a face full of slobber, a front full of mudprints, or a shove to the ground because the dog thinks he’s a lapdog when he is, in fact, a Rhodesian Wolfhound weighing in at over a 100 pounds.

Cats are so intuitive they know when you need them. That is, if you are weeping, depressed, lonely, or ill, they will first stare at you for a minute, likely picking up which vibe it is they need to address, and then will come close. This is not hyperbole or conjecture on my part. Numerous studies have been done to indicate that pets in general but especially cats have been introduced into high-stress people’s homes and hospital wards—and the illnesses decreased, the stress levels reduced, and the feeling of well-being returned to degrees of something around 15% improvement.

I mentioned that cats stare. Yeah, this is one I still am trying to figure out. They will position themselves in statuesque stillness, focus on one spot, thing, or you (shudder), and with unblinking, undeterred pose will penetrate whatever (or whomever) it is they stare at. I have paid close attention to this particular behavior on many an occasion, and can only see not a bored soul just watching the air molecules move about but a profoundly knowing being…whose eyes, when you look deeply into them, reveal eras and ages of reincarnated mystique, reveal the origin of their many dimensioned essences.

I may be interpreting this because I know the cat’s history. Or know what others know thus far. Cats were a revered animal in Egypt. They were found buried in the tombs and sarcophagi of the royalty. They were reportedly so esteemed that a person was caught harming a cat that person was executed. (Wish we had held onto this one archaic law, especially when I see how cats are sold in markets for food in some countries, or how cats are tortured by cults or kids with nothing better to do and no more brain cells than to set a now defenseless domesticated creature on fire. Makes me very angry, actually.)

And back to the physical wonderment of cats…that whole hairball thing, while at first may be disgusting or may seem pitiful (I always go into apoplectic sympathy mode as the cat looks at me to shut me up so she can be sick), is really fascinating (and makes sense). The cat is licking her hair every day and night, many times. She is of course collecting the fallout. In her gut. She then, on scheduled intervals of time, hunkers, hacks, and hawks until the perfectly bundled thing is expelled. And then she begins the cycle all over again.

Cats have (students and professors at Cornell studied) 100 different vocalizations. My favorite is the rrow-rrow-rrow one as if my cuddly baby is chirping with giddy delight. (It is happy, it is friendly, and it is a greeting. It is also an expectation—of goodies.)

I am really not all that intellectual about cats, though I do acknowledge a deep respect for and kind of metaphysical fascination with cats. So I am always learning something new, coming to understand their biological imperatives—that they wash immediately after eating (or after you eat, even) so they don’t (their cells recall this from jungle days eons back) appear as food or prey. Duh. I didn’t think of that. They scratch and claw stuff not only to sharpen their claws. They do so to leave scent for those competitors (in our case, the raccoons) that might even think about approaching for a nice warm bed, lots of healthy food, much smooshy affection, and the occasional starefest. Which still kinda creeps me out.

English Springer Spaniels are a good breed to consider bringing into the home if you are looking for a dog that is easy to take care of, that has a good temperament, and that has a reputation for enjoying the company of people. The Springer Spaniel is an ideal dog for country or city life. Springers are people pleasers. They love to be around people, and they are energetic, loving companions. They are energetic and playful animals, and many owners find humor in their play. With proper training the can excel in agility, tracking, retrieving, obedience, hunting, and field trials. They are wonderful with children and are a perfect choice for families. Of course as with any dog breed, children should always be supervised to make sure they are not antagonizing the dog.

Owners will be satisfied with a Springer because they are so friendly and eager to please. There are people who use the sweet temperament of a Golden Retriever to describe the Springer’s personality. They are happy to go home and lie around the house if that is what their families are doing at the time. They are very flexible and acclimate easily to various activity levels, as long as they are allowed to be with people as much as possible. Being a long breeder of a variety of puppies, we can attest to their absolute friendliness.

As a breed, the English Springer Spaniel is a medium sized sporting dog, and can weigh anywhere from 35-55 pounds at adulthood. They are typically healthy dogs that live happy lives that average about 10-14 years on average. Springers which are field bred have shorter hair and are generally more active than the show type Springers. Field bred Springers have docked tails, but their tails are docked longer than the show Springers so their tails are still functional as an alert signal while hunting.

The coat colors for English Springer Spaniels comes in either two combinations of black and white or liver and white. There does exist a tri-color combination in the breed where the coat is black, liver, and white, but it is much more rare and generally requires both the sire and dam to be tri-color also. These are easily recognised by the white flash that runs down the middle of their faces.

English Springer Spaniels were bred to be natural hunters with a lot of energy, so you can expect your Springer to enjoy running around, sniffing out “game,”and retrieving things for you. Springers are happy to spend all day outside with their masters, they love water and are not particularly sensitive to weather in general. Springers have been popular as pets and working dogs for a very long time. This is because they are an extremely old and well-established breed. They are one of the oldest and best established hunting and gun dog breed.

Hopefully, you can understand the reasons that we believe Springers are a good option for a variety of lifestyles. We have seen how easily these adoring animals are accepted as a part of any family.

Visit our Springer Spaniel Puppies site to see more English Springer Spaniel Puppies.