The Purrfect Pet - RagDoll Cats and Kittens

By Susie Smyth

The RagDoll Cat breed came about from the offspring of a semi-feral white Persian female whom was injured when hit by a car and bred to a male Birman Cat. The controversy is that the "breed" relaxes completely when picked up or held. The resulting floppy "RagDoll" appearance gives the breed its name.
 
Some believe that this trait was passed on from the injured female, whom may have suffered nerve damage, others disagree stating that it is not genetically possible. Little is known as to why these felines are unique in so many ways.

The RagDoll is similar in appearance to the Birman, except for the heavier body build and lack of tell tale white "gloves".

Varieties include the Bicolor RagDoll, with a pale body, dark markings on the mask, ears, and tails (seal, chocolate, blue or lilac), and a white underside. Points refers to points of their features such as ears, nose, paws and tail. Colorpoints have points in the same colors and Mitted RagDolls are the same as Colorpoint but with white front paws. Colors include chocolate, seal with varying shades of brown, blue (which is shades of grey) and lilac which is more a rosy shade of beige. Some can be cream, blue/cream or flame (cream that is more reddish). The rare Mink RagDolls have their coloring at birth, whereas the others are usually born white

The cats fur is full and long, plush, but is not as long as many of the long haired breeds. They do not have an undercoat which makes for less shedding as well as easy maintenance and grooming. Their bodies are long and solid, although they go limp when picked up. They have medium legs, large round paws, and a long, medium tail. The head is a rounded wedge shape with a medium nose, fully developed cheeks, and small, round, mostly blue eyes, although green, green/blue and aqua are common in the mink RagDolls and the straight colored RagDolls can often have nonmatching eye colors. Ears are medium, rounded at the tips and tufted. These are large cats, with males often exceeding 20 plus pounds.

These Cats have an extremely docile temperament, slow to mature and don't reach full maturity until 3 to 4 years of age. Perhaps that is why they remain quite playful well beyond the kitten stages. They are "lovers", not fighters and very trusting of others that they may not recognize danger. Best suited to the indoors, the RagDoll has an extremely high tolerance to pain so that injuries can go unnoticed. These big fluffy cats are calm and like tranquility. They also like dogs, particularly large dogs. They get along well with other household pets and make wonderful pets for children. They are often described as the "puppy cat" in that they will follow one around much like a puppy. They are also very trainable.

RagDolls are big, sweet tempered, family oriented cats, making them the purrfect pet for many homes.

Cats "pawsitively" have enriched my life. Owning an Equestrian Center allows me to have more cats than what would be the norm for homes, as I claim some are "working barn cats", giving me the excuse to take a few more in and keeping the many that are "drop offs". However, as responsible pet owners we should strive to learn as much about the animals whom well being and lives are dependent on us.

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Fun Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day With Your Pet Dog

By Jim Witt

February is the month of love. Celebrate this Valentine's Day by dressing up your beloved canine. There are many ways to allow your dog to celebrate this wonderful Valentine season:
 
1. Dress your canine friend up in a Valentine's Day costume. Many stores sell dog costumes for holidays. Find a cupid costume with a halo headband and cute wings to fit across your dog's back.

2. Buy a Valentine's Day dog collar. Holiday dog collars are always a wonderful option for celebrating the holiday. Valentine's Day collars are fun and will be sure to get some attention.

There are a lot of options available for Valentine's Day collars. The most popular Valentine's Day collars are designs with hearts, both large and small. Other options are sweethearts, roses, flowers, and the combination of the color red and pink.

3. Find a fun valentine's outfit online or at a dog apparel store. There are many websites that cater to canine clothes for holiday occasions. Valentine themed apparel can spice up any Valentine's Day.

4. Dressing your dog in anything that is red or pink can pull off the Valentine theme. Find a cute red hat to show off your cute dog on Valentine's Day. Or you could paint their toenails pink for the occasion.

5. Handmade items can be a nice touch on Valentine's Day. Knit your dog a pink and red sweater to wear on the cold mornings. There are a lot of crafty clothing articles or accessories you can make for your dog, such as hats, sweaters, or shirts.

Show off your cute canine this Valentine's Day. Your family and friends will love to see your dog dressed up in pink and red to celebrate. Whether you choose to make a handmade hat, or purchase a beautiful Valentine's Day dog collar, your dog will have fun this holiday.

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Chihuahua History and Characteristics

By Georgios Kalarchakis

The origins of the Chihuahua are uncertain. They probably came to Mexico by the Chinese, but is also possible to be originated from dogs of the Aztecs, including the race Techichi. The Chihuahua was the favourite animal of the Aztec, who used to eat them as sacred food, also they where sacrificing them to the gods and believed that Chihuahuas brought good luck at home.
 
The Chihuahua is considered to have come to Spain by Spanish conquerors. Reproduction of the Chihuahua first started in the United States in the nineteenth century. Soon people recognized the value of this race. It is the oldest race in America and arrived in Europe after the Second World War.

The Chihuahua is the smallest of all breeds. Their height ranges from 16 to 20 cm and are weighing from one to three and a half pounds. It has a tiny fine skeleton, a head that is round and erected ears. Their smooth coat is composed of shiny, soft hair, little head and ears. Their hair is long, soft and slightly curly. There are a variety of colours in their hair like amber, white, brown and black. Their coat can be one colour or more and they could have spots.

Each Chihuahua has a unique personality. It's cute, active and shows human expressions. This tiny companion is deeply devoted and loyal. It is bold, fearless and very protective of its owner. They enjoy stealing all the attention. They are cautious in the presence of foreigners and are excellent keepers. This breed is not suitable for young children and does not coexist easily with other pets.

What you should know before buying a Chihuahua: It some times develops eye problems and heart disease. The Chihuahua can not live in cold climate and must be protected when it comes out. It is difficult to train and requires patience and stability. Socialization is very important and because of this it must begin early and be intensive and extensive.

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Is Your Puppy Peeing on the Floor? Here Are Some Tips to Help Potty Train Your Puppy

By Len Slade

Puppies do not comprehend when and where to eliminate, so it is entirely up to the owners to establish these requirements early on when potty training.

The four key elements to potty training your puppies are training, timing, confinement and praise.
 
In this article today, we will go over these elements and confront the basics to breaking your puppies natural inclination to just go in the house.

In order to help your puppy in the beginning of potty training you will need to give them a confined area to stay in. This can be a kennel or cage that is large enough for him or her to move around in. Do not line the area with anything because the puppy will certainly have a day of destroying whatever you put down under them.

A puppy will not usually eliminate where they are sleeping, so this is a good way to train them to not go in the house.

And remember to religiously use a leash when potty training your puppies. Why? Because the leash offers you more control of the animal and allows you to lead them to the place where they need to go. This will train them by routine where they can go potty outside.

You also need to use command words like outside, time for potty, lets go, do your business, etc. If you repeat these words enough, your puppy will come to understand that this means its time to go out and eliminate.

The best command term to use is " outside" with an enthusiastic tone. You can grab the leash and happily ask your puppy " wanna go out, out, outside"? They will usually jump up and wag their tails to this command after enough training.

If your puppy becomes distracted by a sound or another animal, gently tug the leash and remind him or her by using your command words like " go potty" or " time to tinkle". It may sound silly but puppies respond very well to your tone of voice and your words, so make sure that you keep the same happy tone every time you use your words.

Finally, praise is absolutely key to training your puppy to go outside to eliminate. Once he or she has successfully gone outside you should always pet them, give them words like good, good job, or that's a good boy or girl while they are eliminating, not after. This will reinforce their good behavior and remind them that they are pleasing their owners.

All puppies and owners go through this frustrating process of potty training in the beginning, but if you keep at it consistently and use the methods mentioned in this article, your puppy should be well on his or her way to being successfully potty trained.

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Socializing Your Dog

Shyness in dogs is not an unusual thing. Just like humans, dogs can worry, have anxieties, and be fearful of new people and surroundings; causing shy behavior.

In dogs, even normal household activities like vacuuming can become seriously traumatic.
 
How Do I Know If My Dog is Shy?

# Ears going back flat against the head
# Tail tucked between legs
# Raised hackles
# Refusal to make eye contact.
# Crouching
# Inappropriate urination
# Hiding
# Trembling
# Lack of eye contact
# Irregular panting

When your dog exhibits these actions, they are letting you know that they feel whatever is occurring, is potentially dangerous, threatening or painful. These signs should not be ignored. Extreme fear can lead to desperate escape attempts, urination or even biting. Fortunately, there are things you can do to correct such behaviors in dogs.

Causes:

It is a good idea to identify why your dog may be acting shy. You should first take your dog to the vet to rule out any medical reasons for your dog’s shyness.

1. The most likely cause of shyness is insufficient social contact with people during the first weeks of life. Dogs look to their owners to be the "alpha dog" of their "pack" and to guide them safely into new and stimulating situations. Without these experiences, the dog may become timid and skittish when introduced to things outside their immediate familiarity.

2. Dogs who frequently change owners and homes aren't given the chance to build familiarity, and may shy away from a wide variety of situations. Dogs adopted at an older age, such as from a rescue society, often exhibit shyness of strangers, sometimes due to mistreatment in a previous household.

3. Dogs that have been abused or have experienced traumatic events often become extremely fearful.

4. There is also a good chance that your dog never really learned how to socialize properly in the first place. If this is the case, you should be able to use some very effective dog behavior training techniques to fix this issue in no time.

What Can I Do?

Prevention

To avoid unnecessary fears or anxieties in the future, make sure your puppy is exposed to an assortment of new people, places and situations. This gives them the foundation for how to appropriately behave in these situations throughout the rest of their life.

Behavior Modifications:

If you have a shy dog who reacts fearfully to everyday situations, you can take a few steps to help him become more confident.

Don’t Coddle:

Don’t comfort your dog for being afraid. Coddling your dog will only reinforce and reward your dog’s shy behavior. When you exhibit confidence, you show your dog there is nothing to be afraid of.

Don’t Cajole:

Forcing your dog to greet others often only exacerbates the problem, causing the dog to want to avoid the people and situations more than before.

Desensitization:

Incrementally expose your dog to the object or situation he or she fears. Increase the stimulation gradually so that your dog will eventually not find the object or situation life-threatening. Give your dog opportunities to be successful at remaining calm during stressful situations to help your dog build his or her confidence. The key is to reward your dog for remaining calm.

Anti-Anxiety:

Some dogs may be so anxious and overcome with fear that they are unresponsive to behavioral modification or desensitization.

Enlist Help:

1. Have a friend the dog is unfamiliar with stand a few feet away from the dog. Have them toss a treat or one of your dog’s toys on the ground, then walk away. Repeat the process, with the person closer to the dog each time. Your dog should learn to associate positive things with strangers rather than negative things.

2. Use a toy every time you greet your dog after you have been away. The dog should eventually associate the toy with pleasant interaction. Once that has happened, you can use it when your dog is meeting strangers. Give it to visitors when they enter the house or take it with you on walks when you meet strangers along the way.

3. When you introduce new people to your dog, have the person sit down or squat on their haunches so that they appear to be less threatening. The dog will be more accustomed to relaxed social contact. The combination of the environment and passive body posture should produce a more positive response from the dog rather than if the person is looming over the dog as they advance.

The Key: The more people a dog makes friends with, the more able it will become to cope with the new people he/she meets.

Obedience training: You may need to get the help of a professional trainer or behaviorist, depending on the extent of your dog’s fearful or anxious behaviors.

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Dog Obedience Training - Setting Early Boundaries is Important

By Len Slade

Most of us may not like it some of the time, but deep down inside we all know that we function a lot better when we have rules to abide by. Whether they are in the form of laws, social ethics, or common conventions, we have guides for our behavior in order for society to be less problematic.
 
Well, dogs are similar to us in that they, too, need boundaries to live by for good behavior. Establishing mental boundaries as well as physical, your dog will feel more safe and comfortable with you and its environment.

When you first bring your little puppy home, all it knows is what it wants and needs to do, and boundaries are not a natural instinct, so its up to you to set them.

The key to dog obedience training is being very consistent with your commands and routines for your dog.

For instance, here is a good analogy: if you are repetitious with your puppy about not jumping on the sofa after a bath, coming in for a walk, or any other time, your dog will learn that this is not appropriate behavior. You can do this by firmly but lovingly commanding your puppy to not jump on the couch by using the words " no, down" or just "down".

If your puppy continues to obey your commands, reward him or her with a treat or a pet and the words "good boy or girl" or use their name instead of boy or girl.

Not having your puppy jump on your sofa at home means that he or she will not jump on others sofas when you are visiting friends or family.

This goes the same way with other boundaries that you will set at home. You have to ask yourself how you would want your dog to behave in public, at home and at the homes of others.

So make sure that you get online or to your local bookstore to do your research on how to establish and be consistent with setting boundaries with your pet.

Dog training obedience skills improve if you, the owner, are stern but not abusive, and if you are consistent and rewarding to your animal when he or she obeys your command.

The truth is that obedience training is really about training the owner- you! Your puppy is like that of a child in that they do not innately know boundaries which means that they have to learn them from their guardians.

Using positive reinforcement, repetition, and rewarding techniques will make your dog behave more positively. Therefore, do not hesitate on discovering some basic techniques that involve the above concepts, your pet will certainly appreciate, and you will be a much happier owner.

Frustrated and Embarrassed by Your Dog's Behavior?

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Traveling With Your Dog Tips

Graham Williams

Dogs do like to travel well. Adventurous naturally, they want to look at new sights along with sounds. They like to meet as well as see new people. Nonetheless this does not mean that traveling with a dog will be as effortless as traveling with your clutch suitcase.
 
Follow this advice concerning how to have a worry-free travel experience together with your pet dog.

Hiring a family pet sitter
When you are traveling far away from home without having your pet dog, you could employ a pet sitter who could take care of your pet full-time. A family pet sitter might be a member of your family or perhaps a good friend who may well stay over within your property and watch over your pet. You may choose to also ask your vet who might possibly recommend someone to undertake your pet-sitting.

Leaving the dog in a kennel
In the event you are going to leave your dog in a kennel, shop around with regard to recommendations for a good one from friends of which own dogs or your veterinarian. Go to the actual kennel prior to taking your dog plus check if animals look well-cared for and the facilities comfortable plus clean. Talk with the staff to ensure that your dog would be cared for properly.

Traveling with your dog
In the event you make your mind up that you're taking the dog along as part of your travel, ask the vet a few tips on how to best travel with a dog, such as problems on the transportation method. Ask if they may possibly give your dog a certificate of clean health.

In case you are flying via plane, it is best to have a very sturdy carrier for your family dog. If not, the airline may possibly request you to buy a carrier from them. A few airlines allow your dog within the passenger compartment with you. A few put all the pets inside the baggage area.

If you're riding in a vehicle, your air conditioning is required to be kept on. Do not leave your dog unattended inside a car that is parked. Never park within direct sunshine even for a brief period of time, since it possibly will dramatically elevate the heat inside your vehicle which may result in dehydration, heat stroke, or even worse.

Foreign travel
Traveling With a pet dog or perhaps any other pet in foreign countries can be difficult. Seek advice from your vet for some recommendations. You could also want to ask the nearby consulate of the country you are visiting a guide to their requirements so that you can bring your pet along.

Going places with your dog is mostly enjoyable experience. However you ought to keep in mind taking a dog, or any family pet with you, anyplace is actually a little difficult.

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