Red Breast Festival

Nothing has changed much since the dog was domesticated since 7,000 B.C. The last time I looked my pet dog is still an animal that was just seconds ago. Pet dogs have always been victims of 'humanizing' projects by pet owners who have made their pet an outlet to whatever they're going through. For the Nth time, they are animals and NOT subject to human psychology or interpretation.

Many are startled when they learn that dogs can lead a balanced and healthy life without love. A majority of dog owners seem to forget that pet dogs were made a long time ago and have led balanced lives even before there were movements named after them.

A pet dog's need is simple enough, a calm-assertive pack leader. Those four words encompass all that the dog needs to make its life easy, healthy and balanced. In a throng of pet owners, several have taken heed to the calm-assertive role they have in their pet's life.

Pet dogs like all animals, have requirements to be able to live as they were created. Unknowingly, with so much love to give, humans feel the need to change unchangeable aspect of a dog's life. The urge to "baby-fy" pet dogs is a movement of pet owners who have not established a calm-assertiveness position upon their pet dog. Submissiveness of a pet dog is not to be mistaken with scaring the dog out of its wits with terrible punishments and abuse- which pet owners with a twisted perception of pack dominance.

The best reference of proper pack leadership is that of a mother dog's control and dominance of her pups until 8 weeks-when they can be taken. A mother dog never beats up its pup, she establishes rules, boundaries and limitations with the use of calm assertive energy.

People who have the tendency to lavish their pets with pet accessories are often the ones that coddle shy dogs. In such a simple action, a pet owner is guilty of nurturing instability of their pets.

This trend is doing damage most pet owners never would dream of inflicting on their pets. But sadly, it is true. Pets with unwanted behavior and separation anxiety are examples of pet dogs not given the satisfaction of a pack leader. The connection between the pet owner and pet is limited to dependency and not submissiveness.

A pet that has to go through several calm submissiveness activity before getting affection feel more "in the loop" when it comes to the norm its mother had established from puppyhood. Pet dogs who do not 'work' for their survival are most likely unstable because there is no pack leader who balances their frame of mind.

We know it is tempting to lavish your pet dog with lots of things… But if you love them let them be as they were made: dogs of a pack.

Article provided by Pet Super Store - an online pet supplies site featuring electric dog fences from leading brands like Dogtra and SportDOG.

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First-time pet owners choose their vets mostly by referrals given by a neighbor, pet storeowner, a breeders club or a friend. Asking around is one of the steps to choosing a vet for your pet. However, often people who choose by word of mouth end up regretting the choice. Okay, so a friend recommends her pet vet; does it mean you should bring your new puppy over? Choosing a Veterinarian is not as cut and dry as it may seem, before deciding on what vet to go to, one must decide on several important requirements.

What kind of a vet do you need?
Veterinarians have different fields of specialty and training. There are vets for; companion or pet animals, reptile medicine, ratite medicine, avian medicine, live stock medicine, equine medicine and laboratory animal medicine. A veterinarian can be a specialist in several or all fields.

How near is the vet clinic or vet hospital?
Distance is important in cases of emergency, choosing a good vet that can address your pet troubles right away is definitely convenient. These first two questions have narrowed your choices. As soon as you have the list of prospective vets, you are able to contact them or better yet visit the clinics in the list.

What are the clinic hours?
Their schedules may vary, but most can accommodate 24/7 especially a partnership based clinic. You find out about their policy about holidays, if they take emergency cases during these days. They can also give you other ways to communicate with the clinic, like a pet care 1-800 number or their own webpage to ask questions about your pet on-line.

What are the services offered aside from diagnostic or pet care?
A clinic having extensive laboratory equipment have complete lab services to easily diagnose sickness from tissue or fluid samples. Some clinics that are not complete in lab machines have to send specimens to another clinic to do complex lab work. In emergency cases, diagnosis can take time.

What are the affiliations of the doctor or doctors in the staff?
Veterinarians who have affiliations are often a sign of the clinics interest in expanding their knowledge and expertise by joining groups that further their practice. Affiliations that are connected to veterinary medicine is the connection you are looking for. If they are active members of the AVMA or any veterinary affiliation with field practitioners (i.e. American Association of Bovine Practitioners), this is great sign. By the time you finish talking to the receptionist or veterinary assistant, you'd have an invitation to talk with the vet doctor on duty. A visual inspection of the doctor's office will give you a peak at several certificates of completion and even a framed Veterinarian Oath. This just shows how much of an authority they have on pet care. Getting to know your veterinarian's accomplishments is one of the crucial points in choosing a quality vet.

Ask what are the challenging or unique cases he/she gets?
It is often helpful to ask what rewarding experiences he/she learned in practice. Primarily, the information you'd get is how extensive their knowledge is and how resourceful they get when stumped. The way they connect or communicate with the pet owner is a criterion the prospective vet needs to pass. Since you are the mouthpiece of your pet, a good vet must be able to have communication skills. They need to draw out information from you to correctly diagnose your pet. It is amazing to have a mind reading veterinarian but the one who covers all corners and examines thoroughly before pronouncing diagnosis puts your mind at ease. Be careful of veterinarians who rest on their laurels or past glory that they just assume diagnosis without examining your pet. Severe pet diseases can have similar symptoms the difference being in the results of their lab tests (blood, stool and urine).

Do you make house calls?
It is nice to know that your doctor just lives a few miles away from the clinic or your home. It is such a bonus if they answer "Yes!" without hesitation. Your pet's veterinarian can be one of your pet's best friends for life.

May I taker a tour of the facility?
The facility tells a lot about the kind of practice being run. Holding areas for confined pets must look and smell clean (is that rust on the holding cages? Does it smell like rotten garbage or antiseptic?

What laboratory equipment is available in the facility?
Be informed about the contraptions you see. You may not know how many gizmos a lab should have, but the more lab apparatus for laboratory examinations available at the clinic will enable your vet to diagnosis faster. Check out the lab…is it sanitary? Observation is the key.

What are the fees of check-ups, house calls, laboratory work and vaccinations?
Asking about their fees informs you of the modes of payment they accept; most clinics accept credit cards or checks.

Being the surrogate parent of your pet requires you to be responsible for giving it proper care. A veterinarian heals your pet in times of discomfort, pain and sickness. However, its over all up keep rely on you and your family. Part of your duty as a responsible pet owner is choosing the right veterinarian. Follow these basic guidelines and you will be well on your way.

This article is brought to you by Pet Super Store a site featuring dog gates, dog beds and Tri-Tronics training gear.

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Though the holidays are a time full of families, fun and excitement, safety is always a key thing to remember, particularly if you have a pet or small children. Decorations, though beautiful, can actually prove to be quite harmful to your pets if attention and thought is not given when decking your halls this holiday season. Think about how you will decorate, and what you will decorate with. Here are a few things to be conscious of:

First on the list is tinsel and ribbon. This is not quite so much as a hazard to dogs as it is for cats. Cats like to play and bat at anything shiny, long, and has the slightest bit of movement. If tinsel or ribbon is ingested, this can cause the cat or dog to choke, vomit, and possibly have difficulty in digestion, and it sometimes even causes intestine blockage that can result in surgery.

Another holiday hazard is electrical cords. December is the month of lights. People put lights outside and inside their homes; they adorn their Christmas tree, fireplace mantle, stair banister, and sometimes even on other holiday plants. If an animal chews on an electrical cord, it can cause electrocution, which has the potential to be fatal. A good way to conceal these is think about where you place them; also, a rug can easily be strategically placed to keep those pets away from the power cords.

Ornaments and holiday knickknacks can also be harmful to your pets. An ornament swaying on the Christmas tree is open bait to any self-respecting cat. You don’t want your cat batting at the ornaments on the tree, because it could cause any number of disasters to occur. Also, because dogs are curious, it is a good idea to consider placing your ornaments higher on the tree so that you won’t have to worry about your pet getting a hold on an ornament and ingesting it. This could cause intestinal blockage, vomiting, or choking.

Holiday plants can also be hazardous and harmful for your pets. Cats especially like to chew on leaves of new and interesting holiday plants. Some holiday plants that can be poisonous to your pets include mistletoe, holly, and Jerusalem cherry.  Particularly mistletoe and holly have berries that are extremely toxic if ingested. If the leaves or berries dry out and fall to the floor, it makes for the perfect opportunity for a dog to snatch it up, chew and swallow the berry. It has been a common belief for decades that poinsettia plants are highly toxic to pets and humans if eaten. However, recent scientific studies have shown that only large amounts of poinsettia consumption are harmful to animals and humans if consumed. Of course, it is always better to be on the safe side, and keep your beautiful poinsettia plants out of reach of your pets if possible.

Each year people look forward to decorating their homes for the holidays. Putting up a Christmas tree, decking your banisters and mantles with many different varieties of greenery and plants, and lighting your house inside and out is fun, but it can cause many hazards for your pets. Keep your house safe and sound during the holidays by banishing the holiday hazards in your home.

This article was provided by the authors at pet-super-store which is an online pet supplies store carrying dog beeper collars from petsafe and innotek.

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Most people are aware of the large, chocolate brown and creamy-coated dog breed known as the St. Bernard Dog. Maybe you’ve seen them the 1990’s Beethoven films or faithful Nana in Disney’s Peter Pan. People may also be familiar with paintings of these dogs on mountainous landscapes with a small wooden barrel of brandy hung around their neck. These dogs have a unique history, and they have saved thousands of lives throughout the centuries.

The St. Bernard Dog originated from Swiss herding dogs, as well as mountainous watchdogs and hunting dogs. This breed first became famous because of their association with the Great St. Bernard Pass that borders Switzerland and Italy. In the year 1049, a monk called Bernard of Menthon established a hospice in order to provide shelter for cold and weary travelers. It is originally believed that the St. Bernard Dogs originated in this local area, and so they were given the name of their hometown.

The most famous of these dogs, Berry (sometimes spelled Barry), was reported to have saved somewhere between fifty to one hundred lives. Because this pass is located in the Western Alps between Switzerland and Italy, avalanches were not uncommon before technology allowed avalanche prevention. St. Bernard’s are built with a sturdy frame and are incredibly powerful animals; the average weight is anywhere from 100 to 220+ lbs. In fact, the largest recorded St. Bernard Dog, named Benedictine, weighed 357 lbs!

So how exactly did these dogs save lives? They were primarily used as a rescue dog. When someone known to be in the pass was missing, or if an avalanche occurred, these dogs would be sent out to rescuers in order to locate these people in the snow and rough mountainous terrain. They are also well known for the small barrel of brandy they carried around the necks as they roved through the snow. Because it is bitterly cold during the winter months in the highly elevated Alps Mountains, a person could easily die due to frostbite or simply of cold. If a St. Bernard should come upon someone, they knew the dog carried brandy, and they would take a draught of it. The brandy would help warm up the inside of the person, at least enough to keep them alive until they were taken to safety.

These dogs are extremely loving and loyal animals, and many have given their lives and died to help save others. They have been acting as rescue dogs for centuries and they have been well recognized for their heroic efforts throughout the ages. The St. Bernard Dogs we know today actually look slightly different than the breed that was common during the Middle Ages and later. A terrible avalanche took out many of the St. Bernard Dogs at the pass, and the remaining few that were alive carried on the St. Bernard traits, though with a few alterations. The efforts of the St. Bernard Dogs have not been forgotten, nor will they ever be. These are the heroic dogs of the past, and they originate from a noble cause: the cause of saving lives.

Article was provided by the authors at pet-super-store an online pet supplies site featuring dog crate pads, bark collars, and dog bowl.

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