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Puppy training is very important, regardless if it is your first puppy or your 10th puppy. Training a puppy may also be easier than training an adult dog because a puppy doesn’t have any knowledge on previous training techniques or other issues. On the other hand, sometimes a puppy can also be more difficult to train simply because it may not comprehend what you are trying to teach or be too young to absorb the lessons.

Puppies are also easily distracted because everything is new to it. The environment, the people, the things around, the other pets – these are all distractions to a puppy simply because it is very curious about everything! With this in mind, it will be best to keep training sessions quick and short. Each training session should also ideally end on a positive note.

Socialization is important!

As a puppy, socialization is also important. Be sure to expose your puppy to other puppies, dogs and even pets. This will reduce any likelihood dog aggression as your puppy will know how to deal with its surroundings. Socialization training will help in educating your puppy on how to play with other dogs properly and how aggressive play with other dogs in the play group is not acceptable and will lead to punishment.

As the puppies play with each other, they learn what is appropriate (and what is not). All undesirable and inappropriate puppy behavior (hard biting or scratching) is punished by its siblings, by the puppy’s mother or both. However, in this day and age, many puppies are separated from their mothers (to be sold or adopted) before this natural socialization can take place.

Hence, this is why socialization and puppy training sessions are important. It may make a huge difference to your household and your relationship with your puppy and dog. After all, you would want a puppy or dog that is obedient and responsive to your commands.

You may begin socializing your puppy by taking a trip to the local pet store. Check to make sure if the pet store allows you to bring your puppy to get used to new sights, sounds and smells.

Positive reinforcements

Puppies should be rewarded for good behaviors and not rewarded for being a delinquent. Do not reward a puppy just because it has a cute behavior. For example, it may be cute when a puppy jumps on people, but this cuteness will wear off immediately if your puppy grows into a 100 pound dog! So it will be wiser to reward your puppy for sitting instead of jumping on people.

These positive reinforcements can also be used in potty training for a new puppy. For example, teaching a puppy to do its “business” on certain surface is a good technique. If your puppy gets used to pooping on gravel or asphalt surfaces, it will be reluctant to use other surfaces such as your home carpet as potty.

A calm environment

If you are bringing home a new puppy for the first time, it would be great if everyone in the family is present. It would also be best to make sure that the house environment is calm, unlike during festive or holiday seasons. Otherwise, there will be too many distractions and the puppy will not get the attention it needs.

Once a puppy becomes part of the family, it will need to learn more about the home environment. For example, if there are stairs, your puppy may not know how to climb properly. So as an owner, you will have to slowly build your puppy’s confidence. Start at the bottom of the stairs and slowly work up the steps day by day. Do not expect it to climb all the way to the top on its first day! In general, a wide stairway may be less intimidating for the puppy.

More Free Dog Training Tips at DogTrainingArtist.com

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This is an old saying that many of us have grown up hearing since we were children, but the problem is improving on an invention that has been around for years. This is especially true for simple inventions like the common pet identification tag, or dog tag as it is normally referred too as. The pet identification tag has been a staple of our society for hundreds of years as a way to identify the owners of a particular lost pet, but it was not until World War I that the pet tag became famous and picked up its moniker as the “dog tag.”

The idea was simple, it was a piece of metal worn around the collar to identify the owner of the pet, and this tag usually contained the pets name, and owners contact information. During that time it was all a pet owner needed if their pet was lost, because generally they worked for one company for forty years, brought their home and lived there for about the same amount of time, so there was no need to change the contact information. Today it is completely different with the average stay on the job lasting about five years, and the turnaround time in the average house lasting only five to seven years. Because of this, the average pet owner will have to purchase a new pet tag almost every three years to update contact information, and this brings us back to improving on that mousetrap.

With pet owners constantly on the move in an ever upwardly mobile society changing addresses and phone numbers, purchasing a new pet tag every couple of years has become a waste of time and money, because there is a service that allows the pet owner to purchase only one pet identification tag, and update their contact information free for the life of the pet. This company also links that pet tag to their contact page on its website, so if the pet is ever lost, no matter who finds it they will have up to ten ways to contact the owner to return the lost pet. This owner locating service is internet based, so it is accessible around the world to anyone that has access to the internet, this makes it especially valuable for those who travel with their pets.

The company that has, if not built, improved on that old mousetrap is RecoveryPets.Com, and they specialize in the global recovery of lost pets for those registered with their service. This company has taken the pet tag and linked it with their website to provide a service that out exceeds the original purpose of the pet tag. They provide for their registered pet owners a webpage that contains the pets name, a complete description, a photograph, and up to ten contact phone numbers or email addresses.

RecoveryPets.Com has a mission to help pet owners feel more secure that if their pet is ever lost, the person that finds them will be able to return them to the owners. The company is also working with various agencies to get the word out about their services in an effort to have these agencies have a one-stop location to identify lost pets for possible reunification with their owners. They will work with animal shelters and rescue agencies in any geographical location to set up services and distribute information about their services, all the agency has to do is contact them by email at partners@recoverypets.com for more information.

Now that the common mousetrap has been greatly improved, and their is a service that offers pet owners the ability to register once for a service that provides all the benefits that RecoverPets.Com provides, it is time to take the steps needed to ensure that our family pets will be returned if they should ever become lost. To get more information on the services provided by this company, all a pet owner has to do is log-on to their website at: http://www.recoverypets.com.

About the Author

Thaddeus Collins is the owner of RecoveryPets.Com and they specialize in the global recovery of lost pets using a unique tracking number. For more information visit http://www.recoverypets.com

House training is one of the most important elements of creating
a well trained dog and trusted family member. Problems with
house training and similar issues are the number one reason that
dogs are surrendered to shelters, so properly house training
your dog can literally save his or her life.

House training a puppy does not need to be difficult, but it is
important to take the process seriously, plan ahead and take
things slowly. Some dogs will be easier to house break than
others, so it important to work with your dog. Rushing the
process can be counterproductive and cause you to have to start
all over again.

When it comes to house training a new puppy, it is important to
know what to expect. Unless the owner is able to supervise the
puppy round the clock, it is difficult to complete the house
training process until the dog is at least six months old. It is
important to know this ahead of time so you can be prepared.

Young puppies have bodies that are constantly changing and
growing, and puppies younger than six months often have not
developed the bowel and bladder control they will need to be
properly house trained.

When the owner is not at home, the puppy should be confined to a
small room and the entire floor should be covered with paper. Of
course it is important to puppy-proof the room, that is removing
any items on which the puppy could be injured. In the beginning,
the puppy will most likely eliminate anywhere within the room.
In addition, the puppy will probably play with the papers, chew
them, etc.

This is perfectly normal and should not be grounds for
punishment or distress. Cleaning up each day should simply be
part of the routine of living with a new puppy. Simply clean up
the soiled papers and put down new ones each day.

Time for paper training

During the time that the puppy is confined in its little den, it
will begin to develop the habit of eliminating on paper. After a
little time has passed, the puppy will begin to exhibit a
preferred place to eliminate. After this preferred spot has been
established, the area that is papered should be slowly
diminished.

The first papers to be removed should be those that are
furthest away from the “toilet”. Eventually, the owner will have
to lay down only a few papers. If the puppy ever misses those
papers, it means that the papered area has been reduced too much
and too soon.

After the puppy is reliability doing its business only on the
papers that have been left, the papers can be slowly and
gradually moved to a location of your choice. The papers should
be moved only gradually, as little as an inch a day. If the
puppy misses the papers, again it means that they have been
moved too soon and too far. In this case it will be necessary to
go back a few steps and start over.

It is important not to become discouraged. The puppy will
eventually understand the concept, and you will be able to
choose your puppies toilet area and move on to the next step.

House training when the owner is home

Obviously the more time you can spend with your puppy the faster
the house training will go. The objective should be to take the
puppy to the toilet area every time he needs to do his business.
In most cases this will be either every 45 minutes, right after
each play session, after he first wakes up or right after he
eats or drinks. It is important to provide effusive praise for
the puppy when he eliminates in the established toilet area.

As the puppy becomes more used to using his toilet area, and as
he develops improved bladder and bowel control, he will be able
to begin spending more and more time outside his den with his
owner in the rest of the home. It is important to begin this
process by allowing the puppy access to one room at a time.

It is also important to allow the puppy in the extra room only
when he can be supervised. When you must leave the room, be sure
to put the puppy back in his den.

One of the few things that dog owners or prospective dog owners think about is whether or not they will need to train their dog. Although training a dog is not absolutely essential unless your dog has a particular problem, a small amount of training to remove bad habits and set boundaries for your dog should be considered. In addition to this, a well trained dog will feel much more secure in your home when it knows its boundaries. Even in the wild, a dog will have some sort of enforced boundaries of behavior by the pack structure and hierarchy that exists. At the end of the day, your dog is part of your ‘pack’.

A very important point to note about dog training is that any form of training should be approached from the perspective of ‘positive reinforcement’. This simply means that you should reward your dog with praise, a treat or even better, both for any positive behavior that she exhibits. Success will come quickly to anybody who praises a dog for good behavior. The same cannot be said for somebody who punishes a dog for NOT exhibiting good behavior.

For example - If you ask your dog to sit and she does, you give her a treat. In the dogs mind sitting when told equals treat. Simple.

Now what if you tell the dog to sit and she doesn’t, and then you punish her? In the dogs mind you have just dished out a random punishment for nothing. This will only serve to confuse your dog and lead her to mistrust you.

Positive reinforcement is the key.

One of the most common mistakes that dog owners make is to inadvertently train their dog……. into bad habits. Typical examples include barking, face licking, jumping up. Let’s look at each of these.

Barking - Most dogs’ bark, that’s a fact. It’s WHEN a dog barks that determines whether it’s normal behavior or a bad habit. If your dog only barks when somebody comes to the door - fine. This is normal territorial behavior. Your dog is warning you - as a member of its pack - that there’s potential danger at the door.

If your dog spends the best part of its waking life barking at just about anything including you, then it’s formed into a bad habit - but one that is easy to cure.

The first mistake that people make is to shout “Quiet” or “Shut up” at their barking dog. The main reason why this will not work is simple. Your dog barks, then you ‘bark’. From your perspective you are shouting at your dog to shut up. From your dogs’ perspective, you are barking along and enjoying the noise.

A more effective method is to wait for a pause in your dogs barking then heap lots of praise and a treat upon your dog. As soon as the barking starts again, ignore your dog, walk off - anything but DO NOT pay your dog any attention. Then, when the barking stops its treat time again. It won’t be long before your dog puts two and two together.

Face Licking - Face licking is an overthrow from your dog’s puppy days. Face licking is a way for a puppy to get its mother to regurgitate food for them. You will often see this in the wild. Also wild dogs will lick the face of a higher member of the pack to express and accept their submissive status in the pack. Unfortunately, because you and your family members are higher in the pack, you get the licks!

At first sight face licking is not a problem but should still be avoided due to health concerns. Never let a dog lick a baby or toddlers face. This is likely to expose the infant to germs that its immune system may not be able to handle. Similarly if your dog has worms or has been investigating other dogs’ faeces or even grooming itself, the last thing you want is for your dog to come and lick your face. Try and discourage this behavior using positive reinforcement.

When your dog approaches your face firmly - but not shouting - say “No!” If the dog doesn’t back off push her away from your face. When the dog first responds to the “No” phrase, it’s time for a treat. Keep this up consistently, and the dog will realize face licking is unacceptable.

Jumping Up - Jumping up may not seem such a bad habit, but if there are young children about it can be quite dangerous. Your dog will not know that jumping on you is o.k. but jumping on the children isn’t. This will just confuse the dog. Try to discourage this behavior by telling the dog “Down!” every time she jumps up. Give her a treat when she first responds and every time after until you just need to use the words.

There are lots of simple ways that you can train your dog. These are just a few. There’s no need to tolerate bad habits in your dog as they can be so easily remedied. Oh, and never pay heed to the phrase “You can’t teach on old dog new tricks”, you can - it’s never too late.

Article By Andrew Strachan. Find lots more information about different dog breeds and types of dogs at www.types-of-dogs.com. Lots of help and advice too.

from David the Dogman

Just this side of Heaven is a place called The Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill or old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling to each other in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…

Commitment, Firmness, but kindness.

Brought to you by: World Wide Information Outlet - http://certificate.net/wwio/, your source of FREEWare Content online.

Do you have any problems with your pet? Then why not send your problem to DAVID THE DOGMAN.

David is a Canine Behaviourist who works and lives in Marbella, Spain. Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388.
His web site is located at: http://www.thedogman.net.

David has his own radio and TV shows, and writes for many newspapers and magazines. David has been working with dogs for many years and started his career in Israel, working on the Border Police. He has been involved in all forms of training, including air sea rescue, air scent work, and has trained dogs for finding drugs. David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check chains, or any form of aggression.

David The Dogman is available for private consultations in your home, for further details telephone; Tel; (95) 2883388

Here’s a news flash – puppies nip!
Okay, I guess you already knew that. But here’s the surprise – you may actually be encouraging your puppy to nip. Let’s talk about how to stop this behaviour before it grows up to be an adult-sized dog problem.
Puppies are a lot like babies – they use their mouths in part to explore their world. Little kids are forever sticking things in their mouth – from your favourite house plant to the bar of soap in the tub. That’s one of the ways they experience taste and texture, and figure out what’s good and what’s not. It’s all about experimentation.
Puppies are the same. They want to see just how soft your finger is, or what that leash tastes like. In addition, biting or nipping is an important part of learning social skills in their “wolf” pack – the social structure that makes up your dog’s life.
And with some breeds, such as Border Collies, biting or nipping is even more instinctive because of the nature of the breed – they’re born and bred to herd livestock, and that’s how a 50 or 60 pound dog will control a 1,000 pound cow – by biting at the heels or nose.
If your dog was allowed to remain with mom and his littermates for an appropriate amount of time (until at least 8 weeks of age), then mom should have taught him the beginnings of bite inhibition. As the pups began to grow and develop those needle-sharp little puppy teeth, mom would have disciplined him for being too rough, either with her or his littermates. Junior soon learns that all play will stop and he’ll get smacked down by mom if he gets carried away.
But when you get that puppy home, and he becomes part of the family, you may be encouraging him to nip by letting the kids run away from him, squealing and giggling in an effort to play “chase” games. While this is cute at the beginning, it can soon turn into a full-fledged problem when he’s no longer such a small, cute puppy, and views any child running away as fair game.
You can also encourage this kind of bad behaviour by teasing him with toys – holding them just above his head and yanking them out of range when he jumps for the toy or nips at it. (This also encourages another bad habit: jumping.)

Here’s 5 things you can do to stop your puppy from nipping.

1. When your puppy does nip – stop all play
If your puppy nips too hard, say “Ouch!” in a loud-enough voice to surprise him (don’t start off by screaming!) and stop all play. Turn your back on him, and refuse to continue the game. He should come around to face you and find out what’s wrong – tell him “bad dog – no bite” in a firm tone of voice. Do this every time he nips until he gets the idea that nipping means no more fun.

2. Replace your flesh with a toy
When you’ve resumed play, and if your puppy tries to nip again, try replacing your hand or arm (or whatever’s being nipped) with a toy. Teach your puppy that you’re not the toy. Put a toy in between you and those needle-sharp teeth!

3. The Nose Tap
If your puppy nips turn to him immediately and give him the “sit” command. Take your forefinger and hold it up in front of his nose, then tap him on the nose and say “no bite” in a stern tone of voice. It’s important to note two things here: 1) the nose tap isn’t designed as a dire punishment – you’re not trying to hurt him, but rather startle him into stopping the behaviour; and 2) your tone of voice is just as important as the nose tap. Don’t scream at him – your voice should be stern and give a clear warning – think of it as a verbal growl – something that he can understand as a dog.
An interesting result of this manner of breaking this habit is that down the road, when your puppy has learned to recognize the raised finger – he’ll usually stop whatever behaviour he’s engaging in just because he knows what’s coming. You won’t even have to raise your voice – just lift that finger.

4. Don’t encourage biting or nipping in the first place
Don’t let the kids start “chase” games – that encourages dogs to think that the kids are prey. Don’t play games that involve waving your hands in front of your dog and encouraging him to jump or nip.
Don’t play tug-of-war with your dog – it will not only encourage him to think he’s your equal, it can promote nipping if you use a rope toy, for example, because he’ll try to bite at your hands to make you lose your grip on the toy.
Play games of fetch and retrieval, but be sure that your dog knows the “drop” or “release” command so you’re not fighting over the toy.

5. Be consistent
Stop the nipping behaviour as soon as it starts, and be consistent about disciplining your puppy for it. Don’t let him get away with nipping on one day, and then discipline for the same behaviour the next. Dogs don’t understand “sometimes it’s ok,” or “maybe it’s ok it you don’t nip too hard and I’m in a good mood.“ They understand “Don’t ever do that,” and “No more treats if you do that.”

For more: http://tinyurl.com/4efaq

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
http://tinyurl.com/4efaq

Unsure which Dog Breed to choose? Well I don’t blame you - there
are literally hundreds to choose from! Do you fancy some dogs,
only to find out that they just won’t suit your lifestyle! Are
you STILL looking?

Here is a Tip……

There is one dog breed that you really need to consider. In fact
it hasn’t been in the states for very long and already is
becoming one of the most sought after little dogs going around.
So much so that the demand for puppies is so great the breeders
are having a hard time keeping up - talk about a stampede of
interest in this popular little dog….

Curious about what all the fuss is about?

Well I am talking about the highly sought after Havanese!

Are you looking for a sweet, cute, yet sturdy small lap dog? How
about a dog that has a non-shedding fluffy white or black coat?
If you are looking for a petite companion dog that is
intelligent and great with children then the Havanese breed is
for you.

Here is a little about the Havanese.

Did you know that the Havanese originated in Cuba? The Havanese
is in the Bichon variety of dogs and has relations to the
Maltese, Poodle, and Bichon Frise. The Havanese is the national
dog of Cuba. Wow - what an exciting honor to bestow upon a dog!
This recognition demonstrates the universal admiration and
appreciation for the Havanese breed.

Did you know that the Havanese is a small dog, but is an
accomplished performer? The Havanese dog is clever, obedient,
and skilled at performing tricks. The Cuban social elite have
regarded the Havanese breed as a top dog for hundreds of years.

Did you know that the Havanese breed is relatively new in the
United States? The Havanese breed hit America in the 1970’s. The
1990’s brought a surge in popularity and the Havanese is quickly
becoming the “It” dog of the 21st century.

Its temperament, personality and non-shedding coat have made
this little dog “The Dog To Have”.

As you continue your search for the RIGHT puppy to get, you
really need to consider the Havanese Puppy. If you want more
information about this dog, then visit
http://www.havanese-puppy-guide.com

Fiona

Let the cat out of the bag! True, you will know various cat collectibles in here. No secret will be hidden, and no cat collectibles you wouldn’t know. Everything is here for you. You needn’t put a mouse as bait…hmmm!!!

You sure will find this small carnivorous mammal in various kinds of figurine, toys, outfit, pottery, box and other items. Those items are only a small part of other items of cat collectibles. Made for different purpose and made of different materials, all are fun to collect.

Why should you collect cat collectibles? For sure this is cute animal. You can display your cat collectibles as if you have a real cat of your own at home. Try this one, the Cool Cats the Kiss Figurine, which is very cute to be displayed. It’s so unique because it include also cute message:”I was looking up at the moon and suddenly there was Ginger. He looked into my yellow eyes and kissed me, our first kiss and not our last. Yum, Yum.”

Not only cute, you can also place cat collectibles for your ‘friend” in bed. There are so many cat plush toys which is also part of cat collectibles. You can collect them for your “friend” in bed or if you’re cold, there is also blanket of cat figurine. This blanket is just right for naptime snuggles and bedtime hugs. Well, what do you think? Do you think you need all of those since all are consider as cat collectibles.

Okay, here is a little word of advice. If you want to be a collector of cat collectible, just collect only what you love. You must treat your cat collectibles nicely, therefore you have to save all the boxes and packing from your collectibles. Even though, it’s always worth much more with the original box, in case you have to sell the item later on, right?

Where can you find your cat collectibles? Fortunately, this is really easy. All you need is just check the internet. Internet is the perfect place for you to hunt your cat collectibles. You will find various kinds of cat collectibles from various productions. But you must remember that your cat collectibles must be in Limited Editions. You must check the edition size. The smaller the number, the more limited it is.

Well, now you know where to find… so it’s up to you to decide! You choose collecting cat collectible for display or for your friend in bed? Think about it!!!

About the Author

Tony Gevano keeps his thing as collection. He collects everything he can think of. Therefore he likes to share with others about his hobby as a collector. Visit his Website MyCollectiblesGuide.com at http://www.mycollectiblesguide.com.

Celebrities Discover The Amazing Chihuahua!

By Bill Knell

Some say it started with the Taco Bell dog. A five hundred million dollar ad campaign featured a talking Chihuahua which continually repeated the slogan, “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” which is Spanish for “I want Taco Bell.” Then came the Legally Blond films and the unstoppable Bruiser. The topping on the cake was when Paris Hilton appeared on the cover of Seventeen magazine and later tried living The Simple Life on Fox TV with Tinkerbell, her pet Chihuahua. Celebrities have discovered what many pet owners already knew: Chihuahuas are the best dogs to own and care for. In the process, they’ve set off a Chihuahua Craze that is reaching towering proportions.

When most people think of Celebrities and their toy dogs, Yorkshire Terriers, Toy Poodles, Pekinese, Lhasas and Shih Tzus usually come to mind. That’s because famous folks like Audrey Hepburn, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mia Farrow were regularly photographed with their beloved pets. In Audrey‘s case, it was a Yorkie. In her early days of fame, Mia Farrow was rarely seen out in public without her Lhasa. Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor loved to walk through the hot spots of Beverly Hills and be photographed with a multitude of Toy Poodles, Pekinese and Shih Tzus. But times have changed!

The always innovative Madonna may have set the standard for change not long ago when she sported her beloved Chihuahua, Chiquita, for a press photo op. Noah Wyle, one of the hot stars of ER, was recently photographed with his Chihuahua while on holiday. Jennifer Lopez has also joined the exclusive club of famous Chihuahua owners. Younger celebrities like Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon and members of Simple Plan have found themselves attracted to these fabulous canines and brought a huge amount of attention to them.

Chihuahuas make great pets because they are very low maintenance, the world’s smallest dogs and longest lived breed. Celebs love the fact that Chihuahuas prefer the company of humans more then they enjoy being with other animals and can easily accompany their owners everywhere. Chihuahuas love to be held or carried around in their very own shoulder bag and that makes them especially attractive to busy celebrities and people who are always on the move.

Unlike most toy dog breeds, the Chihuahua is not a created one. The first widespread mention of Chihuahuas occurred during the mid to late 1800’s in weekly or monthly tabloids that specialized in tales of the American West. Highly fictionalized accounts of the small dogs spread by these publications claimed they were actually a mix of rodent and canine or had been magically created by Medicine Men. In reality, Chihuahuas were first noticed along the Arizona-Mexico border by settlers, ranchers and those passing through. This lead to the animals becoming originally-known as Arizona Dogs. Once it began obvious that these cute little dogs were actually coming out of the Chihuahua region of Mexico where they had been discovered in the early 1800’s, the regional name stuck.

For the first time ever this past year, Chihuahuas have made the top ten list of most registered or licensed dogs in many areas of the USA. There can be no doubt that part of their popularity comes from the media exposure the breed has received and the fact that big-name celebrities are favoring the breed. But it also has to do with the fact that Chihuahuas are small, very easy to care for and live a long time.

Most Chihuahuas eat dry dog food and feed once every couple of hours or as their hunger moves them. A small, full bowl of dry food and dish of water easily gets them through an entire day. Chihuahuas are known for being healthy, hearty dogs that do well in virtually any situation. They can easily deal with temperatures of forty to ninety degrees Fahrenheit. When it gets a bit too chilly, doggie clothes solve the problem. When it gets too hot, Chihuahuas are always happy to enjoy their owner’s air conditioning. Most have few health issues and live from fifteen to nineteen years of age, with an average lifespan of sixteen years.

Those wanting to breed Chihuahuas are often surprised to find that they can give birth up to twice a year, normally have from one to five puppies and take just sixty-five days to give birth. Few have problem births and the survival rate of pups is very high compared to other toy breeds. Chihuahua puppies are ready to be adopted by eight weeks.

Because celebrities are constantly exposed to new situations and always on the go, they can appreciate the fact that most Chihuahuas tend to attach themselves emotionally to one person or family and rarely bolt if given the opportunity. All Chihuahua owners appreciate the intelligence of the breed. They are very easy to train and adjust well to change. In areas where it’s legal, Chihuahuas walk obediently near their owners without a leash.

Chihuahuas come from the same parent breed of dogs that Chinese Cresteds, Mexican Hairless Dogs and Xolos do. These are known to be the most ancient of all dog breeds still existing today. Drawings of what appear to be Chihuahuas are found throughout the world, some being thousands of years old. This makes us wonder when and where the Breed actually originated? Most Chihuahuas are either shorthair or longhair, come in an amazing variety of colors and purebreds tend to weigh from under a pound to no more then six pounds fully grown.

As Chihuahuas are featured in more and more films, television shows and become the beloved pets of an ever growing list of the rich and famous, we should all remember that they are more then just the hot breed of the moment. Chihuahuas are great pets that are very loyal to their owners. If you are planning to adopt a Chihuahua, do so because the breed is attractive to your needs, desires and lifestyle, not because Paris owns one. You can read more about Chihuahuas at http://tiny.azpuppies.com

About the Author

A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s written hundreds of articles offer advice on a wide variety of subjects.

• A ferret’s digestive system is much shorter than a cat’s, which results in rapid food passage. A cat’s digestion is approximately 5 hours where a ferret’s is closer to 2 hours. Because of this, many cat foods don’t have ample time to break down in a ferrets system and valuable nutrients are lost.

• Ferrets require high amounts of meat protein and fat. Many ferret and cat diets use meals and grains to substitute for meat-based protein.

• Ferrets that are fed a premium ferret food will normally eat less and receive more nutritional value than other cat and ferret diets.

• We don’t feed dog food to cats or rabbit food to guinea pigs, so why feed a cat food to a ferret?

The key ingredients in any food for ferrets are fat and protein, specifically animal protein, since ferrets’ short digestive cycles prevent them from getting enough nutrition from vegetable proteins (approximately 3-4 hours!). Chicken, turkey, beef, and lamb are all fine; also most ferrets don’t like fish, and it may make their litter pan smell worse. Your ferret’s food needs to have 30-35% protein and 15-20% fat, and animal protein should be the first ingredient and at least two or three of the next few are recommended.

Unless your ferret is overweight, keep their bowl full and let them eat as much as they want.

Mike Steele
http://www.ferret.com/index.asp?srccode=EZART1