People who own pets are happier and healthier than people who do not have pets. It does not matter how young or old you are, the benefits of pet ownership have been proven in scientific studies.
Studies done on infants found that of children brought up in households with pets 19% had allergies, compared to households with no pets where 33% of children had allergies. There were less cases of eczema in households with pets, as well. It is believed that the exposure to dirt and germs, in small doses, helps to strengthen the child’s immune system.
Owning a pet has also been found to be beneficial to the elderly. Sufferers of Alzheimer’s are found to have fewer anxious outbursts when a pet is in the household or home.
Pet ownership aids in the prevention of depression. The time spent with pets increases the quality of life for sufferers and decreases the time and seriousness of attacks. Spending time with a pet outdoors, watching them play is relaxing and helps releases good hormones to combat the imbalance of bad hormones.
Heart attack victims have a shorter recovery period and are less likely to suffer another heart attack when they have a pet. Pet ownership has been proven to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and lower triglyceride levels. This helps prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and similar illnesses.
Owning a pet boosts your immunity so you are less likely to become ill. The exposure to the small amount of dirt from the pet helps your body to fight back and increases your body’s ability to resist more dirt and germs. The good feeling you get from quality time spent with your pet boosts your mood, increasing the good hormones, which make you feel happy and make your body stronger against illness and disease.
If you have a dog, the exercise you get from walking him helps your health as well. Everyone can benefit from more exercise, not just the elderly. A brisk walk clears the cobwebs in your head, increases circulation, increases respiration and exercises your muscles.
One benefit of having a pet, especially a dog, is the social benefit. When you take your dog for a walk, you may notice people are more willing to begin a conversion with you. They will comment on your dog first. A dog is a great icebreaker. Most people either like or dislike dogs. You will find the ones who begin a conversation with you are dog lovers. This makes it easy to begin a conversation as you already have something in common, that is, you love of dogs.
Older people who are isolated may find walking their dog is a good way of meeting others and striking up friendships. Shy people can also benefit from this because the conversation will be about their pet and not them. Give it a t ry.
If you have been considering getting a pet the health benefits should be enough to get you motivated. When you care for a pet, the pet will care for you, in more ways than you know.
You have been busy finding out which breed of dog is best for you. You have decided on the breed, been to a couple of shows to see how they behave, contacted a breeder, chosen a puppy, and are waiting excitedly for him to reach the age of twelve weeks.
Many breeders sell their pups at eight weeks of age but it has been shown to be better for the pup to stay with his mother until he is twelve weeks old. The breeder will have toilet trained him, socialised him with people and accustomed him to ordinary household noises like vacuum cleaners, television, doorbells and phones.
When you collect your puppy from the breeder, you will be given a diet sheet explaining when and how much to feed your pup. You may be given a sample of the food he has been eating. It is important to make any diet changes gradually.
Always make sure your pup has a bowl of fresh water. Get a bowl that cannot be tipped over. Make sure the bowl is in the same place all the time so your pup knows where to find it. Do not leave milk or moist food out for longer than an hour. It could spoil and make your pet sick and it will attract vermin and insects.
Your pup will need a quiet place to sleep. He will want somewhere sheltered so he feels safe. If you do not mind him in your bed or on your furniture, he can stay with you. If you prefer not to have him on the furniture or bed, make sure he is never allowed up. If you want to train him to stay off the furniture, you need to be consistent, even on his first night.
Most pups will cry and fuss when left alone for the first time. Make sure he is safe, warm and has water nearby. If you like, you could have a radio playing softly. Ignore his howls and he will go to sleep eventually. You need to be tough. In a couple of days, he will settle into a bedtime routine and sleep through without fussing. It is a good idea to make his bedtime the same every night until he settles in.
A pup is not fully in control of his bowels. You need to take him out at least three times a day. Take him to the same place each time and praise him when he goes. If he is not interested, you will need to be patient. Some pups are slower developing than others. He will get it eventually. Most dogs are clean naturally and only soil in the house if they cannot get out. The damp grass is a natural stimulus for them. Do not hit your pup with a rolled up newspaper, shout at him or punish him for messing in the house. Say ‘No’ in a firm voice and take him out to his ‘spot’. He will not go but he may begin to understand what is required. When cleaning his mess use a strong scented cleaner to disguise any of his odour.
Pups need to chew because they are losing milk teeth and growing adult teeth. If you do not provide them with suitable toys, they will use your furniture. Rawhide chew toys are good but you need to watch they do not become stuck in your pup’s mouth or throat. Old slippers, doggy chew toys, and large, uncooked bones are good for pups to chew. Wood can splinter so it is not good.
A pup can be left alone while you are at work. While he is a baby he can be left in his bedroom or sleeping area. He will probably sleep most of the day. As he gets older, you will have to give him a safe place to play.
The best way to train your pup is to do it constantly, all day every day. I do not mean you need to expect constant obedience. I mean you need to be consistent when training a pup. He should always sit before he takes a treat from your hand, not just when you are in a training session.
I have seen people let their dogs jump on the furniture while they are watching a movie but tell the dog to stay off the furniture when they have friends visiting. The dog becomes confused and does not know what is expected. It is always best to be consistent with your dog.
When training your dog you may decide to give him a treat when he obeys. This can lead to problems if your dog decides he will only obey if he is given a treat. I give my dogs a pat, a ‘good dog!’ or a treat. They know they are rewarded but they do not expect the same thing each time. A dog loves praise more than he loves food, so make sure you give him plenty of praise every time he obeys.
A young pup is similar to a young child. They cannot sit still for long and they cannot concentrate for long. The best way to train them is in short, frequent sessions. The first thing a pup needs to learn is his name. When you first pick up your pup from the breeder, you should start to familiarise him with his name. A short, snappy name is good for a pup.
Once your pup looks at you when you call his name, throw him a treat. Every time he looks when you call his name, reward him with a treat or praise. Never call him to be punished.
There is no need to ever hit a dog. There is no need to shout at, abuse or nag a dog. It is a waste of time because a dog just does not understand. I have two ways to tell my dogs they have done something wrong. ‘Bad Dog’ and ‘No’ are easy to understand and the dogs respond instantly.
‘Bad Dog’ is used after they have done something. For example, if they have chewed the washing and I have found it on the ground. They often do not understand what they have done but they know I am not happy about something. ‘No’ is used when they are about to do something. It stops them in their tracks instantly. This is perfect for when they are off their leash and about to chase something. Another good command to teach them is ’Leave It’. It is good when they find food scraps while you are walking them.
Constant, consistent training, just as you would train your children is the best way to train your pup. He is a member of the family, after all.
It is hard to resist that cute little bundle of fur in the pet shop window. Those big, sad eyes are just begging you to take them home with you. That soft fur is pleading to be stroked. When you pick up that darling little bundle of fur, a moist little tongue begins to lick your hand. Its love at first sight and you cannot bear to be parted. But wait…
…there are things you need to consider before you buy that cute little puppy.
The most important thing is to understand that you will be responsible for the animal for the rest of it’s life. Some dogs can live to twenty years old, although this is rare, and you need to be there every day for your pet. You need to provide food, shelter, exercise and companionship for your pet at all times. If you travel or if you work long hours, it is not a good idea to take on the responsibility of a pet.
Another thing to consider before you buy a dog is whether your lifestyle will change dramatically in the next few years. Many people get a pet when they are young and single, then marry, move house, have children, change careers or other major lifestyle changes and find their pet does not fit in with the changes.
Before buying the cute little puppy in the pet shop window, you really need to know what breed of dog he is. That cute little bundle of fur could turn into Cujo. A large breed will eat a lot of food, and what goes in must come out.
Larger breeds will need more exercise than toy breeds. Working breeds need exercise or they become destructive and frustrated. A border collie, if left unexercised will probably just dig under your fence and cause havoc with the neighbour’s cat. If your dog gets out in the traffic you are liable for any accidents he causes, and he could be seriously injured or killed. There are also heavy fines for wandering pets.
If you want to be sure you have a sound, healthy pet it is always best to see the parents. I prefer to buy from a reputable breeder. You can get details from your local Kennel Club. Make sure you visit the breeder and check the conditions the dogs live in. If the animals are unhappy, nervous, over-excited or dirty, it is probably better to try elsewhere.
When you find a good breeder with healthy, happy dogs, you can be sure your pup will be healthy and have a good temperament. Many breeders like to keep in contact and can help you with any questions that may arise.
Getting a pet is a major commitment. It is important to know what you are getting into. The rewards are certainly worth the effort but you do need to be able to properly care for and understand your pet’s needs. Do some research before you buy.
The debate over which is smarter, the dog or the cat has been strongly contested for as long as man has been associated with dogs and cats. Dog people will insist that dogs have far superior intelligence while cat people will insist cats are the superior.
There is no question that dogs are intelligent. They are easy to train and they have easygoing personalities. They are people pleasers. Once a dog has been trained to obey a few simple commands, it is usually easy to train him to do tasks that are more complex. He learns by responding to praise and rewards. If you want to see how intelligent and responsive to commands a dog can be, go to an obedience championship show. You will be amazed with the speed and agility with which the dogs obey their masters.
If you think these dogs are the elite of dogs, you are right. However, you can test your pet dog for intelligence. There are tests that test your dog’s problem solving ability. You can compare your pet to the average dog. Border Collies tend to get the best scores and Afghan Hounds and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels get the lowest.
Unfortunately, the same tests cannot be used for cats. A cat would instantly fail an intelligence test for a dog because they are not people pleasers and they behave differently to dogs.
There is no arguing the intelligence of cats. Cats can be trained. Look at how easy it is to toilet train a cat. They almost train themselves. There are cats who will sit on command although these are a rarity and they probably only sit to please themselves or because they really want the reward.
If you use problem solving as criteria for measuring intelligence, a cat can be proved very intelligent. Cats seem to be able to work out how to get into things a dog would not even be aware are there. Cats work out how to manipulate simple handles and doorknobs. They have been known to push buttons, doorbells are a favourite for many cats.
Cats will not usually respond to tradition training methods, as they are usually geared towards dogs. They will respond well to rewards, especially food. They are not very responsive to praise and pats. They are also easily bored; some argue it is because they are so intelligent. Cats are very independent. Cats will only obey commands when they choose. As soon as you decide they are too stupid to understand your commands they will surprise you with a show of brilliance.
There is no way of deciding which is more intelligent, the cat or the dog, because they are so different. Tests have been done, comparing them to humans and the tests suggest that dogs are slightly more intelligent. These tests are based on human intelligence so they are biased towards humans.
I think that as long as people are passionately devoted to their favourites, there is no point arguing which is more intelligent. Enjoy your pet and love him for his unique personality.
