It is essential to have a dog that knows how to follow the right rules and how to live around your house. To achieve this, dog training must be considered.

Most people think that training a dog is hard and expensive. Moreover, dog training requires a lot of patience and creativity for your dog. We have to remember that dogs may be intelligent but they can not be as intelligent as us. The article provides some of the basic things dog owners need to know so they can do the training themselves. However, to maximize the full potential of your dog, a dog trainer should be hired instead.

What are the differences between a submissive dog and a dominant dog?

A submissive dog normally:

avoids eye contact.
rolls on its back.
crouch down, ears back and tail lowered.
is comfortable on its back in your arms.

On the other hand, a dominant dog:

maintains eye contact.
is unwilling to move from his place on the couch.
dislikes grooming and petting.
is possessive of dishes and toys.

Training your silky terriers requires kindness and consistency. Silkys respond actively to praises and to rewards. In addition, they become harsh and unresponsive towards punishments and animosity, respectively.

Trainings with obedience classes can be intensely beneficial in petting your silky terriers. In many dog training schools, classes for puppies are available. Young dogs are taught to get accustomed with other dogs and people using limited trainings. However, there are areas that do not conduct formal obedience training unless the dog is at least half a year old. Always remember that a dog is never too old to benefit from training when a good trainer is available, or if the owner is fully committed to the task.

Here are the recommended ways of training silky terriers:

1. Reiteration or Repetition

Reiteration is the name of the dog training game. In here, dogs are asked to do a task over and over again to achieve mastery. Dog tricks are best learned when reiterated and reinforced through rewards.

2. Persistence

Patience is a virtue that requires you to tolerate hardships. Persistence is trying to be patient for a longer time until a goal is achieved. Apparently, dog training requires a lot of persistence from the owner or from the trainer Physical and psychological aspects of the owner and/or the trainer must be sound.

3. Commendation and Amendation

Simply put, if a dog does the right thing, it should be said aloud. Otherwise, the dog should hear, “No, that’s not it!” when the trick is not complete or appropriate for the command given. These words reinforce correct responses and diminish the unwanted ones.

4. Rewarding

Bits of cheese would really be good treats for dogs who responded correctly to a given command. Other food can be bought at pet sores. However, if you are able to get the respect of your pet, commands will be executed even if there are no longer involved treats. Likewise, these things reinforce warranted responses.

If your lifestyle permits being in charge of training your own pet, you can do the training as long as you have gathered enough patience and commitment by:

1. spending time grooming your dog.
2. having regular training times on the leash.
3. stroking its belly and toes and rolling it on its back
4. hand feeding some food to ensure that the pet is taking treats gently and slowly.

In asserting dominance, always practice consistency and firmness. Afterwards, you can be a master and a dear friend to your own pet.

We all know that cats are loving and truly wonderful creatures. These days, it isn’t out of the ordinary to see a cat in virtually every other home, sleeping in the window or cuddling up on the laps of their owners. Although cats have been popular pets for as long as most can remember, they weren’t domesticated less than 5,000 years or so ago. Domestication took place in the valley of the Nile, which is what research tells us today.

In the beginning, people were very grateful to cats and encouraged them to stay with them by feeding them various scraps of food. Once they were fed and perceived humans to be no threat, the cats would move in permanently with their human owners. As time went by, even the wildest of cat would allows humans to approach him, often times even hold and touch as well.

In those days, cats were very loyal and endearing pets. They proved to be great hunters, as they done their sleeping in short periods and were much easier to wake up than dogs. Cats also have better night vision than dogs, and much better hearing as well. If someone moved through the house or if they heard suspicious noises, they would wake while dogs would sleep right through it. Humans loved having cats around, and they seemed to get along good with dogs as well.

These days, cats are used for both companionship and show. They aren’t used much at all for hunting mice and rodent anymore at all. There are a lot of breeds available, from the traditional alley cat to the well known Siamese. All breeds are unique in their own way, and will provide you with years of companionship if you take care of them.

Before you get a kitten or older cat, you’ll first want to examine the source. If you are getting the kitten from a breeder, you’ll want to make sure that the breeder has a reputable reputation. You’ll also want to ensure that the cattery is clean and in good shape. The kittens that are still there shouldn’t be overcrowded, and their surroundings should be clean. The litter boxes there should be kept up and both the food and water dish should be clean and full. The kittens shouldn’t be caged, instead free to run around. All cats that are there should appear healthy, with shiny coats and none of their ribs showing.

When you get your kitten, it should be used to being touched and handled. The kitten should be sweet, not afraid in the least. Kittens that have been handled young normally have a better temperament. The better breeders won’t allow their kittens to leave the nest until they are around 12 weeks old, with some waiting until the kittens are 16 weeks. By doing this, breeders ensure that the kitten is in good health and his immune system has properly developed.

There’s no mistaken the fact that cats are great to own. You can get a kitten from a reputable breeder, through a local newspaper, or an adoption agency. Cats can also be obtained from a local pound, although people normally don’t like to choose this option. No matter which way you decide to pursue, you should always make sure that your cat is healthy. If you get a healthy cat, you won’t have a lot of problems later on down the road. Healthy cats were taken care of – and normally have everything up to date – including their vaccinations.

A lot of people think that cats work on their own agenda, not paying much attention to their owner – provided they have clean litter, food, and water. Cats can behave in odd manners at times, which can easily confuse their owners and make it really hard to determine what the cat wants. As much as cat behavior can be confusing, there are some ways that you can solve common cat behavior mysteries.

A common behavior that almost all cats do is push their heads into any type of object that will allow them to do it. You’ve probably seen your cat do this before, probably against table legs, TV stands, or another object. This can be noticed more when you have other people who own animals or those with allergies over at your house. When a cat notices this, he will rub his head against the person. In doing so, he will put a touch of saliva on the individual. In a cat’s mind, he owns what he puts his saliva on.

By putting his saliva on something, that object or person will have a familiar scent. Although this can be very annoying, you have to understand that other people in your home are seen as odd or weird to your cat. When a cat does this, he is simply trying to make the visitor belong. When he brushes up against them and puts his saliva on them, he is trying to put his scent on them – which in his mind will mean that they belong in his territory.

Even though marking someone or something with saliva is beneficial to the cat, saliva is one of the most common forms of pet allergies. When someone wipes the saliva off of them, the scent will be gone and the cat will go back and attempt to do it again. Even though it may appear that cats target those with allergies, cats are actually just trying to make the visitor belong at the house. If the guest simply cannot take the saliva, allow the cat to rub himself on their pants leg a few times. Normally, this is all takes for a cat to leave the person alone.

Those of you who an indoor cat should expect the cat to spend quite a bit of time lying near windows. During this time, you may hear your cat make very strange noises or weird movements. You shouldn’t fear though, as he is simply acting out his hunting instincts. Whether it’s another cat or object outside moving about, the cat will see it and simply go into his native hunting instinct.

As most already know, cats love to play. They love to played with, especially with toys. They will pounce on things on occasion, which should always be expected. If you try to prevent this type of behavior, your cat will take a very negative approach and you’ll end up with a lot of broken things in your home. You can always play with your cat using a string, as he will love to chase the string around the room.

The longer you own your cat, the more odd behavior you’ll see him exhibit. Cats behave in strange ways, although they always have a reason for behaving the way they do. If you can understand why your cat behaves like he does, you’ll have no problems keeping him healthy and happy. If you simply pay attention to your cat and the way he behaves at times – you’ll be able to understand him better than ever before.

Your first line of defense when keeping cats out of your garden is to make sure that you have your boundaries secure. If there are any gaps in your fence, you should make sure that you block them to prevent any low access. Cats are very agile animals, and can jump very high. Normally they can jump a fence, which is why you should also invest in string or taut wire across the top.

If a cat has made his way into your garden, it may be hard to get him out. Most people choose to use dogs, simply because dogs are known to dislike cats. There are several dog breeds out there that completely dislike cats, such as pit bulls and Dobermans. Cats are completely fearful of these breeds, and will flee if they see them around.

All cats are known to despise water as well. If you spot a cat in your garden, water almost always gets him out. All it takes is a bucket of water or a well aimed squirt with a garden hose to make him run away. After you have hit the cat with water several times, he should get the hint not to come back anymore. If he comes back, simply squirt him or throw more water on him until he gets the idea.

Protecting your plants is a different story. Mothballs are said to be very effective, as cats don’t like the smell. You can use mothballs around your plants, garden borders, or even along the fence. There are other repellents that you can use as well, such as cayenne peppers, tobacco, lavender oil, citronella oil, mustard oil, and even lemon grass oil.

If you visit your local hardware or lawn store, you can find motion activated sprinklers. They work great in keeping cats out of your garden. Once you install the sprinkler system and a cat comes into the area, the detector will pick up the cat’s presence and immediately shoot out a jet of water that will douse the cat. In most cases, all it takes is a few times of exposure to the sprinkler before a cat learns to stay out of that area.

Sound devices that feature high frequencies are also a great way to scare off cats, although they aren’t annoying to humans. You can find several different models, such as those that stay on all the time, and those that are motion detected. To use this type of device, you’ll need to make sure that the model you have is strong enough to cover the entire area. If you model you are using is strong enough to cover your entire garden, it should suffice in scaring off any unwanted animals.

You can also use commercial repellents as well. Commercial repellents use scents to keep cats away, and shouldn’t be used near any food crops. Due to their high chemical content, commercial repellents can pollute your crops. You can find them at your local department store, with several varieties to choose from, many of which will fend off other animals from your garden as well.

If you have a garden, it can be very annoying if cats and other animals decide to make your garden their home. If you stick to your guns and do your part, you can prevent them from bothering your garden or your crops. Once you have secured your boundaries around the garden, you should try using water first. If water doesn’t seem to work, you can look into another method, such as commercial repellents.

We basically want to find companions who would give us most of the benefits we think we need. Well, if you are looking for a dog that is somewhat a one-in-package pal, you might find Jack Russell Terriers interesting enough.

This dog has a history that is somehow loomed to give rise to the specie.

It was said that the breeder of this dog, a young Theologian student of Oxford University named John Russell once met a milkman with a white terrier that has spots on his eyes and ears. This dog became his interest which later proved to be his foundation for breeding a new dog breed that many has learned to love as pets. The dog he first saw was named “Trump” from which another 60 types of terriers were later bred from.

With a terrier’s basic nature to go on and over the ground (terrier by the way came from the Latin term “terra” which means earth), Jack Russell terriers also have the disposition to hunt and scour for hunting. Thus, they should be given enough grooming so as to set off the dirt they gather from digging soil to either bury a treasure or to recover a hidden treasure kept long ago.

An excellent ratter, Jack Russell Terriers proves to be good “housekeepers” since they keep most rats away from home. Any unlucky rat that happens to be inside the quarters of this terrier is sure to meet its instant doom. Thus, owners find themselves with both a dog and cat in one pal.

One basic character of this dog is its disposition towards strangers. They can easily figure out who must be kept away from their homes and who can be accepted inside the house. This very attitude also makes them good watchdogs. They were designed specifically to be aggressive on preys. And while they can be very vocal, many of them only barks when they find good reason to.

They do not appear vicious though. But once they smell threat, they can show off aggressiveness that could serve as warning towards the strangers. However, once the stranger is let into the house by the owner, a Jack Russell can already tolerate his or her presence.

This terrier is also a family dog and desires for human companionship. And their love for children is significantly interesting. However, once they are abused or had been shown improper treatments, may it be intentional or accidental, they can react through aggressive behaviors. Their aggressiveness is further manifested with their lack of fear towards larger dogs which can unfortunately lead to injuries, some can even be fatal.

They are also marked for their intelligence and good spirit. These characteristics can be highly observable through their curiosity in things. Thus, they require supplementation on formal training unless you can tolerate difficult behaviors. The good thing though with Jack Russell is that it can acknowledge training and do well in most of them. In fact, they are known to champion various ring shows and other similar competitions.

The Hollywood has recognized the disposition of these dogs too. Coupled with feisty and good physical characteristics, this pal has already made names in the screens. If Wishbone, Milo (from The Mask) and Eddie (from the Frasier) ring the bell on you then there is no doubt that you can recognize this dog.

Jack Russell fair well with grooming. A dog of relatively small size, this breed will not tax you with grooming needs.

People might be wondering why there is a breed of dog with the name of “bull dog”.

Originally, Great Britain and later, America were obsessed with bloody fights between bulls and dogs. The main function of the canine is to hang on to the bull’s neck and worry the poor animal until it dies. Obviously, these dogs had developed great strength in their jaws.

Among the popular choices of dogs for this sport were the pit bulls. Back then, the selection of pit bulls was so varied that many showed a variety of characteristics that made the sport highly interesting. Later in the life of the sport though, the center of attraction switched towards the fight between pit bulls and not against the bulls themselves.

From these canines rooted most of the bull dog terriers that we know of today.

One of the significant bull dog terriers we have is the American Staffordshire (AmStaff) Terrier who is of great interest since it possesses intriguing seemingly opposing characters.

They project strength and physically power but they are not vicious. In fact, this dog is very much associated with its relationship to its family, especially among children. The physical features it has are now only due to their basic nature and orientation during their bloody fights as fighting machines. But this does not negate the fact that they can sometimes show aggressiveness which may somehow work against them. Nevertheless, this can be set off with their loving nature and devotion to human family. Thus, it has a stable temperament which make them good pets and excellent watchdogs.

AmStaff terrier, as it is called by its shorter name suffers in reputation though since it is commonly associated with pit bulls. These dogs are known for their love for challenge and are therefore employed in illegal dog fighting.

Most of the problems root from irresponsible training. Sadly, there are too few AmStaff that are properly trained. And what’s even depressing is that there are innumerable pit bulls that are continually ill-treated by sadistic owners.

We are often confused of what true pit bulls are. In fact, many contend that these dogs must not be called by that name since it elicits unwanted images of gory dog fights. While this breed is not yet officially recognized by the American Dog Breeders Association or the United Kennel Club, the legitimate name remains to be American Pit Bull Terrier.

While it is true that American Pit Bull Terrier is violent in nature, this doesn’t imply that they are made purely for brutal stuffs. As we have earlier said, these dogs are only products of maltreatment and exploitive training (and inhumane) for self serving purposes. Otherwise, American Pit Bull Terriers can be very people loving.

These are also known for their being hardworking on which they excel from. They are also fond of excessive physical activities that would exhaust their power reserves. Thus, this breed is great for those who need company during athletic training. If you are the couch potato personality, please find another breed of dog that would suit your lifestyle.

To clear things off, American Pit Bull Terrier are not officially recognized not because of its ill reputation but mainly due to beliefs that it is not a purebred. One major standard for a dog to be distinguished as member of Kennel Clubs is that it should be purebred. Until more comprehensive findings on its origin are found, this dog will remain unfortunately tagged as “nasty”.

If you want something new for your house, think about fish and aquariums… big aquariums, because they go with these times’ fashion.

The little golden fish wondering alone around his bowl seems to be long forgotten.

Instead of the little bowl, there are now huge aquariums, mounted on the walls or even enclosed in them, containing lots of colored fish, sand, lights, little stones and aquatic vegetation. Optionally you can choose a little castle of house to make the dcor unique and fantasy-lie.

This idea has been adopted from restaurants, clubs or other public locations, but now it applies to homes of animal lovers, fish lovers especially.

You have decided to adopt fish because you like them or because you heard they bring prosperity and well-living to your life. Either way, you have to know how to take care of them because they are not just a decorative object; they are living beings that can’t take care of themselves.

They are going to need your full attention and care, they will totally depend on you. Here is some general advice, general because each species act differently and has different needs:

What do we need?

We need an aquarium, a thermometer, a heating system, a water filter, and plants to oxygenate the water, sand and little stones, and a source of light for the plants.

How do we actually do it?

Before placing the fish in the aquarium, the water needs to be left alone 24 hours and its temperature has to be of a minimum of 22-23 Celsius (it can differ for some species). The water is not changed all at the same time, it needs to be changes in several stages, 20% on each stage.

How do we feed fish?

Twice a day, we give them the dried food, the life food or the frozen one, depending on the species.

How do we treat sick fish?

The most common illness encountered amongst fish has as an exterior effect the apparition of some white pits on the flippers of the fish. In such situations, treatments are administrated in the aquarium to prevent the illness from spreading to the other fish too. For the right treatment, you have to go to a fish heath shop.

Another rule in fish illnesses of any type is to just raise the temperature of the water in the aquarium and to dissolve some salt in it.

Over the last thousands of years, cats have pretty much handled their breeding themselves. In the beginning, they were used for one purpose – hunting and killing rodents. As the years progressed, we began to breed cats more to our liking. Now days, there are several different breeds of cats – which you can tell if you look closely.

These days there are over 70 distinct cat breeds, which are recognized through cat registries. There are several registries that will recognize around 40 breeds or so, as they exclude the more domestic breeds such as tigers. There are also many variations as well, including wild cats that have longer hair.

There are some cat breeds who have roots going back quite a bit in history. Some Japanese breeds, such as the Japanese Bobtail, can be traced back more than 1,000 years in history. These cats were very common and well known throughout Medieval Japan. Now days though, they are all but a myth throughout Japan and the entire world.

The more common cat breeds that are found in North America include the alley cat, long haired cat, and Persian cat. Siamese cats are also common, although they are well known to be destructive and to have a foul temper. Persian cats are very popular, proving to be loving companions. Persian cats can be very expense, depending on where you get it and what type of Persian cat it is.

Alley cats are the most common in North America. There are actually several different breeds, although most of us just refer to them as alley cats. They make good pets, although there are literally thousands of them in existence. Cats are known to breed more than any other pet, and they will continue to breed until they are stopped. Alley cats are among the most bred, as there are hundreds of thousands of cats that are homeless – and have nothing to do but breed.

The look of the cat is the easiest way to tell what breed he or she may be. Some people choose to go by color, although color isn’t as easy to identify. Different breeds of cats have different looks, such as the Siamese and Persian cats. Siamese cats are almost always black, and easy to identify by their color and their eyes. Persian cats on the other hand, are easily identified by their body type and their hair.

Over the years, there have been quite a few breeds come along. Cats were one of the first pets, and easily one of the most popular. Millions of people around the world own cats, with many people preferring a cat over any other pet – including dogs. No matter breed of cat you get – you’re sure to get a pet who make for a great companion for years and years to come.

Cats are one of the most loved pets in the world, no question about it. More than 50% of all households in the United States own dogs and cats. Although cats are loved animals, cat allergies are one of the common forms of allergies. Statistics in the past have shown that over 10 million people in the U.S. alone have allergic reactions to cats – especially their fur.

The biggest cause of cat allergies is dander. The dander, is dust that is produced by the body of the cat. Dander is basically shed skin that comes off of cats, normally in the form of small flakes. Although dander can irritate your skin, it can also get into your immune system as well, resulting in a variety of symptoms and almost immediate allergic reactions.

The dander, once in the immune system, is perceived to be a threat. Even though it isn’t classified as a disease, it’s more of a reflex by your body and your immune system. Cat allergies occur quite often due to cats having allergens that are spread throughout their blood, urine, and saliva. Although a cat may not be present at the time, the excretions probably still are.

Cat dander, urine, and saliva, are found throughout the home of cat owners. Cats constantly groom themselves, which involves rubbing their saliva into their fur. When they do this, they spread their dander and allergens around. Although you may try, there is really nothing that you can do about it. Cats have a natural instinct to groom or bathe themselves, no matter how many baths you give them, you simply won’t stop them from grooming.

Normally, when someone is taking an allergic reaction to cats, he or she will wheeze, cough, sneeze, itch, have watery eyes, or a difficult time in breathing. Different people react different ways to cat allergens, meaning that some symptoms may not occur at all. Fever and chills is very rare, although it can happen. If someone who has cat allergies comes down with fever and chills, you should contact a doctor immediately. Chances are, it isn’t an allergic reaction to cats, but instead another type of disease that a doctor will need to identify.

Cat allergies are normally treated with antihistamines and decongestants. Those that experience asthma attacks or other forms of allergies, normally take antihistamines. Decongestants on the other hand, are normally used to cure coughs and swollen nasal passages. Sometimes, doctors will recommend allergy shots as well. Allergy shots can help to prevent the attack, especially if someone is really allergic to cats. They are a good form of treatment and prevention, and they can also help to decrease the risk of allergies affecting the individual.

If you suspect that you have cat allergies, you should always make it a point to visit your doctor. He will be able to further diagnose your situation, and give you the best options available for treatment. If you do indeed suffer from cat allergies, the best way to stop the attacks is to get rid of your cat.

Getting rid of a cat can be a very tough thing to do. If you have become allergic to your cat’s fur, there may be no other way to prevent attacks than to get rid of him. Although doctors can give you medicine and shots, it will only do so much. Cat allergens are no fun, especially if you develop them years after owning your cat. Cats are great animals to own – although cat allergies are something we could all live without.

The Cairn is assumed as one of the subcategories of Scotland’s terriers along with the Westies (West Highland White) and the Scottish, The Westies and the Cairns are highly related. For one, Westies are hybrids of white dogs crossed with Cairns of western Scotland. The Westie can be considered as the white variety of the Cairn who has a coat of any color but white. Scotties, however, have longer heads and bodies, have generally dark coats and are aloof than the other two. These dogs originated from the short-haired Skyes.

Cairn is the smallest breed among the terrier group. The name Cairn was coined after the small stone piles that marked borders of Scottish farms and graves. During the early times, this breed was used to guide small animals into these piles of stones. However, cairns are strong and sturdy but are not heavy.

This dog was already present during the 1500s even before it became popular in 1930, after the appearance of “Toto” in “The Wizard of Oz” as Dorothy’s companion dog. Presently, like the American pit bull terriers, Cairns are used as companion dogs. Among the variety’s talents are tracking, watching over the house, hunting, and performing tricks and sports regarding competitive obedience.

The following are some of the basic facts breeders would really love to know about Cairns:

Category: Terrier

Living Environment: indoors (highly recommended); outdoors (fenced yard)

Coat: shaggy and coarse outer coat and short and soft furry undercoat

Colors: any color except white

Height: between 9.5 and 10 inches

Weight: between 13 and 14 pounds

Temperament: like most terriers that were bred as hunters, these dogs are mischievous, alert, restless and high-spirited; also have a special connection with children age six and above

Breeders should note of the following health issues:

Atopy, a type of allergy
Cataract, or loss of transparency of one or both lenses of the eyes
Cryptorchidism, wherein testicles do not descend into the scrotum
Glaucoma, a condition that causes an increase pressure within the eye
Patellar luxation, a disorder in the kneecap

Care and Exercise:

Daily brushing is recommended to prevent tangles and mats.
Hair around ears and eyes must be trimmed regularly.
Do not over feed them as they gain weight easily.
Their physique requires a regular exercise routine which includes a daily play time while on leash.
They should be on leash while walking in public places because of their hunting instincts.

Origin/History:

As already noted, the Cairns were existent since around the 1500s. At around 1700s, the Isle of Skye and other highlands in Scotland were already producing lots of small terriers. Scottish breeds were separated into two: the Skye terriers and the Dandie Dinmont terriers.

The Dandie Dinmonts were categorized as a separate breed. The Skyes included the Scotties, the Westies, and the Cairns.

In the year 1912, the Cairns receive their official name based on their excellent ability to hunt down vermin such as otters, foxes, and badgers that were hiding in cairns. However, it was in the year 1913 when they received the official recognition from the American Kennel Club.

The Cairn terrier is one heck of an agile little dog that is very appropriate for the whole family. This breed is playful, prying, and is always ready to join the fun. If you are still not convinced, just reckon how Dorothy was entertained and accompanied by this type of dog.