Poodles, as opposed to other “toy dogs”, are surprisingly intelligent. This makes house training them a fairly easy endeavour; however, there are some do’s and don’ts that should be addressed.

Negative reinforcement, although very common with pet owners, is not a good strategy for house training your poodle. “You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar,” my mother used to say, and it’s true. Instead of punishing your poodle for bad behaviour, such as soiling the rug, try rewarding good behaviour, such as giving him a biscuit when he “goes” outside (or on your neighbour’s flower patch). Poodles are a sensitive creature, and need constant praise. Spare the rod, spoil the poodle.

If you catch your poodle “going” where he isn’t supposed to, avoid spanking, and yelling. The simplest solution is to pick him up gently, and put him where you want him to “do his business”. Do not rub his nose in the mess, or scathe him.

A poodle puppy focuses on surface types when it chooses where to “relieve” itself. Some prefer hard surfaces, like your ceramic tiles in the kitchen, while others are attracted to soft surfaces like grass, sod, or carpets. Find out which type of surface your poodle prefers, and then train accordingly. If for example your poodle prefers soft surfaces (which is more likely), then you are in luck. He is unlikely to want to “go” on the kitchen floor, but rather he is willing to wait until he has a chance to go outside. Once again, reward good behaviour.

Watch your poodle. He will tell you when he needs to “go” and when he doesn’t. Once you’ve learned his body language, you’re almost there. Poodles are naturally house trained, and they prefer not to “go” where they eat and sleep. If you find your poodle “doing his business” on the living room carpet, try putting his bed and food dishes in that room. He will try his best to not associate the living room as the toilet.

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All dogs have a different walking pattern–even dogs of the same breed who grew up together may be at odds; some will want walking five times per day, while others will laze around the house or be happy mooching with a chew between their paws and one walk lasting only fifteen minutes.

Whatever your dog, here are some things to keep in mind while out walking:

1) Take the dog out of either the front door or the back, but don’t keep swapping and changing—this may be confusing. If the dog associates leaving the front of the house, for example, with going somewhere in the car, then by going out of that door the dog may be unwilling to go on a boring walk around the village.

2) Is your dog very stubborn? Does he or she refuse to walk anywhere? Many dogs exhibit this characteristic; it can either mean they are tired, or it can mean that because one member of the family is out at work, they don’t want to leave because they wonder if that person might come back.

3) Get several people of the family used to walking the dog: if one person exclusively walks the dog then the dog will become attached and despondent with the idea of going out with anyone else.

4) If the dog suddenly stops while out walking, making plain he or she is finished walking and would like to be carried, don’t give in and pick the dog up. Persist with pulling the lead; If this doesn’t help then give the dog a hug and talk to it. Dogs respond better to friendly communication than being ordered around.

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Breeds such as the Shetland Sheepdog make truly fantastic pets: they look great, have a naturally playful temperament about them and can also be shown off at shows to mass applause. But the last thing you are likely to see on Crufts is any problem concerning their long hair—in fact, it can be very difficult to work with, and be a ongoing problem that many new dog owners are completely unaware of; grooming can give you a bad back, and can make you regret having such a breed after all.

Here are a number of tips (that I got from Synergy Vets) to help make it that much easier:

1) Never wait months on end without doing any grooming; doing so little and often means it’s that much easier to keep up with.

2) Put your dog on a table or something off the floor for grooming; don’t groom a dog on the floor—it may feel OK at the time, but later on, and with repetition, it’ll slowly begin to hurt a great deal.

3) Be careful about pulling the hair too much; depending on the length of hair it’s usually best to hold it with one hand at the roots, and comb gently through with the other.

4) Just behind the ears often accumulates a lot of dead fur—these can, strange as it sounds, look like physical growths: like extra ears! The longer these are left, the more compact they will become, making it seem as though they belong there. Give them the chop as soon as you see them!

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Planning to take that much needed vacation or do you have to suddenly leave for a business trip and worried about where to keep your furry friend. Pet sitters can come to your rescue here. And with numerous choices available to you here are some tips to find the best pet sitters to take care of your darling companion:

· Contact your friends and family to find references about reliable pet sitters and if you get contacts of a dependable person don’t hesitate to make a call and schedule an appointment immediately with them and ask if they are ready to take in your pet

· You can even contact your groomer, dog trainers and vet for references. You will come across the best pet sitters by contacting pet care professionals, I have found great ones through Synergy Vets.

· The internet has surely made our lives easy and you can again make use of online yellow pages to find a pet sitter closer to your locality. You can also make use of a good pet care website to find a suitable pet sitter located close to you. Make use of popular search engines to find the pet sitter staying close to your place as most sitters won’t like to spend money on gas to come to your home and take care of your adorable pets.

· If you have just moved into the new area then you can take the help of your real estate agents as they would be well aware of what all services are available near your area and would be able to guide you towards finding a perfect pet sitter

Last but not the least keeps your eyes and ears open. If you find someone lovingly taking care of a dog and taking them out for a walk irrespective of the weather then you have hit the bulls’ eye and found a perfect caretaker for your pet.

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Its winter and the temperatures outside are steadily falling. As people wrap themselves in layers of warm clothing, here’s a quick walk-through of what pets need to stay safe and well in this season:

• Keep pets inside. Wild animals may get along perfectly well outside but pets need warm places throughout the winter. If your pet must stay outside provide a clean, warm and dry shelter to keep out the cold wind. It must be elevated above the ground so that no moisture seeps inside.
• Provide your pet with a warm bed to snuggle into. A bed of straw will do well.
• While it’s okay to buy a sweater for your pet, especially if you have a short haired dog, remember that the cold creeps in through its feet. So after a walk outside wipe the legs and stomach well.
• Be extra careful when walking your pets outside. The antifreeze, coolants and other chemicals used outdoors during winter are lethal for your pets.
• Pets, like people, can’t resist snuggling up to a warm fire during the winter. Be careful that the tails and paws are away from it.
• Ensure that their drinking water is always fresh and doesn’t freeze.
• Never leave your pet in the car alone in winter. That’s as good as locking it in the refrigerator.
• Take your pet to the vet before the cold really sets in for a through checkup. He will advise you about the kind and amount of diet needed during the cold season. Also ask your vet about special care for older pets with problems like arthritis. Look for registering your pet at a animal clinic that supports permanent vet jobs, it is always helpful if the vet knows your pets history.

Winter is a beautiful time. With a little care you can make it beautiful for your pet as well.

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It is not something many dog owners think much about. Many believe that whatever amount of water, if any at all, they give their dog doesn’t matter or will be sufficient. Consider the fact that dogs like us human beings are made up of at least 70% water. Thus your dog has the ability to do without food for a long while but they are not able to live without water.

Your dog will need to consume a minimum of 2 millilitres of water per pound of body weight each day. This minimum amount is sufficient for your dog to have urine production.

If you give your dog all the water it can drink your dog will consume a lot more than the minimum amounts it needs. Be aware though that if you give your dog the minimum amount of water it needs each day, he will not be able to survive for very long. If your dog is deficient in water his body will be harmed and he will get weak, ill, and possibly die.

The reasons for giving your dog adequate amounts of water each day include the following:

• Water is important for the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
• It burns fuel and turns it into energy
• It is also the reason the temperature of the dog’s body remains normal.
• Water in sufficient amounts replenishes the fluids lost during the day.
• Nutrients are carried to the cells and waste products transported out by the water consumed.
• The acid level of the blood is regulated by water.

I would also like to take this opportunity to let everyone who either owns or is responsible for a horse that you really need to look into horse liability. A law has been passed that has changed where the blame lays when someone is injured by a horse, so it is very important that you look at what your responsibilites are!

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Tortoises make fantastic pets for people who may otherwise not be suited to the more common pets such as cats and dogs: elderly people, people who work during the day, young children can all delight in looking after their very own tortoise! Tortoises are very beautiful creatures and surprisingly expressive and loving, they each have their own personalities and, contrary to popular myth, can be surprisingly energetic although you will never need to worry about where your pet has shot off to if you turn your back for a few seconds.

I bought my pet tortoise, Michelle (I know, I know), over five years ago and she is my pride and joy. It is not uncommon for a tortoise to live for many decades, even a hundred years or more, if cared for correctly and so I look forward to my children, or grandchildren, looking after my beautiful Michelle when my days have passed.

And here are my top tips that I implore you to follow if you do decide to take the plunge and purchase a tortoise:

1) Only buy the tortoise from a reputable dealer! Never buy a tortoise from a newspaper ad, or from a friend of a friend. Reputable reptile specialists always look after tortoises well during their infancy to ensure they will bring you joy for many years to come! Websites such as the wonderful thetortoiseshop.com will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

2) Do not put your tortoise in a vivarium! Whilst vivariums are perfect for other reptile species, such as lizards, tortoises have more specialised needs and need to be kept in specialised ’tortoise tables’ to ensure a long, healthy life.

3) Put your tortoise in the fridge! Yes I am serious! Tortoises, once out of infancy, have to hibernate during the winter. If kept in a cardoard box in garages or loft spaces, as many well meaning people do, they are a defenceless prey to natural predators and can also be damaged by sudden changes of temperature. Believe it or not, the standard domestic fridge operates at the perfect temperature for a tortoise to hibernate! They will come to no harm there and will rest happily and peacefully until the beginning of Spring when you can remove them and watch them slowly awake ready for another fascinating year of tortoise adventure. Just make sure that you mark the box that you have kept your tortoise in carefully and don’t bite into it if you come home worse for wear one evening, that wouldn’t be good for your tortoise or your teeth!

Now for the work update, if any of you are eager to know, check out the new images that just went up for banner stands. That was my trained hand at design!

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If you are the owner of a parrot chances are you would have experienced their playfulness and curiosity. Because they are pet and not in the wild where they can roam about and forage, it is important that an environment is created that allows them to fly about, stay physically, fit and play. To this end a variety of things to engage in is needed by your parrot and toys are a great way to achieve this. The challenge for many parrot owners is to find toys that are safe.

There are many toys on the market for parrot s that tend to be a dangerous. They often cause accidents that are serious in nature such as trapping their beak in a toy. To avoid incidents like this make sure you do your research by seeking information from different sources. Also when you are checking the various toys out, you should pay close attention to their overall construction. That way you will be able to identify which toys are potentially dangerous.

Pay careful attention to the attachment on the toys that will be keeping it in place in the parrot’s cage. The safer attachment tends to have the shape of a double U, or as it is called, a Chook. The pear-shaped attachments of similar design are also one of the safer ones.

Do not use chains or long chords as these can cause the bird to get entangled in. Also those split ring types of attachments should be avoided as they may end up getting their beaks stuck in them.

Choose toys that are size appropriate for your parrot. Many parrot toys are sold in sizes small, medium, and large to fit your parrot’s size. Also you should stay away from toys that have too many parts.

Alright everyone, I have at long last, been able to sort out what everyone is going to owe me for the Caravan insurance quote for our holiday this summer. Please make an effort to get this to me by Thursday so I can get it sorted out before we are ready to leave.

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All cat owners know the difficulty in giving their cat a bath. That however does not change the fact that sometimes a cat just needs a bath. There are some tips you can follow to make bath time a little less dramatic for both you and your cat.

* Start Young

Start bathing your cat when they are just a kitten and do it on more of a regular basis (once a week is good) to get it use to water. After awhile, your kitten will become accustomed to water and once grown it will be a much easier process.

* Prepare For The Bath Ahead Of Time

It is suggested that you get what you need for your kitty’s bath ahead of time. No matter how early you start your cat off bathing, they will simply not enjoy the experience. Help your cat out and be prepared so the bath will go much quicker. Some items to consider are a towel, shampoo, brush and any other items you think is necessary.

* Pre-Bath Recommendations

You might want to consider trimming your cat’s nails before you set them in the bath. This will help avoid painful scratches. Also, you can help your cat feel more comfortable by applying eye ointment on them to keep soap out of their eyes.

Bath time is not an enjoyable experience for most cats, so it is important that you prepare them for the process as much as you can. This will make the whole process that much better. Your cat will appreciate it as well.

Alright, it is time for my incredible web link of the month. I have just discovered upon this article called Enigin PLC, not only is this company great at what they do, but I am really digging this article as well. Check these guys out!

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First, we will concentrate on training them to sit on your finger. As with any bird, you do not want to open the cage door and go right for the cockatiel. This will just send them hysterically flying about their cage and does not build trust. Instead, spend about 15 minutes a few times a day with the first day having your finger poking through the cage. The second day, you can gently open the cage door and rest your hand on a perch (not too close to the bird). Continue this process but each day slowly move your hand a little bit closer to the bird until it gets to the point where the cockatiel allows you to touch his breast. Once this happens, you can begin to gently nudge the bird with your finger until it eventually climbs up on your finger.

Next, you will want to teach your cockatiel how to talk. This process should be done after you have gained your bird’s trust. This is basically repeating the same word over and over each day until the cockatiel finally repeats it. Start with one word at a time and eventually you can have it repeating phrases.

One word of advice with training your cockatiel. Do not put another bird or a mirror in it’s cage until after it has learned to talk. This will distract it and make it nearly impossible to train.

I have further news about the riding holiday, it emerged that there is something about horse insurance that we need to look into. I know nothing about this, so Steve if you could do this it would be lovely.

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