Yorkshire Terriers, Yorkies for short, are a joy to have around and make great and well-loved family pets for many homes. For these reasons, the popularity of the breed has seen phenomenal growth over the past few years. Currently, the Yorkshire Terrier is the breed to have and buy for many families looking for the perfect canine companion. But before you get caught up in the rush to buy one of these adorable puppies, there are a few things to consider to ensure that you buy the best puppy that you can possibly find.

Generally, the Yorkshire Terrier is a lively and hardy breed, but just as with all purebreds, they can be prone to developing certain health and behavioral conditions which can make them hard to deal with and expensive to care for. By doing a little research and taking a few precautionary assessments before deciding which puppy to buy, you can greatly reduce your chances of purchasing a puppy that will cause you a lot of heartache down the road.

The most important thing to consider when buying a puppy is the breeder. Before even looking at puppies you should have a good knowledge of the breeder and several referrals indicating that he or she is a top of the line breeder with the best interests of the Yorkie breed at heart. If you have any qualms about a breeder, do not buy a puppy from him or her, regardless of how cute or healthy a puppy appears to be.

Here’s why: A good breeder is conscious of the inherent characteristics that are common in the Yorkshire Terrier breed. A competent breeder will not breed all of their dogs just because they are registered and pedigreed; they will select only the best Yorkies for breeding to minimize undesirable traits, both health related and behavioral related, and to maximize desirable traits. Certain congenital birth defects are also a result of careless breeding. So, choosing a competent breeder increases your chances of having a healthy and happy Yorkie.

A good breeder also invests in the proper care for all of their new puppies. Yorkie puppies are extremely fragile when born and do not really become self sufficient or able to be separated from their dam until they are 3 months of age or older. Before this time they are very susceptible to health conditions such as hypoglycemia and allergies to vaccinations. For these reasons, it is important to never buy a Yorkshire Terrier puppy younger than this age or before it has had at least two of the three required rounds of vaccinations. Any breeder who wants to bypass the waiting period and sell their puppies earlier than 3 months does not have the health of the puppy in mind and would likely not be the best breeder to deal with.

Another must have when dealing with a breeder is a sales contract and a guarantee. If a breeder is not prepared to guarantee their puppies’ health in writing, then you may end up with an expensive puppy that only lives a few short months. A good guarantee will replace your puppy or refund your money for any congenital defects found within the first year.

Also have a thorough knowledge of the AKC standard for the Yorkshire Terrier breed before going to look at puppies. By following the AKC standard, you will have a good idea what to look for in certain puppies. Considering that most reputable breeders only have a limited number of puppies available, and then they are available only occasionally, it may take a lot of puppy shopping before you actually find a puppy that meets all of the standards. If you are planning to show or breed your dog, your wait may be even longer. So, be prepared to not find your Yorkie on the first go round, actually expect it. Then you won’t be disappointed.

Do not be fooled by breeders trying to push miniature Yorkies. There is no such thing as a miniature Yorkie, just Yorkies that are smaller than others. In most cases, very small Yorkie puppies passed off as miniature are actually the runt of the litter and prone to health problems such as thyroid disease.

Remember to keep all of these pointers in mind when looking for your new Yorkie. By doing so, you will ensure that your new puppy is a happy and healthy addition to your family.

By Rose Lenk
For more yorkie information and articles visit Pro Yorkie

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1. Keep your pregnant cat indoors.
Don’t expose an expecting kitty to danger. But there are more reasons. Some queens go into heat even during pregnancy. Cats are capable of being pregnant of two different litters at the same time. And of course, a pregnant cat should not give birth in a cold place outside.

2. Give your kitty the right food.
It should be high on calcium and protein. Kitten food is specially designed to meet the need of pregnant and nursing felines. Vitamin supplements are recommended too.

3. Do not give any medication during pregnancy.
A pregnant cat should get medication only in emergency. The same goes for deworming products, or products against fleas. If she has worms or fleas, first consult your vet.

4. Make your cat a comfortable nest bed.
A box filled with newspaper usually does the trick. Put in a warm sheltered place, preferably a location your cat frequently visits. Make sure all is ready two weeks before birth.

5. Find a home for your kittens – before they are born.
It will give you peace of mind to know where the kittens will go. Finding a home for a kitty can be time consuming. You’ll have more time for that before they are born.

6. Use non-clumping litter for her box.
Sometimes cats give birth in the litter box. If a kitten is delivered in clumping litter, the mother kitty might refuse to clean her newborn off as the clump is all over the sac. And the baby drowns in its own fluid.

7. Keep other cats away from her.
You have more than one kitty? Your pregnant cat wants privacy. She doesn’t like the company of other cats during this period, even if she knows these cats very well.

8. Buy enough food for your kitty… and you.
You should have no reason to leave your kitty alone on the days before and after birth.

9. Check which vet is available.
Have a piece of paper with the phone number of the closest emergency veterinary clinic. If theres no such clinic in your area, find out which vet is available for emergency care. One phone call to a local vet is usually enough.

10. Get the right information about cat pregnancy.
Only if you understand what you see and hear, you will be able to recognize complications. Plus… there are many problems you can solve yourself, if you know how. So, do not panic. Get the right information instead.

Marc de Jong is a journalist and long-time cat lover. For his easy-to-follow, step-by-step guidebook How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat – available through http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com – he interviewed several award-winning breeders and specialized vets.

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Out of all the pet animals, the cat is most expressive about its needs. The feline loves to be pampered and cared for. Dont you just love the pretty pussy pictures they make? They can also become sulkily aggressive at times. Understanding their feelings and needs is not at all difficult.

Just like your body language, behavior, and words give away your intentions and feelings, similarly, your pets also communicate through their bodies, and noises they make. As a pet owner, it is important for you to understand the signs, scents, and body language of your pet. Other than those, the visual information is also very important for understanding what your pet wants to communicate.

No longer The Mystery Cat

The cat language can be understood by your cats postures. Cats can be lazy and furtive at the same time. Its arched back depicts the no-nonsense attitude where you need to be careful! There are various other postures like its lying on its side, and lying down with tucked paws. The former is the relaxed state, and you need to careful about the latter. It makes evident that your little pet is definitely up to some nuisance.

When a cat feels sleepy, like most human beings and animals, it adopts the fetal position.

Purrs, Sounds, and Noises

Your cats purr in various pitches can foretell the things in store for you. For cats, youthe owner is like family. They look up to you as bigger cats. Outsiders are like prospective predators and they are considered threatening. So, if your cat comes across a new face, please make sure they are at a safe distance from each other.

If you make a loud noise, your little companion might hide away somewhere out of fear. They love to spend quieter moments. They show their affection by purring politely at you. The cats love to hear female voices, as they are more attractive. Half-mews, Prrrh and trills friendly greetings when you are also welcomed with a little fluffy rub.

Your cat needs attention or food when its mews are shorter vowel sounds. The sounds without vowels can either be questions or greetings. At that instant you need to look at its facial expressions to gauge what is in your loves mind. Sounds like Mrrrheor or Ree-orh are made to seek your attention.

Sweet Emotions

Your pet recognizes your touch and loves it. Patting your cats head for a sweet hello can make him/her feel on top of the world. This strengthens your bond with your furry friend and enhances trust. Touching noses increases the level of intimacy and love at both ends.

The Cat and Tail of it

A cats tail is the best way to gauge its emotions. A low tail indicates that the cat is not too sure of its environment and is ready for any happening, whereas, an upright tail suggests its confidence and alertness. A lashing tail expresses pending aggression.<.p>

Your cat can become dangerous when its hair fluffs out. This is where it means, Do not mess with me. Youll be able to make out if your pet has been engrossed in some violent sessions with its other friends when its hair is all out of place and makes noises like it is crying.

Your cats flattened ears show fear or threat. When its ears are facing forward, it shows that it is paying attention.

But, other than these indicators, you need to read your purrfect companions face and eyes to understand its emotions and what it is thinking.

Author’s Bio:
Mary Majorda of California has lived along with kittens since as long as she can remember. She got her 1st kitten at the age of 2 as a birthday gift from her dad and since then she hasnt parted from cats and kittens. Besides having a family of a husband, 2 kids and 4 kittens, her love for them has pursued her to become a vet. Get Kitten Pictures from http://www.cutelittlekittens.com

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1. Continuous rapid barking, midrange pitch: Call the pack! There is a potential problem! Someone is coming into our territory! Continuous barking but a bit slower and pitched lower: The intruder [or danger is very close. Get ready to defend yourself!

2. Barking in rapid strings of three or four with pauses in between, midrange pitch: I suspect that there may be a problem or an intruder near our territory. I think that the leader of the pack should look into it.

3. Prolonged or incessant barking, with moderate to long intervals between each utterance: Is there anybody there? I’m lonely and need companionship. This is most often the response to confinement or being left alone for long periods of time.

4. One or two sharp short barks, midrange pitch: Hello there! This is the most typical greeting sound.

5. Single sharp short bark, lower midrange pitch: Stop that! This is often given by a mother dog when disciplining her puppies but may also indicate annoyance in any dog, such as when disturbed from sleep or if hair is pulled during grooming and so forth.

6. Single sharp short bark, higher midrange: What’s this? or Huh? This is a startled or surprised sound. If it is repeated two or three times its meaning changes to Come look at this! alerting the pack to a novel event. This same type of bark, but not quite as short and sharp, is used to mean Come here! Many dogs will use this kind of bark at the door to indicate that they want to go out. Lowering the pitch to a relaxed midrange means Terrific! or some other similar expletive, such as Oh, great! My cairn terrier, for example, who loves to jump, will give this single bark of joy when sent over the high jump. Other dogs give this same bark when given their food dish.

7. Single yelp or very short high-pitched bark: Ouch! This is in response to a sudden, unexpected pain.

8. Series of yelps: I’m hurting! I’m really scared This is in response to severe fear and pain.

9. Stutter-bark, midrange pitch: If a dog’s bark were spelled ruff, the stutter-bark would be spelled ar-ruff. It means Let’s play! and is used to initiate playing behavior.

10. Rising bark: This is a bit hard to describe, although once you’ve heard it, it is unmistakable. It is usually a series of barks, each of which starts in the middle range but rises sharply in pitch – almost a bark-yelp, though not quite that high. It is a play bark, used during rough-and- tumble games, that shows excitement and translates as This is fun!

Melanie Bosano has had years of hands on experience caring for and training dogs. This dog lover also writes for http://www.all-about-yorkshire-terriers.com.

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For some 25 years I have alerted the public to the dangers of exclusively feeding heat processed foods. Companion animal feeding has progressed actually digressed from table scraps and real foods the family could spare to todays 100 % complete processed foods in primarily kibble form, with some canned and semi-moist also available. The foods appear to be scientific and improved, but theyre far worse for the animals. Not only is nutrient value diminished by heat, but a spectrum of toxins is created. Additionally, the singular feeding of processed food has led to the spurious 100% complete and balanced claim that is both logically and scientifically flawed.

Entrepreneurs have seized upon this information to create a spate of raw frozen (RF) foods to capture a market niche and to fill the demand from consumers wanting a raw alternative to standard heat processed canned, semi-moist and dried pet foods. This market trend, as with most others, may begin with some truth (raw food is the best food) but gets distorted, if not perverted, once economic opportunity enters the picture. This paper will examine the rationale of these products, their economics and dangers. A more intelligent and healthy alternative will be proposed.

Dangers

1. Weakened Pets And Highly Virulent Organisms A raw state and the presence of moisture in food provide the perfect environment for the growth of pathogenic organisms. Although prey foods in the wild often putrefy and are teeming with microorganisms, carnivores in the wild are immunologically adapted to these organisms and even benefit from the probiotic effects of some. On the other hand, domestic pets eating sterilized heat processed foods are immunologically compromised and are threatened by mutated and highly virulent pathogenic strains created by modern circumstances and antibiotic resistance. Freezing at appropriate temperatures puts pathogens in a state of arrest but does not eliminate them. Although all foods contain some pathogens, unless they are sterilized (requiring high heat or other measures that greatly diminish the nutritional value and create toxins), it is the load of these pathogens that must be of concern to consumers. RF foods are a potential reservoir and vector of large numbers of pathogens.

2. Producers With Only Kitchen Technology Because of the minimal technology required to produce a RF pet food, essentially anyone regardless of credentials or expertise can bring a product to market. All one needs to do is grind and mix ingredients in a kitchen, package and put in a freezer. There are no controls over the conditions in the kitchen, the quality of the ingredients or the method of freezing. All these factors can dramatically influence the nutritional value and pathogenic and toxic content of the food. But being in a frozen state hides these potential dangers and therefore poses a threat to both pets and the humans who handle the foods. John Doe can make a food under unknown conditions and with unknown ingredients, label, package, freeze and deliver to consumers or stores without one single control monitoring or impeding the process. Regulators may eventually examine the label if they happen to see it in a store (they will never see it if shipped directly to consumers) and object to some terminology or the like; but, all John needs to do is change the label and all will be well. The product could contain every manner of ingredient, be laced with virulent pathogens, and receive the aegis of regulators and into the market it goes.

3. Raw Frozen Foods Are Not 100% Complete Many RF foods make (or imply) the same spurious 100% complete claim as heat processed foods and thus carry with them the same health dangers. Feeding any food exclusively, let alone a nondescript packaged food containing who-knows-what from who-knows what manufacturing environment, is a bad choice if health and safety are of concern. (See The Truth About Pet Foods by Dr. Wysong).

4. Problems Are Ignored By Producers RF food pathogens include not only bacteria, but fungi, viruses and parasites. Toxins include those from molds (mycotoxins), bacteria and those created by oxidation. In our study of RF products in the stream of commerce, not one producer addressed these concerns with any technological know-how that we could discern, and most did not even acknowledge the problems potentially lurking in their foods.

5. Freezing Masks Inedibles Raw meat and organ tissue continues to use ATP (source of energy) until it is exhausted and the tissue enters a state of rigor. Endogenous enzymatic activity within the tissue continues to digest the muscle tissue (proteolysis), softening it until it becomes tender and develops the typical palatable taste. This process is retarded by cold. The freezing of properly aged meat presents few problems, however, any residual ATP present in the tissue during freezing will contract the muscle upon thawing resulting in a more unpalatable product. Mixed RF foods would hide this problem.

6. Free Radical Problems Masked Essential fatty acids and other health enhancing lipids are critical in the diet. Once foods are ground, mixed, exposed to air, light and pro-oxidants such as heme iron and other metals found in plant and animal tissue, the contained lipids are oxidized to chain reaction producing free-radicals, causing rancidity and oxidant toxins. Freezing at appropriately low temperatures slows this process but does not stop it. The temperature in conventional freezers used for RF foods is not insurance against such oxidation. Because the frozen state masks olfactory detection of rancidity, foods that would be otherwise rejected end up being consumed. The free-radical pathology potential can then work its chronic degenerative disease and immune weakening effects.

7. Freezer Burn Indicates A More Serious Problem Air reaching the meat surface is the cause for the freezer burns that result in the typical grayish-brown leathery spots. Frozen water on the surface or just beneath it sublimates (from solid state directly to vapor) into the air, causing moisture to be lost from the meat over time resulting in discoloration and a dry, leathery texture. Proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent freezer burn, however most packaging is permeable to air. The prevalence of freezer burn in RF products speaks to the fact that the product is being oxidized and with that creating free radical toxins to lay the seeds for various degenerative diseases.

8. Display Packaging Causes Free Radicals Light, as well as air, can promote free radical production. Retail display packaging that is clear or light permeable permits light to catalyze the free radical (disease promoting) process.

9. Frozen Products Are Not Inert To Degradation In frozen storage there is deterioration in organoleptic quality meat texture, fat turning granular and crumbly, and discoloration. Microbial enzymes also remain active, especially lipases that break down fats increasing their susceptibility to oxidation.

10. Frozen Foods Can Lead To Acidemia Tissue degradation and oxidation under high heat freezing (above 29 F), which occurs along the supply chain with most RF products, also leads to acidification. Increasing acid consumption can contribute to acidemia that lies at the base of virtually every chronic degenerative disease plaguing modern pets. (See reference below.)

11. Temperature And Time Are Critical Ice nucleation, as opposed to ice crystallization, is the primary vector in producing a stable, tasty, frozen product. Freezing is a technically complex process based on the optimum combination of temperature and time, amongst other factors. In the wrong processors hands, slips in proper freezing care can lead to a microbiologically unstable product and/or a sensory inferior one. Rapid freezing leads to nucleation, thereby preventing undesirable large ice crystals from forming throughout the product. With rapid freezing the molecules dont have time to form positions in the characteristic six-sided snowflake, so nucleation overrides crystallization. On the other hand, slow freezing (the usual RF situation) creates large ice crystals, which on thawing causes cellular damage to the meat. This in turn causes meat to drip lose juiciness and form a perfect liquid medium for bacterial growth.

12. The High Risk In Thawing Thawing is another critical phase in the freezing process as it involves a change from crystal ice to melted water, which upon reabsorption results in microbial reactivation. Pathogenic bacteria inherently contaminate raw meat, fish, and poultry and will begin to multiply again when the temperature reaches just 29.3 F which is below freezing! Thus a product that may appear subjectively frozen could be a veritable incubator of pathogens. When consumers attempt to thaw RF foods, dangers dramatically increase. The surface temperature rises long before the interior is sufficiently thawed to serve. For example, it takes about 15 hours for the middle of a 22-pound turkey to get to 32 F. In the interim the surface temperature rises to 53 F. In this amount of time there would be about 4 multiplications of spoilage bacteria as well as non-detectable multiplications of pathogens. The FDA Model Food Code (1999) recommends that food be thawed in the refrigerator or in flowing water. Thawing RF food in the refrigerator can be inefficient and time consuming, in addition to occupying refrigeration space required for other food items. Most of all, this lengthy procedure can lead to the risk of cross-contamination when the drip from the raw meat comes in contact with ready-to-eat food stored in the refrigerator. In the alternative, consumers usually put the RF food out at room temperature, creating the perfect circumstance for pathogen proliferation.

13. Undetected Freeze-Thaw Cycles The transit time of RF food from the processor (or John Does kitchen) to the distributor, to the stores and eventually to the consumer is very critical. Although freezer delivery trucks might putatively maintain stable product temperatures, lack of thermocouples fitted in the truck to show temperature readings, and/or inadequate TTIs (time-temperature indicators) can lead to microbiologically infested products without any visible spoilage signs. If the refrigeration in any part of the supply chain fails temporarily and then goes back to frozen (freeze-thaw-freeze), the consumer would never know of this abuse and danger.

14. Supply Chain Time Dangers Time is the enemy of nutrition and safety. The longer the time between the farmers field and the belly, the greater the potential problems. RF foods create the illusion that time is not a factor. Because the frozen state masks toxins and odors, the consumer can be given the impression of value and freshness when, in fact, they may be getting age and toxicity.

15. Microwave Thawing Dangers If RF foods are thawed in the microwave as a matter of convenience, the value of the food is greatly compromised. Microwaves can virtually boil the liquid phase within cells and electromagnetically alter important food components rendering them not only useless nutritionally, but toxic as well.

16. Mycotoxins Go Undetected RF foods, particularly those that are a mix of cooked grains (which of course negates the claim for rawness) and vegetables, can contain mycotoxins. None of the producers surveyed addressed this problem.

17. Frozen Product Mixtures Make No Health Sense In an attempt to cover every conceivable base and not miss any opportunity for profit, many RF producers mix every manner of ingredient. For example, watermelon, grains, persimmons, liver, lamb, etc. Not only would creatures in the wild never eat such a mixed gruel at one sitting, such combinations in the fresh state can cause serious digestive stress. Many of the exotic RF ingredients do not keep well in the fresh frozen state (for example, freeze watermelon alone and see what happens, let alone combining it with meat). Also, the combination of fruit sugars with proteins can potentially create toxins such as glycation end products, acrylamides (particularly in those RF foods containing cooked carbohydrates) and reaction products of proteins with plant tannins, phenols and flavonoids. Producers throwing the book at RF formulations in desperate attempts to capture market share make evident their motives and their scientific, health and technical naivet.

18. Parasites Are Ignored A wide range of parasites can be found within RF foods. Although there is technology in terms of freezing and natural ingredients that can be used to thwart this problem, none of the producers examined employed any of it that we could detect.

Packaging

The best packaging for any food, particularly RF foods, is light- and oxygen-barrier and modified atmosphere flushed. In the absence of this, oxidation proceeds rendering the lipids toxic. None of the producers surveyed employed these technologies that we could detect. Even if they did, the other problems and dangers listed above would remain.

Environmental

We live in an age of pollution and energy diminishment. RF foods require a tremendous amount of refrigeration and equipment all along the supply path. Freezing is energy inefficient and consumes valuable energy resources. Since RF foods are 70% water (at least) there are huge resources wasted in freezing and transporting the tons of this food-contained water through the supply chain. Along with all the equipment, trucking, freezing and frozen water handling inefficiency comes the pollution that parallels such industry.

Quality

In order to make their foods anywhere near affordable, RF producers must search the ingredient market for items that can carry the name of real food but may in fact be only a hollow shell of the real thing. Inferior meat and organ ingredients, heat processed grains and vegetable riffraff (for example broccoli on a label may really be broccoli stems like eating a branch from an apple tree rather than the apple) are used because they are of low cost. That is not to say the marketing brochures and labels do not make it appear as though the brand is not a true gourmet meal. If one reviews the various labels it becomes clear that the race is on to see who can put the fanciest and most exotic ingredients on labels … as if that is the road to pet health. (It is not.) In a brief ingredient survey this is what we found:

Every manner of pureed vegetable
Organic beef, rabbit, chicken, turkey, goat, lamb, duck, pork
Organic honey
Organic papaya, persimmons, blueberries, oranges, apples, pears
Organic yogurt
Organic alfalfa, millet, quinoa and barley sprouts
Wheat grass
Nettles
Bok choy
Cultured kefir
Cod liver oil
Capsicum
Watermelon

The reader is challenged to go to the store and total up the cost of such ingredients. Some of the organic ingredients can cost over $15 per pound. But the RF diets containing them can retail for as little as $2-4 per pound. Take away margins for distributors and retail stores and the producer is selling them wholesale for close to a dollar per pound. Now on top of the cost of ingredients is the production, advertising, packaging, freezing and in some cases a sales force making six figures. Something most certainly does not add up. The only thing that can be missing is true ingredient quality. But how can the label say these expensive ingredients are in the food? All the producer needs to do is put in pinches of the expensive ingredients just to say they are there.

The only economic hope for a RF producer is to create the perception of value added. They simply could not put the costly ingredients in the food to any degree and make a profit for themselves and all the middlemen up and down the chain. The price they would have to charge would be ridiculous. In effect, in order to be successful, producers must become accomplished at propaganda, not health and nutrition.

Consumers interested in cutting through to the truth do themselves and their pets a service by going to the grocery store with a list of the ingredients ostensibly in a RF diet. Although some RF diets in the lower price range appear to not be attempting to mislead, consumers should do the math comparing the exotic ingredients in RF pet foods to the prices for the real thing in the store and decide for themselves whether either value or honesty resides in RF products.

Economics

Consumers are under the mistaken assumption that a nondescript package mix of ingredients with an officious label and from a producer posing as a nutritional authority (none of the producers we examined had people at the helm with expertise or credentials) would be the best choice. Little do they realize that they could avoid essentially all of the caveats listed above by simply going to the grocer and buying fresh meats and produce. Pets do not require every nutrient in existence at every meal, as is the impression given by the 100% complete RF producers, and for that matter the rest of the pet food industry. Why would people choose to pay a producer to mix inferior ingredients, package them, label them, freeze them, transport them, advertise them and pay the margin for the producer, the distributor, sales force and the retailer when they can avoid all that cost and put their money into real quality fresh foods? Some people are so convinced that RF manufacturers perform some sort of magic that they will pay to have such foods put in special insulated containers packed with dry ice and overnight delivered! This is particularly ridiculous when one considers that no real convenience and certainly no health or nutritional value is added in the process. The consumer still has to go to the store and buy something.

At the grocer a person can buy fresh, raw, untainted meats and produce appropriate for pet carnivores at less than $1 per pound. Slightly out-of-date meats, sale items, trimmings or other still excellent products that cannot be put in the meat case can be even less. True, if you are to purchase the ingredients listed above in perfect human grade organic form (as many RF producers boast) the cost could be far greater. But at least you would know what you are getting. RF foods can cost as much as $7 per pound with an average of about $3-4 per pound (not including shipping to the customers door) and most of that cost is going into freezing, transportation and profits through a whole chain of participants. Here is a case where a consumer gets to pay more (a whole lot more) and get less (a whole lot less). Isnt marketing a wonderful thing?

A Better Alternative

Fresh foods fed in variety are without question the perfect form of nutrition. Appropriately designed supplements to help reduce the risk of food-borne pathogens and oxidation, and to help balance high meat meals and provide a spectrum of vegetable-based nutrients and nutraceuticals can also be of great benefit. Anything less than this is a compromise. The next best alternative is packaged dried raw foods that have incorporated in them food technology to impede pathogens, parasites and oxidation. The low water activity of these products is a great inhibitor of pathogens and the low level of moisture make storage and shipping efficient and environmentally friendly. Good quality table scraps and properly designed dried extruded and canned foods can be mixed into the diet rotation with benefit as well.

Consumers must learn the principles of fresh foods fed in variety and to trust in nature. Every pet owner desires the best for a beloved pet, and is correct in thinking food is an essential element in achieving that goal. But it is incorrect to believe that another person can do more for their pets health than they can do themselves. All that is required is a little understanding and use of common sense.

[ NOTE: To that end, the Wysong Institute makes available a free e-Health Letter, a free one-hour CD entitled, The Thinking Persons Master Key To Health, healthy product alternatives designed intelligently with health as the number one objective, and books and recipes for anyone wanting to take control of their own and their familys and pets health. See www.wysonginstitute.org

References:

Cano-Muoz, G. (1991). Manual on meat cold store operation and management. FAO Animal Production And Health Paper 92. Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations, Rome.

FDA Food Code (1999). U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Pub. No. PB99-115925. Washington, D.C. 20250

Food Safety and Inspection Service (2004). FOCUS ON: Freezing. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Washington, D.C. 20250

Klose, A.A., Lineweaver, H., and Palmer, H.H. (1968). Thawing turkeys at ambient air temperature. Food Tech. 22:1310-1314.

Muldrew, K. and McGann, L.E. (1999). Cryobiology – A Short Course. http://www.ucalgary.ca/~kmuldrew/cryocourse/cryochap131.html

Snyder, O. P. (1999). Thawing At Ambient Temperature On The Counter. Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, St. Paul, MN.

Wysong, R. L. (2004). Nutrition is a Serious Health Matter: The serious responsibility of manufacturing and selling. Wysong Institute, Midland, MI.

Wysong, R. L. (1990). Lipid Nutrition: Understanding Fats and Oils in Health and Disease. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong R. L. (1993). Rationale for Animal Nutrition. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2000-2005). Wysong e-Health Letter. Wysong Institute, Midland, MI. For subscriptions: http://www.wysong.net/subscribehl.shtml, and archived at http://www.wysong.net/archivesehl.shtml

Wysong, R. L. (2002). The Truth About Pet Foods. Midland, MI: Inquiry Press.

Wysong, R. L. (2003, January 14). What to do to reverse and prevent acidemia. The Wysong e-Health Letter. http://www.wysong.net/health/post101011403.shtml Wysong Institute, Midland, MI.

Wysong, R. L. (2004). The Thinking Persons Master Key to Health (60 Minute CD Discussion). Wysong Institute, Midland, MI.

Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 15 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at Wysong@Wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at http://www.wysong.net

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Who gets a ribbon? Your Shih Tzu puppy or dog will receive a ribbon if your Shih Tzu puppy or dog places first through fourth position regardless of how many entries there are in each class at a dog show. The ribbons your Shih Tzu puppy or dog wins from the American Kennel Club licensed dog shows has the American Kennel Club seal, name of the show, date and the placement.

If you plan to also breed your new Shih Tzu puppy these ribbons can be very impressive to your prospective buyers. Because of this fact a Shih Tzu puppy registered with the American Kennel Club can be worth more in terms of monetary gain for the owner should the new owner ever decide to re-sell the Shih Tzu puppy or to produce puppies for sale. More often than not, an AKC full registration with full breeding and showing rights will cost a consumer anywhere from $200 on up.

The Classes Color Of Winning Ribbons:

Blue ribbons for first place.
Red ribbons are for second place.
Yellow ribbons are for third place.
White ribbons are for fourth place.
Purple ribbons are Winners Dog or Winners Bitch
Purple and White ribbons are for Reserve Dog and Reserve Bitch
Blue and White ribbons are for Best of Winners
Purple and Gold are for Best of Breed
Red and White ribbons are for Best of Opposite Sex

The Six Group Color Ribbons:

First prize is a blue rosette or ribbon
Second placement is red.
Third placement is yellow.
Fourth placement is white.

The Best In Show Shih Tzu puppy or dog rosette is either red, white and blue, or incorporates the colors used in the show-giving clubs emblem.

How does your Shih Tzu puppy or Shih Tzu dog qualify for championship points? Championship points are based on the popularity of the breed in entries and the number of dogs competing in the classes. Championship points are given for Winners Dog and Winners Bitch. The scale of points can vary in different sections of the country. The scale of points is usually published in the front of each dog show catalog. The points can differ between dogs and bitches at the same show. Additional points are gained by winning Best of Winners, if there are fewer dogs than bitches entered, or vice versa. Points never exceed five at any one show. Championship status is determined by earning a total of fifteen points. The fifteen points must be won under at least three different judges and you must acquire at least two major wins. Three to five point wins is a major. One and two point wins are minor wins. Two major wins must be won under different judges to meet championship requirements.

Dog Show Photographs:

Every show has a professional photographer who is more than happy to take a photograph of your Shih Tzu puppy or dog with the judge, ribbons and trophies, along with you or your handler. These proud remembrances of your Shih Tzu puppy or dog show wins can be framed for display purposes. The photos of your Shih Tzu puppy or dog show wins can also be very impressive to advertise puppies produced from their matings.

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

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In 2005 robotics companies found a niche that they may not have expected would take off as it did with such intensity. Robotic Pets became one of those market niches. In Japan, consumer are lining up to get their very own new robotic pet. Apparently we are seeing the American Consumer is also very interested in Robotic Toy pets for their children as they do not take much extra care and the kids really like them.

The parents like them too. Many of these robotic pets are capable of fetching the paper and other silly things. Some of the newest versions in 2005 at the Tokyo Robotics Expo were WiFi wireless units, would guard your house while you were away, even take a digital picture of the intruders, mailman or delivery people and send it wirelessly to your home computer which would email you while at work?

We will see these trends continue and even one company already stated that their latest robotic dog would mop the floor rather than pee on it while you were away and could send real time live video feed to your mobile PDA or cell phone. You can expect that the prices of robotic pets will come down to the price of the iRobot vacuums and that whatever the consumer demands the engineers of these robotic animals will design and have to market within the year. Think on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

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It happens almost with all pet shop owners when a un-suspecting customer comes for a look at your shop and while going round meets that superb exotically colored Macaw who greets him with a enthusiastic Hi and soon he realizes How wonderful it would look in his house and within a few minutes he is on his way back with his new found Love A parrot.

Now do you know if that particular lover loves enough? I have seen marriages going sore in two years because the lovers were not finding themselves loving enough. Now what with this macaw, his new Crush? who lives close to 100 years and have a special dietary requirements , needs to be let out, fed and handled daily unlike your spouse. This ignorance might lead to a unhappy marriage ending with a dejected pet owner and a bird in a wretched condition.

So if you intend for a happy marriage with your pet then choose your spouse well and none of you complain. How do you go about looking? Are there tips ? Sure there are. The essence of pet keeping is choosing a pet which suits your conditions and temperament right.

What Size Bird is Best for You?

Its common sense that bigger birds will obviously need bigger commitments involved in keeping them healthy. Though large birds are great as companions they are a messy , louder and more demanding than many of the smaller breeds. Its always advisable for a novice to go for medium sized birds instead of very large or small breeds. The care, training, housing and other requirements are directly proportional to the size of the bird so choose well, dont fall for its present size think realistically how much actually you can handle. The small bird in hand will grow up in near future and you certainly dont want to keep changing your schemes every now and then as the bird grows up so be practical in reasoning about the size of the bird you choose. AND this is most important.

Behavior and Temperament

It imperative that you do a bit of soul searching on how you want your bird to be? Do you want a bird who would be more willing to come out of the cage and socialize or some one who is a pleasure to the eyes but would not really like to be pampered or touched? This is a vital step in ensuring a pleasant experience of bird keeping . Different breeds of birds exhibit different types behavioral patterns. Those willing to buy a bird please do a bit of research on the behavioral patterns of a breed to be able to rightly judge if it is compatible to your personality or wants.

Nutrition and Maintenence

You should also keep in mind that not all birds require similar diets or other cares like in the case of Lorries who is gifted with magnificent colors and amired all over, but they are not for novice as their special digestive systems requires their food to consist of fruits , pollen, nectar and as a result pass on liquid droppings which in turn makes it apparent for a more frequent cleansing of the living place than with other medium sized birds. This is of course a singular example and you should do a bit more research on the specific type of bird you choose to be with.

Budget and Finances Consult with your financial planners well as Bird keeping is not exactly cheap. Though the cost factor depends largely on the breed .The bigger birds are generally costlier and their tag can go up to thousands of dollars initialy and along with it include the cost of accessories, cage, food etc which are also costlier than their counterparts, The smaller breeds. Smaller breeds of birds are comparatively less expensive initially but they also have their share of expenses in the later part of their life. Some birds DO live long and it adds to their regular maintenance costs and vet expenses so keep this is in mind as well.

Time Commitments Take a note like your wife Howls at you if you dont spend time with her birds like hookbill will also not like the fact that you ignore them and become unhappy and sick if you dont spend atleast two hours a day interacting with them so do you have that time? You dont? then why in vite worries? In your case I would suggest some independent nature birds who will not really mind if you dont spend time with them they know how to enjoy life themselves.

These considerations and little realistic planning will ensure that you are Happy with your bird and its more important that the bird will also be happier with you. And trust me when we have atleast two happy souls dwelling in a home its no less than Heaven.

I am from INDIPETS remember and visit us. Bulk importers and wholesellers click here to buy in wholesale (we have a online shopping section for wholesale importers also) Retail buyers can buy online from the site and those who want to see a one page product details on dog products can see it at http://www.geocities.com/presencemakessense

If you require to buy chihuahua pups visit us we sell top quality pups from our facility in USA. We also sell live reptiles, corals, and other fishes and reptiles (Cites certified and non cites certified ) from our facilities in Indonesia, India, Thailand, Tanzania, etc,.

Our brief product list .Live rocks, Ornamental fishes, Cites certified animals Live chihuahua pups, Bird,Dog products , Fish products, Cat products, Reptile products, Small animals products..

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Every child when they get their first dog wants to teach them tricks. Parents delight as they watch their child trying to teach their dog how to sit, jump, and fetch. What is even more delightful is the look on your childs face the first time the dog does what they say! This article is going to look at several tricks you can teach your dog whether they are a puppy or an older dog. You will find that your dog can be very helpful as well as fun.

When teaching your dog tricks you should use positive reinforcement when they perform the right behavior such as teaching them how to turn the light off/on, shake hands, or roll over. Tricks are not only fun but also they can improve agility in your dog such as teaching them to jump through a hoop, balancing a biscuit and catching it. Dogs love to learn tricks. They keep your dog alert and energetic and give you and your dog a chance to have fun as well as get some things done around the house. You can train your dog to bring you the remote control, find your keys, or bring you the dirty clothes. If your hands are full you can train them to open the door (this can be any door or drawer) for you on command (you do not want your dog to go wandering around outside alone). If you are thirsty, you can combine a trick of opening a door and bringing an item to train your dog to go to the refrigerator and bring you a soda!

Before you teach tricks to your dog, it is important that they have the basics down such as, sit, stay, heel. Once your dog has mastered these you can delight and entertain friends by having your dog take a bow, or sit up pretty. Remember when you are training your dog always to use positive reinforcement and lots of praise and hugs. Do not forget the special treats that they love the most! When teaching your dog new tricks do so in short intervals. You do not want to your dog to become bored and uninterested. A little bit throughout the day is good. They will learn the trick and to your delight will perform it without being asked (for the treat and loves of course).

If your dog loves to carry things in their mouth, you can very easily train them to carry a basket. When you are expecting company over you can put something special in a basket and give your dog a command to carry the basket to your friends! Make sure the basket is weight appropriate. Young children love to move around, as do dogs, so put on some music, and teach your dog how to dance and crawl. Their will be giggles and laughter throughout your house. You can amaze your friends and family by having your dog touch anything you want with their nose as well. Dancing is a great trick to teach dogs that love to jump on everything and everyone!

Teaching your dog basic commands is important because a well-behaved dog is a safe and happy dog. When you teach them new tricks you use primarily the same methods you do when teaching them basic commands. Make the command words simple one or two words at the most and make it fun with lots of praise and special treats. Make sure the treats are small you do not want to over feed your dog. A treat does not need to be an entire dog cookie. Break it into very small pieces and reward him with these smaller treats.

Zahid N. Sindhu is a dog enthusiast who, after noticing the lack of an online resource for dog lovers in Pakistan, decided to launch http://www.DogsPK.com The site features a comprehensive list of breeds, breeders, veterinarians and online classifieds. The site also has a forum where people meet to discuss their canine friends.

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