Shadow had been the cat in our house for over seven years when we moved from the country into town. His usual lifestyle including roaming our five acres whenever he wished. Moving to town required him to be a house cat, and he managed for two months. Then one Friday morning as I left for work, he streaked out the door. I called him, but he was gone.

Oh, well, I thought, hell be back, probably waiting for me when I get home.

When I arrived home, I asked my husband if he had seen Shadow, and he hadnt. I wasnt really worried, though, until Saturday came but Shadow didnt. By Monday, I began to worried in earnest. I couldnt call the animal control office until they opened at nine, and my planning period began at 8:55. Needless to say I was calling when the clock showed nine oclock.

Hello, have you found a large black cat with yellow eyes? I asked.

Maam, we have four black cats. Can you give any distinguishing marks?

Hes a male, weighs nearly twenty pounds, but he isnt fat at all. His undercoat is a dark brown, but he looks solid black.

I think we may have him. Come by, pay the fine, get his shots, and hes yours. The man sounded disgusted. All he does is sit in the corner of his cage and glare. He was one of the cats brought in that had been trapped by one of the landlords in that neighborhood. Doesnt like cats.

On the way home, I stopped by the animal shelter. Shadow still hunkered in a corner of the cage, glaring. When I called his name, he stood and sauntered to the front of the enclosure, tilted his head and squinted his eyes. He allowed me to pick him up, oomph, heavy cat. When we got into the car, he sat in the passenger seat ignoring me until we were nearly to the house. Then with one bound, he pressed up against the side of my leg, his head on my arm. I held him the rest of the way home, driving with one hand.

I knew we had to find a way that the cat could go outside but wouldnt leave the yard. Shadow was smart, almost human, but he didnt get the concept of staying in the yard. The job became leashing a cat. A collar wouldnt work because if he climbed and became caught, he could strangle. I bought the largest cat harness the store had and two long leashes that could be hooked together. Bringing them home, I put the harness on the cat. Lets revise that last statement; I tried to put the harness on the cat. It was too small. I kept the leashes and returned the harness.

The next day, I gathered Shadow in my arms, and we drove to a local pet store. I carried him into the shop, where we looked at harnesses in the dog department. I took the cat and one harness over to a counter. I sat Shadow on the top while I readied the harness.

Youre just going to leave the cat there without any restraint? one of the clerks asked.

Sure. He wont move until I tell him he can, I answered as I slipped the harness on the calm, miniature panther.

The cat sniffed the harness before yowling softly. He then lay down to clean his paws as I paid for the harness, one for a medium sized dog.

I gave Shadow a few days to become used to his harness before attaching the leash, first just one as I held the other end. He didnt like coming to the end of the leash confused him at first, but after a few lessons, he learned that the leash limited his activity space. We would have a time on the leash three times a day for thirty minutes.

After a week of times on the one leash in the house, I snapped both leashes together and one end on Shadows harness. We went to the front yard for fifteen minutes to start the next step in preparing the cat for leash life. Each day we lengthened the time outside until we stayed for an hour. The next day, I connected one end of the connected leashes to a post and left Shadow by himself. He did well for the two hours I left him on his own. The next outing was in the back yard. On a Saturday morning, when I could be home, I placed him on the leash in the backyard, and I left him while I did housework. I checked him periodically through the window, but everything appeared fine. Then one time I looked out and couldnt see Shadow. I hurried to the back yard to find him hanging from the top of the fence. He never tried to go over a fence while hooked to the leash again. I was glad I hadnt tried a collar around his neck.

Leashing a cat is possible, rewarding, and successful for both cat and owner if certain steps are taken:

1. Use a harness that fits the cat snugly but not too tightly.
2. Allow the cat to become familiar and comfortable wearing the harness.
3. Start lessons with a single leash hooked to the harness and the other end in your hand while you and the cat are in the house. Begin with fifteen minutes and lengthen time up to thirty minutes.
4. When the cat appears comfortable with the leash being used in the house, add the other leash to the end of the first and move outside. Stay with the cat each trip to the yard until he is comfortable.
5. Once the cat is left outside alone on the leash, check periodically to be sure he hasnt gotten into trouble.
6. Never leave a cat on a leash outside if no one will be home to check on him.

After Shadow was leash-broken, we could take him anywhere with us, including trips, and not worry about him. Travel became much easier for him and us.

Shadow also never spent any more time in a cage.

Vivian Gilbert Zabel taught composition for twenty-five years. Her portfolo is http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel. Her books, Hidden Lies and Other Stories and Walking the Earth, can be found through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

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Cats have been a part of my household for over forty years; no, not the same cats, but various ones over the years. Many have been protective of their kittens or litter mates or even of their human family members to some extent, but none have been attack cats like Funny Face.

Funny Face choose me; I did not choose him. We had a spayed female named G.G. when my husband brought two kittens home from an auction as a favor for a friend. A brother and sister left from a litter of twelve kittens needed homes. My husband offered help. Funny Face decided that he had found a home and a person of his own.

The first time Funny Face showed protective tendencies, my husband was gone overnight, and the cat, who slept by my feet, jumped from the bed, growling. He ran to the front door, still growling. He rushed to the kitchen and followed the path inside that someone took around the outside of the house, growling constantly. He stood at the back door listening for a couple of minutes, and we both heard someone climb over the back fence. Funny Face ran back to the bed, hopped in his regular spot, and immediately went to sleep. After that, anytime my husband wasnt home, Funny Face became the protector. When my husband was home, guess the cat decided protection was the mans job.

One night, we heard Funny Face yowling outside. Thinking he was hurt, I ran to the door, switching on the light before going out on the porch. I called Funny Face, and he sped to me, his fur and tail literally standing on end. He stopped in front of me and turned to face the blackness beyond the light. My husband joined me before we saw the dog, a broken chain dangling from his collar. Robert sat on the bench on the porch and called the dog to him, hoping to find a phone number or something on the tag which also hung from the collar. Funny Face pressed against my legs as I told him everything was okay.

My husband grasped the dogs collar, trying to read the tag, but he couldnt hold dog and tag. He asked me to see if I could read it. I moved toward the dog, and Funny Face leaped toward the dog, growling and spitting. I scooped the cat into my arms, but he didnt calm down until I moved back into the house. The dog took off, never to be seen by us again.

One time I was in the back yard, and a dog on the other side of the solid wood fence started barking. Funny Face took a defensive stance, once again putting himself between me and the perceived danger, growling and ready to attack.

Researching has not helped me discover if Funny Faces behavior is common. I cannot find any information about a cat acting as he does. Perhaps no one has told him that he is a cat, not a dog. Aggression that others write about concerns cat versus cat or cat aggression toward a person, even its owner, but no word about a protectiveness toward its person.

Funny Face, though, is my attack cat, and anything or anyone who might try to harm me would have to go through him. Here, pretty kitty. Thats a good boy.

To gain the friendship of a cat is a difficult thing. The cat is a philosophical, methodical, quiet animal, tenacious of its own habits, fond of order and cleanliness, and it does not lightly confer its friendship. If you are worthy of its affection, a cat will be your friend, but never your slave. He keeps his free will, though he loves, and he will not do for you what he thinks is unreasonable. But if he once gives himself to you it is with absolute confidence and affection! Theophile Gautier, 1850

After teaching for years, Vivian Gilbert Zabel became an author on Writing.Com, http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel, and with books, Hidden Lies and Other Stories and Walking the Earth found through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

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Whether or not animals are smart or just react according to instinct has been debated for many years. A German shepherd grabs the back of a three-year-olds pants as she tries to climb over the backyard fence: Is that herding instinct or the intelligence of a pet knowing the child was not supposed to be climbing over the fence.? I am one of the people who say some animals, especially some pets, understand us and show intelligence.

The German shepherd mentioned previously grew up with our daughter. When both were nearly three-months old, I sat the baby in an infant seat just inside the back screen door, where I could see her, while I hung up clothes on the line. Pepper ran around the fenced yard, coming by for attention before taking off again. My daughter, who had been happily playing with her hands, started crying. I put the diaper in my hands back in the basket of clothes and started toward the door. Pepper rushed by me, hopped up the steps, and gave a soft woof at the baby. The baby stopped mid-sob, stared wide-eyed at the dog, and burst into giggles, her first laugh.

I returned to my task while Pepper remained outside the screen door for a few minutes. Then she jumped down to run over to me. I petted her head. Good girl. You are the best babysitter, Pepper.

A few minutes later, the baby cried again. Pepper ran to the screen and woofed at her again. My daughter laughed. That became the procedure for the rest of the time I hung clothes.

This dog could be shown the limits of our yard, and she would not cross that imaginary line unless my husband or I gave her permission, no matter what the temptation provided.

But Pepper wasnt the only pet who understood. Shadow, a miniature black panther (he looked like one and moved like one), definitely understood what people said and acted more human than many people. When we lived in the country, we had a mouse problem, but Shadow would not lower himself to catch any of them. We got another cat who was an excellent mouser. One day the other cat caught a mouse, and I told Shadow, See, Tabby knows her job.

The male cat glared at me and stalked to the door, demanding to be let out. I opened the door for him, and he streaked outside. A few minutes later, he scratched at the door. I opened it to find him on the porch, a rat under one foot. He looked at me a few seconds before slapping the rat off the porch. Guess he showed me what he could do if he wanted.

Sometime later, we were given a Siamese kitten, one supposedly a female. The kitten was so scared that its tail curled up between its hind legs. We never checked its sex because we were told it was a she, and most tomcats wont tolerate another one. Shadow sniffed at Taffy and walked away. That night we put her in a box in the bathroom next to our bedroom. Shadow slept in the top stacking basket on the bookshelf headboard above my head. When the kitten started yowling, before I could crawl out of bed, Shadow leaped to the floor and ran to the bathroom (he could open the door). When I arrived, the huge male was cleaning and comforting the tiny kitten.

When Taffy no longer had to stay in the bathroom, he followed Shadow everywhere. But the night we went to bed, Shadow and my husband with me, and found Taffy in Shadows bed, I had to leave the room to laugh. Shadow jumped up, booted the kitten out, and pushed him into the second basket down before jumping into his own bed. He hung his head down to stare at Taffy, said a few choice words in catanese, and went to sleep. Taffy slept in the lower bunk from then on.

As we prepared to moved to town, my daughter helped me pack. We took a break in the living room. Shadow lay in the middle of the carpet, sleeping. My daughter asked me what we were going to do with all the cats. I told her that all but Shadow had new homes.

Then since youre going to be in town, youll need to have him fixed, wont you? she asked.

Shadows head flew up. He stared at my daughter and then shuddered all over.

We both laughed as he glared. (Yes, cats can certainly glare.)

Several months later, one of my former students wanted to practice his vacuum cleaner presentation, so we agreed. He sat in the middle of the living room visiting after he had given his spiel. I was on the couch, Shadow beside me.

Thats one big cat, Jack remarked, but I like dogs better because theyll roll over and let me rub their stomachs.

Shadow jumped down, walked in front of Jack, flopped down, and rolled over. Jack sat staring at the cat.

Go ahead, rub his stomach, I said.

Jack did as he laughingly remarked, I think he really understood me.

I have given only a short list of the anecdotic examples I have just from my own pets. I firmly believe that animals can and do understand, that they have more than instinct to guide them. Yes, some are not as intelligent as others, but those who live and interact with people can and do understand. Too bad we cant understand them as well.

A retired English and composition teacher, Vivian Gilbert Zabel now concentrates on writing, with books Hidden Lies … and Walking the Earth… found on Amazon.com and a portfolio on http://www.writing.com. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

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Buying a horse is a big commitment in both time and money. The emotional energy spent is a large factor as well. With so many horses for sale, how do you choose?

If you buy a horse before you lay the correct groundwork, you run the risk of coming home with one that isn’t suitable for you. At the worst, he could be dangerous and at best, you could easily spend a thousand dollars or more to get professional trainer to correct the problems.

Make a plan before you look at horses for sale and do these 10 basic steps first.

1. Take riding lessons for at least six months.

Horse riding lessons will teach you the basics of control and the foundation for correct horsemanship. In addition to learning to ride a horse, youll also learn how to safely groom and handle one. You’ll establish a relationship with a professional horse person in your area who knows you and who you can turn to for help if you need it.

2. Decide on the type of riding you want to do.

There are many types of horse riding styles. The most basic are Western or English. Then you can break down those two styles into many subcategories. You don’t have to make one choice exclusive of all others. Many people enjoy riding both styles and compete in both.

Decide if you want a horse to trail ride and just enjoy having him or if you want to be competitive and show.

3. Horse’s personality

The type of personality you want for your horse depends a lot on the type of riding you want to do and also your personality. Some riders want a horse with a big engine and a lot of fire. Others like a horse to be quiet and laid back.

Its usually easier to get the laid back one to rev his engine than to get a hot horse to relax.

4. Decide on what breed of horse you most want.

Once youve decided on the type of riding youre interested in and the type of personality you want your horse to have, the breed choice will become easier. Some breeds are associated with certain types of riding. For instance, a Thoroughbred or Warmblood breed are usually thought of for the Hunter/Jumper circuit or dressage. In the past, the Quarter Horse, Appaloosas and Paints were thought of for Western riding. Today, these breeds can successfully compete at all levels with the more traditional hunter type horse.

If you want a very smooth ride, look at the gaited breeds such as Missouri Foxtrotters, Tennessee Walkers or Paso Finos.

5. Decide on how big a horse you need.

If youre looking for a horse for a child, buy a pony that your child can groom and handle now. A too big horse is intimidating for a young child to deal with.

If youre looking for one for yourself, consider the type of riding you want to do. Western styles of riding do not require a large horse and most of the stock type horses can carry a large adult even if the horse is 15 hands or smaller.

If you want to show in hunter/jumper classes, a 16 hand horse is necessary to be competitive. However, if your plans are to learn to jump and go to small local shows, youll save money by buying a smaller horse.

6. Decide on the gender of the horse.

A gelding or a mare should be your only consideration. A stallion is difficult to handle and can be downright dangerous even if you are a very experienced rider. He isnt suitable unless youre in the breeding business.

Geldings make great riding horses and companions. Preferably he was gelded before his second birthday so that he never learned stallion behavior.

Mares sometimes get a bad rap for being difficult every time she comes into heat. Perhaps some are, but there are many wonderful mares with very stable personalities.

7. Decide where you will keep your horse.

If you plan to board, check out several boarding stables. Your first choice is probably the barn where youve been taking riding lessons. Look at some others to have for back-up choices and as a general comparison.

If you plan to keep your horse on your own property, be sure to have safe fencing, a solid barn and know your time schedule will allow you to feed your horse at least twice a day every day rain or shine. Find out any local and state liability laws for a horse property before you bring your new horse home.

8. Figure how much you can afford for the initial price of a horse.

The original purchase price of a horse is a large upfront expense. Obviously, the more you can afford to spend on a horse, the more choices youll have to look at when shopping. If you have this money saved up in advance, youll have better leverage with a seller. If you have to buy your horse on payments, youll limit your bargaining power and choices because many sellers wont want to take payments.

9. Figure out your monthly expenses.

Monthly expenses include board, lessons and supplements if you keep your horse at a boarding stable. If you keep your horse at home, youll be buying feed, hay and stall bedding instead of a board bill.

There are reoccurring expenses that dont come every month but still need to be added up for a years cost and averaged as a monthly expense. These include farrier visits, worming, vaccinations and vet care such as floating teeth and a yearly Coggins test.

10. Tack and Supplies

Purchase the basic supplies before you get your horse so that youll be all set when you bring him home. Brushes, shampoo, liniment, leg wraps, buckets and a first aid kit are a good start on supplies to have ready.

An all purpose headstall and a few bits, saddle pads, a saddle, halter and a long lead rope with a stout snap are your basic tack supplies.

If you follow these 10 steps before you begin horse shopping, youll have a clear idea of the horse that will be the best choice for you when you do begin your search.

Carol Bertrand has been a horse lover since she was a little girl. She raised and trained Quarter Horses and Paint Horses for 25 years. Her riding students have won many USDF regional titles on horses she helped them purchase. For her free horse shopping blueprint, go to http://BuyaHorse101.com/download-blueprint.html.

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When people talk about their pets, they give the cats, dogs, even fish human characteristics. People without pets may think pet owners have lost touch with reality, especially if the pets take on aspects of beloved children. Animal lovers, on the other hand, cannot comprehend those without pets.

Which leads us to the situation when an author includes a pet or pets in a story or novel, the possible problem of alienating some readers while entrancing others. Does that mean that a writer must choose between cat lovers and I-prefer-to-leave-cats-aloners? Or that an author has to decide whether to appeal to dog owners and not to those who see no need for dogs? No, a creative writer can manage to keep both types of readers dangling on her every word.

How can one make pets a viable part of a story or book? A few suggestions may help.

Dont say the same thing over and over. In fact, thats good advice for any writing project. Readers, at least most, are not morons. If an author mentions something once, twice at the most, readers will get the idea.

Keep the animal likable, not boring or hateful, not boring. As with any other character in a story, a pet needs to have a personality that makes it real. Perhaps it has one personality when around one person but a different one around another. Work that into the story. Make the reader see the animal. Make the reader like or hate the pet.

Dont make the animal one dimensional. Creating a pet that becomes a rounded character rather than one that is flat, or one dimensional, may be more difficult than with a human. However, a good writer can accomplish that goal by incorporating different traits the animal possesses into the story. A short list of possible traits would include the following:

1. Physical description
2. Way it moves
3. Sounds it makes
4. Actions and reactions under different conditions
5. Likes and dislikes

Whether the pet is a major character of minor one, make the animal character believable. That doesnt mean what the author writes has to be real, but that by suspending reality, the reader can see it in his imagination. Motivation for actions and reactions is the key to believability.

Actually, all Ive said in all these words is, Authors, write about a pet, an animal, in fiction as you would about any other character. The pet should live in the writers mind as any character would. The author should be able to describe the animals physical appearance as well as its personality and actions.

Readers should never exclaim, as they read, Pets do what? They should nod as they can see what is being shown in the writing.

Vivian Gilbert Zabel, an author with a portfolio on http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel, has two books: Walking the Earth:Lifes Perspectives in Poetry and Hidden Lies and Other Stories. This article was submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

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Separation anxiety is a behavioral problem that manifests itself in a number of different ways. When left alone some dogs will whine, bark, or destroy your stuff. Separation anxiety, at its root, is caused by stress. When your dog is not able to be near you it is a source of such stress that is causes these irritating behaviors. It is important, though, to understand the cause of this dog behavior problem so that you can attack it effectively.

Understand that correcting your dog, yelling, or other such traditional forms of discipline may backfire with separation anxiety. As I mentioned earlier, separation anxiety is caused by stress. Actions that add more stress will not help but hinder your progress in dealing with this dog behavior problem.

Take a sensitive approach to correcting this problem. Understand that fixing this dog behavior problem will require a shift in your dogs perception of the world. Right now his perception tells him that not being near you is a cause of fear, panic, and worry. Proper training for separation anxiety will show your dog that being without you is not something to fear.

The best way to approach this problem is by doing proper crate training. You need to show your dog that it is possible to be alone and to not feel stress.

Start out by putting your dog in the crate, closing the door, and sitting in front of the crate. Your dog may whine, cry, and bark. Do not pay attention! If you pander to his whining you will succeed not in fixing his separation anxiety problem, but will train him to whine uncontrollably. Just wait him out. As soon as he has calmed down sufficiently, let him out of the crate.

Lets examine this process from your dogs point of view. He knows that being separated from you causes huge amounts of stress, yet you put him in his crate and cause him stress. Invariably he feels stressed and manifests it by whining and crying. He feels that these actions will alleviate his stress. They dont, however. His screaming does nothing to help his situation because you dont pay attention to him. Eventually, he tires of this. When he spends a few moments in the crate being calm you are actually training him. You are showing him that there are other ways to deal with stress. Before he only believed that he could deal with stress in one way, now, being calm is an alternative. If you persist in this course of training you will create a new pattern or new behavior. You will slowly train him to be calm and to accept not being near you.

When you have accomplished your dog being calm in the crate while you are at home, start venturing outside. Leave the house and wait for only a few minutes. Gradually increase the time until you can leave for hours and your dog is fine in his crate. When you have accomplished this, you have trained him to know that being without you doesnt cause stress.

When you have arrived at this point, you can gradually wean your dog off the use of the crate. Allow him more freedom when you are home and when you are gone. I would recommend that you always keep the crate handy and use it a few times a week, even when your dog is cured of his separation anxiety. This will help to maintain the training you have done.

Separation anxiety is a dog behavior problem that can take time to fix, but is definitely within the scope of your capabilities.

Author Ty Brown is a renowned dog trainer whose training adventures and clients have taken him to 18 states and 5 countries to teach others how to properly train their dogs. Go to dogbehavioronline.com for more dog training articles, advice, tips, and answers from a professional dog trainer.

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Are you a serious dog lover? Do you want to make a career out of taking care of pets? Perhaps you’d like to be a certified pet first aid expert, or the manager of a dog day camp or kennel. How else should you start on your dream, but to check out the dog training schools in your home town? Dog training schools are always in great demand. In fact, the most popular ones are always fully booked! Sometimes the students are merely pet enthusiasts, eager to learn how to take care of the dogs they already have, and would like to have in the future. But sometimes, the students are serious-minded academicians, ready and willing to plunge into the world of pet psychology.

But these schools are in demand precisely because pet care experts are needed everywhere. Licensed and qualified dog trainers are indispensable to dog owners who breed pedigree dogs, intent on raising them to become champion performers. Dog training schools are also great launch pads for those who are seriously thinking of a career in veterinary science. What can you get in dog training schools that you won’t be able to get all by yourself, off the Internet, and for free? Well, the biggest thing waiting for you in schools is the privilege of getting hands-on experience. You get practical training in things that would remain theoretical, otherwise. Practical training gives you the experience you need, so you are never caught short-handed in case of emergencies on the job. You are able to exercise all your senses and learn how it feels to put your back into your work.

Another thing is, you get to mingle with certified professionals, as well as other pet enthusiasts. Nothing beats being able to see pet care professionals in action, getting to talk to them and sometimes even participating in their basic and advanced exercises. This interaction is the best way to supplement your stock knowledge. Plus, you are able to network with other pet care professionals who may be able to help you get jobs, or further your pet care education.

There may be schools offering distance certification in pet care, via the Internet, which allows you to study from home and just submit proof of your achievements online. But this does not come with the benefits of enrolling in dog training schools and attending classes. If you really want to be an expert, spend time and money on your training: it’s worth it!

Puppy-train.com provides you with information on dog barking, dog training collars, dog training schools, dog grooming supplies and homemade dog treats. Go to http://www.puppy-train.com/

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Theres a horse show across the state in a few weeks, and youre planning on being there with your horses. However, its been awhile since you last pulled a horse trailer, and youre a little concerned about your trailering skills. After all, you want to arrive at your destination safely, with the horses as calm and relaxed as possible.

Guiding a loaded horse trailer down a country road or highway requires practical experience and know-how. Theres very little room for error. What do you do to ensure a safe, uneventful journey?

How to Ensure Safe Trailering

If youre out of practice, or if youve never towed a trailer before, obtaining adequate personal experience prior to the actual event is of the utmost importance. Just as if you were learning to drive for the first time, you should begin by practicing basic driving skills before getting out in traffic with the trailer.

The more experienced you become, the more prepared you will be for anything that may potentially happen. With more confidence and a higher level of awareness and preparedness, you should be better able to handle any unexpected situation that comes along.

Find a level field or a parking lot in which to practice. Mark your course with several highway cones, then, set out to work on the following driving skills:

Ready for the Highway

After youve practiced all the basic driving skills while pulling your horse trailer and you feel confident in your ability to handle the rig safely, youre ready to test your skills out on the road.

Try towing your trailer for short distances, at first. Make sure that you feel comfortable with turning corners in traffic, with backing your trailer, with parking on a grade, and with being able to stop your trailer quickly (should the need arise). Once you are confident in your towing abilities, youre ready to travel any distance with your horses.

Just remember to always be alert when out on the roads. Drive defensively and be prepared for any possible situation.

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You love your dog. You would do anything for your dog. Well your home may not be the best place for your dog to live a long and happy life.

Just like parents often put poisonous things into a babys room (like new wallpaper and plastic toys) and wonder why the baby is sick, people often expose their dog to things that will kill them and wonder why the dog is sick or dying.

Dogs get sick and die from cancer. That is a fact. But did you know that household cleaning products will cause cancer?

An example is bleach. Everyone knows that it interfers with breeding dogs by altering the sex hormones and by killing sperm. But did you know it can alter DNA to the point that tumors develop?

You find bleach in many of the household products that your dog comes in contact with on a daily basis. It is in laundry detergents, for example. Did you launder that blanket your dog sleeps on? Does you dog sleep in the laundry room? Did you spill detergent on the laundry room floor where your dog can lick it?

Your dog can also be exposed to mold, especially in the laundry room. The room is wet and warm and confined. A perfect place for mold growth to concentrate.

Molds produce chemical groups like Ochratoxins, Aflatoxins and Trichothecenes. In high concentrations these chemicals cause cancer for people and dogs. Doctors and vets have known this for almost 30 years.

http://www.themoldlab.com

But these toxins are slow onset problem makers. This means that it may take a few years for the cancers to develop. So your dog may feel great up till the moment that it is too late.

Where else do we find mold in high concentrations? In the basement, of course. People quite often have a beautiful sleeping area for their dogs in basements.

Okay, I believe you. What can I do?

1. Keep cleaning products sealed in plastic containers.

2. Buy cleaning products WITHOUT bleach.

3. Clean up all spills immediately.

4. Keep washer and dryer open when not in use. (To stop mold)

5. Keep the laundry room door open to air out.

6. Periodically spray the rooms with a solution of grape fruit seed extract or Tea Tree Oil to prevent mold growth.

If you plan to keep your dog healthy, you have to start thinking about it today.

For 30 years, Dr Graham has been helping people treat and prevent disease by showing them how to live in a clean environment.

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DrGraham@themoldlab.com

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Canine Possession Aggression

Canine Possession Aggression……..object guarding, this is the act of aggressively protecting objects such as toys, pigs ears, rawhide chews, bones, or articles that the dog has found or stolen, such as socks shoes underwear tissues and human food.

The ears going back will be part of typical body language relating to this behaviour. The dog then will go into a crouch over the object, displaying a whale eye, that is the head turned away but the eyes are swivelled back towards you the perceived threat to his possession, the whites showing, you may also find the lips are slightly pulled back almost in a grin. Look at pictures of whales and you will see why whale eye gets its name. Mine! All Mine.

So why would the dog want to protect these objects? Simple answer is that its normally a learned experience. Either it is a reaction from their siblings taking and tugging objects away at an early age, or we teach them this behaviour by our actions and reactions. As a puppy, your dog wandered through parts of the house, picking up and investigating any little object left lying around. However as soon as he picked up something we did not want him to have, we immediately snatched this precious possession away.

Before long, our intrepid pup would pick up an object then run away so we couldnt take away his find, he would scamper either to another room, the garden, under or behind a table, settee, or chair anywhere where we could not easily relieve him of his treasure.

So what do we do? We follow him to wherever he has hidden away, shouting leave it, or drop! What does the little monster do, he whale eyes you and starts to growl. He has now learned a couple of very valuable lessons.

1.When you give a command, he does not always need to

obey.

2.If he shows aggression, you back off. And by our

actions, we have successfully taught him to resource

guard.

Advice?
Well meaning friends and of course the inimitable doggy experts. You will find these in abundance in any park, street, pub or internet forum, they will tell you to grab the dog by the scruff of the neck then forcibly remove the object, put the dog into an alpha roll position, or give it a good thump. The tips and advice are endless. If you analyse them all you will find that nearly every suggestion will be confrontational, these methods will inevitably have the exact opposite effect to what you are hoping to cure.

What you will rarely be told is to train the dog so that it wants to give up the object, that the dog will think it is fun and rewarding to let you have these treasured articles back.

Start Early
Your puppies and adult dogs should be used to having their mouth touched, when you then wish to remove something it isnt seen as confrontational. From the day you get your dog, either as a puppy or adult dog, brush his teeth, play with his flews (the floppy bits on the upper lip), open his mouth, check his tonsils, look down his throat, do this in a positive fun way with lots of praise and the occasional treat.

Purchase a long rawhide knot or bone. Hold on to one end of the knot while the dog chews on the other. He may want to play tug, but just hold do not pull away, in time he will get used to your presence and relax and just chew.

It is important for your dog to view you as the provider of all good things. You can do this by tightly controlling the dog’s environment. Keep all but one or two toys up off the floor and take the others down only when you want to play. Make sure you offer an item with a command like Take it. When you are tired of the game (you that is, not the dog), tell the dog to Drop or Dead Give him another item or treat in exchange, and then pick up the first object and put it away.

Do you know your dog’s likes and dislikes? Compose a list of all the things your dog really enjoys including food, toys, treats and activities, rank them in a hierarchical order, In exchange for dropping the first item give your dog a second, better item. For instance, if tennis ball retrieving is third on your dog’s list, reward him with cheese, frankfurter or puffed jerky for dropping the tennis ball. If your dog attempts to pick up a bit of rubbish in the street, command him to drop and then throw or give him his tennis ball.

Give a Cue
Teach the word dead, drop, or give, do it in a fun way with a happy high silly voice. Start by allowing him to have something that is not so valuable then trade with him for his favourite treat, what is his favourite treats or game? Do you really know your dog’s likes and dislikes?

This is fine for teaching young pups or dogs that are not presently guarding but what about ones that are already way down the road of resource guarding. Training a young puppy is relatively easy. Re-training an older dog is more difficult, but not impossible.

Trade and Reward
Firstly take away all objects the dog is guarding, that could be toys, tissues, chews, bones, pigs ears or sleeping places, that includes beds, sofas or chairs. You may not be able to move the latter but you can cover it, put a box or something else on it that will restrict access. Do not allow access to these precious resources a number of days.

You need to prepare for the next stage if the guarding is articles such as toys chews bones etc, prepare some of the dogs really favourite treats, cheese or frankfurter tends to be high on the list. Then get a low value object, it may be a tissue or a sock, a pigs ear for instance may be perceived as high value. Try to be slightly to the side of the dog rather than face on and relax, take the tension you may feel out of your body as the dog will both smell and sense your fear and this could trigger a reaction.

Offer the object to the dog but try and keep hold of it as the dog takes it, use whatever release command you have decided on it could be dead drop leave or trade immediately produce the tasty treat from behind your back and exchange. Praise when the exchange takes place and give back the object you first exchanged.

Set scheduled times to repeat this exercise at least four times a day but also just do it in opportune moments. Gradually up the anti of treasured goods. Over a period of time the dog will start to look forward to your approach and game. It is at this time that you give your dog the object and walk away, at first come back immediately and trade gradually making the time and distance you walk away longer, until you clearly see the dog is having no problems with your approach whatsoever. Then only give a treat every third time, then every tenth, take the object away and immediately give it back extending the period on this until the guarding behaviour disappears.

As with food guarding, you want to build a positive association around people approaching the objects being guarded. The dog needs to understand that approaching people and the removal of objects can be positive and rewarding. Location or Bed Guarding

This is not always as simple as it may seem, as the severity or incidence may be related to who is approaching. It may be that a woman can approach the bed or sleeping place but not a man, an adult but not a child. It is not always tied to the object being guarded, but more to the relationship or lack of it of the person approaching the resource.

Sometimes this behaviour manifests itself when we try to move the dog off a sofa or when we handle or stroke the dog. It is worth in these cases making sure the dog is not ill or in pain as this could stimulate aggressive reactions.

As with other forms of guarding, make this a positive experience. Gauge how far you can approach before any aggressive reaction occurs. Initially keep to this distance and as you pass throw a treat, praising the dog at the same time. Make sure you do not praise or treat if there is growling or any show of aggression. Gradually decrease the distance over a period of time, do not rush the exercise, if the dog starts to react go back a few steps and start again. Change your angle of approach and the person who is approaching. Always try not to approach head on come in at an angle from the side give lots of verbal praise for a calm and passive reaction from the dog.

Maintain the Status Quo
Over time your pet will come to realise that your approach is a positive experience and the guarding will hopefully cease. However if it starts up again repeat the exercise. You should practice once a week exchange or trade, for the remainder 0of the dogs life.

If you are already at the point where the dog has actually bitten you, then I would suggest you get professional help. This should be from a behaviourist or a trainer who understands aggression. You should look for one that comes to your house. I never understand how professionals can assess your dogs behaviour from the confines of a vets or an office. The dog reacts very differently when out of its own environment. Stan Rawlinson

24 July 2005

Stan Rawlinson.
Dog Behaviourist & Trainer
www.doglistener.co.uk
enquiries@doglistener.co.uk
H 0208 979 2019
M 07976 153161

Stan Rawlinson Dip MTCBPT. PAACT
Dog Behaviourist and Obedience Trainer, who has owned and worked dogs for over 25 years, starting with gundogs then moving to the behavioural and obedience side of training companion dogs. He now has a successful practice covering Greater London, Surrey, and Middlesex.

Stan is recommended by numerous Vets, Rescue Centres, and Charities. He writes articles and comments on behavioural issues and techniques for dog magazines including Our Dogs, Dogs Monthly, K9 Magazine, Shooting Times, Pet Talk and Pet Owner Magazine. He is also a behavioural spokesman for Disney and has appeared on Television, Radio and in National Newspapers on many occassions

Stan Rawlinson
Telephone: 0208 979 2019
Mobile Number: 07976 153161
E-mail:enquiries@doglistener.co.uk
http://www.doglistener.co.uk
Founder Member
PAACT
Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers
Membership Number 101
http://www.paact.co.uk

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