Posted in Pets

Led Lighted Dog Collars For Dogs

LED lighted dog collars have become the up and coming fashion accessory for your favorite four-legged friend. Not only do these lighted dog collars look good, they also allow others to easily spot it, as well, for both you and your dog. The former is very important for both you and other dog walkers, especially in heavy traffic, and of course, for your dog! If you have an LED lighted dog collar for dogs, you can be sure that you won’t have anyone in the dark slowing down to a stop to look at what’s going on when your dog gets a bit cocky. With LED lighted dog collar for dogs, both you and your dog will always be able to get your point across to whoever is driving around and that special someone.

There are many options when it comes to choosing an LED lighted dog collar for your dog. Of course, there are those LED lighted dog collars made especially for large dogs; these come in different sizes. However, if you have a smaller dog, there are smaller LED dog collar for dogs available. And for those of you who really don’t need that much space for a lighted collar; there are even LED dog safety lights available that attach directly to your dog’s collar.

Let’s talk about the advantages of having LED dog collars for dogs. One of the first things that any dog owner needs to do is make sure that their dog has identification tags. This is especially important if your dog spends a lot of time outside, out in the open. Dogs like to follow their owners, and especially if they can see their owner’s ID, they will eventually keep tabs on you, since they will be able to distinguish the ID on your shirt. If you don’t have identification tags, there is also the option of having LED lights attached to your dog’s harness, or even having LED lights affixed to the dog’s collar itself. This will make your dog much easier to identify, especially if you have neighbors that tend to let their dogs wander off unsupervised.

LED lights are also great for security purposes. Security LED dog collar for dogs is a fantastic way to keep your pet safe and sound. Security LED dog collar for dogs can easily be attached to your dog’s leash or belt and will provide you with a means to identify your dog should it wander off or if it gets lost. In addition to the safety LED dog collar for dogs, another good idea is to purchase an LED lighted ball or other item that you can throw at your dogs to keep them aware of you, especially if you are out biking, boating or just walking around the neighborhood. This will ensure that your dog stays attentive and doesn’t wander off again.

LED dog collar for dogs come in many different styles and sizes. Depending on how much money you want to spend on this item will largely determine what style of LED lighted dog collars for dogs you purchase. Most people opt for the smaller, remote LED dog collar for smaller dogs, while larger dogs may need the extra length for comfort and visibility. Some dogs may be sensitive to the heat from the LED light, so it’s important to consider this when purchasing.

There are some things that leading dog collars for dogs can’t do. The main thing to remember is that they are not infallible. If your dog does escape from your sight, it can be an arduous task to locate him. You also have to remember that dogs tend to chase after the things that they think are tasty, thus it may become difficult to find a tasty treat for your pet. LED lighted dog collars can be a great help if you have a dog that loves to wander, as he’ll receive plenty of attention with its flashing LED light. LED dog collars are excellent if you have a pet dog that likes to play outside or in the garden, as they provide you with the light needed to keep your dog where you want him to be.

Posted in Pets

How To Properly Take Care Of Your Horse

A horse is expensive and the annual cost of maintenance is often a lot more than its purchase price. It requires a significant amount of time and effort.

Having a horse as a part of your life is a long-term commitment, but when properly cared for, the experience is enjoyable and rewarding.

Here are some basic requirements for the proper care of your horse:

Food and Water

Horses need a regular supply of food and access to clean and fresh water 24/7. Your horse must be able to eat whenever it wants to, as an empty stomach makes it more vulnerable to ulcer.

As a general rule, the amount of hay or other feeds your horse must consume each day should be 2% to 4% of its body weight. On hot days, it must be able to drink 6 to 12 gallons of water.

You must provide your horse a shelter that will protect it from too much sun, wind, rain, and snow. The stall should be big enough so that it can lie down. While horses are able to sleep standing up, lying flat allows them to get into deep sleep.

Your horses shelter should always be clean and dry. Its essential in keeping the skin healthy. A damp shelter can increase the risk of contracting or exacerbating skin diseases.

Socialization

Socialization and mental stimulation are important to horses. A horse isolated for a long time in a box stall may develop behavioral problems. Your horse should be able to go outside its shelter every day, and if possible, spend time with other horses.

Exercise and Paddocks

Riding your horse is a good way to give him some exercise, but unless you do it daily, your horse will need more physical activities. Leave your horse in a paddock for some time during the day, where it can walk and run around freely.

Make sure that the fences are in good repair to keep your horse safe and secure. Never use barbed wire for fencing material, as its been known to cause a lot of serious injuries.

General Health Care and Grooming

A veterinarian should regularly conduct physical and dental exams to ensure your horses health. Your horse must be up to date on vaccinations including tetanus, equine influenza, rabies, equine herpes, and Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis.

Intestinal worms from the ground are a constant threat to your horse. Parasitic worms can make your horses coat look poor and cause weight loss and colic, which could be fatal. As such, regular deworming is necessary.

Posted in Pets

Exercise Guidelines For Your Dog

To get the best benefits of a walking program for both human and pet, plan on at least 30 minutes per day of walking. And try to make it a daily routine. If you walk at the same time every day, your dog will come to expect it.

Though exercise needs are based on a dog’s age, breed, size and overall health, your dog should spend between 30 minutes to two hours on an activity every day. Breeds in the hunting, working, or herding groups (e.g., Labrador retrievers, hounds, collies and shepherds) will need the most exercise. If your dog is in one of these groups and is in good health, she should be getting at least 30 minutes of rigorous exercise along with her 1-2 hours of daily activity.

Investing in a dog walker is a great way to ensure that your pup gets the midday exercise he needs. About 20-30 minutes of walking around the neighborhood will keep him active and healthy.

Smaller dogs generally have only moderate exercise needs with a daily walk of 20 to 30 minutes and some free play being sufficient. The exception would be the toy and miniature poodle which are more active and also intelligent, so require a little more physical activity and plenty of mental stimulation.

Whippets and greyhounds have much lower exercise need than most dog owners believe. These hounds have lower exercise requirements than scent hounds. Even though the greyhound is a racing dog they are bred for sprinting and only need moderate exercise. A moderate paced walk of around 30 minutes a day and maybe some short sprints is enough to keep them healthy.

As a general guideline, a dog should spend at least 30 minutes to 2 hours exercising each day. This doesn’t need to be in one go. In fact, it’s usually better to split exercise into several sessions to avoid over-tiredness.

Tug of war is another fun game and good exercise. Play it with caution, however. Tug of war can make your dog overly competitive and can lead to aggressive behavior in some breeds. Always establish your position as the “leader” in your home and remember to lighten the mood when your dog gets too invested in the game.

Exercise is as important for your dog as it is for you. Ensuring your dog gets the right kinds of exercise will go a long way to keeping your dog in top shape. Making sure your dog gets enough exercise is vital – but so is making sure your pup stays safe. These are some important things to remember when walking or exercising your dog.

Posted in Pets

Tips On Mental Stimulation And Exercise For Dogs

Many dogs love to dig. If you have problems with your dog digging where they shouldn’t, giving them activities that cater to their natural digging instinct will help to eliminate the problem behavior. Provide an area or digging box for them so they can dig to their heart’s content. Just be aware that if the weather is warm and you use sand, it may get hot. You can wet it down with the hose if it is.

Playing ‘fetch’ with your dog is another fantastic way to burn pent-up energy. Most dogs love a good game of fetch and can play this for hundreds of throws. A great alternative is to use an Automatic Ball Launcher so your dog can play Fetch by themselves.

Letting a dog chase a bicycle or a vehicle might be risky. Dogs love active games like Frisbee, Fetch (with toys or balls), tug-of-war and the like. It also provides a good opportunity for the owner to bond with his dog. However, care should be taken to see to it that the dog doesn’t jump too high and land in awkward positions and injure himself.

If you ever need reminding how much dogs love exercise, just show them their leash or harness. Most dogs will leap off their bed and wag their tail in excitement. Even lazy dogs usually enjoy a brisk walk or short ball throwing session.

Dogs love obstacle courses through which you lead your pet to jump over bars, run through tunnels, leap off platforms and more. And moving quickly and precisely is quite the workout for both canine and owner. Often, though, it’s the person, not the pooch, who messes up. Try agility training on your own or do a few introductory classes first. Or set up your own obstacle course with cones to run around and hurdles to jump over,

Believe it or not, some dogs love soccer especially herding breeds like Border Collies and Australian Shepherds. Once your boy learns to “kick” or “dribble” with his nose or paws, get his heart rate up by punting the ball and racing for it. Try engaging him with other toys (like rope tugs) and activities (such as hide-and-seek).

Athletic owners who run, jog, or perform other strenuous activities must be aware of their dog’s potential limitations. Also, be keenly aware of extreme weather conditions – make sure to go easy on hot, humid, or cold days, and take plenty of breaks. If the dog is lagging behind, tiring, or struggling, head home and make the next exercise session slower (less strenuous) and shorter. Go slowly when introducing your dog to a new exercise routine, gradually building for the first weeks as he adapts.

Posted in Pets

Effective Feral Cat Population Control

The management and control of populations of feral cats can at times be very tricky. If you feel you cannot manage the population without assistance, it would be best to contact animal control. Should your property be overrun with strays and feral cats, it might be necessary to contact your local animal control office who’ll be able to take action by assisting with their removal.

You must take note though, that these animal control agencies more often than not, will euthanize the cats after they have trapped them. A vacuum effect is created by the removal of a feral cat community as the gathering and euthanizing of the cats does not reduce the population. In fact, rounding them up has the opposite effect. This is due to the fact that other cats merely relocate to help themselves to newly available resources of shelter and food which means breeding just continues.

To clear the area of feral cats, ensure that garbage cans are securely closed so that they don’t present a source of food. Close up any available shelters using chicken wire or planks of plywood. Chicken wire may also be put over patches of soil where the cats dig in your garden. The wire which can be purchased from hardware or home-improvement stores, can be layed straight onto the ground and the four corners secured with rocks so the wire cannot be moved.

If the feral cats continue to stay in the area, sprinkle pepper flakes in the vicinity of your property as this irritates their paws encouraging them to leave. If there is a large number of strays, it may be best to call the local animal rescue so that they may catch and relocate the cats.

Should you be able to trap the cat and have it neutered or spayed, it can then be set free in the same location where it was trapped. As the feral cat will more than likely be feeling traumatized, it will feel calmer and adjust better to familiar territory. Another advantage is that male cats prevent strange males from coming into their colonies. This also prevents female cats that have not been spayed from mating which assists in population control.

The object of the plan of trap-neuter-return is to stop the repeated breeding of cats that are free-roaming. In order for this method to be a successful way to manage the cat population, almost all of the cats comprising the feral population will have to be caught, spayed/neutered and then returned.

It has been estimated by the Feral Cat Coalition of America that there are roughly sixty million feral and homeless cats living in the United States.

Posted in Pets

Horse Care And Ownership

Think about getting a new puppy, but it’s bigger and needs a lot more work – that’s what owning a horse feels like. Like any other animal, horses need attention and care.

But unlike simple house pets, ownership and care of horses is quite a challenge. Therefore, before getting one, always ask yourself “Am I up for it?”

DO YOUR HOMEWORK – Before getting a horse of your own, it’s best to stock up on knowledge.

First, familiarize yourself with the terminologies that come with horse ownership. This will help you keep up with conversations with other owners, vets, farriers, and other professionals.

Know the different types and breeds of horses. Of course, you’ll have to know your horses breed first.

Then, study how to take care of a horse properly. Knowing the dos and don’ts of horse care should be a top priority. You wouldn’t want to spend thousands of dollars and just end up with an unhealthy and unhappy equine.

INVEST IN GROOMING AND HEALTH CARE – Like people, you have to maintain your horses health by grooming it and having it checked by a vet.

Grooming kits for horses are readily available in physical and online stores. They’ll have the right tools and equipment youll need to properly groom your horse. If you can’t groom your horse yourself, you can hire other people to do it for you.

Getting an experienced farrier is also another important factor to keeping your horse in optimum shape. A farrier is a person who trims and puts shoes on horses’ hooves. Not maintaining your horses hooves can take a toll on its health.

Lastly, find a trustworthy vet who will regularly check on your horse. Make sure that the vaccines are up-to-date and your horse is free from any disease.

HORSE OWNERSHIP COSTS – Once you’re already equipped with knowledge about horse ownership, it’s time to get to the costs.

As a responsible horse owner, you must provide your horse with its basic needs. But, that come with a price.

Costs may vary depending on your location and circumstances. If you have a wide pasture with adequate graze to feed your horse, then you can cut down on your feed expenses. Heres a reference regarding the common costs owners incur every year:

* Feed: $1,000 – $3,000

* Basic vet fees: $150 – $450

* General Maintenance (includes grooming and hoof care): $500 – $800

* Boarding (for owners who board their horses on other peoples properties): $1,200 without basic amenities; $3,000 – $7,200 with basic amenities

There are also occasional and one-time expenses you should look out for. These include equipment like saddles and bridles, as well as grooming supplies.

If you want your horse to be trained by a professional, you should set aside a budget for its training, too.

As you can see, owning a horse can be a challenging task. You’ll need time and money if you want to own a horse. You’ll need more if you’re planning on becoming a breeder or if you want to attend competitions with your horse.

Nevertheless, it’s a rewarding task. If you’ve always dreamed of having your own horse, these factors shouldn’t get in the way of your goal.