They’re brought into hospitals and nursing homes to console and cheer patients.

They’re lovable, furry and loyal and according to one study, they may actually be more helpful than a spouse or close friend, especially in relieving stress!

In short, they’re a brilliant form of natural health care.

Why? Most of our stress is the result of critical or judgmental behavior. Your pet however, she just loves you!

Research shows that pets not only bring comfort to the lonely, they can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and improve your general emotional wellbeing, especially if you’re prone to depression. 

The Animal Health Foundation in Southern California, a non-profit that promotes the animal-human bond, pets offer many of the following benefits:

• Dogs can prevent and help us cope with stress in our everyday lives
• Children respond with less anxiety to examination in a doctor’s office and dental examinations when a  “therapy” or “comfort” dog is present in the room
• AIDS patients who own pets experience fewer episodes of depression and remain generally more positive.
• Pets increae our general ability to deal with uncertainty and sudden illness
• People with dogs generally get more exercise and are in better physical shape because of having to walk them
• Dog owners are less afraid of becoming a victim of crime when walking with a dog and feel more protected when living with one
• The elderly with pets cope better with unexpected situations, without having to seek medical assistance
• Tanks of brightly colored fish help reduce typical behaviors of people with Alzheimer’s disease
• Owning a pet helps reduce stress for those who feel lonely and rejectd by society

So, if emotional stress is a factor in your life, you might want to consider a loyal friend who will love you unconditionally… and never question your judgment. Or talk back!

Felix, Pickles or Milo? 

Searching for cat names is a lot of fun , but with so many names to choose from , it can also be a challenge!  The most important thing to remember is to pick a name that you think is great and that also works for your cat’s  look andpersonality. With this in mind, here are10 cat naming tips to help inspire you and keep you on the right track :

1) Determine your cat’s sex.  This may sound like a very obvious tip but many cat owners have suddenly realized, sometimes years down the line, that their ‘Jack’ is actually a ‘Jill’!

2) Look for cat names that can be shortened.  One or two syllable names are easiest to call out and for your cat to understand.  If you really want a long name like Spartipuss, make sure it can be shortened for everyday use, and that you like the shortened name.

3) Avoid cat names that sound like commands.   Believe it or not, cats can be trained!   If you intend to teach your cat tricks or commands, don’t choose names such as “Fletch”, which sounds very much like “Fetch”.

4) Don’t settle on a cat name that you will be humiliated to call out in public.  I named one of my first childhood pets, a calico cat, “Chocolate Fart Bum”.  It was immediately changed to “Chocky” when my mother took her for her first trip to the vet!

5) Let your creativity  run wild. You could choose funny  cat names, cute cat names, famous cat names, cat names related to your hobbies…whatever it is that appeals to you!   

6) Look to your cat’s appearance for inspiration.   It may take a while for your new cat to warm up and reveal its true personality,and as your cat gets bigger,  its behavior may change.  Your cat’s appearance, meanwhile, is much more likely to stay the same. For example, Oreo is a great name for a black and white cat.

7) Look to your cat’s breed for inspiration.  For example, you could pick a Thai name if you’re looking for Siamese cat names, a Scottish name if you’re looking for names for your Scottish Fold or a Persian name for your Persian cat.

8) Consult pet naming books and websites for ideas. These resources will suggest hundreds if not thousands of possibilities ranging from the most popular to more unique cat names.

9)Let your cat guide you. Create a shortlist of names that you like and then try calling them out to your cat.  Its response may help you pick the perfect one!

10) Be respectful – names that demean your cat are a no-no.

If you adhere to these cat naming guidelines, chances are you won’t go wrong. And if you do go wrong…don’t worry, you won’t be the first person in history to change their cat’s name. I should know!

Buying online makes it possible to get pet medications  over the Internet for less money than a traditional store would charge. One can get their order delivered to any location, even your front door.  This makes it simple to treat your furry friend for whatever ails him or her. 

Frontline Plus flea and tick control and Advantage flea and tick for Dogs are popular products that can be found online.  Also one can get Interceptor and Heartguard Plus online, for example, which is a veterinarian recommended monthly heartworm medication for dogs and cats. These product are veterinarians’ prerferred choices when it comes to heartworm and flea and tick protection for pets. For different size pets it comes in different dosage.

Heartworm is a extremely devastating threat to dogs and cats and treating it using preventive measures is vital There are pet medications available online today that are not only 100 percent effective against heartworms, but also effective for controlling roundworms and hookworms.  Interceptor and Heartguard Plus pet meds are veterinarian recommended products that is approved for use in puppies as young as six weeks old, as well as for pregnant or nursing females, stud dogs, collies and dogs with collie genetics for the treatment of heartworms.  It prevents canine heartworm disease by eliminating the tissue state of heartworm larvae for 30 days after the infection, as well as for the treatment and control of ascarids and hookworms.

Products like Frontline Plus flea and tick and Advantage for dogs are easily available on the internet as no prescription is required.  This flea treatment is known for its complete flea and tick control. Manyveterinarians recommend it for killing ticks, killing adult fleas and controlling flea development.  It is also waterproof and easy to apply, as it is a topical solution that only needs to be applied about once a month to break the flea life cycle by killing their eggs and larvae, preventing re-infestation.  Internet pet medicine retailers offer these treatment products at a discount compared to pet stores and supermarkets. Rest assured that there is no difference in the actual quality of the product compared to the full price.  It’s completely waterproof and gentle enough for use on dogs as old as eight weeks in dosing sizes for up to 22 pounds, 23 to 44 pounds, 45 to 88 pounds and 89 to 132 pounds.

With the market for dog beds prospering, an individual can’t help thinking that these dog beds may just be well worth the excitement, as well as the cash. Designer dog beds can certainly hold their ground as sought-after attractive and utilitarian pieces. Orthopedic dog beds happen to be very helpful in keeping the good old lovable dog content. When you consider this, it is not surprising that many people today are looking to obtain napping goods for his or her dogs.

A dog’s anatomy might not be exactly like ours, but like ours it too consists of joints plus muscles. Certainly, arthritis or not, almost everyone wil consider it comfy to sink on a pillow top bed. Imagine how great it is going to be for your dogs and cats to get some bit of of this comfort, as opposed to being forced to deal with with a cold and also hard ground. The reality is, dog beds, with the exception of most luxury or custom styles, tend to be inexpensive, and so there really isn’t any justification for any pet lover to disregard the comfort of a pet, at least in terms of sleeping hubs. To learn what makes a dog bed comfy, take a look at the following.

Reliability

Most dogs are just like any other living thing. They need to be safe, as well as feel safe; or else, it’s no great for its overall health. The best way of ensuring security is by examining just how solidly built the body of the dog bed is. For those who have a nest-shape, a doughnut style or another comparable bed, in that case it will not matter. However, if the bed has a frame, make sure that the cushioning is adequate as well as the frame is strong. One other way to ensure that your pet is comfy would be to research their particular sleeping routine. If they usually bunch up in a ball whenever sleeping, you might want to obtain rounded, or doughnut style dog beds. Take note that youthful dogs are usually more anxious, and might prefer a nest style or perhaps a walled bed for added comfort.

Stuffing

Exactly what tends to make dog beds really cozy is the material used for padding and as a protective cover. While it is true it’s far better to have additional stuffing, well-padded dog beds are certainly not for any dog. There are no strict rules for this. It is advisable to (yet again) study the napping practices and analyze whether your dog would like an ultra-downy mattress or a more solid one. Check if your pet favors resting on your couch, or rest on the hard floor. Smaller dogs typically want lush materials and downy beds, since they aren’t going to weigh much and smush the padding or something like this. On the other hand, big dogs want a firmer sleeping area to stretch out.

No one truly is aware of how a dog thinks. Nonetheless, it does not take a rocket scientist to surmise what may make a pet, specifically dogs and cats, completely happy. Clean surroundings, sufficient food and a comfortable home (literally and figuratively speaking) may do a lot. Throw in a good pet bed and you’ll have a family pet that would feel as relaxed as any dog would have helped its owner feel comfortable.

Are you killing your dog? Are you putting your dog at risk of suffering an early and painful death? Most dog experts agree that particular unhealthy dog food products raise the risk of your dog dying prematurely . Often by the time symptoms are noticeable , it’s too late .

One internationally recognized expert on the pet food industry has this to say about pet foods, “Most commercial pet foods are garbage.”

Certainly canines are very different to humans. Dogs have quite simple stomachs and short digestive tracts for digesting food .  Yet sometimes the cooking processes used by commercial dog food companies can kill off the enzymes that are needed by dogs to aid the digestion process.

This controversy surrounding dog food and dog nutrition is just starting to be exposed. And it is not just the cooking processes that you should be worried about but what actually goes into the dog foods. Some companies were caught using waste products and even road kill as dog food ingredients.

Have you seen dogs in the wild? Have you seen dogs in a natural habitat as they were before man came along and changed things ? Last time we saw dogs in their natural habitat I do not remember the dogs using fires to overcook and dry out their meal… and they certainly did not spice it up with a toxic cocktail of unhealthy additives and preservatives.

What does this mean for you and your pet dog? If you love your dog then you must act responsibly in the way that you feed your dog. That is what good dog care is all about.

You owe it to your dog and to yourself to provide a healthy and well-prepared diet. There is lots of healthy and natural dog food . In fact there are even some inexpensive homemade dog foods that you can make at home using healthy dog food recipe collection .

So please don’t kill your dog . Start looking into healthy dog food today. 

Learn how to completely stop all of your dog’s behavior problems and cut your training time in half with new techniques that give immediate results. Make the pups know who’s in charge.  However, they can be your worst enemy sometimes.

 Hunting the right hound

Too large to go to ground, the popular Airedale terrier puts its strength and stubborn streak to use as a surprisingly ferocious watchdog. Kid-Friendly Dog Breeds. Mixed Dog Breeds. This group houses the sheepdogs and cattle dogs, including the amiable collie breeds and those regal kinds, the corgis. Their individual skills, original purposes and temperaments are almost as varied as their origins.

 The world’s most popular breed of dog is no breed at all. A vet or a dog breeder can suggest other possibilities. If you can’t decide between a shepherd, a setter or a poodle, get them all adopt a mutt.

Some of the listed Working dog breeds are: Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Doberman Pinscher, German Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Komondor, Kuvasz, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Newfoundland, Portuguese Water Dog, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Standard Schnauzer, Tibetan Mastiff.

 Due to some unscrupulous breeders and unmindful owners, a few breeds within the terrier group have developed rather notorious reputations. Some breeds were even bred to finish the job themselves. Many sporting dogs are still used as hunting companions today, although their gentle natures and high level of trainability have also earned them the reputation of being among the best family dogs. But for the most part, these are large, powerful dogs. Saluki and pharaoh hounds, in particular, can trace their origins back to antiquity. The dachshund, a hound in origin, might seem to be out of place in this group, as its background as a digger accustomed to chasing foxes and badgers underground would more logically make it a terrier.

The Anatomy of a Canine

Staying Cool. Species such as wolves that inhabit cold climates sport double coats, with a thick, insulating underlayer to retain heat and keep the cold at bay. Lapping It Up Dogs use their large, spongy tongues like ladles to lap up water. Such hot-weather species as the fennec fox, a tiny African desert dweller, sports oversized ears to maximize heat loss. The long hair of the Lhasa apso is due to a naturally prolonged growth phase that was emphasized by selective breeding for thermal protection and aesthetic reasons. If fingerprints are essential to us, human beings, paws have the same essentiality to our pets. To cool down, they begin to pant with open mouths to breathe in more oxygen and help speed up the evaporation and cooling process. Well, here’s the information you need to know:Tongue. Wire-Haired. Most mammals sweat to keep cool. How about their hearing? It is, of course, essential, especially when you’re giving your commands.

 Why the help?

You can actually see your dog wait next to the door when he/she needs to go out to use the bathroom. If your dog doesn’t make progress at all, this must be because of this fact. Why waste hundreds of dollars for the old-fashioned dog training techniques when you can have the luxury of saving all your resources and getting more effective results? Why wait? Buy this now. You can finally show off your dog to your friends and family without being embarrassed.