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Archive for January, 2010

How To Discourage Your Dog’s Territorial Aggression

Posted on 31-01-10, under PET. No Comments

Canines are hardwired to protect their territory from intruders. In most cases, they communicate a warning to others by barking; it’s a form of intimidation. If a trespasser fails to heed the warning, your pooch’s barking might turn into pacing and growling as if he is preparing for a physical confrontation. If the trespasser still refuses to leave, the pacing and growling may evolve into an attack.

If your pooch shows signs of territorial aggression, it is important to begin discouraging the behavior as soon as possible. Otherwise, your visitors’ safety might be at risk. This article will provide several tips you can use to discourage your dog from behaving aggressively over his territory.

Before Training Begins

There are a few medical conditions that can influence your canine’s tendency to act aggressively toward others. For example, hypothyroidism causes a deficiency of thyroid hormones and can lead to his feeling overly-anxious. If he becomes agitated enough, his anxiety can potentially prompt an attack.

You should also take precautions to ensure that you and your dog will not be interrupted by strangers during your training sessions. Close and lock your gates, especially if you’re training him off-leash.

Action Steps To Curb Aggressive Behavior

First, make sure your canine receives at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. That will help prevent pent-up energy from contributing to his anxiety or aggression.

Second, devote time each day to training your dog to respond to your single-word commands. Many professional trainers recommend a program that includes two or three short sessions (5 minutes per session is sufficient) each day. Whenever your canine successfully responds to your commands, provide a food treat.

In addition to these training sessions, make your pooch work for everything he desires. For example, require him to sit before serving him meals or giving him attention. Over time, your canine will learn that if he wants something, he must follow your commands to acquire it.

One of the challenges owners have with canines that are territorially aggressive is that their dogs often try to usurp the role of leader. This can be due to several factors, including a laxity toward actively curbing the aggressive behavior. To that end, it may be necessary to place a head halter on your pooch in situations that might provoke his aggression.

For example, if you’re expecting visitors with whom your dog is unfamiliar, a head halter will gently encourage him to submit to your authority. That gives your pooch an opportunity to meet new people, and be rewarded (with treats) for staying calm when others trespass on “his” territory.

The suggestions above are effective for canines whose territorial aggression is based on dominance. If the aggressive behavior is triggered by a fear-based mechanism, a modified approach including desensitization and counter conditioning is necessary. Training in such cases is focused on reducing a dog’s level of fear and changing the manner in which he perceives a potential threat. We’ll address those training issues in an upcoming article.

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What You Should Know About Raising Chickens

Posted on 30-01-10, under PET. No Comments

Raising chickens is something I have been doing for my whole life. It’s not only for eggs and food, but for fun. Raising chickens for egg laying is mostly very easy. The major challenge is protecting backyard chickens from predators such as rats.

Since the turnover for chickens is only 10-12 weeks, you can get lovely meat and eggs in no time. It’s a good way of earning some quick bucks. The birds eat grain, seeds and grasses, so it doesn’t take a lot of work to care for and can provide a great educational experience for your children, too. Chickens or other birds that are raised for their eggs and meat is normally a popular family and business activity almost everywhere in the world.

Taking care of chickens teaches more than animal husbandry. It’s a hands-on chance to learn the character and community-building principles and practices that 4-H is all about. For urban farmers, raising chickens is becoming more and more popular. Many people are realizing that the difference between pasture raised chicken meat and eggs and those from large confinement operations is similar to the difference between fresh seasonal heirloom tomatoes, and those picked green, ripened with ethanol, and shipped across the country. Raising chickens yields far more than just fresh eggs and you don’t have to live on a farm to do it! This event will give you a chance to find out about resources related to raising chickens in our area and hear from knowledgeable local chicken owners.

Caring For The Chickens

In the morning, chickens depart the coops and when the critter proof doors are opened and return in the evening on their own, after which you simply close them in. Stress free living, benefits the chickens, which results in fewer losses due to illness as well as exponentially greater resistance to pathogens and poultry specific diseases. Chickens are great creatures to spend a little time with and they really are useful. You need a baby chick to teach the young turks how to find their food and water.

They need between one and two square foot each in their chicken coop and between two to four feet each in their chicken run. Bantams need less space and the larger breeds need more, so the size of your hens does matter. Chickens make great pets, and depending on the breed they also are great egg layers. Of course, you can also raise them for meat. Chickens are surprisingly low maintenance. It may seem weird to keep chickens at first but once I got chickens it doesn’t seem weird at all.

Chickens are naturally cannibalistic and they peck at each other. Once a bird starts bleeding they all jump in and may kill her. But they are smart, funny and a bundle of curious instincts. It’s no wonder that so many chicken terms such as “pecking order” and “coming home to roost” have found their way into our everyday language. Chickens are very vulnerable to predators. Even in the city, loose dogs, cats, racoons, rats, opossum, hawks, owls, even foxes and coyotes are a danger to your backyard flock.

Chick starter should be fed for the first 6 weeks. Then you can mix the started with a “developer” feed until they are 20-weeks of age. Chickens can tolerate pretty low temperatures. But no matter where you live, you should have a house part of your coop where the chickens can go to escape the weather. Chickens need access to the outside, too. They need to be able to scratch in the dirt and look for insects.

Feed For Chickens

Feed the chicks a commercial “chick starter” (18% protein) feed which you can purchase from your local feed store. I like to keep them on this for the first 4-6 weeks and gradually add other grains like cracked corn, wheat, oats. Feedstuffs can also be analyzed in a laboratory for nutrient make-up. Poultry nutritionists or Extension agents can provide help in ration-balancing. Feed comes in 3 forms: mash, crumbles and pellets. Mash is powdery, just as it sounds.

Egg Laying

Eggs were a staple in the diet and the flock must continue to procreate. Eggs have to be found if your chickens are free range, and having a daily egg hunt can get old in a hurry. They will find somewhere else to lay as soon as you find their nest. I would encourage you to provide your birds with a good secure coop and fenced area to keep them safe from dogs etc. Egg production really drops off during winter, but from keeping chickens you will learn why we have Easter Eggs, because they go nuts laying in the spring.

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FX5 – The Future of Aquarium Filtration

Posted on 29-01-10, under PET. No Comments

It’s a well known fact that an aquarium is as good as its filter. If you have a premium and an efficient filter like the new FX5 by Fluval, then you reap many advantages in the long run. Your fish stay healthy, you don’t have to clean your aquarium every now and then and the water remains free of chemicals and other products which are typically found in tap water. The Fluval aquarium filters by Hagen are well known for their quality and efficiency. These filters have also been applauded by users for their superior features and ease of use.

Always Gets the Job Done

Tropical fish are very delicate to keep because their water has to be balanced and free from overbearing pH levels, algae and other possible threats to their well being. To the naked human eye the tank may look clean and clear and free of parasites and yet may be harboring a number of unhealthy critters we cannot see. The best way to combat any potential, life threatening conditions is by using multistage aquarium filters such as the Fluval FX5. These particular filters are user friendly, a breeze to maintain and can withstand many gallons of filtration without breaking down.

The functioning of an ideal aquarium filter must not only be able to simply filter mechanical contaminants but also handle biological and chemical contaminants. The FX5 clears all types of mechanical, chemical and biological debris from your aquarium as it is a three in one aquarium filtration system. It helps in getting rid of contaminants like the high ammonia content from your aquarium with all the other chemical substances which might lead to the build up of impurities which could kill your aquarium fish.

Capable of Just About Anything

Designed with size in mind, these canister filters are compact and compatible with the majority of aquarium fish tanks on offer. The hi-tech electronic circuit board will keep track of how well the filter performance is like by taking into account the need to be mindful of energy utilization. Ease of use is a major focus for these filters. The only requirement to get started is to install the filter, which requires simply plugging it in. Different filters may have you manual siphon before you can install them, unlike these filters.

Also to Keep in Mind

The FX5 is available with twin out put nozzles which assist in circulating and filtering the water present in the aquarium. This filter also contains a valve drain which allows it to get rid of all the waste without the lid of the filter being opened or even moving the unit. The rim connector helps out in holding the pipes and the complete equipment properly. These filters are also available with a three year warranty and guarantee so that you do not have to spend any money for buying additional warranties and/or guarantees. FX5 aquarium canister filters come with all these features which an aquarium owner seeks in a filter. It is compact, easy to install, energy efficient and utilizes the most superior technology available. After installing a FX5, you can simply relax and watch your fishes swim with happiness.

Trevor J Rockberry has had a keen interest in aquariums and aquarium care products for countless years. For further information, notably on the Fluval FX5 and other brilliant aquarium canister filters, visit his online resource page today.

Chicken Coop Plans – Elements for Success

Posted on 28-01-10, under PET. No Comments

There is much more to selecting a chicken coop plan than just the aesthetics of the designs. It is essential that the design fits into that of your backyard, but there are other factors that you must take into account while choosing plans.

You chickens need a particular amount of space to be happy and healthy. Each chicken should have at least four square feet of space all to itself, as overcrowding often results in feather picking as their quality of life is reduced, and is even known to cause cannibalism.

Light is another important factor in chicken coop plans. Light is needed to stimulate the laying of eggs in the coop, and is important if you want your chickens to lay eggs throughout the year. Electric or tungsten bulbs should be placed inside the coop to provide light. These even serve as a source of warmth on colder days.

Chickens possess a natural instinct to perch, hence it is necessary that you give perches so that they don’t perch on the feeders or nesting boxes as this leads to these areas being covered in chicken droppings, which you don’t want. Eight inches per chicken is enough.

As strange as it may sound, chickens sweat. Chickens can live in cold conditions but not in moist ones so it is essential to their health that you add vents to your design. They can be in the shape of small windows or vents in the walls, but it shouldnt be windy inside the coop. you can make this possible by ensuring that the side which has the vents doesn’t face the wind. By doing this, you will allow fresh air and oxygen to enter the chicken coop while letting the moisture and stale air escape.

You will also need nesting boxes if you want your chickens to lay eggs. Six chickens can share one nest, but these must be dark. Make sure that they are four inches deep and fill them with wood shavings or straw.

Your chickens must be safe from predators such as hawks, raccoons, coyotes, foxes and rats. Ensure that the structure is strong and that it is impossible to be knocked over by a person. Add wire fencing around the coop, up to one foot deep underground so that rodents and foxes cannot dig through.

Remember that these predators can be quite cunning so be certain that your coop is safe from them.

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What Do Cats Purr For?

Posted on 28-01-10, under PET. No Comments

The cat purr; everyone knows exactly what it means. Contentment, satisfaction, comfort and sheer, dazzling delight is felt by the precious little kitty curled up on a warm and squishy lap. Until the moment knife-sharp talons poke through your trousers to your tender thigh, the sound of a cat purring calms any weary soul.

Astonishingly, kittens are even capable of purring while they feed from their mother! What proves interesting though, is that cats do not only purr to suggest contentment and happiness, something they are capable of doing from only two days old! Cats also use purring as a form of communication with fellow cat-kind and of course, with us. That is not to say that if a tiger strolled into your garden your cat would trot on over and start up a conversation using purrs (many larger cats also share the ability), but it would probably get a decent discussion going before tiger got hungry.

Kittens are notoriously playful and spend a great deal of their time purring and seeking affection and attention. They are also very clever and may even use their purr to distract you before they pounce.

Purring, however, is a verbal skill cats use to suggest more than just happiness. During the years a cat matures, their linguistic capabilities improve and thus different purrs can indicate different moods and feelings. Purring of course still signifies happiness, but they might also purr to suggest fear and submission.

Purring may also be used as a pain and stress reliever while a mother gives birth to a litter of kittens, as well as communicating reassurance and comfort towards her newborns. Studies have shown that cats will purr when they are close to death, creating a euphoric state of mind to reduce fear and anxiety. Contrarily, purring near death may also suggest anxiety.

Recent theories suggest that when cats release endorphins (also found in humans), they start to purr. Endorphins are released both when the cat is happy and when the cat is in pain, making it difficult to determine the precise reason a cat may be purring.

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