People have long had a fascination for birds and contemporary bird watching is a popular pastime shared all over the world by people of different ages and backgrounds. Historically birds were viewed only for utilitarian purposes, typically as a source of food or for products that could be incorporated into clothing, such as skins and feathers. Private collectors and zoos also acquired birds to complement their collections.

Birds have long been considered aesthetically pleasing; however it really wasn’t until the late 18th century that people began to appreciate birds for their intrinsic values alone. As societies shifted towards nature conservation and bird protection, ornithological societies became well established. The term “bird watching” first appeared in 1901 as the title of a book by Edmund Selous, today bird watching is a common pastime and a hobby enjoyed by many.

Bird watching is also referred to as birding or twitching, depending on the geographical location. Typically birdwatchers focus on observing local species, while other enthusiasts will travel far and wide to capture a glance of an exotic, rare or unusual species. Some people focus on coastal species, a branch of bird watching also known as “seawatching”.  Other bird watchers will centre their attention on forest dwelling or wetland species or species from other habitats. Ultimately, the bird watchers’ personal interests will dictate what birds they focus their attentions on.

Bird Watching Gear

To get the most value out of bird watching enthusiasts will carry certain equipment such as binoculars, field guides and ideally a spotting scope with a tripod. These instruments make it easy to identify and observe birds. Observational towers or hides are frequently used; these have the advantage of providing cover for the bird watcher and also limit the disturbance to the birds. Some birds are inherently shy and the advantage of a hide is that birds don’t realise that they have human company and will continue their business as usual. Some bird watchers like to take sound recording devices and cameras into the field to capture images and bird calls.

With advances in technology bird watching has changed over recent years. Recording bird sounds has become more accessible to bird enthusiasts and it is now much easier to record perfectly audible bird sounds. Additionally, photography and videography technology has significantly improved and become more accessible to bird watchers. It is now much easier to capture still images and motion pictures of birds and their behaviour. This has improved documentation capabilities also, as many bird enthusiasts like to maintain records of their observations. Today, it is even possible to watch birds in their natural environment from the comfort of your own home through the internet. Remote robotic camera installations are being used to capture bird footage that is then uploaded to the internet for everyone to see.

While these technical advances are altering the process of bird watching, the fundamental pleasure gained from observing birds in their natural environment remains the same. Bird watching will continue to be a relaxing, educational and highly enjoyable hobby for many people around the world. Anyone interested in bird watching should purchase a set of binoculars and a good field guide relevant to the area they intend to spend time in. Cameras and other recording devices are not necessary when first learning how to bird watch; these can be used later when you have gained more experience.

It’s a great idea to find other keen bird watchers in your area and join them on their expeditions. You can learn a lot from spending time with experienced bird watchers. Bird watching should typically be done in the morning, when birds are most active. Remember to dress and behave appropriately, loud noises will frighten birds away. It’s a good idea to list the species you have identified and then you can choose to try and find species you haven’t previously encountered. It is very important to respect the birds, don’t encroach on their habitat and ensure that they can behave as normal. Bird watching is a pleasurable experience that can be enjoyed by anyone.

Not all dog owners will find that the particular breed they’re raising is suitable for dog agility training.  Sometimes it’s the breed, but other times it’s the puppy itself who must be assessed for agility potential. 

Each puppy will have a different temperament within the litter.  If you’re considering purchasing a puppy based on its ability to train for agility, then you’ll want to do more than focus on one puppy test.

It often takes multiple tests to determine if a puppy has it in him to succeed with agility training.  Not only can a one-time test mislead you into believing a puppy does not have what it takes to train successfully, but sometimes a puppy will display a characteristic one day that makes you feel he would adapt well to training, and yet it never surfaces again.

Testing for a puppy’s agility training potential has to be carried out by a trained professional who is experienced in this field.  A professional will understand how to truly assess an entire litter equally.

That means giving each one the same chance to perform based on alertness, exact testing areas, hunger, and more.  You can’t take one puppy who has just woken up from a nap and been fed test against a sleepy puppy who’s hungry because the attention of each dogs will be vastly different.

It’s best if the person giving you an assessment of your puppy’s potential for agility training is the same one raising the dogs on a daily basis.  This gives the breeder an edge in seeing how the puppies’ personalities develop.

Dog Agility Training – Picking From Your Own Litter

If you are the one raising a litter and want to pick out a puppy for agility training, watch their routines for signs of their potential.  If there always one puppy who’s first in line for everything…the food or water bowl, the door to go outside, or the chance to get some attention from its handler…then that puppy may be a good choice for dog agility training.

You’ll want to choose a puppy that submits to your commands easily and doesn’t fight back or make it difficult during grooming sessions.  These are the best puppy tests to determine if your little dog has it in him to continue agility training.

Other factors you’ll want to consider are how well the puppy jumps, since jumping is a key factor in dog agility training.  You can look to the puppy’s parents for signs of whether this dog will handle jumping easily. Overall observation during a period of time longer than one session is required to determine is a puppy is suitable for agility training.

When his urge to scratch hits, he isn’t too picky about what to scratch. In the wild, everything is fair game. Your cat isn’t trying to damage your belongings. He’s trying to sharpen his claws.

In the wild, a cat might use a tree trunk or fence post for scratching. But since your living room probably lacks those things, the next best thing is something wooden, like the legs on your expensive new coffee table.

Declawing your cat isn’t the only way to protect your furniture.  Instead of going to this extreme, set up a few standing scratch posts around your house for your cat to scratch. He’ll be happy to have his own cat scratching place – which is better suited to his needs anyway.

Scratching means more to your cat than just a way to tend his claws. Declawing your cat won’t stop the other natural reasons for scratching, like being playful. A scratching post is also a great stress reliever for your cat.

Some cats use the post as a pretend playmate. They also have a need to conquer perceived foes. Your cat may take on the scratching post, gripping it with his claws and wrestling it into submission.

Make sure the post is anchored solidly. If the post is too easy to tip over, your cat may ignore it in favor of that nice, stable dining room table leg. If your cat plays with the scratching post when you’re home, but returns to the chair when you’re not around, you may have to resort to a trick.

Knowing that your cat has very keen sense of smell, hang bold fragrance room deodorizer or commercial cat repellant near the chair. Your cat will not enjoy scratching in that location anymore.

Place the approved cat scratching post in a location where the smell factor is neutral and where there’s some privacy so your cat can sneak up on the post as a pretend prey. When the scratching post looks worn out, don’t be so quick to toss it.

Instead, put the new post beside the old post until your cat starts to use it. After you see some wear on the new post, then you can throw away the old one.

Basic dog training - Does your dog know what you want from him?

Basic Dog Training

If you are just get started with basic dog training, chances are that you will make some of the common mistakes listed below. Hopefully this article helps you to learn more about how dog training basics work from your dog’s perspective and how to have more fun and success when training your dog.

To start let me make clear that I am by no stretch of the imagination a perfect dog trainer All mistakes, bar one, I have committed myself occasionally while training my own dogs or while helping others to train theirs! If you don’t have the time to read the whole article, please read at least the next paragraph, it is the single most common mistake I see people making with their dogs on a daily basis! Never making this mistake again will immensely improve the relationship you have with your dog and it’s behavior of your dog .

Your Dog Comes to You And Bad Things Happen…

Example 1: Owner calls dog, dog takes his sweet time to come and when he finally comes owner tells dog off for not coming quicker.

Example 2: Owner calls dog mostly when it is time to go home., i.e. an unpleasant experience (end of fun) follows directly after being called to the owner.

Mistake: The crucial mistake here is that dogs always connect the last thing they did, or what happened to them, with the owners next reaction to it. Dogs don’t think like this: “Oh, I didn’t come quick enough, next time I have to come faster!” or “Ok, we go home now, I hope there is something nice for dinner planned!”

Dogs live only in the present, not in the past, not in the future when it comes to learning. That is not to say that past experiences don’t have an influence on a dog, far from it! The more often, for example, you tell your dog off for coming reluctantly, the more reluctantly he will come each time you call! This is especially important when you start with how to train a dog to come. But if you want to change any behavior…or teach a completely new one…this holds true and the dog makes only a connection between his first action (arriving at your feet) and your following action (telling your dog off). Got it? OK, you might now want to read on or leave, in any case always keep this golden rule of dog training number one in mind:

Your dog makes only a connection between his last action and your immediate re-action to it. Anything else simply doesn’t connect in the canine universe …

What to Do Instead:

Call your dog frequently to you, at home, outside, on the leash, off leash and reward him royally every single time he comes. Start easy and set your dog up for success, call him only when your are sure that he will come and add distractions and distance slowly and carefully. When doing basic dog training like this off leash, keep a long-trailing leash on your dog’s harness so that you have a security line in case he doesn’t come or something unexpected happens. Make sure that coming to you is the best thing that your dog could do, because great things, from the dogs point of view, happen when he comes to you.

And if you train any other behaviors, make sure that:

Your immediate reaction directly follows the dog’s actions. And that you therefore only re-enforce the behavior you do want to re-enforce. And yes, make you’re actions a reward for your dog!

Your Are Refusing Reward and Bribing …

Example: You are waving a hotdog while calling your dog to come.

Mistake: You are bribing your dog, not rewarding it.

What to Do Instead:

By all means, reward your dog every time he shows a behavior you want to encourage, but follow this order: Command => Behavior + Marker (verbal or clicker) => Reward. This way you show the dog that certain behaviors result in good things happening. Bribing your dog is not training him to do a certain behavior, it is putting before him the decision of if he wants to perform the behavior or not, depending on the bribe. Rewarding him, on the other hand, with food, games or a toy to play with is rewarding the desired behavior he has already shown.

You Decide What a High Value Reward Is Not Your Dog …

Some dogs are not motivated by food, others couldn’t care less about playing  tug-of-war. If you choose the wrong reward, your dog will feel ‘under-paid’ and less motivated during training lessons. Make a list of things that your dogs like (praise, ear scratchies, favorite foods, toys/games) and find out which ones work the best. Always have some really high value rewards at hand to reward outstanding performance!

Your Timing is Off …

Like I wrote above, dogs connect the latest thing they did with your reaction to it. If your reaction is too slow or too early, the dog will connect the wrong things. This means that your reaction has to directly follow (max. 1-2 seconds after) your dogs’ behavior.

You Talk Too Much …

Example: Your dog barks and you preach him a ‘sermon’ on the lines of: ‘I rescued you from the human society, I give you food and treats, I keep you warm and comfy and take you for great walks every day – And you drive me nuts by barking like a mad dog.’ Translated into ‘doggish’, this is what your dog hears:

‘Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff, Ruff Ruff Ruff food Ruff treats, Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff walks Ruff Ruff – Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff.’

See the problem? Your dog doesn’t understand what you are saying and is most likely completely confused because your using the words he knows, and that are positive for him, in an unhappy voice. By all means speak to your dog frequently…preferable with a happy and positive voice…but when it comes to communicating what you want, use clear commands and don’t waffle.

Too Many Repetitions or Too Much Variety…

Every dog is different when it comes to learning new, and maintaining established, behaviors. Some dogs need a lot of repetitions until they have things ‘paws down’, others get bored easily and wander of, mentally or physically, as if they wanted to say ‘I know that already, boring, can we move on?’. Learning to know your dog is also learning to know how your dog learns. Keep training sessions short and fun for both of you and if you want to work on another trick or behavior, changing the setting (go to another room for example) so that your dog knows something new is coming.

The following two basic dog training mistakes are the ones I catch myself making embarrassingly often …

You are Not Teaching a Release Command …

Example: ‘Down!’ Dog lies down. You walk away and for a time the dog stays ‘down’, but sooner or later your dog will want to go up and creep out of the ‘down stay’.

Funny Example:

I trained one of my dogs to balance a treat on his nose and to wait with catching or eating it until I gave the command. One day, as I just had placed a treat on his nose, the telephone rang and I answered it. As I turned around several minutes later, my poor dog was sitting their with his eyes crossed and trying to stare at the treat on his nose. I gave the release command rather quickly and giggly …

How to avoid this mistake:

You need to teach your dog with each trick or behavior that requires duration, i.e. your dog performing it for some time, simultaneously the release command. This way you become predictable and reliable in the eyes of your dog. So, for example, say ‘down’ and release your dog when he is allowed to go up with ‘free’, ‘ok’ or whatever word you choose.

You Use One Command for Different Things …

Dogs jumps on furniture and you say, understandably ‘DOWN!’, but you also use this word to tell your dog to lay down on the floor. Chances are that your dog, in this situation, after hearing ‘DOWN!’ is laying down – on the furniture. And who could blame him? In the end he is doing what you told him to, laying down where he is. I think you can figure the solution to this one out on your own

Just a hint, my dog now knows what ‘Off’ means …

I am sure there are more basic dog training mistakes around that I forgot to list in this article. Care to share them in a comment? Funny stories and funny mistakes are especially welcome!

How to train a dog to come like this one, fast and happy.

How to Train a Dog to Come

Do you admire those dogs that come with lightning fast speed every single time when their owners calls? Have you ever wondered how to train a dog to come, no matter what the circumstances? Teaching a dog to come reliably is actually quite easy and can be done by even the most novice dog owner without any problems by following the steps outlined in this article. And best of all the method used is completely positive for both you and your dog. Here we go:

What You Need When Teaching a Dog to Come

• One Dog: If you have more than one dog, train them separately, at least in the beginning.

• Rewards: You need really high-value rewards for that one, this doesn’t necessarily mean food, it can also mean a special squeaky toy, a really long belly rub session or similar, but remember it is the dog that determines how high the value of a reward is for him, not you

• A Signal: I prefer to use a normal, audible whistle, not a ‘silent’ one, one like those used in gun dog training and handling. Using a whistle has many advantages over using your voice…for example it always sounds the same and can’t be used ‘by accident’! If you insist to use a voice command it needs to be distinguishable from all the others you use and unlikely to be used by accident. Alternatively you can just whistle yourself

• Patience: To really make this behavior ‘bombproof’ you need to train it frequently and increase its difficulty for the dog very slowly. This takes time, but the result is well worth investing all the patience you have.

Understanding the Underlaying Principle of Teaching Your Dog to Come

What you are teaching your dog with this method is that hearing the ‘magic signal’ to come to you is the best news ever, because glorious things are going to happen! By slowly increasing the criteria you will cement this behavior into your dog and in the end, your dog will come on your signal no matter what else is going on because he has learned that being called to you is the best thing to wish for and has become an irresistible reflex for him.

Setting Your Dog Up For Success

No matter how old your dog is, a puppy or a senior, training dogs to come has nothing to do with their age, but all to do with setting your dog up for success every single time! By doing so your dog will learn faster and retain what he learned better. When training absolute recall you need to start with baby steps and progress at your dog’s speed.

Training Steps

Start at home, with no distractions around. This means put all toys away and, if you have other dogs, crate them while you work with one dog at a time. Let your dog or puppy wander around freely, sooner or later he will move towards you, now whistle ONCE softly. Chances are good that your dog or puppy will come to you and wants to investigate what this funny new sound means. The moment your dog arrives at your feet absolutely lavish him with praise, treats and rewards. Let the dog wander off again and repeat. Very soon your dog will speed up coming to you when hearing the whistle, when this has happened a few times you can give the whistle signal even when the dog is not already moving towards you. In the beginning call or whistle softly until your dog knows that it means something good close to you is about to happen, but then increase the loudness to the point you plan to use in future. Some dogs are afraid/scared by sudden new sounds around them, but this can be overcome easily by connecting the sound with something good (in the dogs eyes!).

As soon as the dog knows what the whistle means, whistle only one single time per training session to make the whole event more memorable for him.

Adding Distraction and Distance

Train first in the house and increase the criteria (distance and distraction) slowly. Only call/whistle once and reward royally as soon as the dog arrives at your feet. Your dog is ready for the next step if you notice that he is really speeding up coming to you and/or interrupts whatever he is doing at that moment. It is really crucial to start very easy and increase the criteria in baby steps. You need to control the environment in such a manner that your dog is absolutely set-up for success and comes every single time you called. Below are some ideas and tips how to increase the criteria slowly and remember to only increase them if your dog shows the desired behavior (coming to you at full speed and instantly) perfectly and repeatedly with lower criteria.

• You want to practice this behavior under as many different circumstances as possible, with one exception: Never call your dog away when he is eating his meal.

• When taking the training outside, always attach a long trailing leash to his harness, this way, if things go wrong, you still can get your dog with the help of the leash.

Here some ideas on how to increase the criteria:

• At home, you and the dog in the same room, no distractions present.

• Both of you in the same room with distractions present (toys, calm kids or pets etc).

• At home with both of you being in different rooms, adding distance and distraction gradually.

• In the garden/backyard (fenced!), adding distance and distraction gradually.

• In the dog park or any area where a dog can run off leash, adding distance and distraction gradually.

How often to train a dog to come

That depends partly on the dog, but the training sessions should be very frequent, around a dozen times each day normally works best . This is especially important in the beginning, until your dog really understands that the whistle means ‘Great things are about to happen near my owner’. It is also important to space training sessions well out over the day, one training session should only consist of one whistle/signal + praise and rewards + release. That is an exercise dogs learn better when not repeated shortly one after another, but at random intervals during the day.

Maintenance Training

Once you have trained this behavior and your dog performs it to perfection you still need to maintain this perfect performance. Simply give the ‘magic signal’ a couple of times a day, one time inside and one time outside to avoid it fading from your dog’s memory. If you notice that the response becomes ‘sluggish’ train more often, lower the criteria and up the rewards until you are back to a perfect turn around and coming full speed to you performance.

Solving Frequent Problems

My dog is afraid of the whistle/sound/signal I choose.

Either choose another sound, one your dog is more comfortable with, or start at a lower volume and drop treats every time. Similar to the clicker, the whistle needs to be connected, in the dog’s mind, with ‘good things’. As soon as it ‘clicks’ with the dog that the whistle means a really great reward is awaiting him, he will stop being afraid of it and eagerly anticipate it.

What do I do when my dog doesn’t come?

First of all, do nothing! This might seem counter-intuitive for those that have learned a more traditional style of dog training (reward good behavior + punish bad behavior = good dog) but it is really counterproductive as any ‘punishment’ will transmit the message to the dog that sometimes bad things come from you. Simply go and get your dog…he is wearing a long trailing leash on his harness when outside, isn’t he?…and calmly do something else with him. Not coming when the whistle sounds should mean simply ‘Oops, missed a great reward!’, nothing else! After a while you can go back to training this behavior, bearing in mind that most likely the dog not coming has happened because you have increased the criteria too fast and raised too high and/or your latest reward was not really great in your dog’s eyes. Go two steps back reducing distance and distractions and provide a really big prize for coming. Soon you will be back on track and can increase the criteria again, this time much more slowly please.

My dog did come beautifully at home, but will not come outside.

Same as above, plus make sure to do the first few training sessions outside in an area your dog finds boring and with only a short distance between you. Remember a dog is distracted by things we don’t notice, like smells etc, so make sure your first outside training is really in a boring environment.

What distinguishes this method from ‘normal recall training’?

Unless you are a very self-disciplined trainer, chances are that you yourself get ‘sluggish’ over time. This can happen with using a signal/command too often, mixing it up with other signals you give, not rewarding properly etc. Interestingly I have observed that dogs that have been trained an emergency recall signal/command will also come faster when called by name or ‘here’, the reason being that they have learned that good things happen when coming in general and that coming to you always results in a pleasant experience for them. Having a ‘bombproof’ emergency recall trained with your dog that…a part of maintenance training…you only use rarely, and reward heavily each single time, is an invaluable tool to have at hand.

And here for your convenience is a checklist of:

Do’s and Don’ts of How to Train a Dog to Come (Absolute Recall)

Do’s

• Only whistle once.

• Only use high value rewards.

• Space training session out and keep them very short.

• Train often.

• Vary your rewards from session to session.

Don’ts

• Don’t, ever, punish or tell your dog off for coming slowly or not at all.

• Don’t let the dog make a connection between whistle/signal with something unpleasant, like being put on the leash and going home/end of fun.

• Don’t whistle more than once.

It really takes some time to bombproof this behavior and cement the reflex into a dog’s brain, but it is well worth the effort! Imagine the following situation:

Your walking near a busy road with your dog on leash and suddenly a feral cat/squirrel appears and your dog bolts and you let the leash slip out of your hand and the dog is running free, chasing the squirrel/cat and is in danger of running onto a busy road. Then imagine that you now whistle and your dog turns around immediately and comes running up to you full speed.

Knowing how to train a dog to come, and doing it!, can mean the difference between life and death for your canine companion …

Ducks are found in most parts of the world, living in wetlands, forests, lakes, and ponds. They come from the Anatidae family of birds which also include geese and swans and are the smallest of the family, with a shorter neck and stout body. They are mostly aquatic…not being very mobile on land…and can be found on both fresh and salt water locales. Although similar, they are not related to loons, grebes, coots or gallinules.

A duck is designed for its life in the water. Their webbed feet act as paddles and have no blood vessels or nerves which enable them to still exist in cold, icy water. They have a gland that produces an oil which covers their feathers making them waterproof. Underneath this waterproof layer is another layer of soft, warm feathers…called down…that keeps them warm.

Domesticated ducks are all related to the Mallard duck; which is a wild duck that has a distinctive green head with a yellow bill. Ducks are social birds and should not be raised alone as they are not partial to isolation. They spend the majority of their time in the water where they feed on aquatic invertebrates, aquatic plants, worms and insects. On land, they eat grass, seeds and fruit.

Ducks As Pets In A Domesticated Habitat

Pet ducks are not meant to be raised or kept inside your home as they can be very messy and their “bathroom” is wherever they are standing at the time.
Ideally, you would raise them in an environment as close to their natural habit as possible. This would be a pond or other body of water that would provide an ample supply of natural food.

That, however, is not an option for most people so the next option is building a coop or other structure for your ducks to live in. The floor should be covered with straw or other absorbent, removable covering like wood shavings or peat moss, and should be secure enough to keep the ducks safe from harm. You also want to provide proper drainage and ventilation.

If you live in a colder climate some form of heating, such as a heat lamp, may be necessary.

You will also need to provide containers to provide water and feed for your ducks. As mentioned earlier, a nearby body of water is ideal to provide exercise and a natural food supply.

Feeding Ducks As Pets

If you are able to provide a pond or other body of water for your pet ducks they’ll very likely have a good source of their natural foods. Being that they eat a variety of plants there can be a ready, easily accessible supply. The grass at the edge of a pond or in your backyard is a good source of food as is the aquatic plants in a pond. Insects and snails are another good, natural food supply.

Probably one of the most common sources of food people think of as food for ducks is crumbs of bread or crackers, or even pieces of doughnuts or bits of popcorn. However, what most people do not realize is that feeding ducks these tidbits is potentially dangerous to them. Bread, if fed in moderation, is acceptable but it is very difficult to monitor the amount of their intake if more than one person throwing them these morsels. This kind of food for your pet duck is the equivalent of junk food, and an excessive amount can lead to malnutrition and weight gain.

A healthy snack one can give them is chopped hardboiled eggs complete with the shell on, vegetable greens, or tomatoes. Feeding them snacks should be kept to a minimum just like other pets such as dogs and cats. While you may think you are “treating” them, ultimately, you may actually be harming them.

Unmedicated mash pellets are a highly recommended staple food for your pet duck. It can be supplemented with vegetable trimmings, tomatoes, boiled eggs with the shell or even some cracked corn. Cracked corn should not be used as a staple though as the proper amount of protein is not supplied which could lead to health problems. Reading labels to ensure the proper level of protein is crucial to a duck’s growth.

Advisable levels of protein for ducks according to their age requirements:

- Ducklings to three weeks: 20-22% protein
- Adolescents (3 to 6weeks): 16% protein
- Females over 6 weeks (laying): 16-18% protein
- Females over 6 weeks (not laying) or Males over 6weeks: 14-16% protein

Always ensure that your ducks have plenty fresh drinking water. They have no teeth, so water is essential for them to enable then to swallow their food. Pellets and crumbles are ideal because they are very simple to use and do not make much of a mess.

A quick summary on what to feed your domestic duck:

- Staple foods: Mash, crumbles or pellets
- Supplements: Vegetable greens, tomatoes, carrots -> chopped hardboiled eggs with shell on -> worms, snails, slugs, insects
- Avoid: Bread, seeds, nuts -> fatty, salty, and sweet foods

To provide your pet ducks with the best care possible be sure to talk with your veterinarian. They can provide you with the proper instructions on how and what to feed your ducks together along with other directions in the proper care that is needed in having ducks as pets.

Before we understand how to address the symptoms of dog cataracts, it would be best to understand first how it all happens. Basically, a cataract is a disruption in the arrangement of the fibres that comprise the eyes lens. When this disruption occurs it causes a reduction in vision and loss of the transparency. It is because of this fact that your dog’s eyes look cloudy.

Even though there are several forms of dog cataract, they actually all form in a similar pattern. The damage in the lens fibre is caused by an imbalance with the sodium water pump system. The normal lens of the eye is usually in a dehydrated but when this imbalance occurs, there is an increase in ocular fluid. Excess water moves into the eye lens and creates pressure resulting in transparency loss and eventually a cataract.

Usually, a cataract is classified according to the age when it forms. It can also help to determine whether or not the condition was passed on from mother to offspring.

Kinds of Cataracts in Dogs:

Congenital Cataracts

These are the types of cataracts that are passed on from one generation to another. These usually occur in both eyes. In some cases these are not inherited but the mother may contract an infection and its toxins can cause side effects such as cataracts in unborn puppies.

Breeds predisposed: Miniature Schnauzers.

Developmental Cataracts

This type develops early on in a puppy’s life. They may also be inherited in the sense that when the dam (mother) has a particular disease condition such as diabetes, contracts an infection or experiences trauma, it may lead to cataract formation.

Breeds predisposed: Afghan hound and Standard Poodle

Senile Cataracts

As the name would imply, this type of dog cataract occurs in animals that are older, usually six years and above.

Inherited Cataracts

This type occurs usually in relation to another ocular disease or sometimes as an independent condition. When a dog is diagnosed for this type of condition, it is mandatory that the animal must no longer be used for breeding due to the high probability that the condition be passed on.

Below is a partial list of dog breeds and the relative age of onset that the cataract is likely to occur:

Small Breeds:

• Boston Terrier – Congenital
• Miniature Schnauzer – 6 months of age or Congenital
• West Highland White Terrier – Congenital

Medium Breeds:

• American Cocker Spaniel – 6 months
• Old English Sheepdog – Congenital
• Siberian Husky – 6 months of age
• Golden Retriever – 6 months of age
• Labrador Retriever – 6 months of age
• Bull Terrier – 6 months of age
• Standard Poodle – 1 year of age
• Welsh Springer Spaniel – Congenital

Large Breeds:

• Afghan Hound – 6-12 months of age
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever – 1 year of age or above
• German Shepherd – 2 months of age

Treatment of Cataracts in Dogs:

Dog cataract currently can only be treated with surgery but there are also drugs that can be used in order to alleviate the condition. Since there is an increase in the ocular pressure within the eye, surgery involves removal of the extra water content within the lens. In some cases where in the damage is already extensive, it requires full removal of the lens.

Image credit: waycooldogs

Below, we’ll describe the most common factors that motivate puppies to chew. Along the way, you’ll notice that different approaches are needed to influence the behavior. We’ll also provide several suggestions for molding your pup’s chewing obsession.

Puppy Chewing To Explore

In many ways, puppies are similar to babies. Babies routinely place items in their mouths in order to investigate their immediate surroundings. Puppies also do this. They chew things in order to find out more about them.

Sometimes, a puppy will seem to have little preference about the object he is chewing. A shoe, book, magazine, or cardboard box offer similar appeal. Other times, the puppy chewing is more focused. He may become curious about a particular item, and ignore all others.

Puppy Chewing While Teething

When a pup is teething, the eruption of his new adult teeth causes him discomfort. Chewing on objects provides relief. It reduces irritation, and helps to remove the first set of teeth. In most puppies, teething will occur between the third month and ninth month. A pup will often place everything he can into his mouth during this period.

Your puppy may find cold items to be particularly soothing. For example, dampen an old t-shirt, and place it into your freezer. Once it cools, allow your pup to chew on it. You can also purchase frozen rings made for teething puppies at most pet supply stores.

Chewing Stemming From Stress

Another trigger for chewing is anxiety. It can affect puppies and adult canines. If your puppy is anxious about something in his environment, he may chew on objects in order to cope with the stress.

You might observe this behavior during a thunderstorm, or when there is loud noises nearby. Some puppies’ stress-related chewing stems from being separated from their owners. Once the stimulus that is causing the stress is removed, the chewing may stop.

Ideas For Shaping Your Puppy’s Chewing Habit

It is important to realize that your puppy is unaware that he is doing something wrong when he chews. The behavior is natural to him, and starts early in life, when he is still with his mother and littermates. Be patient with him.

It’s also worth highlighting that shaping the habit may be more appropriate than discouraging it outright. For example, recall that chewing provides relief when your puppy is teething. Rather than trying to curb the behavior, provide items he can chew on.

First, puppy-proof your home. Remove shoes, clothes, electrical cords, and other items you want your pup to avoid chewing. It may also be a good idea to restrict his whereabouts with baby gates and other barriers. Left to explore your home, he’ll likely chew something unsupervised.

Second, provide him a few chew toys. Not only will they allow him to work off energy, but they’ll distract him from chewing objects you would like to protect. If you see him chewing something other than a chew toy, immediately correct the behavior by removing the inappropriate items, and replacing it with the toy.

Third, make sure your puppy receives plenty of exercise. Puppies with pent-up energy are more likely to chew. Providing exercise will tire your pup out, making him less inclined to do so.

Chewing is a natural behavior in puppies. Determine the reasons your puppy is doing it, and use the suggestions above to modify the habit to help stop the dog chewing.

How To Stop A Puppy From Biting With Proper Training

If you’re the proud owner of a new puppy, you will have likely noticed that your puppy enjoys mouthing or nipping at things. Some owners may see such behaviour as cute, while others may disallow the behaviour all together. Neither approach is ideal. When your puppy is young, although those little teeth are still sharp, the puppy’s jaw hasn’t developed enough strength to cause any real damage. Now is the time to train your puppy to have a “soft mouth”. A dog who has strong bite inhibition will be much safer as an adult.

Remember, there are two ways that a puppy will have the potential to inflict injury from a bite as an adult:

• You stop dog biting completely, therefore the puppy never learns what bite inhibition is.
• You allow your puppy to bite, but don’t do the necessary training to teach your puppy to have a soft mouth.

In a family situation, puppies learn bite inhibition from their mother and litter-mates. But unless you leave your puppy with its family for the first four months or so of its life, it’s unlikely that they will have completely learned about bite inhibition. This is where you have to take over their training.

Puppies learn bite inhibition based on feedback they receive from their litter-mates on their biting technique. If a puppy bites too hard, the litter-mate will yelp in pain and stop playing immediately. The puppy quickly learns that he will only get rewarded (with play) if he learns to control the strength of his bite.

If we want to teach bite inhibition, we likewise want to allow our puppy to bite us during play, and then immediately stop play if he bites too hard. This is done while the puppy is still very young- before their jaws gain strength and their adult canines grow.

• Play with your puppy, allowing him to bite your arms or hands. Do not allow your puppy to bite your clothes, as you will not be able to feel the strength of his bite.
• As soon as you feel your puppy bite too hard, immediately shout “Ouch!” in a yelp-like way (not angry), loud enough to startle your puppy. Discontinue play with your puppy straight away, and wait until your puppy backs down.
• Resume play. If your puppy bites too hard once again, repeat the yelp and then immediately leave the room. Your puppy will start to realise that if he bites too hard, play will stop.
• Come back to your puppy and resume play. Slowly, you will want to decrease the amount of force your puppy puts into his bites. Even if a bite doesn’t hurt, if it is stronger than his other bites you must repeat the above process until your puppy eliminates that level of bite pressure.

Teaching your dog bite inhibition while training a puppy will stop your dog biting with the pressure required to cause damage to people or animals.

Related Terms: training puppies, puppy chewing, how to stop a puppy from biting

Shoot candid pet photos and be patient

Chances are your pet won’t fully co-operate with your picture-taking efforts. So the best bet is to take pet photos when they don’t expect it rather than asking them to “sit” or “stay”. Wait until they are sleeping, resting or playing for the best results. It will come down to the obedience of your pet as well. A hyperactive animal is never going to stay still long enough for a posed shot whereas a well-trained dog probably will. Patience is certainly a virtue when taking photos of pets as well. If it’s not working for you this time, try again later. Animals are naturally curious as well so this can often work in your favour. Don’t get angry or impatient with the animal, who most likely thinks your picture-taking is all part of a game.

Get down on their level

Impressive images often call for a little sacrifice, and in the case of pets it can mean getting down and dirty. Sit, kneel or lay down on the ground so you are at eye level with your pet, depending on their activity. The results will be far better than standing over the animal and shooting down on them. There will be times, however, where changing the perspective can have a creative effect.

Take lots of pet photos

Most brands, such as Canon cameras, have a continuous shoot option that will fire off multiple frames in quick succession, meaning the chances of getting the right shot increase markedly. It can also lead to great sequences of shots. Resist the temptation to delete images off the camera when taking lots of pictures though. Wait until you have downloaded them onto your computer before embarking on a cull – ordinary images can become great pictures with some work using a photo editing program.

Focus on the subject

The pet is the star of the photo so consider the composition of the image. Avoid distracting backgrounds and foregrounds that draw the focus away from the animal. Close-ups usually make the best pet photos but be aware of what parts of the animal you get in the frame. Sometimes chopping off an ear can ruin what would otherwise be a perfect portrait. Take multiple photos and change angles for different results.

Avoid using the flash

Bombarding your pet with the camera’s flash is likely to lead to shadows and uneven lighting, ruining what would otherwise be a cute picture. Choose somewhere with lots of natural light, or preferably head outdoors for your pet photos session. Hitting the animal full-on in the face with flash may make them a little unhappy as well!

Boycott companies that have cruel practices 

There are a number of ways you can do this. Some of these include:

• Only buying free range meat and chicken
• Only buying free range eggs
• Not buying any items that are tested on animals
• Only buying clothing, shoes and accessories made from synthetic materials as opposed to leather and fur

Volunteer To Help Disadvantaged Animals 

Volunteering your time at a local animal shelter is a great way to give back and help disadvantaged animals. Even if it is just walking orphaned dogs and puppies once a week it will make all the difference.

Don’t support circuses or zoos with a poor reputation 

There are many zoos and circuses that treat animals in a proper, loving manner. But unfortunately there are plenty that don’t. Boycott all circuses that have wild animals such as lions and elephants and don’t visit zoos that are known for their poor treatment of animals.

Support Charities That Help Disadvantaged Animals 

Regularly giving to an organisation that helps animals is a great way to give back and help disadvantaged animals all over the world. But it’s not just through donations that you can support a charity. Why not buy your Christmas cards this year from a business that allows you to elect a charity to donate some of the cost of the cards to? Also, if the charity has an online gift shop, why not do some of your Christmas shopping online through their retail store? Every little bit helps.

Choose carefully where you adopt pets from

Rather than buying your pet from a pet shop or breeder, why not go to your local animal shelter and choose a furry friend from one of the many disadvantaged animals that are in desperate need of a home?

Report cruelty

If you are witness to animal cruelty, report it. Animals rely on people to be their voice which is why it is so important that if you see cruelty taking place, you should immediately take action and phone the RSPCA. If you are worried about a backlash from your complaint, you can remain anonymous.

There really are so many ways that you can help disadvantaged animals in need. I hope our list of ideas has given you some inspiration to get out there and join forces with others standing up for our furry friends, many of which are in desperate need of our help.