photo credit: markhillary

The time has come for all of us to sit down and plan how we can become greener with our pets. We owe it to the kids, the planet, our pets and ourselves. According to the RD, there are 3.5 million dogs and also, 4.5 million cats, in the country. That’s an awful lot of pets. We do love our pets, but, just like humans, they have to become green! Actually, we have to make the green.

Here’s how to reduce the carbon paw print of your four-legged friends.
Foremost: Please Do…Scoop the Poop. I have two dogs, and I still see a lot of unscooped poop along the pathways, or on the grass in the parks. Scooping is not just environmentally safe, but, we need to scoop for the kids, for anyone who walks in the park.

More and more places are starting to ban dogs again, because pet owners don’t scoop. Become responsible pet owners, for the love of your pets, and courtesy towards your neighbours. Pooping, that is the biggest issue out there today from our pets.

Dogs: Do try not to use plastic bags…they don’t decompose! Use biodegradable bags. They may cost more, but in the long run they are worth the extra cost. Or, you could, learn how to compost your dog’s poop.

Cats: Kitty litter is another one of the big environmental problems. Some of the kitty litter is bad for the environment, especially the clumping type of litter. The ingredient sodium bentonite is natural clay, and it expands into a hard mass when it becomes moist. This could poison your cat. The dust produced from the clay is not healthy to breathe in either. Check the market for a healthier and environmentally friendly kitty litter. Put a Bell on your cat; keep our birds safe and our neighbours cat friendly. (Also check how to SAFELY put a bell on your cat.) And, please, do leash your dog! Remember, we need to keep our pets safe and our parks friendly for non pet owners.

Kittens and Puppies Are Cute

But please, there are so many homeless pets out there already, don’t add to the problem. Have your pets neutered unless of course you are in the business of breeding. Always try to be a responsible pet owner.

Be Green When You Clean

Use environmentally and pet friendly products when you clean your pets.

And, last but not least, if you use a bed for your pet. Get a friendly bed.

Ruth’s passions are people and pet health. She owns 2 dogs, one of which is a Registered Pet Therapy Dog (Her Golden Retriever), and the second, an adopted Black Lab, Shorty.

Her Pet Blog: http://www.happypetstop.com/blog

#1 – Buy A Good Leash

There are many types of leashes including those made from nylon, leather, and chain. Your dog’s behavior while you’re out for a walk might dictate the type of leash you use. If he pulls to one side or keeps biting the leash, chain might work well. On the other hand, nylon is much lighter and therefore, far more comfortable.

If you plan to use a retractable leash, keep in mind that your pooch can quickly wrap around trees, legs, or other pets. Plus, if you’re on a sidewalk next to a busy street, you’ll need to remain constantly aware of how much line you’ve let out.

#2 – Control Him Around Others

A lot of canines love to meet new people (and pets). The problem is that they can become extremely enthusiastic and jump on them. Teach your pooch that if he wants to meet and greet someone, he must first sit at your command. Consider bringing treats when you’re walking him. When the dogs behaves as he was trained, you can provide a treat as positive reinforcement.

#3 – Bring The Necessities

As a responsible owner, you should have plenty of dog waste bags. Leaving your pooch’s waste on another person’s lawn – or worse, in a public place – is disrespectful of others. Also, if you're going for a longer walk, or if the weather is warm, bring water for your canine. And, as mentioned earlier, bring his favorite treats so you can reinforce good behavior while giving him exercise.

#4 – Try New Paths

The same route can become boring for your dog after awhile. Change the scenery occasionally, by finding new routes. Even though you won’t notice the difference, the fresh smells of a new route and its surroundings will be exciting to him. Also there will be plenty of new territory for him to claim an “mark”.

Enjoying The Time Together

Owners often forget how much their dogs love their attention. Walking your canine is a great opportunity to strengthen the friendship you share with each other. Along with the fact your dog will love the attention and being outdoors, he will get the exercise he needs. With a proper leash, a little training, some doggie necessities, and a new route every now and then, you’ll both look forward to the short walks you take together.

photo credit: without you.

Yorkshire Terriers, or Yorkies, are unique little dogs with a look that’s all their own. These little lap dogs with long fur tend make great pets, both outgoing and affectionate, craving plenty of attention from their owner. These dogs are fiercely territorial, but can still be good with other pets and with older children. Dog trainer who know how to care for a Yorkie puppy will find that they have a beautiful little pet that gives love and devotion. Learning the basics of how to care for and groom a Yorkie puppy will prove useful.

Long, Long Fur

One of the interesting features of these dogs is that instead of a fur coat, their coat is much closer to hair, constantly growing, which means they can develop long hair styles. Knowing how to do Yorkie puppy training and its hair will prevent you from having a dog with ugly tangles. Because the hair is constantly growing, this breed will need frequent trims to prevent its coat from getting too long.

For those who want a dog with a short coat or want an easy time of learning how to care for a Yorkie puppy and its fur, simply have the groomer clip the fur short. A short clip will prevent the fur from getting too long for a while. However, if you’re planning to show your Yorkie at dog shows or want to keep it long, frequent brushing and clipping will be necessary. And of course, one thing to remember in learning how to care for a Yorkie puppy is that the long fur on top of its head traditionally is tied with a bow, creating a topknot.

Strong Personalities

For such a little dog, Yorkies have very strong, willful personalities, and you should take this into account when learning how to care for a Yorkie puppy. Because they do have such strong personalities, these dogs will respond best to dog training with firmness. However, since they also love attention, this gives you an easy way to work with the dog, since attention and praise when they do respond to attention will be helpful.

On the other hand, since they hate to be ignored, the worst thing you can do when learning how to care for a Yorkie puppy is to ignore it. Dogs such as these will develop terrible personalities and more aggressive behavior if ignored, so take care to give your Yorkie plenty of attention. Those that do will find that they have a little dog that’s great to have around.

In many ways puppies are just like babies. They are dependent on you for their existence. They need your help to feed them and teach them the things they need to know since they are the newest member of the family. They love attention so you should be prepared to give them lots of it. You will be rewarded, usually with a clean face.

Feeding your puppy is very important part of puppy care since he is developing bones and muscle as he grows. Feed your puppy food that is formulated for puppies and not adults. Remember that you can’t depend on your puppy to quit eating when he is full. Some will but others will eat until they get sick. Growing puppies should probably eat twice a day but do not let them “graze” all day.

A very important part of puppy training to you is the house breaking. This requires patience, and usually lots of it. Many puppies will need to go just after they eat so this is a good time to take them out. At other times they will give you some kind of sign, sometimes they sniff around, sometimes they turn around and around before they find their spot. Watching for their sign can tell you when you need to hit the door running with them in tow. They will eventually get the message but not until they have had a few accidents. The key is to not give up and don’t get mad at the puppy.

Puppy Care and Puppy Safety

Puppies and children are usually great together but it is never wise to leave small children and puppies together unsupervised. Puppies could get hurt and children could get bit. It is also very important that your new puppy gets all of his shots. Shots are a necessary part of dog training and will help keep you both healthy. Along with shots comes the check for worms, which is something most puppies get but fortunately it is easily treated.

As your new puppy grows you will need to discuss with your vet the best option for flea protection and also heart worm protection. Heart worms are deadly and treatment is expensive and dangerous for the dog.

Puppies grow up to be dogs and many times the care they received as a puppy will determine the temperament they have when they are adults.

photo credit: Jasmine&Roses

If you have considered the care of a chow chow puppy as an option for having a pet, it’s little surprise. These dogs are quite unique, with tongues that are blue-black and rounded ears. These dogs come in two varieties, a short-haired version, and one with longer hair, which looks as if it has a mane, giving it a very lion-like appearance. People who consider the care of a chow chow puppy often see this dog as a living teddy bear. However, these dogs are quite different from living teddy bears, and it helps to know what it’s like to care for a chow chow puppy before getting one.

Knowing the history of the chow chow is key to understanding why it looks and acts the way it does. This particular breed was made in China and Mongolia, and was bred not for use as pets, but as a dog for hunting and pulling loads, as well as for food and fur. This is why these dogs are smart, durable, and beautiful. Keep in mind that if you’re considering a chow chow puppy training, these dogs were more used as a working breed that just happened to make beautiful pets as well.

Temperament

Please note that among the features listed of a chow chow, cuddliness is not one. For those considering the care of a chow chow puppy, understand that they are dogs that are closer to cats in personality, prone to being aloof. Proper care of a chow chow puppy often requires a one-person household, since these pets often do not take well to attention from a lot of strangers. For those with small children, the kids should be taught that the chow chow doesn’t like having attention forced upon it, as it will act aggressive.

Training

When trying to train and care for a chow chow puppy, you should understand that these dogs often require a patient, firm dog trainer in order to teach them to behave. These dogs are smart and willful, and as a result, need convincing to take part in any training. However, because they are so smart, these dogs will learn quickly once they decide to let themselves be trained.

A Loyal Dog

Even without dog training, however, choosing to care for a chow chow puppy means that you will ultimately end up with a loyal beautiful dog. There’s a bright side to this dog’s personality, and that’s if he feels its family is threatened, a chow chow will aggressively protect the family. Of course, the flip side is that visitors to the house need to take care not to make the dog think this. That said, if you take care to remember the dog’s temperament, to care for a chow chow puppy is a great choice to make.