Dog Agility Equipment: Where do I begin?

There is such a wide selection of dog agility equipment, where do I begin? There are several factors to consider when making your agility equipment purchases. Two major factors are your goals and your dog.

Are your goals to develop a deeper bonding with your dog by taking agility classes together, having fun, and seeing how far you and your dog can progress with agility skills? Do you have a timid dog and want to develop confidence in him? Or do you have a high drive dog and want to help him burn energy in a controlled manner? Do you want to do agility as a just for fun activity or are you setting your sights on making it to the nationals and becoming an agility instructor? All the previous factors are important to consider when purchasing your equipment.

An agility course has contact equipment, jumps, weaves, tunnels, closed tunnel, and possibly a pause table (depending on your agility venue). It would be wonderful have a full course of agility equipment in your backyard, but its not necessary to learn the sport. Contact equipment consists of dog-walks, A-frames, and teeters. It is a good idea to have at least one contact obstacle. Many people select to purchase a teeter because the motion often causes a dog hesitation. If you can't fit a regulation piece of equipment in your yard, consider an 8' dog-walk instead of a 12' or even select from mini-contact equipment that is available to train your dog on.

Jumps. You can never have enough single jumps, but you also might think about a double jump or triple jump. If you cannot purchase a double or triple jump, you can place two or three single jumps together to practice. Eight single jumps give you lots of drills and exercises to practice and interchange.

Tunnels, chutes, and tables are variations to add to your course. Tire jumps are very popular to have in backyard training. Pause tables are essential in our agility training program. They are our center and focal point for developing our directional commands and building distance.

Weaves, critical for having at home. The type of weave to purchase depends on your method of teaching. Is your agility class using weave chutes, angled weaves, or straight lined weaves. If your instructor is teaching a specific method, than its easiest to purchase the same type of weaves. We have trained five different agility dogs, each with a different method and in the end they all have nice weaves.

There are a variety of training aids that can help you develop the behavior you want from your dog on the equipment. Buja boards are excellent for timid dogs that need to build confidence slowly. Contact trainers are great for back chaining your contact behavior, and they are smaller so you can bring them indoors for winter training also.

About The Author
Brad Carlson is a dog trainer at Agility by Carlson. For more training details, visit our website at http://www.carlson-agility.com/.

Hummingbird Feeders: Sheltering Nature's Lovely Creatures

Even before manufacturers took advantage of the growing popularity of feeding hummingbirds, the first hummingbird feeders were typically constructed out of laboratory apparatuses. These were constructed primarily to attract the birds that would normally fly around a garden. To these, the response of the manufacturers is to market and create sugar-water feeders. Many of which are uniquely created thus giving logic to the high cost of each feeder. But most are mass-produced to provide such equipments to the larger public.

Like with most things in the market, hummingbird feeders come in literally all forms of shapes, sizes and designs. The ideal feeders are those that can be cleaned easily and hangs readily. These must also be sturdy and must have limited number of parts that can be separated or broken. Majority of hummingbird feeders comes with both glass and plastic reservoirs.

Glasses have longer lifespan and may be cleansed easily but may shatter when dropped. Plastics on the other hand are relatively cheaper than that of the glass reservoirs but discoloration is notable.

Small feeders typically have only a port for feeding while larger feeders have three or more. Many of which may provide perches for hummingbirds to rest upon while feeding.

The most common mistake among novice feeders is the buying of overly sized hummingbird feeders. This is wrong since the water-sugar solution easily stales even before the arrival of the birds.

One hummingbird feeder may not be enough for the birds in a moderately sized garden. It is best to place two or if possible, several hummingbird feeders throughout the garden. Chances are, the dominant birds would not defend all locations. This may welcome larger number of birds in your place. Logically, it is a good idea to put these hummingbird feeders in locations where you may observe the birds feeding. After all, the sugar solution we give is just a bonus the birds get for dropping by in our places. They, at all rate, can survive even without our help.

Most hummingbirds are gone during winter. This is because they migrate to the tropical regions. If in any case a bird visits you during this season, it is likely that it is genetically inferior and cannot travel. To provide shelter for such birds, some enthusiasts prefer to leave the hummingbird feeders outside their homes, offering both food and sanctuary for the lovely creatures. The sugar-water solution in the hummingbird feeder must still be changed daily.

When choosing a hummingbird feeder, most experts recommend those that are red in color. Though there so little scientific research to support the claim that hummingbirds are especially attracted to red, most feeders seem to appear in shades of red. Plus the common practice of dying the water sugar solution with red. Choose a hummingbird feeder that has excellent protection over ants.

It is also good to restrain from buying a yellow-colored feeders. This is to avoid the bees and wasps from being attracted to the feeder. Look also for feeders that have built-in perches and those that are small. Only when you have determined how thick your visitation of these birds is, may you only start using bigger feeders. This principle will prevent the nectar solution from spoilage.

Hummingbirds are truly marvelous to look at especially with their aerial display. This probably is reason enough why most enthusiasts go crazy over feeding hummingbirds.

About The Author
Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides hummingbird feeder resources on http://www.your-hummingbird-feeder.info.

Horse Training: What Rearing Really Is

Have you ever tried to get your horse to go somewhere (like through a door or in a trailer) and he rears as he approaches?

In this case, the rearing is a symptom of a problem.

The horse is showing resistance and fear - plus a lack of respect for the handler's direction.

To solve this, you must do groundwork away from the spooky object.

You'll want to do exercises that will get him to expand his comfort level AND get his feet moving forward.

We want the horse to learn to move his feet forward (not up) when he feels his life is threatened.

Now when the horse rears, DO NOT pull down on his head.

Why?

Because it could make him rear even higher and perhaps fall backwards. He could even pull you back and land on you.

Plus, the horse will have experienced BIG TIME trauma - and man oh man...that will be hard to fix.

If the horse rears, get away from him moving to his side.

One BIG secret is to be ready for him to do it. Think ahead of him.

If he starts to spring up, pull his head around and move his hindquarters.

Why?

Because if you're a horse, it's pretty dang hard to rear up when your hindquarters are moving and your head is turned.

When he sees he can't rear, he'll even- tually learn to go forward when feeling troubled.

He will discover it's not so bad to move his feet forward and that he'll be okay.

He likely won't learn to move forward the first few times you draw his head around and move his hindquarters...but he'll get it eventualy.

Just keep at it until he does - stay consistent.

If you've ever ridden a horse that rears, you'd know it can be scary and dangerous.

You should know how to prevent it.

In some horse training videos from http://www.SuperStarsOfHorseTraining.com, there are a couple trainers. To learn more about how they train their horses, be sure to read about them.

About The Author
Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author of several best selling horse training and horse care books. He is also well known for finding, interviewing, and filming expert horse trainers and making their expertise available to horse owners who want to learn different horse training tips and secrets and how to solve behaviorial issues with horses. For information visit his website at www.SuperStarsofHorseTraining.com.

Is Your Dog Fat?

Obesity is one of the greatest health concerns facing dogs. You can and should do something about it. Overweight dogs may live shorter and less healthy lives and your enjoyment of their unconditional love and companionship may be shortened because of it.

Extra pounds place an excess burden on bones and joints and can make arthritis problems worse. Overweight dogs are less able to exercise and play comfortably and their breathing may be labored. Their bodies may be less able to resist infections, and they may be at greater risk for problems during surgery and anesthesia.

Potential health problems include:

Joint or Locomotion Difficulties. Extra pounds add stress to joints, bones, ligaments and muscles. Conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, spinal disc disease and ruptures of joint ligaments may be caused or aggravated by obesity.
Heart and Respiratory Disease. Excess fat tissue in the chest cavity and around the muscles of the heart can decrease the efficiency of the heart and lungs. Your dog's heart and lungs have to work harder to provide adequate oxygen and circulation.
Diabetes. Just as in humans, diabetes is much more common in obese dogs.
Liver Disease. Obese dogs are prone to liver disease.
Heat Intolerance. The insulating properties of excessive fat make it harder for obese dogs to tolerate heat and they feel uncomfortable.
Skin Problems. Obese dogs may have trouble grooming because the rolls of skin built up by fat deposits can often harbor dirt, bacteria and other harmful organisms.
Gastrointestinal Disorders. Inflammation of the pancreas is frequently found in obese dogs. It is painful and can be life threatening.

How Dogs Become Overweight?

Dogs most always become overweight from lack of good exercise and from eating more food than they require. Food calories, which aren't burned during their daily activities, are stored as fat.

Overeating can result from greediness, boredom, or overfeeding. Feeding leftovers or giving frequent snacks or treats often contributes to excess weight problems.

Over-fed puppies tend to become overweight dogs. They also have a greater risk of developing orthopedic problems. Properly feed puppies will be less likely to suffer from weight problems later in life.

Occasionally, metabolic disorders can cause a dog to become overweight. But overfeeding and under exercising are much more common causes of excess weight. If your veterinarian suspects that a metabolic disorder is causing your dog to gain weight, he or she will test for that disorder and treat it accordingly.

How Can I Tell if My Dog is Overweight?

A quick check to determine whether your dog is overweight is to feel his ribs with the flat palm of your hand. If you have difficulty feeling his ribs, then your dog probably needs to lose weight.

Helping Your Dog Lose Weight.

Weight loss for most dogs involves increased exercise and eating food with fewer calories. It's generally easier to feed normal amounts of a low-calorie dog food than to feed much smaller amounts of his/her regular dog food. In addition, your dog will not feel as hungry when fed a normal amount of food

Dieting for Dogs.

Your vet will help set a weight goal for your dog and will recommend how much food he should eat each day. A special diet may also be prescribed. The food choice should be designed to satisfy your dog's appetite and provide him all the vitamins and minerals he needs while at the same time helping him to lose weight.

Your dog may need a gradual transition from the old to the new diet. So, you would feed him increasing amounts of the new diet while decreasing the amounts of the previous diet each day over several days until the transition is complete.

To help keep your dog from begging, feed him before your family eats, and keep him out of the room during your meal. It is also a good idea to feed overweight dogs at the same time as other pets to help prevent food stealing from their slimmer companions. Always provide plenty of clean, fresh drinking water.

Regular exercise, such as walks or runs, is good for most dogs because it increases the number of calories they burn. If your dog is old or in poor health, check with your vet before increasing exercise.

The time period your dog will require to lose weight depends upon how much weight he is required to lose. Your dog may need 8 to 14 weeks or longer to reach his target weight.

What Type of Dog Food is Good for Weight Control?

A dieting dog has special nutritional needs. His diet should be balanced with a proper ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates. The diet should also provide a normal volume of food to satisfy his hunger and the food should also provide quality nutrients.

Weight loss plans don't need to include high levels of fiber. Fiber is not necessary for weight loss in pets, and in large amounts, it may have side effects such as increased feces and lack of interest in the food because of its poor taste.

We recommend Canine Zone – a revolutionary weight loss dog food based on Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet. Millions of people all over the world have improved their health and have lost weight on Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet. Now you can get your dog in "The Zone". Canine Zone is based on the Zone's 30-30-40 ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates. This revolutionary new dog food will help your dog achieve a balance so his or her body can operate at its maximum efficiency while shedding unwanted pounds.

Always consult with your vet before you start a weight loss program for your dog.

About The Author
Bev Storer is a writer and researcher in the field of nutrition and nutritional supplements. To learn more about Canine Zone, go to http://www.dog-food-zone.com or e-mail her directly at info@dog-food-zone.com.

Getting a New Dog? How To Chose One

Choosing a new dog might seem to be a very simple and one way task, but there are indeed a lot a factors to consider. And when one embarks on it, it could be quite confusing and exhausting. With proper information at hand, choosing a dog can be a lot of fun. The main point to consider is finding the kind of dog that would fit and complement you, the owner.

Among the things that will have to be considered and discussed before getting a new dog are:

1. Who will have the primary responsibility of caring for and training the dog?

2. The expenses to be incurred for food, dog care, and the rest of the dog's needs like supplies, bed, crate, among otherthings.

3. The veterinarian that you will choose for your new dog.

Different breeds of dogs fit different peoples's lifestyle. There are dogs that are suited for the elderly, dogs for people with active lifestyles, and dogs for families with children.

Would you get a puppy or a grown up dog? Taking care of a puppy would require more attention and more trips to the vet, while getting an older dog will mean extra effort in establishing a bond between master and pet.

The breed of the dog is also a very important factor to consider. Temparament, activities, and other needs of a dog are sometimes influenced by its breed.

If its a pure breed dog that you want, your local kennel club is the best source of information. It should have access to reputable area breeders. A veterinarian can also provide reliable information where to find breeders for your dog of choice.

If its a hunting dog that you want, I would suggest the sporting breeds like the Labrador Retriever and the Golden Retriever. Breeds of these nature are easy to train and are good with children, but they require an active lifestyle.

For experienced owners, recommended dogs are those from the AKC's working group like the Siberian Husky, the Rottweiler, the Akita, the Bullmastiff, and the Giant Schnauzer. Hip dysplasia is common among these breeds, to be sure to get this type of dog from a reputable breeder.

Small dogs are ideal for apartment dwellers and people with older children. Dogs in this group include the Pug, the Shih Tzu, the Pomeranian, and the Maltese. These small dogs still require training and a fair amount of exercise. These small dogs are very popular today.

People who have a farm and work livestock may want to consider dogs from the herding group like the Border Collie, the Australian Shepherd, the German Shepherd, and the Shetland Sheepdog. The Border Collie is a very intelligent dog that requires a lot of exercise, both physical and mental. If you want to spend a lot of active time with a dog, you might choose a dog like this.

Adoption is also a very good option, since there is such a huge dog population. Assistance in this area can be obtained from your local humane society or dog rescue organization.

When choosing a dog, do take your time. It could be a very enlightening and enjoyable adventure. Do some research, or better yet, talk to dog owners, groomers, breeders, and veterinarians. They have first hand information and they can give you sound advice from their experience. This will help ensure that the dog of your choice will fit into your lifestyle and you'll have the chance to enjoy your dog more.

About The Author
Donnis Barron is the author and webmaster of Dogs and More! and other niche websites. For more information, please visit
http://www.wizchamp.com or send email to donnis@wizchamp.com

Feeding the Older Dog

Dog Food for the Older Dog

What changes do you need to make to your dog feeding regime as your dog gets older?

The changes you make to your dog feeding regime, and when you make them will vary depending on the age of your dog, and the breed of your dog.

It is considered that the larger and giant breeds of dog age earlier than the smaller and toy breeds of dog.

Your objective in managing the nutrition of the older dog is to enhance his quality of life, delay further ageing changes, and to extend his life whilst maintaining his optimal weight.

You are also trying to slow down the onset of disease and improve immune function.

Older dogs will generally be less active than younger dogs so as a rule will require a less energy dense dog food, unless of course the dog's appetite is reduced for some reason.

Continuing to feed a dog the same amount of food with less exercise will inevitably result in obesity, a problem all too common in many dogs today.

In the old dog obesity can be a bigger problem than in the young dog as there may also be concurrent arthritis and organ problems which will be made worse.

A keen eye is needed to assess the energy needs of your dog as it ages, so be aware and switch brands if your dog's weight shows marked changes as it ages.

For the older dog a good quality animal protein based on meat, fish eggs, milk or cheese is better than cereal protein.

A balance needs to be struck between providing too much protein which may be a problem for dogs with renal failure (a common problem in older dogs), and providing too little.

As ageing dogs tend to have less muscle and bone they will have less of a tissue protein reserve and need a certain level of protein in their diet to avoid a negative nitrogen balance.

Your veterinarian is the best person to monitor your ageing dog's renal function and advise the appropriate level of protein in his diet.

When your dog's protein intake is low due to inappetance, this can be increased by heating the food to increase palatability and release more aromas, and by feeding smaller more frequent meals and by supplementing with vitamins.

Carbohydrates are mainly provided by cereals and legumes in the diet, and these are a cheap source of energy.

Care should be taken with the sugar content of some of these foods

Fats are essential in the diet to provide a vehicle for fat soluble vitamins, and are essential for the health of old dogs.

However too much may result in obesity, so again moderation is the rule.

Fibre has a role too in the elderly dog as many are predisposed to constipation.

Adding fibre in the form of wheat bran or cooked vegetables two or three times a week will help to keep your elderly dog regular!

Most dog foods will have more than adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus for the older dog.

There may be a case for reduced levels of phosphorus and salt in the diet.

Some supplementation of zinc and vitamins may be helpful in the older dog, particularly the vitamin B complex.

The main food types for the older dog are - dry, semi-moist or canned.

Diet changes should be made slowly to prevent tummy upsets and diarrhoea.

Be sure to have plenty of water available for your dog, particularly if fed a dried food, and also if kidney and liver disease is a problem.

Reduced appetite in older dogs may be helped by feeding them 2 or more times per day with smaller portions so that they get their full daily requirement.

There are many commercial senior dog food diets now available.

It will pay you to thoroughly examine the different types to increase the life span and vitality of your older dog.

About The Author
Leonard Mutch is a dog owner and trainer. Read more about dog food and dog nutrition on his web site at: http://www.tastydogfood.com

Horse Training: Does Your Horse Have The Feel?

There's an old horse training saying. It says "your horse should have the feel."

Basically, that means if you're leading your horse with the lead rope, does he follow you with virtually no tugging on that lead rope?

As part of the breaking process a horse is taught to lead. That's a natural part of how to train a horse when you're a horse trainer.

when he does, the goal is to have him step in sync (and stop) with you.

When you step, the lead rope has almost no "pull" on it.

That's the goal (in leading, anyway).

When your horse "feels" that pressure from the lead rope, he should move. Thus, he has the feel.

If you've ever seen someone leading their horse and they're tugging and pulling, the horse obviously doesn't have the feel.

Little does that person know he's teaching his horse to not lead with him.

So how do you get a good lead with the horse?

There are lots of ways.

I'll try to describe one of my favorite horse training videos that shows Paul Esh doing this.

When filming Paul Esh for http://www.SuperStarsOfHorseTraining.com, we caught him doing it like this:

You're standing beside your horse at approximately the neck area. You're on his left hand side.

You hold the lead rope in your right hand and point forward. (That's an alert to the horse that something's about to happen).

Then with your left hand you twirl the end of the lead rope and lightly tap him with it.

More 'n likely, that'll get his atten- tion and cause him to move.

So you'll point, take a step, and tap him with the rope.

Walk a little ways. Stop.

Wait a few moments and let him soak it in.

Do it again.

You'll find as you repeat this you soon won't have to tap him with the rope. He'll see you point and he'll know to step.

And not too long after that, you won't have to point and step because he'll know your body language and what he needs to do.

Ultimately, he'll have the "feel."

Before you do this with your horse, it is assumed you know him well enough that you're confident you can lead him close to you and he won't jump on you.

If you're not at that stage yet, better teach him to respect your space first. (That's also one Paul taught in our Super Stars of Horse Training filming)

About The Author
Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author of several best selling horse training and horse care books. He is also well known for finding, interviewing, and filming expert horse trainers and making their expertise available to horse owners who want to learn different horse training tips and secrets and how to solve behaviorial issues with horses. For information visit his website at www.SuperStarsofHorseTraining.com.

A Brief History Of Seeing Eye Dogs

No one knows when the concept of using assistance animals for the blind first came into being. It is suggested that dogs have been used in such a capacity in various cultures for a very long time. It is known, however, that there was no formal guide dog program in existence until after the First World War.

Why German Shepherds?

Many people have probably wondered why guide dogs and Seeing Eye dogs are so often German Shepherds. The reason is actually twofold. First of all the German Shepherd has a strong sense of loyalty to its owner, giving it a natural tendency to be protective. Having a very protective dog as a companion is an obvious asset for someone who may otherwise be easily attacked by less then scrupulous individuals. The other reason is far simpler; the first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provided assistance for those blinded in the war.

After the end of World War I the nation of Germany was devastated by financial depression. Many private businesses failed and the Potsdam, Germany school that trained the guide dogs for the blind was one of them.

The Beginning

An American woman named Dorothy Eustis had heard about the program and decided it was a very worthwhile endeavor. Because she owned a company that was training German Shepherds as working dogs, she decided she might try to train guide dogs for the blind. She did not start this right away, however. In fact she was still considering the possibilities when she penned a story for The Saturday Evening Post about the potential for guide dogs for the blind.

A Nashville man named Morris Frank had heard the story and decided to write to Ms. Eustis and ask her to train a dog for him. She did and Mr. Frank became known as the first blind person to use a guide dog.

As part of an arrangement he'd made with Ms. Eustis, Mr. Frank started training guide dogs in the United States. The foundation that Mr. Frank started was dubbed "The Seeing Eye" and the so-called Seeing Eye dog was effectively born.

Today guide dogs are trained to assist people with many different disabilities. There are Hearing Ear dogs to assist the deaf and other dogs that assist the physically disabled. All of the people who have benefited from the use of a guide dog, however, owe their thanks to Mr. Morris Frank of Nashville, Tennessee.

About The Author
Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.

Fancy Dog Collars, Designer Clothing, Dog Beds - Essentials for Anyone Who Wants to Adopt a New Pet

The day you bring a new puppy or dog into your home is a red letter day indeed. It may be an exhausting one for you. It certainly will be for him. This is also one of the most critical moments in your relationship, because first impressions are indelibly marked on the animal mind. It is vital to establish from the beginning an atmosphere of security, affection, and mutual confidence. In short, the goal is to make your dog feel at home.

Your puppy will come to you with no worldly goods at all, so you must provide him with his first essential possessions;

- A bed, slightly larger than your dog

- A blanket, again slightly larger than needed

- A water bowl, (stainless steel or earthenware, but not glazed pottery, which contains lead that is poisonous to dogs)

- A light puppy collar with an identification tag, leather is best, flat for short-haired breeds, round for long haired

- A leather leash with a strong clip fastener

- A comb and brush, the canine kind, (suitable to his breed)

- A squeaky toy

- A chewing toy of rawhide or a nylon or both

- A hard rubber ball (Big enough so that he cannot swallow it, but light enough for him to carry around in his mouth)

- Finally, and most important of all, a name

Feel free to check out http://joncopets.com/ for more articles and product information.

About The Author
Brent Jones and his partner Randy Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed the website http://joncopets.com/ on the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest trendy items for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://joncopets.com/.