Questions For A Shar Pei Breeder

By Melissa Coleman

You have decided to get a Shar Pei and now the time has come to decide on a Shar Pei breeder. This is a very important decision and you will need to know what questions to ask to find out if you are dealing with a good breeder or not. Many times a good breeder will insist that you ask them a lot of questions so do your homework, don't be shy and be ready to have a nice long talk with each breeder before you make your decision. Deciding on a breeder can affect your relationship with your pet for many years, so be sure before you make up your mind.

Always ask what national breeder registry they are listed with so you know what breeding standards they adhere to. Any reputable breeder will be listed with a registry and you can confirm their listing yourself on the Internet. Be cautious of a breeder that is not listed with a registry and ask them why they are not listed and find out what they use for breeding standards.

A good Shar Pei breeder will be part of your life, and your pet's life, for many years to come after the transaction is completed.

It is important to have this open communication with your breeder and if your breeder is not into communication after the sale then it is time for a new breeder.

If you are talking with a reputable breeder then they will tell you that not only do you get the dog when you are ready to take your pup home but you also get complete and detailed care and feeding instructions that every owner needs and a sample of your dog's food as well. If the breeder you are talking to has no intention of offering care instructions or a food sample then you probably do not want to deal with that breeder.

As has been mentioned a Shar Pei breeder is there to help an owner with advice on how to care for their new pet. Sometimes things happen that you cannot foresee and you have to give up your dog.

Ask prospective Shar Pei breeders if they have a policy of taking back dogs rather than having the dog end up abandoned or wind up in a shelter. You won't get your money back but at least you know you are dealing with someone that cares as much about your dog as you do.

Choosing a breeder is extremely important and requires a lot of the right questions. Sometimes the more reputable breeders offer free pet insurance to new owners so don't forget to ask about that. Just be ready to ask a lot of questions because choosing a Shar Pei breeder is an important step in buying your dog and you want to choose the right breeder from the very beginning.

About the Author:

About the author: Melissa Coleman is an avid lover of the Shar Pei and owns a popular website where you'll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Shar Pei. Among other topics at this website, you will find out more about Shar Pei Breeding plus a whole lot more.

Being Consistent When Training Your Dog Will Make a Difference

By Johnathan Bash

Dog training is a very important thing to do with your dog. No matter how much time, effort, and energy it requires, it is beneficial.

The family dog who is normally a perfect pet until dinner time when he then becomes focused on upsetting everyone's plates and chowing all the food before anyone can say "NO!" is a very real issue. He will move from one person to the next, being as noticeable as possible by putting his face on your legs or even reaching the top of the table with his paws as he drools at the sight of the food.

He only cares that it is food and nothing else.

One may wonder to himself how this normally well behaved pet has transformed into such a terror at mealtime!

Only once does he have to go through this experience of receiving a taste of food from the dinner table and he will begin his begging mission for life. That one occurrence allows for him to develop an association between his food and table food.

Now, while a dog can't live on table scraps, they can eat many of the same things humans do so occasional leftovers are not going to be a problem. The problem only comes when you feed your dog from the table.

If you want to share some of your food with your dog you just need to follow two simple rules:

Share his treat solely in his bowl.

Don't give him anything until you have finished eating.

Following the two steps will make the future easier. If you give him sporadic rewarded goodies, while avoiding scraps, as the sole item not on his plate you can support healthy practices and avoid allowing him the option to have unhealthy practices.

It's always going to be easier to make a good habit than break a bad one.

About the Author:

About the author: Johnathan Bash will teach you how to potty train your puppy in 7 days. If you want dog training tips that are sure to work then go to http://pottytrainyourpuppyin7days.com and get your free report

Symptoms and Treatment of Feline Acne

By Kurt Schmitt

The specific causes of feline acne are not known. Cats with weakened immune systems are more susceptible, but otherwise healthy male and female cats of all ages may be affected.

There are a number of factors that may contribute to the development of the disease, including poor grooming habits, abnormal sebum production, and stress.

Lesions vary in severity, but are typically mild. Itching and pain are uncommon unless there is a secondary bacterial infection present. Lesions usually initially present at about one year of age, and remain cyclic for the life of the cat. Pain and/or itching are not common unless there is a secondary bacterial skin infection.

Treatment may or may not be required. Your veterinarian will have to make this determination depending upon the severity of the symptoms, and whether or not any secondary conditions exist.

Signs and symptoms of feline acne -- Clinical signs may include lesions on the chin and lower lip. There may be swelling of the chin and around the lips. Your cat may have crusted reddish papules or dark brown comedones.

In more serious cases, there may be a secondary bacterial infection present. Signs of this may include edema (swelling) of the chin area, or drainage of the lesions. In these cases, antibiotics, both systemic (taken internally) and topical, may be prescribed.

It's possible to mistake bacterial skin infections for acne, but appearances may be deceiving. Sometimes ringworm or yeast infections may be mistaken for acne as well.

Feline acne treatment -- Treatment is often not necessary, except in more serious cases. In fact, it's believed that overtreatment may increase the severity of the skin lesions.

Your veterinarian may recommend topical therapy of some kind to help remove the comedones (blackheads). Depending upon the severity, more aggressive treatment may be recommended.

In order to facilitate cleaning of the affected area, as well as the application of topical medications, your vet may remove excess skin from the area around the lesions. You should never attempt this yourself as you can hurt your cat or cause an infection.

Treatment may include the use of antiseptics, such as Listerine or alcohol. Antiseborrheic shampoos may help as well. Some of these contain salicylic acid, which is a common component of human acne treatment formulas.

Topical benzoyl peroxide solutions are often used as a treatment in gel or shampoo form, and may be effective. You should note, however, that benzoyl peroxide preparations made for small animals are 2.5 percent, and those for humans are 5 percent.

Never use preparations designed for humans on your cat unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian. Even the animal formula benzoyl peroxide treatments may be irritating to your cat's skin when used repeatedly.

In cases where patients are immune compromised, such as feline AIDS patients, treatment may include steroid therapy. Additional supplements may be used as well, including off-label drugs.

About the Author:

Kurt Schmitt has created an online resource including information on acne in cats and feline acne treatment

Proper Ways To Groom A German Shepherd

By Jan Ryan

It is essential to have regular grooming when caring for your German Shepherd even if you don't do a lot of bathing. Your German Shepherd will have a shiny coat and will have a lower chance of contracting skin problems if you maintain proper grooming procedures. For eight to twelve weeks you should do moderate grooming and then maintain it every night. When it comes to grooming your German Shepherd it is best to comb at least twice a week in order to manage the double coat that is common with the German Shepherd breed.

German Shepherd's shed all year long, but this gets worse during the shedding season so you may want to use a shedding blade. However, since you need to have proper training before using a shedding blade you may choose to use another tool. To help take out the mats in the undercoat around the neck, chest and thigh areas you should consider a metal rake. Using a modern high velocity dryer to remove excess water after bathing is better than the hand fluff method. When brushing always remember to go in the direction of hair growth.

When grooming your German Shepherd you may also want to consider a haircut. Using a quality pair of scissors you can remove the long hairs you find under the feet and any nearby stray hairs. If you want your dog to have a fluffier or fuller looking coat then you should brush in the opposite direction of growth and then do a light brushing in the direction of hair growth, but never clip for cosmetic reasons.

An alternative to the haircut is to use thinning shears to give the dog an overall neater appearance. Selective thinning is a good way to make your German Shepherd look heavier boned. Grooming isn't just limited to the coat because you also need to focus on the toenails, ears and teeth. While brushing be sure to check the nails and trim them regularly as needed in order to avoid split or broken nails that will occur when they are left unattended and grow too long.

Grooming your German Shepherd allows you to make sure that the oils in the fur are evenly distributed which helps prevent matting and tangles from occurring. It also helps to remove the dead skin cells and loose hair, which can clog the coat and take away from the neat appearance.

Just make sure you don't cut or scratch the dog's skin when grooming. So you don't miss any parts of your dog's coat it is best to use a combination of brushes and brush heads.

For the German Shepherd it is best that you select the right shampoo as well, since they can be easily affected by wheat and may have other allergies as well. Oatmeal shampoo is one option but it can cause material to build up faster, which means you will have to bathe the dog more often.

If you don't have to worry about fleas then a shampoo with aloe is a good idea. By constantly using proper grooming techniques you can keep your German Shepherd looking well-groomed all the time

About the Author:

Jan Ryan is a passionate lover of the German Shepherd and has a popular website where you'll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved German Shepherd. Among other topics at this website, you will find out more about German Shepherd coats plus a whole lot more.

Large Dog Breeds: The Rottweiler

By Sharon Davies

The modern day Rottweiler dog breed developed in Rottweil, Germany and is named for that city. The breed had experienced a decline in popularity in the 1800s so much that only one Rottweiler was shown in the Heilbronn, Germany dog show in 1882. In 1901, a Rottweiler Club was formed in Germany and by 1935 the breed had been recognized by the American Kennel Club as a purebred member of the working dog group.

The modern day Rottweiler was named after Rottweil, Germany where it gained support in the early 1900s. Prior to that date, Rottweilers have an uncertain lineage though the common belief is that they descended from the large Roman mastiff dog almost two thousand years ago. Even then, early forms of Rottweiler were known for their skill in protection and military service.

The personality and appearance of the Rottweiler dog breed make it unique. Surprisingly, one of the first adjectives used to describe the Rottweiler's personality is calm. The breed is known to be an excellent, relaxed family pet. In fact, a calm, courageous and confident temperament is the breed standard according to the American Kennel Club, which registered the Rottweiler in 1935.

Surprisingly, the American Kennel Club, which judges purebred dogs on not just physical traits but also behavioral characteristics, defines the breed standard for Rottweilers as calm, confident, and courageous. Rottweilers are actually known more for their laid-back nature than aggression. Problems in behavior may stem from Rottweiler dogs' natural tendency to protect their owners and families.

Besides having specific breed standard personality traits such as self-assuredness, loyalty, courageousness, strong work ethic and trainability, the Rottweiler dog has unique physical traits. Rottweilers must have a short black coat with distinctive brown markings on specific areas of the face, muzzle, paws and legs. Rottweilers are muscular with broad chests and heads, they have a scissor bite, or lower incisors that touch the inside of the upper incisors and they have docked tails to create a more streamlined appearance.

It is important to clarify that the natural temperament of the Rottweiler dog breed leans more toward calm than aggression. A potential Rottweiler buyer should research the breed and make sure he can handle a large, active dog before buying. However, a buyer should not be more afraid to buy a Rottweiler than any other dog breed.

Steps a buyer can take to ensure he purchases a physically and emotionally healthy Rottweiler include researching the breed first and know what breed standard traits to look for, research breeders to find an ethical breeder of purebred Rottweilers, visit the breeder kennel to see how Rottweiler puppies are raised, obtain pedigree information to determine lineage, obtain health information to ensure the Rottweiler has been evaluated for genetic problems, ask the breeder to provide Rottweiler information, specifically on training and discipline, and lastly make sure the buyer's household is appropriate to meet the Rottweiler's social and activity needs

Buyers should know the breed standard for Rottweiler dogs and should look for the calm temperament, specific black and tan markings and other characteristics unique to the breed. Most importantly, the buyer's household should meet the Rottweiler's social and activity needs so that dog and owner will have a healthy, happy life together.

About the Author:

About the author: Sharon Davies is an avid lover of the Rottweiler and has a popular website where you'll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Rottweiler. Among other topics at this website, you can also learn all about Rottweiler temperament plus a whole lot more.

Siberian Husky: Breeding Practices

By Andrew Preston

There is hardly any other dog breed that can match the Siberian Husky in terms of sheer looks, but you also need to be aware that it is not the ideal pet to bring home if you are a first time pet owner. The Siberian Husky likes roaming about and that is reason enough to never let it out without being leashed because not only can he easily lose himself, but he may cause other people some harm as well.

Siberian Husky breeding requires considering quite a few aspects including whether it will make for a good show dog. This is important as it is where the Siberian Husky can prove his mental as well as physical soundness, and be a good representative of its breed as well. You should also ensure that you know what is required of it to become a good running dog and to also know for sure that it can perform various functions while still remaining a fun as well as lovable pet for an owner to take pleasure and pride in.

When it concerns the best Siberian Husky breeding practices, as a breeder you must be aware of all possible hereditary problems that can affect the breed. Even after having provided it with the best Siberian Husky care, and once you become aware of potential problems, you need to then strategize so as to not have them affect your litters. One of the more common of these hereditary problems is juvenile cataracts, while others include corneal dystrophy and in poor Siberian Husky lines the condition known as hip dysplasia is commonly found to affect the breed.

There is another hereditary problem that continues to plague the Siberian Husky breed and that is von Wilebrand's disease that can affect your Siberian Husky's blood and even result in its untimely death. So, with so many different hereditary problems to contend with, Siberian Husky breeding is certainly going to tax your brains to the limit, because only by having thorough knowledge about all aspects of the breed can you hope to have a realistic chance of preventing further deterioration in the quality of dogs that you breed.

Another, and growing hereditary problem that you need to study is hereditary epilepsy which ails many Siberian Huskies as is also the condition known as von Wilebrand's disease that is a blood disorder that can result in death.

In addition, with thyroid problems to contend with as well, which often cause disorders in the coat and skin as well as reproductive organs of the Siberian Husky, breeding needs to be done according to the highest standards of breeding only.

You need to be sure that you can indeed provide your Siberian Huskies with a lot of effort and care before throwing your hat into the Siberian Husky breeding ring. In fact, today there are many lines of Siberian Husky in which cesarean sections are becoming more and more routine because of the problem the breed has with uterine inertia. Then, there are thyroid problems to be worried about which can result in many skin and coat as well as reproductive disorders in the Siberian Husky breed.

It also does mean needing doing at least the genetic screening and failing to do so would indicate that you are not serious about proper breeding practices, which will be a reprehensible act on your part.

About the Author:

About the author: Andrew Preston is an avid lover of the Siberian Husky and has a popular website that can show you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Siberian Husky. Among other topics at this website, you can also learn all about Siberian Husky Breeding plus a whole lot more.

Understaning Dog Training Collars Correctly

By Jenny Lindston

In order to get in touch with the dog, dog trainers use dog collars. It's certainly something that's effectively used as a tool to train a dog. Dog training collars are perfect tools for dog training.

Since professional dog trainers have a multidude of different training styles it's therefore logical that there are multiple types of dog training collars.

If you are not a professional dog trainer then it's not usual for normal people to use dog training collars for teaching basic dog obedience. They can also give advanced training and sporty dog training themselves, without further "experts".

Sometimes, people use these collars to teach fundamental obedience orders such as 'stay', 'sit' or 'heel'. The dog training collar has to be of correct size, hence measure dog's neck with a tape or string and add three to four inches more into its measurement.

In different situations it's better to use different types of dog training collars. If you try more and more dog collars you'll also recognize that differeny collars for for different type of training.

There is more than one form of dog training collars available on the marketplace.

Electronic Collars: They are also termed as shock collars and were invented before thirty years. Today, this collar is the most effective way to train a pet dog.

There are other collars such as e-collars and remote collars. Once the dog does something wrong a remote collar gives out a light while being remote controlled.

The signal sent by this collar, draws the attention of the dog and suggests him what is good and what is bad. Consequently, the dogs stop that bad action. Most collars feature several correction levels.

Chock Collars: They are the best training collars to train dogs effectively. These collars offer the dog trainers with an instant control which allows for perfect correction through the use of stiffening the collar around the neck of the dog. The collar will be comfortable and remain loose around the dog's neck.

But, if the dog is disobedient or makes a mistake then the trainer has the ability to tighten the collar showing the dog what is correct. This stops the dog from disobeying and makes it respond to the owner's command properly.

Lightweight Collars: They are reliable and lightweight dog collars. They are used for all types of dog behaviors. These types of collars include pain buckle collars, limited choke collars, snap around choke, martingale collar, head collar, pronged collar, no-bark collar and choke chain.

This type of training collar is of great function when the trainer uses it accurately. Professionals and veterinarians, as well as dog trainers believe they are harmless training tools, but some dislike them.

Yet, there are several dog training collars accessible in the market. Manufacturers are continuously evolving to make the collar even more comfortable and dog friendly. There are collars that are designed to glow in the dark and at night. Some have ornaments and there is one called schutzhund.

About the Author:

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