Networking Sites Get Focused With Dog Lovers’ Communities

By : Colleen P Kelly
If you’ve joined the online networking craze, you know how easy it is to stay connected with your buddies through Facebook, or to keep up with your sister through Myspace. But you might be asking yourself, as a dog lover, what’s out there for me? How can I connect with new friends online who share my hobbies and interests? Well, you’re in luck. New networking sites have popped up that offer forums for chatting, pictures and videos for browsing, and friendship for people all over the world living the avid dog lover lifestyle.

Different Sites for Different Types

Is it cute puppy pictures you’re after, or local canine community connections? Whatever your interests are, there’s a site to satisfy any dog related fix.

For the avid puppy picture collector, there’s Dogster.com – having been around the longest, 3 years, it’s the grandfather of dog networking sites. Or, for those looking to become better acquainted with the dogs they like best, a relatively newer site, Dogphoria.com, encourages members to write a story for every picture. These stories are like blogs in that you can keep up-to-date with everything going on in other dogs' lives.

If meeting local dog lovers is what you’re after, then sites like Pawspot.com and Petpop.com will suit you. Here you’ll set up a personalized puppy profile as well as your own human profile to connect with owners. Do you live near a specific park? Search around for other people who visit there. You might even make some new friends offline.

Joining a Community

The biggest draw of these dog networking sites is the sense of community that they foster among dog owners.

In addition to daily picture posts, many of these dog networking sites such as Dogster.com and Petpop.com include forums where their members can share and gather tips about pet care, nutrition, and grooming, among other things. In the wake of the recent pet food scare, many people found help and advice in the forums of their favorite dog social network. The forums are “a place to have little conversations,” says Molly Price, whose dog Daisy has been a Dogster.com member since early this year, “you can get tips on everything.”

Belinda Hoosech, an artist and dog lover from Los Angeles, has a profile for her dog Jake on Dogphoria.com and says that although she set up a myspace.com profile for her dog on the extremely popular networking site for people, she just didn’t find the same sense of community that she got from Dogphoria.

Although people are creating dog profiles and write in the persona of the dog, it is still the owner that is crafting the dog’s image based on its personality. Hoosech explains that as she browses the daily phories on Dogphoria.com – the website’s word for photos and their related stories – she starts to recognize favorite dogs, and begins to connect with the person who is writing these stories through the voice of his or her dog. “You get to know people really well through that,” says Hoosech, “the owner’s dogs takes on their owner’s personalities.”

Through the dogs they meet on these networking sites, members learn about each other’s upcoming weddings, vacations, or even illnesses and bad news. The site provides a place where people can support one another through difficult times such as illness, surgery, or even the unfortunate death of a beloved pet. When she learned about the death of another member’s dog, Hoosech says that she “cried as much as the person on the other end.”

Outside of the website, Hoosech has made a number of friends through Dogphoria.com and has even met some of them in her local area when she was invited for walks or to a dog’s birthday party. There has even been some talk of organizing a Dogphoria event somewhere in the United States.

So, if you are an avid dog lover and your Fido or Rover doesn’t have an online profile yet, it’s time for you to explore the online dog lifestyle scene. Now there is a place for you to show off your little – or big – cutie while satisfying your daily dose of doggy dish.



Author's Resource:

www.smilinjake.com www.dogster.com www.dogphoria.com

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

PET DOG DENTAL CARE/TOOTHCARE

By : Gladys Avery
Caring for a dog entails food, water, exercise, training and lots of love. For some pet owners dental care in dogs is an unnecessary practice. People think that animals always have breath problems. Wild animals instinctively go through the motions of wild tooth care by using materials available in their habitat to clean, sharpen and relieve pain. Dental care for dogs is considered an essential for hygiene. A dog, even though they are from a lineage of wild carnivores, has evolved to be totally dependent on humans and modernization. The research and studies done by veterinarian experts result in the responsibility being that of the owners. People never think about the repercussions that not tending to a dog’s dental needs can cause. It can initiate problems currently and/or in the future.

Tooth and gum disease is common in all pets. After even a day or two of eating, plaque can build up on dogs teeth. If they not cleaned regularly they are bound to have tartar build up. Tartar starts as a hard white deposit on a tooth and it slowly moves its way up the tooth and under the gum line. It will appear to be discolored and puffy as the days pass. This causes irritation in your dog’s mouth, the tartar rubs against the gums while he is chewing his food. Tartar build-up starts at the back teeth slowly making its way up to the front teeth.

Dog owners need to provide dental health care for all their animals. Owners of small breeds or short-nosed breeds should especially be aware due to the fact that they have more teeth than gum space can accommodate. This in turn makes them more susceptible.

The effects of dental decay can cause behavioral changes. Aggression is often connected to an illness or pain a pet may be experiencing. For pets that exhibit aggressiveness or sulkiness may have toothaches or gum irritations. Dental disease as research shows not only affects the mouth area, but it can also affect other organs in the long run. The regular balance of good and bad bacteria is upset and the bad bacteria will have a tendency to make its way to vital organs beyond the mouth causing infections. Extreme dental damage is irreversible; a moderate tartar build-up is still reversible with proper tooth brushing and check-ups.

Training your dog to get used to his teeth being brushed is recommended. Since your dog is used to you stroking its muzzle, start by lifting his upper lip slightly exposing the teeth. Do this a few minutes a day until he is gets used to the action. After a few days proceed rubbing his gums with beef broth in a circular motion on the gumline and surrounding teeth. You can then take a gauze strip dipped in a dental solution and rub it in a circular motion on your dog’s gums. Be patient while he gets used to the non-beef flavored gauze. Once your dog is used to the dental massage, introduce the flavored dog toothpaste on a toothbrush. Let your pooch lick it off the brush first, then immediately proceed to rubbing his gumline with the toothpaste. Always brush in a circular motion taking into consideration the care of the gums as well. Never prolong the process by trying to get stubborn plaque off by yourself. Hardened plaque can be taken out by a canine dental professional. It takes experience and instruments to get stuck on tartar out. Besides you do not want to make the tooth brushing a negative experience for your dog. Make sure to stay on a regular schedule and be consistent.



Author's Resource:

This article brought to you by Pet Super Store, a site carrying a vast array of pet supplies, including beeper collars and GPS tracking collars as well as other pet accessories.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

Dog Training - Teaching Rover to Sit!

Teach your pup to sit as his first lesson. There are several good reasons why you should start with this command. First, sitting comes naturally to dogs since they often sit to rest. Two, teaching the pup to sit is relatively easy, a lesson that he will learn very quickly. Three, you will find the sit position an excellent base or jump-off spot from which to launch the other commands.

When your puppy is sitting, he is quiet and under control. The sit position is akin to the five basic foot positions of the ballet dancer. From the five positions, the ballet dancer can execute any number of steps or combinations, from an entre chat to a capriole.

The sit position has practical applications, it is not just a trick. When walking the pup, you will find the sit useful at intersections, when meeting a friend, and in various other situations where you want the dog to be quiet and under control.

Start the lesson with the pup on the leash. You can place him on your left side; later he'll be walking or heeling from that position. Hold the leash in your right hand, give the command "Sit!" and lift up on the leash. This will raise the pup's head. With your left hand, push down on his rear end.

Repeat these movements until the pup sits down without your having to lean on him. Then unsnap the leash and give the command. If he balks or sits down only halfway, put him back on the leash and start over. He'll soon learn that when he doesn't obey, he'll be restrained with the leash. Praise him well when he gets the lesson right.

Next, introduce him to the appropriate hand signal. Move a pace or two in front of the dog, give the command "Sit!" and hold up your forefinger in an admonishing gesture. Let him see it.

Keep repeating the lesson, using both the command and the hand signal. While the hand signal has its best use when working at a distance, such as in the field, there are many situations in which you will find it useful. One of these is when there is too much noise for your dog to hear your voice.



Author's Resource:

Bobbie McKee truly loves puppies. From this zeal she has written the book on Dog Training and how to take care of him. To learn how to make Rover stay, come and heel, visit www.DogTrainingSite.net.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

Dog Training - Teaching Rover to Heel!

There is nothing more exasperating to watch (or get in the way of) than an untrained dog on a leash moving along a crowded sidewalk. He crisscrosses in front of the dog-walker, trips people, and lunges his way through traffic. He's a pest and a peril.

Once you've taught your pup to heel, walking with him will be a pleasure. When he's mastered the lesson, the pup will walk close to your left side, his head on a line from your left foot. And whenever you stop, the pup should automatically drop into a sitting position without a command.

Heeling is taught on the leash. Start from the sit-stay position, but first give the pup a warm-up by running him through the three commands he's already learned.

When the pup is warmed up and ready to go, put him into the sit-stay position on your left side. Hold the leash in your right hand, letting the leash loop toward the ground. Your left hand should grasp the leash halfway between the dog and your right hand, giving you a corrective hold when needed. You are now ready to start.

Give the command to "Heel!"-followed by the dog's name; e.g., "Heel, Rover!" As you give the command, step briskly forward with your left foot.

You can expect one of several maneuvers from the pup: he will dash forward, remain sitting or lag behind. Each one of these requires instantaneous correction. If he dashes forward, feed out the leash and, when he gets to the end of it, stop him with a hard yank. Walk up to him, make him sit-stay, pat him on the head and start over again.

If he remains sitting, step backward to him and repeat the command to heel, urging him forward with the leash. If he lags behind, don't drag him; wait for him to come up to you, then make him sit-stay and start again. Praise him each time after the reprimand, whether it's a voice or leash correction.

After the pup is heeling well on the leash, you can teach him to come to a sitting position when you stop. The pup already knows how to sit on your command. When he is heeling, walk him a short distance, then stop and give the command or signal to sit.

Keep repeating this walk-and-sit routine and eliminate the voice command. Repeat the walk-and-sit, using the hand signal, until the pup has it down pat. Then do away with the hand signal. In a short time, the pup will automatically sit down when you stop.



Author's Resource:

Bobbie McKee really loves dogs. From this obsession she has written the book on Dog Training and how to take care of him. Discover how to make Rover sit, stay and come at www.DogTrainingSite.net.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

Dog Training - Teaching Rover to Come!

Most of the time the pup will come when you call him. Notice we said most of the time. That is not enough. You want him to come every time you call him, not when he feels like it or expects something.

You cannot consider your dog properly trained unless he instantly obeys your command to come. There must be no hesitation on his part; come means come.

In addition to wanting to please you, the pup also wants to come to you. In fact, it's all he can do to restrain himself from dashing over to you. Fine. This makes a good place to start. Later, you will want him to come from any position and place.

Before starting the "Come" lesson, give the pup a warm-up. Run him through the sit-stay a few times to get him into the spirit of the lessons.

Next, give him the command or hand signal to sit, follow it with stay, then move off about twenty feet. Now, give the sharp, clear command "Come!" (or use his name), at the same time slapping your knees as you bend over.

If the pup dawdles or bolts away for a romp, go to him, issue a reprimand and give him the sit-stay commands. Move back from him and repeat the command "Come!" If he still insists on giving you the "you-chase-me" treatment, go to him, chastize him, and make him sit-stay again.

This time fasten a twenty-foot rope to his collar. Walk to the end of the rope, turn around and give the command "Come!" As you give the command, tug on the rope. If he digs in, haul him toward you and keep repeating the command.

He'll come to you when you pull him, albeit very unwillingly. But when he gets hauled over to you three or four times, he'll prefer to come without the rope. Try him. If he goes astray, put him back on the rope.

Some trainers use a hand signal for "Come!" This hand signal has its uses, mostly in the field. But even in the field it is limited, especially when you are out of sight of the dog. For general use, the voice command is best or you can use a "silent" whistle.



Author's Resource:

Bobbie McKee truly loves dogs. From this obsession she has written the book on Dog Training and how to take care of him. Discover how to make Rover sit, stay and heel at www.DogTrainingSite.net.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.