How to Train a Shih Tzu Dog

If you just got a Shih Tzu puppy, there are a few common characteristics that they display. They are a small, yet sturdy, long body and legged dog, that will grow a long flowing coat in different colors. They don't need much exercise, and typically are proud, dignified, yet happy and playful. They are friendlier with strangers than most smaller breeds and less yappy.

The downside to owning this breed of dog is that they also suffer separation anxiety and can become destructive and barky if left alone too much, and they are also stubborn. Of course, high coat maintenance is required such as brushing and trimming, and they can be difficult to housebreak. You might hear them snoring and another sniffling, snorting and some can have serious health problems.

Shitzu Dogs

The main thing toconsider with training puppies is that they are quick to think of themselves as humans, and on equal ground with their owners, so it is important to be consistent in training, and they are intuitive with intonation of your voice, so you may have to be strict when training the playful and stubborn Shih Tzu.

They love cuddling and snuggling and like being pampered. These are positive rewards that can be used when training a Shih Tzu puppy.

How to Train a Shih Tzu Dog

Housebreaking can be done with puppy crate training, and it is important to get them on a schedule after they are 12 weeks old, when it comes to feeding, watering and letting them outdoors. A schedule that allows feeding every few hours, press several times a day, and letting them outside 5 or 6 times a day, works best. After 12 weeks, youcan feed less frequently, but you will still need to water and let them out frequently up until they are at least six months old. Housebreaking depends on vigilance, and it is not unusual for puppy crate training to take 4 to 6 months.

Because of their small size and body shape, it is important to realize that their food and water intake in smaller, yet more frequent sessions, and tend to need to go outdoors more frequently than larger dogs. They are prone to more serious health risks due to their long back, which is susceptible to disk problems, and also can develop joint, kidney and skin problems.

Sometimes they have breathing problems, due to their unnaturally short face and nose, so the potential for heat stroke in hot humid weather is riskier with a Shih Tzu, thanother breeds. Do not leave your dog outside in hot weather for long periods of time, and make sure that their puppy training crate is large enough for them to turn their long body around, and is kept in a cool, comfortable place when you are away.

Because of their separation anxiety, it is best not to leave them in the cage for long periods of time, and also be mindful that they can become destructive and chew things up when nervous. Hard rubber chew toys are all that should be allowed with a Shih Tzu, and nothing that could cause choking small.

Training the proud and stubborn Shih Tzu demands consistency in tone, commands and schedule, but you can still expect it to take a little longer than most breeds in the majority of cases.

How to Train a Shih Tzu Dog

Is Cesar Millan the Gay Communities SuperNanny " "?

Taking on the ' dog whisperer '

OK, I admit, I've gotten sucked into episodes of '' The Dog Whisperer '' and been intrigued by Cesar Millan's magic with canines. The guy's likable enough, and he's an animal lover (I presume), so I give him points for that. And I've even tried his training methods (sort of) with my dopey but headstrong Rottweiler. But for some reason I'm not completely sold. The skeptic in me says that this Mexican guy hit the jackpot one day when he realized he could make a buck by convincing desperate shitzu/pitbull/goldendoodle/shepherd owners that he could rehabilitate their growly, ill-behaved "terrors.

Shitzu Dogs

Is Cesar Millan the Gay Communities SuperNanny " "?

Is Cesar Millan the Gay Communities SuperNanny " "?

Exercising With My ShihTzu, Shaiming

Exercise has for a long time been shown to be a KEY factor in our brain health. It stimulates the brain making it function better. Certain healthy foods and supplements also work to help in the stimulus but keeping the cardiovascular health strong is essential to avoid Alzheimer's disease and dementia. This ensures that they brain is sharp and focused.

Exercise means different things to many people and if hitting the gym or running in the park isn't your cup of tea, you can find something else that you enjoy. This could be dancing or joining an aerobics class. It could even be something as exciting as taking your dog out for a walk! The key thing is that your body is moving.

Shitzu Dogs

On April 23rd at the Humane Society it was love at first sight when I saw my ShiTzu,Shaiming. I didn't know much about this breed and I set on a journey to learn as much about him as I possibly could. One of the common features in Shih Tzus is the different eye colors. More large dogs have two different eye colors than the little ones. Mine has one blue and one brown.

The other thing is that they hate to exercise. Yes, hate. That explains why today he gave clear signals that he didn't want to be walking. He planted his little feet and reused to move his little furry body. I decided to try something different and took his little leash and tucked it in his harness letting him walk free. He loved this better! This works for me as he's not a dog that would run away. In fact only time he'll runs is if I'm teasing him with a yummy treat or when we are playing hide andseek from room to room in the house.

It has been interesting looking for strategies to get him to enjoy some exercises as I'd never had a dog who wasn't excited about taking a walk. From the ShitTzu manuals I read this breed needs exercise so I'm glad to be discovering ways to help him enjoy his exercises!

Exercising With My ShihTzu, Shaiming

Walking with him means exercise both for him and for me!

Exercising With My ShihTzu, Shaiming

Vacation Rental Ads-Reading Between the Lines

You've decided to rent a villa, cottage or cabin for a summer vacation. Where do you look for one that is going to give you the idyllic time you and your family need? How do you know that the description you read on a website or in an advertisement is accurate, or really gives the information you need before you part with your money? Here are a few tips to help you read between the lines and understand what the owner or agency is really telling you about the property you are interested in.

Vacation homes come in all shapes and sizes. Some are downright rustic, perhaps no more than a cabin to change into and sleep in at night, whilst others have more facilities and comforts than you have at home. Never forget though, that ' beauty is in the eye of the beholder ', and the placethe owner has loved since childhood that holds a wealth of memories for him, might not match your dream of an idyllic vacation. And, bear in mind that although you would like to spend the majority of your vacation on the dock and in the water, sometimes the weather can be very unkind and you may need to move indoors to escape the elements.

So what should you look out for in an advertisement, or on a vacation rentals website:

Shitzu Dogs

or Descriptions that seem unnecessarily vague-this lets the owner or agency off any accusation of misrepresentation

Vacation Rental Ads-Reading Between the Lines

or Smoking permitted-means the owners smoke and the place will probably have the all-pervading smell of stale tobacco, particularly the beds.

or Pets welcome-the owners probably have dogs, so will every renter in the summer, I knowto feel at home, you'll at least need a Shitzu, if not a brace of Golden Retrievers.

or Use of expressions such as: ' Traditional cottage furnishings '-usually means green and yellow furniture previously enjoyed by a decade of domestic pets and the occasional rodent, orange threadbare carpet sporting a range of unidentifiable stains, and beds that would not have been out of place in a Victorian workhouse.

or ' Rustic '-as above but with little or no inside plumbing

or ' Short walk to the beach '-probably indicates you will need to take your hiking boots, and a bell to ward off bears along the way.

or ' The waterfront is a ' bit ' weedy '-there is no waterfront, at least there may be some in the far distance after you navigate the marsh in your canoe.

This isprobably a bit unfair-I too would tell my guests if there was a little weed at the waterfront, or if the beach was not right off the deck. However, be aware that vacation homes may not be all they seem from a web advert, or from a description given to you over the phone.

The best way of satisfying yourself that you are really getting what your family wants is to get a testimonial from a previous renter, so ask the owner or agent where you can see these. If the place is as good as it is advertised, they will not have a problem with sharing that with you.

Vacation Rental Ads-Reading Between the Lines

Pay Per Click Services-Still Big Money to be Made

Pay per click services with Google is a quick and effective way to make some major dough on the internet. The traffic is targeted very specifically and direct. That is, if somebody types in for example ' How do I train my pet doggy Shitzu ' then what can pop up front and center is a manual or maybe a 5 set instructional dvd series on ' How to train Shitzu's ' pet. This is called a Google Adword. In order to get top placement through pay per click services, you have to bid against other people for a top spot. But if you have a real specific niche your going after (like pet Shitzu training) then the competition will be very low.

Of course if you have a broader, more popular product or service that you're advertising the pay per click services are going to cost you. And nowmore and more people are bidding on the pay per click services for placement, opting for the top slot, and hence the prices have driven up. It can get to the point where you either have to drop out of the game altogether, or figure out a way around the sky high pay per click services.

One way, as mentioned above, is finding a tighter "niche. Actually you'll have to find several tighter "niches to make up for the low traffic compared to more popular broader niches. This can take a lot of research and several weeks to find some areas which you can concentrate on, and hopefully have some personal interest in. I give the Shitzu example above, as it illustrates how if you are into dogs, you can have several opportunities with pay per click services to advertise more specifically, say onspecific breeds.

Another way around high cost pay per click services, especially if you want to stick with broader, more popular products, is to offset. This consists of using pay per click services like adwords to make money, by selling other ads! And if done correctly, then you can actually get some of your google adwords for free. This is an excellent, and very, very clever, method to use in order to get around high cost pay per click services.

Shitzu Dogs

Pay Per Click Services-Still Big Money to be Made

Pay Per Click Services-Still Big Money to be Made

From Puppy to Puppy Prestige Pariah

With names like mutt, mongrel and "god knows what," mix breed dogs have always been the outcast of the canine community. When visiting the local pet shop, it's rare to go window shopping for nothing less than a pure bred dog. Pure breeds also dominated pop culture and TV, with programs like Lassie and the Westminster dog show-where little fluffy dogs prance around as their trainers keep them on a short leash.

Well, these dog days are over "discriminative capacities. Enter the hybrid. Mix breeds dogs that in the past have been are frowned upon as pups you adopt when your neighbor's dog gets out for a day of fun, now fetch a pretty hefty premium. With breeds like the "Golden Doodle" and the "Puggle", these breeds even have a fancy name to go with the fancy price tags; DesignerDogs.

Designer dogs are created when their breeders cross two pure bred canines with the goal of incorporating desirable traits from each breed. While this sounds a bit diabolical, this isn't the first time man has dabbled with doggy DNA.

Shitzu Dogs

Dogs first started hanging out with man about 15.000 years ago, as Gray wolves. This was the same time inadvertently breeding man started what would become the modern dog. By selecting which wolves they would throw scraps to or allow to stick around the camp fire, they were accidentally selecting out the traits that were beneficial to keep around. These traits could have included keeping other predators away or simply being good company. Now skip ahead some 14.000 years ought to the 19th century when breeding really came into itsstride.

By the 19th century, dogs had been bred by people to help in hunting, herding cattle and even bred to sit perched up high on the laps of royalty (lap dog). People selected traits such as wrinkled skin or long and short hair and even useful body shapes. In fact the father of natural selection, Charles Darwin, used dog breeding as a reference when writing about the selection of useful traits in his ground breaking work, On the Origin of Species. But what if breeders desired certain traits from one breed and other traits from a different breed?

From Puppy to Puppy Prestige Pariah

In the 1980 's breeders started crossbreeding pure bred dogs with the goal of selecting specific traits from each dog to create an uber dog. Some of the first crosses were attempted Poodles with other breeds such as Labradors tocreate a dog with the intelligence of both the Poodle and Labrador and the hypoallergenic fur of the Poodle.

Designer Dogs have only gained in popularity since their conception in the 80 's. The breeders that have caught on to this trend make a fortune supplying pet owners would be with these unique breeds. Some of the more popular mix breed dogs include the "Puggle (Pug mixed with a Beagle), Cockapoo (Cocker spaniel mixed with a Poodle) and the ever popular Bullshit (Bull dog mixed with a Shitzu).

And move over American Kennel Club, us hybrid dog owners don't need you when we have the American Canine Hybrid Club. Yes, there is a club specifically for hybrid dog owners where you can register your designer dog.

Now you are probably going over it in your head, "Man, thewonder what kinds of crazy combinations of dogs there are? " By now you are completely sold on the idea of a Great Dane Chihuahua mix, but you have to keep in mind that while man attempts to play God, he doesn't always get it right.

When deciding on what breed of designer dog to bring into your family, you'll need to consider not only the traits you would like in your new furry companion, but also what traits you might find potentially disagreeable in the two breeds you are looking at. If one breed is high energy and the other a natural digger, well you will most likely have a tunnel in your back yard to China.

If you are truly interested in mix breed dogs, a fantastic venue for adoption is your local animal shelter. You will be able to find a plethora of interesting mixes andat the same time help decrease the number of pups that can't find homes.

Take my word for it, I found my perfect little Chug boy Baxster at the animal shelter and he has been amazing. By the way, that's a Chihuahua Pug mix.

From Puppy to Puppy Prestige Pariah

Is it Safe to Have Pet Rats and a Cat in the Same House?

A question I get asked a lot is whether it is possible for those who already own a cat to adopt pet rats. There are a number of factors to consider before making this decision. Whilst there are those few people who say that their cat poses no threat to their rodent pals and happily post pics of their cat and rat getting along well this is a very rare case and should not be treated as the norm.

I should point out at this stage that I live with my 2 pets rats, Pea and Mingles, my dog, Charlie, a Maltese x Shitzu and my cat, Dylan, a Ragdoll x Persian. All of my animals are rescues and they are all wonderful in different ways. However despite his Ragdoll bloodline, Dylan most definitely has the hunting instinct and I would never let the rats run around out of the rat cage whilst he is in the room. It is important to remember that even if you choose a gentle breed like a pure Ragdoll cat and have them from a kitten, they should still never be left out with your pet rats.

Shitzu Dogs

It is possible to keep pet rats if you have a cat, although you should weigh out the pros and cons before adopting your new pets. Here are some things to consider:

Is it Safe to Have Pet Rats and a Cat in the Same House?

1. Separation - You will need to be able to easily separate your cat and rats when you want to let your rats out. This could mean using a spare room as a ratty room. This is what I do. The spare room is free from rat dangers like wires, sharp objects and small things they could choke on. It is also fully sealed. There are no little holes in the wall that the rats could escape from. I try to spend an hour a day in there with my rats. We can play together and I can do some training with them safely away from naughty cat claws and teeth. I also have a lot of fun tubes, boxes and even a rat swimming pool for them to explore. Cats are usually fine with this time out and as long as they have plenty of room to roam and their food, water and litter tray (and in our case a doggy companion) they will be fine.

2. Security - You will need to be 100% sure that your rat cage is secure. Of course you would need to do this anyway, because you wouldn't want your rats to escape and get into danger. When we first adopted our two rats Pea and Mingles the old owners gave us their cage and it had a hole in. It was a small hole and I blocked it with plastic boxes and duct tape, but I had the scare of my life when I found Pea running around the floor with Dylan the cat about to pounce. Luckily I picked Pea up in time and the rats have since moved to a 100% safe (and huge!) cage, but please don't let your pets get into this situation. Rats are notorious escape artists. You may think that the space is too small for them to squeeze out of, but they will surprise you. Make sure the rat cage is sturdy (cannot be knocked over) and that there are plenty of areas for the rats to hide from prying eyes.

3. Common Sense - You know your cat better than anyone, but even if you have the gentlest cat in the world who appears to want to be friends with your rats, please be very careful and never ever leave them unsupervised together. I can have my rats sit on my shoulder whilst Dylan is sitting next to me on the sofa, but if he is sitting on top of the sofa I am very careful. The rats' tails are irresistible to most cats.

If you have a cat and you are willing to put in some extra effort to ensure the safety of your rats then there is no reason you shouldn't have rodent pets. However, make sure that you have more than one rat. This is always best as the rats can keep each other company when they are in their rat cage. Even if you can spend a lot of time with your rat, when you are away, or asleep the rats can snuggle and play together and groom each other. It will make all the difference to their lives.

Rats may seem fearless at times, but if you have more than one cat, perhaps you should think about whether a rat is really a good pet for you and your family. Imagine how the rats will feel as all the cats investigate the cage and try to figure out ways to get in.

If you have decided to adopt some rats, be sure to take responsibility for their welfare. If you have a child who has begged you for rats they may learn some responsibility, but ultimately it is the adult who should ensure the animals' welfare and make sure the cats do not pose a problem. It is also essential to ensure your cats are getting just as much attention as they used to, before the new additions.

I hope this article has helped you work out whether keeping rats and cats together could work for your family.

Good Luck!

Is it Safe to Have Pet Rats and a Cat in the Same House?