General
December 20th, 2007 at 03:07pm
Under General
Hey people…
I have just created a screensaver for you to download featuring 30 of the most popular dog breeds in America. The list has been numbered beginning with the most popular (Labrador Retriever).
The screen-saver has been optimised for 1024 x 768 screens. To download, please click here and save the program to your computer desktop. After downloading double click on the file and click on the “install” button to install the program to your computer
Below are 3 of the 30 images in the screensaver 
Labrador
Beagle
Golden Retriever
Enjoy!!!
Hey, i have also created a new Cute Dog Breeds site. Visit it and get to see cute dogs
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my Dog Articles RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
By Gerald Njuguna
October 30th, 2007 at 04:03pm
Under General
Thinking of introducing a new dog into your family? Well, before you go out to choose a dog and bring into your home, just know that caring for dogs requires a lot of responsibility from you.
It’s a good idea to have a family discussion and decide who amongst your family members will have the major responsibility of training and taking care of the new dog.
Ensure also that you get a qualified vet preferably one near your home. Costs should also be taken into consideration since proper maintenance of dogs requires money. Other things to have around in the home include supplies such as toys, crates, bowls, beds, collars and a leash before the dog comes home. What other factors do you need to consider?
Another issue to think about is the different dog breeds out there so you need to know if they are compatible with your lifestyle. For example, huge or large dogs will not fit comfortably with people living in apartments or with the elderly folks. Small dogs on the other hand will not work well with people who prefer a lot of activity with their dogs.
Have you thought about the age of the dog you will be getting? Do you prefer a puppy or an older dog? Other dog breeds have health issues like eye problems or hip dysplasia. As you can see there are many factors to think about before choosing a dog.
For those who prefer purebred puppies, visiting your local kennel club can give you access to breeders in your area that specialize in certain breeds. The local kennel club can also be a good starting point for those looking for older dogs. Don’t forget your vet! He or she can greatly assist you since they probably have worked with area breeders.
Sporting breeds of dogs are suitable for those who prefer hunting with dogs. The Labrador Retriever & the Golden Retriever are the most popular sporting groups of dogs. They are good with children and easy to train.
A lot of people prefer dogs from the AKC’s working group. Some of the breeds of dogs that belong to this group include the Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler, Bullmastiff the Siberian Husky and the Akita.
These types of dogs require owners that are experienced and know how to establish leadership. They have thick undercoats and shed a lot. Make sure that you get your dog from a reputable breeder since hip dysplasia affects these types of dog breeds.
Toy dogs are popular especially with celebrities who like to show them off. The sizes of the dogs can easily fool you. These seemingly cute little dogs have huge personalities!
Some of the dog breeds in this group include the Shih Tzu, Pug, Maltese and the Pomeranian.
They require training and need to be exercised. They also fit quite comfortably with apartment dwellers and families with older children.
For farmers who own livestock, I would suggest you choose your dog from the herding group. Examples of such kinds of dogs in the herding group include The Australian Shephard, the Border Collie, Shetland Sheepdog and the Australian Shepherd. A dog like the Border Collie which is quite intelligent requires that you exercise it a lot both physically and mentally.
Mixed dog breeds are also a good choice since they are such lovely companions of the family as much as purebred dogs.
Don’t be in a hurry to choose a dog. Take your sweet time and research on the different dog breeds out there. Take the time and seek the advice of pet store owners, vets, dog groomers and breeders. Consider all angles of dog care as this will ensure that have a happy time with you and your dog.
By Gerald Njuguna
September 25th, 2007 at 03:40pm
Under General
Dog owners should ensure that their pups come from respectable dog breeders. In the long run this will ensure that you get a dog that is healthy and of good behavior. So what should you look out for when searching for a reputable dog breeder? What questions should you ask dog breeders? In your quest to find them, if any of them fail these questions, the breeder is probably NOT rearing healthy puppies according to the set standards and regulations.
1. Is the dog breeder willing to sell you the puppy with no questions asked whatsoever?
Respectable dog breeders will want to know what will happen to every puppy that they bred, so will ask you many questions. Typical questions they might ask you include your liffestyle, expreience with the particular dog breed that you are interested in, how it will be housed among other countless questions that will affect the future of the puppy.
If the dog breeder is not comfortable with your answers, he/she might not sell you the dog! Also, a responsible dog breeder will require that you sign a contract with them. In the contract, you may be obliged to:
- Have the puppy fixed if you will not breed it
- Contact the dog breeder should the dog get any diseases or medical conditions
- Contact the dog breeder if you find that you are not able to care for the puppy
- Do everything the dog breeder feels is critical for the health of the puppy.
Should the potential breeder look as if he is interested with your money only, look for another
2. Is the dog breeder uneasy in answering questions about the puppy’s pedigree?
A respectable breeder will have first hand information about the pedigrees of the animals he is selling. The breeder should know the parents of the puppy and can easily provide you with the lineage of the family, even going going back several generations.
You purebred puppy also needs to be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). The dog breeder will give you an AKC registration form with his section already filled out. Once the application is filled out and submitted, you will then receive a registration certificate from the ACK. If the potential breeder cannot give you ACK registration forms, be careful. I would suggest you move on and look for another dog breeder.
3. Is the breeder concerned with the welfare and health of the dog breeds he’s rearing?
A dog breeder should not have any problem in allowing you to see the facilities where the animals are bred. Examine the dogs. Do they look healthy? If this is not the case, its an indication that the breeder is having a problem maintaining proper facilities.
The dog breeder needs to also have proper record of the puppy’s health care, from the day it was born to the present, & should not have a problem giving you copies of the same.
4. The breeder is uncomfortable allowing you to see the breeding facility of the dogs.
A breeder worth his salt will be more than happy to give you a proper tour of his facility. Should the breeder be reluctant to show you where the potential dog comes from, he might be running a puppy mill.
The motivation behind a puppy mills is purely for profit purposes and they do not care about the animals they are breeding. In most cases, you will find that the dogs are crammed into one cage, with the living conditions of the animals deplorable. The dogs do not also recieve proper medical medical care and nutrition. Should you buy it will probably have major medical and behavioral issues related to its stay there.
5. Is the dog breeder engaging in funny business practices?
If the buying price for your puppy is lower than other prices you’ve seen being advertised for the same dog breed, then probably there is something wrong with the puppy and you should be wary. A probable cause could be that its being bred in a puppy mill or is sick.
If you find that the breeder is selling to pet stores, it a pretty high indication that he is running a puppy mill. Good dog breeder focus their efforts in breeding one or two breeds.
If the dog breeder says that he or she breeds different dogs, this is a cause of alarm because it shows that the breeder is breeding animals indiscriminately, with no concern for proper breed standards.
By Gerald Njuguna
September 18th, 2007 at 03:55pm
Under General
The kennel business is not a small business undertaking, even if you have worked in a kennel before or you think you know much about kennels. This article below gives you tips and guidelines to help those of you want who want to go into the kennel business. Perhaps you might learn a thing or two that you haven’t considered before.
1. Funding - This is pretty obvious. Before going into this business do consider the costs involved in opening up this business and ensure that you have the financial backing to support this venture. Have enough capital set aside for a few months or more before your business can take off.
2. Building - The building to be used to house your kennel needs to have all the facilities needed (space, fixtures, etc.) or that it can be easily modified to accommodate your needs.
3. Location - Make sure the location of your kennel is zoned for that use.
4. Permits - Ensure that you have applied for all the necessary permits relevant to your state or country. Don’t be ignorant to the regulations and statutes that govern kennel operations in your state and make sure you adhere to them.
5. Standards - Go above the minimum standards required for your kennel. Not only does this ensure that you are following all the required regulations but it has the added advantage in that you potential customers will be attracted to your attention to detail.
6. Insurance - If you plan to have extra employees, you might need to have and insurance plan for them. Some businesses pay for a portion of employee premiums. Should your pocket not be deep enough, you might still be able to negotiate a lower group insurance rate for you and your staff.
7. Workman’s compensation insurance - Please learn all there is to workman’s compensation insurance. Should you have employees, you will need to pay for this insurance yourself. You cannot deduct it from the paychecks of your employees. This type of insurance is a must in every state in America and in case your employee is injured it will offset the medical bill, even if the injury is the employee’s fault.
Workman’s compensation insurance also covers the wages of any of your injured employees. Should you provide your employees a safe workplace & minimize the number of accidents, you might qualify for lower premiums.
8. Advertising - We all know without people knowing about your business you will go under. Market your business using low-cost advertising methods to spread the word round about your business. A great way to get you started is through neighborhood newspapers and flyer’s. Did you know that Word-of-mouth advertising is a very powerful form of advertising. you can also create a website to advertise more of your business.
9. Provide Multiple Services - Offering multiple services like grooming, pet supplies, obedience training can increase your customer base, which in turn will cause existing customers to visit you more often.
10. Trained Handlers - Ensure that all of your employees are trained to handle dog sin all types of situations including crisis. Inexperienced handlers can cause the dogs to be nervous which can result in aggressive behavior with the dogs.
11. Play- Provide the dogs with a kennel that will give them the freedom to play daily on a set period of time. Also make sure that the dogs receive adequate exercise.
12. Safety - Make it known to the dog owners that should their dogs become a danger to the employees, you will be unable to board the dogs again. Ensure that you sign a contract with the dog owner clearly stating your obligations to the pet and vise versa.
13. Get Accredited Through the American Boarding and Kennel Association (AKBA). - When you get accredited with this organization, you make potential customers to trust you by showing them that you are committed to providing the best possible facilities and care for their dogs.
American Boarding and Kennel Association will thoroughly examine the following areas of your business & facilities: your personnel, your office, the reception area, how you keep your records, the kennel grounds, work areas, the kennel area, the procedures you follow in caring for your animals, level of sanitation, sewage disposal methods, pest control procedures and availability and diversity in the animals boarded.
By Gerald Njuguna