Fish and Aquarium

Chicken care, like all pet care, is important both to the health of the chicken and the owner. Many people think that because chickens are farm animals or outside animals, that they can pretty much take care of themselves as long as they are fed and given water regularly.

This is an unfortunate misconception because although it is true that chickens spend much of their time outside, they need to be kept warm and dry. Both the chickens and their coops need to be kept clean as well, to ensure that the chickens stay in good health.

This may seem like a lot of work, but like any pet, chickens need to be treated with care and love. If a chicken gets sick, it can easily make all of the other chickens (assuming you have more than one) sick as well. The chicken’s handler or owner can also get sick from the chickens, especially if the chickens are being raised for meat (hopefully not!).

There is also a moral element. Taking on a pet comes with the responsibility that the pet will be cared for properly, and to not do so is pretty much abuse. If you are thinking about a chicken as a pet, then you should seriously consider the commitment it will take to properly raise and care for the chickens.

Ultimately, chicken care is most important for the happiness of both the owner and the chicken. Happiness contributes to good health, and good health contributes to longer life, as well as a more fulfilled life. It is proven that pets contribute to the happiness of the owner, helping to combat depression and loneliness.

Although chicken care may seem like a daunting task, it really isn’t, especially when you have a complete guide to chicken care. The more information you have on chicken care, the better off you will be in having happy, healthy chickens

If you’re looking for more information on how to take care of chickens, you can visit http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-care

There’s lots of great information as well as links to other lenses with even more about how to care for chickens, how to build chicken coops, and more. Whether you are just thinking about raising chickens or have raised many, the information at http://www.squidoo.com/chicken-care will sure to be beneficial for everyone!

By Dean L.

There are many obstacles and challenges for dog owners, particularly when it comes to owning puppies and the typical aggressive puppy biting behaviour. This article can assist with this problem and its resolution in as nice a way as possible. Puppy biting normally initiates when playing with your puppy and eventually becomes a habit, at times without your knowledge as to how the habit started.

Puppies are known for the biting stage that they go through. This is due to the fact that they are developing teeth at this stage. They bite humans and just about anything. How to stop puppy biting is the dilemma that many dog owners face. The puppy stage is a stage where the puppy is still learning good and bad. This is the stage where most correction will be beneficial before it develops into a habit. One can get frustrated trying to correct the bad behaviors such as biting but this must be done at this stage.

How to stop puppy biting? This is one habit that you want to get rid off as early as possible. This will make future dog training easier and less problematic. The plus side is that puppy biting can be stopped by training and this is easily accomplished.

At the puppy stage most puppies bite but in order to correct this behaviour the puppy must see that its owner is serious and stern about correcting this bad habit, no matter which method of dog training is used.

Puppy biting is a common problem and one of the best methods to correct this is by the use of guilt. This is done where the puppy is made to believe that pain is caused when they bite. Puppy biting dogs are able to learn from this method as it is a natural part of their learning process. As puppies when they bite one another in play they stop when a yelp is heard from another puppy. Making use of this behaviour utilizes this natural learning process. As pet owners, when bitten, no matter how lightly, we must make it appear that we are hurt. This can be done by using words like ouch and Arrhhh to our benefit and even by removing play and affection when bitten. With repetition, the puppy will soon learn that the behaviour is not acceptable and results in the removal of niceties.

As long as you identify the puppy biting problem pretty early on in his/her life, it will usually be quite easy to stop the puppy biting from happening.

The technique of redirection is another method that can be utilized when dealing with puppy play biting. This is where when you are bitten you say a serious “”No!”" and move the attention of the puppy to another object such as from your hands to a bone or even a chew toy. Once the puppy is still young this may be all the correction that they require to end this problem.

Puppy training, not to bit skills included in this guide are some of the methods that you can learn to use and implement at once, to stop puppy biting. We hope that they benefited you a lot.

Any additional advice and aid needed to stop puppy biting can be sourced from the Dog Training / Obedience section of DogTrainingComplete.

To utilize more through training for dogs as to stopping puppy biting then go to the Dog Training Product Industry Reports available.

It’s easy to find many challenges involved in having a pet rabbit. But there are lots of positives, too. Here are some of the pros and cons…

Rabbits can live a long time, some can reach ten years of age. That in itself can be either a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view. People often view rabbits as something to amuse the kids when they’re yound. but having the life expectancy of a dog makes them a long term commitment. Think ahead.

Rabbits are suceptible to a few diseases that may be difficult to treat. Since rabbits can’t vomit, a hairball can cause them serious intestinal difficulty. The correct diet will help minimize the odds. They can contract something called RHD (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease), a virus that can cause death. Even if they survive, they can spread it to other pet rabbits. They can be subject to flea and mite infestations, and all the potential complications that the parasites bring.

Rabbits require some grooming, more than a cat, but considerably less than a dog. Though bathing them is unnecessary, and indeed not generally a good idea (rabbits can become overheated easily), they still benefit from a regular nail trim and brushing.

Some of that grooming effort is for the benefit of the rabbit, some of it is for you. Keeping your rabbit well brushed will help keep the amount of hair floating around the house down. Trimming their nails keeps them from being quite so destructive around the house if they’re left free to roam around.

A pet rabbit that is out of the cage can be quite destructive. They love to dig and they may chew almost incessantly. A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing so to keep them under control you must give them things to chew on. That may be ok outside, but in the house it can be a problem.

Rabbit proofing your home involves some effort and sometimes a moderate expense. You’ll need to lay down covers for the couch or plastic laminates (such as those used under office chairs) and devise other protective measures. But, there are many ways to do this and it doesn’t have to be done too often. Many people know the expense and effort are well worth it.

Veterinary care is important and, as it is for any pet, can be expensive and time consuming. But with rabbits there’s often an additional problem: few vets have much experience with pet rabbits. Often, the litte creatures just don’t get the attention a dog or cat might. When they become ill, they often die and are just replaced. That allows the vet fewer opportunities to treat them. Finding a good one in your location can be difficult.

But all that said, rabbits are still among the most fun pets. They’re cute, soft and they exhibit a surprising array of amusing behaviors. They can run around and express joy. When not in a stressful situation, they can respond well to individual people, likem any other mammals. They’re affectionate, in their own way.

It’s hard to resist something as gentle and full of life as a pet rabbit. Weigh the factors yourself, then be prepared for surprises, just as you would with any pet.

Visit Just for Rabbit Lovers at LuvMyRabbit.com

The fact is a Betta is a marvelous way to spice up your family room , plus they are the perfect companion for those who do not need the bother of other animals as pets, but the fundamental question is how to select Betta fish. Betta fish are vastly distinct, they come in an entire legion of colors, from blues and purples to reds and blacks.  Male and female bettas have an entirely dissimilar appearance with the male being the brightly colored fish that most individuals relate with betta fish. The females are usually neutral tan and brown but might contain some black and are significantly smaller.

The fins are also dissimilar among male and female with females having smaller fins while the males have large flowing fins. With all the assorted colors, male bettas are going to be the ones that the majority individuals go for when they call in to the pet outlet. There are a couple of matters to investigate when you choose a betta fish. These components are essential to ensuring that you get one that is going to furnish you with a gorgeous addition to your house.

When looking at bettas there are a few aspects to consider: the foremost is that they are actually swimming about and heedful of their surroundings. Bettas are highly territorial so you cannot put 2 of them in the same fish tank, but you can position them close to one another. The fish should notice the presence of something near the bowl or aquarium they are located in and at least see what is going on.

Color is also a fundamental consideration and the brighter the fish, the better the sign that it is healthy, so ensure the color is vibrant, and the fins and tail should be shown.  The physical activities the fish perform are also essential factors of choosing one as a sound specimen will be the one one that moves stones, constructs bubble nests for their partner so you will need to look for these activities.

Being conscious what to seek in a betta is one of the basics of how to choose an excellent example. It is important that the fish is active which suggests good health, such as gearing up for a mate and creating a safe and fortified environment. You wish to see the pairing exhibitions or some of the presentations done in fighting situations, which suggest that the fish is active and alert. You do not have to select a fish that seems lethargic, asleep or does not seem interested in fish food. There should be no food in the containers of healthy betta and they ought to chase after food as soon as it is dropped in the tank. If there seems to be a lot food wasted, you might need to consider another fish.

Carol provides more free and extremely helpful information in her contentrich Betta Fish Water Change blogs as well as her equally content-rich Betta Fish Water Change Site. For More Information About Changing Betta Fish Water Check

Betta’s are actually carnivores and survive in the wild by eating up tiny insects, larvae and assorted types of plankton. If you make your way to the pet outlet, you will see a assortment of sorts of Betta food. They can live off pellets and flakes as well as food that has been frozen or freeze dried. They might not distinguish new fish food sources right away, so be sure to insert new foods as well as the foods they are familiar with to ensure their remain healthy.

Particular foods that Bettas relish are brine prawns, glass worms and even beef heart but bloodworms can also be employed as a type of living, frozen or freeze dried foods. If you prefer however, both pellets and flakes are produced that can provide the nutritional requirements of your betta. As a matter of fact, a few of these kinds of food are just the fresh or frozen food that have been mixed up and formed into pellets or flakes. Because bettas are used to taking their food from the surface of the tank you are going to want fish food that remains on the surface as opposed to settling on the bottom. The majority bettas will not take fish food that drops which means it merely turns contaminated in the fish tank.

Keep in mind that a few fresh foods are not able to furnish complete nourishment so it is important to make sure that you look at all these issues to guarantee that your betta is going to obtain the correct sustenance to be safe. Betta’s do not call for too much feeding particularly with betta fish food such as pellets and flakes which can result in excessive waste and pollution in the aquarium. When providing this kind of fish food, locate it in such a way that the fish will be able to notice it and ensure to check occasionally to make sure it has been eaten, but if not, remove it from the fish tank quickly to prevent pollution.

There are many benefits to using flakes and pellets for food when feeding your betta. Many of the foods that are available in the form of pellets or flecks have additives that are fashioned to do distinct things, for instance, increase the color and vitality of the fish.  Often medications are located in the food as well in order to make it easy to feed to the betta. Bettas can be particular about the fish food they take in and there are some that will not eat pellets and will only consume fresh food while others that will not touch fresh fish food.  When you are considering a new betta, ask the storekeeper what they are being fed at the store and start out using this. You can attempt other betta food if you like or would rather have them eat something other than the fish food that made up their past diet by mixing the two in concert, then you improve the chances of it being taken.

Carol provides more free and extremely helpful information in her contentrich Betta Fish Live Food blogs as well as her equally content-rich Betta Fish Foods Site. For More Information About Betta Fish Spits Out Food Check

Early diagnosis of disease is an important part of the overall goldfish care. If you can’t readily identify a goldfish disease see your local vet, or pet store.

Fish live by absorbing oxygen and they give off carbon dioxide as a waste product. Plants under the influence of daylight do the opposite so that what is poison to one gives life to the other. So adding plants to your aquarium will assist in keeping your goldfish healthy and disease free.

Preventing disease is always easier than curing it, so by keeping your aquarium clean, feeding your fish properly, avoiding wide temperature fluctuations and performing partial water changes as necessary you will go a long way to keeping your fish healthy. However, no matter how well you maintain your tank, from time to time one or more of your goldfish may become ill or display signs of stress.

Some of the more common goldfish diseases are discussed here.

Anchor worms appear as a 1/4 to 3/8 inch piece of string with a forked tail. Large anchor worms can easily be seen. They appear as clear, greenish-white or brownish-red strings. After the anchor worms have buried themselves into the flesh of the fish open sores may appear on the skin. The anchor worms may be visible in the sores. Frequently this parasite is introduced into the fish tank from aquarium plants ñ especially those taken from creeks or rivers, or from adding live food to the tank. Anchor worms attach beneath the fish’s scales and bury their anchor-shaped head under the skin causing ulceration and distress to the fish.

Anchor worms are highly contagious and must be treated immediately. Your local pet store can supply an appropriate treatment for anchor worm, usually in the form of a gyrase inhibitor that can be added to the tank water. This should be effective in killing the parasites within three to four days.

Swimbladder disease should be suspected when a fish has difficulty stabilizing itself in the tank. It is fairly common in goldfish although fancy varieties appear more susceptible to the disease. It can be genetic in origin or caused by a variety of other factors including inadequate or improper diet, bacterial infection or even poor quality aquarium water.

Apart from improving the water condition if that is necessary, some fish keepers suggest feeding your goldfish thawed out frozen peas. Feeding the fish with sinking food instead of floating food can minimize the intake of air. It may also be worthwhile moving your sick goldfish to a smaller shallow tank while you treat it. This may lessen the stress on the fish. Swimbladder disease often occurs quite suddenly in previously healthy fish.

Dropsy is not a specific goldfish disease, but appears as a condition where the fish’s abdomen becomes swollen due to a concentration of fluids in the body tissues or cavities. The abdominal swelling often creates a pinecone effect causing the scales to protrude from the bod. The cause of the swelling could be any of several conditions including cancer, bacterial infection, cancer or internal parasites. Depending on what has caused the condition dropsy may be contagious. There are no known successful treatments for dropsy and the condition usually proves fatal.

Torn or frayed fins are usually indications of fin or tail rot if the fish has not been fighting. This is a bacterial infection that first presents as a whitish edge on the fins, before the fins begin to rot away. It is easily treated with antibiotics available from your local pet store. Make sure that the medication states that it treats fin or tail rot. In some cases a secondary fungal infection can occur. In this case, treat the fin rot before dealing with the fungal problem.

Fungus is generally a secondary infection. A fish with an open wound or sore caused from injury or disease may suffer from a lack of mucous around the area of the wound. This open wound can often attract a secondary fungus infection. Look for patches of white or grey fuzzy puffs attached to the skin. There are several different treatments available for fungal infections from the pet store. Fungus will respond well to quick treatment.

Perhaps the most common goldfish parasitic disease is ick. It is frequently present in freshwater fish tanks and will infect fish in poor general health or those that have suffered recent infection. Ick is characterized by small white dots that look like sprinkled salt on the body. The fish may try to scratch the infected areas on the wall of the tank which can cause further damage. Rapid breathing and cloudy eyes can also be signs of ick. See your pet store for ick treatment. Badly infected fish should be moved to a hospital or quarantine tank for treatment but it is important to also treat the main aquarium, ensuring that the parasite has been removed.

Goldfish are quite hardy fish but there are still many diseases that can cause them discomfort or stress. If you want your goldfish to live a long and healthy life you need to make sure that you manage the aquarium properly and treat sick goldfish as soon as symptoms appear.

There is a comprehensive and instantly downloadable e-book covering the entire topic of treating goldfish diseases.

Caring for chickens is important in order to have happy, healthy chickens. Here’s some quick tips on how to take care of chickens.

* First, you should keep food and water well supplied. Feeds and water supplies should be constantly monitored and cleaned. It is very easy for the chickens to get sick from contaminated water, so be careful about that.

* Second, keep the chickens warm and dry. The chicken coop should be well insulated, but there should be enough air flow that it doesn’t make the coop stuffy. Chickens need to breath too! The coop should be protected from the elements too.

* Third, make sure the coop is cleaned regularly. The coop should be sprayed down frequently, but thoroughly cleaned (with bleach and stronger cleaning agents) once every few months.

* Fourth, the chicken coop should be secured from predators. Make sure to close and secure the doors of the coop at night.

* Fifth, the hay for the chickens nest should be changed monthly. This will help to ensure the chickens stay clean.

There are a lot more ways to take care of chickens, but I just wanted to present you with a few tips. Chicken care is important to ensuring your chickens are healthy. One sick chicken can easily cause sickness in the other chickens. Some disease may even affect humans. All in all, though, chicken care is like any other pet care in that it comes with the territory is a part of the commitment that is made in taking care of any pet.

Although chicken care may seem like a daunting task, it really isn’t, especially when you have a complete guide to chicken care. The more information you have on chicken care, the better off you will be in having happy, healthy chickens

If you’re looking for more information on how to take care of chickens, you can visit http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-take-care-of-chickens

There’s lots of great information as well as links to other lenses with even more about how to care for chickens, how to build chicken coops, and more. Whether you are just thinking about raising chickens or have raised many, the information at http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-take-care-of-chickens will sure to be beneficial for everyone!

By Dean L.

So you’re thinking about taking care of chickens, and now you need to build a chicken coop. Here’s some quick tips to consider:

* You need to have a good design for the coop. Consider how many chickens you are going to be caring for, and design appropriately. Make sure it’s not going to be something your neighbors will complain about.

* Use material that is easy to clean. Plain wood often absorbs water, and therefore will be more difficult to clean in the long run. Using some sort of plastic might be a better alternative.

* You need to make it so the water will drain out. If you clean the coop regularly (and you should), you’re going to need to make the coop be able to drain out water. This means sloping the floor slightly towards the door.

* Make the coop is protected from the elements and predators, but still have air flow. Having the appropriate screening around windows, as well as fans can do just that.

* Chickens need to be kept warm and dry, so it’s important to insulate the walls of the coop. This will help to prevent air drafts from getting your chickens sick.

* In addition to insulation, having the windows facing south can help to maximize sunlight into the coop, therefore allowing maximum warmth.

Building a chicken coop is easy once you have a good plan to follow and you take into consideration various minor elements. This will help you to take care of your chickens better.

Although chicken care may seem like a daunting task, it really isn’t, especially when you have a complete guide to chicken care. The more information you have on chicken care, the better off you will be in having happy, healthy chickens

If you’re looking for more information on how to take care of chickens, you can visit http://www.squidoo.com/Learn-How-To-Build-A-Chicken-Coop

There’s lots of great information as well as links to other lenses with even more about how to care for chickens, how to build chicken coops, and more. Whether you are just thinking about raising chickens or have raised many, the information at http://www.squidoo.com/Learn-How-To-Build-A-Chicken-Coop will sure to be beneficial for everyone!

by Dean L.

The second part of this article on small dog breeds covers small dogs in the herding, non-sporting, toy, and terrier groups.

Terrier Dogs

Terrier dogs were bred to hunt - rabbits, foxes, rats, and even badgers, otters, and river rats. Instead of the hunters of old, most terriers these days are bought as pets. And with their affectionate and loyal temperament, they make lovely pets. It’s wise to keep in mind, however, that they are dogs with a strong personality, and they need similarly strong and determined owners. This is just as true for the small, toy terriers - their personalities are just the same as their larger terrier cousins. Terriers also have an abundance of energy, so will need their exercise. Their coats are wiry, and to keep the characteristic wiriness of their coats you’ll need to learn a special grooming technique called stripping.

If you’re after a small dog, you’re spoilt for choice in the terrier group. The small dog breeds are: the Australian Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Border Terrier, Irish Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Norwich Terrier and Norfolk Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Welsh Terrier, Bedlington Terrier dog breed, Sealyham Terrier, and Scottish Terrier.

Toy Dogs

Toy dogs are amongst the most well known of the small dog types, due to their popularity with both people and celebrities. There are actually toy dogs in some of the other dog categories as well. Many large dogs have in fact been bred down to toy dog size.

Toy dogs are generally very friendly, though they can be angry and fierce as well. But they are great lap dogs, and often a cherished member of the family. Toy dogs include: Toy Poodle, Maltese, Japanese Chin Dog, and the Pomeranian dog breed.

Non-Sporting Dogs

“Non-sporting dogs” is like a general classification for those breeds that are recognized by the AKC but don’t fit into any other classification. They have varying sizes, coats, colors, temperaments, and ancestry. Small breed dogs in the non-sporting group are: the bichon frise, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, Boston Terrier, Lhasa Apso, French Bulldog, and the Schipperke.

Herding Dogs

Herding dogs are a relatively recent classification in the AKC. The dogs in this group were part of the working group. In fact, a lot of breed registries globally, they still are a sub-catgory of the working group. In the American Kennel Club, most dogs in this group are bought as pets, although herding (and working) dogs are still used throughout the world on cattle stations and farms due to their unique abilities to herd livestock. They can be trained to respond to specific commands and whistles, and perform a variety of herding related tasks particularly well. When herding dogs are pets, the herding instinct is still there. They generally express it by gently herding their humans, particularly if there are any children in the family.

In the herding group, the small dog breeds are the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Border Collie, and the Shetland Sheepdog. 

Miscellaneous Dogs

The miscellaneous category covers breeds not fully recognized by he AKC. There are no small dogs here.

Discovering the different classes of small dogs can help narrow down the selection process for a new canine friend. The American Kennel Club (AKC), which is the principle registrar of breeds within the US, divides dog breeds into seven categories, plus the miscellaneous category. The category] is for breeds that are not fully compliant with AKC breed registration requirements, but are committed to becoming so.

The seven categories of AKC recognized dog breeds are:

•  sporting
•  hound
•  working
•  terrier
•  toy
•  non-sporting
•  herding

Most of the small dog breeds are in the toy category, but there are also a lot in the terrier category, and a smattering in the sporting, hound, herding, and non-sporting classes. There are no AKC recognized small dog breeds in the working class.

What Do These Groups Mean?

Most of the breeds in these groups share common characteristics. Some are classified due to practical talents like a great herding or hunting ability, (in the herding and hound groups). Others are there because of their size (toy dogs), or ancestry (terriers). The sporting and working dogs are a bit like the medley racers in Olympic swimming - they are all-rounders, talented in doggy sports, or excelling in the various skills working dogs need. The non-sporting group are more dissimilar than similar however. This is the most diverse group of dog breeds.

Breed Types

Sporting Dogs

Sporting dogs excel at hunting, although they make loyal and loving pets to the right owners. Sporting dogs were bred to hunt all types of small game animals, including birds, on land or in the water. There are in this group twenty-seven breeds, including the English cocker spaniel dog breed, a type of small spaniel. Other breeds in this category are setters, pointers, other spaniels, and retrievers. Sporting dogs are high energy dogs, and need a lot of exercise and/or mental stimulation.

Hound Dogs

Hound dogs hunters as well. Hunting dogs classified here have been helping humans in the hunt historically. In doing so, they were bred to hone particular skills each breed had. Some hounds use smell, others sight or speed, to track their prey. There are 23 breeds in this group, which includes three small dog breeds - the whippet, basenji, and dachshund.

Working Dogs

Dogs classified as working dogs can be pets, but the reason they are called working dogs is because they provide some function for people, whether that’s herding livestock, as a guide dog or a police dog.

The AKC uses this broad definition a little bit differently. It puts dog breeds here when they have been bred to do a task which cannot be properly categorized in one of the other existing categories. There aren’t any small dogs in the working dog category.