It is possible for children and pets to coexist in the same household, peacefully. Many people mistakenly think that as soon as they start having children that their pet needs to head to the local shelter. They fear that the cat or dog will not get along with the new child and it will result in biting or scratching. This is not always the case and if you take the time to introduce your pets to your children properly, your kids and pets can live in harmony.

One of the biggest concerns that new parents have when it comes to pets in the home is how it will react to a baby. Many of the old wives tales such as cats sucking the breath out of babies simply are not true. In fact, many cats and dogs readily accept a new child into the home and become fiercely loyal and protective over the baby.

When you bring your baby home from the hospital, you should introduce your pet to your new baby. Of course, these introductions need supervision. Allow your cat or dog time to sniff your child at his or her own pace. Make the introduction pleasant for your cat or dog. In most cases, your cat or dog will not give your baby a second thought. Allow your pet to adjust to the new situation on his or her own terms. When a baby comes to the house, it is an adjustment for everybody.

The other thing that you might want to consider doing when you bring a baby into the home is to make sure that your cat or dog is properly groomed. This includes trimming your dog or cat nails. Your dog may want to put a paw on your baby. If his or hers nails are long and sharp, your dog may accidentally scratch your infant. While you can never eliminate pet hair from your home, if your dog or cat clipped and brushed it will certainly help your home stay a little cleaner. Many new parents also worry about allergies. The fact is, many studies have shown that children who are exposed to pets from a very young age, actually have less pet allergies than children who are not exposed to pets.

Another good idea is to make sure that your pets do not have access to your baby's room during naptime or at night without supervision. While your pet probably means no harm to your child, pets are naturally curious. A cat may jump into your infant crib, or in large dogs could easily a knock bassinet or cradle over. You should always supervise your pet when it is around your new baby at all times. Most of all, you should try to make sure that you are still spending quality time with your pet when possible. This especially pertains to dogs, which are used to playing in the backyard and going for walks.

As your child grows, you need to begin teaching your child proper pet etiquette. If your dog or cat has learned to respect your child, then your child also needs to learn to respect your pet. Teach your child from a young age that they should never pull or yank a cat or dog's tail or ears. Your child can learn proper pet etiquette even at a very young age. You will also want to teach your child to respect your pet's space. This includes making sure that your child understands that he or she should never wake a sleeping pet. This could cause your pet to become startled and could result in biting or scratching.
In addition, you will want to make sure that your child understands to stay out of your pet's food, water and litter box. Your child will be naturally curious, so it is always best to give your pet some private space away from your child.

There are many things you can do to make sure that children and pets coexist peacefully. Your children and pets need to learn to respect each other from the very beginning. There is no reason to get rid of your cat or dog just because you have a child in the home.

Most unnecessary deaths of dogs that occur due to flea collar poisoning are the result of an allergic reaction to the active ingredient. Even if your dog is perfectly well at the time the device placed around his neck, observe your dog closely for the first few days.

If your dog should become ill while wearing a flea collar device, remove it until the reason for the illness can be determined. Leave the device off until the dog is completely recovered.

By observing the following eight precautions, you can use the flea collar to your dog's best advantage:

1. Buckle the collar securely, but not tightly around his neck. These collars, as well as any collar for that matter, should be worn loosely.

2. When bathing your dog, remove the collar until the dog is completely dry. Never let your dog get wet while wearing a flea-killing device.

3. Animals should never be allowed to chew on flea collars or other flea-killing devices. Keep in mind, if you have more than one dog, they may be tempted to chew at these collars worn by the other dogs.

4. Observe the neck area every few days for signs of irritation and loss of hair. Should these signs occur, remove the collar and allow the area to heal.

5. Do not use such devices on sick or convalescing dogs. If your dog becomes ill while wearing a flea-killing device, remove it at once.

6. Do not use any other pesticide on your dog while a flea collar is being worn.

7. Worming medicines should not be administered to a dog while the dog is wearing a flea-killing device.

8. If you take your dog to a veterinarian for any reason, be sure to advise him that your dog is, or has been, wearing a flea-killing device.

Flea collars, and similar type of pest-killing devices, can serve as an effective aid in preventing the accumulation of fleas and ticks on the family pet. The absence of fleas and ticks can make the warm summer months much happier and healthier for your dog, but, as with any form of medication, simple precautions as outlined by the various manufacturers must be adhered to for maximum effectiveness and complete safety.

The concept of utilizing dogs for police services is certainly not a new innovation. Records in history account such animals being used for law enforcement safety and service as early as the fifteenth century.

However, the organized application of the canine as police dogs was instituted in the early 1900's and was mainly brought about with the help of purebred dog organizations. Early distinguished police dog forces were in Belgium, Germany, and England.

Today, the majority of law enforcement agencies in the United States have recognized the value of canine police. Dogs are being utilized for police work with good results and widespread acceptance from the public. Some parts of the country, such as a small southern town in California, even hold a ceremony for newly graduated police dogs, where the general public is invited to attend the graduation.

Before the dogs demonstrated their ability at police work, they were walked among the people who were allowed to play and pet with them. This would definitely not have been possible with a dog sporting a violent temperament. The newly-graduated canines were then escorted to an area, where each one demonstrates his prowess at pursuing and attacking on command, as well as holding a suspect. The community was amazed that these are the same dogs that a few moments earlier had shown themselves to be docile and sociable. In this public exhibition, the people could see the value of having highly-trained canine cops.

It is a known fact among policemen who patrol with dogs that a suspect running away from the scene of a crime will stop more quickly for a dog than for an officer who yells "stop or I'll shoot"! During a demonstration of police dogs in San Francisco, a policeman was heard to comment that cops can call a dog back if necessary, but a bullet will keep on going.

Not All Potential Canines Are Accepted As Police Dogs

The amount of intelligence required to become a police dog is revealed in the statistics that only three of every twenty dog-candidates are qualified. One experienced dog-trainer said that only three of every twenty dogs have the brains and ability to successfully complete training. Each canine candidate is given comprehensive schooling in basic obedience before actual police training starts.

Dogs are taught to jump through windows, climb ladders, walk along ledges, and focus on assigned tasks regardless of distractions. Once the dog is under complete control and responding instantly to the commands from his handler-officer, agitation training begins and proceeds to higher and more advanced levels. Not only are the dogs taught to attack with full fury, they are also taught to abort an attack, on command, or if the suspect freezes.

If an officer is attacked by the suspect while making an arrest, the dog is trained to respond immediately and without any verbal command. If the suspect should run, the dog is trained to chase him until cornered, regardless of distractions along the way. If an officer sends his dog after a fleeing suspect, and the suspect then stops in surrender, the dogs are trained to abort the attack and simply stand guard until the suspect is handcuffed.

Every pet owner wants to keep his or her beloved cat or dog as safe as possible. You do everything you can do make sure your pet is well cared for and healthy. If you have an indoor pet, you may not think that keeping identification tags is important, but it is. What if your fuzzy feline accidentally slips out of the door at night and you search to no avail? What do you do, especially if your dog or cat has no identification? Placing a collar with an identification tag is important, but collars sometimes become lost. When you consider the fact that many animal shelters only keep dogs and cats for seven days, you want to make sure that your pet is properly identified. That is where the microchip comes in handy. The microchip is the newest way to identify lost pets and helps ensure that your lost pooch or feline finds his or her way back home.

The technology of the microchip has become so popular that most animal clinics and animal shelters have the ability to scan a cat or dog for microchip identification. If you opt for the microchip, you should know that it is a painless procedure for your pet. Your vet will insert a tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice directly under your pet's skin using a hypodermic needle. The microchip is usually placed behind the neck. The microchip contains special digital number that has been entered on a national microchip database. That information will give the person your contact information. When you pet is lost, a veterinarian or animal shelter can use a special scanner to retrieve the microchip information. It is that easy.

Pet owners love the idea of the microchip because it is permanent. You cannot remove the microchip and unlike a collar or tags, it cannot be lost or destroyed. This is one of the best features of pet microchip, especially for cats. If you place a collar on a cat, more than likely it will be a breakaway collar. If your cat climbs a tree, or is caught on something, the collar breaks off. If your cat does not have a microchip, it will be very difficult to identify your cat if it is found.

There are a few important things to remember about pet microchips. First, if your pet gets lost, you should never just sit back and wait for a call, even if your pet has a microchip. Not all veterinarians and shelters are equipped with this technology. You need to take the time to call around and place "lost pet" flyers around your neighborhood. In addition, you need to make sure you take the time to update your contact information should you move. It does little to no good to have your pet implanted with the microchip if the information on the national database is incorrect. Your veterinarian can give you information on how to update this information.

It is important to get your pet implanted with the microchip at a young age. Puppies can have the microchip at age six weeks. Even small breeds of dogs can handle this procedure. Kittens can also undergo this procedure at six weeks. The insertion of the microchip is not painful and feels like a regular vaccination shot. You can have your pet implanted with the microchip at your veterinarian office and can expect to pay between $30 and $50 for this service.

Question: My Dog Bites

"I have a major biting problem with my dog. He is a 3-year-old, scrappy terrier. When I purchased him he had a rather cranky disposition. You could only pick him up when he wanted you to, not the other way around. Otherwise, he would growl or snap at you. Now he doesn't do it quite so often as before, but when I want to bathe him, or even pick him up, I still get bit. Can you help me figure out what is wrong, and more importantly, how to stop this aggressive biting behavior?"

Answer:

When a dog bites its owner for any reason at all, there are several root causes involved. Foremost among these causes must be a lack of respect. That is, the dog lacks respect for the owner. The reason a dog will lack respect is that the owner has failed to establish himself as the dominant being in the dog's life.

During one of the many critical periods of a puppy's life, he will take steps to establish himself as the dominant being in the pack (family). Unless this attempt is met with swift and firm disciplinary measures, the dog then feels that he is the dominant being - the boss, so to speak.

Let's use the perfect analogy of parenting a small child. What would you do if your child should take a poke at you with his fist for simply telling him to get ready for a bath?

It would indicate a spoiled child, lacking in parental respect. A small pat on the bottom would help the child attain the proper respect. Likewise, the same goes for your dog - as would a well-aimed cuff on the bridge of your dog's nose indicate to him that you love him devotedly, but by all that's holy, you are the parent, and you are the boss.

This method should NOT be applied to puppies.

Your dog is three years old, a scrappy terrier, and by your own admission, has a "cranky disposition." It is up to you to show your dog that you will pick him up whenever you want to - that he will do the things that you want - and that you are the dominant being - not he.

If he bites you, cuff him sharply on the nose, but be equally quick to forgive him for his discretion when he's ready to apologize.

In previous articles, we have discussed ways to approach strange dogs. We have also identified different types of dog biters, how to show respect and proper behavior around strange dogs, as well as how to avoid being bitten.

If All Else Fails, Defend Yourself!

If you have observed all the general rules and precautions and still find yourself in the position of being attacked by a strange dog, your best defense is to shield your face and neck with your arms, exposing only the side of your body to the dog. Your actions should only be that of defense.

You should yell and make the most harrowing, alarming sound possible with your voice. Keep in mind that a dog does not trust anything that he doesn't understand. You can confuse his current thought process by making strange, eerie noises, while at the same time calling for help with your cries.

Try To Keep The Dog Off Balance

Raising your knee to keep the dog off balance can help protect you against serious injuries. I have encountered a great example of this technique one day as a large German Shepherd bolted through an unlocked screen door. The object of the dog's attack was a new mailman on his way to the mailbox.

Shielding his face and neck with his arms, the mailman cut loose with strange, ghastly sounds. The sounds stopped the German Shepherd cold in his tracks, created attention to every neighbor on the block, and the postman came out of the scene unharmed.

Talking with the mailman later, he admitted never having used the dog repellent spray that many mailmen carry with them for protection. He confessed that he has more confidence in his own method.

Some occupations have a high incidence of dog bites. Among the more noted of these are the mailman, meter readers, newspaper deliverers, pizza deliverers, solicitors, and trash collectors. Classified with the higher-risks would be the solicitors, or the door-to-door salesmen. If people who are in these occupations had a better understanding of what makes a dog bite, the incidence would be greatly reduced, maybe even completely eliminated. Children also suffer a high incidence rate because they panic, run, or force their attention on the dog.

So whether you are confronted with the protective biter or the fear biter, keep in mind the most important things: Let the dog come to you, at his own pace. Never force yourself on him, thinking that he'll know right away that you are not a threat. Meet him on his level. Kneel down to his size and extend your arm with the back of your palm exposed for him to sniff. Let the dog take all the time he wants to decide whether or not to be your friend. When you are face-to-face with a strange dog, that investment in time can play a crucial role toward your safety.

Oops! What To Do When Your Dog Stains The Carpet (1)

Cocoa's first day in our new home became quite an event. The Cocker Spaniel puppy was excited to explore her new family and surroundings, running all over the place, ears flapping behind her, with the kids not far behind in a frenzy of excitement themselves.

Our new puppy got to meet the family cat and friendly neighbors, plus she got a bundle of tasty treats. Not long after, Cocoa had another first experience - making a little mess on the carpet.

The good news was that we didn't blame her for making this mess, as most new dog owners do. The bad news was that we were left with a spot on the carpet - a spot that would hold the potty scent, drawing Cocoa there again and again for another bathroom break when she felt the urge.

The Proper Way To Clean Up Puppy Accidents

The first thing to do when there's a potty accident is to clean it up as best possible. With urine, blot up as much of the liquid as you can with paper towels. With feces, pick it up gently without further rubbing it into the floor. Do not grab your household carpet cleaner; it won't work on this kind of stain.

Regular household detergents and cleaners don't help with cleaning up after accidents because the scent always remains, which encourages the puppy or even other dogs to reuse the same area over and over again.

There are a few spray cleaners available specifically for pet cleanup that contain odor and stain removers. They are excellent for small accidents. There are also products that contain enzymes that naturally break down the chemicals in the waste and eradicates any odors.

These products are effective, though it's important not to use other cleaners before the enzyme product. Use these products thoroughly because dog noses are many times more sensitive than our own.

Cleaning accidents properly with an enzyme product solution will dramatically reduce the time it takes to housetrain your dog because he won't be drawn back to the same areas. Enzyme solutions "digest" the organic material in the carpet or wood to eliminate the odor.

If you do not use an enzyme product, your dog will likely be drawn back to use the same spot again. Sometimes you may want to try using a black light because you can use it to see soiled areas that you can't see with the naked eye.

Dogs & Cats: How To Make Your Dog & Cat Become Friends In Just A Few Hours

The secret to starting and maintaining a loving relationship between your dog and a new cat (or vice versa) lies within how carefully you introduce them to each other. You have already made the decision to bring a different species into the house so invest as much time and care as you can in order to ensure that both of your animals start off with a positive experience with one another.

The introduction between a cat and a dog can best be broken down into the following seven steps:

Step 1: When you first bring home the new dog or cat, confine each of them to a specific area of the house where they cannot see one another. The object is to allow the two animals to smell and hear each other without seeing each other. This arrangement gives the newcomer plenty of time to get used to his or her new living area, while your resident pet is safely confined on its own.

Step 2: During this time apart, grab an old towel or T-shirt and rub it all over the new dog or cat. Then take the towel and bring it into the room where your resident pet is at. Place the towel next to the dog or cat so that they can get used to the new pet's scent. This is the first step in getting each animal used to one another.

Step 3: Allow this arrangement to go on for about an hour or two. After this time period is up, switch up the scene. Place each animal in the room where the other was at beforehand, and be sure to give a scented towel to the new cat or dog, with the other pet's smell rubbed on it.

Step 4: Next you will create a positive association with one another by having each animal on different sides of a closed door. Place some treats or pet food for both of them next to the door. The goal is to get each animal to enjoy their food while knowing they're close to one another. This starts a positive association between the joy of food and knowing that both pets are doing something fun while sensing each other's presence.

Step 5: Continue with this arrangement until you notice that the animals are less curious about sniffing each other from underneath the door. Your next move during this introduction period is to allow each animal to see one another, but still being divided by a gate or screen door. There may be some initial tension which will eventually subside through treats and petting of both animals.

Step 6: Once they are both calm and relaxed, slowly allow more interaction to happen. For example, you can bring them both into the same room, but keep your dog on a leash while you sit on the couch. The cat will approach your dog at its own pace. Should your dog become overly excited and aggressive, a quick spritz of water is plenty for discipline. Your job is to prevent your dog from creating the habit of becoming excited and wanting to chase the cat. And the cat must come to understand that the dog will not harass it.

Question: Animal Cruelty & Injured Pets - Questions From A California Dog Owner

"I know of two possible cases of animal cruelty where the dogs have been mistreated by kicking, beating, under-feeding, etc. This really upsets me as I have always loved dogs. I would love to take some sort of action if I knew what I could do. I understand the Humane Society might not be of much help in this situation, and if they were, might take similar steps to that of the pound. In that case, I do not believe the dogs would be much better off."

"My second question concerns injured animals. What can a person do when he sees an injured animal on the road? Again, I would love to help but have heard so much about how the city pounds fail to treat injured dogs and cats that I could never make myself call for their assistance."

Answer:

In the past, a spokesperson from the San Diego County Human Society and S.P.C.A. Commented to these questions with the following quote:

"Humane Societies within the state of California are autonomous organizations, and have no connection with each other, other than most of the major societies in the state belong to the California State Humane Association."

They go on to say:

"Unless this person had unfortunate experiences with their local Humane Society, I feel it is unfair to presume that they 'might not be of much help in this situation'. All major humane societies in California have State Humane Officers who are sworn to uphold the laws of the State of California relative to cruelty, and these officers are the logical people to accept and investigate any complaints regarding cruelty to any animal."

And in response to the second question, the spokesperson explains:

"Relative to the second question concerning injured animals: Section 597f of the Penal Code clearly states that, 'It shall be the duty of all officers of pounds or humane societies, and animal regulation departments of public agencies to convey, and for police and sheriff's departments, to cause to be conveyed all injured cats and dogs found without their owners in a public place directly to a veterinarian.'"

"So regardless of what rumors you may have heard, it is perhaps unfair to again assume that the city pound or Humane Society in your area, or any other city for that matter, would fail to treat an injured dog or cat, and until you first-hand knowledge in this matter I think is best that you call for their assistance."