The Benefits of Owning A Dog

This image explains so much and gives a lot of reasons to get a dog!

 Another reason that they should be able to scientifically prove is that getting a dog is like getting a BFF! A dog is also a good way for kids to learn responsibility. It's highly likely that once you get a dog for the first time, you will continue having dogs for the rest of your life, whether you were in love with dogs from the start or not. Think you're a cat person? Then get a little dog! They're often not that much different than a cat but will give you more attention than a cat will. It's different than having a hamster or bird, true, but it is worth the work in my opinion.

Dogs are worth the hard work and responsibility! There are so many health benefits as well. It's official. You should get a dog!

Shots and Vaccinations for Your New Puppy

So you just bought a new puppy and its time to get shots. You look at the list and... You have no idea how to even pronounce these things. Well, I know the feeling, and I will try my best to explain these vaccines, what they do, and which ones you actually need. NOTE: This is not a back up for advice from a vet, you still need that! This is a long, yet very important article, so I suggest at first looking at the "Cruciality Meter"

DHPP

DHPP is a combination vaccine that treats: canine Distemper, infectious Hepatitus, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza. Its very important and should be given to the dog at about 6-8 weeks, then again at 9-12 weeks, then again at 13-16 weeks.

• Canine Distemper is a disese that usually starts as a cold and can eventually become seizures or even death. Its commonly transmitted through other dogs or wild animals like raccoons and coyotes.
• Infectious Hepatitus causes liver and/or kidney infections.
• Parvovirus causes an intestinal tract infection that causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. If untreated, it may be deadly. The virus is passed in poop and can still be contagious for a while after its in the ground (1-2 years!)
• Parainfluenza causes coughing and contributes to Kennel Cough. It is spread by droplets of nasal discharge (you may know it as dog snot) that go in the air and get inhaled by other dogs.

CRUCIALITY: HIGH

 

CORONA VIRUS

Typically given at 9-12 weeks. It is often not recommended by vets because its only a minor cold that causes diarrhea for 2 or 3 weeks. Most dogs never get vaccinated for Corona Virus. However, if you're in the area that it is common for dogs to get Corona, your vet may reccomend getting your puppy vaccinated.

CRUCIALITY:LOW



LYME

For puppies 9-12 weeks. It's only needed if your vet reccomends it, depending on the risk of getting this disease. It comes from ticks and causes fever and possibly lameness in your dog. It's reccomended for dogs who are exposed to ticks but some experts diagree on really how effective it is.

 

CRUCIALITY: LOW-MEDIUM

 

 

KENNEL COUGH

Reccomended for pups 9-12 weeks. Causes a hacking cough and/or a runny nose. Its highly contagious to other dogs because it is spread by the mucus that flys out of the infected dog's mouth and into the air. Gross, I know. It's not exactly crucial to get this vaccine, but it could help depending on your area.

 

CRUCIALITY: MEDIUM-LOW

 

LEPTOSPIROSIS

9-12 weeks is a good time to get vaccinated for the Leptospirosis vaccine. Causes severe kidney and/or liver infections that can lead to death. It can also be spread on to humans. It comes from infected pee that somehow gets inhaled. Again, not exactly crucial, but can help depending on your area.



 

CRUCIALITY: MEDIUM-LOW

 

 

RABIES

I feel that now would be a good time for a "BUM BUM BUUUUMM!" The Rabies vaccine is very important, given at about 13-16 weeks old. Most good dog owners have at least heard of this one! Always fatal if not vaccinated and passed through infected saliva (usually froma bite). Common patrons to this disease are: RACOONS, BATS, SKUNKS OR DOGS. Humans are at risk to this disease to, especially small children. This vaccine is required yearly. I definitely reccomend you follow that rule!

 

CRUCIALITY: HIGH

 

 

 

Remember to always check with your vet, keep all your vaccination records, get a Rabies shot yearly (and any other virus that your dog may need) and... LOVE YOUR PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 



Buying A Puppy

Getting a new puppy can be hard (see Getting a New Puppy post). I know the feeling, so I came up with a few sites to check if you're planning on BUYING your puppy. Some AKC breeders post ads on these sites too, but if you're looking for an AKC breeder, I suggest searching for specific breeders by just using a search engine.

• http://sandiego.ebayclassifieds.com/dogs-puppies/?catId=100126&output=gallery

This link is set up in San Diego but you can change location, distance, and price range.

• http://www.pennysaverusa.com/classifieds/usa/query-puppies/#search-url:/search/advanced/?region=w-us&view_type=standard&sort_method=score&sort_direction=desc&category=1009421&advert_type=1&page=1&per_page=24&query=puppies
• http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites

I'm sure you've already heard of Craigslist, but it's still a good website to check.


If you're looking to adopt a dog or puppy, I suggest checking local shelters and humane societies- OR you could check out the Petsmart pet locator:
http://www.petsmartcharities.org/adoption/
All you have to do is put in the information and click 'FindMy Pet'. Also, you don't need to enter your name or email, just your zipcode.

 If you're still looking to adopt a dog from a shelter or humane society check out:

• http://www.adoptapet.com/
• http://www.petfinder.com/

 These websites are where lots of shelters post pictures of their pets, so if you aren't really sure about any shelters in your area, or at least don't want to visit them yet, these are great places to find your new pup!

OMG PUPPIES!!!!!!!

TOP 10 CUTEST PUPPIES!

 

#1 GOLDEN RETRIEVER

 

#2 CORGI

#3 POMERANIAN

 

#4 HUSKY

#5 MY PUPPY BINGO! JACK RUSSELL/BORDER COLLIE

#6 BRITTANY SPANIEL

#7 AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD

#8 ENGLISH BULLDOG

 

#9 JACK RUSSELL TERRIER

 

#10 BEAGLE

 

HAHA! GOTTA LOVE CUTE PUPPIES ;)

 

OH AND THESE WERE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER- JUST 10 ADORABLE PUPPIES.

 

 

 

 

I <3 DOGS!!!!! :) 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deciding on a Parakeet Cage

When deciding on a parakeet cage, think about these factors;

• How many parakeets will you get?
• How much money do you want spend?
• Is this going to be your parakeets(') forever home?

I'm not the kind of person who says that the cage should be 2'x2' especially because I don't want to spend $150. In my opinion, the parakeet should atleast be able to spread it's wings and turn around in it. If you plan on getting 2 parakeets, double that amount of space. Also, don't get a cage with a rounded top.

 I know that right now you might be thinking that you have to spend more than that cute, little "parakeet" cage you found on Amazon for $18, but trust me, your parakeet will thank you. In reality, you can find a 2-3 parakeet size cage for only $30 at, believe it or not, PETCO!

Wire spacing should be taken into consideration as well. It should be a maximum of 1/2 inch spacing so your parakeet doesn't get it's head stuck. The wires should also be horizontal because parakeets love to climb, althugh, if you have a ladder or any type of toy that they can climb, it's not a very big deal.

Setting up a cage is a completely different matter, for now, here is a link to Petco and the awesome deals I found:http://www.petco.com/N_25_5023/Bird-Cages.aspx?CoreCat=MM_BirdSupplies_CagesStands

Hope ur parakeet likes thr cage (;

Helping Dogs In Your Community

1. CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG. If you clean up after your dog, there won't be any poop sitting on the sidewalk where tons of dogs walk by...And poop again. Eventually you'll have a brown sidewalk if you know what I mean. Inspire good manners with other puppies.   
 
2. KEEP YOUR DOG ON A LEASH.  Keeping your dog on a leash will insure that your dog won't get lost, hit by a car, or end up in apound that might not be a no-kill. Also it prevents your dog from running up to people and bothering them (they could be seriously allergic).
 
3.  FOSTER A PUPPY. If you go to an adoption event at Petsmart, Petco, etc, and you don't want to adopt a dog, you can always help by fostering a puppy for a few weeks. Fostering is almost like adopting a puppy but after a few weeks you give it back to the shelter and she will get adopted. It helps because you can train the dog, housebreak her, socialize her, etc. Make sure you have all the supplies, space, and smarts for owning a puppy.
 
4.  ADOPT A DOG. Adopting a dog or puppy in need will reduce the amount stray and helpless dogs on the street. It'll also give a homeless, rejected dog a loving home. Again, make sure you have the supplies, space and smarts for owning a dog or puppy.
5. GET YOUR DOG VACCINATED. Getting your dog vaccinated for disesaes helps in so many ways. It keeps your dog safe from dying of a sickness or disesase. It helps you because it saves you money for a surgery or saves you and your family and other pets from a contagious disease. It also helps other dogs from catching diseases that they can die from and spread everywhere.
6. DONATE. Donate to pet shelters, even a little bit helps. It keeps dogs out of the streets and in loving homes. It also keeps adoptable dogs vaccinated and healthy to not spread disease.
7. VOLUNTEER. Volunteer at dog shelters by finding dogs new homes and cleaning up, feeding, grooming, etc. Or, volunteer at a pet hospital.
8. DONATE ITEMS. Donate old dog beds, blankets, leashes, collars, crates, baby gates, or new food, treats, cleaning supplies, bowls, etc.
9. NEUTER/SPAY YOUR DOG. Boy dog or girl dog, it should be fixed. That way, they don't end up having babies that could end up on the street.
10. CALL IN ABOUT STRAY DOGS. If you see a stray dog on the street or near your house, call animal control. They will help the dog more than you can, even if you see a tag on her. Taking a dog in until an owner calls isn't always a good idea.

LOVE<3 your puppy.

 
 

The Difference With Dwarf Hamsters

There are several types of hamsters including dwarf and Syrian (Short-Haired, Teddy Bear, Golden). you might say, "Well, a hamster's a hamster, right," but there is a difference.

Dwarf hamster breeds include; Robo, Chinese, Russian (Djungarian, Campbell's, Dwarf), Fancy Russian, and Winter White. They are about 2-4 inches long and much smaller than they sound. They are low maintenence and like to crawl around on you and in tunnels. Dwarf hamsters are just as common as the larger hamsters and you can pretty much find at least one of these types at all petstores.

To hold a dwarf hamster you must cup your hands. They are so small that you could easily let one slip out of your fingers and out the door. Dwarf hamsters can also live in pairs or groups and can be absolutely adorable when they play with each other. But, if you do happen to see scratches or other injuries on your hamster, you should seperate the two. Never wake a dwarf hamster-or any hamster-while they're sleeping because they will bite.

• Robo Hamsters

 Robos are energetic and playful so they can be interesting to watch. Although, usually Robos will be more likely to bite you than other dwarf hamsters would. They don't like to be held very much either so it is not recommended for young children because it will most likely try to bite. Although, they are the very smallest hamster and can be very cute.

• Chinese

Chinese dwarfs are highly energetic and like to live alone. They have a longer tail than most hamsters but are NOT mice. They like to climb and jump and can do so very well. They are also about 4 inches long. Great pets but different from some dwarfs.

• Russian and Fancy Russian

Russians are sweet and playful. They are great in pairs or groups and love to play with you. They can be tamed the most easily and you will love caring for them. They are about 3 inches.The only real difference of a Russian and a Fancy Russian is that a FR has a silkier coat.

• Winter White

Winter Whites could typically be the same species as a Russian. They are however a little more people friendly. The only difference is that they have a white coat in the winter.


Here is a link to Petsmart to find out more about the breeds of hamster: http://www.petsmart.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=10794151&f=Taxonomy%2FPET%2F10794151&fbc=1&fbn=Taxonomy%7CSmall+Pet

Have fun with your dwarf hammy  :P