You can have lots of fun selecting a dog gift for someone who absolutely adores dogs. And you’ll be happy to know that no matter what size budget your working with there are lots and lots of wonderful gift ideas to choose from.

In fact you may have so many great choices that you could easily become overwhelmed.

So let’s start by learning how to narrow down the flood of choices a bit. Narrowing the choices to match the gift to the person will get you well on your way to selecting that perfect dog gift.

Tip #1 - Determine How Much You’re Going To Spend

Deciding how much you’re going to spend on your dog gift is definitely going to narrow your choices.

But this is a good thing . . . because wonderful dog gifts are available in almost any price range.

And by narrowing your options based on price, you’ve just made your gift selection search a lot easier.

Tip #2 - Decide Who The Gift Is For

Is your gift for a current dog owner? If so . . . would you like the gift for the dog owner or for their dog?

If you’re dealing with a bona fide dog enthusiast . . . either type of gift is appropriate and would be welcomed.

You’ll want to think about starting with what you know already about the person as well as their dog.

Deciding if the gift is for the person or the dog will help narrow the many choices even further.

Are you buying a gift for a dog caregiver? Maybe for your dog sitter, dog walker, dog groomer or veterinarian or anyone else who you trust enough to care for your beloved pet?

Is the dog gift for someone who is actively involved with dogs? Or are you looking for a gift for someone who just loves dogs, but doesn’t own a dog right now?

Tip # 3 - What’s The Special Gift Giving Occasion?

Is there a special occasion coming up that calls for a dog gift?

Special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, get well wishes, pick me ups and pet loss condolences or memorials are all good reasons to give a dog lover a gift.

And there are times you may give a gift just because you care. What category does your dog gift fit into?

Some gifts can be personalized to special occasions with imprints, photos or amusing accessories.

A gift that is customized for the special occasion will be really welcomed and show that you put extra thought into your gift selection.

Tip #4 - How Does Your Dog Lover Express Their Fondness For Dogs?

To select a great dog gift you’ll need to know a little about how your dog lover likes to express their passion or fondness for dogs.

Does he proudly wear dog breed clothing, display dog art prints & posters or like to collect dog figurines and other dog related knick-knacks?

Or maybe she likes to pamper her special pooch. Buying her little dog all sorts of treats, dog carriers, designer dog clothes and elegant dog jewelry.

Tip #5 - Don’t Overlook Your Dog Lovers Other Interests & Hobbies

You may find that the perfect gift is one that combines a favorite hobby or interest with their love of dogs.

If your dog lover is a big sports fan maybe he would like a dog clothes outfit that reflects his favorite team.

Any dog gift with team colors and logos on them will be a hit when his friends come over to watch the big game. If you don’t think his pooch would like to wear a dog shirt, a dog bandana might be a better choice.

Do you need to get a dog gift for a dog lover who plays golf? Then she would probably love some dog breed golf club head covers.

They can really add a sense of fun and style while protecting their valuable clubs.

The choice of dog lover gifts seems endless, but now that you know how to narrow your focus you’ll be able to pick great dog gifts every time.

Just think about who you need the dog gift for, and have fun. The best gifts are the ones that make the moment special and get us all to smile.

Copyright 2005 Dog-Supplies Advisor.com, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Publication is permitted so long as the resource information at the end of the article remains intact, and links are live.

About the Author

Courtesy of http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com a site dedicated to providing dog care advice on a broad range of dog-related topics. Includes articles, frequently asked questions, recommendations, and tips for dog owners.

Read more about selecting great dog lover gifts at http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/dog-lover-gifts.html , http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/dog-art.html

You might think the most important bit of dog health advice would be to let your furry loved one spend all day enjoying the outdoors. But you’d only be half-right.

You know we must protect our children and ourselves from the sun. But do you know that leading canine health experts now say that the most important dog health advice they can give is to protect your dog from the sun, too?

Dog Health Advice: Identifying Dog Sunburn

Like we humans, dogs need sunlight to help balance their bodies’ levels of calcium with their metabolism.

Yet too much ultraviolet radiation can irritate our dogs’ skin as it does our own, causing sunburn.

Dog sunburn begins as redness and hair loss.

Where sunburn first appears:

• bridge of the nose

• tips of the ears

• belly

Dog Sunburn Dangers

• aggravates any existing skin problems

• skin ulcers (sores)

• infection

• cancer

Sunburn and Dog Breed

• Pale and short-hair dogs are particularly prone to sunburn, usually on the nose, abdomen, groin, and inside of the legs. Being close to the ground, they not only are affected by the downward sunlight, but also by sun reflecting up from pavement or hot sand.

• Some breeds, like Weimaraners and Boxers, are predisposed to cancer. Therefore, they must have extra protection from the sunburns and UV rays to avoid a kind of skin cancer.

How you can protect your pets:

Think about the precautions that you take to prevent yourself from sunburn and UV exposure. You stay out of the sun at the peak hours like noon to 3PM, use sunblock and cover up, don’t you? Those same suggestions can work for your dog.

Sunburn prevention tips especially for dogs:

• Be sure that your dog is inside the house or in a shaded area during the sun’s peak hours, even on overcast days.

• Apply sunblock to the bridge of the dog’s nose, ear tips and other small, sensitive areas whenever the dog is outside for more than a few minutes.

• Consider some sort of covering for your dog. Some veterinarians say that the most important and effective protection is a type of bodysuit for dogs, which is designed to block ultraviolet rays and prevent sunburn.

In the end, it’s still good dog health advice to let your dog play outdoors. But spare your “best friend” the pain of sunburn and its consequences.

About the Author: Joel Walsh has written a number of articles on dog health: http://i-love-dogs.com [When posting on the web, please make “dog health” the visible text for the link (anchor text).]

Source: www.isnare.com

This is the story of my dog called Shandy. He was my favourite pet and he was very lively, lots of fun and very obedient. His main passion in life was to be taken for a long walk, culminating with a big run out in his favourite park.

I would try to take him on this walk everyday, weather permitting. The park itself was about three miles away from our house. To reach the park we had to cross a number of busy roads, however he would never pull or misbehave. He knew where we were heading and seemingly did not want to rock the boat and risk been taken home before he reached his dream destination.

At the park itself I would throw a ball and he would chase it and fetch it back to me.

At this stage I was living at home with my parents, however aged twenty two, I decided to rent my own bungalow near the coast in Devon. This was nearly two hundred miles away from my parents in home in Birmingham. This obviously meant I was no longer in the position to take Shandy on his walk.

I spoke to my parent, who reassured me that they would continue to take him on the walks.

Two weeks after I had left, I had a phone call from my mother. She was panicking, stating that Shandy had managed to escape from the back garden and that she could not find him. She insisted that she had bben looking for hours but that there had been no sign of him.

I was quite worried and thought about where he may have gone to. “Have you been taking him on his walks to the park everyday?” I asked. She replied: “Most days” I asked her to try at the park, telling her that he loves that park etc. “He would not be there, its miles away.” She said. I again asked her to try there. Luckily he was there quite happily sniffing around, unaware of the panic he had caused.

Stephen Hill

——————————————————————————–

About the Author

Stephen Hill has a couple of websites at http://www.lasik-laser-surgery.co.uk and at http://www.stutter-stuttering.com.

If you love dogs and you enjoy making money then a dog day care business may be a very good fit for you!

Let me ask you a question, “Can you imagine starting your very own dog day care business?” If you asked yourself that question and still aren’t sure, let me give you a bit of dog day care business advice….

First, make sure that you truly love dogs. Second, study your area and see if there is a large dog population. Finally, get some legal advice.

You see, if you love and care for the dogs that you keep, the chances of your dog day care business being a huge success is much better than if you are just starting a dog day care business for the money.

Now the reason that I mentioned studying your area to make sure there are plenty of dogs is simple, no dogs equals no money for your dog day care business!

Here’s a dog day care business tip: See how many veterinarians are in your area. Also, be sure to look in the paper at the classifieds section.

Finally, I mentioned obtaining proper legal advice. A local attorney in your area can give you valuable information about starting a dog day care business in your area. You want to make sure you comply with all laws.

A dog day care business can be a lot of fun! Just make sure you enjoy dogs, research your area, and always obtain good legal advice.

Good luck in your dog day care business endeavor!

About the Author

Kelley Blackston

P.S. You may use this article in your publication, but the content and signature file must remain intact. Thank you.

“Thousands Have Discovered This Little Known Secret To Making Money With A Dog Day Care — Now It’s Your Turn…”

http://www.startadogdaycare.com

You can have lots of fun selecting a dog gift for someone who absolutely adores dogs. And you’ll be happy to know that no matter what size budget your working with there are lots and lots of wonderful gift ideas to choose from.

In fact you may have so many great choices that you could easily become overwhelmed.

So let’s start by learning how to narrow down the flood of choices a bit. Narrowing the choices to match the gift to the person will get you well on your way to selecting that perfect dog gift.

Tip #1 - Determine How Much You’re Going To Spend

Deciding how much you’re going to spend on your dog gift is definitely going to narrow your choices.

But this is a good thing . . . because wonderful dog gifts are available in almost any price range.

And by narrowing your options based on price, you’ve just made your gift selection search a lot easier.

Tip #2 - Decide Who The Gift Is For

Is your gift for a current dog owner? If so . . . would you like the gift for the dog owner or for their dog?

If you’re dealing with a bona fide dog enthusiast . . . either type of gift is appropriate and would be welcomed.

You’ll want to think about starting with what you know already about the person as well as their dog.

Deciding if the gift is for the person or the dog will help narrow the many choices even further.

Are you buying a gift for a dog caregiver? Maybe for your dog sitter, dog walker, dog groomer or veterinarian or anyone else who you trust enough to care for your beloved pet?

Is the dog gift for someone who is actively involved with dogs? Or are you looking for a gift for someone who just loves dogs, but doesn’t own a dog right now?

Tip # 3 - What’s The Special Gift Giving Occasion?

Is there a special occasion coming up that calls for a dog gift?

Special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, get well wishes, pick me ups and pet loss condolences or memorials are all good reasons to give a dog lover a gift.

And there are times you may give a gift just because you care. What category does your dog gift fit into?

Some gifts can be personalized to special occasions with imprints, photos or amusing accessories.

A gift that is customized for the special occasion will be really welcomed and show that you put extra thought into your gift selection.

Tip #4 - How Does Your Dog Lover Express Their Fondness For Dogs?

To select a great dog gift you’ll need to know a little about how your dog lover likes to express their passion or fondness for dogs.

Does he proudly wear dog breed clothing, display dog art prints & posters or like to collect dog figurines and other dog related knick-knacks?

Or maybe she likes to pamper her special pooch. Buying her little dog all sorts of treats, dog carriers, designer dog clothes and elegant dog jewelry.

Tip #5 - Don’t Overlook Your Dog Lovers Other Interests & Hobbies

You may find that the perfect gift is one that combines a favorite hobby or interest with their love of dogs.

If your dog lover is a big sports fan maybe he would like a dog clothes outfit that reflects his favorite team.

Any dog gift with team colors and logos on them will be a hit when his friends come over to watch the big game. If you don’t think his pooch would like to wear a dog shirt, a dog bandana might be a better choice.

Do you need to get a dog gift for a dog lover who plays golf? Then she would probably love some dog breed golf club head covers.

They can really add a sense of fun and style while protecting their valuable clubs.

The choice of dog lover gifts seems endless, but now that you know how to narrow your focus you’ll be able to pick great dog gifts every time.

Just think about who you need the dog gift for, and have fun. The best gifts are the ones that make the moment special and get us all to smile.

Copyright 2005 Dog-Supplies Advisor.com, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Publication is permitted so long as the resource information at the end of the article remains intact, and links are live.

About the Author

Courtesy of http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com a site dedicated to providing dog care advice on a broad range of dog-related topics. Includes articles, frequently asked questions, recommendations, and tips for dog owners.

Read more about selecting great dog lover gifts at http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/dog-lover-gifts.html , http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/dog-art.html

4 Ways In Which You Can Show Your Dog How Much You Love Him
by Mark Eckenrode

Do you have at least one framed photo of your dog somewhere in your house… or maybe in your wallet? Is your dog pretty darn close to being the very center of your universe? Do you love spoiling him, respond to his every whimper and cry, and spend hundreds of dollars on gourmet treats? To say that dogs are man’s best friend is anything but a cliché. You might be the most miserable person in the world without a friend to your name… but your dog will treat you like royalty every time you walk through the door. So how do you repay that unconditional love and devotion? There are hundreds of different ways!

1. Spoil him rotten.

A lot of people spend a lot of money at chic pet boutiques, dressing their dogs in hundred-dollar sweaters and paying for meticulous pawdicures. They buy diamond studded collars and give their dogs rooms all to themselves. You probably don’t have the budget for things like that, right? You can still spoil your dog with simple, everyday things that cost you the absolute minimum. Next time your pooch needs a bath, focus on giving him a massage while you’re working the shampoo into his coat. Take him out for a drive once each week and dress according to the weather so you can open a window and let his head hang out, his ears flapping in the breeze. Or you can…

2. Stuff him silly.

Your dog lives by food! It drives every thought he has, every impulse in his body. But you’re more rational, you know that food needs to be both delicious and nutritious to make sure he has as long and happy a life as possible. Why not try making some homemade treats and dog food that are absolutely packed with all of the vitamins and nutrients he needs? Bake him a delicious, healthy cake for his next birthday, then share a few cookies with him!

3. Prepare for the worst.

If you know exactly what to do in a tough situation or an emergency, you infinitely increase the chances that your dog will be around for a long time to come. Do you know what to do when he’s choking? You should lay your dog on his side and place one hand on his back and the other on his stomach just behind his rib cage. Using the stomach hand, push in and toward the throat twice, but without too much force. If you can see a foreign object, sweep your fingers through his mouth to remove it. If he’s still choking, place your mouth over his nose and exhale until his chest rises. Repeat once, and then thrust two more times. Continue until he coughs out the obstruction. Now consider what would happen if he started to choke and you had no clue what to do, then ended up spending 10 minutes calling vets and driving him there. Making sure you’re prepared to care for his health and wellbeing is a great way to show him how much you love him.

4. Speak his language.

Unless you believe in pet psychics, there’s really no way for you to read your pooch’s mind and figure out exactly what she’s thinking. The good news is that, like many dog owners, the problems you’re having can probably be traced to one simple thing: you’re trying to communicate with your dog from a human standpoint, and your dog isn’t a human. Rather than saying “no,” a word that doesn’t really mean anything to a dog, try growling in a deep, throaty voice the next time you’re unhappy with something he’s done. He’ll get the message immediately and you won’t have to go through a big, drawn-out battle of wills. He’ll appreciate you meeting him halfway!

These are just a few of the ways in which you can show your dog how much he means to you, and I’d love to share hundreds more with you. That’s why I’ve assembled the DogMatters.com Megapack, a collection of my hottest dog care titles. From 101 Ways to Spoil Your Dog for Under $10 and Secrets to a Healthy and Happy Pooch to 180 Gourmet Dog Recipes and Instinct vs. Man, you’ll be amazed at all of the information, tips, and ideas you never even imagined existed. Why not give it a try? Think about it - it’s just one more way to show your pooch how much you love him.

–
Mark Eckenrode is a lover of dogs, his own is named Ryker. Mark is also the creator of an amazing website that offers free step-by-step tips on how to spoil your dog, cook up delicious dog recipes, insights into health, and communicating with your dog…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
“Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU to Learn Exactly What Your Dog is Looking For… Without Being a Vet, Visiting an Animal Shrink, or Paying Outrageous Prices for Dog Toys!”

Click Here => http://www.DogMatters.com
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

About the Author

Mark Eckenrode is a lover of dogs, his own is named Ryker. Mark is also the creator of an amazing website that offers free step-by-step tips on how to spoil your dog, cook up delicious dog recipes, insights into health, and communicating with your dog…
http://www.DogMatters.com

My Wabi-Sabi Master is My Dog
Perfection is a gooey chew toy on a worn out old blankie

By GALINA PEMBROKE

Up until recently, three dominant attitudes have ruled my living space:
 my boyfriend’s: if it breaks, fix it.
 my own: if it breaks, replace it.
 and my dog’s: if it breaks, keep it and love it all the more

Without realizing it, my dog has been a master practitioner of wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic philosophy that celebrates the simple and the handmade, including the flaws.
Especially the flaws…
More than just the appreciation of unpretentious art and craft, wabi-sabi is a uniquely joyful way of viewing and contemplating the world. As Leonard Koren describes it in Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers, wabi-sabi is “the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.” It is no coincidence that the first practitioners of wabi-sabi were Zen Buddhist monks and tea-masters.
My dog Tucker is a 30-pound, wooly sheltie-crossbreed; painted by the creator with a wholly imperfect, abstract pattern of brown, black and white. With his flattened, rock-chewing teeth; he is an unlikely leader. Yet, through his actions, Tucker has shown me the beauty of wabi-sabi .

Presents and Presence

Every year I celebrate Tucker’s birthday which I maintain is the day he stepped out of the dog pound and in through my door. For me, this means the renewed challenge of shopping for a new dog toy that promises to delight Tucker and light up his wabi-sabi life. For Tucker, this means the aggravation of me dangling another squeak-toy or Kong product in front of his unimpressed snout. I am such a consumer fool.
Every year it’s the same. Polite dog that he is, Tucker examines the shiny new object with feigned interest before dismissing it. He then curls up in his war-torn blanket to gnaw on his ancient, barely identifiable, mangled ball. Once a perfect sphere, it now resembles a cracked egg. With its aged crevices and broken, rounded protuberances, I am unable to understand how he could be near it- let alone mouth it.
Tucker, however, couldn’t be happier. Drooling contentedly over his gooey-soft ball, he shows me that perfection cannot be bought, achieved, manipulated, or maintained. It is an inner experience: canine wabi-sabi.

The Perfect Cloud

In India, there is a mantra signifying this feeling of fullness. Translated, it is “That is perfect. This is perfect. From the perfect springs the perfect. If the perfect is taken from the perfect, the perfect remains.”
Too bad this understanding is absent from so much of our “new is better” consumer society.
Wabi-sabi is a less wasteful way of living. Even Tucker’s assortment of bought-and-soon- forgotten dog toys can be donated. Satisfaction with things as they are, though used and worn, means we replace less and save more.
Handmade and one-of-a-kind, wabi-sabi pottery is deliberately and gloriously “pre-owned” right out of the box. Wabi-sabi regards these flaws as enhancements. Western culture imitates this in marketing, with new-worn jeans and marked-up furniture. We tag this as recycled and call ourselves retro. Recycling doesn’t exist in the wabi-sabi world. My attempts at converting Tucker’s ball into sheet-plastic via the recycle box, have been met with prompt retrieval by digging paws and slobbering jaw. In wabi-sabi, decay replaces conversion. [Would be interesting to note the similarity(?) to the modern Western countercultural aesthetic of worn and torn blue jeans and recycled vintage clothing and furniture.] As Buddhist poet and musician Leonard Cohen observes in his song “Anthem,” “There’s a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.” In life, rain and ice may crack and erode the new and the beautiful, but the crumbling marks they leave behind are the signature of water, the ultimate life-giver. Thus, wabi-sabi doesn’t simply see the silver lining in every cloud, it sees the cloud itself as a silver lining in a perfect blue sky.
As I struggle to appreciate the beauty of decay, Tucker is my faithful wabi-sabi master.
Tucker and I are running barefoot through the soft sands of my hometown’s ocean beach. The night air feels clean and cool. I stop often, dislodging the golden-grains from between my blue-painted-toes while searching for a stick. I throw Tucker a three-foot long mini-log, and he returns it as a six-inch frayed twig. He will not surrender it. I hoist and parade another mini-log. He ignores me. He is mesmerized by the twig. He has the perfect chew toy. Marred. Scarred. Semi-hard. Its decay proves to be its strength. It is the perfect Tucker stick toy in all its dwindling six-inch glory.
I too have a habit of chewing my environment. Pens and pencils are particularly attractive when I’m struggling with a new challenge. In the past, I would discard my teeth-indented creative tools”. But Tucker has taught me the value of fractured belongings. Now when I look at the mangled implements of my creative struggles, I see their scars as battle wounds, each one a testament to the origin of a thought. I keep and respect them.

Everything is Enough

As Plato suggested true perfection is always an ideal, never a reality. Consider “the perfect egg.” There are so many variables beyond the cook’s control: the stove-top temperature, the accuracy of the timer, the needy neighbors relentless ringing (I love alliteration) at the door. Even if you do achieve the ideal creamy softness
or just-hard-enough suppleness, the egg still won’t taste just right if you’re queasy over being dumped, fired, or otherwise jarred by the outside world. Ultimately, the perfect egg is an inside job.

As the Tao Te Ching it states “If you mold a cup you have to make it hollow: it is the emptiness within that makes it useful.” Westernized society tends to see holes as absences, instead of potential. Every day we suffer disappointments, because reality - like some mangled chew toy or overboiled egg - falls short of our ideals.
Yet those rows of hard bitten pencils bear witness to our best efforts. We have given it our best shot. Like Tucker, all we need do now to find wabi-sabi contentment is to stretch out on our war-torn blankets and delight in what we have.

About the Author

Galina Pembroke is an internationally published writer who specializes in health, self-help and spirituality. She is publisher and editor-in-chief of New View magazine online. Launched March 6, 2005, New View is a comprehensive resource that offers information and inspiration for a happier, healthier life. Visit them at http://www.nuvunow.ca

What’s the world comin’ to?

I know that’s not the typical opening to one of my columns, but this one is different because I’m having a real hard time writing it. I’m in pain. Real physical pain. There are two holes in the back left knee of my sweatpants, and I also have about a one inch scratch right on the back of that same knee that’s really stinging. And guess why? A &%*@ dog bit me!

That’s right, a dog just took a little chunk out of me. And ya’ll might be wondering just how it happened, at least I hope y’all are.

I typically walk a couple of miles each day, and I do it on the roads that wind through our subdivision. It’s a pretty hilly walk, you get a nice view of some great houses, and I typically enjoy it.

Today, I was out walking and was working my way through one of our side streets. I’d just walked past this one house with an open garage, and when I did, I heard some barking. Didn’t pay much attention to it at first, but that changed when it became obvious that the barking was getting closer and closer to me. I turned, and found myself staring straight into the eyes of a chocolate brown lab.

This lab was a good sized dog, and he was growling like he meant business. I figured that the best thing to do was to just slowly walk away, which is exactly what I tried to do. I took a couple of steps, and then felt something nip up against the back of my left knee. When I turned around, the dog jumped back, tensed, and I thought it was gonna try and bite me again. Note that I said try and bite me again. I’m not ashamed to admit that that I was going to kick the living hell out of him had he gone for a second helping. Fortunately, he backed off and I got out of there as quickly as I could.

Know what cheeses me off the most about this whole situation? There are leash laws in our community, and those laws are in place for a reason. Suppose this dog had been bigger and had inflicted more damage? Suppose he’d charged out into the road after a ball and had gotten struck by a car? Suppose he’d bitten a small child? That’s why leash laws are on the books in the first place.

All that being said, let me be fair to this bloodthirsty pooch - he was not the only dog who was running around loose and unsupervised today. And I’ll bet my Elvis CDs that if you asked any of these dogs’ owners why they didn’t have them secured, they’d tell you one of the following:

1. My dog needs some freedom, we hate to chain him up in our backyard.

2. My dog is quite gentle and poses a threat to no one.

First, if a dog needs freedom, why is it being kept in a subdivision in the first place? Next, regarding the “dog who is quite gentle” baloney - folks, the chocolate lab I encountered was the third one that growled and got fairly close to me during today’s walk. So don’t spit in the water and tell me it’s tea, because the truth is that no one likes to say that there are ugly babies, but there are lots of ‘em, and no one wants to admit that their dogs are potential menaces, but the streets are full of ‘em. And that’s me saying it level.

Folks, from here on out, here’s how it goes with me. I just bought a nice little container of pepper spray, and I’ll carry it with me whenever I take a walk in the future. If a dog leaves his yard and comes out into the street with me, I certainly won’t spray him/her. But if a dog leaves his yard, comes out into the street, gets real close to me and starts barking threateningly, well, he/she is going to receive a snout full of pepper spray. That’s a promise.

In closing, for any of you animal rights activists that I’ve offended out there, don’t whine one tiny bit to me. I still believe that human rights come first, and that means the right to walk out on a public street that my taxes pay for without being threatened by some crazed animal. And if y’all still want to protest what I’ve said here today, email me and I’ll be glad to give you a street address that y’all can go stand in front of and protest all you want…

About the Author

Ed’s latest book, “Rough As A Cob,” can be ordered by calling River City Publishing toll-free at: 877-408-7078. He’s also a popular after dinner speaker, and his column runs in a number of Southeastern publications. You can contact him via email at: ed3@ed-williams.com, or through his web site address at: www.ed-williams.com.

Opening your heart to a Pomeranian can be fun, but you must be willing to take on the responsibility of dog ownership. When you become a Pom owner, it’s up to to do everything in your power to make your pet’s life a happy one, the proper care, environment and companionship. If this sounds like a big commitment - it is! But rest assured, the rewards of pet ownership far outweigh the work you have to put into it.

An often overlooked, but very important step in caring for your Pomeranian is to insure that he is properly trained. A properly trained dog will be a pleasure to both strangers and his master, but a lot of people do not take this important step and then wonder why their dog is not “well behaved”. Many a dog has been considered a “bad” pet when all he really needed was the owner to take the time out to train him properly.

Proper training isn’t just about performing cool tricks, although that is one side benefit. A properly trained dog will be safer than one who is not trained. A properly trained dog will be obedient and come to your side should you need to call him out of harms way. A well trained Pomeranian will not be a nuisance to guests and training your dog is also a bonding experience and will enforce the fact that you are the “master”. You can train a dog on your own, or you can join an obedience training class and get instruction from professionals.

The Pom is an active dog who is intelligent courageous and a loyal companion. The Pomeranian may not interact well with small children and due to its small size can suffer abuse from children . The Pomeranian can make a good watch dog but can become to yappy if you do not train him to avoid excessive braking. The Pom may be hard to housebreak but are very smart and can be trained very quickly.

Another important part of Pomeranian ownership is to get regular vet checkups. A yearly check up is a must and he should have all his vaccinations kept up to date. Also, if you notice anything different in your Pomeranians behavior schedule a vet appointment right away. Oftentimes animals hide the fact that they are feeling sick and even a small change could indicate something more serious. Have your Pomeranian neutered or spayed - they WILL be much happier.

Providing a safe environment for your Pomeranian can eliminate unfortunate accidents in the home, especially for puppies. Be careful to pick up small objects your dog could ingest and make sure there are no unsafe places in the home. When guests come over, or if the kids are running in and out, make sure they know not to leave the door open so the dog can get out. Refrain from feeding your Pomeranian table scraps as some of it can actually harm your dog. Chocolate, in particular, can be lethal.

Grooming your Pomeranian not only helps him look his best but is also important to keep him in the best of health. Cleaning his ears, brushing his fur, trimming his nails - these all contribute to the overall health and happiness of your pooch. Proper dental care is the most important grooming task you can do for your Pomeranian. Without regular brusing, bacteria can build up in your dogs mouth. This bacteria can break away and cause serious health problems for your dog. Make sure you brush at least a couple of times a week and have a dental check up every year!

Finally, you need to have a plan in case something goes wrong. What if there is a fire or some other disaster? Make sure someone is responsible to get your pet out of the house in case of emergency. It’s also a good idea to have a neighbor or friend that can take your pet on short notice should you be called away in an emergency.

When you let a Pomeranian into your home as a pet, you are making a lifetime commitment to provide everything he needs for a healthy and happy life. Some Pomeranians can live into the teens so consider your commitment carefully - in the end I think you will see that the rewards far outweigh the work involved in caring for a pet.

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is a Pomeranian lover and writes for http://www.pomeranian-pages.com. Find out more about this wonderful breed and how to best care for your Pom at http://www.pomeranian-pages.com/pomeranian-dog-care.html

Keeping Gars
A short review

By William Berg
of Sweden, for http://www.aquaticcommunity.com

If you take a quick look at this species they don’t seem like aquarium fishes. They are large and highly predatory. But then again, these are qualities that attract some, like me! If you’ve been keeping aquariums for a while and have the room to keep large predatory fishes I recommend you try these fish, but not until you’ve done your homework and know the gars’ requirements and what you are getting yourself into.

Species of gar:

Florida spotted gar, Lepisosteus platyrhinchus
A highly varied species of gar. Has more spots on its body and a shorter snout than many other gars. Easily mistaken for spotted gar.

Spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus
Long snout and spots. Spots to a higher degree towards the posterior of its body. Easily mistaken for Florida spotted gar.

Shortnosed gar, Lepisosteus platostomus
The shortnosed gar can be identified by its short snout, and by the lack of teeth rows in the upper jaw like the alligator gar, and the lack of spots on its body.

Long-nosed gar, Lepisosteus osseus
The long-nosed gar is, as the name suggests, identified by its long slender snout, and also by its slender body.

Alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula
The alligator gar has a short broad snout and two big rows of teeth in the upper jaw. This species is spotted on the posterior part of the body and to a lesser extent on other parts of the body.

Tropical gar, Atractosteus tropicus
A very rare species.

Manfari or Cuban gar, Atractosteus tristoechus
Looks very similar to the alligator gar and since it is very rare in the trade you can usually assume that your gar is an alligator gar and not a Cuban gar unless otherwise stated. The Cuban gar has a broader snout and lacks pattern on its body.

Beside these species there are a number of hybrids such as the crocodile gar.

Spotted, Florida and short-nosed gars are smaller than the other species and may be more suitable for aquariums. They usually don’t grow larger than 2 feet in aquariums. Long-nosed and alligator gars grow to a very large size and larger ponds are recommended if you’d like to keep fully grown specimens. So if you don’t have (or plan on getting) a large pond, stay with the smaller species. Even with the smaller species you are still going to need a rather large aquarium. The tropical gar also is possible to keep in aquariums as it doesn’t grow as large; however this species is very hard to find. The Cuban gar is a red-list endangered species and shouldn’t be kept even if you somehow find one.

In aquariums gars are quite demanding and require a lot of space and clean water. I recommend you to use as big a tank as you can for your gar, and I wouldn’t recommend keeping gars in an aquarium smaller than 200 Gallon/720 L. And that should be considered a minimum; a 400 gallon/1400 L tank is preferable.

The tank should be decorated in accordance with gar behaviour. Gars are ambush predators, and as such they appreciate hiding places from where they can stalk their prey. This is however not essential. They are very friendly towards fish that are too big to be eaten. In the wild gars often live in loose schools and if you have the space you may successfully keep several gars together, in fact I would recommend this.

Gars can be kept with most fishes that are too big to be considered food and not too aggressive. However, gars should never live with plecos. Plecos sometimes suck on gars and cause infections, and since gars are very sensitive to most medicines these infections may be very hard to treat.

Regarding water, the most important thing is keeping the water clean and well circulated. Gars accept most pH or hardness levels. Temperature can range from 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (16 - 30 degrees Celsius). Gars breathe air and should be left with a few inches of space at the top of the tank to allow them to breathe atmospheric air.

Gars usually accept most kinds of living prey that are large enough. Feeders such as goldfish provide a good base for their diet but should never be the only thing they are fed, since this would not provide the gars with all necessary nutrition. Their diet should be diverse, and this can be achieved by also feeding minnows, shrimps etc. It is also possible to train gars to accept frozen foods and pellets.

Gars cannot be sexed externally. They have occasionally been breed in aquariums but are more frequently bred in ponds or are wild caught.

About the Author

Article is written for aquaticcommunity.com by William Berg. William Berg has 20 years of aquarium experience and is the admin at http://www.aquaticcommunity.com