How To Guide

Example 1

Nick Jones

Nick Jones is a dog behaviourist by trade and has had extensive real life experience in dealing with aggressive dogs. As such, his Alpha Dog Behaviour blog is really useful in explaining exactly how to deal with an aggressive dog. The article entitled “Introducing a Muzzle to a Dog” is particularly useful because he not only advocates the use of a muzzle but explains exactly how to use one.

Recommending the Baskerville type muzzle, Jones explains that it is important to introduce the muzzle over an extended period of time so that he or she can become used to it and accept it as part of his or her walk routine rather than associating it with feeling threatened when he or she sees another dog. Jones also explains that the duration of wearing the muzzle should be increased slowly to enhance comfort. Not only will this help to tame your dog but it will also help to ensure that he or she never causes any damage to others when out and about.

Click for source… Read More

Example 1

George

For some people, their pets are their best friends. They are loyal, you can always turn to them and they have a lot of love and affection to offer. For this reason, when a pet dies people find it very hard and need a lot of time to get over it. George, for instance, had to go through very difficult moments, as he had to make the hard decision of putting his cat to sleep. He had to make this decision as he saw the kitty having difficulties in moving her rear legs. When he took the cat to the vet, they told him that she had a blood clot preventing the arteries from getting enough blood.

Given that the chances for recovery were extremely low and she might not even survive a couple of days, George decided to put the cat to sleep in order to save her from all the suffering from living the rest of her days crippled. Hard as it has been for him, George tried to get over this difficult moment… Read More

Some people may think that having a pet snake is something they certainly want to steer of having, but there are many that have given a home to a boa and found them to be wonderful and enjoyable pets.

Your snake and origin

The Boa is home in Northern Mexico all the way to Argentina.

Types of Boa’s

There are 18 species of Boa’s however, only a few are kept as pet. The list of boa’s seen the most in homes includes the boa constrictor, Dumeril’s boa, Madagascan ground boa, Kenyan sand boa, Brazilian Rainbow boa, Emerald tree boa, and Rosy boa.

Size and color

• Boa constrictor – males 6 to 8 feet – females 7 to 10 feet – cream, gray, brown with patterns in reddish brown
• Dumeril’s boa – 6 ½ feet – color patterns are grey/brown with darker patches
• Madagascan ground boa – males 8 feet – females 10 feet – color pattern is pale reddish brown mixed with grey with an outline in black or brown
• Kenyan sand boa – 2 feet – color pattern

… Read More

Chameleons are very interesting pets as well as amazing creatures. On the other hand, having these guys as pets is not for the beginner. They need specific care requirements and can become stressed very easily.

Your lizard and origin

The Chameleon originated in eastern Africa and migrated to the rest of Africa and then on to other regions like Mediterranean region, the Arabian Peninsula, and Madagascar.

Types of Chameleon’s

It may be hard to believe but there are over 150 different varieties of chameleons. The most common seen as pets include the Panther Chameleon, Veiled Chameleon, Dwarf Chameleon, Parson’s Chameleon, and Jackson’s Chameleon.

Size and colors

• Panther Chameleon – males 17 to inches – females just a bit smaller – According to the region in which they live the color varies including vibrant blue, red, green, orange, Females are often tan or brown with pink peach or bright orange.
• Veiled Chameleon – males 14 to 18 inches – females 12 inches – bright lime green to red olive
• Dwarf Chameleon – males 1.3 inches – females 1.1

… Read More

Many have described the corn snake as one of the best snakes you can have as a pet. They are calm, gentle, and brilliantly colored. The best part of all is they are very easy to take care of.

Your lizard and origin

The family of corn snakes is colubrids, which can be found all over the world besides in Antarctica. On the other hand, the corn snake is only home in North America. Most are found in the northeastern United States and no farther west than the Mississippi River.

Types of corn snakes

There are many different varieties of corn snakes with a few more common as pets. The most popular list for corn snakes includes Ultramel Anery Corn Snake, Untramel Corn, Ultramel Motley Corn, Common, Amel, Anery, Blizzard, Bloodred/Cayenne Fire, Bloored/Fire, Bloodred/Granite, Bloodred/Rootbeer, Bloodred/Rosy, Charcoal, Creamsicle, Ghost, Hypo, Hypo Lavender, Lavender, Motley/Sunglow, Motley Amelanistic, Motley Anerythristic A, Motley Snow, Okeetee, Reverse Okeetee, Snow/Coral, Stripe, Striped Amelanistic, Striped Butter, and Striped Hypo.

Size and color

• Ultramel Anery Corn Snake – 4 to 6 feet – pale

… Read More

The Crested Gecko was thought to be extinct at one time but is today one of the most popular lizards in homes as pets. This lizard is very easy to care for, but of course, you will need to learn how to care for a lizard properly if you want a happy and healthy pet.

Your lizard and origin

The origin of the Crested Gecko is the islands of New Caledonia, which are found between Fiji and Australia.

Types of Crested Gecko’s

There is only type of crested gecko even though in the family of geckos there are several different species. The crested gecko family includes leopard geckos, skunk geckos, fat tailed geckos, Tokay geckos, house geckos, golden geckos, day geckos, and Madagascar ground geckos.

Size and color

The crested gecko can grow to around 17 inches long and is mainly green with very noticeable ridge with pointed scales beginning above the eye and going down the crown onto the back.

Living environment

For one gecko, you will need a ten-gallon aquarium. If you have more than one of… Read More

The Water Dragon is a very popular lizard to have as a pet being very easy to care for as well as introducing a very interesting creature in your home.

Your lizard and origin

Water Dragons are home in southern China, eastern Indochina, Thailand, and Australia.

Types of Water Dragon

The most common Water Dragons are the Asian Water Dragon, Green Water Dragon, Chinese Water Dragon, and the Thai Water Dragon.

Size and color

• Asian Water Dragon – 3 feet – bright dark green with lighter tints
• Green Water Dragon – 3 feet – green
• Chinese Water Dragon – 3 feet – bright dark green with lighter tints
• Thai Water Dragon – 3 feet – bright dark green to lighter colors

Living environment

If you plan to have a pair of water dragons, you will need a terrarium that is at least 4 by 4 feet wide and 5 feet high with plenty of branches for climbing. You will need a large water dish that is large enough for the dragon to bath in the… Read More

The uniqueness of the Canadian Horse influenced many different North American breeds including the Standardbred, Morgan, and the American Saddlebred. It is a very beautiful horse beautiful horse that does resemble the Morgan. He is very friendly, energetic, calm, and pretty docile making him a great family horse.

Your horse and origin

The origin of the Canadian Horse is of course Canada

Characteristics

The Canadian Horse has large expressive eyes with a well structured head. They are muscular with a heavy and wavy mane as well as tail. The Canadian Horse is normally black or bay but can come in brown and chestnut as well. They usually stand at 14 to 16 hands and weigh between 1000 and 1400 pounds.

The Canadian Horse is graceful and carries himself well. His chest is broad and deep with legs set well apart with a well arched girth. His back is strong and straight with well proportioned broad short lions. The forearms are long and straight with hard projecting muscles. His entire body is harmonious and graceful with a symmetry shape that certainly… Read More

The Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse is a wonderful breed of horse often referred to as Spotted Mountain Horse. The breed standards and registration requirements can be found via the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association, The Rocky Mountain Saddle Horse Association, Mountain Pleasure Horse Association, and the Spotted Mountain Horse. These horses are known for their intelligence, temperament, willingness, versatility, and their natural gait.

Your horse and origin

The Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse was first bred by the mountain people in eastern Kentucky to work on farms. The bred was first noticed in the 1990’s and then started being sought after for pleasure horses.

Characteristics

The Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse comes in a wide array of solid colors from palomino to chocolate. Even though most are solid colored, they do have white on the tail, mane, legs, and face. They are medium boned, athletic as well as refined. They are very well known for their four beat gait that makes the ride almost motionless for the rider. The horse stands at 11 to 13.3 hands.

This horse can… Read More

The Mustang horse is known as wild horses but is also known as feral horses. The population of the Mustang horse is protected and managed by the Bureau of Land Management with herds varying between a mixture of ranch stock and Iberian horses.

Your horse and origin

The Mustang descended from horses that were brought to North America by the Spanish. The only horses in the Americas died long before the Conquistadors arrived and imported their horses from Spain. These first Mustang’s horses descended from Iberian horses and were brought to Florida and Mexico. These horses had ancestors, which included Arabian, Barb, and Andalusian. These horses either escaped or were stolen by Native American Indians. The Indians began using these horses as transportation for hunting, trade, and battles. As the west was, these horses also went along with settlers, explorers, and traders.

The 1971 Act was put into place to protect established horses as well as burros and today the United States Forest Service are carrying for 37 will horse and burros in different western states.

Characteristics

The Mustang… Read More

The North Swedish Horse is known for being a robust, active, and good trotter often used for working on the farm. The most extraordinary thing most people notice about this horse is his endurance and unbelievable strength.

Your horse and origin

The North Swedish Horse originated in Sweden with ancestors from Scandinavian breeds and related to the Dole Gudbrandsdal. Prior to the end of the 19th century, this horse was a mixture of different imported breeds. However, efforts were made at this time to achieve better uniformity.

Characteristics

The North Swedish Horse has a head with a straight profile and broad forehead and is seen in any solid color including blackish/brown, brown, yellowish black, chestnut, palomino, buckskin, gray, and smoky. The neck is short and thick with a full flowing mane, deep and wide chest, muscular sloping shoulders, low broad and muscular withers, long and wide back, and short legs with broad joints and strong tendons. The horse stands at 15 to 15.3 hands.

The North Swedish Horse has a temperament that is very willing and cooperative.

Diet

The… Read More

If you have ever seen a Tennessee Walking Horse, affectionately referred to as the Tennessee Walker you will realize why so many people fall in love with this horse. This is one high prancing, proud, and magnificent horse.

Your horse and origin

The Tennessee Walker was born in the 1800’s when two breeds, the Narragansett Pacer and the Canadian Pacer were bred. A few years later breeders added the blood of the Morgan, Thoroughbred, American Saddlebred, and the Standardbred to help refine as well as add more stamina. Finally, in 1885, Black Allen was born with the stallion Allendorf (Standardbred) and the mare was Maggie Marshall (Morgan horse). Black Allen became the foundation sire for the breed.

Characteristics

The Tennessee Walker has a great disposition and is very calm and easygoing which makes them quite easy to train. These horses have a very noticeable unique running walk often referred to as a flashy horse. This trait makes them awesome for show as well as for trail and pleasure riding.

The colors of the Tennessee Walker are usually… Read More

The African Grey is a wonderful pet that many experts have deemed to be the most intelligent bird. To have one in your home is almost like having another family member, that will keep you entertained and will even mimic some of the words of you say to him or her every day. With an African Grey in the house, you may be surprised to hear the phone ring to realize the ringing sound is actually coming from your bird. He will mimic not only words he hears but sounds such as answering machine, microwaves, chain saws, and many other sounds he hears.

Your Bird and Origin

The African Grey is home in rainforest of West and Central Africa. The African Grey has been kept as pets as far back as 4,000 years. Egyptian hieroglyphics of the parrot have been found in many areas.

Types of African Grey

There are two types of African Greys which include the Congo Greys and the Timneh Greys. The Congo Grey is a bit larger around 10 to 14 inches and has a black… Read More

The canary is one of the most popular birds to keep as pets in the same family as the finch. These birds are known for their beautiful songs.

Your bird and origin

The canary’s home originally was Madeira, Canary Islands, and Azores.

Types of Canaries

Canaries are separated into three main varieties, which include Colorbred canaries, Type canaries, and Song Canaries. Within each variety, you will find even more types of canaries.

Colorbred canaries includes Green, Yellow Melanin, Yellow Lipochrome, Red Factor Melanin, Red Factor Lipochrome, Blue Factor, Dominant White, Recessive White, Silver Factor, Pastel Factor, Ivory Factor, Dimorphic Factor, Opal Factor, Cinnamon, Agate Series, Fawn, Isabel Series, Satinet, Ino, Phaeo, Albino, Onyx, and Eumo.

Type canaries include

Border, Gloster, Stafford, Norwich, Fife, Scots Fancy, Beligian Fancy, Parisian Frill, Dutch Frill, Yorkshire, and Lizard.

Song Canaries include the German Roller, Belgian Waterslager, Spanish Timbrados, and the American Singer.

Color & Size

Colorbred canaries –5 to 6 inches – a wide array of colors including Silver Agate Opal, Bronze, Brown, Blue, Mosaic, Opal, Red Factor, White, Green Frosted,… Read More

The Cockatoo is a bird that actually known for being more like a dog than a bird often called a lap bird. These parrots are so friendly and adorable that too many people take one home before they realize just how much work these birds are to care for and just how much attention they desire. They are noisy birds and usually talk quite a bit of the time, which can get on the owners last nerve. You must be prepared to care for such a bird before you take one home.

Your bird and origin

There are many different species of Cockatoos and they come from many different areas of the world such as Australia, Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia, Soloman Islands, Philippine Islands, Indonesia, Moluccan Islands of Indonesia, Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea, and Indonesian Islands.

Types of Cockatoo

• From Australia – Cacatua Sanguinea, little Corella, and Bare-eyed Cockatoo.
• From the Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia – Cacatua goffini, Goggins Cockatoo, and Tanimbar Cocatoo.
• Somoman Islands – Cacatua ducorpsil, ducorps cockatoo, and Reggie Lou
• Philippine Islands – Cacatua

… Read More

The Macaw is a beautiful bird that many want to include in their family. These birds are playful and full of energy as well as a flamboyant personality. They do love affection and will return the love they receive from their owner. They are not quite birds and as a matter of fact can be very loud at times and will mimic some of the words they hear repeatedly.

Your bird and origin

The Macaw originated in Mexico and South America

Types of Macaw

There are many different species of Macaws with the most common as household pets being the Blue & Gold Macaw, the Scarlett Macaw, Green Winged Macaw, Severe Macaw, Hahn Macaw, and the Yellow Collar Macaw.

Color and size

• Blue & Gold Macaw – 33 inches – blue green with a yellow plumage and white face mask
• Scarlett Macaw- 36 inches – bright red plumage and face with a whitish face mask with no green on the wing
• Green Winged Macaw – 36 inches – bright red face and plumage with a whitish face mask and

… Read More

The parakeet may be one of the most popular birds to have as pets. These birds are a species of parrot that normally have long tail feathers. These birds in the wild live in large flocks and therefore as pets will need at least one companion if not more to stay happy. These birds are not happy unless they have another parakeet to share their home.

Your bird and origin

There are several varieties of parakeets along with many sub families, which amount to around 120 species. They come from many different areas across the world including Africa, Central America, South America, Asia, and Australia.

Types of Parakeets

As mentioned above there are many differnent species but the most common seen as pets include Alexandrine Parakeet, Budgerigars, Derbyan, Eastern Rosella, Indian Ringneck, Plum headed, Quaker, and Regent.

Size and color

• Alexandrine Parakeet – 23 inches – males have a green plumage, grayish blue on the cheeks and dark purple spot on the wings whereas the females are lighter in color.
• Budgerigars – 7 to just under 10 inches –

… Read More

The Seahorse is in the same family, which includes the pipefish with the scientific name of the family being Hippocampus translated from ancient Greek to mean horse – hippos and sea monster – kampos. Of course, we all know that the seahorse is certainly not a monster of any type. However, they can liven up an aquarium if you know how to care for these unique sea creatures.

Your Seahorse and Origin

The Seahorse is seen in many locations around the world, as there are nearly 40 different species. They are commonly found in sea grass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs. A few places that are home to seahorses include European Water like the Thames Estuary, North America, South America, Pacific Coast of Central America, Nova Scotia, Uruguay, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Types of Seahorse

As mentioned above there are nearly 40 different specieds of seahorses.

The most common for aquariums inlcude:

• Pot Bellied Seahorse – 13.5 inches long – brown, yellow, grey, white, and orange markings
• West African Seahorse – 8 inches – small white dots or

… Read More

The Butterflyfish can be a very beautiful addition to any aquarium and are quite fun to watch. One thing you must remember when looking for that perfect butterflyfish, is that not every species will be able to live in captivity. There may be several species around 120, but from these only a few can thrive well in captivity. Honestly, the majority are poor choices to have in your aquarium.

Your Fish and Origin

Butterflyfish are home in Nigeria, Zaire, and Cameroon Africa.

Types of Butterflyfish

The most common butterflyfish for marine aquariums include:

• Copperbanded butterflyfish – 7.9 inches – silver with gold stripes edged in gold
• Schooling bannerfish – 8.3 inches – white and black stripes
• Longnose butterflyfish – 8.7 inches – silver below the eye and black above the eye
• Raccoon Butterflyfish – 7.9 inches – yellow with a dark saddle and black and white mask
• Redback butterflyfish – 5.5 inches – white and black stripes with a bright red patch
• Merten’s butterflyfish – 5 inches – fuzzy black stripes with a yellow posterior
• Teardrop butterflyfish – 7.8

… Read More

Okay, clownfish are breath taking to watch in an aquarium, on the other hand, they can be very hard to keep alive, healthy, and happy. A clownish must have an anemone host in order to stay alive. If you are considering this fish for your aquarium, you had better prepare yourself for all the issues involved in keeping this happy in captivity.

Your Fish and Origin

The most common areas where clownfish live in wild include Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Red Sea, and Australian east coast at the Great Barrier Reef. Clownfish are unique in that they are all born male. The dominant male changes sex and live on a single anemone with a dominate male along with a few non-reproductive males. At the time of the death of the female, the dominate male will change sexes and choose another male as his mate. The eggs are laid on the flat surface close to their host.

Types of Clownfish

There are over 28 species of Clownfish and ten host anemones. On the other hand, there are 11 most common clownfish… Read More