Archive for Pet + Animal Products
June 13, 2008 at 1:28 am · Filed under Pet + Animal Products
I have recently given a home to a dog called Cassie. She was living in a local animal sanctuary and as soon as I saw her I knew that she was the dog for me and my family. To say she was a bit of a handful to start with is an understatement, however she has now, with a little bit of training, calmed down a lot and is very well behaved. In this article I write about the reasons why I believe more people should own a dog and the benefits it can bring to ones life.
Cassie is now very happy in her new surroundings and shows this happiness in many forms. She is very loving and very loyal. I have two children and she really enjoys playing with them, especially ball type games, however has never become over aggressive with them. Some people state that a dog is a mans best friend and even though I possibly would not go that far, Cassie is somebody I enjoy spending a lot of time with.
In some peoples opinion taking a dog for regular walks would be one of the reasons why they might choose not to own one. I actually really enjoy taking Cassie on her walks as it gives me a chance to clear my head, to meet other people and is a really useful form of exercise. I always take a tennis ball on our walks and she is now becoming an expert at catching this ball after the first bounce and even at times without the ball bouncing at all. She wags her tail in enjoyment and this also fills me with a feeling of pleasure.
During the evening after another one of her long walks, she settles down in the living room and cuddles up to go to sleep. Cassie is now another member of our family and I am sure that she feels this as she curls up for little snooze. She always looks so contented as she starts to dream, I often think that she would have probably have dreamt of living in such an environment when she was living in the animal sanctuary. I hope that her dreams have come true.
Cassie has become a great companion to the members of my family including myself. She is a great listener and never answers back, unlike my children and wife.
I would certainly recommend other people to give a dog a home. It may cost you some money in the way of dog food and may take up some of your time in the form of dog walking. This is a very small price to pay however for the rewards which the dog is likely to bring you.
Companionship, loyalty, happiness as well as the health benefits of exercise via the regular dog walking are just some of the reasons why I love owning Cassie.
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April 26, 2008 at 7:14 pm · Filed under Pet + Animal Products
The popular rottweiler breed has seen some of it members become quite famous. This ranges from comic books to movies and onwards. Here is a look at a few of the rottweilers that made into the halls of fame.
We start in the world of cartoon movies and find Scout, the rottweiler pet of Professor Shepherd in the action adventure and comedy cartoon called Road Rovers. Through a rather failed experiment the rottweiler Scout is transformed into Muzzle, a quite mad and foaming character that is mostly kept in a mask and strait jacket. Occassionally he is set free as a last resort when the Road Rovers are in real trouble and this usually turns out to the advantage of the good. Perhaps this rottweiler character has contributed to some people being scared of this breed of dogs.
In the realm of childrens books resides another famous rottweilers, Good Dog Carl. In a series of worldess childrens books the images of Carl the rottweiler entertains children of all ages. These books, 13 in total, and especially the board book version, have become immensly popular. The illustrations were brought to life by Alexandra Day.
On the big screen we find for example Snot, a rottweiler who starred, or at least took part, in the movie National Lampoons Christmas Vacation from 1989. The movie was one in a series and received mixed reviews though it is probably hard to find a critic that had anything negative to say about the rottweilers performance in the movie.
In real life there is Missy, the rottweiler of the english soul singer Joss Stone, born as Joscelyn Eve Stoker. Many rottweilers would probably be jeaulos of this one as her owner was recently voted Dog Owner of the Year. Along with Missy she also owns a poodle, Dusty, named after singer Springfield one the major influences for Joss.
Returning to the world of cartoons we find another rottweiler that may have contributed to the image that some carry of this breed as a wild beast. Punisher, a Marvel anti-hero, used to have a pet rottweiler called Max, which he saved from the animal pouchers.
Last, but not least, amongst the famous rottweilers lets mention Dracula. Owned by the heavy metal vocalist and musician Phil Anselmo, who is probably best know for vocals and lyrics with the now defunct Pantera band.
These were a few of the rottweilers of fame. There are surely more and surely more will come as this great dog continues to live amongst us.
Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and a dog lover since many years. Lately Rottweilers have become a special interest and he operates The Rottweiler Directory at http://www.rottweilerdirectory.com alongsides with http://www.rottweilers-online.com where you can find articles, links and useful resources.
April 10, 2008 at 1:19 pm · Filed under Pet + Animal Products
Following on from our introduction to saltwater aquariums this segment is designed to give you some idea of a typical saltwater aquarium setup.
The type of saltwater aquarium setup you choose depends on a few factors. For example, the kinds of species you want to stock, the space you have available, and your budget. In general you will want to buy the biggest saltwater aquarium setup you can afford that will fit nicely into your living environment.
This is so that your fish and other animals can have the most comfort possible as they grow. The fish and other invertebrates that you choose to stock your tank with need enough space to swim and grow in and enough oxygen to survive. When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup remember that these two factors are determined mainly by the size of the tank.
So let’s talk about the oxygen component of a saltwater aquarium setup. The amount of oxygen in the water is related to the tanks surface area. This means the amount of area on the tank’s surface that is exposed to the air. The greater the surface area of your saltwater aquarium setup, the more room there is for exchange of oxygen to happen at the surface.
The more oxygen that is allowed to enter the tank and the more harmful gases like carbon dioxide are allowed to leave the healthier your saltwater aquarium setup will be. The oxygen content of the water is also influenced by its temperature. In general, the warmer the water, the lower the oxygen content will be.
Most marine species from the tropics like water that is 75 degrees or higher so this means that less oxygen is going to be available to them. This is when it becomes important to increase the surface of the tank by making sure your saltwater aquarium setup is as large as possible.
How do you do this? There is no typical saltwater aquarium setup. Marine tanks come in a variety of shapes and size, but it is the shape of the tank, not its volume that influences surface area. This means that even where two tanks have identical volumes they might not have the same surface area depending on their shape. A saltwater aquarium setup that is tall and slender won’t get a good rate of gas exchange. An ideal design would be one that is short and wide.
Once you’ve chosen your tank its time to start thinking about its residents. Of course the size of your tank is going to dictate how many fish and invertebrates it can house. The main thing to avoid in your saltwater aquarium setup is overcrowding. Too many inhabitants and your tank’s filtration system will be overloaded. Fish living in cramped conditions become stressed and this can lead to illness and death.
You can calculate how many fish your saltwater aquarium setup will hold by stocking one inch of fish per four gallons of water for a period of six months. After this period increase the number of fish slowly to one inch per two gallons. This means that a 40 gallon aquarium should not contain more than 10 inches of fish for the first six months.
So, for example, you might choose one 3-inch queen angel, two 1-inch clownfish, one 2-inch regal tang, one 1-inch bicolor blenny and two 1-inch Beau Gregory’s. Once the six month period is over you could increase the total number of inches in your saltwater aquarium setup to 20.
Of course, your fish are going to grow so you have to adjust for the changing sizes of your fish. The shape of your fish is also important. If your fish are likely to be on the heavy side you will need to stick to the low end of the capacity of your saltwater aquarium setup.
A saltwater aquarium setup will cost you time and money so accept this and don’t skimp. Even if you devote considerable time and effort to a small tank you can still encounter problems. If you choose the wrong one initially you will probably end up having to buy another one and this may be discouraging. In short, if you don’t have the money to buy a tank that’s at least 30 gallons, don’t invest any money at all.
When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup there are many options. You can choose from glass and acrylic and you can even get reef-ready styles complete with pre-drilled holes for equipment and plumbing. Glass tanks sealed with silicon rubber cement are a common choice. Rectangle designs are popular but they are also found in octagon and hexagon. They are non-toxic and don’t scratch easily.
The downside to a glass saltwater aquarium setup is that they are heavy. This means that large tanks will have very thick glass. Try to find one with a plastic frame that will make the tank more stable. Plated glass is shatterproof but not as strong as tempered.
An acrylic saltwater aquarium setup is molded with few seams so they are more transparent. However your view may still be distorted at the corners. Acrylic tanks are not as heavy as glass and so come in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. Acrylic is also stronger than glass. On the downside acrylic tanks can get scratched and are more expensive than glass. They are easily scratched by algae scrapers and decorations. It is possible to buff these marks out with a special kit.
Whichever saltwater aquarium setup you choose make sure it provides a healthy environment for your fish. You also need to make sure that you can afford to maintain it properly and that it suits your lifestyle and available time. Once you have everything set up correctly you will be able to enjoy the colorful antics and shapes of your fishy friends, corals and other invertebrates. Enjoy the wonderful world of your saltwater aquarium!
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April 4, 2008 at 8:33 pm · Filed under Pet + Animal Products
The aim of a Westie rescue centre such as the one at: http://www.westierescuescheme.org.uk/ is for rescuing and re-housing unwanted westie dogs.
There are many other westie rescue sites such as the one at: http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/IL112.html
from Missouri - Illinois Representative welcomes you! Working in cooperation with the Westie Rescue of Missouri, we offer a second, third, whatever chance it is, to all Terriers, including Scottish, of all ages and health.
A lovely site is: http://www.wisconsinwestierescue.com/. It’s motto is ” Changing Lives One Westie At A Time”
Please support the rescue sites and centres if possible. They are committed to assisting every West Highland white terrier in need of a new home.
http://www.heartlandwestierescue.org - The purpose of Heartland Westie Rescue, Inc. is to locate, foster, rehabilitate and place any Westie that is without a home.
http://www.geocities.com/whwt_soc_of_ct/rescue.html - This lovely website is from Connecticut. They are committed to assisting every West Highland white terrier in need of a new home.
http://www.angelfire.com/la2/LouisianaRescue - Another rescue site which I feel privileged to include. Their mission is to find safe loving homes for Westies.
http://www.westieclubamerica.com/rescue - The Mission is to support and guide those Terrier Clubs of America, affiliated individuals and groups who rescue, foster, rehabilitate, and find new and permanent homes for unwanted Terriers.
http://www.westierescueca.com - This site is from California, a not-for-profit-organization is active in providing breed education, rescue, fostering, medical and adoption services for abused, abandoned, neglected and/or homeless Westies. Love the watermark on the site.
http://www.westierescuecanada.com - National, not-for-profit Canadian organization, founded and run by volunteers to help homeless and displaced Westies find permanent and loving new homes. Funded entirely by private donations and fundraising efforts on behalf of our volunteers. The lovely photo of a missing Westie touched me.
http://www.capitalpaws.com/westierescue - Westie Rescue for greater Washington is a not-for-profit, volunteer group, which assists any Westie in need.
http://www.sfbaywestieclub.com/rescue.htm - From Northern California, it is a service of San Francisco Bay West Highland White Terrier Club
http://www.whwtcc.org/westierescue/default.asp - The WHWTCC Rescue for Southern California is a non-profit, all volunteer program existing for the purpose of rescuing surrendered, abandoned or stray Westies and placing them into permanent and loving homes. They operate from the Central Coast and Central Valley to the Mexican Border as well as having affiliates in Southern Nevada. We currently are also assisting Arizona.
http://www.westierescue.com - Welcome to Westie Rescue USA, an informal network of resources for rescuers, owners and admirers of Westies, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc
http://www.westiemed.com - WestieMed is an independent, non-profit organization created to distribute financial aid to injured or ill rescued Westie Terriers, giving them a second chance at adoption and love from a permanent family.
http://www.westiefoundation.org - Welcome to the home page of the Westie Foundation of America, Inc. Our mission is to provide financial aid and other support for medical research in order to benefit the health and quality of life of these lovely dogs
(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)
Good health and happiness to you always
Jeff Cuckson webmaster@madaboutwesties.com
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Want To Know How To Have The Healthiest, Happiest and Most Well Behaved Westie You Have Ever Dreamed Of! Then Visit NOW! http://www.madaboutwesties.com
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About the Author
Jeff Cuckson
Author of….
“Mad About Westies!” .. How You Can Have The Healthiest, Happiest and Most Well Behaved Westie You Have Ever Dreamed Of!
“101 Kind and Positive Thoughts For Westie Owners On Rough Days!” - How to put a ray of sunshine into a Westie Owner’s dull grey day
“100 Top Westie Sites!”
“115 Travel Tips For Having a Successful Trip With Your Westie!”
