FamilyCosm

If you’re looking for a pet dog door, you should know how that installation can affect the security of your home. Dog doors of the traditional variety, often just a frame under a door or on a wall, are often just plastic flaps. Even if some variants are manufactured with stronger materials, there remain security problems. If you’re seriously thinking about buying a pet dog door, here are some considerations to keep in mind.

Size is crucial. Since you want only your dog to come in and out, then the door should fit only your pet. One problem with having big dogs is the corresponding dog door size - if it fits them, it will also fit a smaller person. Whoever can fit in that dog door could be anyone - your child, someone else’s, or a short thief. You don’t want your children or someone else’s to get stuck, and possibly injured that way. You will also have to worry about other animals coming in and out of your home - via that dog door. If you can at least restrict the height to that of your dog, you can probably limit intruders.

Where to place it. Installing your dog door on your front door might sound convenient, especially when it opens into a fenced front yard - but that also risks announcing to passersby that there’s a smaller door that might be explored by thieves. It might be best, safer, to install the pet door on your back door, which often leads to a backyard anyway. Or to any other house door beside your front entrance. Do not give potential burglars any ideas.

What type you need. Some traditional flap doors comes with flaps made or sterner materials than plastic. There are also several lock settings to choose from. The door can be set to swing open, outwards, or inwards; or just one direction, and then gets locked. One side settings means your pet can only get in or out and then that’s it. This lock setting can either lock your pet indoors, or keep him outside; do you really want to risk an accident and leave your dog outside overnight? An automatic pet dog door is a solution - but costs hundreds of dollar. Your dog wears a specially equipped collar, one that the door senses when the dog is near; the door, consequently, opens only when the dog is near. Having a doggie door is a great benefit for both owner and pet - you won’t have to worry about accidental potty incidents (should your dog be kept inside the house for too long), and the dog can feel free to come and go as it pleases.

To comprehend why our darling cats scratch we first need to understand what their sharp claws are for. They do not intentionally scratch furniture to annoy us or to cause damage. Actually cats have retractable claws so that they can balance, turn, run, climb, jump and defend themselves with incredible precision.

An alternative to declawing or re-homing your favorite friend is simply teaching them the house rules. There are a few simple techniques that are tried and tested to work in relation to this ongoing problem.

First, buy one or more cat scratching posts or cat activity centres covered in either rope or carpet. Once you have got the posts or houses place a bit of catnip on them to attract your cat to them so they will know it is ok to investigate. You may even have to take their paw and do a scratching motion or scratch on it yourself to show them how to use it. When they go back to the furniture, which at first they will, pick them up and take them back to the post.

Secondly, try double sided tape. It may sound wierd, but it does seem to work. Cats hate anything sticky on the pads of their feet. When they go to claw the furniture and feel the tape they will immediately stop. However, you will need to replace the tape as it is pulled down from time to time.

Lastly, if both of the above fail is to try a small squirty gun filled with water. When your kitty goes for the furniture, simply say ‘No’ in an masterful voice and squirt them once on the rear end with the water gun. Do not spray them in the face as it is very easy for a kitty to lose their breath for a second if this is done.

If done with consistency and authority your new scratching friend will soon be a non-scratcher in no time. The key is not giving up! It will not happen overnight, but it can be taught. Good Luck!

Like any dog owner, you want your dog behaved whether inside your home or outside it.
So you have a list, drawn, from experience, about what counts as acceptable and unacceptable behavior from your dog. Enter the no-bark collar.
These are, at best, temporary, and require some time on the dog owner’s part to get the dog used to the collar. There is one particularly recommended unit available - dog shock collar.

Some Info for Shoppers

There are three categories of bark collars. These types are known as static, sonic, and spray. The shock collar, known also to many as the static correction collar, makes use of a low volt electric shock to startle the dog. The sonic collar releases a tone that’s outside of human hearing range - only dogs can hear them, and be annoyed by them. The spray type releases a harmless, scented chemical that annoys dogs, which have a sophisticated sense of smell. By far the most popular is the static correction type.

The no-bark collar type, the three types of which have been covered above, activate once the dog barks, and hence are automatic. In this way, the dog shock collar sends out the static stimulus only when your dog barks.

As for whether static correction collars are inhumane, assuredly there are. One needs to remember that the level of electric shock the unit releases is no more painful than static electricity one may get from carpets. The reason why static collars enjoy a popularity among dog owners is due to the results in brings in curbing a dog’s barking.

That’s because the shock received is a good way to interrupt and therefore deter barking, which is exactly what owners expect. After a few days, the dogs wearing the shock collars show a marked reduction in their uncontrolled barking.

It needs to be remembered that no bark collars are only poised to correct one kind of behavior - barking. When one needs a more general obedience tool, one that’s used on the working dogs or hunting dogs, one needs training collars. In this category, remote collars are subsumed. There are also remote shock collars. The difference is that the static correction is activated via a remote control manually activated by the owner, as opposed to an automatic sensor on the bark collar.

If you own pets, you’re probably immediately worry if they don’t come home when you expect them to. Take dogs, for example, and their habit of touring the neighbourhood if they’re given the chance. The last thing you want is for you dog to get hit by a car and later hear about from a neighbour. Traditional wooden fences is one way to keep your pets inside your property. Still, this kind of pet fencing has its own set backs.

Wooden fences might not be able to prevent your dog from climbing over it. That fence and the dog’s enthusiasm or desperation could end up hurting that animal. If you have a full-time job, you might also find it inconvenient to take time off or devote many weekend hours to installing the wooden fence yourself. You may have to shop for the materials themselves and prepare your own tools. Each post - one-third of each post’s length - has to be buried securely, and you need a digger equipment to do that safely. Even after you do those there’s no guarantee the fence would work as you imagine it to.

If you don’t have the skills or money to invest in this, you could of course hire a professional team to do this for you. But if you’re renting, your contract might not allow you to do some digging around the rented property. In some areas, community ordinances are in place which prohibited putting up such fences.

Invisible pet containment systems can do the job better, without ruining the landscape and costing you fees in violations of those rules. Pet fencing can work in several ways, all keeping your pet safe inside a perimeter. The kind of set up most employed makes use of wires buried around a perimeter. A collar attached is attached to your dog. Any animal wearing that collar, when it nears the boundaries, hears a warning sound. Should the animal keep walking past the boundaries, it receives a mild corrective shock.

Another pet fencing set ups involves no wires around a perimeter. One uses radio signals sent from a central source “marks” the area via the radius or range of reach of the transmission. The collar worn by the dog gives off the same warning tone and static correction.

A potential benefit of having installed wooden fences is that, if they’re high enough, and you’re dog truly can’t get out, then you won’t have to train your dog to mind the warning signals. Still, the final decision rests on the pet owner.

A traditional way to “fence” in dogs and other animals is through the use of physically erected fences. There are supposed to prevent animals from entering and leaving the specified area. Some fences are equipped to release a current when touched. Some dog owners who worry about where their pets run off to consider putting up such fences. Over time, some dog owners claim that such a pet containment system is much more cost effective. In areas where it’s prohibited to erect physical fences, electronic dog fences are preferred.

A fence without a fence? How does that work?

It’s simple, the goal is for your dog to keep inside your area. An electronic dog fence is a system wherein wires are buried around your area. There are usually marker flags visible, and planted at intervals - these flags are small, unobtrusive ones. Via a collar the dog wears, it hears a warning sound when it approaches the boundaries. Should the dog walk past the boundary, he will receive a static correction from his collar. Over time, the dog will behave inside the fence as though he could not get out of it - heeding both the warning sounds and the shock correction.

Despite the absence of an actual, physical fence, the dog acts as though there was one - a clear benefit dog owners appreciate. Humans and other animals not wearing the collar are naturally unaffected by the virtual or hidden fence. Some dog owners prefer this electronic dog fence to actual fences for the sense of space reclaimed.

Alternative set ups you should know about

There are alternative ways to this pet containment system’s set up. One system offers an alternate set up - instead of buried wires, radio signals sent from a device take the form of a marked area. There is a marked radius and when the dog is detected as nearing the edge of that range, the warning sounds go off, followed by the static correction should the dog continue to leave the perimeter. Another system is possible via the use of the Global Positioning System, which some dog owners find more sophisticated compared to the other two. Should the dog try to ignore the warning sound, the static correction sets in - this is the same condition that applies for all three sets ups: the buried wire, the radio signal set up, and the GPRS system.

Should the dog ignore the corrective shock, its intensity and frequency can be increased as per the adjustment deemed appropriate. Keep in mind, though, that the dog needs to be trained, to be accustomed to responding to the warning signal in the acceptable manner, which is to retreat and stay inside the electronic dog fence.

Dry dog food gives a lot of advantages to every family pet owner. The hassle of having to get wet foods along with the price that is certainly connected with them may make this choice really unappealing to a lot of pet owners. Instead, the focus on dried dog food is obviously a fine one because this kind of food definitely will still assist you to provide your dog with the necessary nutrition he or she must have while save your money at the same time.

Some people presume that dogs aren’t getting the correct nutrition from this type of dried food, believing that presenting the animal with soft meats and food stuff of this style is actually superior. Nevertheless, this is not always the truth becuase dry dog food is in fact perfect for your animal and can give them every one of the crucial proteins and carbs that they require.

Furthermore it is also not hard to get this kind of dried food. You’ll be able to easily go out and get big sacks of it meaning you will consequently not need to shop for your animals food again for quite some time. Whilst it is certainly essential that you make certain the dog food is contained correctly so that it will not go bad, buying this kind of dried food
will unquestionably provide a lot of convenience for virtually every family dog keeper.

One thing that you do have to focus on while you give food to the animal is actually that you always gauge out the portion size you are providing them with and provide them with the exact amount of food each time and every time. Pet dogs like to develop behaviors and so are consequently familiar with eating the very same portion size every time, so you should determine a routine that works well for yourself and your pets.

Normally feeding them every single morning and every single evening time is the better way of keeping your dog’s diet regime appropriate.

If yours is a big dog, then chances are it’s got a big bark. When your dog tends to start barking, and gets difficult to slow down and stop, that’s a problem. When you have a couple of big dogs that’s this troublesome, you risk complaints from your neighbours and waking up in the middle of the night due to barks. It’s time you sent a clear message to your dog - such barking will not be tolerated. In the market are various bark collars for large dogs, like yours, and dogs that are particularly stubborn to training. One of the best ways to curb excessive barking is through the use of static collars.

Dog trainers and owners know, by experience, that not all dogs respond in the same way to attempts at habit control. Some large dogs belong to this category, since some of them can bark despite the stimulus provided by the static collar they wear. For this reason, most static collars come with intensity settings you can adjust. Over time, you want to be able to settle on a setting that interrupts your dog enough to stop his barking. You should be ready to reward your dog, with treats or play time, when the cause for his barking comes to his attention - a stray cat, a loud truck, etc. - and he stays quiet. You want to get across a clear stand on the matter - loud, excessive barking is not something you approve of.

You also want to make sure the collar itself fits comfortably around your big dog’s neck. You don’t want your dog to get irritated by an ill-fitting collar, much less leave painful marks on its skin; remember that the less your dog struggles against he training collar, the better his chances of being trained. Ask the pet shop attendant, when you visit, about collars for large necks, and about static units for large dogs.

The trigger mechanism in the collar, try to ask about it, how it’s activated, for example. When choosing among bark collars, go for a model with a mechanism that will release a static correction only after your dog actually barked, and not due to some loud sound in the environment. This is to ensure that only your dog’s bark triggers the shock. You want a bark collar that effectively discriminates between your dog’s bark and other loud sounds in the environment. This is important, since you want your dog to associate the shock with his barking. Finally, you may want your bark collar to be waterproof, since it will be battery operated and be used by a big dog that might get rowdy during play.

One misconception about placing Electric Dog Collars on dogs is this: the aim is to teach through pain. The aim is always to interrupt your dog’s bad behavior - barking, chewing on furniture, etc. The longer the dog is exposed to the interruption, the more chances it will associate the behavior with the expectation of getting the same stimulus.

It must be kept in mind that pain administered is nowhere near debilitating. The level of shock the dog under training receives is no more painful than static electricity from a carpet. This manner of training is already being performed by many dog owners all over the world.

Shock collars belong to two categories. One is triggered by your dog’s bark and his signature vibration. This is to ensure that the device can discriminate between your dog’s bark and any other loud sound. The second type is activated via a remote control. While the bark-activated type can be sufficient indoors, especially when your dog has gotten used to it, the remote control type is best outdoors, where many other kinds of dog behavior can and should be discouraged.

Bad behavior can range from dangerous ones (chasing vehicles) to annoying, destructive ones (chewing up shoes and plants).
The quick response of the owner in shocking his dog from afar is a both a quick solution and a long term investment. Remote electric collars have also been used in other types of training. Agility training, pet containment, and hunting are some of these regimen.

The principle of instituting an irritant to disrupt your dog’s behavior applies to shock collars as well as to other types of irritants. These other types include sprays, high pitched sounds, and vibrations.

The remote control in your hands allows you to instantly interrupt whatever problem behavior your dog is showing.
Spend some time with your dog - after a while you’ll notice the difference when using Electric Dog Collars.

If you’re getting tired of “serving” your cat, of opening the front door every time it wants to go outside, then simply have a cat door installed. Most of these cat flaps - chances are you’ve seen one - are merely plastic flaps; they can be weighed down so they won’t flap to the wind, or be held in place with magnets. The flap could also be replaced with harder materials, but the principle is the same - when your cat gets used to the door, it uses it to go out and come back in as it pleases. This benefits the owner, who is freed from tending to the cat when it wants to go out, and the cat who may end up scratching furniture or getting into a potty accident when it doesn’t get what it wants.

Make sure the height of the door is just right for your cat, unless you have bigger pets sharing a home with you - like bigger sized dogs. Both animals can use the flap, it’s not a problem. All they have to do is push on the flap to open it. Some flaps can be set to open only to one side, such as towards your house’s interior, or exterior. But this does not limit other animals - rodents, racoons, squirrels, cats and dogs you don’t own - from entering your house. For that, you’re going to need a snappier, most sophisticated cat door.

Electronic or automatic doors are meant to keep away other animals from entering your house - actually the same principle works on small kids and burglars. You will find the same configuration in many electronic dog doors - a special collar and a special door. The collar, when near the cat door, triggers the door into opening or unlocking, allowing your cat to get in or out, but not other animals. You don’t want uninvited animals in your house - stealing food, pooping on your carpet, and stressing out your cat. Your cat is to wear a collar with an infrared, radio, or magnetic device - which serves as the trigger for the electronic door to open.

Now, just because you’ve put in a door just for your cat means the cat immediately understands your intentions; far from it, you might need to train your cat to use the flap. Just show your cat how the flap works - push it open for the cat to see up close. If you installed a full-automatic cat door, you must make sure your cat wears the special collar that activates the doors. You need to accustom to your cat to the fact that his nearness to the cat door is what triggers it to open. You may have to use some enticement, like treats, to let your cat be comfortable seeing and using the cat door.

Thousands of proud dog owners attest to how much they love their dogs, when they’re behaving nicely, and not causing a racket. Wally, a five year old Labrador is usually behaved, quiet, and knows when to keep to himself when, Evelyn, his owner is having a bad day. There is one exception, though - when Wally hears or senses other dogs nearby, outside their gate. This is the moment the quiet, well-behaved Wally goes somewhere else, and a barking-mad Wally takes over. This is Wally’s bad side. When Evelyn looked for obedience training devices for Wally, she found that electronic collars were the most popular.

Barking is one of the ways dogs express themselves, and Evelyn understands that. But she gets migraines when she can’t stop Wally from barking, especially when it’s so early in the morning. There are nights when Evelyn is awakened from sleep, abruptly, by wild barking. Unlike some dog owners, she does not want to yell at her dog. She tried to bribe Wally with attention and treats, to bring back some quiet in the house. But then even a combination of those didn’t budge Wally from barking. Evelyn kept apologizing to her neighbours.

So one afternoon, Evelyn passed by a pet store. The new no-bark collar she bought, a shock type, fit Wally perfectly. She only need to observe Wally to let him get used to the new collar. Obedience collars fall generally into two categories - those that activate automatically, and those that can be activated remotely. When the sensors on the automatic electric collar are activated, the unit sends out a low voltage current, harmless to the dog. This is the type of collar Evelyn invested in, at first.

Later that evening, when Wally sensed some dogs outside their front gate - they were being walked by their owners - he leapt from the couch and ran to the window facing the gate, and barked as he normally did. Something was odd, as Wally showed, at first, a funny look when he barked. Evelyn watched as her dog ‘negotiated’ his way around the startling shocks. A long, not so loud bark, came out of Wally, who was trying to get around the device’s punishment. The succeeding nights produced the same results, and Evelyn was happy for the hard-won quiet in her home.

Wally’s barking stopped, even though Evelyn could see that her dog still senses other dogs outside their house. Because of Evelyn’s investment in electronic collars, she got both the Wally she loves and the serene evenings she deserves.