PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Dog Fashions are Hot!

By Connie Limon

Making your dog as cute as it can be is a very enjoyable and fun task. Remember how you use to love dress up your dolls as a kid? Dressing your dogs can be just as much, if not more, enjoyable. For you in particular there are dog clothes in just about every style and color you could ever imagine. Give your special pet a closet of his own.

There are cute dog sweaters, dog t-shirts, dog booties, stylish collars and leads. There is the sweetest little hat available for our dogs. Actually dressing your dog is more about you. As long as the clothing is not restrictive to the dog, most dogs don’t mind getting dressed up now and then. If your dog is one that loves and craves attention he will especially like getting dressed up.

More →

Are Pets Intelligent Enough to Understand Us?

By Vivian Gilbert Zabel

Whether or not animals are “smart” or just react according to instinct has been debated for many years. A German shepherd grabs the back of a three-year-old’s pants as she tries to climb over the backyard fence: Is that herding “instinct” or the intelligence of a pet knowing the child was not supposed to be climbing over the fence.? I am one of the people who say some animals, especially some pets, understand us and show intelligence.

The German shepherd mentioned previously grew up with our daughter. When both were nearly three-months old, I sat the baby in an infant seat just inside the back screen door, where I could see her, while I hung up clothes on the line. Pepper ran around the fenced yard, coming by for attention before taking off again. My daughter, who had been happily playing with her hands, started crying. I put the diaper in my hands back in the basket of clothes and started toward the door. Pepper rushed by me, hopped up the steps, and gave a soft “woof” at the baby. The baby stopped mid-sob, stared wide-eyed at the dog, and burst into giggles, her first laugh.

More →

Here’s the official News Release

Delight Your Dog with Iams® Tartar Treats™ for Clean Teeth

New Iams® Tartar Treats™ Deliver Tasty Chew Along With Promoting Dental Health Benefits

DAYTON, Ohio, Feb. 27, 2006 – February is Pet Dental Health Month, and The Iams Company is celebrating with the launch of Iams® Tartar Treats™ for dogs, a delicious edible hard chew that also assists in providing tartar reduction for improved dental health.

“More than 80 percent of veterinarians surveyed have listed oral health problems as a top challenge they see in dogs as they get older,” said Dr. Dan Carey, a veterinarian with The Iams Company. “The design of Iams Tartar Treatsâ„¢ helps harness our dogs’ natural chewing desire into an activity that can help reduce tartar.”

Each treat contains 38 tartar scrubbers on a patent-pending double-sided design that looks like a scrub brush for the teeth. Both the design and the formulation of the treat contribute to plaque and tartar reduction.

The product is available in small, medium and large sizes to fit any breed or chewing preference. Single-serving trial packages are available starting at a suggested retail price of 99 cents. Multi-treat packs are available in several quantities for a suggested retail price between $5.29 and $24.99, depending on the size of the pack and treat size.

Providing 1-2 treats per day is a perfect complement to all Iams dog food formulas, which include Daily Dental Careâ„¢ and have been proven to help control tartar buildup on dogs’ teeth.

A unique blend of ingredients gives the chew its natural beige color and makes it hard enough to help clean away tartar. The unique texture allows the chew to be consumed without crumbling.

Iams had tests conducted at the University of Illinois using a scientifically validated artificial canine stomach and intestine model to simulate the digestive process. Iams Tartar Treatsâ„¢ were found to be up to three times more digestible than the hard chew category leader.

About The Iams Company

For nearly 60 years, The Iams Company, a division of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), has enhanced the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet-care products. To learn more about Iams Dog Food or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams Consumer Care Center at (800) 446-3075. You also can visit Iams on the Web at http://www.iams.com .

Tips on Buying an Amphibian for a Pet

By Katie Gee

So you are in the market for a pet frog, toad or salamander and you are wondering what your first step should be? We can spell it out in one word: RESEARCH. Because there are literally thousands of amphibians to chose from, before purchasing one you need decide which one is going to work best for you.

If you are thinking that an amphibian would make a great pet because they are low maintenance, think again. Some require specific temperatures, amounts of light, water among other things. So, you need to be sure that you are going to be able to give your new pet everything they need to be healthy and happy. Many require fresh food daily, so you can’t just throw in some insects for them to eat and go away for a three day weekend. You need to make sure that someone will be able to look after their dietary needs while you are gone.

More →

Learning Horse Riding

By John Wrigley

It is like nothing you have ever tried in the past. Picture yourself racing up and down hills, though woods, across fields and back. The breeze in your face and pulling at your hair, the sun beats down, and all you can hear, bedsides the sound of yourself laughing and screaming with joy, is the sound of hooves pounding down on hard soil. The speed, the independence, the sense of adventure, few activities in the world can rival horseback riding for real excitement.

Learning how to ride a horse can be loads of fun. Whether you wish to ride for the sense of freedom or you are just a horse lover, it can be very rewarding. With just some essential gear and a good teacher you can be on the way to having hours of fun. There are many different styles of horseback riding. The primary styles are Western and English. Western style is easier to learn and not as strict as the English style. If you are just riding for fun, look for a trainer that will train in the Western style. Although, if you think you might be attracted in riding for show, it might be significant to learn the English style.

More →

Here’s Angel, our female blue pitbull. She is the first pitbull I’ve ever owned though my husband had been involved with pitbulls since he was a child. My husband really, really wanted a blue pitbull puppy, and he fell in love with Angel the minute he first saw her.

It was our oldest daughter’s idea to name our cute little puppy Angel. At the time our daughter was 7 years old and had no idea that our “Angel” would grow so big and have a strong, “big dog” bark. LOL. You can see another picture of Angel and read a bit more about her at the “Females Page” of our website. Here’s the link: www.808bluepitbull.com/PitbullFemales.html

Camping with Dogs - Campground Etiquette

By Julee Meltzer and Jack Meltzer

Camping Etiquette for Dogs

1) Always keep your dog on a leash:

This sounds so trite and as a dog owner you have heard it time and time again. But, it is one of the most common problems. There are a number of issues associated with letting your dog off-leash in a campground. First, they could get lost while running after a rabbit, deer, or coyote. Second, there might be a bigger, dog-aggressive dog tied up in the next campsite that could eat your dog for lunch. Third, you are giving the rest of us a bad rap and the campground might decide to ban dogs. Enough said, I hope.

2) Call ahead:

More →

Dog Training - Attending A Dog Show

By C. Rogers Upson

If you’ve never been to a dog show, you’re in for an exciting, and perhaps, confusing time. At an All-Breed Show (where every breed accepted in a registry is allowed to show), you’ll find a huge variety of breeds, and even varieties within a breed.

For instance, in the Cocker Spaniels, they have Any Solid Color Other Than Black (ASCOB) which includes the well known “blond” variety, the Black Cocker, and the Parti-colored. The Black Cockers can have some tan on them, but must be less than 10% of the total coloring. The Parti-Colored are the ones with white and another color in splotches or spots. Each variety is shown, then, the Best of Variety goes into the Group Ring, just as a Best of Breed would.

More →

Kitty Tricks!

By Kim-Marie Ward

Cats don’t do tricks, right? At least, that’s the reputation they’ve garnered, but it isn’t true. Cats can and are trained. Most animals in movies and commercials have been trained, and that includes the feline stars in your favorite cat food commercials. They can come when called, sit, stay and do all the same things dogs are trained to do, but the way you go about it is a little different.

Dogs are best trained with treats and lots of praise. Cats are trained with treats, some praise (though not the same gushing praise you’d give a dog) and the best way of all is to make the “trick” a natural part of the cat’s typical day. The last is the most effective. I’ve also found that older kittens are easier to train than young kittens, and even old cats can learn new tricks rather quickly.

More →