Sunday, August 30, 2009

Welcome to Pet Cares Homepage

Do you have a pet? You probably are doing better than I am. These are my stories as I learn the ropes of caring for my dogs. You may even have some good insights to share.
My pet-loving husband of 21 years, brought home a dog. For Heavens sake, I have never owned a pet or took care of any kind of living thing, a plant, an animal, not even a Korean bug. Never! I don't intend to start now in my later years. But things do happen for a reason (oh come on). So, I willingly took in the little breathing creature into my home and started learning to care for it. And as the story unfolds . . . now,
they are
two (click to see my pets) oh no, not those below!

Click the words in red for further reading.
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T
his is a photo of
my first pet, kinda shy.
You'll get to know him better through my stories. I discovered that you have to enjoy both, having a pet and caring for it, yo really say "I have a pet."
If this is not the case, either you change your pet or you change you.

In my case, I made a change in "me".
Something about me
: I love writing and taking photos. That's me, in the photo with the snake, without a head. I just hope I get to be a good nanny for my two kiddos. Golly! My dog does not have a head here either.


Tom's Little Dog by Walter de la Mare
Tom told his dog called Tim to beg,
And up at once he sat,
His two clear amber eyes fixed fast,
His haunches on his mat.Tom poised a lump of sugar on
His nose; then, "Trust!" says he;
Stiff as a guardsman sat his Tim;
Never a hair stirred he.
"Paid for!" says Tom; and in a trice
Up jerked that moist black nose;
A snap of teeth, a crunch, a munch,
And down the sugar goes!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Dog Care Information, Harakiri of Dog Care Tips

Here's how I made my life difficult . . . the
seven easy steps to make it hard to take care of pets:

(1) I took in a pet when I really do not know anything about pets, and I chose a "medium maintenance" kind of a pet, a dog of medium size with medium coat length. Maybe, a
hairless dog would have been more suitable. Why not a small cute chihuahua or a long dachshund? Too late for me.

(2) I spoiled the dogs by giving them lots of toys and letting them play inside the house. This lessened my control over them,
and man, I have to constantly, yup, constantly clean and clean the house and furniture. Not to mention, I had to replace their toys which get destroyed to death every time.

(3) I feed them and give them water to the max, with some added treats. So what's wrong with this practice? They get dirty. They eliminate more often, whew. They are constantly craving for food. They gain weight. Got to be careful not to make obese doggies out of them.

(4) I keep on bathing them. There must be a magical number on how many times a dog should be bathed in a day, in a week, in a month. I can do partial cleaning without having to bathe them entirely. More baths, more drying time, more towels to wash,
oooooohhh.

(5) I am afraid to hurt them during grooming so they end up partially groomed or not groomed at all. Now, I am the one they have trained, instead of
the other way around, OMG.

(6) I have forgotten to have fun with the little critters anymore. Now, that's bad. Overwhelmed with my duties and responsibilities as a pet owner, I practically got stressed out and tired (a little exaggeration, but true, mind you).

(7) Wow, I took time on deciding to have them trained, or at least have myself trained on how to take care of them properly, o I can still maintain a good life of my own.

Got some inspiration from Daniel H. Pink. I make the most of life by learning from
excellent mistakes.

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time;
it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. Sydney J. Harris
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Pet Care Information . . . on choosing your pet















What else can we talk about regarding pets? How about the challenging task of selecting your pet? Because you sure have to think about this first before plunging into the world of pet care. A dozen (12) of things to consider when choosing a pet.
  • do you own another pet?
  • do you have an infant or an elderly in your home?
  • do you have somebody to assist you in taking care of your pet?
  • will the pet be a watchdog or a show dog or a toy dog or a large pet or a working pet or a pet who can do tricks?
  • what size and what color and what breed?
  • how much time do you have to care for the pet?
  • will you be leaving the pet alone in the house or with another pet or with a responsible human companion?
  • how much money will you set aside as budget for the pet? vet care?
  • how much grooming needs can you handle?
  • how much space can you allot for the pet?
  • do you live in a condominium unit, an apartment, a subdivision? are pets allowed, if yes, can they roam around? is it safe for a pet on the loose? are you near a busy street with passing vehicles? is it a crowded area or a province?
  • will you be able to train the pet? how about exercise for the pet?
P.S. You may want the vet to check the pet's health condition prior adoption, so you will know how much care is really involved.
Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. George Elliot
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Monday, August 24, 2009

Dog Breed Checks

The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers developed from crosses between the Standard Shnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle or Affenpinscher.

The breed remains one of the most popular, and as of 2008 is the 11th most popular breed in the U.S, primarily for its temperament and relatively small size. The American Kennel Club recognizes only three colors for the Miniature Schnauzer: salt-and-pepper, black-and-silver, and solid black. Solid white is considered a disqualification, although, a small patch of white is only allowed on the solid black. In the United Kingdom, the small white patch on a solid black is also considered a fault. Other colors, such as parti (multi) colored, chocolate and liver colored schnauzers are available on the pet trade and can be registered as pure-bred by some organizations, but are not currently recognized by any legitimate clubs for conformation shows.

Appearance

Miniature Schnauzers normally have a small, squarely proportioned build, measuring 12 to 14 inches (30 to 36 cm) tall and weighing 11 to 15 pounds (5.0 to 6.8 kg) for females and 14 to 18 pounds (6.4 to 8.2 kg) for males. They have a double coat. The exterior fur is wiry and the undercoat is softer. The coat is trimmed short on the body, but the hair on ears, legs, and edge of the body, a.k.a. the "furnishings", are retained. The first Breed Standard for the Schnauzer, established in 1907, required specific color formation: "Color: All salt and pepper color shades or similar bristly equal color mixtures and solid black. Faults: All white, speckled, brindle, red, or bran colors.

The long eyebrows and full beard are trademark grooming characteristics of all sizes of the Schnauzer. Although this cut can make them look very fierce, the hair actually helps them decide if they will fit through an opening.

Miniature Schnauzers are often described as non-shedding dogs, and while this is not entirely true, their shedding is minimal and generally unnoticeable. They are characterized by a long head with bushy beard, mustache and eyebrows; teeth that meet in a "scissor bite"; oval and dark colored eyes; and v-shaped, natural forward-folding ears. (When cropped, the ears point straight upward and come to a sharp point.) Their tails are naturally thin and short, and may be docked (where permitted). They will also have very straight, rigid front legs, and feet that are short and round (so-called "cat feet") with thick, black pads.

Temperament

The Official Standard of the Miniature Schnauzer describes temperament as "alert and spirited, yet obedient to command. Friendly, intelligent and willing to please. They should never be overaggressive or timid." Usually easy to train, they tend to be excellent watchdogs, with a good territorial instinct, but more inclined toward vocal notification than attack. They are often guarded towards strangers until the owners of the home welcome the guest, upon which they are typically very friendly to them; unlike some of their terrier cousins, they are not typically aggressive. However, they will express themselves vocally, and may bark to greet their owner, or to express joy, excitement, or displeasure. In German, the verb schnauzen means to snap vocally (as in repartee,) or to give lip to something, or to talk back.

Proper socialization with other dogs and people is important. The breed is generally good with children, but as with any dog, play with small children should be supervised. They are highly playful dogs, and if not given the outlet required for their energy they can become bored and invent their own "fun." Schnauzers have a "high prey drive" (appropriate for a ratting dog), which means they may attack other small pets such as birds, snakes, and rodents. Many will also attack cats, but this may be curbed with training, or if the dog is raised with cats.

Miniature Schnauzers can be active pets, and will play fetch, frisbee, or jog happily with their owners.

Grooming

Schnauzers require regular grooming, either by stripping (the approved method), or by clipping (a short-cut usually reserved for family pets). Stripping removes the loose, dead coat; it may be done by hand, called finger stripping, or plucking, or with a stripping knife; either way, it is a laborious process. Many Miniature Schnauzers who are family pets have regular grooming appointments to have their hair clipped; clipping, using a mechanical clippers (or shaver), produces a soft, silky, skin-close trim. Whether stripped or clipped, the coat is close at the body, and falls into a fringe-like foundation on their undercarriage, called furnishings, which can be left to grow, but must be combed regularly. All Schnauzers, whether they are minis, Standards, or Giants, often sport a beard, created by allowing the hair around their noses to grow out. Left unclipped or unstripped, the body hair will grow two to four inches, and will often tangle into mats and curls.

History

The earliest records surrounding development of the Miniature Schnauzer in Germany come from the late 1800s. They were originally bred to be farm dogs in Germany, to keep the rats and other vermin out of the barn.

Crossing to other breeds, such as the Affenpinscher, Poodle and Miniature Pinscher, had the side effect of introducing colors that were not considered acceptable to the ultimate goal — and as breeders worked towards the stabilization of the gene pool, miss-marked particolors (mixed colors) and white puppies were removed from breeding programs. Since the 1950s, white puppies have re-emerged as a potential color variant, giving rise to the White Schnauzer Controversy.

White Schnauzer Controversy

The White Schnauzer is one of four color varieties of the Miniature Schnauzer recognized by the Pinscher-Schnauzer Klub of Germany and the World Canine Organization. Not all dog fanciers accept the white variety as a legitimate variation for conformation (show) standards and they are not accepted by either the American Kennel Club or the Canadian Kennel Club. The controversy rests on the disputed origins of the white variation, if it is a naturally occurring, albeit recessive, color, an albino characteristic, or an unhealthy genetic mutation.

Controversy today

Today, the American Miniature Schnauzer Club and the American Kennel Club standard describes the White Miniature Schnauzers as a disqualification from conformation shows. The American Miniature Schnauzer Club and AKC maintain the colors from original breed standards. They are not albino dogs, and white dogs described as Miniature Schnauzers are affectionate and robust dogs who exhibit all the qualities of their colored counterparts.

The White Miniature Schnauzer Initiative was established in 2006 in Germany for friends and breeders of the White Miniature Schnauzers worldwide to promote interest and provide an informative network for sharing ideas and information and to give breeders the opportunity to exchange and expand the gene pool of the white Miniature Schnauzers worldwide. Source : Wikipedia















Top photo shows, Million, a Philippine Champion,
my dog's sire (father dog).

Bottom photo shows, Miggy, a Philippine Champion,
(with uncropped ears), my dog's first friend.

My dog has also been declared a
Philippine Champion in May 2009, what a blessing.
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Attention Difficulties, 7 Reasons to Say No to Pets












What did you say? You’re bringing home a puppy? I was shock and afraid of what I am hearing from my husband. Yeah, my husband is a good person but why is he trying so hard to make my life difficult?


He loves pets. He had all sort of animals as pets when he was a kid. However, it was his mother who took care of all of them. The poor lady looked after love birds, pigeons, roosters, colorful fishes in an aquarium, including seahorses, little turtles and an eel. Of course to top it all, she bathes half a dozen Pekingese.

Note: The Pekingese or Peke is also commonly referred to as a "Lion Dog", "Pelchie Dog", or "Foo (or Fu) Dog" due to its resemblance to the Chinese guardian lions. It is an ancient breed of toy dog, originating in China. It is the favored pet of the Chinese imperial court. Its name relates to the city of Beijing where the Forbidden City resides. The breed has several characteristics related to its unique appearance.

There are 7 reasons why I do not want to have a pet. Here I go . . .

  1. I never had a pet of my own, thus, I do not know how to take care of pets, unless it is a Korean bug, but even that can suffer the consequence of death in my hands.
  2. I really believe I do not have the time to look after a pet. I have two school kids to take care of and cater to their individual needs. It is not just having these pets (the animals, not the kids okay) in your home and leaving them in a cage or bowl, right?
  3. The food has a peculiar odor. Actually, even the pets do. They smell!
  4. I get rashes. No further explanation Your Honor.
  5. How about money, as in expenses, as in another living creature to feed, isn’t it?
  6. Provision for an area for the new kid in the block, that’s why. You need to have a space for the kiddo.
  7. What happens if I am not around? Who will feed the critter? Who will bathe him, etc., etc., etc.

There could be a hundred more valid reasons why I do not want to have a pet, but I need just a single very important one, for me to really take them in. And you know what? I do have one good reason. So welcome home my little doggies. I adopted two dogs!

My little dog, a heartbeat at my feet. Edith Wharton
You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!' Dave Barry
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