Sometimes you have a burning love in your heart for animals, but are unsure whether you can provide a life-long home.  There are tons of animals in need, and even a temporary home is better than no home at all.  Being a foster parent to an animal helps you learn the pet care ropes, while helping an orphaned animal cope with the situation.  If you are interested in foster parenting, then here is a little more information to get you started.

What is a foster parent?  A foster parent is someone that provides a temporary home for a shelter animal.  There are many reasons why an animal may need a foster home.  Often, the shelter is filled to capacity; fostering keeps one more animal from being euthanized.  Sometimes, fostering is used as a rehabilitation stage for animals that need to recover from a not-so-good past.  For instance, an animal that has not been properly socialized, and needs more socialization efforts than the shelter can provide, may be sent to a foster parent.  The foster parent would be able to spend more time properly socializing the animal, perhaps with animals already in the home.  The same is true for sick, injured, or extremely young pets.  Foster parents can provide care, time, and attention that the shelter may not be able to provide.

How long does a foster parent keep the animal?  The time the animal stays in foster care is dependent on many factors and can range from a couple of weeks to several months.  If the pet is at a foster home due to a full shelter, then the pet may return to the shelter when space opens up.  If the foster home is providing a rehabilitation service, then the pet may return to the shelter when the foster parent and shelter feel that the animal is ready.  In some cases, the foster parent may have the option to adopt the animal.

How do you become a foster parent?  Many shelters have fostering programs.  However, the process is not always easy.  Contact your local shelter to find out more information on foster parenting.  In general, the shelter will have you fill out an application form.  The form will have questions about why you want to foster an animal and questions concerning your ability to foster the animal.  They will also want to know about family members and other pets.  If the application is approved, someone from the shelter will set up an appointment to visit your home.  No, they don’t care that every corner of your home is spic and span; but, they do care to find out if you are able to take care of another pet, where the pet will be housed, the behavior of other household pets, etc.

How does a foster parent prepare for the new pet?  Start with the basics.  All animals need food, water, and shelter.  Toys and comfy bedding are also a plus!  In other words, care for the foster animal as you would care for your own.  Some shelters will provide all the necessities for the length of the time the animal is with you.  Others may provide food coupons or starter items.  Almost all shelters will provide complete veterinary care for the animal, including any medication that may be required.

Take necessary steps to dog proof or cat proof your home, removing any items that could pose health hazards.  Create a warm, welcoming environment for the pet.  You never know what the pet may have experienced in the past.  If you have other pets, it’s a good idea to keep them away from the new arrival.  You will need to slowly introduce the pets, while avoiding conflict or unnecessary stress.  The same is true with children and other family members:  the introductions need to be slow and deliberate.

Providing a home for a foster animal is an extremely noble deed.  Perhaps, you can provide the pet extra time and attention that it may not find at the shelter.  There are different fostering programs, and each is dependent upon the shelter.  If you want to be a foster parent, then you need an open mind, an open home, and an open heart.  Once you have these things taken care of, then contact your local shelter and get to fostering!

 About the Author:
This article was provided by Pet Super Store a pet website featuring dog training collars and popular brands like PetSafe and Innotek.

Sometimes, your cute little kitty will sit in your lap for long periods of time, enjoying the calming petting session.  Other times, you reach down for a pet and the cute little kitty turns into an aggressive monster, biting your hand the instant you touch her fur.  You may have trouble understanding your cat’s mood swings.  Why is she so sweet one minute and almost evil the next?  Cat behavior is complicated and not completely understood.  However, there is a little insight into why your cat acts the way she does.

If your cat is less than two years old, then her playful behavior may be mistaken for aggressive behavior.  Kittens are like children:  they love to play and figure things out for themselves.  A kitten, however, is programmed with “prey” in mind.  That’s why you can watch your cat go crazy over the tiniest piece of aluminum foil; to her, it’s like she is dealing with prey.  She is exploring her survival skills which include predatory, investigatory, and exploratory skills.  During this stage, she is likely to pounce on anything that moves.  You may see this as a problem when you step off of your bed or wiggle your toes at night.  She is hiding, waiting to attack your feet.  Remember, this is not her way of being mean to you.  Normally, then attack is not severe; she probably doesn’t even break the skin. 

If needed, there are ways to handle your kitten’s rough play, but they are not covered here.  Most of the time, her playfulness can be overlooked, since it isn’t causing anyone harm.  But, there are some things you can do to discourage or redirect her behavior.  First of all, if you do not want her play biting your hand, then don’t offer it to her.  Many cat owners make the mistake of using their hand as the target when playing only encouraging the cat to attack the hand.  It may be cute, but the kitten will not understand that your hand is not always a play object.  Secondly, you can redirect her behavior with playtime.  Your kitten can be amused by the simplest items, such as a piece of rope or ball of aluminum foil.  Instead of letting her play alone, play with her.

If your cat is older, then her aggression is less easily understood.  Most owners claim that their cats bite them for no reason at all.  When, in fact, there is a reason; the owner just failed to notice the warning signs.  Sometimes, we expect our cats to sit in our laps without a fuss for as long as we want them there.  At times, this may be acceptable; but other times your cat may just not want to be there.  Petting passed the cat’s threshold is considered overstimulation.  She may snap at your hand or try to scratch you.  If you get angry or violent with her when this happens, then she will begin to view petting as a bad thing.  The best thing you can do is watch for signs of an oncoming bite.  If your cat gets restless, starts twitching her tail, or flicking her ears, then you need to stop petting her, and allow her to do what she wants to do.  If she starts to bite you, then keep the bitten hand still and smack the other hand on a hard surface.  The sound will startle her.

It is okay to want your cat to be a lap cat; it’s calming to pet her.  Getting angry with her will not encourage her to remain in your lap.  However, you can get her slowly accustomed to longer sessions with treats.  If she starts to get antsy, then give her a small piece of food, while continuing to gently pet her.  You can do this a couple of times before she wants to leave regardless of the food.  If you do this often, then she will associate petting with a treat.  It may take awhile, but she will begin to let you pet her for longer periods of time.

An aggressive cat can sometimes be a problem, especially when the aggression is not understood.  A kitten’s aggression is normally a component of her playtime, and is not necessarily a bad thing.  An adult cat may resort to aggression out of overstimulation, which is also easily handled.  It’s up to you to figure out if your cat’s behavior needs to be reformed.

Abuot the Author:
This article was provided by Pet Super Store an online pet site featuring electronic dog doors, pet doors and pet crates

f you are in the process of looking for a new addition to your family, then you may be overwhelmed with all of the adoption options.  Each of your options has its own advantages and disadvantages, so no one choice is best for everyone.  There are plenty of reasons that a shelter or dog pound is a great place to adopt a new pooch.  Here are a few benefits of, and suggestions for, shelter adoption.

The most obvious advantage to picking a pup from a shelter is that you are freeing up additional space in the shelter, keeping one less animal from being euthanized.  Many people worry that the animal is in the shelter because of a bad behavior or illness.  In fact, most animals are living in shelters because their previous owners could not take care of them.  Even purebreds end up at shelters!  For instance, a person may buy a purebred Australian Shepherd from a breeder without realizing the energy level of the breed.  The person soon realizes that he or she cannot devote enough attention to the dog; thus, it ends up at a shelter. 

You can also rest assured knowing that a shelter will not allow you to adopt an overly aggressive or ill animal.  This is another great benefit of adopting from a shelter.  Many shelters may even make you go through a screening process before they allow you to adopt.  The process may consist of an application and an at-home interview.  The shelter cares for the animals that it houses; therefore, the staff may not let just anyone take home a pet.

Another advantage to shelter adoption is cost.  Perhaps you have checked on the cost of buying from a pet store or breeder.  A puppy can be anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands!  Plus, the price does not normally include any veterinary care.  At a shelter, you can usually adopt for less than $100.  This may still seem pricey, but you must understand that it covers the dog’s stay at the shelter.  The money helps keep the shelter running in order to help other animals.  In addition to overhead, the money may also cover vaccinations or spaying and neutering.  If spaying and neutering are not covered, the shelter will require you to have the procedure done, possibly at a discount.  Spaying and neutering help prevent more homeless animals!  Shelters are not out to make money by selling dogs and cats; they are looking for good homes for the animals.

If you are considering adopting from a shelter, then it’s a good idea to know what you are looking for before you arrive.  For example, you don’t want an overly rambunctious pooch living in a small apartment.  Once you get there and see all those cute doggy eyes, then you may forget what you are looking for!  Research the different breeds and their habits.  Even though you are necessarily getting a purebred at the shelter, you can still get insight into how the mixed breeds will act.  Age is also a factor to consider.  Yes, many people are drawn to those adorable puppies, but not everyone has the time and resources to care for a puppy.  In other words, don’t rule out adopting an adult pooch.

When you get to the shelter, spend time playing with all of the prospects.  Ask the staff to let you spend time with each dog one-on-one.  Don’t get your feelings hurt if your first choice does not seem to enjoy your company.  “Shop around” and find the one that is right for you.  You don’t have to walk away with a pooch on your first visit.  Instead, use the visit to get a better idea of what you are looking for.  Then, check out other shelters or return to the first shelter later on.

Shelter adoption is a great choice.  You are essentially saving a pet’s life, without breaking your budget.  Shelters take good care of their animals; they won’t let you adopt an aggressive animal, and they won’t let just any person adopt.  Before you visit the shelter, have an idea of what you are looking for.  Once you get there, spend time playing with the dogs until you find the one that’s right for you.  It may take more than one visit, but you’ll find the perfect pet in no time!

About the author:
This article was provided by Pet-Super-Store an online pet store featuring dog carriers, dog doors and dog crates.

 

Training can be a daunting task.  Sometimes, you just tire out from all the work you put into training.  However, training does not have to be a class that is taught each day.  Instead, there are things you can do to train your dog throughout the day.  These training methods are simple, and can be done without much thought.  So, now you have no excuses; train away!

Your dog picks up on everyday habits.  If he jumps on you when you get home and you do not mind, then do not get angry with him for jumping on you when you are wearing your Sunday best.  Which brings me to my first point:  be consistent in everything you do.  If it is okay one day, then it should be okay the following day.  If you change the rules everyday, then your pooch will never be able to pick up on what you are wanting from him.  If you decide to change the rules, then also be consistent with your change.  Don’t confuse him more than he already may be! 

Some bad behaviors require a good amount of corrective training.  Others, however, can be taken care of fairly simply.  For instance, if your pooch likes to beg and you always give into his begging, then you are promoting a bad behavior.  So, start choosing good behaviors over bad ones.  Instead of giving into the begging, completely ignore your pooch.  Don’t make eye contact or even acknowledge that he wants something from you.  Instead, give him a treat when he does something right, making eye contact when you hand over that delightful snack.  He’ll soon learn that eye contact and acknowledgment means that he is doing something good (i.e. a treat), while receiving no response from you means he is doing something bad.  Eventually, you’ll get to the point where you can reward him for him acknowledging his bad behavior.  For instance, if he stops begging, then give him a command (“sit” for instance) and reward him for his actions.

Everybody loves to see a dog do tricks, and dogs love receiving the attention from their performances.  Instead of hard core dog training, teach your pooch a couple of simple tricks.  Having him perform the tricks each day and rewarding him for his performance is a way to keep your bond strong.  Tricks are also a way to keep him occupied and discourage other behaviors. 

Getting rid of his excess energy is also great for training.  Make sure you exercise with your pooch each day.  A long walk or a brisk jog can help relieve some of his built up energy that could be spent on bad behaviors.  Letting your dog be a dog is completely necessary.  He needs playtime and lots of exercise to keep him strong and happy.

Don’t put yourself in a reactive situation.  If you want your dog to exhibit a desired behavior, then you must teach him that behavior.  Be proactive in everything you do.  This does not mean that you have to spend hours each day training your dog; it merely means that you should not punish a behavior that you have not spent time teaching.

Always reward your pooch.  You do not have to handout dog treats left and right, but you should encourage your pet in other ways.  He deserves to take a trip to splash in a cool lake or romp through a mountain hiking trail.  Allowing him to spend time and bond with you makes any training process easier.  If you are consistent in your actions and in your commands, he’ll learn exactly what it is you are looking for.  He will also realize that good behavior takes him to his favorite places.

Training your dog day in and day out does not seem very appealing.  Although you should work on training, you do not have to spend countless hours doing so.  Instead, there are things you can do around your home to teach your dog what it is you want out of him.  Ignoring his bad behaviors and rewarding his good ones is just one way of reinforcing his behaviors.  Remember, your dog is a dog.  He loves to run, play, and show off.  Use these needs as teaching opportunities!

This article was provided by pet super store a website featuring dog training collars, personalized dog beds and pet carriers.

Adult pets way past their prime are slowed down versions of the frisky pups they were. Their bones and muscles are not as toned yet their strength is still seen in their eyes. They have served us well and have given us the best companionship any man can ask for, in turn our family makes sure a pet's last days are ones of relief and full of love.

Bone deterioration and some illness that keeps pets in constant pain can't be undone, the best would be to be around a pet and have lots of attention showered the last days. Dog beds normally for young dogs do not always give the necessary relief to old ones, changing from plush to firm orthopedic dog bed can cushion old bones.

Eating for old ones can be a chore, if only it would be best to give them puree so they'd not have to move. But aged pets also need exercise, so a little movement from their spot to their dog dish is effort enough. Getting an elevated pet feeder is useful and helpful for pets  when old. No more stooping or uneven footing just accessible food in front of him. There are some adjustable raised dog feeders which changes sizes in case your pet has to eat at its bedside.

A source of relief also for our ol'faithful's is a daily rub downs or dog massages. These are better than pats and have soothing effects and allow proper blood circulation. Rub-downs are also a way for the family to express love in borrowed time.
Caring for aged pets is a family effort and the time to get your fill of memories of that funny, chubby pup turned old.