Pesky parasites known as fleas have troubled us all for many years. We all worry about the effects of those nasty chemical treatments available over the counter. Well, worry no more; read on to see our natural and friendly flea and tick treatments.

Wanting to keep your pet happy and healthy is something we all strive for. Keeping our children safe and healthy is also a concern. Chemical flea treatments are something we have all heard can be harmful to both our pets and kids.

You can start with an age old method of brewers yeast and a little bit of garlic mixed into their food. For cats, eliminate the garlic due to the fact that onions and garlic are toxic for cats. For a sweeter option, try squeezing lemon juice or orange juice on their fur and rub it in; acting as a natural repellent.

Regular brushing will keep flea infestations down. When bathing your dog, use a citrus smelling dish soap to also act as a repellent. Fleas don’t have the ability to hold onto the hairs so hosing your dog or cat down with water in a tub works to keep the fleas off.

If your home has carpeted flooring, then it’s best to remember that you must vacuum regularly. There is a worm called a beneficial nematode, which is different than the worms that cause heart worms, and they feed off the larva of fleas. These can be put in your yard to control fleas outside.

To protect your pest from ticks, you can do one simple thing to make it more difficult for the ticks. They live in wooded areas in tall grass and are not able to grab onto the hair of your dog. A good thing to do is take your old T-shirt to cover the dog’s body and belly, socks like leg warmers for his or her legs, acting as a deterrent.

Using a T-shirt to cover your dog’s body and belly will not keep the ticks away, however, it slows their progress to uncovered places as do the socks. By covering the hair it hinders the tick’s access to the warm b therefore acting as a deterrent. And talk about a chick magnet; this might work better than a cute puppy.

A natural tick repellent is rose geranium oil. Rub some on the inside of your dog’s collar and on their coat to ward off those pesky critters. Not recommended for cats because cats will have a severe reaction to these essential oils.

Remember that when you remove a tick you must do it properly, by getting the head of the tick from the pet. Summer time is the worst time for ticks and fleas so be proactive in prevention. Treatment of your yard, regular brushing and simple remedies and you should be pest free for summer.

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Millions of people are bitten by dogs each year; young children are usually the victim. Not only does this result in a possible health risk for the person who has been bitten, but in the case of kids, it can leave a damaging impression of canines. That is unfortunate. The bond shared between humans and dogs is incredibly strong. Being bitten at a young age can lead to an emotional scar that destroys any chance of enjoying that connection.

The good news is that a canine’s biting tendency can be eliminated. Below, I’ll explain a strategy that relies heavily upon startling a dog when he bites. I’ll also describe the steps you need to take in the event your pooch sinks his teeth into someone.

Curbing The Tendency Through Startle Response

Dogs learn to bite as puppies. If you were to observe them playing with their littermates, you would notice them biting each other while playing. It is natural to them because their mouth is the primary tool they use to hunt. Unfortunately, if your canine’s natural tendency to bite is not curbed, it will continue to grow and become a problem for you, your family, and guests.

Many trainers and veterinarians suggest using a “startle response” strategy to teach your pooch not to bite. When he does, make a sharp noise at a high pitch that startles him. If, as a puppy, he were to hurt one of his littermates by biting too hard, this is the noise they would make. When he hears it, he’ll know instinctively that he has done something wrong. In some cases, you’ll notice that he’ll look confused. Take that opportunity to substitute a chew rope or another toy that he can bite. That teaches him that biting is acceptable as long as he doesn’t do it to people.

You should also socialize your puppy as soon as possible so he’ll learn at an early age what kind of behavior is appropriate around people. Spaying or neutering your dog can also reduce the likelihood of biting.

What To Do If Someone Is Bitten

If your canine bites someone, control him immediately. Then, ask the person who has been bitten whether he or she needs medical attention. Give that person all of your contact information as well as that of your veterinarian. Also, provide your pooch’s last vaccination date.

If animal control workers arrive, answer their questions openly; they’ll likely want as much information about your canine and the events surrounding the bite as possible. Finally, ask your vet to recommend a professional trainer to help curb the behavior as quickly as possible.

Your dog’s biting tendency can be eliminated easily if you devote time toward it when he is still a puppy. Even as an adult dog, the tendency can be suppressed by enrolling him into professional obedience classes. The investment helps ensure the safety of your family and guests.

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For many new dog owners, housetraining is one of the most challenging parts of introducing a new canine into the family. Until that puppy learns how to go outside, chances are that you’ll be spending quite a bit of time cleaning up messes and dreading the smell when you open your front door.

But many people struggle with understanding the best way to teach their puppy how to go not only where you want but also when you want. After all, having your puppy on a schedule for using the bathroom is almost as important.

The solution in most cases is crate training. This is a relatively easy approach to house training that also provides some other useful benefits puppy owners should appreciate.

Why Crate Train?

First, crate training is intended to take advantage of your dog’s natural impulses. Although dogs have been domesticated, they still have some of those old instincts that helped their ancestors survive and thrive for millions of years. Some of those instincts relate to the concept of having a den.

A den is a safe haven for the animal where he or she can retreat without fear of being harmed. The den was the preferred location for sleeping, rearing young, and other activities. But to keep the den protected, dogs also had to keep it from being too easy to find. Since most predators use their sense of smell pretty well to find prey, the den was not a place for dogs to go to the bathroom. Their urine and feces would attract other animals and would endanger the safety of the den.

Dogs simply don’t go to the bathroom in their den unless out of absolute necessity.

The purpose of the crate is to give your dog a den in the home. This crate becomes his or her sanctuary.

But it also provides you with peace of mind. As long as your puppy is confined to the crate, he or she can’t be out doing damage to the rest of your house or getting into trouble by chewing on electrical cords or eating things that could get lodged in the intestines, for example.

Basically, crate training provides your dog with a safe place to call his or her own. Plus, it keeps him or her safe during the day while also working as an invaluable tool for housebreaking. Now let’s see how you can get started.

Picking the Crate

The first step is to choose the crate you want to use for your pet. Two types are available: the hard plastic models used for airplane travel and the wire types. If you have a big dog, you’ll probably be stuck with the wire type. Otherwise, you can choose whichever you think will be the best choice for your dog.

Keep in mind that the crate should only be big enough for your dog to stand up comfortably, lie down, and turn around. If you give the dog too much room, he or she could use part of the crate for a den and part for a bathroom spot which would defeat the purpose.

To keep costs reasonable, purchase a crate that will be large enough for your full-size dog but use dividers which can also be purchased to restrict the space available to your puppy.

Getting the Puppy Comfortable with the Crate

Next, you have to help your puppy get comfortable inside the crate. Most dogs are not going to immediately love the crate. They won’t like being confined and away from you. But you can make the situation easier by going slowly, using treats and praise to reinforce the desired behavior, and letting the puppy explore the crate on his own.

When you bring home the crate, leave it open so the dog can go into it and sniff it at his leisure. Then you can begin luring your puppy into the crate with treats and praising him for going inside.

After he is doing that well, you can lure him into the crate and close the door. This might cause some crying and whining from your puppy. Let him stay inside the crate for a minute or two then let him out. Do not let him out while he is still crying, however. Otherwise, he will cry every time you try to put him in the crate because he’ll know this behavior will get him released.

Keep expanding the time the puppy is in the crate with the door closed until he begins to feel comfortable. Then you can practice leaving the room, leaving the house, and staying away for longer periods of time. Each time remember to praise your puppy when you release him from the crate but never release him until he has calmed down.

House Breaking & the Crate

To use the crate for house breaking, be sure to give your dog food and water at least an hour before putting her in the crate. Take the puppy to the bathroom, preferably for a walk with a potty break, before she is placed in the crate.

Do not give your puppy food or water in the crate. These things will only make a mess and will cause the puppy to need to urinate or defecate badly.

Keep in mind that young puppies may not be able to “hold it” as long as you would like. For this reason, it’s a good idea to come home at least once during the day to take your puppy to the bathroom. If you can’t, you may want to hire someone to do this for you. Even adult dogs should not be left in crates for longer than 6 to 8 hours a day.

As soon as you let your puppy out of the crate, take him or her to the bathroom immediately. Praise him or her when they do what you want and quickly they will learn the routine.

If an accident does occur in the crate, clean it thoroughly with an enzyme-destroying cleaner so the dog won’t be able to smell the accident and assume that is an appropriate place to use the bathroom. Otherwise you’ll just keep repeating the problem.

Finally, don’t punish your dog for having an accident. You could end up causing them to fear the crate, as well as you.

David Beart is the owner of the PetYak. Our site covers everything from puppy training to feeding and health and wellness.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-and-why-to-crate-train-a-puppy-1392066.html