My Pets

How to House Train a Boxer Puppy

Boxers tend to be a playful, fun and smart breed. Their intelligence is a big advantage to the pet owners who try to housebreak them. Of course, their playful personalities make it difficult to get them settled sometimes. Like many larger breeds, the boxer grows up fast, so it's important to start house training them early. Although it may seem like a challenge at first, boxer puppies are quick to pick up on new habits and, if you stay persistent, they'll be trained quickly.

Instructions

Make a schedule. You should feed your boxer puppy at consistent intervals throughout the day, and then take its food and water away when it's done. Take it outside 10 to 20 minutes after it has finished eating.

Use your words. Boxers are very smart and can pick up on your words. "...Lots of individuals assume that it must be essential to get dog training tips prior to having their pets. Lots of people could find this exciting but a lot of people might concur that this is a excellent tip to follow. The issue with a number of pet owners is they will get a dog and then find out that they can be not suitable to be aware of them. Eventually, they might give up their pets in order to reestablish their past lives. These dog training tips can let people realize what they have got to consider and if they have the time to teach their dogs. These tips can be found on Secrets To Dog Training. By using the time to perform appropriate dog training, you will enjoy a lifetime of comfortable friendship with your ".... While your boxer is going to the bathroom outside, say a phrase such as "outside" or "let's go potty" so that the next time you say that phrase, the boxer will associate it with going to the bathroom. This will help coax your puppy into using the bathroom when you say your phrase.

Crate train your boxer puppy when you're unable to be with it. Lure it into the crate with a treat and praise it for staying in there. Most dogs don't like to go to the bathroom where they sleep or stay for long periods of time, so your puppy will naturally learn to hold it in. Don't be upset if it has an accident, however. The crate is mainly to prevent your puppy from going to the bathroom inside your house.

Watch your puppy constantly. If you see it sniffing around, or if it seems like it might soon go to the bathroom, take it outside immediately. In the first stages of your dog's life, you're going to need to keep an eye on it all day, every day.

Praise your puppy when it does well. Give it a treat and use a happy, expressive tone to congratulate it. This is vital because dogs learn by association, so when it connects going to the bathroom outside with treats and praise, it will continue to want that praise and eventually learn that outside is the proper place for the bathroom.

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Those of you who love your pets will certainly find our pets articles interesting and enjoyable. For dog lovers, there are dog ornaments that are made just for them.

COMPETITIONS

Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog Competition

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We all know that having pets is a messy business but they're all worth it! If you're losing the battle against pet hair in your house and are ashamed of having people over - especially at Christmas time - we may be able to help!

We teamed up with Miele Australia to offer you the chance to win a brand new Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog Bagless Vaccum Cleaner (RRP: $849.00).

This appliance is ideal for homes with pets, as the exclusive TurboBrush effectively removes hair and fluff from carpets for a deep clean.

To Enter, Like and Share our post on Facebook or Instagram (02/12/2017) and simply comment by telling us "why the Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog bagless vacuum cleaner would be useful in your home?"

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. This Competition will close on 09/12/2017 (2pm). The winners will be announced on this page on Sunday 10/12/2017. The winner will be contacted to arrange for delivery of their prize, which will occur during December 2017.
2. To enter, like and share and simply comment by telling us "why the Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog bagless vacuum cleaner would be useful in your home?"
3. This Promotion is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winner.
The entries will be judged by the Australian Dog Lover team. The winning entry will be selected based on the most creative, informative or useful statement.
4. Please note you MUST LIKE our Facebook page or FOLLOW our Instagram page @australiandoglover to be eligible.
5. Entrants in the competition can only enter once.
6. Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be redrawn.
* Entry into the competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.

How to Get Puppies to Obey

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Puppies learn their place in the world from mom, their litter mates and their owners. Because of their short attention spans, teaching young puppies can be difficult, but is necessary to successfully keep them as friends and companions. Most breeds of dog want only to please their owners, and will learn quickly as long as you are firm and consistent in your methods and expectations.

Instructions

Start with very basic commands such as "sit" and "stay," which are crucial for overall obedience.

Tell the puppy "sit," and push down on his rump to encourage the proper behavior.

Praise the puppy effusively when it sits down, saying things like "Good dog."

Repeat the command to sit, only praising when your puppy obeys.

Give your puppy occasional treats when it successfully sits when you tell it to sit. Avoid giving treats every time, focusing mainly on the verbal praise, so your dog will be more motivated by your happiness than by food.

Practice the "sit" command with a variety of distractions and loud noises around, making sure that your puppy stays focused on you and sits even when things are exciting.

Say a sharp "no!" if you see your puppy chewing on something undesirable, like the furniture or your favorite pair of shoes. Offer the puppy a toy instead and praise the puppy for chewing on the toy instead of the furniture.

Tell your puppy "no!" if he jumps up on you.

Ignore it if your puppy barks or whines for attention to avoid teaching her that making noise will make you pay attention.

Introduce your puppy to a variety of new people and dogs once he has had all his shots and vaccinations. Keep introductions quiet and calm so he learns not to get too hyped up when strangers come over, or when encountering unfamiliar dogs out on walks.

Remain consistent and make sure everyone agrees to and follows the rules regarding your new puppy. If you say the puppy can't be on the sofa but one person always lets him up, he will never learn that he is not allowed and will only get confused.

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BOOK CLUB

Dog Lovers Book Club - Christmas Special

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Welcome to the super-sized Christmas 2017 edition of your monthly Dog Lovers Book Club! If you are struggling for those last minute presents, we have a fantastic selection of new book releases plus some perennial favourites for dog lovers of all ages...

CANINES OF CHARACTER
by Allira Fontana

Canines of Character is a project by Sydney pet photographer, Allira Fontana that resulted in a 504 page coffee table book. With a hard cover and full colour printing throughout, this book makes the perfect Christmas gift for the dog lover in your life that has everything.

Featured in the book is a wide variety of dogs, including Dachshunds, Labradors, Kelpies, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and every mix in between.

A portion of all book sales will be donated to the rescue group Rescue Hub, who work tirelessly to save dogs from death row each and every day.

RRP: $75.00 from www.allirafontana.com

DOGS JOBS
by Laura Greaves

These are the extraordinary true stories of some of the hardest-working dogs in the world.

Meet Molly Polly, the diabetes alert dog whose round-the-clock job is to keep two young twins healthy; Bailey, the Assistant Director of Seagulls, who keeps the pesky birds away from the heritage vessels at the Australian National Maritime Museum; and Daisy, the Collie mix who’s a full-time guide dog for another dog.

From inspirational moments of bravery to dogs doing the jobs that no one else can, these are the life-affirming stories of the most remarkable dogs on the planet.

Paperback, 336 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia, 27th November 2017

RRP: $35.00 from www.booktopia.com.au

ALL ANIMAL BEINGS

by Ken Drake

All Animal Beings is a stunningly beautiful coffee table book by highly awarded master photographer and animal specialist Ken Drake. Featuring lots dogs of course but also cats, farm animals and iconic wildlife all presented in Zoo Studio’s signature style, including their striking black backdrops, this book will appeal to photography aficionados who will appreciate the skill required to capture these shots.

Ken Drake is a master at capturing each animal’s personality through their eyes (even possums and turkeys) and this book will pull on the heartstrings of every animal lover. Readers are also challenged to engage and explore many questions relating to our relationship with animals.

Hardcover, 400 pages
Publisher: New Holland Publishers, 8th November 2017

RRP: $49.99 available from all good bookstores or at www.newhollandpublishers.com

ALMOST HUMAN
by Rick Dogg (aka David Finn)

These are the thrilling tales of a drug-busting Australian Kelpie …

It’s not every day that you can read a crime thriller written by a dog but then Rick Dogg has a special talent: he can type on a laptop, in addition to his super senses of hearing, sight and smell! He’s the top dog at Fortune International Security - a crime busting outfit run by ex tough US Marines - and he’s on the trail of drug barons.

The author, David Finn is a big dog lover and one dollar from every copy sold will be donated to RSPCA Australia.

Paperback, 464 pages

Publisher: The Somers Press, 9th November 2017

RRP: $29.95 from www.somers-press.com.au

Book Club - Kids' Corner

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2018 AMAZING ANIMALS

Calling all animal lovers! Guinness World Records: Amazing Animals puts the spotlight on the world’s most amazing creatures, peculiar pets, wacky wildlife, and cute critters.

In this action-packed annual, you’ll meet surfing pigs, talking gorillas, and even the world’s largest elephant orchestra! Ever seen a dog who thinks he’s Picasso or a bunny who plays basketball? You will now! From the tallest and smallest animals to the most popular social pet-working stars, they’re all here.

If it’s activities you want, you’re in for a treat! Create your very own record-breaking animal with our online game, or try making an origami zoo! Test your wildlife knowledge with fun quizzes plus see who wins the age-old battle between cats and dogs with IQ tests you can try with your very own pets!
This is the perfect educational and entertaining book for lazy days by the pool or on the beach!

Paperback, 216 pages
Publisher: Guinness, 28th November 2017

RRP: $24.99 from www.booktopia.com.au

DOGS AND DOCTORS
by Elen Caldecott

Meet Piotr, Minnie, Andrew, Flora and Sylvie – the Marsh Road Mystery solvers. Sylvie Hampshire is in hospital. She knows she's responsible enough to take control of her diabetes medication, but now she has to prove it on the hospital ward.

She's only been there a couple of hours when Barry, a therapy dog, goes missing in suspicious circumstances. It's time to bring in the gang!

With their detective senses on high alert, the five friends set out to find Barry, but the stakes soon become much higher than they thought. Have they finally met their match? Not if Sylvie Hampshire has anything to do with it!

Paperback, 224 Pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1st June 2017
For Ages: 9 - 12 years old

RRP: $12.99 from www.booktopia.com.au

TOTO
The dog-gone amazing story of the Wizard of Oz
by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

“I was there,” Papa Toto said, and those magic words sent shivers down my spine. It was going to be the Wizard story. “Dorothy and me were both there.” We were all silent, snuggled up together, waiting, waiting.Then Papa Toto began…

When a twister descends on their Kansas farm, Toto and his owner Dorothy hide in the house – only to be plucked into the air and whisked away!

Coming down with a crash in the mysterious land of Oz, the pair meet a series of extraordinary characters: a scarecrow who believes he has no brains, a tin man without a heart, and a cowardly lion who may not be as cowardly as he thinks he is.

But Toto and Dorothy are desperate to return home – after all, home is home, and home is best! So they set off with their new friends on a journey down the yellow brick road to find the only person who might be able to help them: the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

But what they find might surprise them. And on the way, all of them will learn that what they think they are missing might have been there, all along…
Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is an unforgettable telling of a classic story, and a must for every bookshelf.

Format: Paperback, 284 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 21st August 2017
For Ages: 7+ years old

RRP: $19.99 at www.booktopia.com.au

BATTERSEA DOGS & CATS HOME
I Want a Dog
by Ben Hubbard, illustrated by Jason Chapman

Would you really love a dog but don't know the first thing about how it will affect you and your family?

This book gives young children aged 6+ all information they and their families need to see if they could take on this big responsibility. The information is given through the story of Alex who is is desperate to get a dog, but the rest of his family don't think it's a good idea. So Alex decides to start a scrapbook to discover what a dog needs. He finds out about different dog breeds and what they are like. He looks around his home and wonders where the dog will live. He goes out with his friend to walk her dog.

He collects photos of different dog breeds and adds labels with their temperaments, how to care for them etc. Alex's family see his enthusiasm and begin to get on board with the idea. Together they visit a puppy from a local family but they also visit a rescue centre and decide to get an adult dog from there.

This 'two books in one' describes the behaviour and needs of dogs and how it affects a family's life day-to-day in a charming and fun way. The book is endorsed and checked by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Hardcover, 32 pages
Published: Franklin Watts, 13th July 2017
For Ages: 5 - 7 years old

RRP: $26.99 from www.booktopia.com.au

CHASING SHADOWS
by Corinne Fenton and Hannah Somerville

Everyone feels sad sometimes, but when sadness lingers, shadows appear. Some of us, even children, chase shadows.

Will a wriggly, mischievous surprise help Beth chase her shadows away?

The book uses gentle poetic language to address depression in children but it can be simply enjoyed as the story of a dad who buys a puppy to cheer up his daughter and it takes her a while to learn how to love him.

This makes an ideal book to keep in vet waiting rooms or for use in schools and libraries.

Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing Pty Ltd, 1st March 2014
For Ages: 5+ years old

RRP: $26.95 from www.booktopia.com.au

A PAWFECT CHRISTMAS
by Amy L. Curran

'A Pawfect Christmas' features hand drawn illustrations by Australian Illustrator Amy Curran.

Combining forty eight illustrations featuring purebred dogs in Christmas themes, makes this the pawfect gift for young dog lovers to keep them busy during the holidays!

Paperback, 52 pages
Publisher: Pink Coffee Publishing, 19th September 2017
For Ages: 0-12 years old

RRP: $19.95 from www.amycurranillustrator.com

Australian Dog Lover is a participant in the Booktopia affiliate advertising program, designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.booktopia.com.au

Sparrows, Horses, and Supply-side Economics

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Former Congressman John Dingell on the GOP tax bill now in Congress.

Everything is connected to everything, which is a nice way of saying that when John Dingell's tweet about the current tax bill came across my iPhone, I smiled and remembered the "sparrow wars" of the late 19th Century.

The House Sparrow, (or "English Sparrow" as it is sometimes called) was first introduced to the U.S. in the 1850s and promoted to city officials across the East and Midwest as an effective form of pollution control -- sparrows were supposed to clean up the horse droppings littering America's streets.

Mayors, city councils, and park officials heralded the release of sparrow colonies in much the same way they heralded the arrival of gas lights and indoor plumbing -- as a sign of America's coming of age. The House Sparrow was, we were told, a kind of "equine catalytic converter" designed to make our increasingly crowded cities a cleaner place to live.

Within 20 years after its introduction, however, the booming population of House Sparrows in the U.S. was perceived to be having a negative impact on some native song bird populations, especially eastern bluebirds, tufted titmice, and various chickadees.

The friction between the immigrant and native birds was largely due to the aggressive nature of the House Sparrow which simply out-competed some native birds for housing and (to a lesser extent) food.

The rise of the House Sparrow created one of the more interesting environmental battles of the late 19th and early 20th Century. Dr. Thomas Mayo Brewer -- a great friend of John James Audubon and a co-author of the first modern catalog of American birds -- thought the House Sparrow was a wonderful and determined little bird and that, in time, it would prove to be one of America's favorites.

English Sparrow or House Sparrow, male and female

Opposing Dr. Brewer's love of the House Sparrow was Dr. Elliott Coues, whose "Key to North American Birds" remains one the most important works of American ornithology. Dr. Coues advocated an open war on House Sparrows, saying they were a peril to native birds. Dr. Coues described the House Sparrow as "sturdy little foreign vulgarians," and "animated manure machines ... without a redeeming quality."

This fray between naturalists was, believe it or not, a minor cause celebre, and was enjoined by the likes of Harriet Beecher Stowe (on the side of Brewer) and the very young Theodore Roosevelt (on the side of Coues).

In 1883, the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU), a newly formed organization made up of the most eminent men in the field of birding, resolved at their first meeting to decide "the eligibility or ineligibility of the European House Sparrow in America," i.e., should the sparrow be granted the right to be called a naturalized American bird?

In the end, the AOU concluded that the House Sparrow could not be admitted as an American species.

Despite this ruling, the House Sparrow eventually made its way into the AOU's "Check List of North American Birds," as an "introduced" species. By 1931 this distinction had evaporated, and the House Sparrow was added to the AOU check list without any quibbling or further notation.

The House Sparrow had, for all intents and purposes, been assimilated and was now a "North American Bird" (though, it should be said, it remains one of the few birds that can be trapped and exterminated without a license).

At about the same time that the American Ornithologists' Union was removing the asterisk next to the House Sparrow's name, House Sparrow populations began to decline as automobiles replaced horses in America's streets. Changes in farming practices further reduced the amount of grain spillage and horse manure available for avian gleaning.

Panda Porn and Speed Dating

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Over at Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight blog, they have a nice piece by Maggie Koerth-Baker that details The Complicated Legacy Of A Panda Who Was Really Good At Sex.

It's a good piece (read the whole thing), but it misses an interesting part of the story. You see, in her rush to make one particular panda by the name of Pan Pan the "savior of his species," Ms. Koerth-Baker missed the equally important contribution of porn.

Yes porn of the panda kind, which is to say sexy video tapes of pandas going at it in flagrente.

Back in 2007 I detailed what was going on in a post entitled Group Sex and Porn, in which I noted that there are several species that seem to rely on orgies for procreation, but that pandas seemed to be getting by on a new regime based on Viagra and porn.

The Telegraph caught up to that story in 2010 in an article entitled Viagra and Porn Used to Tempt Pandas to Breed:

Panda Makers, a BBC Two documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough, reveals how the Chengdu Research Base is attempting to breed a stable population of 300 bears in captivity and then set them free.

Just 50 years ago, it was thought to be impossible to breed a panda in captivity, but since then pioneering methods have yielded some success.

It is an uphill struggle, though: female pandas are in heat for less than 72 hours a year, and even the use of the drug Viagra and “panda porn” – videos of other pandas mating – doesn’t always achieve the desired effect. The documentary, which airs this evening at 8.00 pm, follows a futile attempt to persuade a male and young female to mate: subsequently, vets performed an artificial insemination.

Sir David described the Chinese centre – the most costly panda conservation effort ever mounted – as “a man-made solution to a man-made problem, an insurance policy against extinction.”

Today Panda Porn is mainstream and there is even a Wikipedia page devoted to it.

Pandas are not alone in the world of porn and speed dating.

I once visited a horse farm in New Jersey that was shaped like a cross with an enormous skylight atrium at the center. It seemed like an incredibly elaborate barn to me, but I was informed that they bred racing horses there and that to "collect" from the stallions they put a "jump mare" at the center where it was mounted by the boys and an artificial vagina of some sort was used to collect the semen.

The first stallion was always the hard one, but after that it was easy to collect, as all the other stallions would have been hanging their heads out the stall door to take in "the show" going on under the skylight.

"It's like 16-year old boys at a strip club" my hostess explained to me. "It doesn't take much."

Signs of Fall

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Backyard leaves at my mother's house.

Apple orchard after Hurricane Ophelia in Ireland, October 2017.

The Search for Happiness

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Happiness from Steve Cutts on Vimeo.

Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat.

Endangered Species Helped by Foreign Invasives

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The United States has over 5 million alligators today. One reason for their surge in numbers is that they were put on the endangered species list back in the 1960s, about 25 years after the Nutria was first released from a wayward fur farm started by the McIlhenny Tabasco sauce family.

By 1959, there were over 20 million nutria in Louisiana, and they soon migrated to other states such as Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and Florida, providing ready fodder for a now-growing alligator population.

A more recent example of how an invasive species has helped a native species on the ropes can be found in the rapid evolution of Snail Kites in Florida whose population has adapted, evolved, and flourished with the arrival of a large non-native species of apple snail. From The New York Times:

The population of North American snail kites — birds that use curved beaks and long claws to dine on small apple snails in the Florida Everglades — had been dwindling for years, from 3,500 in 2000 to just 700 in 2007. Things began to look particularly bleak in 2004, when a portion of the Everglades was invaded by a species of larger snail that the birds had historically struggled to eat. Ornithologists assumed the shift would hasten the snail kite’s decline.

But the number of snail kites in the Everglades grew over the decade following the invasion of the larger snails. The reason, according to a study published Monday in Nature Ecology and Evolution, is that the snail kites have rapidly evolved larger beaks and bodies to handle the bulkier snails.

“We were very surprised,” said Robert Fletcher, Jr., an ecologist at the University of Florida and an author of the study. “We often assume these large-bodied animals can’t keep up with changes to the system, like invasions or climate change, because their generation times are too long. And yet we are seeing this incredibly rapid change in beak size of this bird.”

...[R]esearchers found suggestions of a genetic component to the changes, as well. By tracking the birds’ pedigrees, they found that large-beaked parents gave birth to large-beaked offspring, setting the stage for large-scale evolutionary change.

Thirteen years after the larger snails invaded, the population of the birds has nearly tripled, to “well over 2,000,” Dr. Fletcher said. “It’s been a major development for the recovery of this species.” Outside of Florida, related snail kites are found in parts of South America, Central America and the Caribbean, where they are not considered endangered.

Large invasive apple snails are two to five times larger than the native species.

Monty Had a Terrier Named Hitler

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Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery had two dogs during the war; one a fox terrier he named "Hitler" and another, a spaniel, he named Rommel.

"Hitler" was a gift from BBC war correspondent Frank Gillard who heard Monty say he missed the animals he had with him in previous campaigns. Looking to fill the hole in Monty's life, Gillard cast about for a dog.

Normandy was not a terrific location for dogs right after D-Day, but Gillard managed to hear of a coastal village where a Frenchman had three young fox terriers. They had already been promised to buyers, but in the chaos following D-Day the reserve owners (probably Germans) had moved on with the war front. Gillard bought one of the young terriers and presented it to Montgomery as a gift from the BBC reporters attached to his armies.

For some reason, all dogs born in France in 1944 had to have names beginning with “S,” and this dog's name had been “Selijc”. Monty changed the name to "Schickelgruber" the putative maternal name of Adolph Hitler's grandmother. Around camp, however, the dog was called "Hitler".

Oddly, the real Adolph Hitler also had a fox terrier story. You can read that here.