Bird Feeders--How to Choose the Right One

Bird feeders
are an excellent way to attract birds into your surroundings. They are a way of insuring that your feathered friends are cared for and visiting you all year long. The tips found on this page will insure that you and the birds are happy all year long. First, you must decide what type of bird you are looking to attract. This will determine what type of bird feeder you are going to get. Below, are some common styles:

* Platform feeders attract birds that feed from the edge. They have a long, narrow platform that minimize contamination of the feeding station. They attract species such as cardinals, blackbirds and wrens.
* Suet feeders come in many styles but all styles have something in common. They are all designed to hold suet cakes. Usually, they have a wired cage that has a platform or perch in front. The birds, then, are able to peck at the suet from the front of the feeder. Among birds attracted to this type of feeder are mockingbirds, creepers, woodpeckers, jays and bluebirds.
* Tube feeders look like long cylinders that hold seed. The feeders are surrounded by perches and feeder holes at different levels. Usually, there is a platform at the bottom of the feeder to catch loose seed and give the birds extra perching space. Among birds attracted to this type of feeder are woodpeckers, finches, chickadees and titmice.
* Hummingbird feeders do, exactly, what the name says. They feed hummingbirds. They are filled with liquid hummingbird nectar or a simple mixture of sugared water. It enables hummingbirds to drink with their long bills. The feeder should have a bottom tray to catch spills and provide sufficient feeding space.

Notwithstanding, what species of birds you would like to attract, some general rules apply to all birdhouses when looking for a bird feeder. These guidelines will insure that your birds stay happy and healthy and that your feeder lasts through many a season:

* The bird feeder should be weather-resistant. If the wooden feeder is your preferred medium, cedar and redwood are among the best. Care should be taken to insure the feeder is not lumber that has been chemically treated and that painted surfaces do not chip. If a metal feeder is your medium, care must be given so that the metal is not in direct sunlight as it can get overheated for the birds.
* Also, consideration should be given so that the bird feeder is easy to clean and can be easily filled. Feeders that are shaped like boxes should have removable roofs. This will enable you to pour seed in easily and remove leftover shells. Tube feeders and other long, narrow feeders should have tops and bottoms that are removable. This will make it convenient to run water through it in order to keep it clean.

The right feeder will make your yard a popular visiting site for your feathered friends all year round and give you many hours of pleasure bird watching.

How to Find the Dog That is Right For You By John Sommer

If you grew up without having the chance to own a pet dog because your strict parents won’t allow you to mingle with these supposedly filthy and hyperactive animals, then you know that your life is not the same as kids who had their favorite pup grow up with them. Now, if you don’t want the same thing happening to your children, get them a pet dog that will be their best friend for life.

There are so many considerations to choose from when deciding to get a pet. You have to put into perspective the other occupants of the household, if there are any, the size of your house and yard, the breed of the dog and the possible maintenance cost.

Read on as this article spills the details in each factor. Hopefully, this will help you greatly in your quest for the perfect dog.

If you are living alone, then you are the sole decision-maker in this situation. However, if you have a wife and kids, they should also be allowed to put in their two cents’ worth so that you can truly weigh the pros and cons in an objective manner. Making a crucial choice should be a collaborative process.

Second, take note if you live in a cramped condominium unit, a modest apartment, or a palatial abode in the suburb. This will be important so that you will have an idea whether you should get a toy dog, a guard dog or a sport dog. Breeds under the toy dog classification are content with small spaces. Bigger dogs need bigger spaces. They should also be placed outside the house because confining them in a small spot will lead to mayhem. They should be free to run around in the yard and exercise their long limbs and torso. Surely, you don’t want to come home everyday to a living room that resembles a hurricane-stricken town, right?

Third, the breed should be another important detail that requires a thorough planning. The needs of each breed vary. Therefore, try to match one that has a temperament close to yours. Cute dogs like a Japanese Spitz, a poodle, a Yorkshire terrier and a pug are very playful. They need someone with an enthusiastic attitude so that they will have a great time fooling around. On the other hand, a German Shepherd, Pitbull and Rottweiler need to have a strong and commanding owner because they grow up to be big dogs with fierce attitude. In order to control them, they should be trained early on to spot the enemy from friends. If you can’t even learn how to take control even if they are still in their early years, your dog will sense it and will not respect or obey you.

Fourth, if you don’t have tons of money to splurge on the pooch’s maintenance cost, just get one that’s easy to take care of. This means that furry animals requiring weekly grooming care are a no-no. The same rule applies to exotic kinds like Alaskan-born Siberian huskies, who need really cold environments in order to survive.

Be patient in choosing the dog of your choice. They will be with you for a long time so it makes sense to get the best one.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=393583&ca=Pets

Dog Training Collars-a Helping Tool By Marten Kubuso

Dog training collars have been around since the late 20th century. They have not gained wide acceptance at the early stages due to their limited options and quite often drastic measures of application. Over time collars have become more and more favorable as quality of the products drastically changed, spectrum of options grew, as well as the ease of use. As dog training collars were slowly emerging from the surface as a product that “works”, manufacturers continued on implementing better electronics, better material, and made these collars superior over majority of orthodox training techniques.

Dog training collars come in countless styles, from the most basic types such us choke collars, or otherwise known as “slip” collars, to multiple remote controlled dog training collars which aid in training more than one pet. Whatever the need, consumers have realized that options are endless in today’s society, and that can often be a troublesome experience. Not only are there tens of different types, but tens of various manufacturers for every type, with each developer promising the highest rate of training success. Not to mention the emerging hunting market which is growing very rapidly with new dog training collars for almost anything. With this in mind, consumers today face a much more difficult decision than ever before, with the growing popularity of training collars, they have to decide if to use them, and if so, which product is better.

Dog training collars can be somewhat broken up into a few categories. The first would be the simplest type, such as choke collars (slip collars). These types are exceptional for training a dog how to act and behave during a walk. Consumers have enough stress in their lives as it is, and the added stress of a dog jumping on people, pulling back and forth is something one should be able to minimize. The second type would be the basic training collars, which are in most cases controlled by a remote. These types are an excellent resource if one aims in teaching their best friend the simplest commands, such as sit, come, heel, or minimize barking etc. The third type would be the advanced training collars. These are also controlled by a remote, but with a multitude of added options, have much more range, but in most cases are a bit more expensive. Advanced collars are an exceptional tool for those seeking for a more professional obedience training. Multiple dog training collars would be considered a fourth type. This product works in the same manner as an advanced or a basic training collar system, with the addition of more than one collar to a remote. With this type of system, a trainer can teach obedience of more than one dog, or as a matter of fact, use to control more than one hunting dog. This introduces the last but not least type, the hunting dog training collar system. Again these types are equipped with most of the features one would get from an advanced system, but with the focus of a few other options to aid in training a dog to be a good hunting partner.

Every individual that owns a canine knows the importance of having a well behaved and smart dog. An obedient and intelligent dog makes the experience of having a four legged best friend much more exciting and enjoyable. A well trained pet is one that can be taken anywhere, an animal that can be trusted anywhere. Dog training collars give that specific advantage of making ones loyal friend trustworthy, friendly and safe. Although there are countless of techniques of getting obedience training for a pet, from acquiring the needed skills from books and other information references, sending a dog to obedience schools, and teaching with the aid of training collars, the highly growing in popularity is the dog training collar system.

Dog training collar system tends to be a more expensive initial investment if choosing other than a choke collar, but one that pays itself off very quickly. For instance, books are a very inexpensive technique, but require a lot of time to learn and initiate all the required actions. Although books/videos tend to be the least expensive technique, they require a lot of time, and in these days, very rarely does anyone have the time to spend countless weeks in teaching a dog simple commands like sit, heel etc, let alone anything more advanced, and as everyone knows, time is money. Providing that necessary time to train a dog using orthodox methods usually referenced from books/vides requires eliminating that time from sometimes more important tasks such as work, or family time.

On the other hand, sending a dog or a puppy to an obedience school quite often requires the same amount of investment as a training collar. Not to mention that that dog will not be trained by the owner, but by someone else which often the dog will not be able to refer back to the owner. Even choosing obedience schools where the owner takes part in the training, again that can get expensive and time consuming. In addition, that style of training once is over cannot be done over again unless one is willing to pay more. Dog training collar system, although seemingly expensive at the initial stage, saves much precious time in comparison to other techniques, but also allows it to be used over and over, or even sold used, saving money. Although some believe that training collars are a very unfriendly form of dog obedience schooling, in reality these systems are very safe. Any equipment that is used in an abusive manner can be unsafe. Dog training collars are meant to teach a dog to behave rather than punish them, and if used in the manner shown, such collars will help teach a pet to be a very smart and obedient family member.

In conclusion, dog training collars are an exceptional utility that is not only very safe, practical and effective, but also very time efficient and in the long run an investment that pays for itself. With the wide range of options and styles available on the market, every dog owner will have no trouble finding one for the required task. One should always remember, that before purchasing a training collar, one should acquire advice from an expert, not just a summer time student working at some pet store.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=395821&ca=Pets

Tips When Buying a Horse By Richard Mark

Here are some tips to remember when purchasing a horse or pony. If you are not a horse person or have not much horse experience it is recommended to take a horse person with you or have them check out the horse before you purchase.

Do your homework. Make sure you can afford to board and or feed a horse and find out the cost involved in taking care of a horse. If possible it is best to be able to see the horse before you purchase and ride the horse. Make the owner of the horse ride first. Have them 'show you' how the horse rides and what the horse can do. If the horse seems too spunky or not trained enough for what you are looking for don't get on the horse. Make sure you purchase a horse that is right for you and your family.

One more thing to remember is that if possible see if you can get a guarantee with the horse. Maybe an exchange guarantee if the horse doesn't work once you get it home they can exchange it for another horse or if they don't have any other horses see about any guarantee options you may have. Don't buy for a certain color and make sure that the horse is what you are looking for as for riding ability and health not just that pretty color you've always wanted. If you cannot tell whether or not the horse is sound and healthy it is strongly recommended that you get a vet check before you purchase the horse. When buying site unseen or without riding or seeing the horse first it is highly recommended to have a vet look at the horse and you might even be able to get the vet to watch the horse ride for you. A lot of people purchase over the internet without evening seeing the horse ridden and this is hard for the buyer and seller both. The buyer may get a horse they can't ride or are not comfortable with and the seller is having to sell a horse that the hope fits the buyer and if it doesn't it normally turns into a bad situation. This is when the vet can help you out with checking over the horse for you.

If you are looking for a kids horse try to find a horse with a lot of experience with kids riding them and make sure it is not a young green broke horse. The saying is normally true that you 'get what you pay for' and if you buy cheap don't expect to get a well broke bombproof kids horse. You may get lucky and get a deal but chances are the cheap horses have vices and problems. If you purchase a horse for your child make sure it is safe. If you have to pay a little more to get a really good horse it is worth it in the long run because you may be avoiding a hospital call and your child getting injured. A goods kids horse is hard to find and you should take your time and really look the horse over as good as you can before purchasing. Have an adult ride the horse first and make sure it is safe for your child.

We must remember that a horse is an animal and can be unpredictable at times. If you are a beginner and not much riding experience it is best to have a few lessons or make sure you have someone that can help you with the horse. Make sure you know how much to feed the horse and what dental and veterinary care the horse needs. Keep your horse on a current worming and furrier schedule. Some questions you may want to ask when going to look at a horse when looking for riding horses for sale in Wisconsin.

1. Is the horse sound for riding (if mare is she also sound for breeding)?
2. Is your horse friendly, has the horse ever bite or kicked at anyone?
3. Is the horse hard to catch?
4. Is the horse good with other horses? If a gelding - does he get along with mares ? Is the horse dominent with other horses?
5. Check to make sure the horse has good teeth? Overbite?
6. Check for any lumps, bumps, bad scars that may need to be looked at by a vet.
7. Ask about any health /soundness problems (heaves, windsucking, allergies, colic, breathing problems, arthritis, etc.)
8. Does the horse tie without pulling back?
9. Does the horse load and tied while at the trailer?
10. Is the horse sinchy , is the horse easy to saddle and bridle?
11. Does the horse weave or crib?
12. Has the horse ever bucked or reared with a rider?
13. Are the registration papers in order if registered and current coggins test done?
14. How long have you owned the horse?
15. What was the horse used for in the past?
16. Is the horse road safe and go out alone? okay with a group of horses on a trail ride?
17. Can the horse be ridden with a loose rein or tight rein?
18. Any vices at all that they can think of?

Good luck with your horse search and finding the horse of your dreams.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=396016&ca=Pets