Pet Sitting Services

Pet sitting can be a great option for your family's pet while you are away on vacation. It is one of the fastest growing businesses and you can assure that your pet will be properly cared for and pampered. Knowing that your family's beloved pet is being taken care of while you are away will allow you to relax and enjoy your vacation without too much stress or worry. There are many services offered by pet sitting services including, short term visits, extended visits, grooming, walks, play time, feeding services, one on one time, spa services, and many more things to make sure your pet is comfortable and cared for.

A professional pet sitting service will ensure that your pet is safe and happy while you are away. Some components of this safety and comfort include, exercise, attention and comfortable accommodations. Many places will provide daily exercise and runs for your dog to get out and have some fun. Ensuring that your dog gets plenty of exercise will decrease its separation anxiety and depression while you are away. Play time is very important for your pets' general health and well being.

In addition to exercise, if your pet is staying for overnight or extended stays you want to be sure that its accommodations are comfortable as well. A private kennel that has comfortable lounging areas as well as a clean spot for your pet will ensure maximum comfort. You also want your pet to have enough room to relax without feeling trapped in a confined space.

Another benefit of pet sitting is that you can drop your pet off for a day of errands or a vacation and your pet will get groomed and pampered while you are away. This saves you from having to do the tedious dirty work of having to clean your pet and leave it in the hands of a professional who can provide the best job and make sure your pet it not harmed in the process.

Your pet is part of your family and loved, so choosing a pet sitting service that will take care of your family member is important. Some things to look for are cleanliness of the facility, size of the place your pet will be staying as well as exercise areas. You can also trust local reviews because they can provide a pet owners perspective. Choosing the right place for your pet will take care of your needs as well as your pet's needs.

Dog Training: Basics of Being in Control of Your Dog

You may think that by speaking to your dog the way you would speak to a person or a child you could command obedience and control. Not always. Specifically, not if you have a problem dog. Some dog behavior and psychology experts even tell us, it starts with being in control of yourself.

When I first saw on TV Cesar Millan of The Dog Whisperer being interviewed on the O'Reilly Factor, the dog-scared in me thought he was some super human who whispered to dogs into obeying him. Not quite. Watching this TV show on dog rehabilitation and training the humans -- free with our Comcast On Demand subscription -- I came to the conclusion that his power over dogs seemed to come from a clear understanding of dog psychology that he could work even the most reticent one into submission. He was fearless in the face of fierce and problematic dogs even as he meets them for the first time. It also made sense to me how owners can cause their own dog problems, as Millan pointed out, by treating them as if they were humans and expecting them to behave like humans.

There is the frustrated owner who cannot stop his dog from getting out of control as soon as it gets out the door. The dog bolts and each time, he has to run after it. No amount of talking or stern warning, even pulling, worked. Or the little terror pooch who barks and snarls and looks every inch like it is ready to nip at anyone who comes within a few feet of it - even at the owner herself. To talk or communicate with these pets is indeed a big challenge.

On the other hand, I have actually seen dogs immediately sit and look adoringly at their master when told. Or run to their master by a simple call, no matter how busy it was with something else. Others could be made to do some cute little tricks, like roll, play dead, give me five, or what-have-you. Something connects and works.

I would not go into the tricks part yet. That is another level, another discussion. Rather, I will go into the basic obedience part where one should be able to control his dog, big or small. I am not an expert in dog training but from watching all those dog shows on TV, I have come up with four major bullet points that were shown to have worked:

• You have to be calm when you try to control your dog. Being upset, agitated or scared are signs of negative high energy that your dog picks up on and translates into more negative energy. So before heading out the door, calm it down first by a click of your fingers so you have its attention, then speak the command word. Make it sit or stay, or whatever word you would prefer. When the dog has calmed down, make sure you head out the door first, then the dog behind you. Make that the drill: you first, the dog next.


• Have no fear when you are out there with your dog and you see another dog or person coming. Just hold it on short leash such that its head is just high enough as to walk straight. Let your mind focus on other things, not the walk, to help you walk calmly and normally. After a few situations like this, it may be ready to sniff at other dogs and talk in their own language.


• Dogs express their reaction to situations differently than humans. When it barks agitatedly at somebody at your door, it is simply protecting its territory. The guest at the door is not part of its familiar territory. The guest has to become familiar -- and slow, calm introductions have to be made. With the dog on leash but not doing anything else to excite it, have the guest come in slowly and let the dog get familiar with the new scent. It will connect that new scent to a harmless situation and the guest then becomes part of its familiar territory.


• Dogs need exercise not just for physical health but behavioral health. Unexercised dogs have a lot of unspent energy which translate into aggression, barking, and thus, difficulty for the owner to control. Exercise your dog by walking, running, playing, even swimming for breeds that love the water.

I took seriously each lesson learned from watching how the challenges were overcome and the happy outcome of each dog show episode. Challenged dog owners learned to change their own behavior and with that they gained confidence in controlling their dogs and in making them happy companions in or out of the house. Seriously, I wanted the actual experience and test the theories myself.

So maybe I could have a dog. I remember the first time the thought crossed my mind. It was after watching with my husband three episodes of Dog Whisperer -- in one sitting. The next time again, I thought aloud and asked him if could have a dog. Husband: No, dear. That was it. And then I started looking at the Pets for Adoption section of the morning paper. I was closely looking at the dog faces and their descriptions. Something I never did before. And I thought they were really creatures I could love. I just wanted one.

I was fast learning the language of dog training. But I still had to use the power of human language to persuade my husband to let me have a dog.

Finches Are Wonderful Pets

Why do people love having finches as pets? What makes them unique? A few of the reasons could be how beautiful they are to look at and how entertaining they are to watch. They are also very easy to keep and look after, which is a great benefit. It is however important to know how.

Nowadays many of us have busy lives, we generally don't want a pet that takes up hours of our time; time we may not have. That's why these happy energetic little birds are perfect because as long as they have enough food and water they will be happy and content to fly around their cage entertaining themselves.

For those who don't have a busy life and have the time having finches as pets is also great because of their energy and personality traits. Some breeds of finches are quieter than others but when they do sing it's always pleasant to listen to.

Finches are generally independent and don't always bond with people, although it is possible with some species overtime. The benefit of this is that they won't feel lonely if left for certain periods of time. This is one of the reasons for their popularity, especially amongst people who want to own a pet that will be fine without them always being there.

The main thing about having finches as pets is maintaining their living environment, whether it is a cage or aviary. Changing their water and leaving enough food for them, changing any accessories to different places in the cage to give them variety, and cleaning out the bottom of the cage to keep their home healthy and keep them happy.

As long as you remember the main things; food, water, cage cleaning, and also trimming your finches nails, you shouldn't have too any problems. Other things can be learned along the way, there are resources in the form of ebooks, web searches and pet stores.

Although finches are independent pets they are very sociable within their own groups so it would be a good idea to get two or more. A male and female will probably breed more frequently so it is recommended that you keep only females. Some experts on finches recommend groups of six or more.

Finches come in a wide variety; such as the Zebra Finch, the Gouldian Finch and the Society, or Bengalese, Finch. They are all beautiful to look at and energetic with their own personalities, yet some species share certain common behaviour traits.

For example, some finches are more aggressive while others are more timid, some are louder while others are quieter. In the end it is up to you to find a species of finch that suits your personality and will make you happy.

Owning finches as pets will be one of the most rewarding experiences you ever have. They are fun, energetic, hardy, independent, and beautiful to look at. They come in a wide range of colours and patterns, and are a wonderful addition to any bird lover's household.