Types of Pet Turtles for Novices

Taking on a pet requires a certain level of commitment. For the most part, you will be responsible for the safety and well-being of another creature. Taking care of a turtle is no easy task. Choosing from among the types of pet turtles will entail careful thought. You will want to select a pet whose lifestyle can easily fit in with your own way of living. Here are three common types of pet turtles that you can consider rearing.

Box turtles

The box turtle is one of the more popular types of pet turtles that are found practically all over the world. Wherever there are damp, mossy areas, one is sure to find a box turtle inhabiting the land. These types of pet turtles are pretty territorial and are required to stay near their place of birth for their entire lifetime. As a matter of fact, if you try to remove a box turtle to another area half a mile from where it was born, it acquires the tendency to systematically search for its former habitat. It may not be able to find its way back to its old home but it will spend most of its life looking for it. This is one of those types of pet turtles that you will want to be cautious about because you need to create a living environment that is very similar to its old habitat. A box turtle is omnivorous so it can live off of insects, berries and various types of food products. They are ideal pets for people who live in the country because it is easier to recreate their natural habitat.

Slider turtles

Among the many types of pet turtles, sliders are probably the most controversial due to the salmonella scare in the 1970's. Apparently, young children have contracted the disease due to improper handling of slider turtles. However, through the years, these types of pet turtles have managed to redeem their popularity as they have always been known to make excellent pets. A slider can grow up to eleven inches long so you will probably need to replace your tank if you started with a ten-gallon aquarium for a baby turtle.

Slider turtles naturally live in swampy areas that have lots of mud such as shallow ponds and lakesides. These types of pet turtles love to bask in the sun for hours and are typically omnivorous. However they tend to minimize on their intake of meat as they grow older. You can try feeding your pet live goldfish, worm cubes and food sticks. It's also a good idea to feed it lots of lettuce and other types of vegetables.

Painted turtles

Painted turtles are probably the most beautiful types of pet turtles because of their colorful markings on their shells. The turtle usually has a dark olive to black skin color combined with red and yellow stripes on its legs and neck. It usually comes with a smooth carapace and can grow up to ten inches in length.

These types of pet turtles are generally aquatic. Compared to other species, they are a bit more complicated to take care of because they have specific habits that you need to take note of.

What You Should Never Feed Your Dog

If you are trying to find something decent to feed your dog there is hope. The first step will be to learning to read the labels on the cans, bags, and event the doggie treats and find out the good ingredients from the bad ones. That will help to make it safer and more nutritious for your dog while at the same time extending the years you get to spend with your pet.

Now learning to read the labels isn’t real difficult, there are some things that you can quickly spot to help you make a more informed decision about what to feed your dog. These ingredients should send up a red flag and tell you right away that this is not a good product for your dog.

The first on the list is “By-Product”. The dictionary has an interesting definition for this: Something produced in the making of something else. So this basically means the “CRAP” left over from making the good quality food. These can include intestines, duck bills, chicken and fish heads, chicken and turkey feet, hides, feathers, bones and others. All of these products are very hard for your dog to digest.

The next on the list is grain type products. You should never feed your dog these because like the by-products they are highly non-digestible and can cause kidney problems. These can include: whole grain wheat, whole wheat flour, ground whole wheat, ground whole grain sorghum, wheat gluten or wheat protein, wheat bran, rice bran, rice flour, soy, ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn and others. Corn is considered to be the number three allergen in dogs and cats.

This one will make you sick, “meat and bone meal”. Sounds harmless enough right? Use of this term means your dog food can legally contain dead animals. This can be from road kill or from your local veterinary’s office. These animals may have been put to sleep, so that chemical would be in the food, may have been using medications, died from diseases or other causes. This is definitely not what you what to feed your dog. Absolutely disgusting!!

The last thing on the list is preservatives. These are chemicals used to make dog food last up to two years on the shelves. Something else that is not well known is that before you even buy the food it can sit in trucks or in a warehouse for well over a year. The first two are “BHA” and “BHT”. These chemicals which are known carcinogens, are responsible for problems with you dogs liver and kidneys. The next one is “ETHOXYQUIN”. This chemical is used to prevent the fats in dog food from becoming rancid. You might also be interested in the fact that it has been used as a herbicide and a rubber stabilizer.

So now you have an idea of what to avoid on dog food labels. I’m sure there are many other things as well but this is a good start. Being informed about how to feed your dog or in this case what not to feed your dog is the best way to help ensure that it will lead a long and happy life.

Top 10 Smartest Dogs...

Of course we would all like to believe that our dog is the smartest dog in the world but honestly there are some breeds that usually are more intelligent then others and of course, there are some dogs that are just plain stupid as stupid is... I had one like that when I was a child. I still loved him just the same though.

In this article I will give you the top ten count down of the most intelligent dogs in the world. Do not be too concerned if your dog does not appear in either of these lists, as sometimes it is not always an advantage to have an intelligent dog. As expected, the more intelligent dogs generally need more stimulation or they will get bored and this can cause problems, particularly if they are left at home during the day when you are at work.

So lets start our count down with the tenth most intelligent dog...

Tenth on the list is the Australian Cattle Dog
The Australian Cattle Dog was originally bred for herding cattle, just as their name suggests. Obviously to be tenth on the list they are very intelligent, but they need to be stimulated, as one would expect from an intelligent dog. They are happy when they are working, as they need regular exercise and mental stimulation.

Ninth on the list is the Rottweiler.
Contrary to popular belief, the Rottweiler is actually a great family dog, and is not quite as fearsome as many people are led to believe. There are a highly intelligent dogs and respond well to training.

The eighth dog on the list of intelligence is the Papillon.
Like the Australian cattle dog the Papillon is very protective of its owner and makes a lovable and intelligent pet. And as with most intelligent dogs they are relatively easy to train.

Number seven on the list is the Labrador Retriever.
These are one of the most popular family dogs because of their good nature, which allows them to socialize well with other dogs and more importantly, children. Like the previous dogs on the list, Labradors need exercise, and particularly in their case, without exercise they tend to gain excessive weight.

Number six on our list of intelligent dogs is the Shetland sheepdog.
Like the Australian Cattle Dog the Shetland sheepdog were originally bred for herding cattle and sheep. Obviously to do this well they need some intelligence and that is why they have ended at number six on our list. They're not quite as good at socializing with other people or children but are excellent pets in their own family.

And at number five on that list is the Doberman.
It is important that the Doberman is trained early on in its life, as they can be quite temperamental. If they are trained they can be great family dogs and really good with children despite their reputation. They are highly intelligent, and like many intelligent dogs are very protective of their master and family.

Number four is the Golden Retriever.
It is often regarded as one of the most popular breeds of dog. They are great with children and are a very loyal and loving dog. It is not uncommon to see Golden Retrievers winning dog competitions where intelligence is of importance.

At number three it is the German Shepard!
The German Shepard is a dog that is often associated with police work and it is chosen for its police work due to its high intelligence. They make great family dogs and love children. They need to be kept busy with work or some form of stimulation otherwise they can become depressed and unhappy. They need to know who their master is from a young age to ensure both they and the family get the most out of their relationship.

The Poodle comes in at number two!
The second most intelligent dog might surprise a lot of people. Not only for the fact that they are highly intelligent, but also because they are one of the easiest dogs to train. They love people, and because of this they don't like to be left alone. They are very protective and can become quite vicious if anybody encroaches upon their property or territory.

And the number one all-time most intelligent dog of all is the Border Collie!
The Border Collie is another dog that is often seen winning competitions. They are highly intelligent, but along with that intelligence comes the need for them to be stimulated regularly.
They are happiest when they are working or performing in competitions or dog trials. So there you go, if you have a Border Collie, you know you have the most intelligent dog in the world, provided of course, that you have trained it well.

Dog Training Made Easy

Whether you have a seven pound Yorkshire Terrier or a two hundred pound Mastiff, a dog can sometimes be a real headache. They can become urinate all over the house, excessively whiny when they want something, and embarrass you in public by going all wacky when they encounter another dog. Just go to your local shelter and ask yourself why are all these dogs here. While there are dogs in the shelter for legitimate reasons (a family member develops an allergy for example), I'd say that over seventy percent of these dogs are in shelters because the owner simply did not spend the time to train his pet. This doesn't need to be the case people. There are ways to correct any issues you might have with your pet. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Tip #1

Your training environment should be somewhere your dog is familiar with, preferable in your home. Trying to train your dog at a local park for example, is not advised. Remember, a dog (especially a young pup) has a short attention span and with all the extra external distractions such as new landscapes, scents and objects your pet will be too distracted. This will take away from the training experience.

Tip #2

Initial training should only involve your dog and one family member. It should also be on a one to one basis. Again, this goes back to the distraction issue. If there are other people present when training takes place, it will greatly hinder your progress. It is recommended that only after your pet successfully learns a new trick (sit, stay), that the initial person who was training him model the steps to each family member. The observers should remain seated and quiet and to not overly excite your pet. When it's the observers turn to do the training, the same exact hand motion, words and vocal tone should be mimicked as to keep the training consistent.

Tip #3

Whoever said a way to man's heart is through his stomach has obviously never dealt with a dog. A reward for performing a desired behavior will serve to reinforce that behavior. While verbal praise is also viewed by the dog as a reward, a favorite treat can go a long way during a training session. You can break the treats into small pieces because you can easily go through a large amount of treats in a very short time. The treats should only be given when your pet performs a proper command. For example, if you tell Fido to sit and he rolls over your should not give him a treat!

It is important to understand that punishment should only be the withholding of a reward and a stern "NO". You should never ever scream or hit your dog. You want your dog to respect you, not fear you as this will only cause future resistance to training.

Once you follow these three simple tips, training your dog will be fun and simple. The two most important considerations are consistency and patience. The feeling of having your pet fully trained cannot be described in words. You will be proud of Fido and won't be able to wait to show them off to your friends, and equally, you will see how eager your pet will be to perform these tricks as they love to see their owners so proud of them.