Greyhound:Socialization

Greyhound:Socialization
One, who owns a greyhound or is looking to own one, should be aware of the fact that socialization is a very important factor, where these dogs are concerned.

The greyhounds, as the statistics support, have been mostly racing dogs, and 95% of them have made a transition from racers to pets. They are never really friendly with people whom they don t know and owing to their background as racers they tend to chase them off at first sight.

In fact, there appears to be a direct relationship between their chasing nature and unsocial attitude. About 20% of these dogs have an extremely high prey instinct.

A newly trained pet, or rather a greyhound that has just turned into a pet, after a long life on the racing tracks, is bound to be skeptical of strangers. You will find it playing to its heart s delight with the people in the house, but the mere sight of an outsider, an individual, a dog, a cat or even a rabbit will set him off. This happens primarily due to the fact that he has been used to running along the tracks all throughout his life when he had probably been given specific objects to keep sight of, which he could track down and thus win the race.

Once trained into a domestic animal, the greyhound makes a wonderful pet. Its transformation from a racer to a pet requires diligent training. Owners are almost always successful in taming them but when it comes to socializing them, they are faced with quite a challenge.

The greyhounds are usually sensitive and elegant, and very brave but they can be quite willful too. They are to be socialized at an early age before its too late and they end up turning into timid beasts. Owing to his reserved behavior towards his master as well as others, he tends to be undervalued.

Greyhounds are programmed as racers. Unless warned, they would probably even run through a glass door. They need specific care to the extent that even the general dog collar or leash can do them harm.

Before taking a greyhound, one should be perfectly conversant with the methods to train him into domestic life. Adoption centers with experts at handling animals are the best possible options to turn to when one is at a loss with a greyhound.

These professionals understand the mind of the dog. A dog that is used to a schedule of running at a particular time of the day and then again staying locked in a room for the rest of the day is bound to feel ecstatic when set scot-free. Domestic life for him would mean running around in his owner s house all throughout the day, without really having to follow too many ground rules.

This however, has its pros and cons. Settling into domestic life calls for certain norms to be adhered to as well, aside from being just a household pet. All these norms can sum up to what we call socialization.

Indoors, within the household, they are calm and adaptable to the point of being lazy and are not even watchful or alert. But outdoors, they need special care to get accustomed to the life outside.

While interacting with people who are not family members, they need to be molded into warm, friendly animals that know how to be at their best possible behavior even when confronted with a stranger.

Learn all about Dog
Adoption from the unique e-book Super Dogs and
Puppies.

If you are searching for dog socialization, learn how to choose the right factors.

: Nancy Richards has been a dog lover for the past 12 years. She has owned and handled dogs of different ages and have helped many fellow owners in training their dog

Is Pet Cremation the Right Option for You?
by Mark Greer ? 2006, All Rights Reserved

Because our pets are members of our families, pet loss is a tragic event. Many pet owners find themselves unprepared when their pet ages or becomes ill. If you are in one of these situations, or if you’ve recently suffered the sudden loss of your pet, you may be wondering if pet cremation is the right option for you. Allow me to answer several frequently asked questions regarding pet cremation so you can make a confident choice in the matter.

Why Should I Choose Pet Cremation?

When your pet is cremated, his/her remains are returned so that you may place them in a pet urn. This allows you the ability of keeping your pet close should you and your family relocate. It also offers the flexibility of burying some ashes or scattering some ashes in your yard or your pet’s favorite place while keeping the rest in a pet urn.

Is Cremation Just for Small Pets?

No. Cremation is available for pets of every size, from birds to horses.

How Do I Locate A Pet Crematory?

Your veterinarian can usually recommend a crematory or you may find one in your local telephone directory.

What Does the Process of Pet Cremation Involve?

Cremation is performed using a special furnace called a cremation chamber. The process requires extreme heat (usually 1500 ? 1600 degrees Fahrenheit) along with evaporation in the chamber to reduce the body to its basic elements, which are referred to as cremated remains or cremains. Also commonly called ashes, the cremains are in fact bone fragments, which are reduced further in size until they resemble a sand-like substance.

Are There Different Types of Cremation?

Yes, and because there are different types, you’ll want to confirm your preference with your vet or crematory. You’ll need to consider which one of the following methods best aligns with your wishes.

Private Cremation ? A pet is placed in the chamber alone, with no other pets. Upon completion of the cremation, the pet?s cremains are removed from the chamber, processed and returned to the owners for transferring to the pet urn of their choice.

Viewing Cremation - The owner, family and/or friends are permitted to be present in a viewing room during the cremation. This option is not available at all crematories so you’ll want to confirm availability prior to making arrangements if this is your preferred method.

Individual Cremation ? Pets share space in the cremation chamber with other pets. Each pet is separated from the others in the chamber so that their cremains can be returned to the proper owners.

Communal (Mass) Cremation ? Multiple pets are cremated together. This option does not allow for separate cremains. The pets’ ashes are not returned to the owner. It is common practice for these cremains to be disposed of commercially.

How Can I Be Sure I’ll Get My Pet’s Cremains?

Your veterinarian can supply the contact information for crematories he/she has a relationship with. Using a reputable crematory can assure you and your pet are both treated with respect.

How Do I Transfer the Ashes To A Permanent Pet Urn?

Your pet’s cremains will usually arrive in a temporary urn sealed in a plastic bag. The ashes are bagged to prevent accidental loss should the pet urn be dropped or damaged. The bag also helps to prevent damage from moisture. It is preferable to transfer the entire plastic bag of cremains into the permanent pet urn.

If you find it uncomfortable to place the ashes into the permanent urn, family members, friends, or your veterinarian can likely provide the support you need by helping to complete the transfer for you. Most permanent pet urns are not complicated to open having a simple panel with just a few screws.

While pet loss is always a difficult experience, knowing your pet will remain close to you can be enormously reassuring. By understanding the various aspects of pet cremation, you will be prepared to make a choice that will bring you comfort and peace.

Mark Greer is President of Angel Ashes, offering unique pet urns that provide a lasting tribute for your cherished friend. If you're considering <a href="http://www.angelashes.com/petcremation.htm">pet cremation</a>, visit us at <a href="http://www.angelashes.com">http://www.angelashes.com</a>. Our selection includes tasteful wood urns, our signature angel urns and others.

dog adoption costs
Before you decide to bring a dog home, it is absolutely essential that you give some thought to the costs that you will be incurring in the process. It s not the purchase alone, though even that is likely to be expensive in the case of some superior breeds of dogs, but also the cost of the equipments you will have to buy to make your home habitable for your pet. Then there are the visits to the vet, which have to be regularly made, and the expensive vaccinations, which the puppy has to be given. So, all in all, you will have to make pretty sure that your wallet can take the beating before you bring your doggy home.

What then, are the costs, and how much are they? Let s start at the beginning. You have to buy the dog unless you are lucky enough to have it presented to you by a friend or a family member and the cost of this initial purchase can vary very widely. The variance will firstly depend on the type of dog you are buying. A purebred companion only puppy usually starts from around $800 but can go up to astronomical amounts for rare or exotic breeds. If you prefer to adopt a non-purebred variety from a shelter, it will cost you from around $150 to $300.

Costs also differ in different geographic locations so it is difficult for us to tell you of one fixed sum that you will have to pay for any given variety of dog. Visit the sources in your locality from where people normally buy dogs and check on the prices. And this includes the internet. After some queries on your part, you will be able to come to a fix on what your desired dog costs.

Now that you ve got your dog, it s time to look at the other costs you will have to start to incur. Let s start with the one - time costs.

One Time Costs Average Cost
Fence $300 - $1500
Bowls $25
Collar $6
Training Collar $10
Leash $12
Bed $40
Crate $100
Brush/Grooming tools $20
Shampoo/ Coat care $15
Neuter/ Spay ( Based on weight ) $300
Microchip $50



Then there are the annual costs, which you have to be prepared for. I enumerate them below:

Vaccinations $185
Heartworm Test $35
Heartworm Preventive $65
Flea/Tick Preventive $120
Food $480
Toys/Treats $45
Tag $5

And then there are other costs:

Boarding ” per day ( with 2 playtimes ) $25
Grooming ” per time $50
Training classes ( Per 6-8 classes ) $100
Individual training ( Per session ) $100



And remember, this list is for grown up dogs and not puppies. If it s a puppy you are adopting, the costs increase. There s a check up, a series of 4 sets of vaccines, worming, heartworm tests, all of which will cost you close to $300. Then there is puppy food, which will set you back around $450 and toys/treats, which will cost approximately $65.

So, as you will have counted up from the figures given above, in the first year, you will be spending approximately $1500 to $2500 over and above the cost of buying your dog. After the first year, you will spend less per year ” about $1000. Smaller dogs cost a bit less and larger dogs cost more.

Apart from all this, your dog will have lifelong healthcare needs. There will be shots and medicines you will be administering as preventive care and there will almost certainly be unexpected accidents, injuries or illnesses, however well you look after your dog.

It is therefore utterly essential that you objectively evaluate your budget and come to a decision as to whether you can really afford a dog. He will look to you for your support in all things and you owe it to him to give him, not only your love, but proper care, food and medical attention. These don t come free ” so ask yourself whether you can afford to get that dog you always wanted. If you realize that you can t, it s best to do without, both for your sake and his.

Anybody is free to use the article in their website as long as an acknowledgement is given Nancy Richards' and a link to the site www.traindogsandpuppies.com

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