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The other week,an astonishing affair occurred on our Hayling Island. There was a 8 metre long whale beached on some mudflats just north of Hayling in the adjoinging Langstone Harbour, Hampshire.

Regrettably, the Northern Bottlenose whale had suffered from severe dehydration, which meant it was suffering from kidney failure, when it became pinned down on Wednesday night.

There was a great rescue scheme, where humans attempted tirelessly to salvage the whale’s life. There was a time when the team thought that the kind thing to do would be to put the formidable mammal to sleep with a lethal injection. But, the whale then swam out to sea again. Regrettably, it came back towards the coast again and was then beached for a 2nd and last time.

The medics decided that the only compassionate thing to do would be to supply the lethal injection, which they did on Friday morning. They used Immobilon, which was a very quick acting and fatal strength of anaesthetic.

If the mammal was not put to sleep, the experts believe that it would have taken about 2 further days for the whale to die, during which it would have remained sick and distressed.

It seemed bizarre that the 6 metric ton mammal, which is usually found about 3000 miles away, ended up here on Hayling Island, but it is another wonderful story that this south coast little island, called Hayling brings to its history.

There were around a dozen firefighters, police, coastguard personnel as well as members of the Hayling Island harvour lifeboat staff involved in the attempt.

You have a new pet it doesn’t yet have a name. You haven’t had 9 months to think of one as you would with your children, so what can you do to invent a name distinctive enough to fit?
Use any of the following naming methods to get that perfect pet name, one that will make you smile every time you call it.

Animal Instincts
Observe your pet during the first two or three days that it is in your house. It will start to show some of its behaviour and personality. Now think: what animal (apart from the animal it is!) is it acting like? This is your new pets name. For example my brother bought a hamster, and saw that it would stand upright on her hind legs to look around. When it did this she looked like a miniature Polar Bear, so her name became ‘Polar’. My hamster’s main behaviour, however, was to climb up the side walls of his cage then, having nowhere to go, he would jump down heavily to the ground. His name is Lemming (shortened to Lemmy).

The Flattery
This is a very crafty naming method as it has the double benefits of getting your pet named and being a very cheap present. Name your pet after your boss/friend/client/colleague. Don’t forget to tell the human whose name you have used, as they will be very flattered that you have thought about them in this important decision, they will feel like a godparent.
Warning: if you fall out with the person, please don’t take it out on their animal namesake.

Celebrity Look-alikes
Look deeply at your new creature, which celebrity/historical figure do they resemble? Try to notice the features that are unique to the individual rather just the traits of that particular breed to get a personalised name (e.g. all cats look like Joan Collins, but who does your cat in particular look like?).

Battle of the Bands
Every rock/pop/jazz band have spend days agonising about getting the perfect name to describe their music, attitude, and values. You can bypass all this hard work by stealing their name! Choose the name of a band you like, or a band whose name seems to fit for your pet.
Just look at the Top 20 single and album charts for inspiration. Some examples are: Goldfrapp (for a gerbil?) Pulp (Alsatian?), Pink (Gecko?), Black Eyed Pea (rabbit?).

Colour Scheme
Another area where good names are devised is the names given to paint colours. Visit your local hardware Superstore and pick up a leaflet from a paint manufacturer. The leaflet will be filled with lots of rich and beautiful names that will work equally well for your pet’s new name. You can choose the name that describes the colour of your pet, or you can be a bit more flexible and just consider which names sound the nicest. Here are some examples: Soft Spice, Energise, Lemon Squash, Bermuda and of course Matt!

You, or your pet, can be a Saint - right now - at the author’s web business. Become a Saint at http://www.yousaint.com for a modest donation of £35.

The German Shepherd Dog truly is a wonderful animal and not only do they make
good working dogs, they also make superb family pets. They are however very
different from other pet breeds and need to be handled and trained with a different
approach to say your average labrador or poodle for instance.

The GSD is a large, strong athletic dog, which needs a lot of mental stimulation and
exercise but a well trained shepherd can learn to do almost anything. These dogs
positively thrive on challenging activities and they are so willing to serve their
master and please. As a working dog used by most police forces, the very look of a
GSD is usually enough to act as a deterrent but when called into action there are few
dogs that can match the German Shepherd as an all rounder.

If you are considering becoming an owner of a GSD then you need to consider the
commitment to training in order that you have happy, well behaved German
Shepherd dog that you can take out safely in public.

If you haven’t previously owned one of these dogs then please do not take on a
youngster lightly. Being involved in GSD rescue I have lost count of the number of
young dogs I have had to re-home because owners bought them without doing a bit
of research first.

As youngsters they can be very boisterous and can easily knock over children or
elderly relatives, especially if you do not discourage the dog from jumping up when
excited. A bored GSD can be very destructive and if left alone will trash your house
and contents with ease using their big teeth and claws. Unfortunately these dogs
don’t really mature until they are about 3 years old so you are in for the long haul to
get through the puppy and adolescent stage

The German Shepherd needs to be well socialised from an early age and needs
plenty of exposure to people and other dogs so that they do not develop aggressive
tendencies as they mature.

Joining a dog training class from an early age is a good idea and most clubs will
accept dogs into the puppy classes from about 4 months onwards. This should be
good fun for your puppy and allows him to play and to socialise but it also serves
the purpose of teaching him or her what is acceptable and what is not. This will
prove invaluable grounding for your German Shepherd training.

When choosing a dog training class do check out a few first as not all classes make
German Shepherds welcome and if any club asks that you muzzle your dog, please
give it a miss and move on and find another club. No reputable dog training class
would require a dog to be muzzled. If your dog is aggressive towards other dogs
there are better ways of controlling the dog safely such as by using a Canny Collar
which is a simple effective head collar similar to those used on horses.

The earlier you start training and socialisation the better as GSD’s often develop a
tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs and also towards strangers and they
can become very protective towards their owners and property.

Another important part of training your german shepherd is to get him used to
being groomed because they shed copious amounts of hair and although they only
moult once a year, it lasts for 365 days. So be prepared for dog hair all over your
house, your clothes, in your food and buy yourself a very good vacuum cleaner.

Training your German Shepherd should be very much part of everyday life and is
should be fun so stick with it because it really will be worth it in the end.

Training Your GSD Written by Jayne Shenstone who runs German Shepherd Rescue UK which helps rescue and rehome GSD’s across the UK

There is a difference of opinion among canine experts as to whether bones should be given to a dog raw, cooked, hard, or soft, and even whether they should be given at all. On one point, however, there is total agreement, never give a dog splintering bones from chicken, pork, fowl, and rabbit, (although chicken bones that have been cooked in a pressure cooker until they are very soft can be quite nourishing and safe).

A marrow bone is the traditional symbol of a treat for a dog, and he obviously appreciates it. It may be too big and hard for small dogs. In fact, large breeds generally handle bones much better than small ones. Bones that are mostly cartilage, such as spinal and shoulder bones of veal, knuckle bones, and soft rib bones, are good chewing material that can be entirely consumed.

The real danger is intestinal compaction, especially in small dogs, if the masticated bone has not been mixed with other residue in the dog’s stomach. A small amount should cause no trouble if it is given right after a meal. Chop and steak bones are more dangerous. Careful eaters simply clean off the meat and fat, but greedy gobblers run the risk of internal injury from jagged bone splinters. The same is true of a leg of lamb bone.

What is the best policy to follow with a dog of your own? A teething puppy between four and six months of age should always have a bone, real or imitation, to chew on. You might give an adult dog a suitable bone as on occasional treat - for example, once a week. It will give him enormous pleasure, will help to keep his teeth clean and free from tartar, and will occupy him for several hours. But a nylon bone offers the same advantages without the risk!

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed Joncopets.com. On the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest designer dog carriers designer dog clothes and more for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://www.joncopets.com

If you’re in the market for a purebred dog, you’ll need to find a breeder from which to purchase the animal. This can often be as easy as opening the classified advertising section of your local newspaper, but you’ll want to be sure that the breeder you’ve chosen is reputable. There are several ways to help ensure that the breeder you’ve found knows his stuff and is reliable, professional, and trustworthy.

Ask for References

Any good breeder will be able to provide you references of clients he has worked with in the past. These will be people who have purchased a puppy or utilized stud services and will be happy to share their experiences with you. Choosing a breeder that was used by someone you know is a good choice as well. If your friend or family member was happy with the service and treatment he or she received from the breeder, the odds are good that you will be as well.

Prepare to be Asked Questions

A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him, perhaps more. Good breeders work to ensure that the dogs they breed are placed with the correct people. They may ask whether you have children, what size home or yard you have, and numerous other questions to help them let you know whether the dog you’re seeking is right for you and your family. A breeder that doesn’t ask these types of questions may be looking just for the money from the sale of the dog and is probably not the sort of breeder you want to do business with. A good breeder always has the best interest of both the dog and the clients in mind.

Guarantees

A good breeder will have had the puppies checked for potential health risks before ever selling the animal. Some problems, however, simply are not detectable until later in life. If you purchase a golden retriever pup, for example, and six months later discover that it has hip dysplasia (a genetic defect in the animals hip joints, it is often nearly undetectable until the animal is several months old), a good breeder will issue a refund to you, no questions asked. Genetic defects like this are avoided by the use of selective breeding (hip dysplasia in dogs has between a 25% and 85% chance that it is genetic in origin), but sometimes a pup will display the disorder even if there is no trace of it in either parent’s history.

Other Sources

Aside from looking in the newspaper of on the internet for a dog breeder, breeders can be found through veterinarian’s offices, pet supply stores, and at dog shows. Dog shows are a very good choice since the breeders that attend these events are often showing one of their dogs or are there to see the performance of one that they bred and sold in the past.

About The Author

Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.

Whenever there’s a special occasion that requires the giving of gifts, only a few people usually feel the need to spend more than a few moments on thinking about a gift that would really mean a lot to the recipient. When giving gifts, we should always remember that it’s truly the thought that counts so no matter the price tag attached to the gift, if it strikes the recipient as impersonal, the gift would then be not as special as you want it to be.

Whatever the occasion, as long as the recipient is a pet lover, you might try considering giving him or her a portrait of his favorite pet as a gift.

A lot of pets who display almost human intelligence like dogs can serve a lot of purposes in a person’s life and provide not only aid in their daily routines but also friendship and protection. Pets unfortunately have a short life span, compared to that of humans, so people can enjoy only a brief relationship with their pets.

With a portrait of their pets, they’ll be able to remember them and never forget what they look like. When they feel that they miss their favorite pets, they only have to look at the portrait and feel as if their pets are always nearby.

There are artists who specialize in pet portraits. If you’re considering giving pet portraits as a gift, it’s best to spend time researching for artists who truly have expertise in doing pet portraits. Doing pet portraits after all is not as ordinary as sketching apples because you need to master a few skills, for instance, when trying to perfect the look and color of an animal’s fur.

Doing a portrait of any animal or pet would also require an infinite amount of patience and expert guidance that not all artists possess. As they’re animals, it’s impossible to expect them to follow your every order.

If you don’t want to base the pet portraits on photos, you may have to offer your pet several incentives to let him obey your wishes. Offer them treats in exchange of staying still for a certain period of time. If it’s okay with you, a sleeping pet is no doubt a better subject than one who’s awake.

However hard it may be, everything would be worth it when you see the smile on your friend’s face as you give them their much-awaited gift!

Grace Palce is writing articles for direct portrait, a very fast and easy to use painting from photo service. Specializing in pet portraits.

Puppies need to go to the bathroom after they play, chew, drink, eat or sleep. Start by putting them on a leash and tethering them to you. That way you can be aware of them when they start sniffing the ground (usually a cue the puppy needs to go potty). Pick them up and carry them outside. When they go potty, tell them “good potty” and give a cookie as a reward. Do not let your puppy off leash until they have finished going so they get into the habit of going potty, then playing. Many puppies will want to go outside just to play if you let them off leash first.

What if my puppy has an accident?
He will. Do not punish your puppy though. If you catch your puppy in the act then clap your hands or pick them up - this will make your puppy stop going. Get him outside FAST and let him finish up out there. Reward him for going outside. Clean up the mess with petzorb which will remove the odor completely.
Do NOT rub their nose in it, swat them with a newspaper, or isolate your puppy. It will only teach them to not go in front of you.

If your puppy is going frequently in the house you are probably not supervising them enough. Watch and learn their cues. If you feel you are watching and your puppy isn’t getting it you can always have them checked for a Urinary tract infection.

If your puppy piddles when you greet them, this could be submissive urination. This would be a problem that is usually cured by ignoring the behavior and letting your puppy calm down before touching them when you first see them.

This article not only applies to puppies, but it is how you should train a dog of any age. If you can’t supervise your dog, please put them in a crate to help curb accidents. Remember, dogs go where they go most!

This can be a trying time, so have patience and you will get through it.

About the Author

Amy Dunphy, CPDT is the owner and operator of the Dog Trainer Search