Petsmu

The risk of parvo increases for a breeder each and every time the breeder allows the general public to come into contact with their puppies and dogs, regardless of their age. Problems also arise when a breeder not only allows multiple people to handle their young puppies but when the breeder fails to vaccinate the dogs they create. You would be amazed at how many dogs and young puppies go unvaccinated for this dreadful disease.

As Goldendoodle breeders hop on the bandwagon, more and more seem to not be very experienced with canine in general, much less properly care for the puppies they bring into this world. Laziness or lack of owner irresponsibility, there really is no excuse NOT to vaccinate your Goldendoodle or young puppies when it is readily available in most pet stores, feed stores as well as many canine supply sites all across the internet. Because the age at which individual puppies can respond to parvovirus vaccination varies, all puppies should be vaccinated beginning at age 8 weeks, if not sooner. There should be a series of five vaccinations given at 2-4 week intervals as the puppy ages. While there are many different brands available, most are within a single vaccine such as your 7-in one; 8-in one. Prices can range anywhere from $2 per vaccine to $15 per vaccine. (7-in one & 8-in one means there are a series of 8 various vaccinations combined into one shot.)

It has been our own experience that some vaccinations not only cause problems for the Goldendoodle dog, but some do not even help protect them from parvo. We began to use NEO-PAR in 2005 because it was a quality brand of vaccine that covered five different strains of parvo as well as could be given to our pups while they were still nursing at the age of three weeks. We could also re-vaccinate at 2 week intervals without any incidence of problems. For some reason, the Goldendoodle dog can be very sensitive to vaccines. Some can have seizures, some can die and some can become extremely ill within 24 hours of their vaccination. Unless the owner tells their veterinarian about this issue, they will not check FIRST to see if your dog is having a bad vaccine reaction should this occur. We had a higher incidence of parvo with our young puppies when we did NOT have our strict purchase policy put into place. Since implementing our strict purchase policy of NOT allowing the general public to handle or come into contact with our young puppies, we have not had a single incidence of parvo. Our strict policy as well as changing our vaccines to Neo-Par made a huge difference!

Changing the way we worked as a breeder made all the difference in the world even though we had lots of potential consumers NOT happy with our change of policy. Breeders can make the difference between life and death where their puppies are concerned if they have a strict policy in place and change the brand of vaccines if they are having issues with the ones they presently use. Every breeder has their own choice of brand they use for vaccines, however, for us, Neo-par made all the difference in the world. For years it has been known that Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers all responded poorly with parvo vaccines and for a long time, no one knew why. Studies have been conducted on both of these breeds and to date, I am not sure if they came up with a solution as to what specific brand worked out better for either breed. Since 1999, we have always known that Goldendoodles react differently to vaccines than many other types of dogs. We did NOT realize until 2004 that the brand we had been using was NOT affective at all in protecting our Goldendoodles from parvo and distemper! In 2005, we spoke with a company that offers vaccinations to the general public and we spoke at great lengths of what was going on. We were fortunate enough to have found a gentleman who had 25 years of vaccination experience that really changed everything for us! His knowledge turned the tables with ONE vaccine! New high titer-low passage vaccines are most effective than older vaccines even in the presence of maternal antibodies, and have narrowed the window of susceptibility that occurs between declining levels of maternal antibodies and acquired immunity produced by the vaccination.

We discovered that by NOT allowing the general public to enter our premises unless they made a financial commitment to a puppy and by vaccinating our young puppies at the age of three weeks instead of waiting until they were six or eight weeks of age, our puppies remained parvo free and this reduced the risk of possible exposure dramatically! Many breeders never give if a single thought when someone calls them wanting to “swing by and have a looksie” at their adorable puppies. We learned tragically of how dangerous this simple request could be! Until more breeders hope on the STRICT POLICY bandwagon, more puppies will become infected with parvo in 2008. Breeding dogs should be vaccinated two to four weeks before being breed to ensure high levels of antibody in their colostrum. However, if you have a kennel, it is NOT recommended that you only vaccinate one dog. If you are vaccinating one dog, you must vaccinate them all. Parvo virus in the vaccine is eliminated through the stool and can cause unvaccinated dogs to pick up this disease. Parvo can transmit itself to other dogs whose immunity has not been built up, therefore causing parvo to occur in any aged dog. Some vets claim this virus is airborne and some vets and sites claim it is not, however, there is no actual…factual information available whether it is or it isn’t. Puppies are the most affected by this disease and it is not always caused by the pup coming into contact with other sick pups, dogs or infected feces. Parvo can infect a dog or puppy from many various sources and ways. Symptoms are listlessness, vomiting, severe drooling, pale gums, high fever and acute abdominal pain. Parvo causes severe gastric damage and will cause internal bleeding if your puppy is left untreated, rapidly. The virus is shed in large amounts in the stools of acutely infected dogs as well as those who have been recently vaccinated. It can be transmitted by air current, oral contact with infected feces, carried by your clothing, shoes, hair and any other object. Parvo can last as long as 7 years in the ground….but sometimes can be killed with the first heavy snow fall. Parvo effects dogs of all ages but mostly young puppies from 6-20 weeks of age.

Unless more breeders become vigilante about incorporating a strict policy to put a stop to those who “breeder hop” handling multiple puppies in a single day and place their puppies and dog in a vaccination program, more and more puppies will become infected with parvo. Each and every year new strains of parvo occur. It is up to the breeders and owners to keep their pets safe from this dreadful disease.

About the author: Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional, registered breeder for 11+ years. She has written many popular Goldendoodle articles that can be located on various websites across the internet.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Before you attempt to make your dog drop at a distance, teach her first to drop directly in front of you on the first command and on the first signal.

With the dog on leash, facing you, hold the leash in your left hand (it is presumed, of course, that your dog already knows how to lie down as outlined in The Complete Novice Obedience Course). without moving your body, command “Down!”

Use a quiet tone of voice and follow the command with “Good Girl!” The praise is important! It encourages the dog to obey without leash correction. If one is necessary, it will be more favorably received.

If your dog obeys the first command to lie down, go to your right, circle around in back, and while she is in the down position, pat her. If the command is ignored, quickly stamp on the leash with your right foot to get her down, giving extra praise.

Circle around, pat her, but don’t let her get up until you give her permission. With a small dog, or one that is extra sensitive, tap the leash more gently.

After your dog lies down on voice command, tell her “Sit!” This time raise your right hand (this is the signal used by right-handed people to make the dog lie down) and follow the signal with “Good Girl!” If your dog isn’t down by the time your hand is raised with fingers pointing UP, stamp on the leash or bump the palm of the raised hand against the dog’s nose, with extra praise.

Say “down!” at the same time, then circle around to heel position and pat her while she is lying down. The important things to remember are these: Give the command without body motion; when you use the signal, raise your hand, wait, then make the correction; and whether you use your hand or your foot to get your dog down, give praise!

The way you give the signal is also important. Lift your hand quickly, then lower it slowly while the dog is in the process of going down. If you drop the hand too fast, it will look like the signal to come and your dog could be confused.

When your dog will lie down immediately on a single command, and will do the same when you give the signal, try it without the leash, but stay close to your dog. Give the command or signal once, then follow with praise. The praise can be dropped after the dog has learned to react immediately, but during the teaching, praise should accompany the voice and the hand gesture.

When the leash is off, and the command or signal is ignored, the bump on the nose is an effective correction. Return to heel position each time your dog goes down; pat her or give her a tasty morsel so she will associate something pleasant with the prone position.

Gradually increase the distance you stand away, but only if your dog will drop immediately, on a single command or signal, a distance equal to the length of the leash. With the dog some distance away, the voice now becomes the correction. When the command or signal is ignored, give the second command demandingly.

The ultimate goal for the drop in the distance should be twenty-five to thirty feet, to prepare your dog for drop on recall.

If you still have trouble making your dog lie down at a distance, fasten a long line to her collar and run the line through a ring in the floor, or one placed in the ground. Ask an assistant to hold the end of the line at a distance (or hold the line yourself). Tell your dog “Stay!” Face her, then give the signal or the command to lie down. If she remains sitting, the pull on the line will put her down. Return, make her sit, and give her praise.

About the author: Finally You Can Master The Art Of Dog Training Obedience! Click Here For A Free Online E-Book: http://www.dogtrainingobedience.org/

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

That is the reason why calcium reactors are so important to be used in aquariums. These calcium reactors can produce calcium continuously in the tank to the precise levels required so that optimal conditions are maintained. Calcium reactors will use up the carbon dioxide that is given off as a waste product into the aquarium and generate calcium, which can be useful in a number of ways to the inhabitants of the aquarium.

The following are two important ways in which calcium reactors become indispensable to the aquarium.

The most prominent benefit of using calcium reactors is that they maintain the pH value of the water. The pH value of the water has to be maintained at a neutral state, but if the level changes, then the water can become too acidic or too alkaline for the inhabitants of the tank. When calcium is released into the water by the calcium reactors, it helps to stabilize the pH value of the water and maintain it at an optimum level.

Algae that live in the aquarium play an important role in the closed ecosystem of the tank. They are useful for the sustenance of living organisms in your reef tank. For example, some of these algae could help the corals within your tank with their nutrition by forming a mutually benefiting association with them. But algae, especially the algae that grow on corals, require calcium to survive. Calcium reactors help to fulfill this necessity.

Setting up a calcium reactor in an aquarium is very simple, and you can do it yourself by referring to a DIY guide. Calcium reactors are set up by assembling several components. Here is a list of the different components that need to be assembled:-

1. Carbon dioxide cylinder - The carbon dioxide is available in a pressurized cylinder. It is present in a refillable bottle. It is attached by straps to the aquarium so that it does not accidentally fall over.

2. Calcium carbonate medium - The medium is kept within the calcium reactor and it gets dissolved into the tank. The dissolution is controlled by the pH values that are set within the reactor. These calcium carbonate media are different substances containing CaCO­3 in them, such as calcite for example. They are slowly allowed to dissolve into the tank.

3. Solenoid valve - The solenoid valve is like a switch that is used to allow the carbon dioxide to flow into the reactor. It is usually connected between the carbon dioxide cylinder and the main reactor. Another method of connection is to attach it to the pH controller and then to put the probe into the reactor.

4. Pump - The pump will be required to feed the water into the reactor. The attachment of the pump will depend on the kind; however the pump connection must be such that a proper circulation of water is maintained into the reactor.

About the author: SaltySupply.com offers the most premium aquarium supplies on the net. We offer protein skimmers, powerheads, pumps and more for your saltwater aquarium
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com