Stop your dog from jumping

Every time I came home, our German Shepherd, Brutus, greeted me by jumping on me. While this might not be bad for smaller dogs, Brutus weights 100 pounds and can easily knock me over if I’m not prepared for his jump. While I am as excited to see him as he is to see me, I don’t like being jumped on and I like him jumping on guests even less. Realizing that jumping is a natural way for a dog to greet you, it doesn’t mean that you cannot teach him new behavior with a better way to greet you.

There are several ways you can teach your dog not to jump. The training method I like to use is to teach my dog what to do, rather than what not to do. To do this I simply taught Brutus that I wanted him to have all four paws on the floor to greet me and then reinforced this with a reward of a warm welcome when he greets me correctly. If he did not greet me correctly, his warm greeting is postponed until he behaves correctly.

When I come home, I give Brutus the command of “down.” This command tells Brutus that I want all four paws on the ground. This command works whether Brutus is jumping to greet me or thinking he is going to be a lap dog (all 100 lbs of him). The command of “down” means, in every situation to put all four paws on the ground. Always reinforce good behavior with a reward, whether you use a treat or praise him, make sure your dog knows he behaved correctly. This will encourage continued good behavior.

Use any command word that works for you. Many people use the command of “off” to keep the dog from jumping and use the command of “down” to have the dog lay down. So, use what ever works for you. I use a different command to have Brutus lay down, so the “down” command for not jumping works well for our family.

What tips do you have for keeping your dog from jumping on you?

Tips for giving cats pills

Sometimes it can be very difficult to give cats pills. Here are some tips that might help you.

Crush the pill into powder
Crush the pill into a fine powder. This can be done using a spoon or by using a pill crusher, which are very convenient to use. Before using the pill crushing method, make sure to talk to your vet to see if this is an option for the medication being used. Some medications work on a time released bases, if this is the case you should not crush the pill as too much of the medication will be released at one time. If you can crush the pill, try giving the crushed pill to your cat mixed with food that they like. If you have other pets, make sure to monitor the food bowl to make sure the proper pet is getting the medication.

Hiding the pill
This method works great for some cats. Hide the food in a special treat your cat hardly ever gets. Be sure to talk to your vet in advance to make sure you can use food with the medication. Some of the foods that work great are cream cheese, tuna and for some cats, peanut butter works great. First try giving your cat a little piece of the treat without the medicine to make sure your cat will eat it and to get him excited for more. If the trial method goes well, hide the pill and give it to your cat.

Wrap the cat
Get a syringe filled with water and the medication ready. Then wrap your cat securely in a towel, which will immobilize the cat and keep you from getting scratched. Open the cat’s jaw by pressing your thumb and forefinger on the jaw hinges. Once the jaw is open, put the pill down the throat getting the pill as far back in his mouth as possible. Then squirt some water into your cat’s mouth using the syringe to help him swallow the pill. Hold your cat’s mouth closed and stroke his throat, which will help him to swallow. Don’t release your hold on your cat until you know he has swallowed the pill.

Most vets will tell you to never dry-pill a cat as the medication can cause erosion in the esophagitis, which is damaging and painful.

Chair method
Get the medication and a syringe filled with water ready. Use a chair with a back rest. Pick your cat up and scruff your cat. Lower your cat until his front paws are resting on the top of the backrest with his back legs dangling. This position will automatically put the cat’s mouth in an open, upward position and will make your cat automatically swallow. Push the pill to the back of the cat’s mouth and follow with water from the syringe. This method will take a little practice, but works well once you have gotten the technique down.

Tips
Always give your cat water immediately after a pill.

Train your cat when he is a kitten to take pills and the process will go much smoother as he gets older.

Coat the pill in a small amount of butter or margarine. This helps to hide the taste of the medicine and helps your cat swallow the pill easier.

Always praise your cat with lots of hugs and kisses afterwards. Giving him a cat treat is also a good idea.

If you have other cats, make sure they are not getting the medication if you are putting the mediation in the food bowl.

If you put the pill in your cat’s mouth. Watch your cat afterwards to make sure they don’t spit the pill out.

Always talk to your vet to see what method they recommend and to make sure the pill is compatible with your preferred method.

What method has worked the best for you?

Make your own suet

Keep your garden birds happy with your home-made suet.

12 oz lard

16 tablespoons sesame seeds

16 tablespoons hulled sunflower seeds

16 tablespoons crushed biscuits

6 tablespoons raisins

4 tablespoons peanut butter

Using a double boiler, melt the lard over a low heat. Let it to cool down and then transfer to a medium-size bowl. Mix in the sesame and sunflower seeds, biscuit crumbs and raisins, and then add the peanut butter. Stir well until combined. Let the mixture harden overnight. To use, place the mixture in a standard suet feeder or hang it in a piece of coarse netting, which allows the birds to reach it.

Do you have any suet recipes to share?

Hummingbird food

It seems like everyone loves Hummingbirds with their usual size, flight and beauty. Many of us try every year to attract more Hummingbirds to our yards. Here is a recipe that I like to use.

1 part sugar to 4 parts water.

Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar. Continue boiling until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once the mixture has cooled, fill up your feeders and watch for your little friends to visit. You can store any left over liquid in the fridge so it is always handy to refill the feeder.

While Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, do not add red food coloring to the mixture as this can cause infections on their tongues. Also, remember to clean the feeders often and change the liquid when it gets cloudy.

Some of the most common flowers that Hummingbirds enjoy are Honeysuckle, Clematis, Impatiens, Phlox and Fuchsia.

Then sit back and enjoy your little feathered friends when they come to visit.

Do you have any Hummingbird stories or recipes to share with us?

Keeping cats off the counter

We love our little felines, but they don’t necessarily belong on the counter. Now, if you don’t mind them being on the counter, they will certainly be willing to visit you while you are cooking. But, if you would like to keep cats off the counter give this a try.

Put all food items away so they don’t have any reason to keep coming back to the counter. Then put double-sided tape on the counter. The tape will stick to your cat’s paws as he tries to walk around, which your cat will not enjoy. You can also place jars or cans filled with a few coins around the counter. This will startle your cat when he jumps on the counter. Very soon you will find that your cat no longer wants to jump on the counter.

While this is a personal choice whether you allow cats on your counters, keep in mind that when your cats do jump on the counter they are close to the stove, which could seriously injure your cat.

What other methods have your tried that worked for you?

Stop your cat from eating plants

Many people do not mind when their cat eats plant. But, you need to make sure that the plants he is eating are not poisonous. To keep cats from chewing on plants, spray the plant with a bitter-apple cat repellent or hot pepper sauce.

While there are many poisonous plants, here are just a few that are commonly grown by many of us.

Azalea
Clematis
Daffodil
English Ivy
Ferns
Geranium
Honeysuckle
Marigold
Tulip

For a complete list, please visit http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

Do you have other ways to keep cats away from your plants?

Crate training

Crate training your dog while he is young can be very beneficial to you and your dog. When introduced and trained to the crate correctly, the crate serves as a natural place for your dog to go and hang out when he is tried or just wants to get away from household activities. The crate also provides your dog with a den-like enclosure which is instinctual for your dog to crave.

While there are many things to consider and do to train your dog to a crate, remember the crate should never be used as punishment. The crate is your dog’s home and sanctuary. Using the crate as a disciplinary method will make your dog not want to use the crate at all.

Once crate trained, you will find it easier to take your dog on trips or confine him when work is being done in the house and you don’t want to let your dog loose as he may get hurt or let out of the house.

Important reminders about using crates. Always remove your dog’s collar before confining him to the crate. Even flat buckle collars can get stuck on the bars which can seriously injure your dog, and don’t use crates in hot temperatures.