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Grooming Your Dog

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:40:01 +0000

Dogs take care of some of their grooming needs on their own, but still need a helping hand from their owners. Taking the time to groom your dog on a regular basis has its own rewards; it strengthens your bond with her and allows you to notice health problems before they become serious. If you find your dog won’t sit still for an ear-to-tail going over, do one task each day. As she gets used to you handling her, you can begin to combine tasks so that you spend your time more efficiently.

Licking, scratching and shaking are ways dogs keep their coats clean and somewhat free of debris. A good brushing performed by you will keep her fur clean and free from painfully matted hair. Longhaired dogs should be brushed every day, to prevent tangles in their fur. Dogs with shorthair or smooth coats can be brushed once each week. Some dogs love the massage of a good brushing, but others take a while to get used to it. If your dog tries to escape while being brushed, get her used to it in small steps. Start by just running the brush along her coat two or three times while you talk to her in a happy voice. Give her a treat at the end of the session. Each time you work with her, increase the length of time you brush her.

As you brush your dog, run your hands through her fur down to the skin to look for plant debris and fleas. If you notice lots of dark specks on her skin, she has fleas. The specks are flea droppings. A very obvious amount of droppings indicates a flea infestation that should be treated immediately. As you brush the hair on and around her tail, look for rice-like debris. These are usually a sign that your dog has worms of one sort or another. You will need to have her checked by your veterinarian to determine the type of worm and get the proper medication.

Dental problems are common in dogs. To avoid costly veterinary treatments, keep your dog’s teeth in top shape by brushing her teeth each day. You can use a child’s toothbrush, or a finger toothbrush designed for use on pet’s teeth. Be sure to only use toothpaste labeled for use on pets; human toothpaste can be toxic to your dog. In addition to brushing, give your dog rawhide chews to gnaw on-they help keep her teeth and gums healthy.

Some grooming tasks don’t need to be done everyday. Ears and nails can be checked weekly and monthly, respectively. Once each week, look inside your dog’s ears. If you see coffee-ground-like specks, your dog may have ear mites. You should check your dog’s nails at least once each month. If you walk your dog frequently on sidewalks, she is probably wearing her nails down on the concrete. However, it is important to check to be sure they have not grown too long. Dogs with overgrown nails develop physical problems as they shift their weight as they walk to avoid discomfort. You can learn the proper way to clip your dog’s nails from a standard pet care book, or your veterinarian.

About the Author

This article courtesy of http://www.dog-training-tools.com

Greyhound Complete Profile

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:40:01 +0000

Key Facts:

Size: Medium – large
Height: 68 – 76 cm (27 – 30 inches)
Weight: 27 – 32 kg (60 – 70 lb)
Life Span: 15 years
Grooming: Minimal
Exercise: Essential
Feeding: Medium
Temperament: Affectionate & even-tempered
Country of Origin: England
AKC Group: Hound

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Sleek, muscular and active.
Colour: Blue, white, red, black, brindle and fawn with or without white patches.
Coat: Fine and close.
Tail: Set low, long, tapering, curved slightly upwards and carried low.
Ears: Rose shaped, small and set high.
Body: The body is tall and elegant and the chest is deep and wide. The ribs are well sprung, deep and well back. The back is broad, muscular and well-arched and the shoulders are well laid back, muscular with good angulation.

Temperament:
Gentle, intelligent and affectionate. Greyhounds are very good-natured and gentle with people of all ages. They are an intelligent breed and use their own initiative, especially if they believe they are given pointless instructions. They need gentle and persuasive handling. They tend to quite cautious with strangers but get on well with children.

Grooming:
Occasional grooming with a soft brush is sufficient. The ears should be checked often and the claws kept trimmed.

Exercise:
Exercise is essential for Greyhounds with their tremendous stamina. They enjoy going for long walks or runs, but should be kept on a lead as they are likely to run off. Having them run alongside a cycle is a good form of exercise and a way to burn off excess energy.

History:
Greyhounds can be traced back to 4000 BC where they are depicted in Egyptian carvings. It is believed that the Greyhound arrived in Britain in pre-Christian times when the seafaring Phoenicians used the dogs as goods for bartering. Despite the Greyhounds long history their breed type has hardly changed. It is believed that the name Greyhound originated from the words ‘great hound’, ‘Greek hound’ or ‘gazehound’. But one thing for sure is that the name has nothing to do with the colour.

Additional Comments:

If Greyhounds are given the chance they will chase and kill small animals. Due to these natural instincts, they are not ideal pets for people who own cats or other household pets that are likely to be chased by these dogs.
These dogs are suitable for living in an outdoor kennel as they are reasonably resistant to the cold.

About the Author

This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/greyhound/

Great Dane Complete Profile

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:40:02 +0000

Key Facts:

Size: Giant
Height: Dogs minimum: 76 cm (30 in)
Bitches minimum: 71 cm (28 in)
Weight: Dogs minimum: 54 kg (120 lb). Bitches minimum: 46 kg (100 lb)
Life Span: 10 years
Grooming: Simple
Exercise: Medium
Feeding: Demanding
Temperament: Dignified & kind
Country of Origin: Germany
AKC Group: Working
Other Names: German Mastiff, Deutsche Dogge

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Giant, calm and graceful.
Colour: Blue, black, fawn, brindle or harlequin (white with torn black splashes).
Coat: Glossy, short and thick.
Tail: Set high, tapering and carried in a straight line level with the back.
Ears: Medium size, triangular, set high and folded forward. The ears may be cropped within some countries.
Body: The body is deep and broad with well sprung ribs. The back is short and firm with a full croup. The shoulders are long and sloping and the belly is arched.

Temperament:
Intelligent, affectionate and gentle. These dogs are often referred to as ‘gentle giants’ and make excellent family companions. They get on well with people of all ages and other household pets. Great Danes are people orientated, sensitive, intuitive and slow to anger. They thrive on human company and make good watchdogs. These dogs do need training from a young age, as they grow into large dogs very quickly and need to learn not to pull on a lead.

Grooming:
Little attention is needed for the Great Danes coat. Using a rubber brush to remove dead and loose hairs during moulting is sufficient. These dogs need a soft bed to avoid pressure marks.

Exercise:
These strong dogs need plenty of exercise and open spaces where they can run and play freely. Running alongside a cycle is a good way for them to get exercise, so long as they don’t go running ahead. It is important that they are no over-exercised during the growth period.

Feeding:
Great Danes have a demanding appetite. They are a fast-growing breed and need careful attention with their nutrition while going through the growth stage.

History:
Their name came from the French word ‘grand Danois’ which means ‘big Danish’ and it is unknown why the British adopted this name when the breed originated in Germany. It is believed that the Great Danes mastiff family originated in Asia as far back as 3000 BC, as there were Egyptian drawings of ‘tiger dogs’ similar to the Great Dane. This breed became well established when Greece and Rome were the main powers of western civilization. They were later known in central Europe as the German Mastiff or the Boarhound.

Additional Comments:

It is said that someone can easily break into a house that is watched over by a Great Dane, but that they can never get out.
Like other Mastiff type dogs the Great Dane is very tolerant of pain and therefore injuries or illnesses can be overlooked for long periods of time.

About the Author

This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/great_dane/

Grapes, Nuts, and Your Dogs Health — Foods that Fido should

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:40:01 +0000

“Magoo was a big, playful Labrador retriever who often got himself into sticky situations…”

So begins a story in the latest report from the ASPCA on foods that may be toxic to dogs. It turns out that Magoo got into the pantry and snagged himself about a pound of raisins. He ate the whole thing, of course.

The ASPCA never mentions Magoo’s fate. But they do tell us that as little as a handful of raisins can impair a dogs health and has been fatal for some. Ditto for the grape.

Who Knew?

Growing up, I regarded our family dogs as “the first cycle of the dishwasher”. They were good about waiting their turn for whatever we left on our plates, and we weren’t too concerned about offering them “people food”. It never crossed our minds that our dogs health could be affected by a few measly table scraps. What was safe for us, we figured, was safe for our pets.

What’s more, whenever I ate grapes, I liked to give one or two to our German Shepherd “Tiffany”. The grapes always popped out of her mouth when she tried to bite into them and Tiffany, ever the good sport, refused to give up until she’d squashed each one into submission. It guaranteed at least 60 seconds of harmless fun.

Tiffany was also fond of chewing gum (she chewed it — wrapper and all — but didn’t swallow it!) We had the sugarless kind, which is often sweetened these days with xylitol.

Little did I know that I might have been poisoning our family pet! (More on xylitol below).

Why are grapes harmful?

As far as grapes and raisins go, no one is sure why they’re harmful. It’s been confirmed that even grapes grown without fertilizers or pesticides can be toxic to dogs. But not to every dog, and not every time. It’s also not known whether small amounts eaten over a long time period could have a cumulative effect.

What we do know is that the end result in nearly all reported cases of grape or raisin toxicity is acute kidney failure. (The term “acute” means that the condition is severe and comes on quickly.) The dog ultimately can’t produce urine, which means they can’t filter toxins out of their systems — a process essential to life.

During the twelve-month period in which the effects of grapes were studied, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center handled 140 cases involving one or more dogs. Over a third of the dogs developed symptoms ranging from vomiting to kidney failure, and seven dogs died. The ASPCA based their study on reported cases, so naturally there may be cases where a dogs health is entirely unaffected by eating grapes. But until they know all the facts, the Society advises against feeding pets grapes or raisins in any amount.

An ounce of prevention

So, your dog just scored himself a big box of raisins. What’s a pet owner to do?

The first line of defense, if the grapes or raisins were eaten recently, is to induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal (it absorbs toxins in the GI tract). Vomiting is also the first sign that your dog is in trouble, so skip right to the activated charcoal if vomiting has already occurred. (In a pinch you can make your own activated charcoal by charring a piece of toast until it’s blackened and crumbles easily.) Then call your vet right away.

Can’t reach the vet? Call ASPCA Poison Control: 888-426-4435

The vet will keep your dog on intravenous fluids for at least 48 hours and monitor blood chemistry daily. Normal blood work after 3 days usually means your dog is in the clear.

Keeping a watchful eye out, of course, is the best way to keep your pet out of trouble. Like children, dogs (and other pets) have a knack for getting into mischief when we’re not looking.

It’s Not Just the Grapes…

There are other foods your dog should be kept away from, and some of them may surprise you.

Here are some other foods that can put a dogs health in harms way:

Chocolate

Who can resist chocolate? Like it your not, your dog. Chocolate is made with cocoa beans and cocoa beans contain a chemical called Theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. So on Valentine’s Day, you’re actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself! Read my special report on chocolate at http://www.great-dog-gift.com/chocolate to learn more, and see how different types of chocolate have varying effects on dogs health.

Cocoa Mulch

Cocoa bean shells are a by-product of chocolate production (which is how mulch made it into the “foods” category) and are popular as mulch for landscaping. Homeowners like the attractive color and scent, and the fact that the mulch breaks down into an organic fertilizer. However, some dogs like to eat it and it contains Theobromine.

Fatty foods

Fatty foods are hard for a dog to digest and can can overtax the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis. This can threaten your dogs health and is potentially fatal.

Nuts

Macadamia nuts should be avoided. In fact most nuts are not good for a dogs health since their high phosporus content is said to lead to bladder stones.

Mulch

Mulch isn’t food, but there’s one type tempting enough for dogs to eat. Some dogs are attracted to cocoa mulch, and will eat it in varying quantities. The coca bean shells can contain from 0.2% to 3% theobromine (the toxin ) as compaired to 1-4% in unprocessed beans.

Onions

Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs. (Stephen J Ettinger, D.V.M and Edward C. Fieldman, D.V.M. ’s book: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine vol. 2 pg 1884.) Stay away from onion powder too.

Potatoes

Potato poisonings among people and dogs are rare but have occurred. The toxin, solanine, is poorly absorbed and is only found in green sprouts (these occur in tubers exposed to sunlight) and green potato skins. This explains why incidents seldom occur. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for a dogs health, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

Artificial Sweeteners

Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, especially sugarless gum and candies. Ingesting large amounts of products sweetened with xylitol may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar in dogs, resulting depression, loss of coordination, and seizures. According to Dr. Eric K. Dunayer, a consulting veterinarian in clinical toxicology for the poison control center, “These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product” states Dr. Dunayer, “…therefore, it is important that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately.”

Turkey

Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute pancreatis in dogs, partly due to it’s high fat content.

Other foods listed by the ASPCA as harmful:

Alcoholic beverages

Avocado (the only “fatty” member of the vegetable family)

Coffee (all forms of coffee)

Moldy or spoiled foods

Salt

Yeast dough

Garlic

The Bottom Line

Thanks to a more educated public, fewer fatalities from foods like chocolate are being reported these days. But it’s important to keep up with what’s currently known about foods and their effects on dogs health. Grapes and cocoa mulch, for example, were only discovered very recently to have harmful effects. Check frequently with sources like the ASPCA, or sign up for the “Cold Noses News” and we’ll keep you informed. (You’ll also get a bunch of cool dog stuff along with your free registration).

Of course, being alert and getting your pet to the vet promptly will help assure a happy outcome if something unfortunate should happen. Here’s to your dogs health and good nutrition!

About the Author

Carolyn Schweitzer is owner and editor of several websites, including http://www.Great-Dog-Gift.com

Visit http://www.great-dog-gift.com/foodarticle to view the full illustrated article with links to resource articles from the ASPCA such as “How to Poison Proof your Home”.

Sign up for the “Cold Noses News” at http://www.great-dog-gift.com/noses to have information like this delivered to your mailbox.

GPS Pet Tracking

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:40:01 +0000

If you have a dog or cat that is an escape artist with cross-country travel on its mind, you might want to consider a GPS pet–tracking device. The same technology that enables rangers to follow tagged animals will allow an owner track straying or lost pets. You can choose either a collar design or a backpack type that works with a harness.

Before you rush out to buy a GPS pet–tracking device you need to consider a few things. Firstly, in addition to the system having a GPS receiver, a transmitter is required so the animal’s location can be reported. This usually means a service provider is needed.

Some pet–tracker systems are used with GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) that uses your GSM mobile phone and a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card for tracking. Note the SIM card provider needs to have a service in the area where you’ll be using the device.

There are various ways of accessing the information that your GPS receives. These include via home phone, Internet, and software installed on your computer. Phone access is not recommended and installed software limits your access to information. Internet access to your GPS data is the recommended way to go. You just log on, enter your password and your pet is located.

Pet finding software allows you to define your pet’s boundaries and upload them to your computer. If your pet goes beyond its boundaries then an alarm will sound and you can quickly locate where the animal has gone. If you are traveling with your pet beyond its boundaries you can disable the alarm, or if you are visiting another area you can upload new boundaries. Most systems allow you have more than one area entered.

All GPS units vary in sophistication as does the pet–tracking GPS. You can choose a unit that gives location and nothing else, or you can purchase a device that will give you location and the information of how to get there, including reference points along the way. As in any product, what you spend will define the abilities of your system. If your animal is a water lover make sure that the unit is waterproof.

There is a difference between dog tracker collars and GPS pet–tracking devices. The former are usually limited in range to about half a mile and are ineffective if your animal has been stolen and removed from the area. Beacon devices can only be seen within the range of the light.

A GPS Pet-tracking device that is not being worn is useless. If you invest the money, make sure that your pet wears his/hers all the time. Yes, animal snatchers will sometimes remove collars, but a surprising number don’t think about doing so. Combined with micro chipping and registration, pet–tracking GPS devices will go a long way to ensure that your lost pet will be located.

About the Author

Anne King is a sports and recreation writer in Boise, Idaho. For more GPS tracking information, visit Maps GPS Info.com which provides practical information on GPS and maps that everyone can use. The website includes product reviews and a maps/GPS glossary.

Got Fleas?

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:40:02 +0000

Got Fleas?
By Nell Liquorman
Author of Keep Fleas Off

Still using all the chemicals you can find to combat those fleas? Have you done everything outside of trying to shoot the fleas off the dog? You are not alone, there are an estimated more than 50 million households with pets, and yes, most are not just fighting the war against these pesky parasites, they are losing the war. Most people do not realize just how devastating the losses are. If only 10 per cent of these pet owners are treating the yard for fleas, can your imagine the amount of harmful chemicals that is getting into the ground water? These chemicals make their way to the sea where they have been found in fish and the seabirds that feed on fish. Clean water is a valuable resource, we cannot afford to destroy it. Think about all the chemicals put in our water now just to make it safe to drink; if you want to believe that it is.

Bathe your pet with a so-called flea shampoo, and you leave behind a petrochemical residue that can be unsafe for the pet and the household. If that is not bad enough, the pet will lick himself and yes, take an oral dose. Go into any grocery store and head for the pet care aisle. If you smell the flea products in the store, you are experiencing a nose full of their off-gassing. Face it, chemicals off-gas.

Perhaps, you think that flea powder is a better choice. Guess again! After holding your poor animal down long enough to sift this disagreeable stuff into his fur, he is going to shake off as much of it as possible, and who could blame him. This fine dust will migrate into anything around, the carpet, the furniture, and maybe even your own hair. It is sure to get up your nose. Maybe this is the universe trying to get you to stop this harmful practice. At any rate, now the flea powder is further out into the pets fur, clearing the way for the fleas to continue to travel the skin on the pet, biting him and leaving behind debris. At minimum, you have fouled the environment, and you probably did the powdering inside your home. Since we have all probably done it, dont beat yourself up, at least not the first time.

Flea collars are another dangerous choice that we have all made. The poison is right there on the collar for the purpose of rubbing off onto the pet. Will it rub off on anything else, like the hands of a small child, or even your own? You bet! Does your pet sleep in his collar? In your bed? What do you think is happening here? Essentially, we are just rubbing heaven knows what kind of chemicals all over us when we sleep with a pet that is wearing a poison necklace. Should you quit associating with your pet? Absolutely not! Pets are a valuable part of our lives. They offer companionship and teach us a lot as well.
Just show them more respect and stop using those awful flea collars.

Continuing your sojourn through the parasite jungle, the veterinarians office is probably going to be your next stop. Aha! The flea dip. It has to work! Well, why not, it contains a contact killer, and because you got it from the vet you will assume it safe. Maybe it will kill the fleas that showed up on the pet today. Of course, submerging him in this poison means that some of it will be absorbed into the pets skin. Cats are especially sensitive, and dips have been known to kill some. It makes many sick. If it poisoned or weakened your pet, would you know what to look for? How many hours would you need to monitor your pet? When you pour out the dip, where does the poison go? So many questions, so many freaky answers. This should steer you away from flea dips.

The average pet owner is pretty sure that a flea spray for misting the pet on a regular basis will not only work, but is a real easy solution. Coating the outside of the hair doesnt work because the fleas will travel under it along the skin where the blood cells can be reached. Use this method, only if you want a toxic cloud that will float above the pet for you to breathe, or maybe, it will make its way into your air conditioning ducts and be well distributed throughout your home. Remember that these sprays contain poisons. If we breathe them in, our bodies can store them. Many people will think that this is just the price that must be paid, after all this is a war on fleas! The bigger question here is: Do you really want your home to become a toxic waste site? The residue spewed into your environment is going to stay there until someone cleans it up. And depending upon how you go about the clean up, you could just be making it worse, especially if you are using chemicals for the cleanup. Unless you are a chemist, dont assume that it is safe to mix one chemical with another.

Of course, you could always use pet meds, that is, medicine for the fleas that the pet must take. That hardly seems fair! Would you be able to tell how bad your pet feels from the side effects? At one time or another we have all taken a medication that we found to be disagreeable. The problem here is one of communication. The pet cannot tell you that the medicine does not suit him.

So, now you are ready for the weapons of vast destruction. You go for the big guns. You will start using the poison to the back of the neck. That ought to take care of them, if the fleas come along first, before little hands. Of course, the liquid can be absorbed into the skin of the pet getting into his blood stream and going to all parts of his body. Most hearts and livers dont really require poisons. How about yourself, did you absorb any? Did you breathe in any vapors? Does the product continue to emit vapors? If you can smell it, maybe you already know that the vapors are there. Keep in mind that many of the spot treatments contain chemicals that are known to be neurotoxins. Like most of the population, you did not read the label, nor would you recognize the names of any neurotoxins. And you probably would not know that neurotoxins can affect the brain. Your pet may develop a twitch from a neurotoxin. Dont you wonder if the same thing could happen to you? While the pet is in the most danger from this, the person applying it is not home free! This stuff can rub off and be distributed anywhere in the environment of the pet, affecting any life form in this environment. It is important to realize that the difference between poisons to kill fleas and poisons to kill higher life forms is simply the size of the dose. Since our bodies can store and accumulate poisons from the environment, we have no way of knowing what could be in store for us as a result of exposure to these poisons.

Recently, there were more than 28,000 sites, on just one search engine, on the internet related to pesticide poisoning from flea products. No matter what the reasons were, the poisoning happened because the products were available, and a reasonably logical person thought them safe for use. We readily accept whatever we are used to seeing. Harmful flea products are in the mainstream of our lives. Just go to any big food store, home improvement store, drug store, pet food store, and yes, even the Walmart, and you can find an arsenal for combating fleas.

Until 1990, I used everything available for flea control. After many bad experiences, I realized that I was declaring chemical warfare on my pets, my home, my yard, the environment, and on myself as well. Knowing that this had to stop, if I were going survive, I set out to find a pesticide-free way to keep fleas off my cats. My first step was to eliminate everything that had not worked for me in my war against fleas. So, I had to forget all the flea products that I knew about. Living in Florida, meant combing off the fleas every hour if the cats went out on the screened porch, but I did it, in addition to wearing out a good vacuum cleaner. After a couple of years of trial and error, I developed a simple, cheap, and safe method that is so effective that the cats seem to be invisible to fleas. Not only am I happy to be able to keep fleas off my cats, but I feel good about giving up my life of crime against the environment.

There are many sites on the internet where you can find out all the names of the harmful chemicals used in flea products. Anti-pesticide groups offer a lot of valuable information, as does the NRDC (National Resource Defense Council) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control). Even some animal rescue organizations post warning against certain products. Personally, I think that the terms KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN and WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER HANDLING should give us the clues we need. Plain and simple, do not use these products, there is something unsafe about them. Trust me, the manufacturer is not just adding this information to make the label larger. There had to be a law somewhere that forced them to put these warnings on. Restrictions of this sort dont surface until harm has been done, and until a lot of action has been taken by environmental groups. Your best course of action is to do the research yourself. Do not wait for the mainstream (corporate) media to inform you about what to use to keep fleas off your pet. The information that they decide you should have is influenced by advertising dollars from the chemical industry.

Visit the NRDC flea product information sites and some Anti-pesticide group sites. They can be real eye openers. While you are looking at their sites, I hope you will take a few minutes to visit the KEEP FLEAS OFF site at: http://www.liquorman.net/keepfleasoff/

I suggest that you download information concerning the flea poisons, and use it as a guide to help protect your environment. After all, we are not just what we eat, but what we absorb through our skins and what we breathe into our lungs. Once a substance gets into your bloodstream, it has access to every cell that you own. One of the few powers, that you still have, is the power to control the environment in your home, USE IT!

About the Author

Artist (clay and glass), origionally from NC, but living in Florida for 20 years. Except for a few years she has always lived with cats.

10 Ways to Tackle Keyword Research and Selection

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:40:02 +0000

You need to be extremely careful with keyword research so that you don’t miss excellent opportunities or aim so broadly that you target phrases that will never rank well. Here are 10 strategies to guide you along the way:

1. Know your potential customers.
We can’t tell you how many businesses we’ve met who simply pick keywords out of thin air. They don’t talk to customers or hot prospects in order to determine what might be a useful set of keywords.

2. Start with core words.
A core set of keywords – even if too broad – can stimulate creative thinking.

3. Look at the industry.
Examine industry trade group web sites and related newsletters to find potential keywords.

4. Study competitors.
Some companies make a bigger deal of competitors’ keywords than they should, but it’s still a useful strategy. Invariably, a competitor will be using a strong keyword or phrase you don’t want to miss. Often, however, they load their web sites with single keywords that aren’t appropriate. If Internet users are seeking cookware, their search terms shouldn’t be laundry-based words. Yet we came across that very example. Be careful which words you use.

5. Be specific – add other words to your primary phrases.
If you sell metal, try metal stamping or metal stampers. Or, how about metal stamping companies? Words like services, companies, products, accessories, and many others can really pay off. Ok, everyone wants to rank #1 for terms like “toys” and “sports.” It would take more time and budget than you may have to land such terms (through META updates, content adjustments and links).

6. Visit Wordtracker.
It’s a great tool even if it only collects a sampling of actual searches (more than 300 million). You’ll get a good sense of how frequently someone may search. Here is their URL: http://www.wordtracker.com

7. Use your intuition.
Don’t hesitate to try some ideas; Wordtracker and other sources can confirm whether you have a search term people might or might not use.

8. Limit your selection.
Come up with a list of words – 10, 20, 30, maybe 50 or more. But don’t get so many that you can’t manage them all.

9. Tie keywords to site planning.
Pick keywords you can work with over time. Make sure you don’t plan to drop a page from the web site or change it so often that your target keywords may be knocked off or irrelevant every 30 days.

10. Study your log files.
Web analytics is a great tool if you want to see how your visitors are searching. Study the results and you will come up with a revised set of keywords.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Murray is vice president of Fathom SEO, a Cleveland, Ohio-based search engine marketing (SEM) firm. A member of SEMPO, he also authored the white paper, “Search Engine Marketing: Get in the Game.”
michael@fathomseo.com

Good dog health and happiness for Charlie

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:40:02 +0000

Good dog health and happiness for Charlie

Our Charlie’s dog health was a very important issue to us in our family. It all started when he was a puppy of course. Aside from the fun and laughter he brought into our lives he brought us new found responsibilities we hadn’t concerned ourselves with BC. With some common sense and attention dog health shouldn’t have to be a major family issue. Here’s how we dealt with Charlie.

A few dog health issues:

Feeding

This is normally the easy and fun part. Be careful though because there’s so much ballyhoo about the great stuff various products can do. Major brands are tried and true with a normally safe harbour. Avoid going off into generic diets. Competing with the major brands on research and quality control is pretty tough. Better to take the high road for your doggie’s sake. Vitamin and mineral supplements would be a great addition to the diet helping to keep the immune system strong. Remember, dry food helps keep the teeth nice and strong too.

Bathing

The primary concern here is to use a pet product. Not shampoo made for us people. We want to use a very mild shampoo. The pH balance of our doggies is quite different and if not careful we’ll dry out the skin so bad that scratching, itching and all sorts of other fireworks will go off. Bath less not more. Chances are that a good wash job every 30 days or so will be just fine. Don’t forget to drop a couple of plugs (cotton balls will do)into the ears before you start along with a nice brush job on the coat before and after. Keep the shampoo away from those gorgeous heart breaking eyes, if you slip simply wash with warm water or even a saline. Hey, a nice little designer outfit afterwards really makes your great little buddy a spiffy looking dude.

Those nasty tick and fleas issues

Give me a break, how’d you like to run around itchy and biting, scratching and jumping around all day. That would be enough to drive anyone nuts. A topical oil usually placed between the shoulder blades will do the trick. Your best friends natural oils will spread it evenly over your pet. Be watchful about exposing the oil to the kids and put it in a safe place. Try and have your pet really dry for a few days before and after application. This process will rid your doggie of fleas and ticks. Good riddance for sure. A super blow on those nasty critters ensuring good dog health.

Puppy housetraining

The all time favorite issue. Potty training! No different than when we potty trained our children, the process is somewhat similar. Patience, consistency and confinement does the trick. Do yourself a favor, get a crate for your doggie big enough for it to stretch out in and also take a snooze being able to nestle into a little corner.

Your best pet friend needs to be in there when you’re asleep, gone from the premises or to be left unattended (you’re busy cooking dinner and doggie treats. Doing so teaches them to hold it for awhile. Putting them in a crate for 6 8 hours during the training period is alright too.

While home have your little sweetie out with a timer going off around each 60 minutes or so. You and the doggie hit the turf outside for 10 minutes or so giving them a chance to potty. When they do reward them with positive comments, petting, stroking some real love if you will which is positive reinforcement( something we all would like to have,right?). Chances are pretty good your doggie will catch on very soon. Be patient, take your time and no accident frustrations. Your new best friend needs a little time to learn, adapt and assimilate your wishes. Keep in mind that your doggie loves you. Cleanliness goes a long way for good dog health.

About the Author

Interesting dog information surrounded by love and compassion at www.dog-stuff4u.com

Good dog care is vital

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:40:02 +0000

Good dog care is vital

Dog care

Accepting responsibility of your new pet friend is truly serious business. Caring for your new best pet friend is rewarding with that I feel good feeling. Love and care is what we all want and our pet friends aren’t any different. Teaching our pets tricks, buying toys, supplies, training, collars, crates, clothes is all part of loving kind dog care.

The happiness and joy in watching our Charlie dog responding to new obedience house training seems to make us want to do much more for our lovable and charming friend.

We’ve learned a lot about health problems and symptoms, the how to’s of medication, dog nutrition and keeping him healthy. Along with that we’ve also gotten a tooth brush for dental care. I mean it’s no less than bringing up a little child. After all isn’t that what puppies are? Little kids as well?

You’ll want to investigate training collars and crates to help you in the training issues and you’ll find plenty of help on line. Tips and tricks to help us are easily available and as close as the click of the mouse.

Don’t forget to check out medical insurance as well. Health care cost for pets is soaring almost daily. How many times we’ve heard of pets having being taken to the vets and terminated because the cost of medical care and attention was beyond the masters budget.

And last but not least prepare you and your doggie for some fun trips. You can really enjoy those jaunts if you have proper travel supplies. So all in all good dog care can encompass many things. Love and kindness is the way with our best pet friends.

About the Author

more dog care resources at www.dog-stuff4u.com

Goldfish Tips – Finding Out The Gender of Your Goldfish

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:40:02 +0000

Boy or Girl?

How can you tell whether your Goldfish is male or female? You might want to know because you want to breed them, or give them the right name before Jack turns out to be the mother Goldfish! Here are some clues that might help you sort out the Goldfish boys from the Goldfish girls:

* The female Goldfish are slightly bigger than the males and look even heavier in the abdomen when they are full of eggs.

* Male Goldfish develop white spots on their gills and pectoral called breeding tubercles during spawning time.

* Males have midline ridges on their undersides beginning from the back of their pelvic fins and ending at their vent opening. This feature can be absent or smaller in females.

* Males have firm abdomen while in females; the area between the pelvic fins and the anal fins is more pliable.

* Male Goldfish have longer and pointed pectorals as well as stiff fin ray, while females have more rounded pectorals and shorter, finer front fin rays.

* Male goldfish have smaller and more oval anal openings and the anal fins are not as thick as that of the female goldfish who has a larger and rounder anal opening with a slight protrude. The anal fin is also thicker.

* The spawning time is the easiest time to distinguish the boys from the girls. The female opening will look larger and more swollen as the eggs begin to ripen. She would look big and heavier. Since fish reproduce through external fertilization, you can make out when a male is ready by the white breeding tubercles and you can actually push out the milt through his ventral opening by running a gentle finger along his sides.

* There is one more obvious, but kind of time taking way to make out which one of your fish is male and female. Find out who is chasing who the chaser will be the male and the chased and tired out one will be the female! Its the natural tendency on part of the male goldfish to chase and nudge at a females rear part.

Dane Stanton – Goldfish-Secrets.com

About the Author

Having 30 years experience in everything Goldfish, Dane Stanton has spent the past 18 months researching the most pressing questions on Goldfish. This information has been recorded in his book titled – “Goldfish Secrets Revealed” – which you can pick up by going to his website – http://www.goldfish-secrets.com