Protecting Your Pets’ Plates

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Consumers know food manufacturers have systems in place that reduce the risk of food-borne illness and other potential hazards in our food. Less common, is awareness of the rigorous policies of some pet food manufacturers to guarantee the quality and safety of your pet’s next meal.

For example, Diamond Pet Foods follows a quality assurance plan in its manufacturing plants that requires its product to pass 151 safety and quality checks before it reaches your pet’s food dish. The system is designed to add extra layers of protection.

“We believe pet owners should be able to purchase premium products at an affordable price, and, for the past 35 years, we’ve been committed to providing affordable, high-quality pet food options,” said Mark Brinkmann, the company’s chief operations officer. “The 151-check system will help us continue offering reasonably priced, premium products by adding extra assurance that our ingredients are top-quality and safe.”

The system consists of 141 separate tests and checks on the incoming pet food ingredients, and 10 safety and quality checks on the final bagged product prior to shipment.

For testing of incoming grain ingredients, 12 samples are taken of each shipment, which is three times the sample number regulatory standards require.

Mark Mascarenhas, the company’s quality control director, said the substantial final product tests provide additional assurance before the product is shipped to the customer.

“We have built redundancies into our 151-check system as an extra measure to prevent error,” said Mascarenhas. “Our quality system uses the latest technology and equipment, and high-quality ingredients that help animals digest nutrients.”

All of the company’s products are “precision formulated” for content, quality, consistency and uniformity. In addition to its commitment to safety and quality, Diamond undergoes audits by a respected independent laboratory for food safety, quality and palatability.

Different Breeds Of Turtles Commonly Kept As Pets

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The many different breeds of turtles can just about be classifed as completely unique animals. Different types of turtles have specific requirements for diet, housing and health care to save on pricey vet bills. Here is a brief overview of the different breeds of turtles that people keep as house pets.

Box turtles- Box turtles the only species that has hinges near the front and back of their shell to actually close themselves completely in their shell. Their large high domed shell makes them awkward swimmers so beware any deep water areas with a box turtle.

The Painted Turtle- Beautiful pink and yellow markings make these turtles very easy on the eyes. They have a friendly disposition as pets, but tend to be fussy eaters at times. Try offering some crickets or earthworms for a snack thats too good to resist.

Snapping turtles- These include the aligator snapping turtle which is particularly aggressive and has an insane bite pressure. Snapping turtles are not ideal for a pet due to their temperament, but there are people that keep them anyway and say that if cared for properly they make excellent pets. Safety first with these types of turtles.

Mud Turtles- One of the easiet breeds of turtles to own as pets. A close relative to the Musk turtle, Mud Turtles are very hearty and resilient animals. You need to pay attention to a mud turtle just like any other, but they eat just about anything that any other turtle would eat and do not grow to be enormous. If there is such a thing as a beginner turtle the Mud turtle would be it.

Sliders- Red and yellow eared sliders are given their name from the colored splotch that is where there ears would be. Highly aquatic animals that require more attention to their water condition than different breeds of turtles.

Musk Turtles- Very hearty and resilient as pets. The Musk turtle is also nicknamed the “stinkpot” for its ability to secrete a bad smelling substance from the anal glands in times of danger. People have owned musk turtles for their whole life without once having the turtle secrete, which speaks to the mild mannered nature of the musk turtle.

Cooters- As far as pets go Cooters are known as one of the friendlier species of turtle. They grow anywhere from 6-16″ with females groing larger than males.

There are over 300 identified species of turtles in existence and dozens of them are different breeds of turtles that people keep as pets. Snapping turtles would have to be the most challenging. You have to worry about basic turtle care on top of their unique temperament. Don’t ever get too close to the jaws of a snapping Turtle or you will surely be sorry that you did!

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As mentioned earlier the Mud turtle is fairly easy to care for making it a good beginner turtle. However the most popular species among the different breeds of turtles commonly kept as house pets is the red eared slider, but they are a bit more challenging due to their aquatic habitat.

To summarize, if you are looking for a beginner friendly turtle for a pet try a mud turtle. They are not nearly as expensive to keep as your everyday aquatic. If however you are interested in an aquatic turtle of some kind the painted turtle and red eared sliders are beautiful to look at and have the right temperament to make a good pet.

For A Pet Tortoise Try The Herman Tortoise

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The Herman tortoise which is a relatively small sized tortoise originated in Europe and is found in almost all coasts of France and also in certain parts of Italy. This tortoise is also found in the nearby islands. This makes it widely popular in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Romania, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece, Hungary and south Italy. They prefer the widely dense forests of Mediterranean and in the arid regions with rocky hill slopes and scrubby vegetation. These areas make it easier for the Herman tortoise to find its food.

Basically, a Herman tortoise is herbivorous. It largely eats a diet that consists of green leaves and grasses. This tortoise also consumes other vegetables and fruits like the broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, parsley, Timothy Hay, Alfalfa grass, Bermuda grass, dandelions, weeds, cactus pads, strawberries, bananas, squash, melons, apples, apricots, grapes and peaches. However, it is important that these vegetables and fruits are consumed in smaller quantities. If you have a one as a pet, it is advised not to feed it cabbage as this vegetable and its variants like the iceberg lettuce as these may have a damaging effect. These vegetables have very less nutritional value and once the tortoise starts eating them, it will give up eating other vegetables.

There have been instances when the Herman tortoise may eat insects like snails, slugs and carrions. However, this happens only with the tortoises that are in the wild. However, a this tortoise doesnt necessarily need a diet that contains animal proteins. You must take special care to feed this tortoise a diet that is rich in fiber and calcium. Vitamin D3 is also important for this tortoise and can be given to it in food if the natural sunlight is not provided. Young Herman tortoises have an attractive yellow and black shell. The backbone, ribs, shoulder blades and pelvis are all merged into the shell of the Herman tortoise.

The best tortoise house for the this species of tortoise is an outdoor enclosure. But care must be taken while building these outdoor enclosures to prevent the tortoise from escaping. If you plan to keep them indoors, necessary measures should be taken to provide them with a natural looking atmosphere. Also, this enclosure must be large enough with proper light and heat. A Herman tortoise is an adaptive and friendly reptile which makes them a great pet to have.

Emerald Trail, One Of The Premiere Pet Friendly Hotels In India Makes A Perfect Destination For Your

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Bhimtal is a small town located 4500 ft above sea level and the home of Emerald Trail. Bhimtal hotels and resorts are usually lake facing, however, Emerald Trails location 6000 ft above sea level and 20 minutes uphill Bhimtal with mountain and valley view lends to a destination of perfect holidays in Uttarakhand. This is one of the pet friendly hotels in India and has all arrangements made for a comfortable pet stay. Closer to the last station Kathgodam coming from Delhi and Lucknow, this pet friendly hotel in India is also the premier rated Bhimtal resort and a breath-taking destination for holidays in Uttarakhand. The other resorts in Naintal are at a distance of an hour from Emerald Trail. Nainital being the preferred tourist destination, the resorts in Naintal do not always have the luxury of your own private cottage and garden spaces like what Emerald Trail can offer. Amongst all the resorts in Nainital and Bhimtal resorts, Emerald Trails expanse, its warm and friendly staff make this destination as a unique pet friendly hotel in India and a prized property to stay amongst all Bhimtal hotels and all Bhimtal resorts.

There are many tourists attractions if you chose Emerald Trail amongst the many Bhimtal resorts and hotels. Boating, kayaking, paragliding destinations are close to the property at a distance of 15 minutes. We are one of the few Bhimtal hotels that can arrange for paragliding tickets in advance. If you wish to laze around the property and do nothing, one can capture the exotic species of birds and butterflies if you are a nature photographer, fish in the near Chaapi river or even water the gardens or engage in the day to day farming activities within this Bhimtal resort.

The renowned travel site www.tripadvisor.com rates Emerald Trail as the No1 vacation rental amongst all Bhimtal resorts and Bhimtal hotels only for these reasons. Even resorts in Nainital that are operational for 3 years have not got to a No 1 ranking so quickly as Emerald Trail has. Guests rate this pet friendly hotel in India on many criteria including value, location amongst many others. Emerald Trail comes out with stellar rankings based on all of the criteria. Guests reviews are the ones that truly personify their experiences and their stay at the property and undoubtedly Emerald Trail stays firm on delivering on all the parameters.

Why You Should Train Your Bichon Frise

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Bichon Frise Training

Why you should Train your Bichon Frise?

Obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your Bichon Frise or puppy and yourself. Obedience training doesnt solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training opens up a line of communication between you and your Bichon Frise. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your Bichon Frise about what you want her to do. You can teach her anything from stay (dont bolt out the door) to sit (dont jump up on the visitors) to off (dont chew the furniture).

Bichon Frises are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like animals. They will soil your house, destroy your belongings, bark excessively, dig holes in your yard, fight other Bichon Frises and even bite you. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal Bichon Frise activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing. For example, the Bichon Frise will eliminate on the carpet instead of outside; the Bichon Frise will bark all night long instead of just when a stranger is prowling around outside; or the Bichon Frise will chew furniture instead of his own toys. The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the Bichon Frise to redirect his natural behavior to outlets that are acceptable in the domestic setting.

Obedience training is also an easy way to establish the social hierarchy. When your Bichon Frise obeys a simple request of come here, sit, she is showing compliance and respect for you. It is NOT necessary to establish yourself as top Bichon Frise or leader of the pack by using extreme measures such as the so-called alpha roll-over. You CAN teach your Bichon Frise her subordinate role by teaching her to show submission to you in a paw raise (shake hands), roll over or hand lick (give a kiss). Most Bichon Frises love performing these tricks (obedience commands) for you which also pleasantly acknowledge that you are in charge.

Obedience training should be fun and rewarding for you and your Bichon Frise. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained Bichon Frise is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained one. A trained Bichon Frise will come when called.
Some people debate whether or not it is possible to train puppies, and others ask whether it is possible to teach an old Bichon Frise new tricks. The answer to both questions is an unequivocal YES. Whatever the age of your Bichon Frise, the right time to begin training is right now! The most important time in your Bichon Frises life is right now. Your Bichon Frises behavior is constantly changing. A Bichon Frise that is well-behaved today will not necessarily remain that way forever. New problems can always develop. Existing problems can always get worse.

Enroll in a local Bichon Frise obedience training class to learn the basics. Then most teaching and training can and should be done in your home. It is best to begin training in an area that is familiar to your Bichon Frise and with the least amount of distractions as possible. When you feel both you and your Bichon Frise are skilled at several obedience commands, then take these commands to different areas. Introducing distractions may seem like starting all over again, but its worth the effort. In reality, who cares if your Bichon Frise will sit stay when no one is around? What
you need is a Bichon Frise who will sit-stay when company is at the door.

Who cares if your Bichon Frise heels beautifully in your own back yard? But you need to start there if you eventually want a Bichon Frise who will heel beautifully when walking down Union Street. If you want your Bichon Frise to be obedient in your car, guess where you have to practice? If you suddenly want your Bichon Frise to down-stay while you are trying to move over 3 lanes to make an exit, you had better find time to practice those obedience commands in the car long before you need them. Dont drive and practice at the same time. Practice while the car is parked or while someone else is driving.

Keep the obedience training sessions short and sweet. It is dull and boring to schedule tedious and lengthy training sessions. Instead, integrate training into your daily routine. Make obedience training interesting and meaningful to your Bichon Frise. If Puppy insists on following you from room to room while you are getting ready for the day, then insist he have something to do too. “Roll over” for your wake-up greeting. “Heel” from the bedroom to the bathroom.

“Down-stay” while youre brushing your teeth. “Heel” from the bathroom to the kitchen. “Sit-stay” while grinding the coffee beans. “Go find the ball” while you get dressed. Now “go get the leash” so you can go for a walk. “Sit” when the door is opened, “sit” again when the door is closed. And so on. Be sure that obedience training infiltrates your Bichon Frises favorite activities and that your Bichon Frises favorite activities infiltrates training. Your Bichon Frises favorite activities should become training, so that training becomes the Bichon Frises favorite activity.
Rewards While Training

The single most important aspect of training is rewarding your Bichon Frise for good behavior. The more times the Bichon Frise is rewarded, the quicker he will learn. Therefore, its essential that you set up situations repeatedly in order for your Bichon Frise to get plenty of practice at doing the right thing. Its equally as important that you always praise your Bichon Frise for good behavior instead of taking it for granted. Its easy to forget to praise good behavior because it goes unnoticed. But the very nature of misbehavior gets our attention. We dont notice when our Bichon Frise is lying quietly, but excessive barking gets our attention. How many of us take notice and praise our Bichon Frises when they chew their own toys? But we all go berserk when we notice our favorite pair of shoes chewed up! Praise and reward are the most important part of maintaining good behavior and preventing problems from arising.
Reprimands While Training

Some Bichon Frises feel they are constantly bombarded with, NO, Stop that, get off, Bad Bichon Frise! They tend to get used to it and so the reprimands become meaningless and are ignored. If most of our interaction with the Bichon Frise is praise for good behavior, then reprimands will take on much more meaning. Whenever you find the need to reprimand your Bichon Frise, immediately show him what you want him to do, then reward him for getting it right. If you catch him chewing the furniture, tell him, Off! Then immediately direct him to his own toys, enthusiastically entice him to chew on them and praise him for doing so.

If done correctly, your voice alone is sufficient for reprimand. A correct reprimand is short, sharp and immediate. Dont continue to nag the Bichon Frise and never reprimand him unless you catch him in the act. Never hit, kick, slap or spank your Bichon Frise. This type of inappropriate punishment always creates more problems and usually makes existing problems worse. Not only will you have a barking, chewing Bichon Frise, but one that is leery, hand-shy, fearful or aggressive.

Why Obedience training is essential for every pet Bichon Frise!

Obedience training establishes you as the Alpha.
Putting a leash on your Bichon Frise and teaching just one command communicates this leadership to your pet. Our pet Bichon Frises are more than willing to work and live in harmony with us, as long as they know their position in the pack. If the owner doesnt establish the leadership role, the pet Bichon Frise could develop unwanted behavior (jumping, chewing, biting, soiling the den,
etc.).