We’ve recently moved into a new apartment complex that really is much like a resort. We don’t have to maintain the lawn, handle any maintenance problems, or deal with unruly neighbors. We can use the pool without having to clean and maintain it, we can work out in a gym without the added monthly expense, we can play pool without going to a bar, and we can enjoy many sports such as racquetball, tennis, volleyball, and basketball.

So why with all this “luxury” surrounding us would I already be in a tiff? Dogs! That’s why. Many of the renters own dogs and instead of taking them for a walk on the “pet walks” which were meant for their feces. These pet owners think its okay to walk their pets around the apartment complex, let them do their “business,” and then walk away without cleaning it up!

I’ve learned that not cleaning up after their dogs is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. First, I consider it rude to let your dog use the bathroom on someone else’s property. Okay, so we don’t own the lawn in front of our apartment, but we sure do pay a lease for it as well as the public areas! Second, I think it is inconsiderate and shows a lack of respect for others. Third, I think it makes the property look bad.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to go up to a dog owner as the dog is doing his/her business and give the owner a piece of my mind. But instead, I bite my tongue and say to myself, “As long as they aren’t doing it on my property I have no right to say anything. I just hope if they do it on my property I find the right words to say without letting all my frustration out on one person.”

I’ve even considered going up to management and making a fuss, but what can they do? They can’t “police” every pet owner as they leave the house. There are signs posted through out the complex, they’ve mentioned this area of concern in the monthly newsletter, and it’s in the apartment rental contract.

If you’re a pet owner who lets your pet “do business” on someone else’s property, think about this:

How would you feel if you woke up one morning and stepped on something squishy as you walked to your car? Doesn’t sound bad? What if you looked down to find that squishy mess was actually a pile of dog poop? Would you be angry, irritated, or disgusted? Or would you think it was okay and just walk back in the hose to change your shoes?

Now take that stop a step further, what if your little one was playing outside on his/her front lawn and thought that pile of dog poop was mud and put it in his/her mouth? Would you still be okay with someone else letting their pet “do business” on your property?

Final Thought

Take the time to respect your neighbor today. You just never know when that respect will come back to you ten-fold.

About The Author

Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer specializing in helping small businesses succeed—on the web. Visit her at http://thedabblingmum.com for free business-related articles and information on how she can help you succeed, today. Don’t forget to join her free e-zine!

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The number one, most basic dog training command is sit and come. Teaching your American Pit Bull Terrier these two commands is extremely important for him to learn. Both of these basic obedience training commands are used for many different reasons such as in competition or dog show and keeping him behaved when you have company. When walking your Pit Bull off leash, you expect him to come to you when called, not run around the park with you chasing after him shouting at him to “come back here!”. When I see this (and I do all the time), it just makes me laugh.

Teaching your Pit Bull Terrier how to come isn’t difficult, it simply requires repetition. All dogs learn by repeating the desired activity over and over again. The easiest way to get your Pitbull to come is to hold a toy in one hand and a treat in the other. When you are in the yard simply walk away from him, holding out the toy and excitingly calling him to you. When your well-behaved Pit Bull comes to you, give him the treat! Make sure to be consistent and always use the exact same training commands that you are going to use in the future. Repeating this several times a day is an excellent way to teach him, but remember to use lots of long breaks between training sessions so he doesn’t get bored and don’t forget to reward him with those doggie treats.

Getting your Pit to sit could prove to be slightly harder but again, is still only basic dog training that anyone can do. Once you have mastered the come command, call your Pit over to you, place your hand on the end of his back and roll right over his rump and into the back of his legs, giving the “sit” command while gently pushing his legs forward. When he sits properly, give your Pitbull a treat and lots of praise. If you would like him to sit for a longer period of time, simply delay the treat and praise, tell him to “stay”, and take your time bending down to him to deliver the treat.

Basic dog training for your Pit is very simple and effective. Please remember to keep the exercise fun for both you and your dog and keep in mind that a training session shouldn’t last for hours and hours, keep them short. Lastly, don’t forget to reward your obedient Pit for all of his hard work!

To learn all about raising an American Pit Bull Terrier and training Pit Bulls, visit http://www.pitbullsrevealed.com/ today.

There are a few different problems that are seen commonly in puppies who are six months of age or younger. These problems include submissive urination, urination when getting overly excited, and problems with nipping and chewing. If your Pit Bull terrier pup is having problems in any of these areas, don’t worry. I’m about to reveal exactly how to correct it.

If your Pit Bull puppy tends to squat and urinate when you approach him, this is a problem with submissive urination. This behavior shouldn’t be confused with a potty training problem, it is associated with insecurity if you punish your puppy or use negative reinforcements it will more than likely worsen the behavior. Submissive urination occurs when a dog is scared and feels intimidated when being approached by an individual.

To solve the problem of submissive urination, calmly approach your puppy. Try not to tower over him, crouch down so that you’re not as intimidating. If your puppy begins to urinate, try offering him a treat next time. The way to correct submissive urination is to get his focus away from whatever is causing his reaction.

If your puppy has difficulty controlling his bladder when getting excited, it is known as excitement urination. Again, never punish your puppy in this situation as it will only cause problems to get worse.

The fix for this problem is easy. Ignore it. Excitement urination usually disappears as a puppy matures and his bladder control strengthens.

Puppy chewing can be extremely annoying, especially if your Pit Bull is destroying things of high value to you (I’ve lost my fair share of eyeglasses for example). Puppies use chewing and biting as a way to ease teething pain. To solve this problem, give your puppy lots of toys to chew on instead. Kong toys are popular, as are stuffed squeakers.

If you’re having problems in these areas with your new Pit Bull puppy, have patience and take the time to work with your new buddy. He’ll get through these tough times with a little love and understanding.

To learn all about American Pitbull Terriers and how to train a Pitbull puppy, visit http://www.pitbullsrevealed.com/ today.

Dogs are believed to be descendants of wild wolves. They were the first wild animal to be tamed. Ancient man probably brought home cub wolves to raise as pets. The pet wolves were also useful in driving away bears and other wild animals. One of the oldest known breed of dogs is the Salukis, which were bred by Egyptians thousands of years ago as hunting dogs. Greyhounds and Dalmatians are also among the oldest breeds documented.

Over the centuries, people have found many ways for dogs to be useful. Dogs helped to pull loads, herd cattle and sheep, and guard their master and the master’s property. The Ancient Greeks developed tiny lap dogs, which were meant to be held in a lady’s lap to help keep her stomach warm. Bulldogs with huge jaws and short noses were developed so they could hang onto the throat of a bull and still be able to breathe. In more recent years, dogs have been trained as seeing eye dogs for the blind. Dogs have also been recruited to work with law enforcement to detect drugs and explosives.

Today many dogs, such as the Poodle or Chihuahua, no longer resemble the wolf. Other dogs, such as the Siberian Husky and the German Shepherd still show a strong resemblance to the wolf. There are many different breeds in existence today, from the short haired Beagle and Boston Terrier to the long haired Cockers and Scotties. The Beagle may be better suited to live in the city, while Setters or Collies may be more comfortable in the country. The tallest dogs are Great Danes and the Irish Wolfhound. They would probably be more comfortable in a place where they had a lot of room to run and play.

In the United States, one out of three families owns one or more dogs. Most dogs live anywhere from eight to fifteen years. When dogs are one year old, they are as physically mature as a 15 year old human. Dogs can see some color but not as vividly as humans, thus they are considered color blind. Yet, dogs can see much better in dim light than us. Dogs have us beat in the category of smell, also. Their sense of smell is up to one million times greater than humans!

Regardless of which kind of dog you choose- big, little, smooth haired, shaggy, fast, slow, playful or dignified, dogs make wonderful companions. Enjoy their companionship and remember they need plenty of love, attention, and petting to be happy!

About The Author

Wendy Yeager - http://www.wenmarcorp.com/dogs-go2

mjy222@hotmail.com

When pondering whether my neurosis is learned or genetic, I often turn to the family dogs, Frazier (9) and Jake (4), and see the likelihood of a learned origin. My parents’ characteristic anxiety has effectively seeped into both dogs’ personas.

My mother and father are both card-carrying neurotics with drastically different sensibilities. The former engages in an overt style of panic characterized by covering her eyes when our car seems close to hitting another car that’s three hundred yards down the road. The latter is more of a concealer; I would cite one of his quirks in this sentence, but the ensuing disownment would be harsh.

Frazier, a beige mix of Bichon and Poodle, arrived in our home when I was in the ninth grade. For the first few months, he struck us as an emotionally balanced individual, but it wasn’t long before the wide, glassy eyes and quivering lower lip set in. Like his human siblings before him, he experienced separation anxiety in the absence of his parents. Unlike his human siblings, Frazier saw it fit to pace around the unoccupied house for hours, howling to the ceiling and holding his paw against his beating heart. Such behavior, though unquestionably neurotic, was at least grounded in recognizable childhood symptomology. It wasn’t until the arrival of Jake, during Frazier’s fifth year, that Frazier experienced a full-fledged nervous breakdown.

Given the instability of Frazier’s ego, the appearance of Jake–an energetic full-blooded poodle with black hair and a trim gray beard–was emotionally catastrophic. When he wasn’t lying on his stomach leering into the abyss, Frazier went as far as to commit acts of physical violence upon his younger brother. We knew not to be fooled by the innocent look in Frazier’s eye when his leash somehow ended up around Jake’s neck.

Jake, who entered our home as somewhat of a free spirit, was oblivious to Frazier’s brooding melancholy. He ran and played with the best of them. He developed a flourishing social identity among the locals. However, it wasn’t long before the torch of neurosis was passed onto Jake. From whose hands or paws the torch came is difficult to determine, but genetic theories strike me as inadmissible.

Jake’s inaugural phobia was a fear of vacuum cleaners. We have various vacuums in our home, and Jake’s fear of each is proportional to its size and volume. When the biggest vacuum is about to be used, Jake requires an explicit and descriptive monologue preparing him for what is to come. The monologue is best performed with the speaker’s hand firmly applied to the top of Jake’s head. We’ve found that with the aid of such verbal reassurances, Jake’s anxiety in the presence of the vacuum cleaners has decreased by 3 or 4 percent.

By now, we’re pleased to announce that Frazier has overcome his initial aversion to Jake. Not only do they dine together frequently, but they’ve also come to display the sincerest form of love in our family: they worry about one another. When Jake’s out jogging in the backyard and Frazier’s sobbing from the window, his tears run rich with affection.

About The Author

Eric Shapiro is the author of “Short of a Picnic,” a collection of fictional stories about people living with mental disorders.

shortofapicnic@aol.com