Zootoo Review – 5 Terrific Training Treats

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Pet Product Reviews

January is National Train Your Dog Month, a campaign started last year by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to promote the importance and benefits of positive, gentle training methods.

Even if your dog isn't ready for an agility championship competition, you can still teach him a few tricks this month by using his favorite reward -- treats! To help get you started, our friends at Zootoo rounded up their top picks for training treats that will get your pooch to sit, stay and roll over for more.

For a top-quality training treat with an A-plus ingredient list, try Dognation Treats, part of the line of products from Freshpet. Entirely preservative free, Dognation's formula features nutrients such as iron and B vitamins to maintain your dog's energy during an active training session. And our tester dog found the texture and taste of both the chicken and beef recipes irresistible.


Another solid all-natural training treat option, Tillman's Training Tips Dog Treats from Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance use ingredients like maple syrup and turkey to reward your dog's latest accomplishment. Dogs will appreciate the soft, chewy texture and the satisfying taste of real meat. Owners will appreciate the lack of preservatives and artificial flavors.

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Zootoo Review – 5 Terrific Treats

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Pet Product Reviews

January is National Train Your Dog Month, a campaign started last year by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to promote the importance and benefits of positive, gentle training methods.

Even if your dog isn't ready for an agility championship competition, you can still teach him a few tricks this month by using his favorite reward -- treats! To help get you started, our friends at Zootoo rounded up their top picks for training treats that will get your pooch to sit, stay and roll over for more.

For a top-quality training treat with an A-plus ingredient list, try Dognation Treats, part of the line of products from Freshpet. Entirely preservative free, Dognation's formula features nutrients such as iron and B vitamins to maintain your dog's energy during an active training session. And our tester dog found the texture and taste of both the chicken and beef recipes irresistible.


Another solid all-natural training treat option, Tillman's Training Tips Dog Treats from Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance use ingredients like maple syrup and turkey to reward your dog's latest accomplishment. Dogs will appreciate the soft, chewy texture and the satisfying taste of real meat. Owners will appreciate the lack of preservatives and artificial flavors.

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How to Cope With the 4 Types of Cat Aggression

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Cats, Pet Training

Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "PETiQuette: Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multipet Household."

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When a snuggle-puss turns into a snarling ball of claws, owners are at a loss to understand or deal with kitty aggression. Besides hurt feelings, cat aggression can cause injuries or cause the cat to lose a loving home.

Aggression can be the result of health issues, including pain or hyperthyroidism, so any sudden personality change demands a veterinary exam. But cats don't aggress because they're mean -- they always have a good reason, whether it makes sense to humans or not. Recognizing the four common types of aggression will help you learn to keep the peace.

Petting Aggression: Your cat begs for attention, but then he bites you! Some cats simply can't tolerate more than two or three strokes and use the leave-me-alone bite to stop the petting. The bite does stop the owner's touch, which trains the cat that biting works, so he repeats the behavior. Instead, confine petting to the back of kitty's neck instead of the whole-body strokes that some cats find offensive. Also, stop petting before he asks -- his ears will probably turn sideways or flatten, and the tail gets active right before he nails you. If this happens, don't touch him, just stand up and dump the cat off your lap.

Play Aggression: Kittens don't know how to inhibit teeth and claws during play and will target humans in painful play-attacks. Luckily, kittens are so cute we usually forgive them -- and most outgrow the behavior by 6 to 9 months. But if it is a concern for you, play aggression is one of the few behavior problems that can be fixed by adding another kitten to the household. That way, the babies play-attack each other and learn to pull their punches on their own kind.

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Cute Pet of the Day – January 27, 2011

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs, Cute Pet of the Day

Name: Pepper

Location: Ashby-de-la-Zouch, United Kingdom

Age: 10 years

Dog Breed: Mixed

Favorite Toy: She doesn't like to play with toys.

Favorite Treat: Soft chews.

Likes: Walks, treats, lots of fuss.

Dislikes: Traffic, fireworks, thunder.

Weird Quirks: She has never barked, and she rubs her head around the bed clothes in the morning.

Fun Fact: She is usually so placid, but when it snows she runs about and shovels the snow with her nose.

Congratulations to our submitter, aubz56. If you'd like to submit your pet, upload your favorite pet photos to our Flickr pool!

More Cute Pets

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Video – Dog Sings the Blues

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Funny Animal Videos, Cute Pet of the Day

Billie Holiday. B.B. King. Shot-Z the Weimaraner. These are just some of the names of the finest blues singers we've ever known. Holiday famously struggled with drug addiction, King with the fight against diabetes, and Shot-Z probably lost a Milk-Bone or two at some point, but that's what the blues are about: living with hard times.

Shot-Z, in fact, can belt out the sad-sack wail like the best of 'em the very moment she hears the sound of a harmonica, her owner's obvious instrument of choice.

Strange fruit, indeed.

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Funny Cat Picture - Challenge

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Cats, Funny Animal Pictures

"What are you saying? Cat noses taste like tuna? Nuh-uh! I don't believe you. I would've heard about it before. Oh, you triple-cat dare me to taste my own nose? Fine! Mmmm. It is tasty."

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Would You Choose Your Pet Over Your Partner?

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Dogs

Many pet rescue and adoption advocates live by the motto "Pets are for life." But what if your pet is unintentionally driving a wedge between you and your love life?

A new AP-Petside poll found that, when forced to choose, as many as 14 percent of current pet owners would tell their spouses or significant others to hit the road rather than ditch their pets. When it comes to unmarried pet owners, the numbers skew slightly more in favor of pets -- 25 percent.

The majority of those surveyed in the AP-Petside poll agree with Montreal resident Sarah Licha, who would choose a partner first. Licha tells Paw Nation, "If one really questions the choice between a pet and a human being, he should seriously consider therapy!"

Still, throngs of pet lovers appear to value their relationships with pets over people. We asked Paw Nation readers what they thought, and after talking to a number of pet owners about this deeply philosophical question, we too found that a surprising number of people would unequivocally choose the company of Fido or Fluffy over the prospect of romantic fulfillment. However, their reasons may not be exactly what you think.

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Polar Bear Takes Incredible 420-Mile Swim

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Exotic Pets

Everyone knows that polar bears are good swimmers, but the amazing journey of this bear beats all. In an incredible feat of strength and endurance, one female polar bear swam through the icy waters north of Alaska nonstop for almost 10 days, covering 420 miles as she searched for drift-ice hunting grounds.

Researchers say it's the longest swim by a polar bear ever recorded. Scientists in the arctic were able to track the epic swim through the Beaufort Sea because the female was wearing a GPS radio collar.

"We are in awe that an animal that spends most of its time on the surface of sea ice could swim constantly for so long in water so cold," the leader researcher told the BBC. "It is truly an amazing feat."

The researchers had been tracking the bear for two months as she looked for food for herself and a cub. During that time, the bear lost more than one-fifth of her body fat. Long swims such as this may become more common for polar bears as increased sea ice melts push the bears to swim farther in search of sustenance, caution researchers.

We are inspired by this polar bear's power and perseverance. To help protect polar bears and their natural habitats, check out the programs of the World Wildlife Fund.

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Magellanic Penguins Frolic in Snow at Bronx Zoo

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Exotic Pets, Pets News

The cold weather sure makes us reluctant to leave the house, but the Bronx Zoo's Magellanic penguins, Danny and Hugo, saw New York City's recent snowfall as the perfect excuse to burn off some energy!

Magellanic penguins are native to Southern Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands, where mated, monogamous couples live within large groups. However, commercial fishing and habitat pollution has put these creatures in danger.

The Wildlife Conservation Society is working hard to protect breeding sites and manage penguin populations in Coastal Patagonia. If you're looking for a way to help out the penguins, consider signing up for the third annual Run for the Wild 5k run/walk (waddlers are welcome!), taking place Apr. 30 at the zoo.

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Baby Gorilla Kipenzi Can’t Get Enough of Mom

This article is from Paw Nation

Filed under: Exotic Pets, Pets News

Welcome to the world, Kipenzi!

Born at Sydney Australia's Taronga Zoo 10 days ago, the adorable 4.5-pound baby gorilla is already making news around the world. According to the Taronga Zoo, Kipenzi, which means "precious one" in Swahili, is the result of an international breeding program designed to help ensure the survival of the critically endangered western lowland gorillas, whose numbers are dwindling in Africa due to poaching and the destruction of their habitat by mining and logging.

Kipenzi was born to experienced parents, which is advantageous to the baby as well as the program as a whole, explains Taronga Zoo's Primate Keeper, Lisa Ridley. Mother Kriba has given birth five times, and father Kibabu has not only sired multiple offspring but is the leader of the gorilla group at the zoo. The pair are not only taking care of the newborn but also helping teach younger gorillas how to be good parents.

"Like humans, much maternal behavior is learned, so one of the great values of our well-balanced group is the opportunities young females have to watch experienced mothers like Kriba raising her baby. ... Young males also have a great chance to learn to be excellent silverbacks," says Ridley, "by watching how Kibabu makes sure the environment is safe and calm for the new arrival."

Ridley also notes that "Kriba's 6-year-old offspring, Kimya, sister to the newborn, is especially interested and stays close to Mum and baby, watching their every move. This is an excellent life lesson for Kimya, since in the future she will also play a role in the breeding program, and who better to learn from than your mother?"

Female western lowland gorillas grow to be around 5 feet tall and weigh 200 pounds.

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