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Stages of a Puppy’s Development:
Puppies are like children their minds will usually develop on a natural course. So being aware of this course will help you understand how to teach and train your puppy as he grows. Learning the stages of your puppy’s development will also help him know what you expect of him and therefore increase his success rate of growing up.
Baby (8 to 12 weeks):
Your puppy’s days are centered around eating, drinking, sleeping, going to the bathroom and playing at this point. He is able to learn things now, but don’t expect too much. Your puppy will need to be feed 3 or 4 times a day and you will need to take him out constantly and of course let him sleep as much as he likes. It is known that puppy’s learns best when it’s incorporated with play, so for now just show him the basics. Use his name and start introducing the leash. If you discipline him right now it will only frighten him, your relationship will go down hill and he starts to lose trust.
Toddler (12 to 16 weeks):
By now your puppy’s personally is starting to take shape. He will get more confident and more daring. His brain is fully developed at 12 weeks and he is ready for some training. Although he is old enough to remember directions, you will need to remember he is still too young to take matters on himself. They are learning at this stage whether they are guided or not. If you don’t start training your puppy he will train you!
Kid (16 to 24 weeks):
Get ready to enter the battle zone and welcome to adolescence. Your puppy will be running, chewing up everything and driving you nuts! Hang in there, this a crucial time for training as well. His training should be broken down week by week. By doing this you allow your puppy to feel successful and allow him to excel with each of the exercises before you apply it to his day to day world.
Tween (6 to 9 months):
Well at this stage your puppy is growing up, like you did with all the hormones, rebellion and confusion. Yah we call it puberty. On top of all the growing pain, he is learning about his breed’s natural instincts, like herder to herd, hunters to hunt and guarders to guard.
Teenager (9 to 12 months):
We got past the first milestone, but it’s not over yet. Your puppy at this stage will start to calm down and manage things on his own a little better. You’ll see that he chews his bone quietly, potty where is suppose to and listen MOST of the time. At this stage he will want to behave, but like teenagers they are relentless at making one more glorious step to become the Top Dog. You can start to relax but your efforts are not over yet
Canine Kidney Disease:
Changes in a dog's normal urinary function warrant immediate investigation by a vet. Straining to urinate can be caused by an infection, mineral sediment in the urine, or bladder stones lodged like plugs in the dog's urethra. In addition to being very painful this can be life-threatening. Increased frequency of passing urine or increases in amounts passed can mean a urinary infection or a serious metabolic illness, such as diabetes. Incontinence is common in elderly dogs but can also occur for a variety of reasons in young ones. Contact a vet if you notice changes in the color or consistency of a dog's urine.
Methigel Urinary Acidifier 
can be use to treat urinary infections, it provides a supplemental source of dl-methionine and aids in maintaining a low urine ph. Combined with the proper diet, methigel helps maintain a healthy, natural urinary tract.
Dog Containment System Importance:
Pet Health Articles courtesy of http://pet-articles.blogspot.com
Looking after your beloved dog at all times is your responsibility, and in cases when your canine's behavior becomes uncontrollable, the use of dog containment system can be very useful. Leaving your dog unattended might cause troubles inside or outside your house. You can crate train your dog or put him in dog crates 
but it will not give him the freedom to roam around.
Besides pampering your dog, it is equally important to give him the necessary freedom and space where he can play and enjoy the beauty of the outside world while ensuring his safety.
Here are some of benefits of using dog containment devices:
With the help of pet containment systems such as dog exercise pens and dog kennels, leaving your canine alone will no longer be an issue! Dog containment devices can either be wireless, electronic or motorized that are installed in traditional fences or under the ground.
They are generally portable and can be set up in a few minutes. Many pet containment systems available in the market these days are battery-operated and comes with a training collar that is placed around the dog's neck. The collar has a receiver that detects when the dog is getting near the wire. Within this boundary, the collar will give a signal to your canine by discharging static stimulation.
Other systems are wireless and have constant radio signal to create a "safe zone" for your pet. Having said that, the primary benefit of using dog containments is that they have the ability to teach your dog to behave properly and stay only within specific locations. Electronic dog containment is also a lot cheaper than setting up traditional metal or wooden dog fences.
You can also prevent your dog from running away or stepping outside the house if you install dog containment devices. This can be particularly effective for controlling aggressive dogs that can destroy your neighbor's property or attack passersby.
You can also keep you dog away from valued properties and causing damage to the flowers, shrubs and other things in your garden or backyard. Dogs, especially puppies, are highly prone to getting lost when they venture out. In order to avoid such incidents from happening, dog owners must install dog containment devices.
Helping Your Cat Express Its Creativity Through Scratching:
Pet Health Article courtesy of http://pet-articles.blogspot.com
Most cats enjoy scratching, there's no question about it.
And indoor cats are no different. Just because a tree is not available, it does not decrease their desire to "leave a mark on the world" by scratching. From a cat's point of view, chairs, sofas, and even the woodwork can serve as a good substitute. But cat owners often take a different view.
They see scratching as a destructive behavior, and seek to redirect or stop it. In many cases, a scratching post can be a good compromise.
But even better, why not help your feline pal create original pieces of art you will be proud to display in your home or office?
Ever since he was a kitten, my cat Henry has always loved to scratch. He soon grew tired of the scratching post I bought him and went on to create interesting textures on the living room sofa and chair.
I was determined not to have him declawed. So what was the answer?
I remembered hearing that a friend's cat liked to scratch a piece of carpet she had nailed onto the wall. So I went to the surplus store and bought a few pieces of carpet remnants.
It did not take Henry long to catch on. Almost as soon as I nailed the carpet up on the wall, he discovered that he really enjoyed scratching it.
He was very pleased that it didn't turn over with him like his old scratching post sometimes did, and he enjoyed working with the
texture.
A few months later, when Henry had nearly scratched the carpet remnant to pieces, I decided to replace it with another strip of carpet. But instead of throwing the scratched carpet away, I decided to put a hanger on it and display it.
After all, it looked like a modern piece of fiber art. It had long, fluffy loops of all lengths, and it looked like someone had spent a great deal of time creating it. (Actually they did -- only the "someone" happened to be feline!)
Last summer when I was exhibiting some of my own fiber art at the Bangor Public Library in Bangor, Maine, I decided to include a few pieces of Henry's work. The library patrons enjoyed viewing it, and were surprised to learn that a cat had created it! Within a few
months, Henry and his work were also featured in the Bangor Daily News.
If you would like to help your feline friend express their creativity, all you need are a few nails or screws and a strip of carpet that's at least 5-6 inches across and at least a foot long. Make sure that the carpet does not have loops that are cut, or your cat will only be able
to pull out clumps of fiber, and cannot make the beautiful loop-covered wall hangings he or she would like to create. Nail it securely to the wall, and watch what happens! If your cat needs a little encouragement, you can always rub the carpet remnant with catnip, or spray it with catnip spray.
Who knows what wonderful masterpiece your cat might create!
Anita Louise McCormick is a writer, editor, artist, and Reiki Master. She is also the agent and personal assistant of a very creative cat, Henry the Feline Fiber Artist!
You can visit the website Anita created for Henry http://henrythefelinefiberartist.wordpress.com to read his story, see a few of the wall hangings he created, and view a short video documentary about his work. Anita also has a website about her writing at http://www.angelfire.com/biz/AnitaMcCormick
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