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Archive for July, 2007

Are you looking for a dog who is very active but still loves the company of people? If so, you may want to consider the Siberian Husky. This beautiful dog was bred to tirelessly pull sleds loaded with supplies over frozen terrain for miles on end. At the end of the day, Huskies provide companionship to their owners. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s probably easy for some people to discount the fluffy, immaculately groomed Standard Poodles in the show ring and think of them as silly, shallow dogs. They might be surprised to know that the Standard Poodle is considered by many people to be the most intelligent breed in the world, with the reasoning ability of a three year old child. Read the rest of this entry »

Terriers are small dogs with big dog attitudes. They’re so sure that they are just as big and bad as the other guy, that they will not hesitate to take on a Great Dane. This doesn’t mean that Yorkshire Terriers aren’t lap dogs because the Yorkie can cuddle with the best of them. Read the rest of this entry »

A pet bird can be an intelligent and enjoyable companion but choosing the wrong bird can cause frustration and hearache. What bird will be the best choice for your family? Read the rest of this entry »

To insure that the bird you buy is a healthy and well adjusted bird, you will need to be sure that you have chosen a good breeder. Unfortunately, there are some disreputable breeders who are more than willing to take your money. Read the rest of this entry »

When you’re new to bird breeding, you may think that you can’t possibly ask some of the questions you have because more experienced breeders will think you are unintelligent. Finding out a few of the basics can help you feel a bit more confident. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re not going to breed your bird, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a male or female, right? Wrong. If yours is a female, you will need to know the signs that she might be egg bound when she matures. Read the rest of this entry »

The cage is probably the most important item you will need to buy for your new bird and the proper cage can help your bird stay healthy and safe. With so many different types of cages how do you choose the right one? Read the rest of this entry »

Moving to a new home can be stressful for a bird, especially if the bird is a handfed baby but if you spend some time setting everything up properly, it isn’t too hard to help your bird make the adjustment to a new home. Read the rest of this entry »

Quite a few people think that handfeeding means holding some seeds or pellets in your hand and convincing your bird to eat them. Handfeeding actually involves feeding a soft diet to a baby bird that is not yet able to eat on its own. Read the rest of this entry »

Considering that wild birds do quite well in the outdoors, it would seem that feeding a pet bird would be easy enough. Just toss some seeds in a bowl and give them some water and you’re done, right? Read the rest of this entry »

A common reason that many people buy a pet bird is they want a pet that talks. While most people think of the African Grey when they picture a talking bird, quite a few different types of birds can actually learn to talk. Even some finch owners say their birds learned a few simple words but not all birds talk or talk as easily as other birds. Read the rest of this entry »

Some bird are actually able to learn quite a few tricks though not all birds are able to perform elaborate tricks. That may surprise those who think that pet birds just sit in a cage or perch on someone’s shoulder and occasionally say something funny. Read the rest of this entry »

Birds need to be groomed the same as dogs or cats do. You won’t be brushing his feathers but you will need to clip his wings, clip his toenails, and give him an occasional misting. Read the rest of this entry »

Trying to interpret what your pets are telling you can be a real challenge, even if they can talk.  Few parrots communicate their feelings with words, although at least one African gray has been known to loudly announce, ‘I’m bored!’ when he were being neglected. Read the rest of this entry »

New bird owners often find there is so much to worry about once they’ve brought their new parrot home. He comes home happy and healthy but how does a bird owner keep him that way? Read the rest of this entry »

A biting tendency can be the biggest problem that a bird owner faces with their pet bird. Because birds bite for a variety of reasons, breaking this bad habit can become a bit of a challenge. Read the rest of this entry »

Birds are intelligent creatures with active minds that can quickly grow unhappy if they are sitting in an empty cage with nothing to entertain them. Some bored birds become pluckers and pull out the majority of their feathers so it is important that you give birds toys to keep them happy and healthy. Read the rest of this entry »

Birds are more fragile than many other types of animals despite the fact that some of them can outlive their owners. Read the rest of this entry »

When a human is sick it’s easy to tell by the red and runny nose, feverish eyes, and listless attitude. So how easy is it to spot a sick bird? Read the rest of this entry »

Stress can literally kill a bird that would otherwise live a long and healthy life but how can you avoid stressing your bird and what can you do for him if he does become stressed? Read the rest of this entry »

Lories and lorikeets are quite unique with their brush-like tongue setting them apart from other birds. Their tongue is designed to collect nectar from plants, while most parrots have a tongue that is perfectly suited to manipulating seeds. Because these birds require a unique diet, lories need very different care than other parrots. Read the rest of this entry »

Cockatiels are a family friendly bird that is the perfect choice for first time bird owners since they are easy to care for and quite adaptable. Most cockatiels are happy to cuddle up to their owners, especially if it means they’ll be getting a neck scratch, but they also can be fairly good talkers and whistlers. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s easy to become obsessed with owning a cockatoo after seeing a bird cuddle up to its owner or looking into its sparkling chocolate brown eyes. More than one person has made an emotional connection after seeing a big, fluffy cockatoo interacting with its owner. Read the rest of this entry »

Conures are gregarious, spunky little parrots that are small enough to fit easily into most households and large enough to satisfy the desire of someone wanting to own a real parrot. Conures range from quiet, green little birds to slightly raucous brilliant orange and yellow parrots. Read the rest of this entry »

The African Grey is an extremely intelligent parrot species that is considered the best talker in the parrot family. Not every African Grey will excel at talking but they’re more apt to be fluent talkers than most other birds. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you really need to buy a pair of lovebirds and if you do, won’t their bonding make them less than good pets for your household? Read the rest of this entry »

A macaw is not a good choice for anyone who is not experienced with parrot ownership. As magnficent and intelligent as they may be, their beaks can be dangerous to those inexperienced in bird handling. Read the rest of this entry »

The parakeet is a wonderful first time bird owner’s choice. This little bird can be found in almost any pet store at a very reasonable price, which makes it a great choice for someone with a tight budget who is looking for a pet. Cages and toys are also much more economical for parakeets than they are for larger birds. Read the rest of this entry »

On the average, the Pionus parrot is a mild mannered, sweet natured, quiet bird. Some Pionus species are a bit loud, but even those birds are quieter than many other parrot species. Read the rest of this entry »

Because Quakers are so hardy, they have colonized in quite a few spots, including Florida and California. These noisy gray and green parrots can really do some damage to local farm crops. Read the rest of this entry »

Senegal parrots are playful, affectionate and colorful, and can easily learn to speak twenty or more phrases in their robotic-sounding little voices. Read the rest of this entry »

Home security systems used to be largely reserved for the well-to-do and this made sense when the systems were very expensive and they were installed to protect even more expensive possessions. Read the rest of this entry »

In order to avoid being a data point in the FBI’s burglary statistics, there are things you can do to secure your home if you’ll try to think as the professional burglar does. Read the rest of this entry »

On average, according to the FBI, a burglary is committed somewhere. There are a wide range of steps a homeowner can take to avoid being the victim of a home burglary. Read the rest of this entry »

Installing a home security system may involve not only buying equipment but also contracting with a monitoring company who will respond quickly when an alarm is triggered. Your equipment is only as good as the company monitoring it.  Read the rest of this entry »

The PC and Internet revolution has had a major impact on home automation security systems. A combination of software and hardware can provide video surveillance cameras with intelligent tracking. Read the rest of this entry »

Probably the most controversial aspect of home security is the debate as to whether or not homeowners should carry or have a gun at home. There are valid points on either side of the debate and the best answer may take some time to be determined.  Read the rest of this entry »

The two most common entry points for burglars are windows and doors and fortifying them can start with near-zero cost, then grow from there as your needs and budget allows. Read the rest of this entry »

Burglars want to avoid detection not only as they’re committing their crime but also by not leaving any visible traces of themselves afterward. A video surveillance system can help thwart both their goals. Read the rest of this entry »

Many valuable items kept in your home are small enough to conveniently place in a safe, and, while it’s less common to store documents there, now that computers have taken over the job, you may have a hand-signed will or old family photos you want to protect. Read the rest of this entry »

Dogs have been used to provide security for thousands of years. Chinese palaces were protected by dogs and Greek myths have Cerebus guarding the gates of Hades. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all seen films where someone drives up to a huge, gated estate and presses the intercom button to be allowed in. Elaborate estates are expected to have driveway alarm system but much more modest homes may have long driveways, or ones out of sight from the house. Read the rest of this entry »

A panic room, or safe room as professionals call them,  is very much what the name suggests. The concept is simple: build or select a room within the home that is impervious to intruders that will provide safety for you and your family. Read the rest of this entry »

On average, according to FBI statistics, there’s a violent crime every 18 seconds, a violent assault every 29 seconds, a forcible rape every five minutes and a murder every 24 minutes. Who wouldn’t be paranoid about security with numbers like those? Read the rest of this entry »

Finally technology has caught up to home security lighting needs. In the past, a simple, low-cost timer might have been used to turn indoor lights on and off at selected times. Outdoor lights might be on a similar mechanism, but set at different times. Floodlights were common. But state-of-the-art home security lighting is much more sophisticated today. Read the rest of this entry »

Older burglar alarms were fairly elementary: a door or window was opened at the wrong time and an alarm went off, either in the house or at a remote location or both. Installing these systems required adding wiring and attached devices which an expensive propostion. Read the rest of this entry »

Apartment or condominium living has its benefits as well as disadvantages when it comes to security. In a complex of any size, management often takes on the responsibility of providing security, at least in general. Read the rest of this entry »

There are legal issues to be considered when trying to design and set in place a home security plan and it’s smart to learn about laws concerning privacy, gun ownership, security company responses and other issues if certain points are not considered up front. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most effective means of protecting your home is to join, or if necessary create, a neighborhood watch program because no one can be home 24 x 7 x 365. Read the rest of this entry »