When I discuss the concept of crate training with pet dog owners they often look a little befuddled. I know exactly what they are thinking in most cases before they even open their mouths. Pet owners think of their dogs as family members, loved ones in some cases even our furry kids. Why would we want to put them in a crate?

There are many benefits to crate training a dog, especially if you have a puppy or a young dog and you are in the process of house training. I often ask people, especially those with small children, if they ever used the baby pens. “Of course they reply, I would have never had any peace or quiet”. Well a crate for a puppy is the same concept as a baby pen. You would never leave your baby or child unsupervised, free to wander the rooms of your house where they could injure themselves. Puppies, like small children need a place they can go when you are not available to watch every move they make, a safe place where they can hear, see and smell you without being underfoot. A crate is a safe, quiet place your dog can go when they want peace and quiet, to snooze or just to withdraw into their own sanctuary. I have never met a dog that does not enjoy their crate if the crate is introduced into their world correctly.

There are many benefits of crate training your dog not just for housebreaking but also to prevent destructive behaviors such as chewing, counter surfing and trash exploring, especially while you are away. When a pet is injured or sick a crate is an ideal location for them to rest and, should you ever need to evacuate your dog you will be grateful if you can safely contain your dog on a long journey, in a shelter or in compliance with a hotel’s pet policy.
Contrary to what many may think, a crate is not a tool for punishment, or a long term confinement tool. With training, an adult dog can remain in a crate for up to 8 hours but will need plentiful amounts of exercise before and after crating and an assortment of toys for mental stimulation during its time in the crate.

There are many different sizes, models and varieties of crates. The more durable crates designed for airline travel, in my opinion, do not make the best crate for home use as they tend to be bulky and restrict the dog’s view of their environment. For my dogs, I use the canvas/mesh style of crates for their daily use and that is where they often disappear to be alone while we read or watch television. This design provides for shaded visibility, they fold easily, are durable and can be moved or stored with little problem. Many pet stores provide the metal wire crates that collapse and can be easily moved around the house. These are good crates for large dogs and dogs that may chew. They also come with accessories such as water bowls, fans to keep your pooch cool, and fabric covers to blend them into your home décor.

To start the crate training process make going into the crate a game. Dogs should be encouraged, not forced, into their crates. To generate interest feed them in the crate with the door left open, throw in the odd treat or toy and within a short period of time you will find them happily exploring the inside of their new place delighted to find a surprise. As time goes by gently close the door giving them treats for staying quietly inside, progress on to actually fastening the door and then extend the period of time you leave them in their crate. Remember, offer treats and toys to go in and do not let them out if they are barking or pawing at the door. You want to let them out when they are calm and quiet or they will learn very quickly that if they bark or paw the door opens. If you work on this and make it a fun happy place for your dog you will soon find them choosing to snooze in their crate as happy as can be.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should move toward permitting private contractors to train explosive-sniffing dogs and make them available for use at government certified cargo screening facilities, the Airforwarders Association (AfA) urged a congressional panel in testimony today.

Appearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, AfA board member Chris Connell urged TSA to finalize its efforts to develop a program for private companies to use their own canines, certified to TSA standards, to meet federal air cargo screening mandates. Currently, TSA permits only the use of the agencys own dogs in cargo screening, and only at on-airport facilities.

Click here to download the AfA’s written testimony.

Connell, who is President of Commodity Forwarders, Inc., a Los Angeles-based freight forwarding company specializing in perishable products, said enabling the use of private sector dogs will help broaden the security options for freight forwarders who operate off-airport Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF), which are supervised by TSA.

We are not saying that privatized canines are a magic bullet when it comes to screening cargo, but they are a potentially valuable part of this multilayer approach another important tool in the toolbox, if you will that includes a range of other technology solutions that our members can use to meet their screening requirements, he said.

Connell told the subcommittee that the AfA had just recently surveyed its members and found that fully three-quarters of the respondents about half of whom operate CCSFs said they would strongly consider using dogs provided by private companies if they were given the option to do that.

While emphasizing that the threat to the aviation industry remains high and association members are determined to do their part to ensure safety, Connell noted that time is money in our business. And right now our company believes that we could save over a million dollars a year at our LAX facility if we had access to a third party solution deploying canines. And of course our customers would highly appreciate the time savings that this solution would help us achieve.

Accordingly, we are highly interested in any solution that can help us expedite the screening process, move our perishables more quickly through the supply chain, and still provide the utmost in safety and security of what we ship. We think dogs can really help us do that, he said.

Connell also noted that use of specially trained dogs is one of several methods for screening air freight that are identified in the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act that was passed by Congress in 2007. And he said that, given the track record of using canines in cargo screening, proceeding with a private sector option with solutions fully regulated, certified and monitored by government agencies would square with other screening approaches such as in-house x-ray and ETD, where the government relies on private sector solutions that are tested and certified.

About the Airforwarders Association

The Airforwarders Association (AfA) represents more than 360 member companies dedicated to moving cargo throughout the supply chain. The association’s members range from small businesses with fewer than 20 employees to large companies employing more than 1,000 people and business models varying from domestic to worldwide freight forwarding operations. In short, they are the travel agents for freight shipments, moving cargo in the timeliest and most cost efficient manner whether it is carried on aircraft, truck, rail or ship. For more information, visit the association’s website at http://www.airforwarders.org.

What if you come across some fraud cases within the pharmaceutical company you are working with? You might have come across some unlawful marketing practices of medicines which may be against the public interest. Have you tried to stop them but to no avail?

In order to stop those illegal activities, you can file legal action against those persons who are involved in such fraud cases. This act of whistle blowing will not highlight your boldness but will also help society to eliminate corruptions and undesirable practices.

Generally, pharmaceutical fraud cases may appear in the form of off-label marketing and pharmaceutical kickbacks. Off-label marketing is the practice of marketing of medicines for medical reasons that have not been approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Whereas, pharmaceutical kickbacks refers to the practice of pressuring physicians for prescribing those medicines which pharmaceutical companies offer rather than recommending different drugs which can be more effective for their treatment.

If you are thinking to expose the on-going fraud practices within your organization, you can contact qui tam lawyers who deal with pharmaceutical fraud cases. Experienced medicare fraud lawyers have adequate knowledge about the rules and regulations required in developing successful healthcare fraud cases. Most of the legal firms in Chicago have team of medicaid fraud attorneys, who are skilled in conducting successful investigation of cases on behalf of the whistleblowers.
 
Whistle blowing against your company may lead you to face many security problems. Therefore, it is necessary to choose those whistle blower lawyers, who are well-versed with the False Claim Act. According to this law, protection are  provided to those people who take bold steps to report against fraud cases occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company.

Besides protection, choosing right qui tam lawyers may help you receive reward for your act of whistle blowing. If you are willing to reap benefits out of your whistle blowing act, then you can contact attorneys who are experienced in dealing with wide range of qui tam cases involving government contract fraud, medicare and medicaid fraud.

For easy searching of qui tam lawyers, you can take the help of Internet to verify their existence and take updated contact numbers to make a call. If you are in Chicago and are looking for qui tam lawyers, then you can get connected with Chicago-based legal firms having award-winning attorneys.

You can ensure about the privacy policy maintained within the legal firm before providing secret information about your company. This will help your qui tam cases solved in a secured manner. So, take a bold step without any hesitation and try making your organization free from unlawful activities.

A Dog Training Lesson

Are you looking for some dog training tips?  Perhaps you have some dog problems that you just can’t figure out how to handle.  Maybe you’re in the middle of training a puppy.  Training dogs can be frustrating and a lot of hard work, but it is so worthwhile.

I’m by no means an expert in dog training.  But through my many years on this earth I have always had dogs in my life.  Most of them have been rescue dogs.  I would suggest rescue dogs for anyone interested in getting a new dog.  It’s a wonderful feeling and you will never regret it.

Now, on to the purpose of this article and this short dog training course. Over the years I’ve tried many different dog  training techniques to deal with dog problems that I’ve encountered.  Many times with rescue dogs, especially older rescue dogs, they might have some bad habits that their previous owner just didn’t want to deal with.  Those are the dogs I love to take because they end up being so lovable and sweet once you deal with the dog problem.

One dog training technique that has been very successful for me has been something so simple and yet so effective.

What I do is take a small tin can and put a few pennies in it.  Sometimes I will have a few cans around the house so they are handy when I need them.

When your dog exhibits a behavior that is not welcomed, just give the can a shake and at the same time say “No!”  This catches the dog’s attention and startles them.  They don’t like the sound of the pennies in the can, and after doing this a few times, you’ll see  that the unwanted behavior stops.  So what you are doing is conditioning the dog  to know that when they do the unwanted behavior, they will hear this noise that they don’t like, and therefore after a few times they will stop the behavior.  After a few times, you won’t even have to use the can but only say “No!” and they will stop the unwanted behavior.

This is why I have a few cans around the house because you want them handy so you can shake the can immediately when the dog is doing the unwanted behavior. 

I’ve used this technique on a number of dog problems that I’ve had through the years.  It’s been especially helpful in stopping dogs from barking too much.  One of my dogs was a very yappy dog until I tried this technique.  After a few shakes of the can, he now does not bark all the time and is much more pleasant to be around.

Another dog problem I’ve handled with this technique is a disgusting behavior of eating their own feces.  I know, so disgusting.  Two of my dogs now have done this in the past and I was so happy when this technique worked for them.  I would have to watch them while they were outside for a few days and keep a window open.  Then when they started going toward their own feces with an eye to eating it, I would shake the can from the window and that was enough to stop them.  It only took a few times.

I hope you will try this technique and let me know if it works for you.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Also, I have found another great dog training book that has some great simple ideas to help with dog problems that you might want to try.  The title is Secrets to Dog Training, formerly known as SitStayFetch.  It’s a great resource, PLUS you get six bonus books with it.

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Social and sporting events for dogs are on the rise. Just like their human counterparts, the more dogs interact, the more at risk they are for contracting illnesses in public places. To help dog owners and event organizers better understand and prevent transmission of infectious diseases in dogs, the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), in collaboration with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), announces a newly funded study that will provide practical guidelines to reduce the risk of disease spread in the canine population. Rather than generate new data, researchers will do a retrospective analysis of existing information to provide recommendations for managing infectious disease at the level of both the dog and the environment.

Dr. Jason Stull, VMD, MPVM, PhD, DACVPM (Public Health, Epidemiology) of The Ohio State University is the principal researcher on the project. His OSU team includes: Armando Hoet, DVM, PhD, DACVPM (Public Health, Epidemiology); Jeanette OQuin, DVM, MPH (Public Health, Epidemiology); and Mary Jo Burkhard, DVM, PhD, DACVP (Immunology/Infectious Disease, Clinical Pathology). We are excited to have this stellar team of veterinary infectious disease experts work with CHF and OFA to produce up-to-date recommendations that will have real world implications, said Dr. Shila Nordone, CHF Chief Scientific Officer.

Fully funded by OFA, the grant aims to equip the dog loving community with information and an understanding of how to keep their dogs healthy in locations where disease spread is more likely. According to Eddie Dziuk, Chief Operating Officer of OFA, Whether participating in various dog sports, attending training classes, or simply visiting the local dog park, mitigating the risk of infectious disease transmission should be of concern to all responsible dog owners whose dogs are regularly in contact with other dogs. Dziuk goes on to state, The Ohio State University has assembled an outstanding team to review the existing literature, engage stakeholder groups in the process, and develop consensus recommendations from key opinion leaders. The end result will be safer, healthier environments for our dogs through education, prevention, and guidelines of best practices to prevent the outbreak of infectious disease.

The outcome of the study will be a peer-reviewed publication defining up-to-date risk assessment and management recommendations, and most importantly, a white paper that can be used by dog owners and organizers of canine events and facilities. CHF anticipates that the recommendations will be released to the public by early 2016. Researchers also hope to create an open-access, interactive website that can be used by all involved with dogs to help reduce the risk and spread of infectious disease where dogs meet and compete.

CHF is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research to prevent, treat and cure canine disease. Visit CHF online at http://www.akcchf.org for more information about the Foundation. Like CHF on Facebook, follow CHF on Twitter @CanineHealthFnd, or connect with CHF on LinkedIn.

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About CHF The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping dogs live longer, healthier lives by funding research that helps prevent, treat, and cure canine disease. Established in 1995, CHFs mission is to advance the health of all dogs and their owners by funding sound, scientific research and supporting the dissemination of canine health information. Through the generous support of the American Kennel Club, Nestl Purina PetCare, Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health), dog clubs, and dog owners worldwide, CHF has dedicated more than $ 40 million to canine health research projects and education programs. Visit CHF online at http://www.akcchf.org for more information.

Pet dog enthusiasts like you are surely encountering the difficulty of educating a cat. While there are lots of verified techniques as well as viewpoints on just how you can train your pet dog, there are still usual concepts that can be considered. Before you begin your training, one point you need to not forget is the fact that your pet dog knows his position in your residence as well as in your family members. If you train it well, you will be a winner in the cat’s eyes as well as it will end up being a delighted, loyal dog.

Educating methods instructing your canine to connect socially and also to communicate well with you and also with people. That’s why it is a good idea to establish a leader-follower partnership with your animal. If you assume management, your pet will certainly see the have to submit to your commands. If you are now encouraged on the relevance of pet dog training, then you much better begin acquainting on your own with the easy ways on how you can train a dog.

Amongst the simple ways to instruct your cat is to get the solutions of an expert cat trainer that will deal with you and also your dog in a one on one setting. It will, of course, cost you cash, however this is an easy pet training option that will swiftly bring result. The fitness instructor will certainly instructor your pet on ways to appropriately act when you are out for a walk and when you are asking him to do something. The instructor is likewise able to educate your canine on how to respond in complex situations.

And if your cat locates it hard to act well in a group atmosphere, or if it appears hostile or uncontrollable, the easy means to train it is to obtain an expert in pet behavior or an expert dog whisperer. This is a quite gentle approach that will certainly aid remedy the cat’s behavior. It will certainly likewise help with the way you interact with your dog. The moment your cat becomes interested in interacting with you, that’s a sign that you could now begin training him. So if you are among those which are on the look-out for means on how you can train a cat the very easy method, much better keep these points in thoughts. However mind you, you will go a long method if you use these pointers in your cat training.