| |
| |
|
Pets and their care |
 |
|
Life with the Rat Terriers
I am a happy owner of two rat terriers. They are half brother andhalf sister and other than coat color and size and natural hunting abilities they are not at all alike. The male "Bingo" is bossy and impudent and outlandishly boisterous. The female "Zoey" is shy and somewhat retiring and loves nothing better than to curl up in your lap and be petted. I can speak with authority that they are not the dog for everyone. First of all they are not "cuddly" in the sense of a lap dog. They have short hard coats and hard bodies....not a lot of soft fur, that sort of thing. BUT they look at you with their liquid eyes and can melt your heart with the best of the soft cuddly little fru fru dogs! Their coats do shed a lot..( I also own large hairy goobery slobbery newfoundland dogs and let me tell you the little rat terriers shed equally as much AND their hair is short and "sharp" and has a tendency to stick better on the furniture than the longer hairs of the Newfoundlands. Rat terriers are definitely a noisy dog. My son, who owns Goldens, is temporarily keeping my male rat terrier while I am going through a move. He LOVES the fact that Bingo sets up an obnoxious and noisy barking at the least sign of any intruder whether it be human or animal....and yes indeed they do certainly let you know when there is an "invader" in their territory. The goldens are nowhere near as noisy and they are prone to wag their tails and greet everyone affectionately while Bingo jumps back and forth and perhaps even appears threatening with his loud, shrill, repeated yapping at various delivery men and salesmen who arrive and depart. (This is the MALE, the female is merely noisy but wouldn't dream of appearing to actually leap at someone.) The rat terriers have done more damage to my household than anewfoundland ever did. Both of them are chewers and even with agethis has not changed. A record of the "losses": two arms from two couches.....(stuffing removed) the battery cover to my computer camera ( it is now taped to holdthe batteries in place...thank goodness for duct tape!) the remote control to my TV (the end got chewed off but if youpoint it JUST RIGHT it will still turn the TV on and off)... Various denominations of paper money ranging from one dollar to atwenty dollar bill... One leg of my antique library table now looks like hash... and the list goes on! I originally got a "rat terrier" because I had heard that theywere "varmint dogs" and basically I was sick of the little fourfooted "varmints" who seem to frequent my kitchen every winter.Believe it or not, I truly have not had a mouse in the house since the day I brought home the rat terriers. They may be there but somehow they just don't have the bravado to run across the floor any more while I am talking on the phone or sitting at the computer. The also get "varmints" in the yard, from squirrels to grinnies to dead birds. Bingo buries his grinnies and jealously digs them up and re-buries them somewhere else if you are watching him. He watches out of the corner of his eye and if you see where he buries it he will look at you suspiciously and dig it back up and run around the corner of the house and find another spot! They get along famously with my Newfoundland. Except the male, hegets all fired up when a new dog comes on the scene and he just has to show his superiority, by reaching out and "nailing" the big dog in the face as he sits on the arm of the chair where I am sitting. He shows his jealousy to the new dog in this manner. I always hold his mouth shut and tell him NO but he still tries it for several weeks until the new dog has settled in and become a member of the family. Once the new dog, be it old or young, is accepted into Bingo's life then he plays endlessly with them, chewing on their legs and playing hide and seek..the two rat terriers together can literally make the newfs dizzy, racing back and forth and around the house at top speed and barking at each other all the while. The Newfs love this entertainment..I admit it, so do I! Rat terriers are not for everyone. But if you dont like cats, andyou have mice, you might want to give it a try! You get a lot more interest added in to your life than a cat would give you (I think so anyhow!) Michael Russell
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Sporting Westie Terrier Because it is intelligent and energetic, a Westie terrier is well suited for a number of dog events. Some competitions it might participate in are geared toward the Westie's natural instinct to hunt down prey and pursue it into its den. Leash Training Your Dog-Take The Time To Get It Done and Do It Right Attempting to train your dog to walk on a leash may feel likeyou're a contestant in a tug-of-war contest. But, it doesn'thave to. No, No, No! Drop It, Drop It! Give It To Me Now! Puppies can be so exasperating! They know what we want, and what we don't want, yet they continue to push our buttons. Wait a minute! Maybe we can rewire our buttons and bring them out of reach of Puppy! Use the following tips to help prevent Puppy Theft and other hiccups in Puppy's road to adulthood. Probiotics - The Good Bacteria PROBIOTICS - The Good Bacteria - Does your pet have digestion problems, diarrhea, skin problems, food intolerances, or other chronic health problems? Supplement with a high quality pet probiotic to restore your pet's healthy gut, and chances are you'll improve your pet's health.A probiotic, sometimes referred to as good or friendly bacteria, is a microorganism necessary for a healthy and balanced intestinal tract. Westies for Sale - Avoiding the Perils of Purebred Puppy Purchases In the purebred West Highland Terrier puppy market, there are few rules or laws governing who may breed dogs, and then advertise Westies for sale. Both ancestry and the breeding environment will affect the quality of the Westies offered for sale, and some breeders are a lot less careful about these details than others. Managing Horse Pasture A major part of a horse's diet is hay or pasture. A horse weighing 1000 pounds will eat about 500 pounds each month. Parrot Keeping Parrots are becoming more popular as pets with each passing day. This is evidenced by the proliferation of Internet discussion lists which provide access to information regarding parrot care and behavior. Basic Discus Fish Care Are you thinking about getting some discus then and want to know a little about them. Have you been to the aquatics and seen some lovely colourful discus in there show tanks. Dog Obedience Training Basics The most important things in dog training are consistency, keeping dog's attention and understanding your dog.To get the respect of your dog you must be consistent. Which Parrot is Right For Me? Which parrot is right for me? This is a question that you must ask yourself before you think of keeping these lovely birds as pets. It is as important as your decision to have a child. Puppy Love - Wonderful Companions Everybody loves puppies. Who can resist those cute little faces and wet noses? Puppies can be a lot of fun, but they also come with a lot of added responsibility. Tips on Hamster Breeding Hamster breeding can sometimes be confusing for a hamster owner. Fortunately, there are only a few basic things you need to know before you start hamster breeding. You Must Train Your Dog From A Young Age The best thing to do is to start training your new puppy as soon as you get him home. You need to teach your puppy your rules, and how you expect him to behave starting from a very early age. Tips & Guide To Looking For A Good Dog Trainer Dog training is definitely not rocket science and is easier than you would expect particularly if you can get help from a good dog training book or guide. It's also certainly possible for almost any dog owners to train their dogs themselves provided they put in adequate amount of effort. How to Groom Your Horse Grooming means taking care of the physical maintenance of the horse. The sight of a well-groomed horse gives immense pleasure to true horse lovers. Agility Training For Dogs Without agility, the most muscular person in the world couldn't win a fight against a fifth-grader. But did you know that for a dog agility is possibly even more important? With so many of a dog's happiest moments spent running, jumping, catching, and stretching, dog agility training can really help dogs age gracefully and happily. How to Keep Your Cat Free from Diseases with This Quick Guide to Cat Parasites Parasites are organisms that survive by feeding off of other creatures. Among cats, parasites generally feed on the animal's blood. Horse Training Facts And Maxims To the uninitiated horse owner, there are timely facts about horses they should know. In fact, when someone first gets a horse these timely facts should be studied and learned. A Dog Bit Me, Whom Can I Sue? Any person, whether a minor or adult, having been bitten or knocked down by an animal improperly or inadequately leashed or contained can sue for injuries or death caused by a bite or knock-down. You can sue the person who has or was responsible for the animal. Syrian vs. Dwarf Hamsters, What Should I Get For My Family? As pets go hamsters are fairly easy to take care of. Hamsters require no walking, are not particularly dirty or stinky, they are small and don't take up much space and are generally inexpensive.
|
| home | site map | Partner Sites |
| © 2006 |
