Is a Chihuahua the Right Dog for You?

The answer to this question lies in getting to know more about these little dogs. Chihuahua dogs are the smallest of all breeds. Most weigh in at 6 pounds or less and they only stand about 6 to 9 inches tall. They come in a variety of colors and have both long and short hair. Understanding the aspects of a Chihuahuas personality and needs can help a person determine if this is the right breed of dog for them.

A Chihuahua is a delicate looking dog. It is born with a soft spot, like humans, but in a Chihuahua the soft spot may never close. They are very energetic and love to play. If left alone a chihuahua may tear into anything they can rip apart, like toilet paper or other trash. They have a natural tendency to become attached to one or two people whom they are become very loyal and protective. Chihuahua dogs love attention. They also have a long life span, up to 16 years. Due to their small body size they are not very good at tolerating cold temperatures. They also require minimal grooming, only needing one bath per month and an occasional brushing. They can be hard to train, but once trained are very well behaved.

These traits of a chihuahua make him ideal for some owners and not so ideal for others. They are great for those who live in an apartment or other smaller, restricted area as they do not need a large space for exercise.

They are not good with children because of their delicate and nervous nature. Also they do not get along with other breeds of dogs, so a person with other pets would not make a good owner for Chihuahua puppies. The best owner for a chihuahua dog is an adult without other pets or children, who can devote plenty of attention to it.

Reese Spiers is an avid dog lover and writer. You can learn more about chihuahuas by visiting his website http://www.all-chihuahuas.com.

Why My Puppy Bites

Many people try to find solutions to problems without even knowing what causes the problem. Dog owners are no different; they try to stop their puppies from biting without the knowledge of why the puppy is biting. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction Isaac Newtons third law of motion. Everything happens for a purpose and a reason and dog biting is no exception. Puppies will bite and if you keep a close eye on your new pet you can learn why they bite.

The most common cause of puppy biting is the result of teething. Puppies will teeth between 4 to 6 months with a maximum age of 10 months. It is a very painful stage for young pups so they bite to sooth their gums around their new teeth. Their jaws are also weak which limits the amount of force needed to bite so they compensate by gnawing. So with a combination of a weak jaw and sharp needle point teeth the developing puppy will inflict numerous play bites as a feedback mechanism to determine the force of their bites which will also strengthen their jaws as they grow.

The more opportunities your puppy has to play bite with other people, dogs, and other animals the greater the chance your dog will bite as an adult. The responsibility of teaching bite inhibition lays with you the owner.

Another very important factor is socialization. A lack of socialization with puppies between the age of 3 weeks to 3 months with people and other dogs can lead to growling and ultimately biting, Apart from teething and socialization, be aware that puppies explore objects in their environment, they not like us they have paws and not hands so they use their mouths to do their exploration.

As a responsible dog owner do not tolerate aggressive behavior from either a puppy or an adult dog. Also never lose sight in the fact that dogs do what they feel is correct no matter what the situation. In order to avoid biting and behavior problems it is best to prevent them from forming.

Copyright Bryan Collins - http://puppytrainingpro.blogspot.com

Growth of On-line Shopping Boon to Fundraisers Everywhere

Around this time of year, just about every school, sports team and non-profit organization in our collective communities send their minions out into the neighborhood to hawk candy bars, candles, Christmas wreaths and just about anything else they can get their hands on. All done in an effort to fill the coffers of the group in support of their activities for the coming year. Weve all probably done this type of product fundraising sometime in our lives. And weve all supported the effort of others since it is as noble as it is capitalistic.

But times have changed. The proliferation of groups raising money has reached a fever pitch while at the same time, prices and product quality have suffered under the weight of increasing profit demands from these organizations. We end up buying products we dont need at over inflated prices just to support little Janie or Johnnies soccer team. Perhaps we do it out of guilt or maybe obligation. We definitely dont do it because it is consumer savvy.

But there are new options on the horizon, courtesy of the ever efficient and expanding Internet, which are both consumer savvy and fundraiser friendly. It turns out that on-line merchants are actually willing to pay people to shop on their sites. Simply redirecting the buying power of a group of consumers can yield significant windfalls for those that understand and take advantage of this phenomenon. This kind affiliate marketing is nothing new, but schools and non-profit groups have been slow to realize the opportunity. These organizations are in fact an affinity group; Familys that have banded together for a common short term purpose. They have tremendous combined buying power. The same family that hesitantly spends $7.50 on a roll of wrapping paper spends $99 on cable TV, $600 on groceries and personal care, and $420 on clothing and accessories every month. And thats not even considering the holiday season. The average US household spends $681 on gifts during the holidays alone (source NPD Group). When you start to do the math, even a minor percentage of this large pie adds up to more than a hefty percentage of the small pie with which they are familiar. Not to mention the added convenience and potential savings offered by merchants to shop at their web stores.

The product fundraising industry has been slow to adapt, selling the same stale fruit cakes and popcorn year after year. However, that is finally beginning to change. With the launch of web sites like iRaiser Mall (http://www.iraisermall.com) organizations can begin to take advantage of the tremendous growth of eCommerce and harness those internet dollars to achieve their groups financial goals. Organizations can enroll for free and, with a few mouse clicks, they can launch an internet fundraiser that has the potential to make them more money with less effort. It is an idea whose time has come and not a moment too soon. Ive got enough scented garbage bags to last a lifetime.

Carlton David is a writer, artist and internet entrepreneur.