While the argument that Jimi and Fanny do not speak English does have some merit, that doesn’t make it airtight. Your dogs would notice if you changed their names. In fact, there are a whole slew of reasons not to go about renaming your dogs whenever the whim strikes you. These reasons can be sorted into two categories: the ways it would affect them, and the ways that it would affect you. You may be surprised how much of a difference renaming your pooch can make.

The Effects On Them
The biggest problem with changing your dogs’ names is that it is confusing to them. Learning a new name is just like learning a new trick. It takes time, effort, and training – for both of you. The likelihood that this process of adapting Jimi to his new name will be stressful for the two of you is very high indeed. No one, neither human nor canine likes to encounter stress, so why add more to the relationship between man and beast?

This can be especially true for dogs that have a harder time learning tricks due to breeding, attention span, or other factors. Boxer can be hyperactive, and a bit slow on the uptake. It could take Jimi months to learn his new name and incorporate it into his human vocabulary. So, you will have effectively spent months fixing something that is not broken. Renaming Jimi or Fanny would be possible with training, to be sure, but you would want to have a very good, important reason for doing so.

Also, once you’ve successfully changed your pup’s name once, what’s to stop you from changing your mind again, and renaming him again – which would cause even more stress for both of you.

The Effects On You
The biggest effect that it will have on you is that it will damage your relationship to Fanny to rename him. Renaming your dog takes away the identity that you associate with his name. To you, Fanny is not just some bloodhound whose name happens to be Fanny, but rather, she is your bloodhound Fanny. Rename her Droopy or whatever you feel like, but understand that he will become some bloodhound named Droopy for a while before he becomes your bloodhound Droopy.

Many people who pick out dogs from shelters want to rename them because they “don’t like the name that their dog comes with.” What they don’t understand is that the very first time they learn their dog’s name, they create a sort of identity for their pet in their mind. This paradigm creation of your dog is forced to shift and change as new information about their pet becomes available. Changing your pet’s name is not just another shift in this paradigm. It is a complete alteration of your identification of this paradigm.

If you haven’t noticed by now, the effects that changing Fanny and Jimi’s names have on them also affect you, and vise versa. The names, “Fanny” and “Jimi” are the fulcrum point of the special relationship that you share with them. Don’t fix what isn’t broken. Just like you wouldn’t rename your children on a whim, you shouldn’t rename your dogs. Fanny and Jimi are the perfect names for Fanny and Jimi, because it is who they have always been and will forever be.

There are many qualities that a good dog trainer should have and none of them are the ability to hear or speak. Many a deaf dog has learned obedience through the use of hand signals and other kinds of body language. There is no reason you can’t use the same techniques with Mikey.

Qualities of a Good Trainer
Deafness in no way should prevent anyone from training their dog. A good dog trainer is someone who is patient. Dogs don’t learn in an instant. It takes time, consistency, and patience to teach a dog tricks or obedience. A good trainer is also someone who is calm. It can be very frustrating when little Mikey refuses to acknowledge your sign for sit. You must remain calm. Throwing a tantrum will only disrupt and set back the training process.

A good trainer has knowledge and skills. You can’t expect to train Mikey successfully simply because you think you know how to do it. You need to go out and do some research. Read books about training techniques, watch shows about training, or take a class with a professional dog trainer. However you learn about training, take those lessons home and use them on Mikey.

Using Hand Signals
Even dogs and people who can hear can learn obedience by hand signals. Using hand signals works just as well as using vocal commands. In fact, many trainers combine spoken commands with hand signals when training dogs. You and Mikey can learn some signals and will be able to communicate with each other with ease.

Introduce Mikey to a hand signal and the behavior that goes with it using basic positive reinforcement training. The trick is to catch Mike doing what you want him to do and to give him your signal and a reward, such as a treat. For example, your signal for sit could be pointing at the floor. Get Mikey’s attention and point at the floor. Wait for him to sit and when he does, give him a treat. It could take a long time when you first introduce a new signal and behavior, but eventually he will begin to associate a pointed finger with sitting and getting a treat. This is basically what trainers who use vocal commands do to introduce a new behavior. The only difference is the signal.

You and Mikey have the potential to have a great relationship with each other. The more you train him, the more you will bond and communicate. He will understand what you expect of him and that makes dogs very happy. A happy Mikey means no more trash on the floor or chewed up shoes. When Mikey is happy, you’re happy. Be patient, consistent, and calm and you and Mikey will be successful.

Basic Guidelines
The guidelines are similar to those to bear in mind with costumes for children. Masks are always best avoided when possible. If anything could cause a tripping or falling hazard or impair vision, it should be removed from the costume. Many costumes can be altered to suit your dog’s needs. Costumes often involve some sort of hat that goes over their ears. Many are fine with this. If there is anything that wraps around their chest or stomach, be sure that it’s not too tight. You want to be sure their breathing is not restricted, which could cause them to panic.

Homemade Costumes
If there’s nothing at your local pet store that really suits your dog’s personality, or you can’t find something to properly fit your large dog, you might try making them a costume. When making your own costume, you can use velcro, which is a lot easier than buttons, snaps or zippers and definitely safer for your pooch should they decide to remove the costume. If they do, you can always pop on a festive bandana. Most dogs are OK with this, as it feels similar to their collar.

Trick or Treating
If you decide to take your dog along and make trick or treating a family affair, be aware of your dog’s behavior. There will be lots of stimulating activity, noise and sights they aren’t used to. Even the most well behaved dog can act out when they are frightened or over stimulated. There will be lots of children tempted to pet your dog. If you have any doubts at all about whether your dog will be OK with this, you should leave them at home, which is the safest option. If your dog has been in such situations before, be sure that they have reflective tape on their collar and part of their costume so that they can easily be seen.

If you have a dog that is particularly shy or skittish, you might find them a safe place to stay while trick or treaters are visiting your house. All of the commotion with door knocking and doorbell ringing might be too much for them. Create a safe haven for them with some food, water, a bed or blanket and a favorite toy. Be sure to check on them every hour or so to be sure they don’t have to go out.

Halloween Treats
Pet stores often have special treats for different holidays so that your furry family members can be included as well. It is especially important to keep candy away from your dog or even anywhere they can even potentially reach it. Chocolate is especially dangerous, as it contains not only caffeine, but also theobromine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. If you see any nausea or vomiting in your dog, and suspect they may have eaten some chocolate, get them to the vet immediately.

Another danger that might not come to mind as quickly are the shiny wrappers candy comes in. They are crinkly, shiny and make fun sounds when they’re chewed on. Unfortunately, they can wreak havoc on your dog’s digestive tract, especially if they’re made of foil. Plastic wrappers can make their way through and out without incident, but can also cause problems. Best to be sure all wrappers are disposed of properly.

Halloween can really be as fun for your dog as it is for you and the family. By following these simple guidelines, your dog may even look forward to next year.

Some of these you may have considered and others you may not have but it’s a good idea to debunk all the reasons people give for wanting to breed their dogs.

“I just love my little Fifi so much; I want another just like her.”
Dogs are complete individuals. While it is true that if you breed two purebred dogs, you will get a dog of the same breed, there is absolutely no insurance that you will get a dog just like “Fifi.” In fact, the chances are slim to none, because what makes little Fifi special are personal traits unique to her.

“I want my children to experience the joys of birth.”
There are many, many safer and better ways to teach your children about the birthing process. What you’re more likely to teach them about is the pain of the breeding process, the loss of their favorite pet due to a birthing complication and/or the illness or death of one or more puppies. You can teach your children about responsible pet ownership by adopting a less sought after, but highly appreciative dog from the shelter. This message will stick with them well into adulthood.

“I’m not in it to make money…”
That’s fabulous! Because as a serious breeder, you’re not going to make any, but as a pet owner playing around without concern for or awareness of genetics, your experiments and dabbles in the breeding world are likely to cost you quite a bit. Without the proper research into your dog’s genetic background, health testing and the same for the sire (father) of the puppies, you’re very likely to be breeding little time bombs that will become seriously ill or disabled as they get older.

A note on the aforementioned health tests: Just because you have taken little Fifi to the veterinarian for a yearly checkup and he’s said she’s fine does not mean she has been health tested. Both Fifi and Fido (the sire) should be tested for any hereditary disease specific to that dog. And thanks to selective breeding over the last 200 years or more, all dogs have many and most of them are very unpleasant. Some are debilitating, others are horrifically painful and still others are fatal. All breeds, regardless of breed should be tested for cardiac problems, hip dysplasia, and eye problems. These tests can be enormously expensive.

“My dog isn’t a purebred, I just want to have a few puppies and all my friends want one so I know they’re going to a good home.”
If you have already placed more puppies than you can possibly expect from a breeding, you’re one up on the game, but the problem is many of those people will back down when it comes time to pick up little Fifiette. Even if they don’t, do you really want to give people you care about, or even people you don’t, a puppy that you don’t know anything about genetically, and may be hiding serious genetic diseases? That’s no fun for your friends, the little Fifiettes and in turn, it won’t be fun for you.

The Truth About Breeding That Few People Discuss
If you were to trace where every puppy that was purchased from a breeder ends up, you would find that a good percentage end up in the very same shelters you are avoiding adopting from when you breed dogs. What oftentimes occurs is that the dog ends up being too much for the inexperienced owner. People fall in love with a certain look of a dog and have no clue what the breed’s typical temperament is. The result is ending up with an overly protective, highly intelligent, in desperate need of copious amounts of exercise German Shepherd, for example, who doesn’t fit in with two people whose livelihoods depend on being away from home 10 hours a day.

Before you think about breeding little Fifi, visit your local animal shelter and find a little dog who desperately needs a good home. Very little replaces the feeling of saving a dog from an otherwise miserable life.

Working out a healthy nutrition and exercise for your pooch will help them live a longer and happier life. Of course, alongside this most pet owners now choose to take out pet insurance for their animals in order to help ensure their long term health. If you are looking for insurance for your pet, make sure you conduct research by searching for UK dog insurance quotes at Pets at Home.

The first factor that will determine the choice of food you buy for your dog is the age of your pet. Puppies and young dogs require specialist food to help supply them with the high levels of protein, calories, vitamins and minerals required for growth and development. They are also likely to eat smaller portions of food on a more regular basis than their older counterparts. Similarly, you may find that older dogs require a diet suited to their specific needs such as foods that are more easily digested or strengthen bones.

The second decision for you to make is to choose between dry, wet or semi-moist food. There is some controversy concerning which of these food types are better for different breeds and many dog owners choose to feed their pet a diet that includes all three types of food. If you are in doubt which to choose you may want to ask for recommendations from your dog breeder, alternatively the process is likely to be a trial and error process. However, one point that is important to remember is that dogs don’t respond well to dietary change. With this in mind any alteration to your pet’s diet should be made gradually over a couple of weeks.

Why Do Dogs Engage in Such a Disgusting Ritual?
There are actually several theories behind this question. Theories of course suggest that animal behaviorists are split on why canines love feline feces. One theory suggests that dogs are supplementing their diet with something – mainly protein – they are deficient in, which evidently exists in Ezra’s excrement. Indeed it is true that a cat’s diet consists of much higher levels of protein than does a dog’s; you need only read the ingredients in their respective kibble bags to confirm this. However, with many dog owners supplementing their pups’ dry food with extra chicken, beef or lamb (whether raw or cooked), suggests this theory is lacking some validity – or perhaps it’s outdated.

Another theory lies in the “Monkey see, monkey do” adage. Winston sees you cleaning out Ezra’s litter box and carting the goodies off to either your toilet, garbage or in baggie. Winston, the oh so practical, helpful and obedient observer that you have raised him to be, figures he’ll cut out the middle man – the toilet or the baggie – and give mom or dad a little helping paw. “I’ll take care of that for you!” Mouth wide open, tail wagging and lips are smacking! In this author’s eyes, this might seem the plausible.

One other even less plausible theory suggests that both Winston and Gigi are begging you for attention. Not sure about you, but if you have ever observed your dog’s urge to vacuum up the “goodies,” this isn’t around your dog’s schedule but rather when Ezra does her business – which is usually not on a timer. Whether it’s during dinner, at 3:00 in the morning or just after a long hike you’ve just been on with your dog, the moment their feline sister or brother does the business, it’s as though there’s a bell ringing and off they go to the litter box. Often they’ll return, not only with the evidence still clearly caked in their teeth, but oh so happy to give you a big doggy kiss, tongue and all. Does this sound like an-attention seeking dog?

If It’s Normal, Does that Mean It’s Okay?
Unfortunately, for all its normalcy, it’s not healthy – that is physically. Unfortunately, there are a few thousand reasons you should do your best to persuade Gigi from eating cat poop. Cats, although slightly more discriminating eaters than dogs – after all they are too dignified to eat another animal’s poop – can have parasites. Some are visible, like those white ones you may see from time to time, those are whipworms. Sometimes they aren’t always because the colors might blend with the feces making them difficult to detect. Gigi eats up the goodies and bang! She too has parasites, which means a costly trip to the vet for a 3-day dose of antiparasite medicine.

Now That You Know That Your Dog is Normal, How Do You Get Him or Her to Stop?
This might be a much easier said than done. As with anything when you are training your dog, there is the 3-second rule. You have literally three seconds to catch Winston in the act if your admonishment is going to be effective. First of all, remembering that he very well might be mimicking your behavior, chastising him and then returning to clean it out another day or hour later will only confuse him. What you could do is the following:

• As soon as you see Ezra on her way to the litter box, waiting around the corner, because you know she’s got shy about pooping in public, wait till she’s done and for the one-dog parade to follow in behind her. Before he even gets his jaws clamped on the goody, say loudly, “No, Winston! Leave it!” Of course this will take a few times before it sinks in. This habit didn’t start overnight, and it surely will take some repetition to break it.

• When you go into whatever room you keep Ezra’s litter in, don’t allow Gigi or Winston to follow and watch you scoop it. Keep a little trash bin next to the litter box and dispose of the “yummy treats” and remove them at another time, after his or her mind is no longer fixated on them.

• Another solution, although this will require both time and a financial investment on your part is to create a hole in the wall or door and install a cat door for Ezra – large enough for her, too small for her canine sister or brother.

Breaking your dog of this habit won’t be easy, but with a little patience and perseverance, you can stop him or her from feasting on your cat’s feces.

As is true for wild foxes, the SibFox is small, comparable to the size of a medium-sized dog. SibFoxes have sleek, silvery coats, big, intelligent eyes, and the trendiest new pet since toy potbelly pigs. Of course, upon hearing this most joyous of news, you want to buy one and take it home and love it and name it Foxy. So what can you exactly can you expect from your new pet, Foxy?

Food – What will Foxy Eat?
Foxy will need to eat 1 to 1 and ½ pounds of food each day. You can feed her a balanced diet of vegetables, red meat, poultry, fish, and veterinarian prescribed vitamins, although canned/wet dog food formulated for medium sized dogs is just as well. Canned dog food is also an easier solution that fixing your Foxy special meals. If you should choose to cook for Foxy, watch out for bones and fats in the food you give her. If she is energetic, and her coat is fluffy with a healthy sheen, you will know that you are feeding her right. Overfeeding is a danger; even more so than with dogs because the fox metabolism is designed for a higher level of activity than Foxy will probably get as a domestic fox. In other words, it is easier for her to become overweight. Also, Foxy will drink a lot, so make sure to check her water supply daily. If it is often dry when you check it, then check multiple times a day. Foxy, you’ll discover, is a drinker. The hotter and dryer the climate, the more she’ll tend to drink.

Housing – Where will Foxy Sleep/Live?
Foxy can live indoors or out, just like a medium to large dog. If you want her to live outside, Foxy will need shelter from severe weather like snow and rain and excessive heat. Be sure that she has a shade and a little house type structure lined with a blanket or towel. She will need to be in a fenced in area, with either a bottom to her cage or a fence that goes several feet down into the ground so that she can’t dig out underneath it. Remember, she’s not that far removed from her cousin the fox. They’re diggers.

If you want Foxy to live indoors, she will be just fine sleeping in a medium sized dog bed. She can also feel at home inside of a medium to large dog kennel or crate, especially during the adjustment period. This will help her to feel protected, and like she has her own space. It is likely that once Foxy is accustomed to her new home, she will enjoy snoozing on couches, chairs, and even the foot of your bed, just like a cat! However, if you are a person who is strict about, “no dogs on human furniture,” her own bed will be perfect.

Other Care – What Else Do You Need to Know About Foxy?
Foxy should be walked on a leash for about 30 minutes a day, whether that ends up being three 10-minute walks, two 15-minute walks, or one 30 minute walk, this is for exercise. Foxy will need quite a bit of it, similar to a Greyhound or Labrador. If you want Foxy to do her business outside, those walks will have to be separate. Foxy can be trained to use a litter box like a cat. But exercise is paramount for this breed.

Also, Foxy will be quite easy going. She should get along fine with any dogs or cats that already live in the house, though she may be hostile to smaller animals like rabbits, ferrets, rats, and other rodents that may have been food sources for her in the wild. Excellent training and establishing yourself as pack leader will mitigate any oopses that end up with your rabbit being um, Foxy’s lunch.

The most important thing to remember is that while Foxy may share traits in common with other household pets like a dog or cat, she is a fox – a domestic fox, but a fox nonetheless. You will need to learn about her just as you would your first dog or cat in order to help your pet/owner relationship to be the best it can be!

First Steps
Just like a person who is out of shape, the first stop for your dog, before heading out to go for a run, is the animal hospital. Have the vet give Pookie a thorough once over and alert you to any potential concerns. Just like humans, dogs can have heart problems that require a little monitoring, or musculo-skeletal breed peculiarities that you should be aware of before starting out. Once you know what to look out for, your vet can give you some guidelines. For example, with an overweight and out of shape dog, don’t start out throwing a ball or Frisbee up, encouraging the dog to jump. Joint injuries could easily result. Throw grounders, encouraging Pookie to hone her fielding skills until she’s in better shape and has trimmed down a bit.

Once you have the green light from your vet, start walking. Yes, walking. Add a 10% intensity increase every week, but start with an easy distance that you and Pookie can already enjoy. A 10% intensity increase means you are increasing either distance (walking one mile this week? Make it 1.1 miles next week) or time (a ten minute walk this week becomes eleven minutes next week). Or you can increase the intensity by adding short sections of jogging, starting with ten seconds out of every five minutes. The point here is to increase gradually so that neither you nor Pookie end up sore, injured or dreading your walks.

Keep in Mind
Where are you doing this walking? Every location has its own set of concerns and challenges to get used to managing. City sidewalks are generally concrete and thus very hard on both Pookie and your joints. Be on the lookout for signs of muscle or joint soreness, limping, swelling or a sensation of heat in the knees, ankles or hips – all these would indicate tendonitis or bursitis. If you notice these symptoms, back off, going back to last week’s regimen, and add more rest in between walks. If you don’t see an improvement, check with the vet.

Walking in the woods or on wooded paths? Check for splinters, ticks and cuts or scrapes. While uneven terrain is great for Pookie (and you) as you develop more core strength and peripheral muscles, pebbles, splinters, and even woodchips or other materials used as trail coverings can get into the sensitive tissue between the Pookster’s toes and cause irritation of infection.
Are you guys walking somewhere where there are lots of other dogs? Before you shift into “exercise mode” let Pookie do all her sniffing, bathrooming, and general dog business before you expect her to start trotting by your side. Give her a few minutes to get her doggie ya-yas out and she’ll be better able to be a good girl on your walk.

Mix it Up
Dogs thrive on stimulation, especially when you balance support with demand. Keep offering new and fun experiences alongside clear expectations and structure so that Pookie knows how to be a good girl while she checks out new things. What kind of new things? Is there a dog park in your area with agility equipment? How about a pond of a lake? Have you tried hiking on a mountain trail? Or even just setting up an obstacle course in the back yard with some weaving poles or tires? If you always run a particular route, pop ol’ Pookie in the car and try running somewhere else – the change of scenery will help both of you keep it interesting. If you don’t have access to any of the above, you can go the super simple route of just plain teaching Pookie tricks: “sit up” improves balance and strengthens core and back muscles!

Beyond the Basics
Once you and Pookie have achieved a basic level of fitness, the world of dog sports opens up! Agility, rally, dock dogs, Frisbee dogs and even training for search and rescue become possible. But perhaps most gratifying of all, you and Pookie are now a team. The bond that comes from getting in shape together and maintaining fitness together is deeply satisfying to both human and dog. Get out there and enjoy it!

Who Does Well in Doggy Day Care?
Your dog’s personality, temperament and breed characteristics will determine whether he or she will be a success in doggy day care. Dogs have different temperaments and personalities — just like their owners. Some people, and some dogs, are extroverted and thrive in a group environment. Others need the safety and security of home, with consistent routines and relative quiet. Some dogs are flexible and relaxed, and can “go with the flow,” while others are “control freaks” who stress out over change or stimulation. It is important to stack the deck in your dog’s favor at day care, so knowing your dog’s personality and attitude towards all the situations doggy day care might present is key.

You’ll need to select your next ingredient: the day care itself. Consider all the variables, among them should be:

• The cost
• The convenience
• The facility’s cleanliness
• Its overall set up
• The dogs that are “full time” as well as those who come in once or twice a week
o Any fights? If so, how did staff handle them?
o Are they all getting along well?
• You can check with the city to see whether the facility has ever been given a citation for anything
• Be sure to look carefully at both inside and outside
• Observe staff interactions with dogs
o Do their training, play mimic your style?
o Given the cost involved, check out the staff to dog ratio
o Are they trained or just high school students looking to make a quick buck?

Some day cares really focus on offering a calm and quiet environment for older or infirm dogs, while others pride themselves on their exercise regimen. Some offer more structure and some less. Visit more than once if possible, and definitely schedule a visit without your dog present so that you can focus on the day care itself without paying attention to your dog’s responses. Visiting with your dog is a must and the day care provider should welcome such a request. Your hackles should go up if the day care is not welcoming of questions and visits.

Consider Your Dog’s Breed Characteristics
If Polly is a purebred, in which group does she belong? Sporting breeds, such as spaniels and pointers seem to do well in daycare, provided the day care environment offers sufficient outdoor play time and appropriate amounts of exercise. Herding breeds, however, can have difficulty in day care, especially in less structured environments. Even breeds that can be difficult to socialize or have a bad reputation for aggression, such as pit bulls or rottweilers, can do well in the right daycare setting, but special attention to safety of all the dogs and humans involved is important.

If you have, and please forgive the insinuation, a spoiled dog who is used to ruling the roost at home, doggy daycare is probably not for your dog and you.

Why Go Through All This Bother?
Is this starting to sound like a lot of work? Interviewing day care providers, matching your dog’s natural inclinations with a program (or lack of one), ensuring safety, cleanliness and health is maintained and promoted… sheesh! Wouldn’t it be easier to just leave poor Buster at home?

Easier perhaps, but remember doggy day care does have some real benefits. For most dogs, at least some mental and physical stimulation is a real health benefit. Being around people and dogs can help alleviate separation anxiety and the accompanying behaviors. Increasing Buster’s activity level can improve his quality of life at any age. And most dog owners know this time tested adage all too well: a tired dog is a good dog. A dog that has had a full day at day care is a pleasure to be around for the evening.

Last But Not Least: Consider the Alternatives
For some dogs, staying home really is the best idea. A dog walker or pet sitter who comes to your home might be the solution for long workdays in these cases. Staggering your work shifts with your partner’s and/or your children’s school schedule so that your dog is alone no more than 2 or 3 hours per day is a workable solution for some families.
There may not be a perfect solution for your dog and your family’s lifestyle, but doggy day care may be a helpful part of making it all work.

Everything she does is perfect, funny and touching. She looks amazing in every photo and sounds like she’s singing Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance when she barks. Therefore, the responsibility falls on you, her owner, to share the wonder that is Fussy with the entire world. That’s right, you need to make your pooch a Facebook page. After all, she can’t create one herself!

How To Get Started
As with any Facebook page, you will need to start with an email address. You cannot use your own if it is the email for your Facebook. The easiest thing would be to go to a free email service site, for example: hotmail, gmail or yahoo mail and set up a completely separate account just for Fussy. Once you have successfully created an email account for you pet, like FussyWiggles@gmail.com, you will be able to get her a Facebook page of her very own.

Use your pet’s email to make him or her a facebook page. If you can, use the same password from the email and Facebook account to make it easier for yourself to remember.

You will have to give your pet a full name. This is typically the pet’s name, which becomes his or her first name, and then your own last name. However, sometimes your pets have their own full name. If this is the case, give Fussy her own full name for her profile. You will be able to customize all of her likes, interests, activities and birthday.

Pictures and Videos
The pictures you post of your pet should be clear and of high quality. People who look at your pet’s page don’t want to see grainy cell phone pictures where your dog’s eyes are green from the flash. No one wants to see blurry pictures of paws or tails. Make sure you only post good pictures of Fussy for the world to enjoy. Pictures of your dog and you also always make for good Facebook content.

Fussy wants to put her best foot forward for the world to see. You should also be discerning about what videos you post. A 3-minute video of Fussy barking is probably interesting only to you. A video posted on your dog’s Facebook page should be relevant and serve a purpose. A video chronicling some of your dog’s activities are great. Playing a few good games of fetch, running after your cats, your initial efforts to train Fussy, eating and playing with you would be much better.

Fussy’s Furry Friends
Now that she has a great new profile, who will be Fussy’s friends? If your friend’s pets have pages, add them as your pet’s friends. Otherwise, if Fussy’s as great as you know that she is, your friends would probably love to add her as a friend of theirs. Fussy already has many built in friends in your family members. You can also “like” pages for Fussy of activities and things she likes. Her favorite dog food, cats, dog biscuits, along with activities she loves are great for starters.

Don’ts
Surprisingly, there are plenty of don’ts for having a Facebook profile for your dog. Be classy guy about your dog’s page.
• Don’t list your pet as your child. As much as your dog may be part of your family, typically, this will turn people off because instead of your pup’s Facebook page making her seem cool, it will just make you seem lonely.
o The exception to this is if you are married and already have a pack established.
• Don’t update your dog’s Facebook statuses in “doggie” language. This will usually come across as cheesy and annoying.

Remember, Fussy’s Facebook profile should say something about her personality. Otherwise, what is the point of her having one? Also, to keep from giving the wrong impression to people reading Fussy’s Facebook profile, be subtle. Subtlety is key in keeping your pet’s Facebook fun and not lame. For example, try making Fussy’s smiley faces with their tongues hanging out, like this: