Equine Breeding For Beginners

You've got it! That beautiful stallion or mare that is the perfect example of everything a horse of its breed should be. It's got great conformation, a perfect temperament, and has performed well in its chosen discipline. You know this horse could benefit its breed by passing on its progeny.

You've made the decision to breed your horse.

So, now what? Do you follow the old adage and "breed the best to the best and hope for the best?"

Well, while that advice is actually tried-and-true, and certainly not the worst advice in the world, you are going to have to take a few extra steps to make sure the resulting foal is everything you hope it will be. Because the foal will be a blend of both the sire's and the dam's genetics, there are a few things to consider when choosing a good mate for your horse.

* Consider the goal of breeding your horse. In other words, what kind of horse are you breeding for? Do you want to produce a horse for dressage, hunting, cutting, reining, endurance, driving, or one of the other many disciplines? Knowing what kind of horse you want to produce will help you narrow the field as you consider mates for your horse.

* Look at your horse's conformation. No horse is perfect! Take a good look at your horse, and make notes about his good points, as well as what needs improving. Now do the same to the mates you are considering. Eliminate any horse who have weak points in common with your horse, and lean toward those who correct your horse where he is weak.

* Consider the temperament of potential mates. A horse who is easy to work with is just as valuable as a horse with perfect conformation. Because disposition may be genetic, be sure to evaluate the mate's personality. What kind of temperament are you looking for in the foal? Is the mate nervous or confident? Timid or bold? Calm or jumpy?

* Look at prior progeny. If the mate has other offspring, take a good look at them. Did the mate pass along its good traits to its progeny? Did any congenital defects crop up? You can investigate ancestry even further by contacting breeders with the same line. Did the dam, sire, and siblings of the mate you are considering produce successful individuals?

* Investigate the health of the mate. Is the mare or stallion in good health? Look for the normal things, like bright eyes, a shiny coat, and an alert expression. If the animal is under or overweight consider carefully, especially if it is a mare. Mares who are not in good body weight can sometimes have difficulty getting in foal. Make sure the horse is sound and moves correctly. Be wary of horses with injuries, as certain weaknesses can be passed to offspring. You should also make sure the horse has received good veterinary care, including regular deworming and current vaccinations.

* Do a breeding exam. A mare should always undergo a breeding exam before you commit. Maiden mares will need rectal and vaginal exams, while proven mares may need more extensive examinations.

* When you think you've decided, think again! That's right. Before you sign any papers or contracts, make sure you know what breeding entails, including the costs involved. And always, always make sure you have a valid reason for breeding your horse. It is not something to be done lightly! In the end, if you've determined that your horse can contribute the betterment of the breed, you well understand what financial and health risks you'll be up against, and you've found a good mate, go for it!

Ron Petracek is the founder of Equine Internets vast 15 site classified and social network. You can view its amazing size here Http://www.equineinternet.com/network.php or to further your equine habit please visit our forum by clicking here http://www.horsechitchat.com/equineforums and start posting Need to sell a horse or tack? place a free ad here http://www.click4equine.com and always the barn door in left open on purpose.

Funny Birthday Cards For Dog Lovers

Dog lovers. They have a dog for reasons other than guarding the house or going hunting. They may let the dog sleep with them. They spend hours with the dog every day. They speak in loving tones to and about their companion. Dog lovers enjoy getting birthday cards that focus on that love. Funny birthday cards for dog lovers are also appreciated. Just imagine what might be contained in the following 7, and you will see what I mean:

1. Funny English Bulldog birthday cards
2. Amusing Jack Russell terrier birthday cards
3. Hilarious Black Labrador birthday cards
4. Droll Dachshund birthday cards
5. Witty French Poodle birthday cards
6. Comical Golden Retriever birthday cards
7. Humorous Saint Bernard birthday cards

Funny English Bulldog birthday cards seem especially appropriate to me. They would be easy to create, with great potential for humor. A photo or sketch of an English Bulldog, fangs protruding beside a long tongue, might include a caption regarding someone being a bit "long in the tooth" these days.

A funny English Bulldog birthday card we found online is a "driver's license" for the recipient's English Bulldog. You can have a "DMV pet license" custom made for the English Bulldog lover. Like an official DMV driver's license of the chosen state, your friend's "DMV pet license" will be a laminated, wallet-sized card. He or she will also receive a matching collar or keychain version.

To order this funny English Bulldog birthday card, you provide a photo and information about the pet. Best of all, you select any "restrictions" you want to have noted. Choices for dogs include things such as no chasing cars and no chasing cats. You can create your DMV pet license at the My Pet DMV website.

DMV pet licenses are not only funny English Bulldog birthday cards, of course. They can be funny birthday cards for any pet lover.

Very funny English Bulldog birthday cards, as well as English Bulldog gifts, are available at The Inky Paw website.

Vivyland also has a collection of funny English Bulldog birthday cards. I was amused by the bulldogs in angel wings! Women will love the female bulldog featured on another, with rollers on her head and cucumber slices on her eyes!

All right. So, there are funny English Bulldog birthday cards. What about other dogs and the dog lovers having birthdays? Are there equally amusing greetings for them?

Yes, of course. First off, any pet owner with a dog, cat, ferret, parrot, rabbit, or other pet would love the DMV pet licenses mentioned above. They make a cute card, and an ongoing identification for the pet.

Funny birthday cards for almost any breed of dog are available at the Inky Paw website. They have all of the dogs named above and more. For Dachshund lovers, Inky Paw offers a birthday card featuring a wiener dog stepping onto a bathroom scale and commenting on the wonder that kibble is a carb!

If you are looking for e-cards to wish your dog lover a happy birthday, you will want to visit the Dog Breedz website. They have dog birthday cards for many breeds, and you can create your own verses hilarious, cheeky, or romantic. They provide information about each breed, allow you to choose a photo and a skin, and then ask for your message. You don't have to be overly creative to come up with a clever birthday card here.

E-greetings often allow you to use your own photo of that African Basenji, Chinese Shar-Pei, French Poodle, or Irish Setter.

Perhaps the most memorable funny birthday card you could send to a pet lover would be one that you yourself make. Homemade birthday cards show thoughtfulness and effort that can never be captured by a purchased card or free e-cards. Take a few funny photos of the pet or find funny photos of the same breed. Study the photos for funny human qualities they suggest. Write a few funny words as a caption. Inside your birthday card, you can write funny verses, or simply wish a happy birthday.

Helpful Tip: Belated birthday cards are better than nothing, but try to be timely. A birthday card that arrives on time or early says "I cared enough" much more than a belated card unless you have an excellent reason for being late.

Disclaimer: The author presents this information for educational purposes only. She is not an employee of any of the merchants mentioned, nor will she receive any compensation if their products are purchased by the reader.

©2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about birthday cards at http://www.distinctivegiftsandcards.com. Anna has posted additional information on that site about other cards and gifts, too. If you would like to find unique gifts in a rush for a birthday, visit Anna now.

Dealing with a Jumping Dog, or "Jump up, jump up and get down!"

Often its ok for a dog to jump on its owner, but awkward and even harmful when he jumps up on others, such as other family members or friends. This can be confusing for the dog, but a well-trained dog can quite happily learn never to jump on strangers, and when its ok and to jump on you (playtimes, for example). A dog jumping up on a child can be a frightening experience, especially when the dog becomes taller than the child when he rears up. A dog jumping up on strangers is always a bad look.

During greetings, always try to prevent your dog from jumping up in the first place. Put your hand (or both hands) out in front of you and hold still. A trained dog will be able to respond to this gesture, without any verbal commands, and realize that it should stay down. If he gets down on his own accord, then start using the down command to accompany the behavior. Ideally, you always want the dog to perform the correct behavior first before using a verbal command, so they have some action to associate it with.

For most, this type of prevention does not work right away, especially for puppies that lack enough formal training. Youll have to know how to react when your dog starts jumping up. Mostly, this involves what NOT to do. For example, dont be over-enthusiastic during your greetings. This obviously reinforces the behavior. And do not forcefully push the dog away from you. They interpret this as a form of playful engagement. The result: dogs always push back. Its instinctive (and the same principle is the reason for the majority of cases where dogs pull on leashes - they are encouraged by the force exerted on them).

Turn your back and ignore the dog. And calmly ask him to sit. When he has calmed down, and ideally responded to the sit command, then you can turn and greet the dog. If it starts jumping again, repeat the process. Be patient, this is where you get to send a message mainly through your body language, and the dog will surely take many trials to receive it. Often it is recommended that you stick your knee up and put the dog off balance, which is almost a reflex reaction. Turning your back and stonewalling is better if you can manage.

One of the absolute best suggestions I can give is to always greet a calm dog at its level. Squat or kneel down, and open your palms open toward the dog. This is a non-threatening posture that dogs very quickly associate will impending praise. We all like when others try to meet us on our level. Dogs are no different in this respect. But make sure they earn it first!

Avoidance is your best bet when introducing new people into your house. If you have established your position as the dominant member of your pack, then your dog should never be allowed to position himself in front of you when the front door opens. Time for you to become the Alpha Dog if thats the case, which is means more training for you.

Martin Olliver is a proud member of the Kingdom of Pets team (http://www.kingdomofpets.com). For more great articles on problem jumping, visit: http://kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/articles/jumping_dog.php.