Archive for November, 2008

Pet Insurance - Pet Tips from HSN & Prince Lorenzo Borghese

Even though dog insurance has been available in the marketplace for almost two decades, many dog owners have never heard of pet health insurance and are somewhat surprised that such an insurance product even exists. However, since the beloved family pets are usually such an important part of the family, the availability of this form of insurance is welcomed news to dog lovers.

Just about anybody can relate to this sentiment of relief, if they were ever in the situation with needing to clean out their savings account or if their needing to run up their balances on thier credit card so that they can handle any unexpected emergency. Having a pet plan can help to lighten the burden of the expenses related to a surgical procedure, long-term care for serious conditions, such as cancer and other types of diseases or emergency care due to injury or accident. Without insurance, some dog owners are faced with the awful decision of having to put their pet to sleep because the cost of proper health care is just too much for the family budget.

It is often a heartbreaking situation when a pet owner is faced with a choice of either paying for expensive, but needed, veterinary pet procedures or being able to properly care for the needs of the rest of the family in the household. This dilemma often results in the agonizing decision of having to put the pet down. This is just the kind of situation that illustrates the immense value, in emotional terms, of having dog insurance to assure the well-being and the health needs of the family dogs.

Just as with other health care expenses, the costs associated with veterinarian care for pets is also rising with each passing year. This fact has solidified the notion of acquiring pet insurance to handle the animal welfare as well as health concerns a higher attractive option. It has also made pet health insurance a more financially smart move for families. It is much easier to work a small insurance premium for dog health insurance into the household budget than it is to try to come up with hundreds, or even thousands of dollars if an emergency arises.

If you own more than one dog, then insurance coverage for all of them makes even more sense. Just making sure that each dog has received the vaccinations, health screenings and booster shots on an annual basis can stretch a budget to the breaking point. This situation can lead pet owners to decide to skip the routine health care steps that should be taken to prevent illness and diseases.

In most cases, a comprehensive pet insurance policy will also cover wellness and preventative care procedures. Luckily, the majority of the pet insurance policies appear to back the approach of doing the preventive steps, in terms of animal welfare. It is well-documented that taking preventative measures and supporting wellness care will reduce the potential for serious health issues for the pet later down the road.

For this reason, seeking out companies that offer insurance coverage that includes preventative care is a prudent course of action. The fact that a pet insurance company offers such coverage speaks to their commitment and philosophy about prevention of pet disease and the importance of animal welfare in general.

However, it should be noted that this kind of dog insurance coverage is also more expensive. It may be that you will choose to only select pet health insurance that covers major medical expenses instead of routine veterinarian visits. This choice can reduce your monthly premium and is a good choice if you feel you can afford the wellness care your dog needs. However, dealing with a pet insurance company that also offers coverage for wellness care is a good indicator of the quality of the company and their commitment to pet health in general.

To learn more go to Insurance Pet Reports also head on over to Best Pet Insurance as well as Pet Liability Insurance

There are some things you should know if you are interested in breeding Labradors.  Especially if you want to breed labradors for a dog show. The goal of breeding Labradors, or any dog, is for the puppy to have the ideal characteristics for which you are looking.  However, you won’t know which dogs to breed if you do not know which characteristics are most favorable in Labrador dogs. Learning these traits will help you to be a successful breeder of Labradors. It could make all the difference in winning that first place ribbon at any dog show.

There are certain variations of the Labrador breed that would be actually be penalized in a dog show. For instance, the Labrador retriever could be one. The retriever is a medium-sized dog with a short coat, small ears, and a short thick tail and is not considered “show” qualities.  Likewise are the weedy, light dogs, the leggy, tall dogs, the low-stationed, long dogs, and the lumbering, cloddy dogs. These will all earn penalties in the dog shows as they are contradictory to the proportionate and sturdy build of the ideal Labrador.

Certain anatomical characteristics are important when breeding Labradors. Ideally, the Labrador’s head should include a broad snout, clean cheeks, powerful muzzle, and, white teeth.  The nose color can vary depending on the color of the dog. The nostrils should be wide and open. The eyes should be a slightly triangular-shape and have a kind expression.  Finally, the ears should be short and be triangular in shape and should drop.

The key to breeding Labradors is to look for a favorable temperament.  This will impress any judge at the dog shows.  Labrador retrievers are eager to please and they are also very outgoing and friendly animals.  Labradors are also quite intelligent.  Judges look for these characteristics when evaluating Labradors in a dog show.

Labradors can be black, chocolate, or yellow.  Yellow dogs may vary in shade, and some labs may have a white spot on the chest, though this is not preferred. You might be please to note that the Judges do not give any penalties if a Labrador has white hairs due to aging and scarring.

Judges look for Labradors who are bred to be a specific height and weight. They are looking to see that the height and weight is typical of Labradors.  For male Labradors, the typical height is twenty-two and one-half inches to twenty-four and one-half inches. Male dogs should weigh between sixty-five and eighty pounds.  For female Labradors, the typical height is between twenty-one and one-half and twenty-three and one-half inches.  The ideal weight for female dogs is fifty-five to seventy pounds.

It is important to be aware of dog show criteria when you are breeding Labradors. You want to be able to breed certain characteristics and traits for the best results.  Breeding Labradors can be a challenge, but it can be very rewarding if you are successful and achieve your goals.

For those of you who are considering keeping a pet dog, it would be a great idea for you to keep a Labrador Retriever dog for a pet. The popularity of this type of dog is on the rise and there are several great reasons for this including this breed’s very friendly nature. Besides their very friendly nature, the Labrador Retriever dog is also very well adjusted to being around children, who in any case would adore this particular breed, especially as they are extremely gentle towards them.

Very Trainable

Another wonderful characteristic of the Labrador Retriever dog is their ability to be trained easily, they will readily learn the basic rules of the home, and additionally, they are proficient at learning a a number of tricks to boot. There are no doubts that the Labrador Retriever dog picks up things very fast, and they are also a very compliant animal that will always serve their master with great respect. With such wonderful traits, the Labrador Retriever dog is a great joy – with children and adults alike.

As the proud owner of a Labrador Retriever dog you will, of course, be required to assume a fair amount of responsibility regarding the care and welfare of your pet. In fact, having a Labrador Retriever dog at home also provides you a good occasion to impart a sense of responsibility in your children who must be educated on how to correctly own as well as care for their dog.

You must make sure that your Labrador Retriever dog is provided a lot of exercise as they are very energetic and thus will need to burn their energy in a productive way. They must also be given a lot of space to run about as well as be taken on regular walks. In addition, the Labrador Retriever dog wants and should be given a great deal of attention and you must do your best, as their owner, to give them love and make them feel like they are your friend and not just an acquisition to the home.

It is in their character to crave companionship from people, and so it is never wise to abandon them on their own. If you are planning a vacation, make sure to leave them with someone capable who will give them the attention and care they need. In the case of a Labrador rescue dog, you need to be even more vigilant about how you keep them and you must be sure that they are showered with a lot of love and care, and they should be made to feel wanted too.

Overall, bringing home a Labrador Retriever dog will indisputably be a boon for you and your family who will very quickly fall in love with this lovable, intelligent and wonderful pet Labrador.