Alpha Dog
My dog loves me, but then again, she loves everyone!
Book Review and Signing
We had a great showing and busy all day. Thanks Wendy.
Steppe Lizard Care and Feeding
It’s not often a new species of lizard hits the pet market place. Especially one that has all the criteria for making it popular and easy to care for—not to mention looks pretty cool too. The common name for this new reptile is the Steppe lizard. (Well, it’s not really a new reptile; they've been around for thousands of years, just new to
The scientific name is Eremias Arguta and in its indigenous country it’s known as the Steppenrenner. I've also heard it called a Desert Racer—probably because it is usually found near sandy beaches and will dart off into hiding in low bushy vegetation when threatened. No matter what you call them, they are hitting the pet scene in a big way. Reptile enthusiasts rejoice.
There are a couple of points that make them interesting. For one, they don’t get very big, only 6 inches full grown. Number two, they are easy to feed and don’t eat very much (I like economical) and number three, they are hand-able—they don’t bite and they don’t freak-out when you hold them (this is a big plus in my book). Bonus feature—they’re inexpensive—$30-35 (that’s even a bigger plus in my book).
Steppe Lizards have a plump body with nice markings and a head that’s similar to a Tegu monitor, and a serpent type tongue. Although, I’m not sure if it’s split or not, but it is narrow and long. The tail has small spikes and the body is relatively smooth. Click here to check-out a video of his forked tongue.
The Basics
There is not a lot of information on these guys at the time of this posting, but we do know the basics for keeping them healthy and active.
- Insect eaters, (crickets, meal worms, etc.)
- Calcium powder with vitamin D3
- UVA light for assimilation of D3
- Daytime heat source between 80-90 degrees
- Nighttime heat source about 70-75 degrees
- Best kept dry, but provide water
- 10 Gal tank with lid (adequate for one or two adult lizards)
- Shelter (rocks, caves, or bushes)
- Aspen bedding, coconut fiber, or indoor/outdoor carpeting (not sure if sand is a good idea. Let me know if you find out it works for you)
Feel free to contact me if you have more information or different information on these lizards.
Happy New Year !!! 2012
I've made a lot of New Year resolutions that didn't get past the first week. I'd like to post more blogs, for instance, but I probably won't . One thing I would like to have is more humor in my life. Nothing cures like a good laugh. I hope your New Year is filled with good cheer, health, and happiness.
A couple of dog owners are arguing about whose pet is smarter.
"My dog is so smart," says the first owner, "that every morning he waits for the paperboy to come around. He tips the kid and then brings the newspaper to me, along with my morning coffee."
"I know," says the second owner.
"How do you know?"
"My dog told me."
Cool Dog Holistic Joint Remedy
We have introduced a new product, Cool Dog, into our store on request from a faithful customer. Cool Dog Holistic was developed by a Florida based company that produces the Holistic Joint Remedy for both cats and dogs.
Being skeptical of new products we decided to try Cool Dog Joint remedy on our 13 year old Brussels Griffon, Pekachu (named by our grand daughter). Over the past year Linda and I noticed she has been slowing down lately and having trouble getting up steps. We thought it was old age catching up with her. During the past few months she seemed to be getting worse and we had to carry her down the two small steps to our backyard. When we were told about Cool Dog we decided to give it a try. Within 2 weeks she started coming in from outside on her own—usually she would bark until someone came out to get her. Needless to say, we were ecstatic. She is interacting with our other dogs and chasing toys, again.
In retrospect we are a sad that we wrote-off her behavior as old age. Our last Brussels, Chula, lived 18 wonderful years. Pekachu now acts like she will live at least that long.
There is nothing better than a customer’s recommendation, especially when it adds that much joy of to a pet’s life. There are two things we love about this product—it is American Made, and it works.
Cool Pet is a Holistic Joint Formula. It comes in a handy 8 oz travel size and an economy 32 oz size that easily mixes in your dog’s food. The main ingredients are Glucosamine and Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), along with Hyaluronic Acid, Chondroitin, and favoring.
Bring out the pup in your pet or the Kitten in your cat with Cool Pet.
Baby Monitor
My sister asked me to get her a baby monitor, but I couldn`t find one anywhere, so I bought her a baby iguana instead
Beautiful Jack Dempsey
This is such a great picture of an Electric Blue Jack Dempsey I had to post it. Mike bought the fish from us about 5 months ago. It was 2" long at the time of purchase and is now about 6-7 inches. Great job Mike. It looks like he is well fed and a happy camper. Thanks for sharing.
Bar Soap for Dogs
We are now carrying a Natural Shampoo product in bar soap form—Shampoochie. It has a great scent that lasts for days and best of all it helps kill fleas. It also contains Tea Tree oil to help soothe itchy skin. But best of all, it's an American made product from a small georgia company called GreenStone Soap.
Florida's Endangered Sea Turtle Population Increases
Endangered leatherback sea turtle population is on the increase on Florida's beaches, but the news isn't that good for other areas, including Mexico and Costa Rica. The Duke Univerity study suggests that we are on the right track and there has been a 10.2% increase in the population over the past 30 years. The full article can be read HERE
"Keep Off" Dog and Cat Repellent
Hi Tippy Toes,
You pose an interesting question: How do you train a pet to not use a specific outdoor area to do their business?
Changing patterns and behaviors can take up to two weeks, but it sounds like your job of training is partially done—your pet knows to go outside.
Discouraging him/her from using people traveled areas may be a challenge, but there are products that can help you along. Four Paws makes an excellent dog and cat repellent, aptly named “Keep Off”. It’s designed to discourage your dog from using forbidden areas. It’s an easy to apply granular product and comes with a shaker top. The product needs to be applied daily until the behavior is modified. Be sure to pick up any waste, and water the grass well prior to application.
During this retraining process you should walk your dog to the desired location after every meal. Be sure to reward good behavior with treats and praise, while closely monitoring his habits for a few days. Punishment doesn’t work well, so if there are any accidents discretely clean up and rinse ground area thoroughly, and then re-apply “Keep Off”.
Thanks for your input Tippy,
Alpha Dog
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