General Advice from Experienced Pets Friend

Basic Training and Your Pet

The first step that you have to take when it comes to kid proofing your pet is making sure that your pet has received all of his basic training. You want to have a pet that already has mastered the basic parameters of how it is to behave before it does have any actual contact with a youngster.

You might as well consider hiring a professional pet trainer to help you deal with your companion animal. In this regard, you will have a better chance of having a pet that will be most likely to get along smoothly with children in a home. Professionals understand some special techniques that can be helpful in training a pet in anticipation of ultimate interaction with children.

Transitional Introduction

When it comes to your pet and your children having actual contact, you will want to make sure that you employ a transitional process. Certainly you will not opt for leaving your pets in a room where your children are also present.

You will surely want to see your children spending some time with your pets at home with your supervision. The important elements are time and careful supervision.

You will be able to observe how your children and the pet are bonding and getting along. Through these observations you will be able to gauge how far you should go in accelerating the process.

You need to keep in mind that you should never leave very young children with a pet unattended. It simply is not safe for either the child or the pet. Definitely you want to see both your children and your pets be as safe as possible.

Kid Proofing Your Pet and Your Vet

Your vet will be a solid resource when it comes to kid proofing your pet and preparing your pet to better interact with the younger members of your family. You should consult with your vet and get advice from him or her about any suggestions that your vet might have in regard to helping ensure that your children and your new pet best come together.

Different Pets, Different Breeds

As a final thought, you do need to understand that different types of pets and different breeds of animals get along better with children. Therefore, as you go about selecting a particular pet to be added to your own home, you will want to seriously consider which animals have a better track record with children in the age categories of your own. By doing so, you will significantly enhance the chances that your children and your pet will have a healthy, safe and enjoyable relationship today and well into the future.

Preparing your Pet's Travel Supplies

Traveling can bring a lot of stress to your pet, even under the best circumstances. To make sure that your pet is as comfortable as possible during travel it is important that you prepare well ahead of time so that you won’t forget any detail, however trivial it might be.

Before anything else start by making a checklist of the things your pet will need or might need during travel. Below is a sample checklist to help you get started. Feel free to add anything you feel your pet might need on your own checklist.

• Travel carrier (required for air travel)
• Pet food
• Water
• Food and water dish
• Bedding
• Litter box
• Leash
• Collar/tags
• Grooming kit
• First-aid kit
• Essential medicines
• Your pet’s favorite toy

After you’re done making your checklist then purchase the necessary stuff ahead of time. This is especially important for the travel carrier. Weeks before going on the trip you should already have a sturdy travel carrier of the right size at home. This is important so that you can let your pet explore the carrier and so be familiarized with it. Staying in an unfamiliar carrier while traveling is a sure way to add stress to your pet. However a familiar carrier will help assure your pet and calm it down. It is also a good idea to familiarize your pet with traveling by placing it inside its carrier and going for brief rides around your neighborhood.

When choosing a travel carrier make sure though that the one you choose is large enough for your pet to be able to sit, stand, and lie down but not so big that your pet can be tossed around when encountering pot holes or turbulence. Check the carrier’s doors and lock to make sure that it is secure and has no chance of opening accidentally or that your pet can’t open it even with a lot of effort. The inside of the travel carrier is also very important. Choose a carrier whose interior is smooth, has nothing sticking out that could hurt your pet, and if possible whose corners and walls are slightly rounded. The carrier you choose can also have a built in food and water dish or should at least be designed so that you can fit in food and water dishes securely. Secure dishes are of utmost importance since you don’t want the water to spill at the start of the trip and leave your pet thirsty.

Make sure that you pack enough pet food and plenty of water when traveling. As for the labels and tags be sure to write down you address and contact number so that in case your pet by some chance breaks loose or your “baggage” gets lost it would be easy to track you. If you have mobile phones then write down that number and not you home phone. Label your pet’s medicines and include the dosage, method of intake (mix in food or take directly), and the schedule to ensure that your pet will get his medicine even if by some chance you can’t get to your pet.

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