Hot Pets & Animals Posts

How To: Deal with yellow jackets

Nothing ruins a romantic fresh air picnic like the buzzing of angry yellow jackets—especially since, unlike the useful honey bee, they can use their stingers over and over again... Learn how to deal with bees without getting stung. This instructional video from Howcast offers tips on handling yellow jackets.

News: Train a cat like Pavlov's dog

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be really good. Jack Nicholson was appealingly disturbed in As Good as it Gets. I bought a script about an intriguing OCD detective named Monk. His OCD made him magnetic and brilliant. Well, this next tutorial takes the cake. HowTo teach your cat to use a light switch.

How To: Paper train your dog

Dogs have to learn bowel etiquette much quicker than humans, and these helpful steps will make sure your paper-trained pooch becomes man's best friend, not your carpet's worst nightmare.

How To: Teach your dog the rebound trick

This is a basic trick for little dogs like this Miniature Pincher, Daisy. The dog jumps off a human's leg and does a half turn (180). LIke any dog training be patient, go over each step multiple times in order to help the dog learn. The treats should be broken up so you don't spoil the dog or make him stuffed with sweets.

How To: Wash your dog

Mike The How-to guy shows you how to wash your dog. This is not an easy thing to just jump in to. Get towels, dog shampoo and a low nozzle so you can spray the dog close to his fur. This can be enjoyable for a dog or really stressful. Make sure you have everything prepared before you bring the dog into the bathroom.

How To: Relax a stressed out cat

This is amazing how cats reacts... Just try it ! This technique is simple and involves the rubbing of each of your kitty's ears in circles. Then press on the sides of his head gently. This will soothe his stress and he should start purring instantly.

How To: Fit a horse shoe properly with Matt Bigwood

Matt Bigwood shows how to shoe a horse for proper fit. He concentrates on the trot to check for fit. His gait should be balanced and with no interferences on the horse from a shoe. The shoefitting is incredibly important for the horse's health. The imprint foot kit prepares the shoe. He uses an antibacterial to clean the foot, glue the shoe and then cool the shoe.

How To: Clicker train your dog to take a bow

Clicker training tutorial on teaching your dog to take a bow. This tutorial utilizes BF Skinner's methods of operant conditioning. This will create a well regulated training schedule between you and your dog or other pet. Operant conditioning is great to get an animal to do bizarre tricks.

How To: Teach a pet rat to retrieve and drop a ball

This trick is much harder to teach than the ones previously done a video for (spinning and walking on back legs), so apologies that the video is so long but it needs to be. You will need a lot of patience for this and may need to spend many training sessions on each step before moving on so that your rat can get used to the task at hand. If you move on too fast you will find that your rat will either ignore the glass altogether or at best put two front feet on it and just stare at the ball as...

How To: Teach your dog to heel

Teaching your dog to heel will make walks more fun and relaxing for both of you. Watch this video to learn how to train your dog. You will need treats, a leash, a collar and patience! Tips: for training, choose soft, small treats that you don't give your dog normally.

How To: Feed a baby pigeon

Here's the easiest way to feed a baby pigeon! This is a rouge outline of the handfeeding method. It is important to be gentle. This helps train the birds to be extremely close with their owner or human family.

How To: Feed and water pigeons before shipping

This is a short video on how to hydrate and feed pigeons before you ship them off. These are homing pigeons. Make sure you only ship pigeons in official and marked 'Live Birds' crates that are specifically designed for birds. There are four types of dry food and water that must be fed to a bird before they are packed and sent off.

How To: Train your cat to play fetch

Who says you can’t play fetch with a cat? You just have to make it worth Fluffy’s time. You will need a cat, patience and rewards. Tip: Don't yell! Cats don't respond well to loud noises. Don't use "no" during training, as this should be reserved for important things like not shredding furniture.

How To: Get your home ready for a new dog

Pet-proofing your house won't just protect your possessions from becoming chew toys—it could save your dog's life. You will need a dog crate, a dog who's ready to move in, dog manuals, pet repellent, electrical cord covers, baby gates and a dog bed or towels for bedding. These are helpful tips for pet proofing your home for your new puppy or dog.

News: Train cat to poop in the toilet

This clip is a WonderHowTo classic and now the 2008 Oddball Award winner! Nancy Parker loves her cat, Millennium Y 2 Kitty. Yes, the cat's name may be dated, but toilet training a cat is the future. She proves obsessive-compulsive behavior can be a major virtue, and rather than a drawback.

How To: Safely catch a bat

Bats getting caught in houses is a regional problem. In general, bats are scared of humans, but they will bite when they feel cornered. The New York State Health Department produced this video to urge New Yorkers to avoid the risk of rabies and rabies treatment by capturing and submitting for laboratory testing any bat found in their home that may have come in contact with humans or pets.

How To: Clicker train rabbits

These rabbit tricks are from the Santa Barbara Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter Association. BUNSSB.org is training the bunnies to respond to a clicker using principles of Pavlov's dog. She shows his tricks and when you must click and give a treat to reinforce the trained behavior.

How To: Start a gravel vacuum for a fish tank

Instructional video explaining how to start a siphoning gravel vacuum. Create a siphon or suction through a tube to clean a fish tank. The carbon gravel will clean the water of junk or debris. Fish tank maintenance is critical to keeping the fish and aquatic life healthy and happy.

How To: Clip your cat’s nails

Long nails are bad for both your cat and your furniture. For cats, nails that are too long make it hard to walk comfortably, and in an effort to shorten them they will scratch up your precious Pottery Barn furniture. So to save both your cat's sanity and your own, check out this video to learn how to clip your cat's nails.