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postheadericon If you’re tired of looking in dense cover or tall grass for your hunting dog, the garmin astro is the first gps dog tracking system specifically designed to help sportsmen and hunters keep track of their dogs

If you’re tired of looking in dense cover or tall grass for your hunting dog, the Garmin Astro is the first GPS dog tracking system specifically designed to help sportsmen and hunters keep track of their dogs. This system shows you exactly where you dog is, even when you can’t see or hear your pet and it’s functionality and features go beyond the needs of your normal pet owner.

The Garmin Astro 220 is made up of a handheld GPS device with a bright color LCD screen, and DC 20, a wireless transmitter. All you need to do to get started is take the system outside and turn on both transmitter and handheld unit. They will acquire signals from GPS satellites, and you can attach the DC 20 wireless transmitter to your dog. There is a harness included with the device that you can use or you can thread the DC 20 onto a one-inch E-collar. Set-up is simple and quick. Once finished, you can let your dog run right away.

Once the device is set up, your dog’s position will be transmitted to your handheld device every five seconds or so. You have several choices of receiving this information, since the receiver has several viewing options. Check the Map image, and you’ll see where your dog is…and where he or she has been. Switch to the Dog Tracker page, and you’ll see a compass that points out the location of your dog, as well as tells you what he or she is doing. You’ll know if your dog is sitting, running, on point, or treeing quarry. An alarm can be activated to tell you when your dog goes on point so you’ll know when your dog has sensed an animal right away.

The Garmin Astro 220’s high sensitivity receiver tells you where your dog is even through dense cover. It allows you to track as many as ten different dogs, and can track each dog as much as five miles away. The terrain effects the way the Garmin Astro 220 works, however, so take that into consideration when planning your hunt. Flat territory works best, since the unit transmits by line of sight.

There are useful features included in the Garmin Astro 220 other than dog tracking, too. After you find your prey, you can mark the spot with the Covey Counter feature, detailing the time of day, and even the elevation, as well as the number of animals you flushed versus how many you took. You can also drop important waypoints, like your vehicle and your lodge for each hunt, so you’ll never lose your bearings. Special icons are available to represent different hunting related points, including tree stands and food plots.

The Astro also includes a barometric altimeter, electronic compass and area calculator.

The Garmin Astro 220 uses two AA batteries that last for up to 24 hours, meaning you won’t have to stop and recharge. The unit is waterproof, so swimming dogs can’t hurt it. At around six hundred dollars, the Garmin Astro 220 offers a lot of functionality.

postheadericon Ferrets have proven to be great hunting companions over the years

Ferrets have proven to be great hunting companions over the years. Not only are they preferred because of their stamina but they are also blessed with astute instincts and speed that is needed for hunting. Ferreting or ferret hunting has been around for centuries and hunters all over the world have been using ferrets to rid the surrounding habitat of rodents and rabbits.

They are the perfect choice when it comes to tracking down rabbits and rodents as these creatures mainly hide in small burrows and holes in the ground which makes it difficult for dogs to follow them in there. However ferrets are tiny and can easily chase rabbits and rodents out of the holes and lead them into a trap.

Most hunters prefer to hunt with female ferrets as opposed to male ferrets. Male ferrets are infamous for devouring the prey after they have chased them into the hole. They are also known to fall asleep after their delectable meal. The process of digging out the ferret from the hole to recover the prey and the ferret can be pretty tedious and hence hunters prefer using the skills and discipline of female ferrets for hunting.

When one goes hunting with a ferret one must understand that they are used for hunting rodents and rabbits because of their speed and one has to ensure that it is well fed before a day of hunting. If the ferret is famished, it will not be able to do its task and may end up getting eaten as well.

Ferrets maybe blessed with natural hunting instincts however it is ideal that a ferret is well trained in hunting rabbits and rodents to avoid the ‘lay up’ which is when the ferret falls a asleep after hunting its prey. Often to avoid the situation, hunters block all the exits in the ground and keep open just one, which the ferret can use to drive out its prey. Make sure you have necessary traps like the purse net hooked up to the open exit for the prey to get caught in.

Ferrets are amazing creatures and are widely known for their raw ferret hunting instincts. You too can use your ferret to track down annoying rodents and rabbits. All you have to do is ensure your ferret enjoys good stamina and speed by feeding it well and training it to polish its hunting skills.

postheadericon Relief from heat does not come easily specially for our furry friend

Relief from heat does not come easily specially for our furry friend. They do not have sweat glands so they cannot sweat to cool off. Most dogs will just simply give up the comfort of their bed and stretch out in the bare floor to cool off. Panting also help to cool them off but this is not sufficient. Dogs with thick, double-coats are more susceptible to heat stroke. Dogs can experience some serious discomfort during summer and hot months. A cooling pet bed is the ideal solution to this. Canine cooler bed can provide an ongoing therapy for your furry friend. It can be very helpful and bring much relief, especially if your dog suffers from bad joints, hips or one of many skin conditions affecting pets from all walks of life. A cooling pet bed doesn’t have to be expensive either, and can be used all year around, especially in those hot summer months.

Some dog have thicker fur than others, which makes it hard to keep cool. Unfortunately this can be the cause of your pet’s lack of energy, skin irritations, breathing difficulties and a variety of other concerns. Although they can lie down on the bare floor to cool off, this can bring other medical problems to them such as arthritis especially for aging dogs. Sleeping on the cold hard floor can cause chronic pain and additional discomfort.

There are two common types of dog beds, the cooling water bed and the cooling pads. Cooling water beds are filled with water provide a great relief during summer. Cooling pads are more like a thick mat that a fluffy mattress type of bed. The cooling pads are designed in such a way that they do not absorb heat thereby making the bed hot, but repel the heat so that your pet can always stay cool. Some of these pads are also the thermo-regulating kind, which means that they can be used as cooling dog beds in the summer, as well as heated dog beds come winter time. Make sure that the bed you get for your dog is made of high-quality and non-toxic materials.

postheadericon The simple answer to the question can i give my dog heartworm meds without checking is you should not do this even if you can get the meds online without a prescription

The simple answer to the question can I give my dog heartworm meds without checking is you should not do this even if you can get the meds online without a prescription.  Heartworm medications can produce harsh side effects. But the good news is that you can use alternative prevention methods without having to obtain a vet prescription. 

You are smart enough to know that vet bills are getting more expensive every year and just like in humans many alternative methods and home remedies are being used to prevent and treat a variety of illnesses and ailments. Did you know that garlic is being used to help prevent heartworms? Imagine being able to safely and effectively prevent heartworms and save some money in the process.

First let’s look at a few facts.


Heartworms are caused in our pets when our pets are bitten by mosquitoes which have become infected with heartworms from biting other infected animals.  A number of animals can be host to heartworms. They include dogs, cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes, ferrets, sea lions and even humans.  When the infected mosquito bites our pets the mosquito deposits larvae into the skin of our pets. The larvae are from the parasitic roundworm known as dirofilaria immitis. The larvae migrate to the heart and within 6 months they hatch or transform into worms that look like pieces of thread. The heartworms can be found in the chambers of the heart and in the two main arteries leading to the heart (Pulmonary artery and vena cava). From there they move to other parts of the body including the lungs and liver.

Now let’s understand that many medications use insecticides to kill off the larvae that already in our dog’s bloodstreams. These medications can have side effects so let’s look at those for a moment.


Side effects from use of heartworm preventative medications include diarrhea, convulsions, vomiting and general tiredness or weakness. Your pet’s body recognizes the chemicals in the heartworm pills as poison and uses their immune systems to try and fight off what they see as foreign bodies. Therefore, when on these medications your pets will have weakened immune systems which allow your pet to get sick easier. Therefore, you should have your answer to the question of can I give my dog heartworm meds without checking.

The use of garlic is because when our pets consume garlic they put off a pungent odor on their skin that insects do not like. The garlic is being used to avoid the mosquito bite from an infected mosquito which is the culprit in heartworms for our dogs.

Now we get to the alternatives.


Because many veterinarians now recognize that long term use of preventative medications can cause side effects in our pets many people are turning to alternative methods to prevent heartworms. The methods will help overall but you should discuss using them with your vet.

  • Provide a healthy diet. Many people are now avoiding commercial pet food and feeding their pets natural vegetables, fruits, and raw meat
  • Boost your pet’s immune system
  • Strengthen your pet’s heart and circulatory system
  • In areas where heartworms are prevalent think about regular de-worming
  • Black walnut extract and garlic are also being used as preventatives
  • Prevention is much cheaper than treatment at the vet’s office

Natural home remedies are safe, easy to use and cost a lot less money than conventional medicines. Many of these will be in your home already. Click on the links below and find out the secrets you need to treat your pet and save money.

postheadericon Parakeets are small, vibrant and lively birds that can be a wonderful addition to your family

Parakeets are small, vibrant and lively birds that can be a wonderful addition to your family. While some parakeets learn to talk without coaching or training, some will require encouragement to get their beaks speaking. Some parakeets only start talking when their owners let them hear specific phrases, words and sounds. If you successfully train a parakeet to talk, you and your family will love your pet even more.

A nourished and well cared pet will more likely demonstrate an interest in repeating sounds as well as talking. A parakeet that is watered, well-fed, and has a mirror and other plaything in his cage is the best aspirant for speech training. This is for the reason that loved pets will want to gain knowledge on how they can communicate effectively with their master and provider.

It’s important to note that the male parakeets are distinguished as good talkers. So if you want to have an outspoken pet, it’s best to adopt a male parakeet. This doesn’t mean that female parakeets just make sounds and do not talk, but in general the female birds are slower in adapting new words and training a female bird might not give you the results you are looking for.

Remember, even if you choose to train a parakeet that is a male, it doesn’t give you a guarantee that it will talk. Some parakeets only become skillful in whistling, but talking is not a talent every bird of this kind desires to learn. You should be patient enough to see results. Some breeds of parakeets that are more likely to utter words are the Alexandrine, Australian, English, Plum-head and Ring-necked parakeets. They are also known for having the ability to distinguish individual objects and even people.

Parakeets find it easier to repeat or reiterate words exhibiting hard syllables. You should examine what words are more difficult to speak than others. One of the common phrases parakeets speak is “pretty birdie”. This specific phrase encloses hard syllables that make it effortless for talking birds like parakeets to repeat or mimic. You should think of words and phrases containing hard syllables and say them to your bird frequently.

Birds respond well with a dark surrounding. So when you start your training session, you should darken the room to get your parakeet’s full attention. Begin saying a phrase or word and repeat it several times. Teach your bird three times a day for about fifteen minutes each. Don’t get disappointed if your bird didn’t talk immediately. Put in mind that most birds take several days or even weeks before it speak the phrase or word you’re teaching.

If you go to work during weekdays, consider making speech training sessions on a recorded tape and leave it to someone who stays in your house. This will not only save you time and effort but the training will be more consistent with this strategy.

If you follow these steps to train a parakeet, your pet will start repeating sounds and words in no time. This will also make your pet the center of attention in your home, making you the proudest mentor ever.