Keep your dog safe in your backyard. All dogs suffer when it is too hot. Some are particularly vulnerable to heatstroke. If you are in a hot climate, make sure you have a shaded area or a porch where the dog can get out of the sun. It is vital they have a secure source of fresh water; by secure we mean he can't easily tip it over. Common sense is important when deciding whether it is safe to leave your dog outside: a short coated dog or a companion dog that is bred to spend his life indoors will not be able to tolerate being left outside in a cold climate. Your dog care tips include:
Securing Your Yard
It may not make sense to you that the same dog that is so happy to see you when you get home may want to find his way out of the back yard to freedom, but many dogs are lost each year because of this. Most dogs do not have a good sense of the dangers cars represent. Once outside your yard, they may just follow interesting scents and be so focused on those they aren't aware of approaching vehicles. They can also get frightened and run right into traffic. Many breeds are efficient diggers. They can tunnel under a wooden fence with ease. A back gate that is not latched properly can also give your dog an escape route. With smaller breeds, only a few inch gap between slats can be enough for them to squeeze through. Think of this in the positive way: your dog is not trying to escape from your house, he is perhaps trying to find you.
The first thing you need to do is check the perimeter of your yard for any gaps in the fence. One easy solution is to dig down six inches below ground and affix narrow gage wire fencing material to your existing fence. You can hold the fencing in place below ground by burying bricks, rocks or pavers. This will make it more difficult for your dog to tunnel under, and have the added benefit or making it harder for rodents or snakes to get into your yard. You may also want to padlock your gate. A strong dog may try to push open the gate, and some gates with loose latches can even be blown open by the wind. Keeping your fence in good repair is important. If the dog can find a loose or weak slat to chew through, he will.
Safety Inside The Yard
Your beautiful back yard with the trees, flowers, grass and vegetable garden may seem like paradise to you, and your dog will certainly enjoy romping around back there, but there are safety considerations as well, and you will want to make sure your tender plants are protected from your dog.
Again, dogs love to dig. Some breeds, in fact, simply have to dig. For them, it is part of the joy of being alive. They don't care if what they are digging up is a prized flower garden, or the spinach crop you have been carefully tending since early spring. And a dog doesn't at all mind taking a short cut through the flower beds trampling them as he goes. You may want to consider fencing off areas of your yard to protect your plants. This is particularly the case with frisky young pups. As your dog grows you will be able to train him to stay out the flower or vegetable garden, but to a puppy, it all looks like a playground.
Your dog care tips will keep your dog safe in your backyard.
New Your Dog Care Tips: Keep Your Dog Safe in Your Backyard
Awesome Keep Your Koi Pond Clean with a Koi Pond Filter
Koi cannot thrive with too much junk around. Pollutants like solid organic waste, and ammonia build up in the water if there is no or inadequate filtration. A good Koi pond filter is needed to prevent that a lethal level of these pollutants builds up in the pond. Without a pond filter your Koi will struggle to survive. Filters filter out these pollutants to keep your fish alive. The fact that these filters also help to keep the water clear is only a pleasant side effect.
Pond filtration functions in two different stages that are both essential to the water quality in your pond. There is a biological stage and a mechanical stage. Keep that in mind when you consider the biological needs of your pond. A filter does more than just taking care of the biological aspect. The quality of the water in the pond is essential if you want your Koi to be alive and thriving. Be aware that it is going to negatively affect the Koi if harmful compounds and bacteria build up in the pond. You can prevent it from happening and the mechanical process of the Koi pond filter will help you with that. The pond filtration system makes sure that solid organic waste becomes trapped in the chambers of the first stage of filtration. Do not let it sit there in the trap waiting for decomposition to happen. Remove it manually soon after it is trapped. If you do not remove it timely, the decomposed organic waste will end up in the water of the pond again when water goes through the filter, basically exposing the Koi to these harmful compounds and bacteria.
Less lethal compounds replace the deadly nitrites and ammonia thanks to the biological function of the Koi pond filter. Of course you want a pond filter that is cost effective and requires as little maintenance as possible. It is, however, important that you keep in mind the real reason why you are installing a pond filtration system when you make your decision on which one to purchase. This is not just about how the filter you install affects you. Your Koi need a healthy environment or, in other words, they need water that is clean, healthy and low in toxins.
If you want your fish healthy you need a filter that takes equally care of the mechanical and the biological aspects. Your best bet is thus a Koi pond filter that uses Kaldnes Moving Bed technology. Filters with Kaldnes Moving Bed technology are top notch in the industry. It is a technology that has proven to be effective. High efficiency pond filters can be easier to maintain and to use. Another new technology that does wonders for your pond water is bead filtration. A bead filtration system takes care of the mechanical aspect of a Koi filter. In other words it helps trap the solid organic waste using buoyant plastic beads. Nitrite and ammonia levels are reduced when "good" bacteria colonize the beads, or in other words bacteria that contribute to a good environment by taking up responsibility for the biological process.
To see which filter is good for you it is also possible to seek advice at the pet store. These professionals will take into account the requirements of your Koi pond and the warranty offered by the companies that manufacture filter systems. Some even offer a lifetime warranty.
Removing toxics, inorganic and organic wastes, and regular maintenance, are the key to keeping the water in your pond nature clean. Chose the right Koi pond filter system to optimally assist you!