A Beginner's Guide to Lovebirds

Written by Petey, Petunia & Tweet Tweet

he fascinating behavior of Lovebirds make them amongrepparttar most interesting pet bird.

Lovebirds are so named fromrepparttar 146918 way they sit close to each other, not because they are in love with each other. Lovebirds can and do mate for life, but it doesn't happen every time.

Lovebirds are social birds and should be kept in pairs.

They are very active and curious birds and can even be quite aggressive at times. They can chatter all day long with a sometimes very shrill sound.

Lovebirds are native to Africa and a few nearby islands. In their native habitat, they are found usually in small flocks of 10 to 20 pairs.

Lovebirds are ofrepparttar 146919 class Aves,repparttar 146920 genus Agapornis and members ofrepparttar 146921 Psittaciformes, or family of parrots.

Agapornis comes fromrepparttar 146922 Greek words: Agape meaning love, and ornis meaning bird.

Lovebirds typically live from 10 to 15 years depending a great deal onrepparttar 146923 care they are given, some lovebirds have been known to live to be 20 in captivity.

There are 9 species of lovebirds, of which 8 are available as pets. They are not related torepparttar 146924 South American parrotlets.

Sexually Dimorphic

1. Abyssinian Lovebird 2. Redfaced Lovebird 3. Madagascar Lovebird (Grayheaded)

Sexually Monomorphic (Similar)

1. Black cheeked Lovebired (Blackfaced) 2. Fischer's Lovebird 3. Masked Lovebird (Black Masked or Yellow collared) 4. Nyasa Lovebird (Lilian's) 5. Peachfaced Lovebird (Rosyfaced)

Characterized by Eye Rings:

Without Eye Rings:

1. Madagascar 2. Redfaced 3. Peachfaced 4. Abyssinian

With Eye Rings

1. Masked 2. Fischers 3. Nyasa 4. Black cheeked

What To Look For In A Healthy Lovebird

1. Active, alert and curious disposition 2. 4 well formed toes, 2 forward and 2 backward, nails must be complete 3. Bright, round eyes 4. Nostrils clear of discharge 5. Feathers lay tight againstrepparttar 146925 body 6. Smooth beak that closes completely

What To Avoid In A Healthy Lovebird

1. A bird that sits huddled in a corner or onrepparttar 146926 floor 2. A bird with feathers fluffed up 3. Deformed toes 4. Vent fouled with feces or badly stained 5. Signs of weeping or runny eyes 6. Excessive plucking or excessive missing of feathers 7. Bald spots 8. A squeak, wheezing or other abnormality when breathing 9. Nervous behavior 10. Lethargic behavior 11. Dull or lifeless feathers 12. A bird too large for it's normal size (birds can and do get fat) 13. Nasal discharge

If you are a first time or novice lovebird owner, don't choose a bird that you think may be sick, chooserepparttar 146927 healthiest bird you can find. Many sicknesses can be cured, but better to leave these birds for experienced owners. Don't buy a sick lovebird because you feel sorry for it.

West Highland White Terrier - Westies - Training Success Tips

Written by Jeff Cuckson

The West Highland Terrier is a friendly dog, and is considered easier to handle and train than other terriers, such asrepparttar Scottish Terrier. Still, it possessesrepparttar 146786 bold, dynamic terrier temperament, and has to be trained in a manner appropriate forrepparttar 146787 breed.

Your West Highland Terrier training begins fromrepparttar 146788 moment you bring your terrier home. Westies are stubborn and clever, and considered a bit naughty. They will become demanding and ill tempered if they do not get their way, so you must teach them fromrepparttar 146789 start that you are in charge. Fromrepparttar 146790 beginning, treat your terrier in a firm, consistent way.

Terrier puppies, like all very young dogs, should be trained in short sessions of five minutes or less. Makerepparttar 146791 training session play for both you and your terrier. Generously reward your dog with praise. They are also known to react well to food training.

Your Westie will become confused if you lash out at its misbehavior, particularly if you continue to be angry afterrepparttar 146792 behavior has stopped. Your little terrier wants to please you, and by consistently rewardingrepparttar 146793 behavior you wish to promote, you will encourage it to become part ofrepparttar 146794 dog's personality.

Likerepparttar 146795 Scottish Terrier, and other terrier breeds, Westies are barkers. Barking is a dog's natural way to communicate a variety of feelings from happiness, to anxiety, to boredom. The terrier breeds, though, are quicker to bark than other dogs.

The most natural reaction by dog owners is to yell at your terrier to stop barking. This is exactlyrepparttar 146796 WRONG thing to do. Your dog hearsrepparttar 146797 loud voice as a sort of human bark, and it only reinforcesrepparttar 146798 behavior.

The key is to remain calm, verbally and physically, and diffuserepparttar 146799 terrier's excited emotional state. Say 'no bark' in a calm but firm tone. Never forget to rewardrepparttar 146800 dog whenrepparttar 146801 barking stops.

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