BarkBox Review | Barkbox Unboxing | May 2021 | Galapagos Tails of the Tropics

 

BarkBox Review | Barkbox Unboxing | May 2021 | Galapagos Tails of the Tropics

Use promo code “RUCKUSESKIE” to save $15 on BarkBox.com We are affiliates of BarkBox. OR USE THIS LINK HERE: https://barkbox.snlv.net/OLvLz BARKBOX: https://barkbox.snlv.net/OLvLz Thank you so much for watching! Please make sure to LIKE and SHARE this video and subscribe to my channel here for new videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/ruckustheeskie OTHER BARKBOX REVIEWS: http://www.ruckustheeskie.com/p/barkbox.html ----------------------------------------­­­--------------- DOG & LIFESTYLE BLOG → http://www.ruckustheeskie.com ♥INSTAGRAM → http://instagram.com/ruckustheeskie ♥TWITTER → https://twitter.com/ruckustheeskie ♥FACEBOOK →https://www.facebook.com/RuckusTheEskie ♥PINTEREST → https://www.pinterest.com/ruckustheeskie ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ This video may contain affiliate links. We purchase most of the products for the posts ourselves however sometimes we have the opportunity to test and review brand products. Ruckus the Eskie will only share products we trust.

Top Tips for Responsible Pet Ownership

  Contributed/Collaborated Post:

Pet ownership comes with a huge responsibility. After all, you are in charge of a life; a life belonging to something that has to put their full trust in you. Here, we look at some tips for responsible pet ownership.

Image via Unsplash

Educate your children

All animals are entitled to the same level of respect, whether it is a pet snail or a pet horse. A responsible pet owner will teach their children, or any children that will spend time with or be involved with the animal that pet ownership comes with lots of responsibility, much more than a new toy.

Owning a pet is an ethical commitment and is something that should not be taken lightly. Explaining what having a pet entails can instill in children a sense of responsibility. This may mean that you will have to wait until they are old enough to comprehend the idea before getting them the pet they keep asking for. If they do not quite grasp the enormity of what being a pet owner involves, it will be mom or dad that ends up looking after them when the novelty inevitably wears off. That is not fair on the person doing the caring, the child, or the animal.

Consider all the smaller details

We adults are just as likely as children to become smitten with the thought of having a cute little puppy or kitten. We imagine the cuddles and the love that animals give us, but we do not always take the time to consider what it means on a daily basis as well as looking to potential scenarios in the future.

Animals require plenty of time, space, and financial resources to keep them not only healthy but happy, too. Do you have the resources to do this, both now and in the future? What will you do if you want to go on vacation or go traveling for an extended period - who will take care of them? What about when you are at work? While a pet sitter or kennels is fine for occasional short-term use, regular changing of caregivers can be unsettling and unfair on the animal. What if you need to move to a new house? Remember, not every place will accommodate pets. Are you likely to have children in the future, and if so, can you balance the care of young children with the animal? These are all things that you need to take into consideration.

Think about vet bills and medical care

Just like you go to the doctors for a routine health check, the opticians to see if you need some new glasses from Eyeglasses.com, or the dentist to check if your teeth are in good condition, your pet will need regular check ups. After all, they cannot tell you if something is not quite right - you have to pre-empt things as much as possible. If your pet does become ill or gets injured, vet bills can come with a very high price tag. Can you afford this? It is always a good idea to have pet insurance in place to cover this sort of scenario, to avoid making any heartbreaking decisions because of a lack of money.

Spend quality time with your animal every day

Animals thrive on love and affection, so make sure you are giving it in plenty. When taking on the responsibility of pet ownership, you are not only committing yourself to looking after their physical well-being but their mental well-being, too. This means taking them for plenty of walks if required, playing with them, cuddling them, and training them. This goes for all animals, whether they are dogs or cats or even mice and hamsters. 

Allow them to live alongside you comfortably

It is important to remember that we invited the animal into our lives of our own volition. They do not have much of a say in the situation. Boundaries must be established, but we must also ensure that our non-human housemates feel included in the family. Sleeping quarters and bathroom facilities should be comfortable and easily accessible. Inhabitants of fishbowls and cages should have a clear view of their surroundings, among other things, and interesting things to stimulate them. Make sure cats and dogs have safe access to an outdoor space; if you live in an apartment, consider whether it is in their best interests.

Try to adopt rather than shop

There are far too many animals languishing in pet shelters. While pet shelters undoubtedly do their best to look after the animals that they have in their care, it is no substitute for a warm, loving home. Not only that, but many pet shops and breeders are questionable in terms of their ethics and practices, so by buying from them, you are encouraging them. Instead of going to choose an animal from a pet store or a breeder like a commodity, go to a pet shelter and let the animal choose you. You may come away with something slightly different from what you expected, but you also come away knowing you are going to give an abandoned or neglected animal a whole new lease of life.

Remember that they are not fashion accessories

Many people buy pets in order for them to be nothing more than a fashion accessory -- from being very particular about the breed they want because of their features to dressing them up, it can take away their dignity. We need to identify our pets' needs, such as toys, food, somewhere to sleep, etc, but stay away from dressing them up. They have such little autonomy as it is; turning them into a fashion accessory simply exacerbates the problem.

Do you have the patience?

We are frequently so engrossed in the concept of adopting an animal that we overlook our own role in the process. What kind of pet owner do you envision yourself to be? Are you the right person for pet ownership? Do you have the right personality type? It might seem silly to ask this question, but it all comes down to planning ahead.

Spend some time thinking about your personality characteristics, even though you believe yourself to be the world's greatest animal lover. Consider a variety of scenarios in which you and your new companion could find yourselves.

The worst case scenario is that you will have spent a few minutes thinking bout the pros and cons of pet ownership, even though you already know the answer. It is much better to do that than to realize you have made a mistake after bringing home a new animal.

If at all possible, see if you can spend some time volunteering at a pet shelter for a while. Spending time with the animals will show you the good bits of pet ownership but also the not so glamorous and fun side of it too, and put you into various situations to see how you will cope.

In conclusion

It is indescribably fulfilling to choose to share your life with an animal. Their potential for unconditional love is much greater than anything we can give back.

Animals love us despite our many flaws. The only way we can repay them is to be decent human beings. At the very least, let us do it to the best of our abilities. We must treat them with the reverence that they are due. As a starting point, this entails abandoning the idea that we own them and instead seeing them as our equals.

BarkBox Review | Barkbox Unboxing | April 2021 | Barkfest in Bed

 BarkBox Review | Barkbox Unboxing | April 2021 | Barkfest in Bed

Use promo code “RUCKUSESKIE” to save $15 on BarkBox.com We are affiliates of BarkBox. OR USE THIS LINK HERE: https://barkbox.snlv.net/OLvLz BARKBOX: https://barkbox.snlv.net/OLvLz Thank you so much for watching! Please make sure to LIKE and SHARE this video and subscribe to my channel here for new videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/ruckustheeskie OTHER BARKBOX REVIEWS: http://www.ruckustheeskie.com/p/barkbox.html ----------------------------------------­­­--------------- DOG & LIFESTYLE BLOG → http://www.ruckustheeskie.com ♥INSTAGRAM → http://instagram.com/ruckustheeskie ♥TWITTER → https://twitter.com/ruckustheeskie ♥FACEBOOK →https://www.facebook.com/RuckusTheEskie ♥PINTEREST → https://www.pinterest.com/ruckustheeskie ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ This video may contain affiliate links. We purchase most of the products for the posts ourselves however sometimes we have the opportunity to test and review brand products. Ruckus the Eskie will only share products we trust.

Turn Your Love Of Animals Into A Business

 Contributed/Collaborated Post:

Love animals? There could be a way of making money from your passion. This could allow you to be around animals all day, while making an income from it. The pet industry has seen a huge boom over the last decade, while industries like farming are in high demand. Now could be your time to get involved.

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Find your niche

Just what kind of animal-related business should you start? There are so many options from starting a wool farm to opening horse racing tracks like Belinda Stronach. Some of these options are likely to involve acquiring land, which is something you’ll need to find funding for.

Pets tend to be a popular niche - within this niche, dogs tend to be the most popular option. A few examples of dog-related businesses could include:

• Dog walking
• Dog sitting
• Dog training
• Dog grooming
• Selling dog toys/equipment/food
• Becoming a dog breeder
• Starting a dog shelter

Educate yourself

When getting into any industry, you need to take time to educate yourself. This will allow you to carry out your job to a high standard and gain trust of customers. 

In the case of something like dog grooming, it could be essential to take a course so that you understand different types of dogs and their individual grooming needs. If you’ve never run a business before, it could also be important to develop an understanding of elements such as accounting and marketing. 

Scope out the competition

There are likely to be other businesses out there doing what you’re doing. Research into your competitors in order to see how you can set yourself apart. For instance, if there are other dog grooming services locally, you may be able to take a different approach such as setting up a portable dog grooming service or catering to specific types of dogs. Or if you plan to train dogs, you can introduce more effective ways of training or use better equipment for a board and train dog training facility.

Work out how to fund it

Starting a business can be expensive. This isn’t the case with all businesses - a dog-walking business can be set up without requiring any money. However, businesses such as starting a farm or opening a cat cafe could require a lot of investment up front.

Some people are able to fund businesses using savings, however most people seek out business loans or get help from investors. When it comes to business loans, shop around for different options - you could consider banks, private lenders or peer-to-peer lending. When it comes to investors, there are options such as crowdfunding or angel investors. 

Develop a marketing strategy

Want to start attracting customers? You’ll need to start marketing yourself. The best marketing strategy for you depends a lot on the type of business you’re running. If you’re running a dog walking service, you may want to try advertising through social media and local ad sites. If you’re planning on starting a farm, you may need to work out a way of selling your product to local retailers (with things like eggs and honey) or local manufacturers (with products like wool). 

3 Things You Should Never Do As A Pet Owner

Contributed/Collaborated Post:

Becoming a pet owner is a massive responsibility - one that a lot of people don't appreciate. There are so many sad stories of pets that have been mistreated by their owners, and a lot of the time it's not necessarily intentional. It's more to do with the fact that you don't know how to properly look after a pet. Obviously, this is bad for the pet, but people don't realize the effort that goes into looking after a furry little friend. 

Photo Credit (CC0 License)

So, to help you become a better pet owner, here are three things you absolutely should never do as the owner of a pet:

Never assume that there's one rule for every pet

If you hop online and look for pet advice, you'll find many different things being said. This is because all pets are different! Looking after a cat is inherently different from looking after a dog. Speaking of which, with dogs, you have different breeds, all of which require different levels of attention. For example, some dogs only need to be walked once a day, while others need to be out walking three or four times! 

As such, you can't assume that what works for one pet will work with yours. You have to actually do the right research, ensuring that you look after your pet as best as you can. 

Never be lazy with their food

Similarly, you have to understand how to feed your pet. Again, dogs are the perfect example of where certain things are better for some pets than others. Many dog owners always wonder; what is the best dog food? In reality, the best dog food is whatever is best for your dog. A puppy needs different food from an adult dog, smaller breeds need a specific blend, and so on. You can't get lazy when feeding a dog - you have to understand what is best for their specific diet. 

Naturally, the same rule applies to all pets. The worst thing you can do is go to the shop and pick up the first pet food product you see. You have no idea if it is good for your pet or not, so make sure you do the research beforehand!

Never neglect your pet

Lastly, you should never neglect your pet. If your pet wants attention, it's likely because they need something. Cats are a fantastic example - when they meow, it's probably because they need you to do something for them. It could indicate that they want food, water, or to go outside for some exercise. Dogs are the same, as are all pets - when they talk, you better take notice of them. 

Plus, pets have feelings just like humans. If you neglect them, they can become depressed and upset. Not to mention how harmful it can be on their overall health. 

If you want to be a good pet owner, be sure you never do the three things listed above. To condense some advice down into one word, the best thing to do is research your pet. Look up everything there is to know about your specific pet and how to look after them, this will make it easier for you to be a good owner!