Ark Animals is usually updated three times a week–so you’ll find new information on animal behavior, animal careers, animal training and pets regularly. There are over a thousand pages to view so you have a lot to sift through! While we are in transition you’ll see news posts until we finish the restructuring and republishing.

I want to encourage you to take advantage of my new premium newsletters. They are new for 2012 so pick the one that best suit your needs.

Each is a subscription is handled by Amazon Payments and they each are $4.97 per month—about the price of a fancy coffee drink.

Premium newsletters average between 1-4 emails a month on specialty topics.

Animal Careers $4.97
A monthly newsletter with announcements for animal jobs, animal internships, and other news. In addition, there will be special offers for purchasing access to expert interviews and other resources.
Subscribe to Animal Careers now!

Of course you can always join my community at no charge over on Facebook where we will be running a fun contest toward the end of February 2012.
Finally, if you are an animal professional, consider taking advantage of my pet care e-newsletters that can be customized to send to your clients and customers so you don’t have another thing on your plate!

You not only get a beautiful newsletter filled with premium information but can also take advantage of a subscription service that allows you to customize them to your brand AND also allows you to send them with one click to all your customers or clients.

Watch for our syndicated videos coming out this year too. If you are interested in either service, get in touch with me via support.

Enjoy your visit & please make it a habit to come back regularly.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

The rest is here:
New genetic evidence confirms coyote migration route to Virginia and hybridization with wolves

See original here:
Improving training efficiency in horses

See more here:
Two new bee species are mysterious pieces in the Panama puzzle

Originally posted here:
Evolution of a Stream: Plants and sea-life claim new territory as glaciers retreat in Glacier Bay, Alaska

See the rest here:
New, higher estimates of endangered humpback whales in the North Pacific

Do you have a delinquent dog or puppy whose behavior is a pain? If so, it is time for animal school–and there is a special opportunity for pet parents that will help you morph your precious pet into a mannered mutt!

Those of you on my email list already know about this but here is the press release for the rest of you!

Consider this your personal canine casting call. Pet dog and puppy owners around the area will get the chance to work with veteran animal behaviorist & trainer, Diana L Guerrero of Ark Animals. Some pet parents will also have the opportunity to be highlighted in a new series that will help other animal owners, too.

Selected participants will work closely with Guerrero during program development of the Pet Parenting School, a series of educational modules designed to provide continuing education to animal owners online. The program will provide a variety of multimedia options to assist pet owners across the United States.

Guerrero has trained hundreds of pets throughout the mountain area and is no stranger to the Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino county or Riverside. She first began offering animal training here back in the late 1980s when she developed and ran animal training programs for Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead and Crestline.

At that time, Ark Animals partnered with other animal businesses and the local park district until she left the valley to train animals for a world famous zoo.

You may have worked with her before or caught a glimpse of the “Ark Lady” giving expert comments on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel. Although her work has taken her around the world, the lure of the southern California mountains drew her back to the Big Bear valley where she resides full time.

What you might not know is that the Ark Lady holds a degree in animal training & management, along with numerous other related certifications, and is the author of several books. She began her career with marine mammals, then worked with wild and exotic animals until she relocated to Big Bear to work with pets.

For more information on how you can participate in the Pet Parenting School project, or to enroll in pet dog training, please call Guerrero at Ark Animals (909) 547-4ARK (4275) or email AnimalSchool at ArkAnimals dot Com. You can use the link at the top of this page and click through to the application.

So what does an animal pro do on vacation? Depends–in this case I did a whole lot of my favorite things

I ventured up North to see friends and a relative. During my stay I played with animals, watched animals, visited animal facilities, worked at modifying behavior, walked dogs, attended dog training classes, filmed agility sessions, and spent time watching wildlife.

It was heaven.

When I was younger I spent every free moment at animal facilities and reading animal related books. These days I am bit more balanced but since my passions revolve around animals and nature–this trip to the rocky shores of Northern California was a perfect blend of things that recharge my soul.

So, I am busy catching up and so running a little behind on my blog posts and other online activities. However, I am hoping to be back on track soon. Plus, I’ll probably be sharing some tidbits from my adventures.

BTW the cockatoo in the picture was being taught to tear something up instead of screaming her lungs out. It worked well and after our sessions she actually behaved better the very next day.

Good for her and good for this animal behaviorist & trainer!

Unlike with health insurance in the United Kingdom, there is sadly no National Health Service for animals. If a pet gets injured in an accident or becomes ill, the vet’s bill is the sole responsibility of the owner. Given how expensive it can be in certain situations, it stands to reason that a person takes out insurance to ensure their beloved pet stays safe in the face of anything the future has to offer.

The very act of getting pet insurance is a money-saving initiative. It is understood that around 40% of the cost of owning a pet goes straight to vet bills; even then, just 12% of the UK’s dog owners insure their pets. This is a dangerous strategy, given that This is Money research concluded that a ruptured cruciate ligament, a very common knee injury suffered by dogs, can cost between £500 and £2,500 (the equivalent of US$815-$4073) to fix.

Pet insurance essentially covers an owner in the face of the unexpected; this means vaccinations, worming, nail-clipping, neutering and other optional procedures are not covered. These are also rather expensive, though are an essential part of keeping your furry friend safe and well. What’s more, many of these are a one-time investment.

Pet insurance also helps with a number of other things for example should your dog bite the postman and you find yourself in court, policies can offer provisions for legal advice fees. In the same vein, pet insurance can also provide cover if a motorist crashes his car to avoid running over your cat; otherwise, you can be liable to cover repairs to the car and even the wall he hits.

Many policies also cover your animal if you are affected by illness, or are stopped from being able to give direct care to it. Pet insurance is often used to pay for kennels or boarding should the owner have to go into hospital.

Top-of-the-range insurance plans can also pay for holiday cancellations should a pet become sick or injured, possibly saving you thousands of pounds/dollars. Pet insurance plans for dogs and cats can also contribute towards advertising and reward costs if a dog or cat gets lost.

Insurance premiums are often based on the pet you have, its age, where you live and a number of other factors that determine how likely it is to fall ill or get lost; usually, a history of conditions and claims will affect how much you pay when moving forward.

There are different levels of insurance, so consider how much you are willing to pay as a financial contribution on your claim as this can often lower the price of pet insurance in the long-term. Consider buying your policy online, too; this can often drastically reduce the cost, sometimes by up to 20%.

Finally, think about getting a one year policy instead of buying it from month-to-month. Investing in a pet insurance policy for the long-term will give you a much better rate; people can often reduce their monthly pet insurance costs by doing this.

Guest Post by Mike Ewing
Mike is a writer from the north-east of England with a keen interest in finance, property and animals. His hobbies include football, American sports and world cinema.

Photo Credit: Priority Pet Hospital