Humans are vain. We love animals but often fail to realize the brilliance of supposedly lower creatures. Dolphins can communicate with other dolphins, hundreds of miles away, without telephones, satellites or the postal service. Ants have created an inherent culture where all members are born into the jobs they will perform for life. No complaints, power struggles, unions or paychecks. Then, there are dogs.

Dig around in the yard of any pet pooch and it's quite likely you're bound to find a collection of scrap bones, buried in different locations. When the master gives his pet a leftover soup bone from dinner, doggie instinctually knows that:

A. The bone is meant to last.

B. If he leaves the bone lying unprotected, another dog might steal it.

C. If he buries his bones in different places, chances are good he will always have a bone to chew, no matter what.

When it comes to protecting property, a dog is as smart as any human.

"Your domain and your hosting account need special protection. They must be kept as safe as a dog keeps his bones."

Your domain name and your web hosting account are your virtual property. In order to have a website you need both a domain and a host to point it to. Of all your "possessions", these two are the foundation for everything else. If you lose control of your domain, your hosting account will be meaningless. If you lose your host, your domain will have no function until you find a new one. You must guard both like a dog. In other words, keep your domain and hosting separate.

Let's be clear. The majority of web hosts and domain registrars are upstanding, righteous entities. Most of them run a respectable and honest business. We don't want to scare you or make you worry.

However, stuff happens, problems arise and there are some things you don't want to take any chances with. Your domain name and your web host are such things.

In today's Internet, many domain registrars also host websites and many web hosts can either register a domain or transfer your domain to their server. This integration of services is nice but if your domain and your hosting account are under the auspices of one company, you've just buried all your bones in one hole.

What happens if your once fabulous hosting provider is sold to assholes that turn the whole thing to crap? What if this crappy host tries to confiscate your domain as punishment for your attempt to switch to a good host? What if your domain registrar is a great registrar but a lousy hosting provider? What happens if your registrar decides to play ugly domain games when you complain?

Remember, just because you paid for a web host and registered a domain name, nothing is written in stone. If your host decides to shut down your site, you can fight, but it probably won't be worth the effort.

Any host can change their terms of service at any time. As for your domain, you don't own it outright and you never will. Even when you register a brand new domain that you invented, you're only leasing it from your registrar. If you fail to re-register when time comes due, your domain becomes the property of that registrar. This is why you should be as alert and attentive to your interests as a canine. Your domain and your hosting account need special protection. They must be kept as safe as a dog keeps his bones.

Once again, we would like to reiterate that the majority of registrars and hosts are good, dependable companies. If you decide to transfer a domain or switch a host, you should expect a little tedium with formalities but rarely will you find an instance of dishonesty. In addition, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has rules that cover the domain-transfer process and your registrar is obligated to follow ICANN rules.

Humans have invented many cool things like porn and the Internet. You might not be a programming guru or a photographic genius but you sure as hell can be as smart as a dog. Store your domain and your web host in different places like the puppy does with his bones. That way, your goodies are safe from bad doggies and silly humans.