You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be
appreciated. fayolap@yahoo.com
Dog Training Tips
8 dog training tips for you and your dog.
By Fayola Peters
Dog training requires simple persistence to be a successful and
delightful experience for you and your dog.
Here are 8 dog training tips to guide you along the way.
1. Dog Training Tips - Get your dog’s attention
Before you can start training your dog you first need to get its
attention. You can do this by talking to him and offering him a small treat.
2. Dog Training Tips - Use the correct dog training supplies
If you have a well behaved dog a six foot training lead and a regular
buckle collar will do. However if you dog is uncontrollable you should
use a training collar. For the right collar size measure the dogs’ neck
and add 2 inches.
3. Dog Training Tips - For safety in vehicles
Before you introduce your dog to the inside of a moving vehicle you
should teach him the ‘down!’ and ’stay!’ commands. This ensures that he
spends the ride on the floor of the vehicle.
4. Dog Training Tips - Elimination
When your dog got to go it got to go. To prevent your dog from getting
busy on the carpet you should train him to eliminate on command.
5. Dog Training Tips - Praise
Always praise your dog when he learns a new command.
6. Dog Training Tips - Reprimand
Do not hit your dog! Any time your dog is engaging in bad behavior, use
the opportunity to teach him the ’stop!’ or ‘no!’ command. Using the
’stay!’ command can also be effective in these situations.
7. Dog Training Tips - Play with your dog
This will help in building the bond between you and your dog.
8. Dog Training Tips - Do some dog training everyday
Don’t rush dog training. Teach your dog one command at a time and don’t
move on until he gets it. A little dog training everyday is all that’s
needed.
Well that’s it for my dog training tips. Enjoy training your dog and
remember that it takes simple persistence.
About the Author
Fayola Peters is the webmaster of The-Dog-Training-Guide.com
(http://www.the-dog-training-guide.com)
It’s been a while since the sub-compact car market has garnered such attention in
North America. Our friends in Europe have always known the virtues of small cars.
But here in North America, SUV’s have dominated parking lots at the local Pier 1 for
more than a decade. However as current gas prices inch forward and with future
prices looking uncertain (and by uncertain I mean they’re certainly going to be
higher than today) more people are buying small, fuel-efficient cars. We’ve seen a
lot of activity in the segment recently. Toyota has introduced the Yaris, Hyundai has
significantly revised the Accent, Kia has updated the Rio, Honda has just introduced
the Fit, and Nissan will introduce the Versa in May of this year. And let’s not forget
Scion with the xA and xB.
Having a car in the sub-compact market makes sense for a variety of reasons. First,
it introduces new, young buyers to the brand. If their experience is good they’ll stick
with the brand as they grow up and move to a larger vehicle. Toyota, Honda,
Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, Mazda and others all got their start in the sub-
compact car market. Secondly, it provides a safety net during economic downturns.
If gas prices rise unexpectedly, the knee-jerk reaction is to get a small, more fuel-
efficient vehicle. And these cars are fuel-efficient. The new Honda Fit for example,
gets an estimated 33 miles per gallon in the city, 38 mpg on the highway.
But these are no one-show ponies. Beyond fuel efficiency they offer respectable
performance. The Toyota Yaris has 106 horsepower which may not sound like
much, but tipping the scales at only 2315 lbs, it has a power-to-weight ratio close
to that of the 220 horsepower Hummer H3. And these cars can carry just about
anything. With the rear seats up, the Honda Fit can swallow 21.3 cubic feet of gear.
A Ford Crown Victoria by comparison can hold 20.6 cubic feet worth of cargo in the
trunk.
The domestics haven’t invested much in this class recently, if ever. The Chevrolet
Aveo is essentially a re-badged Daewoo and doesn’t offer the level of refinement as
the others. The Ford Focus is larger and more expensive, as is the new for ‘06
Dodge Caliber. But with the uncertainty of gas prices and growing competition in
the segment, GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler would be wise to offer competitive
offering in this segment and introduce first time buyers to their respective brands.
For most manufacturers, having competitive sub-compact cars has grown the
business and created brand loyalty, something the folks in Detroit have been trying
to do for a while now.
Peter Johnson is the chief writer for http://www.all-about-car-selection.com
Why is it that the older and richer people become, the more conservative they are with their money? Have you ever done or know someone who has made an investment that promised a 10% interest or profit per month? Everyone wants to make above average profits. It is amazing how many people will send their very hard earned money across the world to Nigeria or to Boca Rattan, Florida on the promise of a telephone acquaintance to make them much richer. People give their money to complete strangers in hopes of making more money.
All good investment advisers will tell their clients “If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.” Professionals only make very high returns in areas they personally know very well. This, for them, is a business investment, not a passive investment like stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Real estate and business investments are considered active investments. People who are employed by others do not usually make active investments, because they just do not have the time to watch a business investment, where big profits are always possible (as well as big losses.)
People with small amounts of money come to me all the time and ask: “What can I do with $1,000 that will give me a big return?” Here is the answer. When I was a 21-year-old lad working for my father, I had money in the bank, I owed securities (stocks) and my income was a fixed salary. I saw many opportunities to make money all around me, in the business. My father, like so many employers, wasn’t interested. Besides I was trying to figure out how I could make money for me.
At the time, 1971, we had high inflation and prices were going up on many things. My father used metal rings to seal containers, nuts and bolts, paint, and other industrial supplies. I watched prices starting to go up and it appeared that they might even double on finished products that were made from steel. Since the company used these products all the time, buying bigger orders meant buying much more then you needed and having to store it so it didn’t get stolen. I used to buy 2 years supply of bolts at a time. Knowing the price was going up, I bought a 4-year supply. Rings took a lot of space so we would buy 3 months at a time. The problem with new rings, being bought and laying around, in storage, was that the workers, taking the easy way out, would take new rings out of the warehouse, instead of cleaning the old rings, which saved the company a lot of money.
My father didn’t want to have a years worth of rings around, even though we both knew the price was going to continue going up. We came up with an idea. I would buy, with my own money, the extra inventory, the amount above the companies normal order size. My investment inventory would be stored in a separate locked area in the warehouse. When the company needed more rings or bolts, it would buy them from me at the then current market price. I made $1,500 on my $5,000 investment in just six months. That was a 30%, no risk profit in just half a year. Now I was hot.
When I got married, and I used more toilet paper and toothpaste than I did before, I decided that I should repeat the process that I learned as a boy. When I was a boy toilet paper was 10 cents a role. If you do not know what it is now, take a look. I bought 5 cases of toilet paper and put it in the garage. I knew that paper prices were going up. I not only got the increase in price, I got close out quantity discounts by the case. Do you know that dog and cat food by the case is 10% off? Then if you wait for when Friskies has a sale or close out, then buy large cases; you cannot believe what you will save. If you can get a distributor or wholesaler to sell direct to you, another 20-33% is possible. You might check the price at Costco. It may be cheaper than what the wholesaler will sell it to you for.
You only buy items that you know you will use yourself, personally. You are not buying for resale. You are buying a two-year supply of things you know you will use, for sure. Toilet paper is one of them. (Make sure you try the brand out, to see that you will like it.) Smart and Final has many things in bulk. Compare prices at Costco, Smart and Final, the 99-cent store, and if you can find the distributor that the 99-cent store buys from in Downtown LA, you will really be buying cheap.
First step. Make a list of everything you buy on a regular bases. List non-food items, bathroom items and dry or canned food items. Do not buy food the rats can get into. Grains must be in steel drum with bags. You will be shocked at how much 20 lbs of rice will cost you compared to a one pound bag, about a quarter of the cost or less. Do not buy clothing, because of change of styles and weight. You can buy men’s socks and underclothing when you see a real close out at 80% off. Men wear the same style all their lives and their weight tends to be constant. Do not do this for children or woman. Things change too fast.
Second step. Price shop so you will know what are the good prices and bad prices. Do not buy yet, just price shop.
Third Step. Decide how much inventory you want to have, how much money do you have to spend and how long it will take you to use it all up. Where are you going to put it so that it will be safe and dry? Not a public storage place, please. The rent will eat up your volume buying profits, real fast.
Fourth Step. Look for close outs so you can buy cheaper than the best price you planned on and then have fun buying.
Hidden Bonus: There are also non-profit advantages to this program that you should be aware of. In case of an economic depression you have food. That means if you loose your job, you still eat. Your unemployment check can then go towards the rent, gas in the car, car payments, and fresh food. You will already have most of the toilet items and other things you will need, until you get a job.
In case of a natural disaster or a teamster strike you will have your well-stocked private supermarket with those needed items. The IRS closed down Howard Ruff, a newsletter writer in the 1970’s. They attached all of his bank accounts, and locked the front door of his store. Howard had 12 children, no income and no money in his pocket. He did have big food storage, which fed his family while he took a month to decide what his next move was going to be. He was able to think his problem out without panicking because his family was fed, and he could postpone his mortgage, utilities and other bills for a few months, before he had big troubles.
So be smart. Invest in a food storage program. Only buy what you will use, and do use. Buy in quantities that you will use up in 2 years. Do not buy a 5-year supply of anything. Shop for the best price, and then wait for a better deal than that. Then you have made a safe and profitable investment, while at the same protecting your family from emergencies.
About The Author
Willard Michlin is a real estate and financial distress consultant. He can be contacted at his Ventura, California office by calling 805-529-9854 or by e-mail at kismetrei@earthlink.net. See other article by Willard at http://www.kismetgroup.com
kismetrei@earthlink.net
Imagine starting your morning with a saunter out the back door
to enjoy a cup of coffee in your garden hot tub, or relaxing
just before bed with a lazy soak in your backyard hot tub under
the stars. More and more homeowners are taking the plunge
(pardon the pun!) and installing a hot tub in their backyard or
garden. If it all sounds tempting to you, here are a few things
to consider when deciding where and whether to put a hot tub in
YOUR backyard.
Do you have the space?
A hot tub may look small, but even the smallest hot tubs weigh
hundreds of pounds - thousands when filled with water. You’ll
need to figure in space for the plumbing and controls as well -
and if your county requires security fencing around your tub,
you’ll need to take that into consideration as well when you’re
planning for your garden hot tub.
Where will you put it?
No, really, it’s not the same question as above. Because of
their weight and the need for plumbing and electricity, you’ll
need to plan the location of your hot tub carefully. A hot tub
on the patio or deck may sound wonderful - but it will need
reinforcement to carry that much weight safely. Besides
structural considerations, there are practical ones that are a
lot more fun to consider. Do you want it close to the house -
perhaps just outside your bedroom sliders so that you can slip
in and out of it easily? Choose a spot for your backyard hot tub
that gives you privacy, beauty and convenience.
Do you want a seasonal or year-round hot tub?
You might think that soaking in a hot tub in your garden in
winter is a chilling experience, but there’s something
especially cozy about watching the snowflakes fall from the
relaxing warmth of a garden hot tub. If you’d like to use your
hot tub year round, discuss weather proofing with the
construction company, and while you’re at it, consider a gazebo
roof or similar protection for rainy days as well.
What are the zoning regulations in your area?
In many townships and cities, outdoor backyard hot tubs require
the same protections as swimming pools. The regulations may
require a locked privacy fence around your garden, or at least
around the hot tub itself to prevent accidental drowning.
How large a hot tub do you want?
A two-person hot tub is cozy and romantic, but garden hot tubs can
spark some wonderful entertaining and parties. Will you want to
invite the neighbors or workmates to party with you in your
garden hot tub once in a while? A 4-8 person tub isn’t that much
more expensive, and gives you the option of coziness and
entertainment.
Should you choose an in-ground or above ground garden hot
tub?
The choice is strictly a matter of preference. In-ground garden
hot tubs can blend into the landscaping in your back yard - but
with the proper surrounds (a garden gazebo? A glass
conservatory?) so can an above ground hot spa tub. Price is
another consideration here - an in-ground hot tub will require
excavation that will make both construction and maintenance more
costly.
What can I do in a garden or back yard hot tub?
Ah, now - do you really need ME to tell you that? Simply enjoy!
When you are trying to save money on airfare it’s critical to be able to check multiple airlines against one another to compare flights and their prices. If you go to one airline’s website they will show their best price for your trip, but you’ll have no idea if that price is more or less expensive than any of the other airlines that fly between those cities. Using a web-based search engine is your best hope for comparing flights with the least amount of hassle since they will automatically determine all the different airlines that go between those cities and then put the cheapest results on top.
Still, the process can be tricky because of the way these search results are presented. The problem is that most airlines will match the fares from the other airlines, so the cheapest flights are all bunched together on the top of the page. This is normally a good thing, but you have to also take into consideration that a flight with departing and arrival times that may be far better for you could be perhaps $10 more than the cheapest one you see on the list. So this flight will be either way down the page or will be on the next page altogether. When you compare flights it’s really important to look at the next price level or two higher to see if it’s better because often just a few dollars more will give you a far better trip.
