Friday, February 29, 2008

Rescued Dogs And Anxiety

by dogseparationanxiety.net

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If you have never heard of separation anxiety in dogs, you should know that it's very real and dogs will experience intense anxiety when they are left alone for extended periods of time. This affects dogs which are rescued from animal shelters very commonly. Although it is a very wonderful and noble thing to rescue a dog, he or she may easily develop this condition due to abandonment feelings, lack of attention at the shelter or just because of their own unique personality. In order to help your dog overcome it, they will need a lot of love, attention and care.



Dogs are very much the social animal. Of course, they travel in packs in the wild, and when they are domestic animals, they consider their human family their pack. Through this pack, they receive the essentials they need for survival and happiness. When a dog has experienced abandonment from a previous owner, they are more likely to develop this anxiety when you leave them at home.



Some of the things you will see with rescued dogs who have anxiety are:



- Gnawing and licking themselves, digging and chewing toys, using the bathroom in the house although they are trained. This is especially true when you are gone, and you may come home to a disaster area in your house or back yard.



- Shadows you through the house, trying to keep you in their sight.



- You might notice that he or she goes completely wild when you get home, including jumping on you, licking you and whining. This may continue for some time. When you go through your routine to leave the house, you will notice that your dog acts strangely, such as whining and even trying to keep you in the house.



- You have noticed that the dog does not want to be outside alone.

Here are some of the things you can do to help your furry pal become better adjusted and happier:



First of all, the dog should never be hit or mistreated in an effort to 'teach' him or her good behavior. You should have patience and know that dogs will learn to behave better when things are calm and secure and they feel comfortable. When you get ready to leave, you should try to be as discreet as possible. Then, when you return, you should disregard your dog. Although it sounds heartless, when you pay attention to him or her and pet and comfort your dog, you are validating the dog's fears. After a few moments, calmly pet your dog and talk low to him or her for a few minutes.



Another thing you can do is leave your pet with something comforting to him or her, such as a blanket to lie on, a piece of clothing that smells like you or something else familiar that will calm him or her. In some ways, dogs are like children. Getting into a good daily routine with your dog will help him or her be happier and will alleviate some of your dog's anxiety. By saying the same thing to your dog before you leave and then when you get back, you will teach him or her that you are coming back and that they have no reason to fear your absence. Practice this by doing your normal leaving routine, and then just sit down. As you continue to do this, your dog will become less stressed at the leaving process.



An important warning is to avoid use of muzzles, chains or crates to keep your dog from tearing the house apart or getting into mischief while you're gone, as this will simply make the situation worse. Rather, try to move things in the house that your pooch can get into and continue to practice the routines. After a while, you should see definite improvement in your favorite furry friend.


Is your dog traumatized when you leave him alone? Don’t get mad or frustrated. He may be suffering from dog separation anxiety. Learn proven and humane tips to help him overcome dog separation anxiety once and for all! Visit http://www.dogseparationanxiety.net today!



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Thursday, February 28, 2008

The 4 ‘C’s Of Parenting

by Everett Christensen

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If only children came with a handbook of instructions. What they do come with is a script-of-sorts; a blueprint of what they can become.



We are all products of our heredity and environment. Heredity can’t be changed so, as a parent or parent-figure, you can only impact your child’s environment. There is ongoing controversy as to what percent of who we are is determined by our heredity. Some suggest as much as 80%. But even if environment determines only 20% of who we are, that's still a lot.



Parents are critical in shaping their children, because once you have significantly impacted a child’s development, it is difficult, if not almost impossible to change it.



In a play, everyone is given a script that tells the cast members what to say and what to do. That’s what parents do. Consciously or unconsciously, they provide the script for their children. Children are like sponges. When a sponge is new and dry, it soaks up any liquid with which it comes in contact. However, the more liquid it absorbs, the less room there is for more. That’s why early scripting of children is so important. Once habits are established, they are very difficult to change.



The good news is, you don’t have to be correct in your decision making process, every time, so long as you’re concerned. Parents need to have a plan. They need to say -- or more importantly, to do -- what they want young people to emulate. If there is a lot of emotion in the family (screaming and hollering) children will pick that up and do the same thing. Conversely, if communication is measured and thoughtful, children will develop that habit, too.



Most importantly, parents should have a goal in mind for what they want their child to be. We’re not talking about “an athletic hero,” or “a stellar scholar,” or “a great musician.” Rather, a good general model could be the “Four C’s.” That is a caring, confident, considerate and competent person. And for that to happen, parents need to provide an environment where the child will develop that way. Caring and competent parents want their children to be happy and enjoy life.



There’s nothing wrong with being a great athlete or student or whatever, but only if the person has a talent for it. Children should be taught that it’s not necessary to be the best, to be happy and content -- just to be the best one can. Because everyone can do something and no one can do everything, it’s important for parents to help their children find their own unique talents and direct their efforts in that direction.



Effective parenting will not always win popularity contests with children. Short term, they might not like you; but if you really care about them that’s not important. Over the long term, they’ll love and respect you because they will have become caring, confident, considerate and competent and they will know you had a lot to do with it. And then they will like you, too.


Everett Christensen has spent more than 45 years analyzing and evaluating the development of interpersonal relationships. Take his relationship quiz at http://www.dillstreetpress.com/quiz.htm . Christensen is the author of “60-40 or Fight: How to Get Along with Someone Besides Yourself.”



Published by http://www.indocquent.com, an online resource where you can advertise your business, products or services.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

How to select a nursing home

by smartone

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Placing a troubled, dependent relative in a nursing home is a heart-wrenchinging ordeal. To ease the way, know when a nursing home is the only answer. Deciding factors : When there is a loss of control of body functions, a loss of memory or an inability to perform the basic activities of daily life such as shopping, cleaning and dressing. People do not age physically and emotionally at the same rate.



Never coerce a person into a nursing home. Rather, open the decision for discussion. When possible, have the person accompany you when you shop for the proper home. The nursing homes with the best reputations, highest staff-to-patient ratios and longest waiting lists are nonprofit. That is, they are run by churches, fraternal orders and charities.



The majority of nursing homes are for profit, or proprietary. Other differences among homes. Skilled nursing facilities are for patients with serious mental and physical disabilities. Most of these places are proprietary.

Nonprofit homes usually charge a flat, high monthly fee with no extras for added services, Proprietary homes ask a lower monthly fee with extra payments for services,



Always be certain that you understand the rates and service charges.

May proprietary do not take Medicaid patients. The amounts paid by the stat and federal health plans are not always enough to cover the costs. Patients without any money should be placed in a nonprofit home.



To select a home, start by asking the patient's physician, relatives and friends who have gone through a similar experience for information. Also, get information from the state departments of health and social services.

Begin the search long before it becomes necessary to find a home. Caution: Many emotional problems among the elderly occur during the waiting period because of the stress of being in limbo.



Since this is an emotional experience, take a close friend with you when you inspect nursing homes. The person will look for things that you forget.

One of the things you need to ask your self is why am I putting my aged father or mother in a nursing home. I can mention few of the reasons why:Father or mother can not take care of them selves.



Parent can not remember to take their medications.

Parent alone at home most cases, and you do not want them to get hurt while you out.

There are many reasons to make you put your parent in a nursing home, do not feel guilty. Its a fact of life.



What you should look for.


I work in nursing home for over 16 years. I worked in good nursing homes and bad nursing homes. Make sure you do your home work.

Leila one stop shopping



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business, products or services.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Cheap Baby Shower Favors

by Robert J Kirk

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With a Little Effort, Cheap Baby Shower Favors Don't Have to Look Cheap

At the end of a baby shower, the host usually gives all the guests a small thank-you gift for coming to the party. This is in addition to any prizes the guests may have won playing the party games. The guests don't come to the party expecting to score lots of presents for themselves, so there is no reason for the host to feel like they have to provide expensive baby shower party favors. Favors can be expensive, but they do not have to be. Really, there is no reason why they should be. While it is nice if the baby shower favors tie in with the shower's theme they don't have to, especially if they host's creativity takes the gifts in a different direction.


Where to Buy Cheap Baby Shower Favors


You can get cheap baby shower favors from many places. Probably the simplest is to buy them at a local party store - the same place where you can get party decorations or goodie bag treats for a child's birthday party. There is usually a wide variety of trinkets to choose from, and taking a moment to team up the trinkets with some little touches like some tulle or lace can make them more elegant and suitable as favors for adults.


Dollar stores are great places to go shopping for cheap baby shower favors; you can get gifts for all your guests for just a couple of dollars per person. Another option is to buy cheap baby shower favors online. There are many party supply companies that sell through their own online stores, along with others that sell their items through Amazon.com or eBay Stores. They should be ordered well in advance so they have plenty of time to arrive.


Get Creative to Save Money


The host can also unleash their creativity by making their own gifts. Not only are these going to be the cheapest baby shower favors going, they can also show the love and attention of the host in a way that store-bought gifts can't. Certificates for game winners can be downloaded and printed from the internet, or even certificates for all attendees. Many other printable things like cards, bookmarks, and games can also be found online. Or take an instant photo of the mother-to-be with each attendee, then put it in an inexpensive frame so each guest can take home a wonderful, personalized memento of the event.


Homemade goods like bread, cookies, or popcorn can be wrapped up in squares of lace fabric and tied with a nice ribbon. Small bunches of other little favors like candles, herbal tea bags, bath beads, sachets of potpourri, fresh or dried flowers, and even Hershey's Hugs and Kisses can be dressed up in tulle, doilies, or other nice fabrics to create elegant and suitable cheap baby shower favors.

Favors are how the host thanks the guests for taking the time to attend the baby shower, and for bringing a gift for the mother-to-be. With a little effort, even cheap baby shower favors make great "little somethings" to give the attendees and show you planned ahead to thank them for attending.

About the Author


Robert J Kirk is an event planner with over 10 years of experience planning weddings, showers, parties, and ceremonies. His favorite events are baby showers, and he regularly contributes to the Super Baby Showers website.



Published by http://www.indocquent.com, an online resource where you can advertise your business, products or services.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Extend Your Living Space With An Outdoor Patio

by Steve Milstone

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There is hardly anything more pleasant that to sit quietly on the outdoor patio taking in the fresh air and sipping on a cold drink the end of a long and hard work day. Outdoor patios can be used essentially as extended usable living space in a home especially when the weather is dry and the sun is shining. If the patio is perched above a raging river or overlooking a mountain side, perched above a seascape or overlooking any other type of scenic view then spending time outdoors might be preferable to the indoor living space.

Many patios are built under an existing roof or the existing roof is extended for protection against the elements. Other freestanding patios are made concrete foundations resting in or on the ground with supporting posts to support the deck structure. Patios are typically built at ground level with a door leading from a room or rooms in the house to the outside patio. Often times a sliding glass door or double French doors will be used as the exit door from the house to the patio area offering a scenic view of nature or a landscaped backyard.

Building The PatioTo Suit Your Needs

Depending on the layout and size of the house and the contour of the surrounding grounds, a patio should be made large enough to be useful and in my opinion the larger the better.. Some patios are made too small to be of any use although some homeowners do have restricted space to work with, in which case a small patio would be better than no patio.

Many times a patio is built to be a transition area between the home and some other outdoor recreation area such as a swimming pool, or spa which provides a place for water to drip from bathing suits before they enter the home. Tracking water into the home can make mom angry at times. To avoid this outdoor patio mats can be useful to collect water, dirt and debris from the feet before entering the house to avoid damage to expensive flooring.

Whether the patio is constructed of decorative bricks over sand or is built up on foundations made with poured concrete is really a matter of taste, but the materials and colors should fit into the overall landscape theme of the home. Normally a patio is built in the backyard for privacy but often time is built in the front for viewing activities in the neighborhood.

An outdoor patio can be useful for a number of reasons, such as barbecuing, entertaining family, friend and neighbors, providing a relaxing atmosphere when hosting outdoor parties or just relaxing after a hard days work.

Whether you come up with your own outdoor patio ideas and build it yourself, or have someone build it for you remember the end result and how much you will enjoy it.

Find the latest information on outdoor patios visit Outdoor Patio Ideas and Outdoor Deck Benches as well as Outdoor Patio Sets

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Cute Gifts For Cute Babies

by Ajeet Khurana

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As a first time dad, I went on a photograph-clicking spree. And this was repeated a second time.

It is their look that is so cute.

When we think of smiling and crying, we think of a huge emotional investment in those expressions. Babies are not like that.

So do not transmogrify adult traits onto babies. So if you want to give somebody baby gifts, you really have to think hard. For instance, should you apply the same logic while gifting as you would for an adult?

Another important question is: Do you gift the baby or do you gift the parent? Or do you gif the parent with something that they can use in dealing with the baby. For instance, do you give a rattle toy? Do you give a baby keepsake? Or do you give a nappy deodorizer?

I think you get the picture. Buying gifts is always tough. Doubly so in the case of babies.

One of the gifts that I liked a lot when my babies were growing up was some kind of a do it yourself that could keep handprints or footprints of babies in some kind of plaster or clay. Baby's tiny feet and hands make a great keepsake. Though you can certainly choose any other gift, this sort of thinking will help you know what parents find cute.

Another idea could be a gift basket containing many of the daily requirements of babies. These could include baby powder, babyoil, a small comb, napkins, tissues, and the like. Any parent will enjoy using these, especially the consumables.

Customize the gifts, that is a great idea For instance you can paste the baby's picture on a toy or a book. Or you could take the baby's picture and put it in a cute little picture frame.

But coming back to the practical gifts, you should know that feeding babies is a big deal for parents. So, if you could help out with utensils or any other form of mealtime assistance that would be great.

You could also focus on sleep and bed time. So, you can consider bed sheets, covers, baby pillow, sleep time toys or the like.

Let us not forget that you do not necessarily have to gift the baby. You can also consider gifting the Mom or the Dad. For instance, there are many interesting books available for new Moms. Of course, you could gift the Mom instead.

Ultimately it is about the sentiment.

Need assistance finding the right Baby Gifts? We can help you with Baby Gift Baskets of all types and also Baby Shower Favors.