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| 3 Ways To Teach Your Dog Not To Shy Away From Collar-Grabbing |
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Saturday, December 29, 2007
So teach your puppy to enjoy being grabbed by the collar. First, prevent your pup from forming negative associations to human hands, and second, teach your pup that being taken by the collar has only positive consequences, like so: 1. If you let your puppy play without interruption, and then take him by the collar to end the play session, of course he will come to dislike your reaching for his collar because a collar grab signals the end of the play session. Starting in the house and later in the park, frequently interrupt puppy play sessions by taking your puppy by the collar, asking him to sit, praising him, offering a piece of kibble, and then letting him go play again. The puppy thus learns that being taken by the collar is not necessarily the end of the play session. Instead, a collar grab is a short time-out for refreshment and a few kind words from his owner before the puppy gets to play again. Also, interrupting play allows you to use resumption of play to reward your puppy for sitting and allowing you to take him by the collar. 2. If you lead or drag your puppy into confinement, he will no doubt come to dislike being taken by the collar, as he will come to dislike confinement. Instead, teach your puppy to enjoy confinement. Stuff a bunch of hollow chew-toys with kibble and put them in your puppy's confinement area, and then close the door with your puppy on the outside. In no time at all, your puppy will beg to go inside. Now simply instruct your pup, "Go to your bed (or crate)" or "Go to your playroom (long-term confinement area)" and open the door. Your pup will happily rush inside and settle down peacefully with his chew-toys. 3. Above all, promise your puppy that you will never (never) call your puppy and then grab him by the collar to reprimand or punish. Doing this just once will make him hate coming when called and hate when you reach for his collar. If you punish your puppy after he comes to you, he will take longer to come the next time. Eventually slow recalls will become no recalls. Your puppy will still misbehave; only now you will be unable to catch him! If you ever punish your puppy after taking his collar, he will soon become hand-shy, evasive, and defensive. Author: John Edwards For more tips on dog training and care visit: http://www.dogcaretraining.com Koi Pond: Biological Filters Contrary to common belief, biological filters do not process or filter the solid waste of fish in your koi pond. They continue to build up and putrefy, creating a breeding ground for harmful species of heterotrophic bacteria which are pathogenic to koi fish. As stated, the biological filtration process utilizes Nitrosomonas bacteria to break down ammonia into nitrite and nitrobacter, further converting nitrites into nitrates, which is less harmful to koi fish. Plants now utilize the nitrate and phosphate for fertilizer; if you have not provided an adequate ratio of water plants to koi fish, "hard" algae (growing on rocks and koi pond walls) and "free- floating" algae use nitrate and phosphate to reproduce. The key to preventing this condition, called "algae bloom," is to provide enough non-soil bearing plants such as water lettuce and hyacinths to compete for the nitrate and phosphate. Since these two plants are tropical and can only survive in warm climates, hardier varieties such as Elodea and Anacharis will perform well in cold climates. These plants are commonly used in bio-filter ponds. A bio-filter pond is used in conjunction with shallow koi ponds with small populations of koi fish. It will also eliminate the need for a mechanical bio-filter and a second pump to operate it. The bio-filter pond is located higher than the main pond for two reasons. It prevents the koi fish from eating the plants and it allows the water from the waterfall to be filtered as it passes through the plants prior to spilling into the lower koi pond. An adequate ratio of plant cover for the koi pond's surface is approximately 20 to 30 percent. This is a basic rule of thumb and many factors can change this equation. For example: koi fish population, water temperature, and debris accumulating from leaves or over-feeding the koi fish. I have said many times that the Koi Pond is the koi's living room, dining room and toilet. If you do not have a bio-filter, that could explain why your koi pond is a tad green, stinky, or cloudy, and why your finned family is gulping air on the surface. Trust me. That will not be for long. Fish gulping air to survive would be like you -- in an attempt to avoid breathing poisoned air -- gulping water to survive. If you do not already have a biological filter, I can not encougage you enough to abtain one. If your pond is over eight hundred gallons, and you are using an above ground pump that produces over 3500 gallons per hour, I suggest a pressurized bead filter. I cover the topic of biofilters in greater detail in another article. Happy koi, peace and joy. ------ Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, master Waterfall Builder, freelance writer and author designer, architect, inventor, engineer, writer, author and builder of over 1,900 waterfall and ponds in California or the past 26 years. Read my other articles at: http://www.ezinearticles.com Have a question? http://www.askdoughoover.com DIY Home Design Ideas for the New Year – Budget Decoration The beginning of a new year always incites creativity and motivation for change. We all seek to improve our lives, lose weight, become better people, and update the things that are old and worn out. For many of us, we seek to get our home in order and finally decorate those tough to tackle areas. Here are some great ways to get started on that interior design project you have been putting off for so long! If you are starting from scratch with a room or whole house, the first thing you will need to do is create a plan. Start by describing what you want from this room. Things like function, style, color scheme, flexibility, and how often you will use the room are all things to consider. What state is the room currently in? Will you need to do some serious cleaning and organizing before beginning your project? It’s a good idea to make a list of all the things that you will need to do before beginning. Another great way to plan is to look through decorating magazines and interior design websites for creative ideas. You may also want to look into purchasing some home design software to help you visualize your interior décor (of course, only if you are relatively computer- literate). You can also get fantastic home design ideas by visiting decorator show homes, furniture stores, or organizational stores in your area. Planning your project is one of the best ways to keep within a budget. You will need to determine how much you are willing to spend, and assign a budgeted amount for each item you are planning for. If you are re-using or re-furbishing existing items, then you will not need to budget as much for those items. Avoid impulse buys unless they are items that are part of your design plan. Creating a floor plan may or may not be necessary, depending on how much you are changing the room, the function the room will take on, and your skill in measuring and drawing out the area. A simple way to create a floor plan is to use graph paper, and assign each square to a measurement, for example 1 square could equal 1 foot. You would then measure your room and draw each wall and piece of furniture at the scale you decided. It may take some practice, but it really helps when laying out tight spaces. Clearing the clutter is another important part of do it yourself decorating. You will need a blank canvas so that the design of your space will show through. Too many times, a beautiful design becomes hidden under layers of clutter. Start by pulling everything out, and going through it all, separating things into categories (including trash and donation piles). Then, assign a place for each category. To keep a home organized, you really need to give everything a home, and always return it to it’s home. This way nothing can ever be out of place. Don’t be afraid to try new decorating ideas! The new year is a great time to use new and exciting paint colors, or go bold with artwork & accessories! Interior décor is a great place to show your personality and be really creative. Find more great ideas for budget decorating at http://www.designingonabudget.com, and great home décor tips & resources at http://www.sullivaninteriors.net. Angela Sullivan is an Interior Designer and budget decorating enthusiast. This article may be reproduced as long as it is not changed, and remains intact, including all links and this statement.Additional Resources:Get Organized Now! The Ultimate Decorating OrganizerLiving Within Your MeansThe Budget DecoratorDe-Clutter Your Home Fast |
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