Two Secrets for Handling Your New Best Friend
by: Dr. Gary L. Ailes
Forty-four million United States households have a least one dog.
And we all start out on a good foot with a set of rules for the new member of the family, one being ?the dog is not allowed to get on the furniture.?
Then, a few weeks later, you notice that your new best friend is so comfortable in his new surroundings that he is napping on your favorite club chair.
But before you can pull him off, he is off and running towards the front door barking his head off at the UPS delivery guy.
What happened?
OK, just how do you train dogs not to bark at every person that comes to your door and to stay off the furniture?
Your dog is guarding his turf, so it is your job to teach your pooch the ?Quiet? command.
And it helps to have your pooch spayed or neutered to decrease territorial behavior.
When your dog begins to bark allow two or three barks, and then say ?Quiet.?
Immediately, interrupt his barking by surprising him.
You can shake a can filled with pennies or squirt water or mouth wash at his mouth.
This should cause him to stop barking momentarily.
While he?s quiet say ?good quiet? and toss him a tasty treat.
Remember, a loud noise or a squirt isn?t meant to punish your pooch, it?s intended to distract him into being quiet so you can reward him.
If your dog is really frightened by the noise or squirt bottle, find a different way to interrupt his barking, such as throwing a ball or toy near him.
Putting a plastic tablecloth on the piece of furniture or your bed that your pooch likes to nap on will keep him off.
They hate plastic.
Better yet provide him with his own crate or dog bed, a place where he will feel safe and secure.
Remember that dogs understand whistles, voice patterns, intonations and body language much better than specific words.
If you want to train your dog to respond reliably, be consistent and firm in how you command him, and don?t be abusive.
Call attention to bad behavior right after it occurs, not hours later.
Otherwise, your pup won?t know what you?re trying to correct.
Your dog is not human, which means he really does want to please you.
Your job is to figure out what his actions mean, to understand that his behavior is just typical of dogs, and offer gentle but firm guidance toward good behavior.
About The Author
Dr. Gary L. Ailes is an experienced veterinarian, an owner of Sierra Veterinary Hospital in Carson City, Nevada and co-author of Happy Tails ? Hilarious Helpful Hints for Dog Owners.
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Take Care Of Your Furniture
Take Care Of Your Furniture
by: Jeff Lakie
Your furniture is a huge investment! So is your car and your house. So if you put a lot of work into your car or your house, like getting oil changes or putting in new floors, why would you not do the same with your furniture? Your furniture gets used a lot and you can help maintain its value by following these ideas.
Keep your furniture clean. If it's cloth furniture, you should vacuum it regularly. If it is leather furniture, you should wipe it down and use leather treatment regularly. And if it's made of wood, you need to keep it polished. But what if it has already taken a beating? What can you do then?
If you have wooden furniture you have a few options. Painting is one idea. In fact, two dressers from different manufacturers can be made to look like they are part of a set with a paint job and a new set of handles!
If you do not want to paint your furniture you still have other options....
Take Care Of Your Furniture
Furniture > Take Care Of Your Furniture
Teak Patio Furniture Use And Care
Teak Patio Furniture Use And Care
by: Kathryn Whittaker
When the weather gets colder, many homeowners face a dilemma: to keep their patio furniture outside, with proper weatherproofing, or take it inside and try to accommodate in a basement or garage. But with teak patio furniture, you will no longer want to stash the patio set in the basement. Instead, you will want to flaunt it all year long.
Teak patio furniture is becoming more popular each day, with more designers exploring the timeless charm of teak wood. This wood, which grows in Burma, Indonesia and other exotic locations, is extremely durable, light and convenient, and it ages with a stunning grace.
According to historians, woven wicker furniture was first used in ancient Egypt. But since that time teak has become a favorite of garden furniture manufacturers only in the beginning of the 20th century, when white garden furniture has been labeled as boring and the prominent garden...
Teak Patio Furniture Use And Care
Furniture > Teak Patio Furniture Use And Care
Outdoor Wood Furniture ? Check The Wood Species Before Purchasing
Outdoor Wood Furniture ? Check The Wood Species Before Purchasing
by: Malcolm D Kay
Not too long ago, the vast majority of outdoor furniture was all made of teak. Teak has proved to be an ideal lumber species for outdoor furniture, due to its high durability, ease of working with machine tools, its low coefficient of radial and tangential expansion (which reduces potential problems in twisting, or swelling when wet), it's attractive colour and good working properties.
But such widespread use of teak, including for marine decking, has come at a considerable environmental cost.
The once great forests of South East Asia have been decimated to the extent that legally logged teak is now only available in very limited quantities, which is reflected in its high price.
But unfortunately, illegal logging is still rampant and in many areas of South East Asia, ensuring its continuing supply to the furniture trade.
Plantations...
Outdoor Wood Furniture ? Check The Wood Species Before Purchasing
Furniture > Outdoor Wood Furniture ? Check The Wood Species Before Purchasing
Aluminum Cushion Patio Furniture
Aluminum Cushion Patio Furniture
by: Cat Greenbriar
Choosing patio furniture can be a difficult decision with so many options. There is one option that is comfortable as well as beautiful to accent any patio, and that is aluminum cushion patio furniture.
Aluminum cushion patio furniture is the most comfortable patio furniture . Plush cushions and soft upholstered fabrics make sitting in a chaise lounge a very relaxing experience. The fabric chosen for upholstery can be suited to match any type of d?cor.
Aluminum cushion patio furniture is also a great choice for durability. The aluminum hardware is treated to be weather resistant, and is also designed with comfort in mind. Cushions also are treated to be mold and mildew resistant so they can survive the elements when left outside.
Aluminum cushion patio furniture has some unique design elements to offer as well. Instead of a set of simple...
Aluminum Cushion Patio Furniture
Furniture > Aluminum Cushion Patio Furniture
Bathroom Vanities: Let Your Powder Room Vanity Reflect Shameless Good Taste In Bath Design
Bathroom Vanities: Let Your Powder Room Vanity Reflect Shameless Good Taste In Bath Design
by: Kimberly Lawn
Prolonged gazing into one?s bathroom mirror used to be considered quite a vice. For vanity, it is said, is the step-sister of pride. With nothing more to the bathrooms of yesteryear than a sink, toilet, and mirror, we were offered little choice about where our focus should fall once through the bathroom door. And while Narcissus brought his own demise through excessive "self-reflection," we can probably be forgiven for rendering the bathroom mirror as our observation point of choice.
The Afterthought
After all, the bathroom used to be the afterthought of home building and design. Bathroom design kept to the basics: A toilet, sink-cabinet combo, and perhaps some tile. Add some color matching, a couple of wall hangings, and of course, the mirror, and voila: your task was complete!
In hindsight, designing yesterday?s bathroom...
Bathroom Vanities: Let Your Powder Room Vanity Reflect Shameless Good Taste In Bath Design
Furniture > Bathroom Vanities: Let Your Powder Room Vanity Reflect Shameless Good Taste In Bath Design
Furniture
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