Dog Tricks: Understanding Your Dogs Capabilities Before You Teach Buddy New Tricks
Dog Tricks: Understanding Your Dogs Capabilities Before You Teach Buddy New Tricks
The performing of dog tricks, while not a necessary part of a dog's education, is an accomplishment that offer dog owners and his friends a great deal of amusement and adds materially to the value of a dog.All dogs can be taught tricks, but some breeds have a special aptitude in that direction. At the head of the list of trick dogs is the poodle, as he takes to the performance of tricks as if it was second nature, and he is the main reliance of all showmen dogs.Newfoundlands, St. Bernards and Great Danes learn without difficulty, while the collies and spaniels are very intelligent; the terriers are quick learners and among the toy dog breed, the Yorkshire Terrier, Toy Fox Terrier and Toy Poodle are highly spoken of and can pick up tricks almost effortlessly.In selecting the tricks that are to be taught a dog, the owner must show some discretion and no attempt should be made to teach dogs tricks that are not within their powers. For example, a big St. Bernard or Great Dane is sadly out of place or rather almost unachievable attempting to sit up, walk on his hind legs or dance.These dog breeds are physically incapable of doing such tricks and persistent attempts to train them are really toying with their dignity. They can, however, with appropriate guidance and training taught to fetch and carry, jump, shake hands or speak. Talking about specialty, it is interesting to note that dog breed such as spaniels are particularly apt at fetching and carrying, collies can learn to count and speak readily, and the terriers have a wide sphere of possibilities.Dogs which are to be taught tricks must have their education begun early in life, so that the playfulness of puppy hood can be taken advantage of, for as dogs mature they take on a sedateness and seriousness that increases the difficulty of teaching them to assume unnatural positions, whereas, with a puppy a trick can be made more or less a matter of play and he will enjoy going through with it.In the general education and training tricks to a puppy, very little punishment should be given and in trick puppy training no punishment at all. A dog can be forced to do certain things, but if forced he generally acts so slow and sulky that it detracts from his performance, whereas, if he is coaxed into doing them and performs because he likes to, he will go through with his act with an enthusiasm and spontaneous that is most attractive and fun loving.For these reasons you must not get overly excited while training your young dog nor speak loud, nor cuff and whip him, but should by frequent good-natured repetition of the same performance persuade and coax him to assume certain attitudes or do certain things, and when he has done so, praise him; he will then know that you appreciate what he has done. It is also most desirable to reward him with plentiful of praise and treats.To end, remember not all dogs can perform every single dog tricks, as some breeds do have some physical limitations. Even so, enjoy teaching your dog "achievable" new tricks, and most importantly have fun along the way!About the Author:
Moses
Chia is a dog lover and owner of
DogsObedienceTraining.com ? The dog training resource site for a happier and
healthier dog.You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content
and live link intact.
10 Things To Do Before You Start Your Business – Top7-Or-10-Tips
10 Things To Do Before You Start Your Business
If you are thinking of starting a new business, or if you are just about to take the plunge, you will know that there is a lot that you have to do. But where do you start? It is a good idea to get some of the groundwork done before you start, possibly this will often mean things that you hadn't thought about, things that most people do as a reaction to circumstances rather than as a planned activity. However, in practice you will almost certainly find that it is easier to set things up right at the beginning, so that systems grow with the business, rather than find yourself "firefighting" later on.Here are a few things to think about and do, before you dive straight into running your new business. Get the foundations right and you will be well on the way to a successful business.This is by no means an exhaustive list, but should be enough to start you off.1. Think about your goals. What are you setting out to achieve? Write them down.
Did you know that only 3% of people have written goals? ..and did you also know that these people earn up to TEN times more than people without written goals!2. Why are you setting up in business? What do you ultimately want from your business? Write down your exit strategy.
Do you want to sell eventually or pass on to your family? Are you aiming for big profits, to create a 'name' or just fulfil a need that you have identified?3. Find a good accountant, someone who is proactive and forward thinking. (See "10 Things To Ask Your Accountant")4. Find a mentor. Either your accountant or other business advisor, someone in the same field who has done it already or perhaps someone from the local enterprise agency.5. Research your market. Make sure there is demand, do people want what you have to sell?
Also check pricing and packaging options, what would people pay, how do they want it delivered and with what choices?6. Write your Business Plan. It may sound obvious, but lots of people don't do it. There are lots of places where you can find free help and advice, just do a search on the internet, or ask your business advisor.7. Decide where you are going to work. You have many choices ? at home, in an office, in a warehouse, near to customers, out of town?.. What is right for you and your business?8. Make sure you know how you are going to finance your new business. Have you plans to survive the first 3-6 months whatever happens?9. Open a bank account. Keep all your business transactions separate from your personal ones. You will find it much easier to manage ? your accountant will like it too!10. Read The E-Myth Revisited By Michael E Gerber. It has to be THE book for new business owners.As I said, this is not a comprehensive list, there are probably hundreds of other things that people might add. But this should give you a good base to start from.Julia McDaid is a business coach and author, specialising in helping business start ups. For more information on these issues or on coaching for new business owners, see http://www.startupright.co.uk or enrol on Julia's unique Start Up 101 ecourse, where you can go into each question in a lot more depth.
Julia also publishes a free ezine 'Secrets of the Successful Entrepreneur' ? to sign up just send an email to ezine@startupright.co.uk
5 Questions To Ask Before Starting Any Home Improvement Project – Home-Improvement
5 Questions To Ask Before Starting Any Home Improvement Project
1. What experience does your contractor have with this type of project?How much experience does the home improvement contractor have in doing projects like yours? Does s/he specialize in this type of project, or will s/he be using your home as a learning project? Typically, contractors who have done several projects like yours will have a better idea of the actual costs and production issues involved in your project. Remember, however, that every remodeling project is a little different, and it is doubtful that any contractor has ever done a job EXACTLY like yours.2. Who will be doing the actual work?Will the individual you're talking to be doing the work himself, or will they be using subcontractors or employees? Each scenario has its own advantages and disadvantages, but make sure you know what to expect on your job. Who will you ask questions once the project begins? Should you talk to the subcontractors, a jobsite manager, or the owner of the business? It is very important you have one person who will consistently answer your questions and not give you the run around.3. What happens if changes are required to the initial bid?What is the contractors' process for making changes in the middle of the project? Most times you would like to avoid making changes mid-project but there can be unforeseen obstacles that arrive and it is good to know ahead of time how your contractor will deal with those obstacles. Most contractors use some sort of change order form that details the exact work and cost involved in changes once work has begun.4. Am I prepared to be flexible when the unexpected arises?Invariably, every job has something that wasn't planned on come up. Delays due to weather, unforeseen conditions which present themselves once walls are torn down, changes to design or material choices, and problems with employees or subcontractors can all upset the planned flow of the project. Are you prepared to be flexible and work with your contractor to find solutions when these problems arise?5. How do I feel about working with this contractor?What is your gut feeling on working with this individual? Do you trust him or her? How do you feel about their design ideas as compared to your own? Can you communicate openly and clearly with this person? If it's a remodeling project, how do you feel about this person being in your house for several days or weeks at a time often when you are not home? This is a really important factor to consider if you don't trust this person don't hire them.This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.