Hey even Im
willing to learn
new things
if theres a broiled lobster
in it for me.
When Im
hungry that is.
If Im
not hungry, or
if Im so distracted that a lobster wont
tempt me, then Ill blow
you off to continue doing
what I want, not
what you want.
Thats
pretty much
how your
dog sees
the issue when you
train with food. If
hes hungry at
the moment, and if theres nothing more
compelling going on,
food can be a great
way to reinforce behaviors you
teach your dog. On the
other hand, if
Fido isnt
food motivated, or if hes
got something better to do, he wont be interested.
Nonetheless, training with
food has its benefits when used as a motivator and a reward.
For those dogs who
just arent normally
interested in treats, you can substitute play with a toy if that
motivates them.
The first thing you
have to know about using
food in training
is how
NOT to
use it.
The primary rule
is not to
use it to
stop an unwanted behavior. Instead, use it to create a
new behavior you want to teach.
With those rules in mind, you wont teach your
dog to stop growling at other dogs
by using food. But you may be able to teach
him to sit more quickly if theres something tasty in it for him.
Before I
tell how you to deliver food treats when training, let
me tell you WHY you should not use food to try and stop an unwanted behavior. The answer is because you can accidentally reinforce the very behavior youre trying to stop.
For example, lets say Fido growls at other dogs
on his walks. If you tell
him to stop growling, and distract him with a
treat, what has he really learned?
Heres what YOURE thinkinghe stopped growling so I
rewarded him for that with a
cookie. He wont growl again.
Heres what FIDO is thinkingthis is
cool, I
growl, then mom pops me a cookie. Lets see if this workslets growl more!
Think
of food as a directional reward. How, when and where you deliver it all determine whether the
treat teaches your dog what you intended, or something else altogether. For example, you tell Fido to sit, and you hold a treat six inches
over his head,
while pushing down on his
butt. Sound about right? Wrong! By
holding that treat six inches over his head, youre really teaching Fido to sit then immediately break that position in favor of
jumping up to get the cookie.
Instead, start Fido
standing on a closely held leash. Show him you have a cookie, by holding it at
nose levelonly an inch from his sniffer-- while hes standing up.
Direct his attention, and nose,
slightly higher by raising the cookie only enough so that he must tend toward a sit to
view it. While hes focusing upward only a couple of inches over his nose, use your other
hand to push his butt down, while your cookie hand keeps the treat only a couple of inches from his
nose as it moves.
As soon as he is
sitting, deliver the treat to him
just slightly above nose level, and slightly toward his rear. This means that to collect the treat, Fido must actually lean back into the sit more to reach it.
Mission accomplished! Food hasnt been just
randomly delivered to your dog, leaving him wondering
why he got it. Instead, the food has clearly communicated how he can get this treat even
faster next
time, by sitting when you ask.
Anyone getting hungry?
Marc Goldberg is a dog trainer specializing in the rehabilitation of difficult dogs and improving relationships. He is
Vice President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and Editor of
SafeHands Journal. The
author also
educates professional dog trainers in his techniques. Visit him on the web at
http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com or
http://www.dogtraininginchicago.com.
There
are a number of ways that people can
use to manage money to stay
out of
debt and even establish
savings over time.
Establish
a Budget
The
first, and maybe
the most important step,
is to set a budget
for yourself
and stick by it. Take a
look at
your household
income and outgo. Set
the budget up to accommodate your payday
schedule. In other words, if
you get paid once a month,
then you have to budget accordingly so that
you wont run out of money before
the end of
the month. If you get paid every two weeks, or every week,
figure out which of your bills
have to
be paid
on each payday. It
is absolutely essential to set some money aside for emergencies. Even if
it is only $20 per payday, having some cushion will keep you from having to borrow money
when something unforeseen
occurs. There are all kinds of budget sheets available to help you figure things out and many of
them are free on
the Internet. However,
it is not hard to
make your own. Just make a list of your income and when it arrives, as
well as a list of what has to
be paid when. Check each item off and date it when it is paid.
Dont forget to budget adequate amounts for items
like food, gas, entertainment, etc. If you have
those items
in your budget, its
also a good way to track how much you are actually spending on them each month.
Get Organized
A good way to begin the budgeting
process is to sort out all of your legal and financial papers and file them so you can
find what you need when you need it. For example put bills that are due on the 10th of the
month in one folder, and bills that are due on the 25th in another folder. Once you have paid a
particular bill,
shred it and dispose of
it, in order to save confusion. Any other financial information, like savings accounts, mutual funds, etc. should also be stored in appropriately
labeled folders. At the first of the year, when your
tax documents start coming in, put them all in one folder with the tax forms. When April 15 rolls around, you wont have to dig
through piles of mail on your desk to come up with all of the appropriate documents and forms. Items like
insurance policies should also be labeled and file so that you can readily find them if and when you need them.
Find Ways to Save Money
Do some brainstorming
about your expenses and how you could possibly
cut back on
them. It is wise to
write them down on paper because it is less easy to dismiss them that way. For example, can you cut down on the amount of gas you use by taking public transportation? If you eat out often, consider making
more meals at home. Examine your buying habits. Do you go
shopping when you are depressed? Do you go
grocery shopping when you are hungry? Do you purchase items advertised on the shopping channel without every leaving your easy chair? These are all practices you can change. Find healthier activities for when you are feeling down go for a long walk instead of going shopping.
Make a grocery list and carefully plan what groceries you need for the coming week, then go to the store and
buy them. Coupons can be advantageous if you
buy name brand items,
but store brands are often cheaper in the long run.
Watch the weekly sales flyers in the local newspaper and buy items like meat when they are on
sale. Its handy to have something in the freezer to
fix, and less costly in the long run than making a quick trip to the store after work and picking up only what you need for that
nights meal.
Find Ways to Make More Money
Get an extra part time job, or work overtime at your regular job, if possible. Clear out your attic or your garage and have a
yard sale. You may be happily surprised at the amount of money you can bring in. These days, many people make money selling items through online auction sites like ebay, and dont have to sort and tag and have people running all over your yard for a day. If there is a local
farmers market, consider something you can sell
there. If you have extra produce from your garden, or are a good
baker, you will find that people are readily willing to buy things that you can grow or make. If you make extra
money, dont increase your expenses. Either use it to pay off bills, or put it away for savings.
Choose Credit Carefully
If you have to have a credit
card, shop
around for the
best deal. Some credit cards have yearly fees that have to be paid whether you
ever use the card or not.
Interest rates vary widely. Make sure you know what the interest rate is and shop around for the lowest. If you charge
something, pay it off before the end of the month, then it wont cost you
any interest on the card.
Dont use more than one credit card. Its too easy to get into the cycle of
living on the credit cards and never really paying more than the interest on them. This is a practice that will get you
deeper into debt in the long run.
Payday Loans
If you have an emergency and need to get a payday loan, make sure you investigate and find the one that is the best deal for you. The amount of interest charged varies widely from
company to company and so does the repayment period. Find the loan that gives you the most flexibility for the least fees. Try to never roll your payday loan over,
but pay it off in full by the due date.
Max Hunter is the
author of many credit
related articles. If you are looking for help with Payday loan or any type of faxless loans please visit us at
http://www.PaydayLoanChoice.com
GO TO WWW.GREATGASDEALS.COM FOR MORE GREAT
GAS SAVINGS TIPS
It has become an unfortunate
fact in
the past few
years, that gasoline prices may
be straining your family's budget.
Maybe you
want to stop
the flow
of US money to countries such
as Saudi
Arabia & Iran,
or help stem
the process
of global warming,
or you just might
want to help
the enviroment by reducing your use of oil,
a limited resource.
The
Fuel Economy Numbers
In plain english,
fuel economy
ratings are the mpg numbers posted on
the price
sticker of
a new car. Studies
have shown that the average driver receives less
than 80
percent of the economy figures
that are on that dealer's price sticker.
You
can use these numbers
to determine the numbers
will let you know how
many mpg your
vehicle will get,
so you can compare vehicles and then go from there.
Hybrid
- Pricing
The new
gas electric hybrid vehicles
are normally priced higher
than non hybrid counterparts. they usually are at least two
thousand dollars
more than the comparable
gas vehicle, and can be up to eight thousand more depending on the manufacturer.
Hybrids are usaually much more fuel
efficient than their gas counterparts,
with many averaging around
45 - 55.
This is great for those who
want to save
money on gas, as hybrids can go many
miles on a full tank of gas and they
come with extended warranties.
Diesel Engines
- Benefits & Costs
Diesel fueled vehicles are
yet another
energy efficient option. Diesels, will generally get better
mileage than a comparable gas fueled car
or truck. They
offer much better torque than many gasoline
engines. Also, the price differential between
diesel and gas
vehicles, is much less than that of a hybrid.
With so many different options available,
you're sure to
find what you need to
conserve fuel. Before making your final
selection, always
remember to shop around and find what's the
best choice for your budget.
Find more tips
like these at
http://www.greatgasdeals.com.
Harry Bernstein has
been practicing employment law for the last 18 years, and been a internet
marketer for the past 2
years.
