Pets

Not all dogs benefit from a summer haircut or shave

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It would be impossible to count how many times each summer a professional groomer is asked to shave a client’s dog in an attempt to make it fresher. Here in rural Montana, where the summers are scorching, I have received requests to shave just about every breed imaginable. It’s a common misconception that all dogs would automatically be cooler if they had less fur.

The first thing that is important to consider is what type of hair the dog has. All dogs can be basically divided into two groups. First of all we have those who need to get their hair cut on a regular basis, such as poodles, shih tzus, cocker spaniels, lhasa apsos, terriers, etc. Dogs in this group have hair that would continue to grow longer and longer until cut. These breeds can be shaved without any problem. Removing excess fur by shaving it off in hot weather will make it more comfortable and cool, and won’t damage the dog’s coat. However, this is not the case with the second group.

This group of dogs is made up of all other breeds, longhaired or shorthaired, whose hair grows to a single length and then stays at that length. These dogs tend to shed much more than the dogs in the first group. These include Retrievers, Pomeranians, Great Pyranees, Chow Chows, Pugs, German Shepherds, Huskies, and the list goes on and on. Their fur acts as insulation against the elements and should never be shaved. After all, do you remove the insulation from your house in the summer to make it cooler? Absolutely not, and the same goes for these dogs as well.

The coat of dogs in the second group consists of two different types of hair, a soft, fluffy undercoat, and coarser, coarser hairs called guard hairs. These two types of hairs are actually designed to tangle together and form a hard coat around the animal to keep its temperature regulated in extreme weather conditions. Without proper brushing and grooming on a regular basis, this often happens, leading the owner to the false conclusion that the coat needs to be shaved to keep the dog feeling fresher. However, shaving the fur of these dogs removes their heat insulation, which actually makes these dogs feel hotter and more uncomfortable. Shaving also makes them more prone to sunburn.

It’s important to understand that if you make the decision to go ahead and shave these types of dogs anyway, their coat will never be the same. Shaving will change the coat forever. The hair not only grows back very slowly, but also grows back much softer and sparser. The coat color will also be different, as the hair will be at least two shades lighter than before.

One of the worst things about shaving a dog with this type of hair is that the dog can develop what we call clipper alopecia. In simple terms, it just means that the hair does not grow back. This is caused by a change in the guard hairs when they are cut. Clipper’s alopecia usually first develops in a patch on the dog’s back, located just in front of the tail. After shaving, only a thin layer of hair will grow back, usually reaching a maximum length of about half an inch. Dogs that develop this condition have coats that appear moth-eaten. This is not an attractive sight!

Ok, so what happens if you have a dog that is glued to the skin and seems to be too hot in this mild weather? Seek the advice of a properly trained hairdresser to determine the best course of action. With the many miracle grooming products on the market, many times these coats can be saved with a couple of intense grooming sessions and a little daily grooming effort on the part of the owner. This optimizes the dog’s coat to properly perform its insulation tasks. Occasionally, the coat really can’t be repaired and, in fact, has to be shaved off to start over. Your hairdresser can help you with this decision and give you advice on how to avoid this situation in the future.

It is important to note that if you have a mixed breed dog, it can be difficult to determine which group the dog falls into. Most groomers can assess a dog’s coat after inspecting it to find out which group the dog is in and what course of action to take, the risks involved, etc.

As a former professional groomer, I firmly believe that it is the responsibility of the groomer to fully explain these things to clients who wish to shave their dogs. It is important to share knowledge with clients in order to make the best possible decision for the pet that needs grooming.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Shannon Heggem

Real Estate

How to interview a real estate broker

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As a real estate coach, I often answer all kinds of questions for agents about how they can put their best foot forward and what kind of business practices will help improve their business. Recently, I have received many questions from agents about which real estate brokerage is right for them. Here are some of my suggestions for the best ways you can interview brokers to ensure you find the best fit for you:

Ask lots of questions and be an active listener

This is basically like a job interview, but in reverse. You’re interviewing potential stockbrokers the same way companies would interview prospective job candidates. This may seem a bit strange at first, but asking the right questions will give you a better chance of selecting the company that suits your needs. Any good broker will appreciate this professional approach and will be impressed that you are exercising due diligence.

You also want to be aware of where the company stands. They should consider that its value pays its cost, if any, to incorporate it into their company. An agent, on the other hand, needs to assess what they need from a brokerage to be successful.

Here are some questions you should be prepared to ask potential brokers:

Some interview points to consider

* Ask them what they look for in an agent. This is an important question. Some “assembly line” brokerages don’t really care who they buy, and just want lots of numbers, with the idea that each person they recruit will have at least one family member or friend using their services. Conversely, brokerage houses looking for brokers with specialties, a minimum turnover, a broker’s license, or other unique qualities and characteristics may be favorable to some brokers. It’s better for you if they’re a bit picky.

* Many management brokers are selling houses, and not necessarily in the office. If that is the case, you should find out if there is an alternate person available to help the agents. A leader who sells may not be a good environment for you if you are looking for guidance. Be sure to ask what the response time is if an agent calls with a question or you need to submit something for review.

* Most offices have some sort of weekly or bi-weekly in-office training, regular sales meetings, and internal walkthroughs of new listings purchased by agents in that office. Find out how often these meetings, trainings and house tours take place and if it’s part of what they do. This is important for some agents, while not for others.

* Find out if there is an organized tutoring program. If so, under what circumstances will an agent have to participate or volunteer? Will participation be based on time in business or sales volume? Also, find out what the financial arrangement is for mentors and mentees.

If there is no organized mentoring program, find out if someone is available to help a new agent learn the real estate business.

* Find out what the commission schedule is and request a copy. Make sure you understand it because you will be paid according to this schedule. Also find out if there are tiers to that commission program based on your sales performance. Find out how this office deals with sales bonuses.

* When considering the costs to your business, it is important to find out what types of marketing materials are available from the brokerage for an agent to use. Some brokerages have marketing departments that will help you build your brand, assist you in creating your own pieces, or at least customize what the company already has, while other brokerages leave you completely alone in terms of marketing. It’s also important to ask about reimbursement for your marketing materials, including business cards.

* The number of agents is not as important as the support for them. It could also be a possible indication of the quality of the office based on how many agents are full-time or dual-career. Find out how long agents have been in this office and why they are leaving or staying. If this brokerage is 20 years old, but the average broker has only been here for 2 years and also has another full-time job, this can be a huge red flag that the office lacks a productive office atmosphere.

* E&O coverage means “Errors and Omissions”. This is an insurance coverage that the agent has to pay annually. This protects agents against any unintentional errors or omissions they may make when working with a consumer. Some companies pay for this insurance through the agent, but it is rare. Find out what the brokerage’s policy is.

* If a brick and mortar office environment is important to you, find out if there is a space for you to walk into the office and use as a work area. Depending on the company, office space may be available for rent or only to major producers. Conference and meeting rooms should be available for everyone to meet with clients. Find out what office equipment is available for agent use in the office. Today, with internet and cloud-based systems, you can do your business from anywhere, but some agents prefer to work in an office environment rather than work from a home office. Essentially, it’s up to you. You’ll just need to consider where you’d prefer to meet with your clients and what type of environment works best for you.

* If you prefer an office that is traditional, the more professional it is, the better. Check if there is a receptionist and if any phone work is required (from you). If so, check if there are statistics on the results of the telephone service concept in that office or if it really is just a replacement for a paid receptionist.

* Office listings and market share percentage will tell you how productive an office is. A busy office is good for phone work, open houses, and synergy. Having the best agents in the office with well-earned designations like Lifetime Top Producer, CRS, or CRB, and others who took some time to earn and are respected in their field is a mark of a good office that keeps top quality people. . Ask what the average annual income of an agent in the office is. A top agent is traditionally defined as someone who makes a certain amount of money per year (Example: a minimum income of $100,000 or someone who has 15+ listings in a calendar year). An office market share of more than 70% is excellent. To be the best real estate agent, you need to be surrounded by quality. If your brokerage has 100 agents, only 30 listings, and ranks 10th out of 10 for brokerages in your area, this may be a place for part-time agents or people exploring real estate as a hobby.

* Each state requires a certain amount of CE, or continuing education. Does the company provide that online, in the office, or not at all? Many brokerages now offer free online CE training available to their brokers.

* It is required that every brokerage house and office have an office manual and that every agent has a copy of it, either on paper or in electronic format. Make sure you know what the important policies are, like the procedure for splitting compensation on deals that haven’t closed yet, in case you decide to walk away.

* Most real estate agents are Independent Contracts and not Employees. What is the composition of your brokerage?

* Does your brokerage give back to the community or support agents in need? Some brokerages will provide financial, emotional, and physical assistance to brokers experiencing disaster, illness, or catastrophe. If something happens and you’re out of a job for a few months, will your brokerage step in and help you pick up the pieces? Will they help your family? It may be important for you to find a company that has a good reputation among the community and has great respect for their agents personally.

* Interview the agents in the office and discover the answers to some of your questions. This is where you can get the real picture of the office climate and what’s going on there that may not fit with you.

Make the decision that works best for you

In addition to the suggestions provided, think about the work environment in which you thrive. You should also consider your strengths and which riders will make use of your talents or just pigeonhole you into their protocol. For example, if cold calling isn’t your thing, it wouldn’t be the best use of your time to go to a “cold calling” pizza night at the office.

The most valuable information I can give you is that you make the decision that works best for you. Every agent is different and has unique requirements.

The final decision

Make a list of pros and cons for the top three agencies you have selected. Ask yourself these important questions… “Which company gives me the support I need?” and “Which of the companies can I build a lasting relationship with and why?” Talk to the important people in your life who can help you make a fact-based career decision. Family and friends are wonderful if you go to a barbecue, but this is a decision that should be made based on what is best for your business. I use my CPA and business planner as well as some professional relationships to help me with vital business decisions.

This article was originally published through the Cindy Bishop Worldwide blog site.

Sports

bull market nonsense

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When investing in the stock market for the first time, you will most likely hear about two types of markets: bear and bull. A bear market is one that is typically headed down, with negative activity and poor forecasts. The contrasting bull market is one headed to the upside, with positive forecasts likely. The natural reaction to a negative bear market is not to invest, whereas in a bull market the reaction would be to follow the crowd and invest your money. However, this mindset is paradoxically illogical, and this article will explain why.

One of the most spectacular bull market booms and busts in history was the burgeoning dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, followed by its spectacular bust from March 2000 to October 2002, in which some $5 trillion was wiped out. dollars worth of stocks and technology stocks. What apparently happened in this case was overwhelming speculative sentiment about the potential of the Internet, with hundreds of companies springing up with similar business plans and securing investments. Venture capitalists saw the rise in these stocks and were eager to get in on the action quickly, bypassing the normal restrictions and precautions, while driving the stock’s value even higher. As more and more people jumped on the tech bandwagon, prices skyrocketed until the bubble finally burst, destroying the value of many people’s investments.

The Dotcom bubble is a classic example of when bull market sentiment gets completely carried away. Prices went up, more and more people jumped on the bandwagon, which caused prices to go up, and then prices crashed. When times start to improve and you see other people making a fortune, it’s easy to be seduced by sky-high prices. However, imagine that you invested in the NASDAQ around its March 2000 peak of 5,000 points. In almost two weeks, you would have lost 9% of your investment, while in a year it would have lost 50% of its value.

The thing to learn about bull markets is that it’s hard to know when it will run out. The key is not to go with the flow of the market and invest in times of rising prices. If you were to buy when it goes up and then sell when the market starts to go down, you would be following the illogical investment policy of buying high and selling low, which leads you to lose money. Instead of this strategy, watching booming markets closely and waiting for the moment when they run out and start to fall is a better strategy. When stocks become overvalued, as tech stocks did in the dotcom bubble, they will inevitably burst, but buying after a crash could lead to securing a bargain. Buying during ‘bear market’ periods is therefore a more likely way to find a buy low, sell high strategy.

If you’re looking to invest, the current bear market in stocks indicates a good time to buy. Warren Buffet, the world’s richest man largely due to his investment strategy, has said there has never been a better time to buy US stocks, while in the UK the FTSE 100 is only worth 60% of what it is. which was at this time last year. If you want to learn more about investing, take a look at General and Legal Matters.

Relationship

Speech therapy for young children: some useful facts

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Is your child reluctant to speak and communicates only through gestures? Do you feel that he is not very expressive and begins to close himself into a shell? If you have the slightest suspicion that your child may have difficulty expressing himself through words, he should seek medical intervention.

The earlier a child begins speech therapy, the greater the chance that the child’s communication skills and intellect will develop rapidly. There is increasing evidence that there are a number of children who are simply slow to do things, so there may not be a real concern unless the child is over ten months, when they should be able to speak full words and not just babble .

Experts believe that children whose parents spend quality time reading stories, playing with them and talking to them are the ones who will begin to speak earlier and with a larger vocabulary. It is also believed that a child who is exposed to a lot of social interaction and whose conversations are taken seriously exhibits intellectual superiority over his peers. If you suspect that your young child may have a speech disorder, you can try training your child to speak at home, which should usually clear things up.

Getting a young child to do what you want them to do is a very difficult proposition. Instead, try to do things that the toddler wants to do. Sit down with her child’s toys and offer to play with him or her. Observe the toys that receive preferential treatment and use them as a reward. Have some tasty treats on hand, which you can give out as soon as you get the right answer from your child.

Don’t waste too much time trying to get the words out of your child’s mouth. Remember that you may be able to hold the child’s attention for up to ten minutes, so don’t exceed that limit at any cost, as this could make the child hate these ‘talking’ sessions. Always model the sound a word makes and get the child’s attention. If the child repeats the word correctly, offer her the treat and make a big deal of her success.

If you’re a new parent, remember that it’s never too early to start talking to your child. In fact, experts advise talking to the child and playing relaxing music while he is still in the womb. The impact a father has on a baby is immense, so make the most of it and set aside time to talk with your child. refrain from speaking made your child and encourage every effort your child makes to communicate through words or gestures.

If your attempts at speech therapy are not very successful, your child may need a complete medical check-up by a pediatrician, ear, nose and throat doctor and audiologist to rule out other complications. Your child may also benefit from a speech evaluation and therapy sessions with a professional speech pathologist.