Pets

Prevent dogs from eating poop

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Quite literally, a preference for poop in your dog’s diet can suck (pardon the pun) for the whole family. Not only is it disturbing to watch, it’s also not the best source of vitamins and nutrients for your wonderful pooch, and let’s not dwell too much on the lovely kisses your pup wants to give you!

But don’t worry, you’re not alone. A preference for pooping is also known as coprophagia and is best treated early on, as it can be a symptom of a larger problem, such as a nutritional or anxiety issue.

Why do dogs eat poop?

The first question many homeowners ask is why?

Well, there are a few reasons why dogs will develop a taste for their poop. The two most common are that the dog is hungry or trying to clean his area. Other reasons could include an anxious habit or an attempt to copy you when you clean the garden. Each of these can be resolved, but it is important that you address them quickly, because more than the social concerns, which can cause you some distress, are the health problems associated with the habit.

Dogs that eat poop may have worms or other parasites and to fix them you will need medication.

address the problem

The first thing you should do is treat the matter seriously. Make an appointment with your local veterinarian to have your dog evaluated and determined if he is 100 percent healthy. If your dog has recently picked up the habit, there is likely a trigger and a possible cause could be worms. Your vet will advise you if this is the case and provide a deworming treatment. To prevent your dog from getting worms or parasites in the future, ask your vet to recommend a good ongoing prevention treatment.

Once you have the go-ahead from the vet, you will have successfully narrowed down the cause. So it’s likely that your dog is eating poop due to poor diet, boredom, or in some cases both. Implementation of improvements in both areas can be done at the same time and is recommended.

Dogs need a good balanced diet, so making sure your dog is getting all the nutrients he needs is the first thing to do. You can do this by feeding your dog a mix of quality wet and dry food. If you’re not sure what a good brand is, ask your veterinarian, pet store, or your dog’s breeder.

At the same time, make sure to keep your area clean and tidy, this is especially important in the immediate area surrounding your space. Try to remove any dog ​​poop twice a day to reduce the chances of your dog snacking.

Whats Next?

If you have both gone to the vet and discussed feeding and grooming issues and your dog continues to eat poop, you will need to step up your intervention. Here are three other ways you can try to help distract your dog from his habit:

1. Try a tablespoonful of pumpkin puree in your meal. Dogs don’t mind pumpkin, but when they digest it, it will make their poop look less appetizing.

2. Take a spray bottle of water to the park or on a walk. If your dog starts eating dog poop, give him a good spray at the same time he says “NO” loud and clear.

3. Use basic commands with your dog. If your dog is well-trained in other ways, you can try making him sit and then spray the poop with bitter apple or cayenne pepper. This will make the poop less appealing, but your dog will also begin to learn that when he goes to eat poop, you are effectively giving him a timeout where he can’t run, walk, or play.

As with all dog training, it will take time for your dog to learn to associate action with punishment, but it will work if you are consistent. However, the best advice is to keep a clean yard. If the poop isn’t there, your dog won’t be able to eat it.

Real Estate

Choosing the Right Contractor for Home Renovations

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Do an internet search for the words “home renovation” and you’ll find a plethora of results leading to businesses in the renovation industry. While there is no shortage of contractors available for every home repair or remodeling project, choosing the right contractor or company for the job is of the utmost importance. No one wants to pay for poor workmanship, incomplete jobs, or worse, nothing at all. Unfortunately, it happens more often than you think. While you can’t stop contractors from taking advantage of homeowners, you can take steps to prevent being taken advantage of by simply doing your homework.

Start with referrals
Chances are, family and friends aren’t pulling you in the wrong direction with your home renovations. Asking for references on similar jobs they may have completed is ideal because you can get a good indication of the quality of the work and the trustworthiness of the contractor. If that’s not an option, consider your local home renovation association or home builders, as well as building supply stores.

background checks
Like credit card or mortgage companies, running background checks on contractors gives you an idea of ​​a company’s reputation and work ethic. Don’t be afraid to ask for names and numbers of previous jobs. Contractors are not cheap; your research shouldn’t be either. Don’t settle for letters, these can be fabricated or written by family and friends. A reputable contractor is willing to provide a list of previous clients.

Listen to that voice in your head
If you have a bad feeling about a contractor, something is probably wrong. A good contractor is easy to communicate with, approachable, returns calls, discusses options for problems that may arise, is knowledgeable, provides estimates on paper, and works within your budget. If they fall into any of those items, you may want to move on to the next candidate.

Confirm qualifications
You wouldn’t hire someone who “reads about” lighting to work on your electrical, that’s literally playing with fire. Make sure the contractor and their subcontractors have the proper licenses and skills by requesting their business license number and confirming with your local licensing office that they are in good standing. You should also check to see if they are insured for liability and property damage, as well as workers’ compensation.

understand the project
The larger the reform, the more complicated it will be. Make sure you understand the progression in all of its stages; before, during and after completion. Don’t leave yourself and your wallet open to unexpected surprises, guesses or questions. Have your responsibilities and those of the contractor defined and stated in writing so that all parties know what is expected of them and who is responsible for what.

get it in writing
Lawyers are rich because people choose trust over treaty. Unless it is in writing, you can assume that all verbal agreements are non-existent and will not stand up in court. Confirm renewal details in writing along with quotes, price changes, and arrangements for delays or unexpected costs.

Prices
Sometimes the lowest price is not always the best option. It’s always a good idea to accept multiple estimates to gauge an average price and negotiate from there. The contractor willing to make “dirty deals” can also cut corners; creating potential health and safety problems in the future. Conversely, the contractor who submits an inflated estimate is probably not worth your time or money if a bloated bill replaces the project.

payment
The way a contractor conducts his financial transactions is a good indication of his work ethic. Someone who asks for cash-only payments and is hesitant about providing receipts or a contract is likely to be unlicensed, uninsured, and almost guaranteed to be untrustworthy and unreliable. Cash offers also leave homeowners with little legal recourse if something goes wrong or the contractor decides to walk off the job. Don’t risk burning out trying to save a few bucks; he may end up paying double the amount in the future.

Once you’ve chosen a contractor for your renovation project, be sure to keep the lines of communication open. It is important to remember that you will see your contractor and his team often and that mutual respect is a give and take; Work with your contractor, but don’t micromanage to the point where you get in the way of them doing their job. It becomes a distraction and creates an unhealthy work environment.

Shopping Product Reviews

Best Karaoke Songs of 2011 – Country and Pop

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Another year has passed, so it’s a good time to review the year and see which songs outsell 2011. As we mentioned in our review from last year, there are similar reviews out there. Ours is different because it shows what people wanted to sing last year and not just what they wanted to hear. No review can be completely accurate, but we think the following lists provide a good review of the best music to come out in 2011 that karaoke singers have been requesting.

Best Pop Karaoke Songs of 2011

#1 – Rolling In The Deep – Adele (Many people assume that Adele is a black singer because of the sound of her voice, but she is not. What you hear from her are powerful voices with the feeling of emotion behind each note. That is exactly what a good singer wants from a song. The challenge for any singer with ‘Rolling In The Deep’ is to match the emotion and feeling that Adele puts into her original version. Of course you can get away with not being able to match Adele’s vocal quality and please your audience if you’re a six year old singing this song with all your heart like Alexa Narvaez did on YouTube with over 13 million views currently).

#2 – Someone Like You – Adele (Yes, Adele comes up with the top two pop songs of 2011. ‘Someone Like You’ is about a person who accepts the fact that her former lover has moved on. She wishes him the best and sings that he’ll find ‘someone like you’, claiming to have come to terms with his breakup status but obviously revealing the opposite. Perhaps this song became so popular because most of us have had our hearts broken in the same how this song relates.)

#3 – Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO with Lauren Bennett & Goonrock (Well, I thought LMFAO must be a band, with possibly every letter in this group’s name representing one of its members. Man, am I ever out of the loop? LMFAO is an acronym for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off. LMFAO is actually a duo made up of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s youngest son, Stefan, aka Redfoo, and his grandson Skyler, aka SkyBlu. The song was one of the most popular dance songs of the year. If it’s fun to dance to then it must be fun to sing.)

#4 – On The Floor – Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull (If anyone remembers 1989’s Lambada, they’ll no doubt notice the borrowed beat for the main riff. What can we expect for J-Lo’s next big single? Maybe a use of reworking of the main riff from ‘Islands In The Stream’ or ‘Afternoon Delight’).

#5 – You And I – Lady Gaga (Unlike most of Lady Gaga’s tunes and perhaps a little less successful than some of Gaga’s dance songs, this tune was highly requested as a karaoke song. ‘You And I’ is a blues, rock and country-inspired ballad that gently samples Queen’s classic song ‘We Will Rock You’).

#6 – Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera (This song has a catchy hook and was popular with the karaoke crowd, and what has made it more appealing is that it’s a female/male duet.)

#7 – Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson (The original American Idol is still going strong five studio albums later. This song once again capitalizes on strong vocals and the “you don’t know anything about me” hook will remain in your head long after the last note of the song is played.)

#8 – Lighters – Bad Meets Evil & Bruno Mars (Bad Meets Evil is a duo formed by rappers Royce da 5’9″ and Eminem. This duo actually formed before Eminem gained his popularity in 1999, they broke up and they now have since they got together. The song ‘Lighters’ is an alternative hip-hop song, different from hard rap, especially with added vocals from Bruno Mars).

#9 – We Found Love – Rihanna (Rihanna once again hits the top of the charts with a catchy dance song. Many versions of this song also feature Calvin Harris in the credits, but we haven’t heard a duet version or no version with voices). apart from Rihanna.)

#10 – I Do – Colbie Caillat (Like Colbie Caillat’s first single Bubbly, this song is a carefree, feel-good sunny day song about taking relationships to the next level. A perfect tune for the optimistic romantic).

Honorable Mention:

Mistletoe – Justin Bieber (Some people may wonder why Justin Bieber isn’t once again in the top 10. He also didn’t make the top 10 with any of his songs in 2010, possibly because although his songs have broad appeal, when As for singing them, there will be a much smaller audience Collectively, karaoke versions of his songs sold more than any other artist in 2011. Justin Bieber was the best-selling karaoke artist of 2011. The season finale release of ‘Mistletoe ‘ almost made it to the top 10. It was highly requested in late November and December. Many were longing for a fresh new holiday song and this song filled that need precisely).

Best Country Karaoke Songs of 2011

#1 – Dirt Road Anthem – Jason Aldean (This song is about country life but adds a bit of ‘country rap’ to the mix. Very popular tune and choice of karaoke singers.)

#2 – Just Fishin’ – Trace Adkins (This song is about a father and daughter fishing together. Another feel-good country song that tugs at your heartstrings.)

#3 – Country Girl (Shake It For Me) – Luke Bryan (This song is quite different from Luke Bryan’s previous hit ‘Rain Is A Good Thing’. The title should be a dead giveaway that this song is not a ballad or a story song It’s a dance tune coming right at you that caught on and became one of the most requested country songs to sing).

#4 – Hell On Heels – Pistol Annies (There are some songs that are cross country; songs that can play on both the pop charts and the country charts. Not this song, it’s definitely country. The Pistol Annies make a declaration of a woman’s anger, singing ‘sugar daddy I’m coming for you’.)

#5 – You Lie – The Band Perry (Another country tune about an unhappy relationship. You lie like a Persian rug, like a raccoon dog sunning itself, like a penny in the parking lot. It seems like a lot of country songs are about that bitter feeling that you have when you find out your partner isn’t that important and people love to sing about it).

#6 – Honey Bee – Blake Shelton (This catchy tune did well on the Billboard 100 and went to No. 1 on the country charts. The song’s wide appeal (and the fact that people sang along to it) helped put it on the charts. in the top ten of our list).

#7 – Barefoot Blue Jean Night – Jake Owen (This song recalls the fun one had on his southern summer barefoot blue jean night. His friend Frankie got hooked on a Cadillac with horns on the hood!)

#8 – Story Of Us – Taylor Swift (an upbeat song whose title could indicate that the song would be about a happy relationship. Unfortunately, the chorus is “the story of us is a tragedy now”).

#9 – This Is Country Music – Brad Paisley (Although not as commercially successful as some of Brad Paisley’s previous hits, ‘This Is Country Music’ epitomizes what many feel a country song is. Country music fans they can take pride in the fact that their music often has some substance to its lyrics or message, which is not the norm with a pop tune).

#10 – Just A Kiss – Lady Antebellum (Lady Antebellum’s songs are very popular in the karaoke world due to their duet capabilities. The way Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott effortlessly swap lead vocals in their original performances makes that many singers want to do the same in karaoke versions. The challenge is to find two singers with the same vocal skills as the lead singers of Lady Antebellum).

So once again another year has given us a lot of new music. So you, the karaoke singer, must stop singing the same old tune. You don’t want to subject the crowd to once again singing the same song you sing week after week, no matter how well you sing that song. There is a lot of new karaoke music to choose from. Sometimes it can feel like there isn’t any great new music out there. However, it may seem that way because you have gotten used to listening to your ‘iPod’ with its pre-selected music options. Start getting used to listening to the radio or turning on a music channel more often, then you will find many new selections to choose from.

Sports

Baseball’s Endangered Species: Bunts

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His book, Coaching Youth League Baseball, was written by Hall of Fame college coach Skip Bertman in 1975. Much of what he wrote about bunt is largely ignored today.

However, it remains relevant as an example of how the game should be taught and played at all levels of baseball, not trying to catch up when a player reaches the major leagues. What is sad is that the “art” and value of touch as a “weapon” has been lost by the last two generations of players, coaches and managers.

Skip wrote, “Major League’s emphasis on the long ball and the big inning has caused the art of bunting to be neglected. Yet every year, when playoff games begin and the World Series begins, we see professionals Touching off the live ball and artificial surfaces. The touch will not score as many runs as the home run, but it is very often instrumental in the outcome of a big game.”

“Tapping bunts is an important weapon for every team’s offense. Well-executed bunts can open up a game wide. The bunt and run can be an effective play. A hitter can surprise the defense and bunt the base hit no runners on base, or with two outs and a runner on third.

“If a coach feels that a play involving a tag is required, he should continue with it. Pay no attention to guessers who always seem to know what should have happened after the play is over. By using tag, your team can create a lot of tough situations for the defensive team, and if their opponents aren’t properly prepared, a lot of mental and fielding errors will happen.”

In 2016, MLB had the fewest Sacrifice Bunts (SH) per game (.21) in its history. The recording of SH began in 1894 and since then they have diminished to what we have today. The numbers say that the lack of SH is in the same boat with most Strikeouts (SO), which was also the most ever. In 2013, analysts criticized former Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington because they thought he was touched too often. His response was, “You can take the analysis of that and put it into his (expletive) (expletive).” That year, the Rangers had .28 SH per game, matching what was then the fewest in MLB history. Washington’s response was perfect, and he agreed with Skip’s advice: “Pay no attention to guessers.”

In the book 34-Ton Bat, by Steve Rushin, he quotes Casey Stengel, famous coach of the New York Yankees, in 1945, when he was a minor league coach. Casey said, “I get mad at players today who can’t bunt.”

Funny, in those days, he was referring to a handful of players, and I wonder what Casey would say now about the futility of a clear majority of players we need to watch. Yes, I know, the game has changed, as today’s working generations regard touches as “old school little balls” and no longer relevant, but the facts trump yesterday’s “old-fashioned” opinions or “new” today.

When players don’t know how to touch, when to touch or where to touch, managers don’t know the value of touches as a potential weapon, and both don’t mind not knowing; they must consider them terrible things. They would be wrong! They’ve been sold a list of pennant-minded products, along with a host of other misinformed ideas that have gained wide acceptance over the last 40 years. Defenses today routinely ignore the possibility of a batter bunting for a base hit, because hitters fail to understand the fact that in many circumstances they can dictate defensive positioning in future at-bats by executing a well-placed bunt, but never try. . There are ways to beat the over-the-top defensive switches now being employed, but not with clueless players and coaches. “Wee,” Willie Keeler said aptly, “Hit ’em where they ain’t.” Touch them where they are not, it also works.

Being a good bunter is not easy; it is a learned skill that requires proper instruction and constant practice, just like all skills in baseball and other sports. The ability to bunt during batting practice has absolutely no relevance to bunting against a pitcher who is trying to get the batter out in a critical game situation. Without proper technique and confidence, the hitter has little chance of success. That said, NL starting pitchers who play five or six times a month now do most of the sacrifice bunts, so if they can learn the bunt basics, surely position players can too.

An example of the commitment that may be required to have the right skill set is what coach Nellie Fox told then-Washington Senator Manager Ted Williams about his process as a player to become a great pitcher. “Doc Cramer (a former teammate of Williams with the Red Sox) used to have Fox carry a bat like a hot poker, thumb and forefinger as loose as possible. Fox said if Cramer suddenly tried to knock him out of his hands and he couldn’t ‘kick my ass'”.

Regardless of what the 5-foot-6, 160-pound Fox did to be a better bunt, it worked, because one year he bunted safely, for hits, on 26 of 30 attempts. This was accomplished even though he wasn’t the fastest runner averaging only 5 stolen bases and 5 caught stealing per year, indicating he excelled on the three-legged stool of bunting, how, when, and where to touch, plus he averaged 14 SH and 15 SO per year, never exceeding 18. So since Since Fox was selected to play in 12 All-Star games, was the American League MVP in 1959, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1997, his constant efforts to be a better player were obviously rewarded .and being a good pitcher was a weapon he used to great advantage.Nellie Fox wasn’t the greatest, she wasn’t the strongest, she wasn’t the fastest player, in fact she was a BASEBALL player, always striving to get better.

Bunting can not only dictate the position of the defensive infielder, but can also be a useful weapon in disrupting a shooter’s rhythm. Get them off the mound to field his position, throw to the bases and cover first base. Interrupt them as much as possible. Touches create threats that must be defended. When defending, it opens up holes for base hits and other plays that wouldn’t normally be available. It’s worth repeating what Skip said, “…if your opponents aren’t properly prepared, there will be a lot of mental and fielding errors.”

Nothing in baseball works all the time, but bunts can be useful and productive things, not terrible things. Try them, you will like them.

Relationship

The Three Biggest Mistakes Pool Owners Make When Installing an Oval Pool

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Without wasting time, let’s just get down to business.

Mistake #1: Not Positioning the Side Braces Correctly

There are so many different styles of oval pools that it’s hard to be specific here, but in most cases, following the instructions every step of the way will pay off.

Your most important goals are to place all the keys and square them up before you start digging. Dig what you need, without digging too much. The less the back is filled, the better.

The oval pool side brackets must be perfectly level, front and back. They should all be square from side to side and on one side they should all be touching a string line. Only then should the dirt around them be repackaged.

An oval pool starts to look really weird when the braces on one side are not at right angles to the braces on the opposite side. It starts to look even more fun when one side isn’t straight, like when it rests flush on a string. That would mean the other side is not straight either. If they go up and down a little bit, and in and out a little bit, things start to look really weird.

Proper use of a laser level, string line, and tape measure will take care of this common mistake.

Mistake #2: Not properly covering pressure plates and straps

I have been answering pool questions online for many years and am always amazed at how often I am asked about nicks in the liner around the booster assemblies right inside the pool. This can be a major problem, meaning the pool is not safe and needs to be drained before it can be repaired. The lining cannot sit on the bare metal of anything, there must be a cushion.

The problem is usually soil settling around the channels of the braces or pressure plates. The weight of the water when the pool is full is tremendous, what you put under it has to be solid. This means not only backfilling around the brace assemblies, but also packing them solidly. If necessary, water, wait and pack some more.

The other mistake is not covering the pressure plates with enough sand. Some of these things are big and they all have sharp edges. They are very important to the integrity of a pool and cannot be neglected, but they must be well covered. Remember, the weight of the water increases as the pool fills, whatever is on those plates will compress. The sand will not only be compressed, but will also move into large openings, such as those created at the ends of pressure plates.

Make sure the side support assemblies are well packed and well covered.

Mistake #3: Not properly locking the side straps

Have I already mentioned water weight? Yes I have, and it pushes on the pool walls just like it pushes on the ground. This is why it is important to use a concrete block under the back of each brace. Just as important, these blocks must be placed perfectly level and on firm ground.

I also mentioned the side gussets that go in and out when looking towards the side of the pool. While the clamps may look fine before adding water, if the blocks are not solid and level, the clamps will come off when the pool fills and will never come off the same. This leaves the pool side going in and out. This is not a good professional look.

If you are attempting to install an oval above ground pool on your own, be sure to take the time to correctly position the side supports. The posts that line the sides of your pool will make or break the bottom line.