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The (Real) be yourself blog
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The (Real) be yourself blog
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This is just a quick follow-up to our dog training kit post since we got this promo code later and this is a nice Christmas or other gift product!
This Amazon seller is offering the heavy discount on multiple sizes of dog harnesses that look basic but useful! Hope this benefits someone - happy shopping!
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Since our recent articles have focused on dog training, we though it might be useful to provide a list of items that we frequently use for dog training. If you don't have any of these, you'll have easy links to view them and add them to your cart. You can also just pick the ones you don't have. (You can buy them through our affiliate links at the same cost and we appreciate it, but you can also just get them on Amazon or the site of your choice.) We'll do similar lists for cats and horses soon, but in the meantime, these are products we have tried, we like, and that we really use. RealBeYourself Dog Training Kit: Flat Leather Buckle Collar for Tag Display and Everyday Use Sprenger Training Collar for Leash Training and Problem Correction 6 Foot Lead for Training Short Traffic Lead for Working, Heel Training and Daily Walks 20 Foot Lead for Recall Training Treat Pouch or Nail Apron (Apron works for Backup/Budget) Optional but Useful Items: Training Clicker Thick Horse Lead for Tie=Up and Strong Pullers Pupperoni Training Treats E-collar for remote training (Not required, nice and humane tool, only brand we use) Service Dog or Working Dog Harness (Doubles as seat restraint) For Serious Adult Service Dogs - Mobility Harness If you prefer a small bundled kit, there are a couple that we have not tried. They are simple and lack some of the tools we prefer to use, but if you don't want to pick and choose, take a look at what seems to be the best one: Guest Post by Daku Sayers (Cats.how) When you are planning to adopt a cat, there are some very important points to keep in mind to make sure that you are pleased with your new cat. They can mean the difference between regretting your decision and having a wonderful new friend. One mistake to avoid is getting a cat on the spur of the moment. You may see litter of kittens for free and fall in love with a cute face. Instead, you decide if the kitten or cat will fit well into your life and your home. Good Planning is the KeyA second mistake is to underestimate the cost of a new cat. Whether you choose an expensive kitten from a breeder or a mixed breed from the shelter, the initial price is far from being the only cost involved. Your cat will need food, supplies, and visits to the veterinarian.
You should also avoid getting a cat because one member of your family wants one. When a cat lives with a family she is going to make a difference to everyone. Only if you know that she will be welcomed by everyone should you make a long-term decision. Your first cat can be a pleasure. You must know what to expect, though, and that you are ready to become a cat owner. Once you feel that you know all you need to know to make adopting a cat a success, you can narrow the decision to a certain animal. Finally, you find the cat or kitten you want, and are anxious to bring it home. All you need to do is to prepare, and you will be glad of your decision to adopt. Prepare some special time just for the cat and the family will benefit everyone. Read up on ways to make your cat feel special with articles like “How to Make your Cat Love You.” It is a good idea to bring your cat home on a weekend or during a vacation when there will be few distractions. A calm, quiet atmosphere is best and helping him to feel safe and comfortable. Take him to his own personal area as soon as you can. He needs to get used to his food and water location, toys and litter box. He will begin to feel at home. Whether you have put a couple of weeks or more into all the things it takes for a successful adoption, the overall experience will make you comfortable with your decision to adopt a new cat. Once your new cat realizes that home has been found, you have a friend and companion to enjoy for the rest of his or her life. If you’d like to learn much more about what to expect, cat behavior, health, feeding and supplies, check out the CATS.HOW site. You’ll find tons of information about everything feline! Thanks for reading!
Irrational or Rational? Relax, learn what you want to know. Easy, free, GO get the book now. Sign up for our mailing list (NO spam, just occasional notices about our news or new books) and get a FREE GUIDE on the ways animals and pets can help with physical health, mental health, PTSD, Autism and more.
This guide is an introductory offer since we will soon release our NEW BOOK on therapy animals, emotional support animals, service animals and pets or animal-interaction as a health aid. The book will be full of info on the why and how plus training information and resources! This story with the accompanying article was written by the Grand Prize winner of our October writing contest! Other entries will be published soon. Grats to our winning piece by new pet blogger Devi S. Thanks, Devi! I don't just use the words "for life" in this title to make a good title. A true hard recall can literally save the life of your dog. A recall is one of the first things we train a new dog although if we don’t show, many of us are probably good with it if the puppy comes wandering toward us when we call its name. I’ve seen an example of why it’s critical to follow up later with a real solid marker word like “come” or “front.” In years working with dogs, there was one time I saw a sold recall save a life. The dog, Bo, was a purebred shepherd with the classic GSD look. His quizzical looks and perky demeanor were adorable. Dee, the owner, had several mixed breeds and purebred dogs and she was at the even to compete in obedience and agility. Bo completed a run and did well. Dee jogged back to her area with him and they were right next to me and my Poodle. Dee had crates for her dogs but she needed to change shirts and still make it back for another event. She looped the end of the lead under the leg of a folding chair and put Bo back on a stay while she left for just a few minutes. Just as Dee came back toward us all, two other dogs got into a minor fight. `It scared Bo, and he jumped away which caused the folding chair to collapse and fold up tight on the leash. The frightened dog moved further and the sight of the chair “following” him sent him to panic. Bo took off trying to get away from the chair and he bolted right toward a street with heavy traffic. We all realized how dangerous the situation was. Dee ran as fast as she could to position herself where Bo could see her and then she used her sternest voice to shout “Bo, come!” o had a solid recall and even scared, the sound of his owner’s voice helped him shift and run in her direction instead of into the street. Once he reached her, he trusted her enough to slow down and be released. He was bruised but mostly unhurt. Training a dog to have a recall that will work in an emergency is critical and it can absolutely be done. It’s beyond the simple teaching we do with young dogs. Very young dogs may not be able to focus enough to divert attention to us at lightning speed though we still teach them to move to us when we call to them. The process of teaching an emergency recall is like the puppy recall. Once a young pup will come to us when we call his name, we can begin to train with a clear marker word that means “Come here right NOW.” Dogs can differentiate between the casual recall and the rock-solid recall which will also be the foundation for an emergency recall. Over time, the dog should never fail to put its full attention on the trainer at the marker word. The dog should go straight to the trainer. No matter how tempting it is to ignore the recall word because of distractions, we must teach the dog that there are no options but to respond immediately. Then make the recall more solid, we can start by putting an older puppy or adult dog on a long lead (20 foot is great) and having them roam where we can still hold the end. Some trainers use a remote collar for this. If a device of this type is used, it should be a high-quality remote collar with a technology that works by delivering low electric impulses, not electric shock. Dog trainers have taught emergency recalls for centuries without these aids, though, so they aren’t a necessity. It is best to start slowly and gain the dog's confidence. We should call the dog with the solid recall word when only a small distraction is present. It may be helpful to use the dog’s name and the marker word. Later we move up to practicing the recall under more complex circumstances. If the dog begins to come quickly, even if activities are going on nearby, you can move on to deliberate and more extreme distractions. To start working with the dog on planned distractions, you need a couple of helpers. Get another trainer or a friend to engage the dog in some simple play. Try your hard recall marker word on the dog. If the dog doesn’t instantly respond, use the remote collar or snap the long lead firmly to get the attention of the dog. Repeat the marker word and shower the dog with praise when it comes to you. As the dog gets more consistent, work with the dog repeatedly while making the distractions more difficult. Have someone else give the dog high-value treats and recall so that the dog learns to come even if it really prefers not to. If at any time the dog resists strongly or stops responding, go back to basics. Get the dog to come to you fast on a 6 food lead and use a very firm snap of the lead if they do not. Give high praise and treats when they do. Once they are solid, return to more complex training. It’s all right if the dog has to start back at the beginning a few times. Some dogs retain things better and some can control their impulses more easily than others. The key is to work it until it’s a guarantee. The biggest mistake people make with this is to train it and not keep practicing or to give up when the dog doesn’t get it in the early stages.
Keep upping the difficulty by calling the dog when it’s hungry and eating a meal or a delicious treat. If the dog ever fails to focus instantly, a snap of the lead or other correction should get things going. Once the dog will come to you every single time, you just need to keep practicing occasionally to keep that emergency recall sharp. Someday it could save your dog’s life! by Devi S. (See me on Medium!) Dog Training Tips are published here often! Check back!
Today's post is brought you you by the Magnificent Camel. This post came into being when I was chatting with my spouse, having a perfectly normal conversation about camel butts. I'm not really sure how we got into the camel discussion. Somehow we just did and it partially evolved into a discussion about their bodies. I suddenly wondered if they had tails and although I've ridden a camel, I really wasn't sure.
"Do camels have tails?" I asked. "I don't think so." I got back. "Do they just have empty butts?" I said, thinking that didn't seem right to me. "Like us," I added as though I might be misunderstood. We had to Google it and the first hit was this adorable item that was missing a butt view:
"Argh." Not helpful, though I still ordered one because I don't HAVE a Christmas sleight with a camel inside it. I searched again and I felt stupid. Of course they don't have empty butts. Camels DO have tails:
Now I don't know why I thought camels didn't have tails. In further research I discovered that they actually have tufted tails, which is really fun to say. Say it out loud.
"My Camel has a Tufted Tail."
See? If you didn't really say it out loud, do it and see if it makes you laugh. Try saying it with "My camel does not have an empty butt, but my camel has a tufted tail. I do not have a camel toe." If that doesn't make you laugh, you may need to drink more. Or, I need to drink less.
Either way, now you know for sure that camels have tufted tails. Even if you knew they had tails, I bet you didn't know they were tufted. Unless you are a camelologist or a tuft expert. Aren't you glad you read this? (No, you can't get that 2 minutes back, sorry, but you can get a camel in a sleigh decoration!)
For some pet people this is old news, but not for everyone! If you have any interest in fascinating people, people who have found animal inspiration to work through problems or people on the autism spectrum, you'll find this information useful.
I found out about Temple Grandin while staying in a hotel that happened to have HBO and I saw a movie with Claire Danes that looked good so I plopped on a pillow and watched. I was amazed at that acting but more struck by the true story. Due to mental illness and autism in my family I've always been intrigued by stories that involved difficult physical, mental or psychiatric disorders. Temple Grandin was unable to speak until she was five years old and doctors had written her off as a toddler with severe disabilities. They told her mother that she would never be able to speak normally or to live without 24 hour care from other people. They recommended an institution. I'll leave out some of this story for those of you who haven't seen the movie, but by the time Temple was a young adult she had already defied the odds in enormous ways. This was partly due to the perseverance of her mother who ignored the doctors and worked with Temple for hours every day. We know now that Temple was on the severe end of the autism scale. She once stayed on a farm with family and she identified closely with the cattle since she saw that they were also spooked by too much sensory input. I've avoided calling her Dr. Grandin to this point because it's part of her still-unfolding story today. I will say that she now travels the world to speak to people about the humane treatment of cattle, other animals and about autism. She is a spokesperson for Autism Speaks. If you haven't seen the movie lately or at all, check it out, it's worth it:
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So, first, I'm a vegetarian and I'm not really an activist, an advocate of some fad, an animal rights fanatic or anything like that. I do love animals so it feels good to me. I like to study spirituality and I enjoy Eastern Philosophy so that might motivate me a bit. I haven't been a particular healthy eater for years. I've eaten lots of vegetarian pasta, baked potatoes with cheese, cookies, chips and lots of things that will kill you in enough quantity. I used to be much thinner and healthier in spite of this diet because I spent hours a day riding and training horses. As I've grown older I've become less active and now I'm fat and less healthy.
On medication I got much better and I eat a better diet now. I decided I wanted to feel better. I'm not trying to lose weight but I wouldn't mind if it happened. I miss 25 years ago when I was lifting weights and near competing in a bodybuilding competition. So, recently I've started lifting again even if my protein requirements will be a challenge.
I found a product that I LOVE. It's called Soylent and I'll drop an Amazon affiliate link below but that's not just so you might click it, it's because I am passionate about the product. It isn't for everyone. If you already use smoothies or protein shakes to supplements, you might like it. It's lower in sugar than products like Boost. It's not a weight loss product like Slimfast but you could use it as part of a program and it has far more balanced nutrients. It's vegetarian. It comes in plain white and plain brown (cacao flavor.) The package is even pure white, like a lovely white cake.
Now, for those of you who read the book "Make Room, Make Room!" or saw the old movie "Soylent Green" you may already be wondering about Soylent. The guy who came up with the formula thought it was a bit funny and might draw attention. It hasn't hurt sales since I am on a subscription plan and last month they ran out of powdered Soylent for 2 weeks. They make it in pre-mixed bottles too but it's cheap in powder.
For a weight lifter, though, the protein in Soylent isn't enough to drink as a whole source of food. If you add peanut butter you get more sugar and fat. You can add egg whites but I'm scared of those. I was looking into protein sources when I found out about pea protein. It's basically powdered split peas. So, I decided I wanted to try it but now I'm pondering the issue. What to DO for more protein? GREEN pea protein?
Split peas are green. Plain Soylent powder is white. If I add pea protein powder, is my Soylent going to turn green? Can I drink green Soylent? Does that make it into Soylent green and if so, is it made of people or just pea-ple? If you have thoughts on this or my dilemma, or if you have other ideas for a nonfat vegetarian protein source, leave a comment or sent me an email through my contact page!
Other than this green dilemma, Soylent is the best thing that has happened to me in ages. I've dropped 30 lbs by replacing 2 meals a day with it. I don't think it will help just anyone, but if you are interested, there is a link below. I really appreciate it if you click the link from my site and help me keep the site running, but it's also fine if you don't. If you are confused, go see the movie Soylent Green and you will understand my peaple conundrum.
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AuthorMost of the good stuff about Maddie "Be Yourself" Gee is on the About page, but that page got out of hand. Don't go there. Maddie is an animal expert, a crazy person, and a writer. Full Disclosure - this blog does have Amazon affiliate links in it for products that Maddie likes. Your use of the Amazon links is greatly appreciated, but the intent is just to help keep things running and offer giveaways. You are welcome to search for the items elsewhere if you prefer it. Archives
January 2019
CategoriesContest Info Below*
*Contest/Giveaway for Amazon Gift card: When you sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, you'll automatically be entered to win. You can opt out of the newsletter anytime. You do not have to opt-in for other promotions to enter and we do not send out newsletters more often than once per week. No purchase necessary to enter. Please do provide a real email address as we will email the winner to confirm before sending your prize by email!
Legal and other weird disclosures that people want us to make: This is a condensed version. If you really want to read the long version, see it on the About page. This is a personal blog owned by Maddie. Other people sometimes author guest posts or other content. No one gets paid a salary to work on this. It costs us something to run it since prizes are given away (and we get rare donations but we usually pay for the prizes ourselves) and we spend time and cash on creation. We are not paid directly for the reviews themselves, we do it because we want to comment. So, to complete this goofy disclosure statement, we have a material connection with most or all of what we talk about because that's just how our lives work and how we made this blog. Amazon would like us to state: "We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites." We collect email address through newsletter signups and book giveaways but we do not collect any other data when you just visit this site. If email addresses are collected, you can opt-out at that time on signups for our newsletters, if you opt-in you can unsubscribe anytime. Thanks!
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