Introducing a New Puppy

After 30 plus years of having Poodles as pets and breeding a few litters, we are patiently waiting for the arrival of our newest pack member a cute little Male Toy Poodle.  I kept thinking this was not so hard with Bogart; he had been introduced into the house with Jennifer and Eddie.  I am the first to admit the integration of Bogart into the pack was made a lot easier by Jennifer, the past Lady of the pack. She took over as mother figure for Bogart, keeping him in line with hierarchy of the pack and showing him the ropes of being a good house dog.

Yes, you may be laughing at me for saying Jennifer was responsible for showing Bogart the ropes. I am here to tell you that I did not realize how much she influenced his training and assisted me in raising Bogart to adulthood.  I think we did a great job with him.  Jennifer is no longer with us and training our Clarabelle was a challenge with a pack of boys, although I think we did a pretty good job with Clarabelle, she is definitely a Tomboy at heart. Which is quite alright in this pack.

The difference between Jennifer and Clarabelle is that Jennifer had been a Mom to several litters and Clarabelle has not been a Mom and only had boys as influences on her life. So it is going to be interesting to see how she responds to having a new pack member and whether she takes on the role as true Beta of our pack.  We will break the issues down to Introduction to Pack and Feeding, Housebreaking and Leash Training over the next few articles.

Prior to introducing the puppy, you need to set up a day area that is safe and open for the new puppy.

Introduction to the Pack - I recommend bathing the new dog in the same shampoo as the rest of your pack. If bathing is not an option, then use a towel that has your scent on it and rub the new member down with it.  I have found by doing this, the other dogs seem to be more accepting; the new member already has a similar scent. 

Keep the initial introduction short; the other dogs are not going to be pleased to be sharing your attention. After the initial introduction, let the pup explore its day pen and get accustomed to the house.  This is a good time to show some special attention to the existing members.

I usually wait about an hour or so then let the new pup out of the day pen to explore the house and check out the other members under close supervision.  Let the other members growl or bark at the new puppy, just ensure their safety and make sure no one being too aggressive.  The existing members have to show the puppy who is who in the pack.

Example:  both the boys growled and got out of Clara Belle’s reach; puppy energy can be a little over-powering for adults. After the first week, the growling lessens, but the “getting out of her reach” was still the ultimate goal for both boys.

Keep these initial meetings short, controlled; keep in mind to talk to the existing members in soothing tones of  assurance that they are still very loved and important members but have a new kid on the block to learn to love as well.

I have found that by playing with the puppy and keeping the other members of your pack included in the play helps with the emotional stress they are all under, and with learning that this new member is here to stay.

Don’t expect everyone to get along the first few weeks. The puppy has to learn so many things, from toilet training to who is the Alpha in the pack. The other members may even have some regression in behaviors but these all should rectify themselves, if you continue to give the existing members their own special time and attention.

You don’t want to disrupt the household routine, so even with the training of the new puppy, include it as part of the normal routine and include the whole pack as much as possible.

Feeding - remember the new puppy will not be on the same schedule the first day as the rest of the house, so you need to slowly adjust the puppy to the household schedule. Keep the puppy in the day pen for feedings. This reduces the stress on the existing members and allows everyone to have their meals as routinely as possible.

I have also found that giving the existing members special dinner a few times the first week really does help them adjust, and that maybe the new kid is not so bad – the new pack member may be responsible for the special meals.  Who am I to say different? It seems to work and I speak from experience.

Watch for our continued installations on the integration of our new little guy into the existing pack.

 

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

 

 

Austin Peay State University offering Eclectic Line Dance Class

Starting November 3, 2014, Austin Peay State University (APSU) will be offering a great Beginner Line Dance Course/Class. This will be a 6 week course that is designed to fit with the University setting. The course/class is not just to teach a person line dances but to teach an absolutely Beginner how to dance. Of course, it is always great to review those basics so everyone is welcome to participate.

Students will learn the basic dance steps used in all dances. Proper Execution of steps, understanding of weight changes, how to recognize different rhythms, timing of steps and how to count music. 

The 6 week course/class will focus on the particular characteristics that make that week’s rhythm unique. The line dance(s) taught each week will focus on the particular steps that demonstrate the week’s rhythm.

The 6 week Course/Class will be taught by Larry B. Larry has been Line Dancing for over 15 years and an Instructor of 10 years. For More information on the above course, click here http://signmeup.apsu.edu/CourseStatus.awp?&course=141G67802

For more information on Larry B and other great dance opportunities in the Middle Tennessee area go to www.linedancenews.com

The benefits of dancing: Strengthening bones and muscles, tone your entire body, improve posture and balance, reduce stress and tension, boost memory, improve flexibility, weight loss, increase energy and increase mental capacity.

 Keep Dancin' Larry B

Sweetest Day, October 18, 2014

Sweetest Day observed the third Saturday in October.  I frankly had never heard of this holiday till a few years ago.  I do a great deal of research these days so I had to find out just how this day originated.

It is amazing how a simple search can lead to such interesting reading.  Now the most popular story is that Herbert Birch Kingston, a Cleveland, Ohio philanthropist and candy company employee started Sweetest Day. He wanted to bring happiness to orphans, shut-ins and under-privileged. His intent was to show these people that they were not forgotten.  In 1922, he started this holiday by giving candy and small gifts. He often used movie stars to distribute the gifts.

Primarily a regional observance celebrated in the Great Lakes region and the Northeast, Sweetest Day is gradually spreading to other areas of the country. Over the years, Sweetest Day has evolved into a time to express romantic love and also to show appreciation to friends. 

There also seemed to be those that feel the day was a concentrated marketing promotion sponsored by the candy industry. At the same time that Sweetest Day was being promoted in Cleveland, it was also being promoted nationally by the candy industry as "Candy Day" and "Sweetest Day." Promotions were staged in New York City, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, Cincinatti as well as in Cleveland, Ohio.

I think it should not matter whether the day was created by one individual or an industry. It exists as an opportunity for you to recognize that sweet and special someone. It doesn’t matter who that person is, or what their relation to you. They just have to be "sweet" in order to get a little recognition.

Remember the simple fact is it does not matter if you recognize that special individual in your life on Sweetest Day and you can make every day is Sweetest Day.

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

 

The Balancing Act By: Kathy Paauw

I came across this article while flying back from my work visit to the Tamarac GENEX office. Thought I would share it this week..

"The average office worker receives more than 200 messages a day via snail mail, email, express mail, cell phone, landline, wireless Web, bicycle messenger, singing telegram, you name it. Taking in information these days is like trying to drink from a fire hose."
--Dr. Martha Beck

Did you know that one Sunday edition of The New York Times contains more information than all the written documents in the world during the 15th century? Does it seem like life is spinning out of control? The pace of life just keeps picking up! And with it, job satisfaction is on the decline.

In an Associated Press article, Marc Greenbaum, a 50-year-old professor at Suffolk Law School, stated that "I'm personally happier but I observe more people that are more miserable. There's more pressure on them to produce, more problems with maintaining a boundary between work and family, even maintaining a boundary between work and the outside because of things like e-mail, voicemail and the Blackberry. They can't get away."

According to the Families and Work Institute, over 47% of U.S. workers surveyed feel overworked. In addition, 59% of Americans describe their lives as very busy according to an NBC news survey. According to Dr. Richard Swensen, author of Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, the average American will spend one year in his/her life searching through desk clutter looking for misplaced objects. We are working harder and faster than ever. Being more organized can help reduce stress, save time, and improve efficiency.

We celebrate National Get Organized Week the first week in October. Most people think of "getting organized" as a physical act - clearing piles of paper, putting things away, etc. What many people overlook is the mental part of getting organized. And I always say that organizing your physical environment without first clarifying your priorities is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic!

Here are 8 tips to help you with the mental part of getting and staying organized. I encourage you to read through the whole list, and then go back and choose two or three ideas to implement.

1. Understand the difference between URGENT and IMPORTANT. If it's important, it may be a vital priority for you. If it's urgent, it's time-sensitive, but it may or may not be important. Be sure you are clear about the difference when deciding what deserves your time. Check out the time management matrix at www.orgcoach.net/timematrix.html, which beautifully illustrates the difference.

2. Find time for yourself. Schedule time away from your work and your family. Use this opportunity to tune in to what you want and need. Don't feel that you're being selfish; you have a responsibility to yourself to take care of your needs. Studies show that productivity dramatically increases when you are well rested.

3. Check for balance between these four vital areas of your life:

·         Well-being - caring for your physical, mental, spiritual, and social needs

·         Family relationships

·         Work activities

·         Service activities - volunteer work, being a good neighbor, practicing random acts of kindness

4. Live your life in the present! Quit saying, "I'll do this when I get around to it." I have yet to find a person who said on their death bed, "I wish I had spent more time at the office."

5. Increase productivity by planning your week and fine-tuning your workday. Block out time to handle priorities. Important tips to remember as you plan your week:

·         Have unscheduled time in your calendar for handling unexpected but important tasks.

·         Plan to work on creative activities during the time of day when you are at your best.

·         Schedule "protected time" to work on projects that need your undivided attention. If interruptions are eating you alive, close your door and ask that people come back to see you at a designated time.

·         Temporarily turn off the audio feature on your cell phone, pager and email account. Pick and choose when you respond and when it's appropriate to let calls go into voice mail.

·         Be realistic about your expectations. Don't set yourself up for failure by planning too much in one day.

·         Leave work at a reasonable hour so you have time for those other three areas of your life - self-care, family, and service to others.

6. Reduce your stress by being underwhelmed. Here are a few tips to help you avoid getting overwhelmed:

·         NO is a complete sentence. Don't bite off more than you can chew. When someone makes a request, buy some time before answering. Say, "Let me think about it," or "I'm in the middle of something right now. I'll call you back and let you know." This will give you time to evaluate the situation and decide if it's something you truly want to do.

·         Delegate as much as you can. Focus your time on activities that you enjoy and are best at.

7. Stay out of e-mail jail. Here are a few tips to help:

·         Determine frequency of checking for e-mail messages. Some people choose to check it throughout the day and even use such devices as the Blackberry when on the road, while others only check for messages a couple times a day. You are the only one who can determine what will work for you.

·         Use the F.A.T. (File, Act, Toss) method to keep your email inbox from piling up. If a message needs to be filed for future reference, place it in the appropriate email subject or contact folder. Place a red flag next to those items you need to act on but don't have time to do right at the moment. Immediately toss (delete or forward) anything you don't need to keep.

·         Remove your name from subscription lists that do not provide value to you.

8. Set up your work environment to keep your focus on what's most important. Here are some tips:

·         Arrange your workspace so you have the most commonly-used things close in. Store things used less frequently in less accessible space.

·         Create a filing system that enables you to find things instantly. The #1 reason that people pile instead of file is a fear of not being able to find it when they need it. Visit www.orgcoach.net/PaperTiger.html for some ideas.

·         Create a tickler file system to remind you of important follow up at the appropriate time. The #2 reason that people pile is a fear of forgetting to do something that is out-of-sight and out-of-mind. A good tickler system reminds you to follow up on the appropriate date, and provides an alternative to that "I'll just set it here for now" pile. Visit www.orgcoach.net/products/tickle.html#ticklerfile to see what a good tickler file system looks like.

·         Use the F.A.T. (File, Act, Toss) method to process your mail daily. Review our Trim the F.A.T. tip sheet at www.orgcoach.net/trimthefat.html.

·         Keep only what you plan to focus on today on your desktop. Remove visual distractions from your workspace so your attention is not pulled away from what you've chosen to work on today! Everything else should be put away until it's time for you to focus on it.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Keep Dancin' Larry B.

First Weekend of October 2014 Days of Recognition

October 4, 2014 is Frugal Fun Day. If you dig deeply, you will find resources that describe this day as "International" Frugal Fun Day, and "National" Frugal Fun Day. However, we found no documentation supporting the International or National tags. We did find plenty of reference to the intent of this day.... to have fun "on the cheap".

Frugal Fun Day is a day to enjoy fun activities that are free (or very inexpensive). If you use your imagination, the ideas are endless. Go on a bike or walking hike. The Fall leaves are on display. Have a picnic in the park, or your back yard. Invite some friends or neighbors over for a garage party and dance. Go fly a kite. Pull out the those old board games or puzzles that you have stored in the basement. Play cards with some friends.

This special day was created by Shel Horowitz, author of The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant's Pocketbook. We strongly suspect Frugal Fun Day was created, in part, to promote the book. Regardless of the reason for creating this day, we see nothing wrong with having a little inexpensive fun. 

October 5, 2014 is World Teacher’s Day. Teachers deserve a little recognition, and some thanks and appreciation. Aside from parents and direct family, who else has as much influence on the hearts ann minds of a child... your child? Teachers not only educate, but they help to shape and frame your child's beliefs, values, and behaviors.

Parents and students are encouraged to offer thanks and recognition today. A simple "thanks", or an ecard is sufficient.  

World Teachers' Day was initiated by the Director-General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor, at the International Conference on Education in Geneva in 1993.

On October 5, 1966, a UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation  conference adopted a special recommendation on Teachers. The date of this event was selected as the date to annually honor and recognize teachers around the world.

If you are a teacher, Happy World Teacher Day!

Keep Dancin’ Larry B