The Pentagon overvalued the cost of weapons sent to Ukraine by $3 billion, Reuters reported.
Biden’s administration could now send more weapons without having to get budget approval from Congress.
The error was caused by the Pentagon using replacement costs to value the arms.
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The Pentagon overvalued the cost of weapons it sent to Ukraine by $3 billion, in a blunder that may allow the US to send further weaponry to the besieged country to help in its fight against Putin’s forces, Reuters reported.
Two senior defense officials told Reuters on Thursday that the error was due to the Pentagon valuing the weapons at their current replacement costs rather than their depreciated values.
One of the sources added that the figure could grow even higher as the investigation continues.
“We’ve discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we’ve given,” one official also told Reuters.
The accounting error could enable the Department of Defense to send more weapons to Ukraine without the Biden administration needing to get budget approval from Congress, Reuters reported.
The officials said that Congress was to be informed of the issue on Thursday.
A Ukrainian unit commander shows the rockets on a HIMARS vehicle in Eastern Ukraine on July 1, 2022.
Anastasia Vlasova for The Washington Post via Getty Images
US Senator Roger Wicker, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Reuters that “the Department of Defense’s change in evaluating the costs of arms sent to Ukraine is a major mistake.”
“Its effect would be to underestimate future needs for our European allies. Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over Putin. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal,” he added.
According to the German research institute the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the US promised just over 71 billion euros, which is around $77 billion, in humanitarian, financial, and military aid to Ukraine between January 24, 2022, and February 24, 2023.
Of this, just over 43 billion euros, or around $46.5 billion, was for military support.
When training a mixed breed dog find out what motivates him. Rewards vary, but all dogs respond to food. Experiment! Add some breed-specific enrichment when possible and leave room in your routine for his personality to shine.
Teach your mixed breed dog basic cues such as:
And to really know a cue, your dog should generalize that cue to different environments with various levels of distractions. For example, your dog should be able to sit in your living room as well as he does at the vet’s office or outside on a walk.
Breed-specific dog training
An at-home DNA kit makes a great and easy way to determine your dog’s breeds. The results help with challenges you may face in training. Research your dog’s breeds to find out which behaviors you might see and what type of training or cues you may need to focus more on.
Although breed can impact your dog’s predispositions for certain behaviors, there isn’t a single gene that causes any given behavior because environment — beginning at conception — largely influences behavior.
Some predispositions include certain breeds needing more mental stimulation than others. Terriers love to hunt. Border Collies and Australian Shepherds love to herd. German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois enjoy protection work and scent work. On the other hand, brachycephalic (short-snouted) dogs, such as English and French Bulldogs, Pugs and Pekingese, should avoid activities or sports that can cause them to overheat. Research the types of dogs that make up your mixed breed as it can guide you to the types of activities your dog might be into.
Dog breed personalities
While breed type can influence behavior, it doesn’t guarantee it, so let your dog tell you what he likes. Not all retrievers like to retrieve, and not all Labradors love water. Provide lots of opportunities, and let the biscuits fall where they may.
Explore enrichment activities to see what your dog enjoys and what could be used as rewards, especially if you’re having behavior issues or are stuck in your training. Lack of stimulation and exercise cause most behavioral problems, so ensure your dog gets enough of both. And, all dogs love to explore the world through their noses, so start with scent-work activities.
Enrichment ideas for mixed breed dogs:
Ultimately, training a mixed breed equates to training a purebred and breed is only a starting point for training. Every dog is an individual, and training should prioritize his unique needs. Work with what your dog shows you and what you observe, not necessarily what certain breeds should and shouldn’t be doing.
While planning for a remodel, many homeowners assume, “we’ll just do take out while the kitchen is being done.” Sounds pretty good in theory until you consider all the drawbacks. Leaving the house every time you want a cup of coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack can be exhausting—and expensive! Some smart kitchen planning will go a long way when trying to feed your family during the remodeling process. If you don’t, you’ll be spending a lot of money, not to mention the unhealthy aspect of eating take-out for every meal.
Spirit Airlines apologized to a Puerto Rican family after refusing to let them fly, CBS News reported.
The family was traveling to the US territory from LA, and their toddler did not have a passport.
A passport is not required to travel between Puerto Rico and the US mainland.
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A Puerto Rican family traveling from Los Angeles to Puerto Rico was stopped from boarding a Spirit Airlines flight because the parents’ child did not have a US passport. An American passport, however, is not required to travel between the US territory and the US mainland.
Late last month at Los Angeles International Airport, Marivi Roman Torres, her husband, and their two-year-old son reached the Spirit Airlines ticket counter after planning to visit family on the island, they were told they needed to show their passports.
Roman Torres said the agent told her that was an international flight. “I told her, ‘No, Puerto Rico is not another country. It is a US territory,’” she told CBS News.
While she and her husband showed their passports anyway, they told the Spirit agent their toddler did not have one after she asked to see it.
The employee then offered to either refund the flight or reschedule for when the family could acquire a passport for the young child.
Roman Torres asked, “Is there anyone else I can talk to? Can we call customer service together?”
Calling the Spirit staff “completely inflexible,” the family subsequently bought JetBlue tickets at a higher price. A JetBlue airline employee told the family passports were not needed to travel to the island in the Caribbean, “I’m like, ‘I know!’” Roman Torres told CBS.
After the incident, the airline said in a statement that they “sincerely apologized” for the inconvenience after CBS News contacted Spirit. The airline added they had refunded their tickets and provided travel vouchers for future flights.
“Spirit has a long history of serving Puerto Rico. In this specific case, an agent at LAX who is new to the position misunderstood the identification requirements. We are providing the agent with additional coaching and reiterating proper procedure,” the statement said.
Even so, Roman Torres said she would no longer book with the airline “My trust was broken there on something that should not have happened.”
US citizens can travel to several US territories without a passport
In a video news report posted on Twitter by CBS national correspondent David Begnaud — which has been viewed more than 800,000 times as of Friday — social media users heaped criticisms on the budget airline.
“How does the airline agent and the supervisor not know that you don’t need a passport to travel to Puerto Rico? You learn that Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S.A. in the 3rd Grade,” one Twitter user wrote.
Those born in Puerto Rico are US citizens, although Puerto Ricans cannot vote in US presidential elections. Rights groups have urged for more equal protections for residents of Puerto Rico under the US Constitution.
US citizens can travel to several US territories beyond the 50 states without a passport, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, according to the US government.
If you’re anything like us, your social media feed is showing you a lot of so-called “skin care hacks” that claim to help you achieve the best possible complexion. While these DIY tricks may look good on TikTok or Instagram, many of them should be avoided, especially the ones inspired by spa treatments usually performed by trained professionals. Read on to learn about some popular internet trends that should be avoided — and discover the alternative treatments that are much better for your skin!
Avoid: Pore Strips
Pore strips (also known as blackhead strips) aren’t a new trend, and actually first hit the shelves in the 1970s. They’re back in the spotlight because people online love to share the satisfaction of peeling them off to reveal what looks like buildup, dirt and oil found in their pores. The strips’ staying power is understandable – who wouldn’t want to empty their pores with a simple, inexpensive product that provides such instant gratification?
Unfortunately, pore strips aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. They work by forcefully pulling the oil from sebaceous filaments that line your pores and maintain your skin’s oil balance. Any redness you might notice after using one is not the squeaky clean skin you think it is. Instead, it’s irritated skin that has been painfully stripped of the oils that work to keep your skin barrier in good working order.
According to Very Well Health, the benefits of a pore strip are temporary and not as impressive as a pore strip’s residue might suggest. Oftentimes, our sebaceous filaments – which actually play a key role in your skin’s hydration and oil regulation – are mistaken for clogged pores. Pore strips target these important sebaceous filaments, along with whatever else they can grab. Plus, when using them for nose blackhead removal, pore strips can only pull out a small section and can’t reach larger, deeper blackheads. This means leaving a large portion behind in your skin. Without addressing the root of the problem, you’ve only partially emptied a tiny crevice that is now ready to collect new dirt and buildup. Yuck.
Instead, opt for a chemical or finely powdered physical exfoliant. We love the Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant to clear clogged pores around the nose. This fine powder works by gently removing grime or gunk without stripping the skin of the oils that work to protect it, giving you a deep clean without any damage.
Avoid: Using Glue To Remove Blackheads
One of the more surprising trends we’ve seen is using glue to create a pore-strip-style product for the face. Yes, you read that right – we’re talking about the white, thick glue you used in grade school.
According to Healthline, this trend mimics the effects of a traditional pore strip. However “glue is not intended for human skin, and may cause your pores to become even more clogged.” While we understand the appeal of a budget-friendly hack, we definitely couldn’t recommend this one in good conscience – especially considering the nasty chemicals that glue contains. Avoid greater skin issues down the line and keep the glue for your next craft project.
Instead, incorporate a peel into your weekly routine. This will help keep blackheads, whiteheads and surface level texture at bay. We love the Clear Skin Willow Bark Exfoliating Peel.
Avoid: Pore Vacuums
You might have seen a newer tool pop up in your skin care aisle or social media feed: the pore vacuum. Pore vacuums are handheld devices that suction onto the skin, promising to pull out any blackheads, gunk or buildup that’s settled in. But don’t believe the hype.
While pore vacuums look similar to highly effective tools used by spa professionals, they are not the same. The professional tools require specialized training to treat the area without damaging the skin’s layers. According to Healthline, at-home pore vacuums can cause bruising, discoloration and scarring, especially when used by someone not trained in esthetics. Worse, if you’re prone to sensitive skin reactions or rosacea, a pore vacuum can result in broken blood vessels or capillaries.
Instead, we’d recommend gommage – an exfoliating technique where a physical exfoliant is layered over a gel textured mask or treatment and gently rolled away with damp fingers after a few minutes. Gommage uses physical and chemical exfoliation to softly slough away dead skin cells and remove other debris from the skin’s surface. This technique is safe to try at home with a soft touch and slow movements. Or, head to your esthetician to have a professional safely perform extractions along with a gommage treatment.
A newer trend to hit the internet involves applying sticky tape-style products on the skin before bed to reduce movement and prevent wrinkles through the night. While this might make sense in theory, there are many reasons why this isn’t an effective strategy for smoothing the face.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, any short-term fixes will quickly disappear as the skin resumes its normal position when you wake up and start your day. And worse, pulling off the tape can remove a layer of skin, prompting irritation, allergic reactions to the tape itself or even blisters.
Instead, encourage lymphatic drainage and soften the look of wrinkles by using a gua sha tool as part of your routine. A regular gua sha practice gently works the muscles, increases glow and reduces puffiness. Discover our favorite gua sha techniques here.
Avoid: Harsh Scrubs
Aggressively buffing away at a surface to smooth it out makes sense when painting a wall or priming furniture, but would you use a product akin to sandpaper on your face? We didn’t think so. Harsh scrubbing with products that use nut shells or other ingredients with sharp edges will not give you the clear base you’re looking for.
Harsh scrubbing with thick, gritty pastes can lead to microtears and irritation, damaging your skin barrier and creating the perfect conditions for future breakouts. Vigorous physical exfoliation can also strip the skin, causing it to overproduce lost oil, leading to acne and other issues. Plus, if you have existing breakouts, scrubs can aggravate already inflamed skin, making breakouts worse.
Instead, gently exfoliating with a finely powdered product is the way to go. While smoothing skin with a powder scrub, use plenty of water to work the product around the face. A chemical exfoliant will do the same job without any rubbing at all. Remember, skin care is a marathon, not a sprint. Make your exfoliating ritual slow and relaxing. Your skin will love you for it.
Avoid: Derma Rolling
A derma roller is a handheld roller covered with tiny needles that you roll over the surface of your skin. Derma rolling takes inspiration from microneedling, a professional treatment that creates a low level of trauma to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. Microneedling can be an effective treatment for firming the skin because a professional can make adjustments depending on how their Clients’ skin reacts. However, the “one size fits all approach” of derma rolling means this treatment isn’t nearly as safe or effective.
According to Healthline, the potential risks include permanent scarring and darkening of the skin. Without proper sterilization, derma rolling also comes with a risk of infection. Some dermatologists express concerns about potential microtears and the risk of cheap rollers leaving tiny needle particles in the skin. Because of the risk of irritation, derma rollers are a no-go for those with eczema and dermatitis. Plus, as the rolling movement can spread bacteria around the face, derma rolling is especially risky for those with acne or cold sores.
Because these devices may reach nerves, blood vessels and other parts of the skin, even the FDA suggests leaving derma rolling to the professionals. Don’t try this one at home! Instead of derma rolling at home, always opt for professional microneedling treatments.
Watch as our Lead Skin Care Trainer, Natalie Pergar, discusses these and other skin care trends that should be avoided.
If you’re looking for better ways to improve your skin, consider reaching out to an Eminence Spa Partner in your area to help you choose the right option.
The post DIY Cupcake Topper: Easy Dog Birthday Party Idea by Linda Facci appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.
Whether you’re baking for your dog or for yourself, these cupcake toppers make a pawesome decoration at your dog-themed party.
DIY cupcake topper — What you’ll need:
Color Printer/design program
Full size sticker paper or plain paper
Toothpicks
Scissor
Glue stick (if using plain paper)
DIY cupcake topper — Instructions:
Using the design program, lay out your picture three times in a 1½ by 1½ circle and print. Printing your photos on sticker paper makes it easier to assemble your 3-D toppers. You can also print on plain paper and use a glue stick to assemble.
Cut out each picture.
Fold each circle in half. Peel off backing and adhere your toothpick to center of one of the circles. Adhere second circle to half of the first circle, adhere third circle to first and second circle, creating a 3-D topper.
Insert into a yummy cupcake or any other dessert!
The post DIY Cupcake Topper: Easy Dog Birthday Party Idea by Linda Facci appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.
An exhibition dedicated to the work of British architect Norman Foster has opened at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, showcasing drawings and original models produced by the architect over the last six decades.
Designs that informed Foster’s work are also exhibited, including works by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, French painter Fernand Léger, Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi and Italian painter Umberto Boccioni, and even cars, which the architect is passionate about.
The exhibition, simply called Norman Foster, was designed by Foster with his architecture studio Foster + Partners and nonprofit organisation the Norman Foster Foundation.
On display are sketches, drawings and models of the architect’s buildings
Curated by Centre Pompidou deputy director Frédéric Migayrou, the exhibition aims to showcase examples of Foster’s innovation and technology, his approach to sustainability and his ideas for the future of the built environment.
“This exhibition traces the themes of sustainability and anticipating the future,” said Foster.
“Throughout the decades we have sought to challenge conventions, reinvent building types and demonstrate an architecture of light and lightness, inspired by nature, which can be about joy as well as being eco-friendly.”
Examples of Foster’s work are interspersed with cars that have inspired him
The 2,200-square-metre exhibition begins with a room dedicated to Foster’s sketches and drawings, a practice he uses to communicate ideas and log design inspiration.
“For me, design starts with a sketch, continuing as a tool of communication through the long process that follows in the studio, factories and finally onto the building site,” said Foster.
“In 1975 I started the habit of carrying an A4 notebook for sketching and writing – a selection of these are displayed in the central cabinets, surrounded by walls devoted to personal drawings.”
Visitors begin the exhibition in a room filled with Foster’s sketches
The exhibition continues in a large space with partition walls that separates it into seven themes: Nature and Urbanity, Skin and Bones, Vertical City, History and Tradition, Planning and Place, Networks and Mobilities, and Future Perspectives.
The Nature and Urbanity section explores Foster’s approach to preserving nature by building “dense urban clusters, with privacy ensured by design,” the studio said.
Referencing a critic’s comment that the external appearance of Foster’s projects could be categorised as having a smooth “skin” facade or expressing its skeletal structure, the Skin and Bones portion of the exhibition showcases projects that illustrate the relationship between structure, services and cladding.
In the Vertical City section, the studio showcases how it created “breathing” towers by designing open, stacked spaces.
The exhibition features around 130 Norman Foster projects
“We were the first to question the traditional tower, with its central core of mechanical plant, circulation and structure, and instead to create open, stacked spaces, flexible for change and with see-through views,” said Foster.
“Here, the ancillary services were grouped alongside the working or living spaces, which led to a further evolution with the first ever series of ‘breathing’ towers.”
It showcases projects spanning Foster’s six-decade-long career
“In the quest to reduce energy consumption and create a healthier and more desirable lifestyle, we showed that a system of natural ventilation, moving large volumes of fresh filtered air, could be part of a controlled internal climate,” the architect continued.
The History and Tradition section aims to provide insight into examples of historic and vernacular architecture that influenced Foster, while the Planning and Places portion explores masterplanning and placemaking in urban spaces.
The exhibition is on display at the Centre Pompidou in Paris
Towards the open exhibition space’s exit, the Networks and Mobility section displays examples of transport and infrastructure and leads to the final room, Future Perspectives, which exhibits concepts for future methods of travel and communication.
On display are details of autonomous self-driving systems and designs for habitats on Mars and the moon that were developed with NASA and the European Space Agency.
The photography is by Nigel Young from Foster + Partners.
The Norman Foster exhibition is on display at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France, from 10 May to 7 August 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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Return on assets (ROA) is a key gauge of a company’s profitability.
The ROA ratio measures a company’s net income relative to its total assets.
A good ROA depends on the company and industry, but 5% or higher is considered good.
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Return on assets (ROA) is a ratio that measures a company’s profitability relative to its total assets. It shows how well (or poorly) a company is using everything it owns — from machinery to vehicles and intellectual property — to earn money.
What does ROA mean?
ROA is one way to measure an individual company’s performance, by seeing if the ratio has been increasing or decreasing over time. A rising ROA indicates improving efficiency, while an ROA that is falling suggests a company might be spending too much on equipment and other assets relative to the profits it is earning from those investments.
Investors or managers can use ROA to assess the general health of the company to see how efficiently it’s being run and how competitive it is. Investors often use ROA in deciding whether to put money into a company and evaluate its potential for returns relative to others in the same industry.
“ROA is used by investors to see how a company’s profitability, relative to its assets, has changed over time and how it compares to its peers,” says Michelle Katzen, managing director at HCR Wealth Advisors. “The ROA is one indicator that expresses a company’s ability to generate money from its assets.”
Return on assets formula
The basic return on assets formula is to divide a company’s net income by its average total assets, and then multiply the result by 100 to convert the final figure into a percentage. For non-financial companies, the formula can be a bit different.
Rachel Mendelson/Insider
Let’s break it down:
Net income: Revenue minus cost of goods sold minus expenses
Average total assets: The total assets on a company’s balance sheet at the end of the current year plus the total assets at the end of the previous year, divided by two
While this formula is the most popular, it’s not the only one used to determine a company’s ROA. Katzen says for non-financial companies, it can be helpful to add back interest expenses because of the inconsistency that can come from debt and equity capital being segregated.
“The values can differ if the formula is changed,” says Adam Lynch, senior quantitative analyst at Schwab Equity Ratings. “Often these alternate versions vary the unit of time used in the calculation.”
ROA Example
Here’s an example of how to use data from Nike’s balance sheets to figure its ROA for fiscal 2021
First, find Nike’s total assets at the end of fiscal 2021, which ended in May: $37.7 billion
Next, find Nike’s total assets at the end of fiscal 2020: $31.3 billion
Add those together and divide by two to get average assets: $34.5 billion
Divide its 2021 net income ($5.7 billion) by average assets ($34.5 billion) and then multiply the result by 100, which gives you 16.5%
So putting it all together, your formula looks like this when you plug in all the values:
ROA = (5.7/34.5)*100 = 0.1652 or 16.5%
What is a good ROA?
A “good” ROA depends on the company, the time frame of the calculation, and a few other factors. “It’s all relative,” says Lynch. “Better than your competition is what I’d aim for. Generally, you would compare competitive companies or industries.”
As a benchmark, though, an ROA of 5% or better is generally considered to be acceptable.
“Generally speaking, an ROA of 5% or better is considered ‘good,’” Katzen says. “But it is important to consider a company’s ROA in the context of competitors in the same industry, the same sector and of similar size.”
ROA vs. ROE
ROA is one of two primary measures managers and investors use to analyze a company’s profitability level. The other is return on equity (ROE). Both provide a view of how effective a company is at using the money put into it to generate earnings.
The main difference between the two is that ROE tells investors how much income a company generates relative to each dollar of equity value. The formulas are similar. For ROE, the basic calculation is to divide net annual income by shareholders’ equity, or the claim shareholders have on a company’s assets, after its debts are paid.
“The main difference between ROA and ROE is the consideration of a company’s debt,” Katzen says. “When calculating ROE you subtract any liabilities the company has, utilizing net assets (or shareholders equity) instead of total assets.”
The bottom line
ROA is an important measure of a company’s return on investments. It shows how much profit is being generated relative to all of its assets. The higher the number, the greater the return.
For investors, ROA can be used in conjunction with other metrics (including ROE, which measures profit relative to equity value) to gain insight into a company’s efficiency. It can be used to assess an individual company’s performance over time or to evaluate it relative to similar companies in the same industry.
“The ROA is one indicator that expresses a company’s ability to generate money from its assets,” Katzen says. “Generally speaking, the higher the ROA, the more effective a company is at generating income for investors. The more income a company generates, the more likely the investment will appreciate.”
Gone are the days of strict obedience dog training, so unless you aspire to compete in obedience, relax. Cues like sit, come and manners are important, but first, you need to establish a solid foundation. This includes teaching your dog to exist harmoniously with you and your family and fit comfortably into our human-centered world.
How do we do this?
Here are 5 dog training tips for beginners to point you (and your dog) in a zen-like direction:
Become versed in dog speak
Dogs are nonverbal, constantly communicating how they feel and what they want and need. So, understanding dog body language is key to not only building a solid relationship, but also to being successful in any training, sport or activity you do together.
Focus on enrichment and meeting your dog’s needs
Let your dog be a dog! Most behavior issues stem from boredom or lack of stimulation and exercise. Enrichment is meeting your animal’s species-specific needs by providing varied and optimal opportunities to engage in natural behaviors. Dogs love to sniff, dig, forage, chew, etc. Give your dog ample enrichment opportunities (breed-specific when possible) to keep her happy and content.
Discover what motivates your dog
Each dog is an individual. Since learning and behavior change are based on reinforcement, have fun playing detective, discovering what drives your dog. Create a food “ladder” by ranking foods your dog likes and those he loves; the idea is to have a ready-to-go chart of various levels of his favorite foods, a wow-factor for him each time you offer the food. Use lower-rung foods for easier training requests and graduate to higher rung foods for more challenging tasks. Break out the super snacks for the toughest gigs. Remember, it’s just food: experiment with dog-safe fruits, veggies, cheese balls, any type of treat he might like. Adjust meal portions accordingly (treats add calories to your dog’s daily food intake!) and avoid foods that are toxic to dogs.
Reminder: Don’t free feed, or offer unlimited amounts of food all day without a schedule. Not only does it compromise a powerful motivator, but it can lead to overeating and obesity.
Aside from food motivators, include praise and play when working your way up your food ladder!
Manage your dog’s environment
Set up your dog for success. Getting into the trash? Buy a covered can or put it in a closet. Counter surfing? Don’t leave things in reach. Shy dog? Don’t bring her to crowded events. Create environments and situations your dog can handle — don’t throw her in the deep end of the pool.
Reflect and rephrase. Instead of asking, “How do I stop my dog from digging in the garden?” ask, “How can I get my dog to dig in only appropriate places?” Hint: Read out article to find out how. This gives you something to train (win-win) rather than setting you up to punish your dog (always a lose-lose).
Be patient
Learning new behaviors (and changing existing ones!) is complicated — don’t expect your dog to “get it” immediately. Sociologists say it takes 21 days on average for humans to form a new habit, so expect to put in at least a few weeks teaching your dog new stuff. Sure, she might learn sit in one or two quick sessions, but it’s a whole different ball game for her to generalize or know that sit means sit no matter where she is, what else is going on around her or who is around.
Start small, work tall. Don’t expect middle school-level mastery if you’re putting in grade school effort. Again, set her up for success and break your training up into smaller steps when necessary.
If your work feels challenging, contact a qualified professional rewards-based trainer. Support and guidance go a long way for your dog and minimize frustration for you. Laugh, celebrate little victories and expect things will be wonky sometimes. Mistakes are an integral part of learning for both you and your dog. Find a rhythm and have fun!
Have you recently renovated your kitchen and need something to help you with residue left after cabinet refacing, newly installed countertops, and upgraded flooring? Or perhaps you just want to arm yourself with eco-friendly cleaning products that will cut down on dirt, grease and grime? Odds are you need to look no further than your kitchen pantry, because white vinegar is practically a miracle cleanser. When mixed with water – and sometimes salt or baking soda – vinegar cleans countertops, sinks and even mirrors for a fraction of the price of commercial cleansers. (more…)
