Business

Large Deductible Insurance: How to Cure Collateral Depression

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Large deductible insurance may seem like an easy way to reduce the costs of workers’ compensation or liability insurance. But appearances can be deceiving. The collateral your insurer needs to protect your credit risk can put a strain on your lines of credit or credit rating. Here are three cures for this common problem.

Cure 1 – Bail

A bond is a three-way contact between you, your insurer, and the bond. A surety bond is a promise that, in exchange for the premium you pay, the surety will meet your financial obligations if you are unable to do so. If you cannot compensate your insurer for payments that fall within the deductible, the guarantee will cover those payments.

Not all insurers will accept a surety bond as a substitute for cash collateral or letters of credit. They may not get full credit for the bond under legal accounting standards. Warranties may require you to issue the bond, which will reduce some of the benefits of this approach.

Cura 2 – Trust Account

A trust account, which you finance with cash or high credit securities, can be substituted for letters of credit. The cost of maintaining a trust account is typically less than the cost banks charge for LOCs, which means you can save money each year in escrow costs and not have to draw on lines of credit.

Securities approved for a trust account may not provide you with an attractive return. The money you save on administrative costs could be offset by lower investment returns.

Cura 3 – Negotiate with your insurer

The guarantee amount set by your insurer is calculated using several factors: the frequency and severity of your historical claims; your company’s credit rating; social and economic inflation factors. Their actuaries use these factors to predict future amounts and timing of payments for claims that fall within your deductible.

An improvement in your credit rating, a change in business activity, long-term expectations for future business opportunities in your industry can all work in your favor. Talk to your insurer about these changes. Hire your own actuary to analyze your losses. Don’t assume your insurer’s warranty calculations are set in stone.

Bonus Cure – Loss Portfolio Transfer

If you have been in a large deductible insurance program for several years, you may be suffering from “stacking” of warranties. This is the accumulation of collateral over several years to the point where you have substantial amounts of assets or credit tied up with your insurer.

A loss portfolio transfer is a contract with an insurer or reinsurer to transfer your liabilities for future claims in exchange for the payment of a premium. The LPT contract premium is determined by the anticipated timing and amount of your future claim payments, as well as the time value of money.

Many people think that a low interest environment would not be suitable for LPT, since the discount factor will be very small. But releasing letters of credit frees up your lines of credit for other uses, and that alone may be worth buying.

Home Kitchen

What do the professionals use to paint cabinets?

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Paint is one of the most important aspects to consider when updating your kitchen, bathroom, or other interior space. It can hide blemishes and give you a fresh new look without breaking the bank. However, it’s not always easy to know what type of paint would be best for your project. This article will teach you all about the types of paints professionals use on cabinets and how they differ from DIY paints so you can make an informed decision before beginning any project!

Paint has many benefits, such as giving your home an updated look while hiding blemishes, but there are different types of paint for different needs. Professionals use specific paints to paint cabinets; this post will talk about those differences between professional grade paints.

Emerald Urethane has numerous benefits for homeowners, DIYers, and contractors. It’s the perfect solution if you’re looking to increase the value of your home or property with a fresh coat of paint. Emerald Urethane features include being durable, easy to maintain, scratch resistant, water repellent and more!

Emerald Urethane is a clear, solvent-based protective coating for wood. It is the best option to protect your cabinets from stains and scratches. The application process can be done by yourself or with the help of professional contractors. Some key features of this treatment include: scratch resistant, water repellent and dries in 2 hours to 24 hours depending on the thickness applied! Your kitchen will look like new in no time!

Emerald Urethane for Cabinets – Waterproof and Scratch Resistant Coating

Farrow and Ball glitter

Farrow and Ball paint is a gloss paint specially designed for use on wood, metal, plaster and other surfaces. The company offers more than 200 colors of this paint in its catalog, including the popular White – White Rose. This blog post will talk about some of the benefits of using Farrow and Ball Paint, as well as different ways to apply it to your home or project.

This blog post discusses how farrow and ball gloss paint can be used on furniture, walls, cabinets, or any number of surfaces, but also delves into what makes this particular type of gloss finish so great. There are three main ingredients in all Farrow and Ball paints: linseed oil (for bonding), pigment (for creating colour), and resin (for bonding).

Benjamin Moore Advanced Interior Satin

Benjamin Moore Advance Interior Satin is a versatile finish that can be used for cabinets, trim, furniture and more. This shade of green is very popular with homeowners today because it is not too dark and not too light.

Benjamin Moore Satin Paint has a low sheen that gives it a sleek appearance while being durable enough to withstand high-traffic areas in the home. The clear coat adds depth and dimension to the color, so even if you have lighter colors on your walls, this color will still stand out against them.

Advance Indoor Sateen offers many different benefits that are perfect for homeowners looking to create a welcoming space in their homes.

These are the 3 paints that most professional cabinet painters use. The only true way to know what you prefer and what paint is easiest for you to use is to try them out and learn from experience.

Auto

Tips for cheap insurance plans

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It’s spring, and a young man’s fantasy turns to buying a new car. Well, that may not be the correct quote, but it’s true! But if he wants a new trip, he should buy an affordable insurance plan to protect him.

When you’re thinking about getting insurance, there are two ways you can do it. If you own your own home, you have insurance for that. And you have life insurance. (I wish). So when you’re thinking about getting auto insurance, you may want to integrate everything with the same insurance agent that handles all your other insurance.

But… is that really the best way to get a cheap insurance plan? You may want to check with other insurance companies, as they may offer cheaper rates than your original company.

One way to see how much other insurance companies will charge you is to compare their rates, and you can do this quickly and easily online. By entering your personal details – age, driving history, where you live, as well as vehicle details – you can have dozens of insurance companies provide you with quotes simultaneously.

But getting your quotes online is not enough. After getting these quotes, you still need to do some research on these companies. What are your policies? If you are in an accident, will your rates increase and if so, by how much? Will they be lowered again if a certain amount of time passes without another accident?

If you are in an accident, how long will it take to resolve your case? To find out, you’ll need to visit a few sites: the Better Business Bureau and your state’s department of insurance oversight, which will be able to provide you with these kinds of statistics about the company.

Just because a company has cheap premiums doesn’t always mean that it will actually turn out to be the cheapest company you can choose from!

Digital Marketing

How to do video marketing

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With the growth of the internet and technology, videos have become more and more of a powerful tool to get more leads and grow the business.

The commercialization of video editing tools and the ease of video sharing through video sharing sites like YouTube has seen the growth of the video industry skyrocket.

These days, it doesn’t matter if you are a small time salesperson or a corporate giant, you gain a lot from leveraging video to grow your business.

Internet marketing trends have always been evolving. Back then, it was article marketing. Then came the era of paid PPC and PPV advertising. Today, we have Video Marketing.

What is video marketing? Video marketing is the art of using video to market and grow your business. This could be by using videos to get leads, drive traffic, or sell a video product.

Video marketing is great because it has the ability to go viral. Viral marketing spreads as fast and as widely as a biological virus, but in the marketing sense. This can help you reach a wide audience in a short period of time and at a low cost.

People love watching videos, even more so because you can incorporate visual and audio elements that can stir emotions and make the content interesting. Ebooks are a thing of the past and have a hard time keeping up with videos that have been getting better and better.

One of the most useful sites out there is YouTube, the world’s largest video sharing site. We will look at the power of YouTube in the next section.

the power of youtube

As mentioned above, YouTube is the largest video sharing website in the world. Why are they called video sharing sites? It’s because everyone who uploads videos is like a TV channel of its own: you can get subscribers and people who watch your videos can freely share them with others through a wide variety of social sharing tools available.

YouTube’s popularity has skyrocketed and businesses, large or small, have a lot to gain from taking advantage of this phenomenon.

YouTube allows you to upload videos for free, and if your videos meet their standards, they will offer you director status, where you can post videos longer than 10 minutes.

One nice thing about YouTube is that you can post descriptions in the bottom box of your videos. This allows you to drive traffic to your website and write descriptions about your videos.

YouTube also has the added benefit of being owned by Google, the world’s largest search engine. Because of that, YouTube videos rank high on Google, and you can get tons of traffic by targeting keywords with high search volume and that are related to your niche.

We have seen the potential of YouTube: a large user base, videos that are easy to upload and also easy to share.

Here’s how to start marketing your business using YouTube:

1) Create a video with valuable content related to your niche

2) Make sure there is a call to action at the end of the video.

3) Upload your video to YouTube

4) Add a description under each video

5) Be sure to include a link to your website (for traffic drawing purposes)

6) Share your videos with your target audience

Remember, a very important part of video marketing is the sharing component. Get your subscribers or followers to share your videos with others to get more views. The more views you get, the higher your video will rank.

Videos with a higher rank will usually appear in the YouTube channel charts and this will allow you to get more views.

Basic Tools For Video Marketing

Let’s look at some simple tools for creating videos for marketing purposes. One of my favorite combinations is Microsoft Powerpoint + Camstasia.

Microsoft Powerpoint allows you to create video content through slides, animations, and sound effects. Camstasia allows you to record a screenshot, so when you play your slides in real time, you can record everything that happens.

Combined with cool music, you can make powerful informative videos that your customer base will like.

Camstasia also allows you to edit your videos with basic features like audio editing, slide transitions, etc. Post-production of the video is followed by uploading to YouTube, all can be done instantly via Camstasia.

Last but not least, you’ll need to sign up for a YouTube account before you can start uploading videos.

In short, these tools will help you create simple yet powerful videos to get traffic and customers, as long as you have good content that your target market enjoys.

Videos are a great powerful tool to help you grow your online business in many ways.

Rome was not built in a day, in the same way that traffic does not happen in an instant. However, if you diligently practice these video marketing methods, your business will surely have a lot to gain.

The best way to build a budding online business is to take advantage of not only videos, but also many marketing methods such as article marketing, SEO, and paid advertising.

Once you’ve found what works best for your business, replicate and multiply your efforts and in no time you’ll have built a solid business empire with thousands of followers.

I wish you all the best in your video marketing and online business journey!

Relationship

Why Round Robin and Reading Popcorn Are Bad

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Every day, in thousands of classrooms, students are asked to read aloud. Some teachers use the free-for-all style, in which each student takes turns reading a section. Other teachers use the popcorn style, in which students invite each other to read. For many teachers, these strategies are the primary means of working through a reading text with students.

Teachers say that having students read aloud is important practice for fluency and decoding. Teachers argue that this strategy holds students accountable for reading along with the class, as opposed to reading silently. Reading aloud increases comprehension because listening comprehension is generally at a higher level than reading comprehension silently. It also helps the teacher to formatively assess students’ pronunciation, attention to punctuation, and inflection. Students love to read aloud and would rather hear a story aloud than have to read the story silently and independently. Getting students to read aloud is as American as apple pie.

But, upon further analysis, free-for-all styles and popcorn are not effective means of instruction. Instead, having students read aloud can backfire.

First of all, having one child read aloud at a time is not good fluency practice. Effective fluency practice is leveled according to the instructional level of the student. The Read Naturally® fluency program uses a brief oral assessment to assess each student’s level of fluency. The class novel or textbook may or may not be up to the instructional level for most of your students.

Good fluency practice uses modeled selections. The students are not the best model readers in the class. Poor reader students reinforce poor reading skills such as inattention to punctuation, poor pronunciation, and poor inflection. The more the teacher interrupts to correct student mistakes, the less fluency is practiced.

Good fluency practice requires lots of reading aloud, including repeated reading. In any given reading, an individual student may read once or twice for a total of, say, one minute. Sparse practice to improve fluency.

The round robin and popcorn practice is bad decoding practice. Class novels and textbooks are not decodable texts. Real literature is full of sight words. In addition, students present different deficiencies in diagnostic decoding. Correcting a student’s mispronunciation of /ch/ in chorus can only address the needs of one or two students. And correction is not an effective practice. Students need multiple examples, not isolated corrections, to improve decoding. The fix also doesn’t improve syllabication skills.

Having students read aloud decreases reading comprehension. Jumping from one student to the next interrupts the flow of the selection. Reading comprehension depends on the connection of ideas. Imagine watching a twenty-two minute episode of The office with thirty different five-second commercials interrupting the show. Comprehension would obviously diminish. In the round robin, students often anticipate where they will start and practice in silence, thus losing comprehension.

Not all students enjoy reading aloud. For some, this activity is the most dreaded classroom activity. Poor readers lose self-esteem when asked to read aloud. Companions can be ruthless and cruel. Too often, teachers use rotating turn-taking or popcorn styles to “catch” inattentive students, further disrupting fluency and understanding and only serving to put students down.

Instead of popcorn and rotary turn styles, why not use strategies that are appropriate to the teacher’s instructional goals? For fluency development, use a differentiated fluency plan with diagnostically assessed leveled selections with teacher read-alouds or modeled stories on CD and repeated practice. Or at least use choral readings or echo readings to provide some model. For decoding practice, use phonics worksheets assigned according to students’ assessed diagnostic needs. For reading comprehension, use specific guided reading comprehension strategies with the best model reader, the teacher, as a coach. For the formative reading assessment, protect student self-concept and assessment accuracy by reading one-on-one periodically.

Health Fitness

Perfect shakes to lose weight

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Prepare the best smoothies for weight loss with superfoods that can increase the metabolic rate.

Discover innovative, effective, and beyond-simple smoothie recipes that are packed with protein and nutrients.

The shakes and shakes below tip the scales at around 300 calories and include absolutely no added sweeteners or sugar.

Think about these types of superfoods with your smoothies: avocado, coconut oil, oats, chia seed, cocoa powder, and flax (oil or seed). Include the milk of your liking. Skim, coconut, and almond milk are ideal for smoothies and skinny shakes.

Include your favorite healthy fruits and vegetables with your favorite superfoods.

You can also select a protein spike from Greek yogurt and/or protein powder for the best weight loss shakes. Shakes are an easy way to control calories, increase nutrition, and add protein to your daily diet.

Banana Nut Protein Shake

Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla whey protein

1 cup almond milk

1 large banana

3 tablespoons peanut or almond butter

Frozen water

Make Avocado Weight Loss Smoothies

You may not expect to add avocado to a smoothie. However, avocados are a superfood that provide a beautiful silky consistency to your smoothie along with great healthy nutrition and fats.

Never be afraid to use avocados because they are high in fat. They are rich in beneficial fats that your system requires, making them an extremely healthy superfood.

Make Weight Loss Smoothies With A Vitamin C Supercharge

When you need a little more vitamin C and want to use something other than orange juice to make it, make this smoothie recipe. Mix the following ingredients in your blender or smoothie maker:

* 3 cups of watermelon

* 1 cup of melon

* 1/2 cup strawberries

* 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Blend until silky smooth and serve immediately.

All-Natural Body Fat Burners

Use some of these ingredients in your weight loss shakes.

All these organic ingredients tend to increase the metabolic rate and stimulate the autoimmune system and also stabilize sucrose in the blood:

Apple cider vinegar * lemon * cinnamon * cayenne * coconut oil * chia seed * grapeseed oil

Banana smoothie recipe for weight loss

Everyone knows that it is vital that you eat a great morning meal. But who has time? From now on you will.

You can also make use of a travel cup with a straw and take it on the road.

Mix the following ingredients in your blender or smoothie maker:

* 1-1/2 cups of nonfat milk

* 1 medium banana, peeled and chopped, frozen: Cover chopped banana with plastic wrap or place in plastic freezer bag; freeze for several hours or overnight.

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

* A little cinnamon (to taste)

Blend for 20 seconds until silky smooth, then serve immediately.

What is your favorite smoothie? Do you ever create soy protein shakes or use fruit? Comment with your favorite smoothie recipe.

Legal Law

The task of calculating the payroll tax

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Payroll tax calculation is always a daunting task. The calculation must be made based on the current tax structure announced by the government. As you know, the structure is reviewed every year and therefore the tax calculation must be done based on the existing structure. Therefore, it goes without saying that the organization should be aware of the current tax structures and other related laws. To calculate the tax, the organization will need to have employees fill out the necessary forms.

Details of the salary declared on the form should be checked against official records. After this, the organization will have to calculate the tax to be paid by the employee. If there is an error in the calculation, the employee may not obtain certain tax benefits and, on the other hand, the organization may also be exposed to greater inconvenience. Remember, the tax laws are very strict and the IRS can take strong action against the organization.

Role of outsourcing agencies

Considering the complexities involved in calculating taxes and other related issues, many organizations now prefer to outsource this task of deducting tax from employees’ payroll. There are several outsourcing agencies that undertake this tedious task of calculating the tax from the payroll of the employees. You can search for such agencies. These agencies, in addition to calculating the tax, also help employees fill out the corresponding forms. Whenever necessary, they also guide employees on the relevant laws. Similar assistance is also provided to the organization.

Provide Comprehensive Services Related to Taxes

As already stated, tax laws are very strict. It takes an expert to understand and interpret them. Therefore, while selecting the outsourcing agency, the organization must ensure that the outsourcing agency has suitably qualified and experienced staff who can take on such tasks. Many times it can happen that in order to solve some of the problems, discussions with the IRS authorities may have to be held. In such cases, the organization may not be able to interact effectively with IRS authorities. But, outsourcing agencies will perform such tasks with ease. Once the agency is entrusted with the task of calculating the tax, it resolves all issues that arise and, when necessary, also holds necessary discussions with the IRS authorities. In short, these tax law firms represent the organization and all fronts and resolve issues with the best interests of the organization in mind.

Other services offered

Interestingly, many of these outsourcing agencies, in addition to calculating payroll taxes, also offer other services. For example, there are several agencies that also offer human resources services such as pre-employment evaluation, workers’ compensation insurance, and various other related services. These services are available to national and international organizations. Service charges for tax calculation are normally based on the total tax payable. As for other services such as human resources assistance, it varies from one agency to another. Prior to shortlisting, the organization must go through the particular contracting agency’s reviews.

Lifestyle Fashion

"Ultimate Cookbook Without Cheese" – Innovative, healthy and delicious recipes with plant-based ingredients

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Joe Stepaniak’s “Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook” was one of the first cookbooks I bought after deciding to go vegan 3 years ago. For those unfamiliar with the term “cheeseless,” Stepaniak uses it to describe rich-flavored spreads, dressings, sauces, and blocks made with whole foods without dairy (primarily beans, nuts, or grains).

Cheese lovers be warned: You may be disappointed if you expect tofu to taste like Feta or chickpeas like Havarti. The book’s introduction even acknowledges that “cheeseless aren’t going to be like dairy cheeses, so adjust your expectations accordingly.”

Unfortunately, I skipped Stepaniak’s well-intentioned introduction and dived into the recipes, trying ricotta tofu, Chick Cheez, Swizz Cheez, Buffalo Mostarella, Brie, Betta Feta, White Bean Boursin, Monterey Jack, and port without cheese. And while they were all tasty (my favorite is the spicy Chick Cheez spread, made with chickpeas), they left me feeling a little underwhelmed and wondering if you could really live without real cheese.

As a result of not finding perfect non-dairy replacements for my most beloved cheeses, “The Uncheese Cookbook” sat dormant on my shelf for some time. Little did I realize that I would return to Stepaniak’s book later (many times), and find that it had improved over time. The most valuable lesson from him is that he introduces unknown ingredients and uses them, as well as more common items, including raw nuts, in innovative ways.

For example, I had never heard of nutritional yeast, an ingredient used in many of the recipes in the book. Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamins and minerals that also has a tangy, cheesy flavor. I later found out that Stepaniak is a bit of a fan of the subject of nutritional yeast, as he is the author of “The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook.”

Among other new (and somewhat difficult to obtain) ingredients were agar and kuzu (both plant-based thickening agents used in place of gelatin) and umeboshi plum paste, used to add salt. Chickpea flour (also known as Chana Besan), while common in Indian cooking, is also used in many non-cheese dishes.

The introduction to the Uncheese Cookbook provides a detailed and helpful reference to all of the aforementioned ingredients, as well as others. It also contains well-documented background on how the dairy industry has influenced the evolution of the American diet (echoing T. Scott Campbell’s “China Study”) and provides detailed nutritional data on the benefits of non-dairy sources of calcium, Proteins, fats and carbohydrates vs. dairy products.

Moving on to the recipes, I found many of the “cheeseless dishes” to be excellent. Among my favorites are:

  • Chocolate Almond Cheesecake (p170*) with Pecan Granola Crust: Everyone who has tried it is amazed that it tastes more delicious than real cheesecake, without using eggs or dairy (maple syrup is the secret).
  • “Besto Pesto” (which seamlessly substitutes miso for cheese): How can a vegan diet be considered sacrificed when you can still enjoy a plate of linguine with a Genevose pesto sauce?
  • Chickpea flour pizza (p. 128), eaten with vegetable curry. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare, so it’s also very practical!
  • Beannaise (p150)–Used as a substitute for mayonnaise in other recipes, and also alone, as a dressing for vegetables or salads.

*Note: Page numbers refer to the tenth edition of the book.

Other recipes I would recommend include: Parmesan Chips (pg 50), Eggplant Parmagiano Stew (pg 80), Spinach Tofu Manicotti (pg 117), Zucchini Chedda Soup (pg 77).

After repurposing “The Cheeseless Cookbook”, there are still many dishes I plan to try, including: Classic Quiche (p102), Lemon Teasecake (p169), “Key Lime” variation, Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce (p63), Spicy spinach and artichoke dip (p49) and curried cauliflower cheese soup (p76).

Other features of the book that you will appreciate are the tables of nutritional values ​​for each of the recipes and the lists of food allergens (gluten, soy, nuts, corn). On the other hand, the book contains only 4 pages of photographs, and could certainly use more.

If you already have “The Cheeseless Cookbook” but haven’t picked it up in a while, I suggest it’s worth another look. If not, grab a copy and try their innovative and healthy recipes based on plant-based ingredients. Just remember to drop your expectations of dairy cheese flavor, and you won’t be disappointed!

Real Estate

Insurance: one of life’s necessities

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While it’s nice to enjoy life’s many comforts, those comforts come with risks. This is where insurance comes in. To get the most out of your car, your home, and ultimately your health, you may need to invest in protection. This gives individuals and families peace of mind and protects you and your loved ones from unforeseen events or accidents.

Keep your car covered

Most states have laws that require insurance for a person to operate a vehicle. If you are pulled over without proof of coverage or if you are involved in an accident, you can be fined or even have your license suspended. Not only is it beneficial to the individual to have car insurance, but it is also beneficial to other parties if an accident occurs. The insured party may have more costs or delays in car repairs or medical bill payments, and the uninsured party may incur penalties and out-of-pocket expenses. This also helps in cases of accidents caused by your environment. For example, if your car is covered and the windshield is broken by a rock, you can call the company and they will supplement the price of the new windshield.

protect your home

Whether you’ve bought a home or just rented, getting insurance is a priority. There are many unpredictable events that put valuables inside and outside your home at risk. First of all, owners need to be aware of the potential risks. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a fire, your home is an investment you probably don’t want to see disappear in rain or fire. Consider the valuables you have collected over the years and the sentiments you have attached to them. Mitigate your stress by having a separate entity directly responsible for the financial repercussions. Accidents happen. For example, a leaky roof caused by the weather, a tree falling on the house due to a storm, or the neighbor’s son breaking a window with his wayward baseball can all wreak havoc. There are also additional special features that can be added to renters and homeowners insurance. If you live in an area prone to flooding, the policy may include flood insurance. Hurricane and tornado insurance can also be added for those who live in risk areas.

Whether young or old, insurance is a necessity of life. Paying monthly bills throughout the year will protect you and your family from unthinkable incidents. While some see this as a waste of money, ask anyone who has faced a disaster without coverage and they’ll soon change their minds. Explore your options and don’t be afraid to be picky about your provider. Your top priority should be getting him what he needs.

Sports

Owning a dog can be fun when raised properly

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Sometimes I hate mornings. You see, I have dogs. There is a right way to raise and train pets and a wrong way. Go the wrong way and trust me you will pay for it. I’ll give you a typical day in my life and help you find ways to avoid unnecessary puppy mess. Training your pets and spending time with them is extremely important to you and your pet.

TJ, my mean, fierce, spiteful miniature poodle (yes a poodle can be fierce, you’d be mad too if you were a boy and everyone thought you should wear pink sweaters and a bow) relieves himself on my leg and leaves loads of his contempt for me on the ground. I call him the “Miracle Dumper” because he walks and becomes number two at the same time. There’s nothing like a smart pump to ruin your nice, clean shoes first thing in the morning.

But is that normal?

From time to time he has an “accident” in the house. Maybe I should call him on purpose because I think he’s doing it to annoy me. It’s not my fault it’s so cute that people want to stuff it into a pink fleece. I think he has some deficiency problems and miracle dumping is his therapy. But that can be fixed with due care. In my case, as soon as I see him start to duck, I run for a plastic bag, launching myself into a prostrate position trying to catch his nasty projectiles like I’m a catcher in a baseball glove hooking a wayward knuckleball. The problem is that it doesn’t sit still long enough to stop the process. Not a great way to start the day.

So there I sit, face down, lying on the floor at 4 am with an empty bag in my hand and my face only inches from the beautiful gift he left me. Maybe I’ll make her wear a pink sweater from now on.

Geez…it’s not dawn yet, let me have a cup of coffee at least. Why can’t you be like Buddy, my good dog? For God’s sake, it’s raining outside too, now what do I do? The designated dog walking area is across the street, that’s where everyone is supposed to go, but for today as there’s no one around and it’s raining, Fugheddaboudit!

The good thing is that my apartment is on the ground floor with a large grassy area in front. Hell, I’m not going out there in my nightgown, with an umbrella with a flashlight and a poop scoop in hand. You could be arrested, even in New York. It’s bad enough I have to follow the little bugger around the house with a bag like a deranged catcher chasing a bunt. He would be soaked while he waited, and my shoes would be soaked. Who’s to know, anyway? There’s my neighbor, Fred, who has a habit of crossing the lawn on his way to his car. But he’s a well-mannered guy. I’ll take my chances.

I can’t help but love my dogs. Maybe that’s the problem, maybe I love them too much. The general rule is that you have to take responsibility for your pet and her mischievous behavior, even the stray piles she leaves behind. “Responsible dog ownership means more than just loving your dog. It’s a serious lifelong commitment that takes time and a lot of attention. Don’t forget: when Fido misbehaves, you’re the one who has to take the blame.”

The first step in properly training your dog or any pet is taking responsibility for him or her. Although we adore them, we must teach them and maintain discipline so that they do what they are supposed to do. It doesn’t mean they won’t love you. In fact, it means the exact opposite. A dog or pet that respects you and your discipline will probably love you. And he won’t leave you early birthday presents in stinky piles on the floor.

My pets aren’t that bad. I love them very much, but the life and behavior of any pet can be improved. Sometimes I call TJ Slippery Louie because he’s so fast. He is insecure, occasionally showing aggressive behavior to both me and Buddy, my beloved Cocker Spaniel, even though TJ has been neutered. It is important to spay and neuter animals if you are not going to breed them. Not only does it help control animal populations, it’s good for your pet. The last thing anyone needs is a super playful pet that assaults their visitors’ knees every chance they get.

TJ is usually very nice, he’ll lick the skin off your face, but he can be pretty unpredictable so I treat him with kid gloves. While Buddy is quiet and quiet, TJ is hyperactive. He is eight years old. Hyper is common for poodles, smooth is common for cocker spaniels. Although TJ Loves Buddy, he is also bullied by him. He is a bully. If Buddy comes near him while he’s eating, he bites him, so I always keep them apart at mealtimes. Again, it’s important to set boundaries with his animals. It is instinctive for a dog to protect food from him, so I take the precaution of keeping them apart at mealtimes. That’s another key part of raising animals, spending time with your pets. This is how you learn about them so that you can train them properly. Ignoring your pet or not spending time with it is a bad habit. If you are always traveling or on the go, then you should not have a pet.

My dogs are inseparable. I call them my bookends. TJ sleeps on one side of the couch while Buddy sleeps on the other side. Buddy and TJ bring joy to my life. Dogs are intelligent and have their own personalities. If I tell TJ to take a bath, the little shrimp starts howling like he’s torturing it. Instead, Buddy dances the St. Vitus dance, swaying like a break dancer with a bad case of Poison Ivy. For all of us who have pets, whether they are dogs, cats or any other type of pet, they are tremendously valuable to our lives. You are also valuable to their lives and you must remember this. Pets give us an internal feeling of joy and happiness. Pets make their owners laugh, which not only loosens facial muscles, but also helps lower blood pressure. This contributes to a longer and healthier existence for both of you. So I appreciate TJ’s annoying interruptions even when I’m writing.

Simply put, pets can help you live longer, so you need to take care of them. You have to give them exercise, but exercise is good for you too. Walking them, taking them swimming, even taking them for a walk is amazing exercise. Of course, proper training can fix surprises in the bathroom in a much more efficient way.

“Every time you take your pet out, say over and over again ‘go potty’. Take her out and ’empty’ her often so she can’t get into the house.”

The most important way to train your pet and keep it happy and healthy is to spend time with it. Believe it or not, dogs suffer from separation anxiety. They may have panic attacks, and this leads to bad behavior, both when you are out and after you get home. Pets will act to make you pay for leaving them alone. They are smart that way. They will not only leave you with sports piles to clean up, but they will destroy your house, destroying books and papers, scratching doors and damaging furniture.

Ultimately, you’ll find that your beloved pets will reward you with more than you can imagine—not just a little pile of poop in the middle of your living room! You have to get to know their personalities, adjust to their needs, and convince them to conform to acceptable behavior as well. This process is not bad. It doesn’t mean you won’t be standing outside your house at 4am in the rain letting your dog relieve himself, it means you’ll be happy not to have to clean the floor later and have moments and memories that will last a lifetime. Moments a pet owner wouldn’t trade for anything. Even a little poodle can carve out a big place for itself in your heart. We should all give them the time and attention their love and care deserve.