The family pet is an ideal that many parents aim for. They want a little furry friend to be running around the home, with bounds of energy and lots of enthusiasm to enjoy life. It's also great for the children as they can be a companion for them at home. The concept of the family pet is something that we hold near and dear because we want an animal in our lives that shares the same experiences we do. Not only are the good to cuddle with, but they’re also fun to play with. Although they are not of the same species, dogs are often seen as man’s best friend. Dogs have so much love and loyalty to give, that’s why children should be introduced to them when they’re young so they can learn how to care for something that gives in return. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why dogs are favored above cats for young kids, because they’re more likely to help and befriend you.
Not always a plaything
Dogs are great creatures but they require a lot of care and attention. They do shed a lot of fur all year round, which makes grooming them a priority for the owners. They are also prone to doing some odd and sometimes, bad things as they don’t know any better. Children should be taught how to care for them while they’re young so they can see how much hard work it is, to take care of another living being. They’ll also get a perspective on what it's like to maintain and care for dogs, as they can help to bathe them. Dogs aren’t always a play thing, kids can be taught the meaning of responsibility by helping to take care of the family pet.
Playing safely
Children can get frustrated sometimes when parents tell them they can’t do something. They’re not used to the word no, and hence like to push the boundaries a little bit. However, when they are tasked with caring for the dog, they can realize what you’re trying to get at. Dogs will unwittingly run out into traffic or across the street while a vehicle is coming, and perhaps even run around carelessly and fall into a body of water. But with a best underground dog fence, the kids can play with the dog safely and not be at danger of going too far away from the home or running carelessly underneath a moving vehicle. The collar put around the dog is wirelessly connected to the in-ground system. When the dog runs over the wire buried in the ground, the dog will get a little annoying buzz that stops them from going any further. This is great for when their ball is thrown too far and perhaps into the street.
Children should know that taking care of a somebody else is hard work and is a lot of responsibility. Maybe they will take this more seriously when they are caring and maintaining the health of the family dog. Playing is fun but without safety in mind, it can go south really quickly. Kids will learn to play responsibly and not put themselves or the dog in harm’s way for a game.
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Stella has been a therapy dog for a couple months now and she's doing really well with it. I'm convinced that she has the most ideal laid back personality for it too. She just sits there. She's like a little stuffed animal that you can snuggle without her getting fidgety.
She knows when we are headed out for her monthly therapy pet visit now too! She gets super excited when she sees me get the yellow bandana out and she practically marches herself out the door and into the car. Once we walk in the retirement community she starts wagging her tail, awaiting all of the attention she's certain is coming her way.
Everybody loves her and she brings so much joy. Sometimes all she has to do is sleep against them while they sit on the sofa and other times they like to pet her while she quietly sits on their lap. Either way, everyone is benefitting.
Stella is so calm and well behaved that people often think she's not real and that she's a stuffed animal!!
So how does she do it? Therapy work can take a lot out of an animal. Well, I make sure to watch her for calming signals like if she starts yawning or staring at me. That's usually her signal that she has had enough. Just like people socializing, a dog socializing can get tired quickly from having to be "on" the whole time. For this reason her visits usually don't last over half an hour.
I let her rest afterwards even if the rest of the pack is out on the porch with me. If Stella wants to stay in her bed, she totally can.
And of course I have been feeding her a very balanced diet. She's been loving the Nutro Ultra Bistro Mix Filets in Gravy Dog Food Trays from Chewy. I give her beef and chicken. These are grain free meals and they have high quality protein and pieces of real veggies! There's no artificial flavors or preservatives and of course no corn, wheat, or soy. There's even a hint of herb which gives it a little extra flavor. I've noticed Stella has a great coat now that's even shinier than ever! She isn't shedding excessively which is great because I don't want fur all over the place when we go visit residents in their homes.
Stella eats these trays as their own meal but you can always mix it in on top of your dog's dry kibble.
So that's how Stella's been doing! I'll share more photos with you soon!
None of us have just one dream. We all have a smorgasbord of things we would love to do while here on earth (#liveyourbestlife) and one of those things is building your own home. It’s getting stuck into a project where the final product gives you somewhere to live; somewhere you have designed on your wants and needs; somewhere you have built with your own two hands (through proxy) to make you the happiest person on planet earth. That’s the dream right there,
Unfortunately, though, the reality of actually building a house is pretty darn tough. In fact, people find the whole house-building thing more stressful than a) getting divorced, b) having a baby, and c) starting a new job in a new city. There’s just so much that can go wrong, and most of those things are outside of your control. But just because you need to prepare for some big old migraines to pop up doesn’t mean you can’t make the whole building a house thing a lot less stressful.
So, without further ado, here are some top tips for keeping your sanity during a self-build project:
1. Make Sure There Are No Nasty Surprises
Okay, so this is almost impossible because part of building your own sanctuary is being walloped by the unexpected at almost every turn. But that doesn’t mean you should just roll over. No way. Instead, get clued up. Speak to friends who have done what you are trying to do, use someone like Cochran to perform a land survey early on, ask your architect to help with planning permission, get a contractor through a referral from someone you trust and have a contingency budget of 15% - minimum. The more you plan for nasty surprises, the easier they are to manage.
2. Be Realistic With Your Must-Haves
We all have a dream in mind when we picture our dream house and that’s no bad thing. But you need to be realistic about it. Be realistic about how many bedrooms do you want, how big it will be, having your garden landscaped - all of that. Anyway, once you have a clear list of what you want, go through it with your building team and see if it is possible on your budget and, if you do have to make a few compromises along the way, decide where. When it comes to a self-build, everyone (except Petra Ecclestone probably) has to make compromises, which is why it's worth knowing what your priorities are.
3. Have Your Money Stacked Up
The biggest headache you can possibly suffer from is the money-migraine. To avoid this as best you can, it’s a pretty good idea to know exactly how much you have to spend, how much you can borrow, where to go for the best mortgage deals, how much contingency budget is wise and how much you think you’ll spend on home decor. It’s also a pretty great idea to have all the paperwork sorted out and ready to access so that you can keep going back to it and not be mistaken about what you can afford. Oh, and don't forget to take any other costs into account, such as legal fees and all that hoopla.
