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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
  Your Dog's Water
Think that finding a good, high-quality dog food is important?

All of the beneficial ingredients that go into dog food will not help your dog if he it is not drinking enough water. Water is the body's most important nutrient. Adult dogs' bodies are 60% water, and a puppy's is 84% water. Dogs can lose all of their fat and half of their protein without adversely affecting their health, but a loss of 10 % of their water can cause significant problems. Dog owners should place as much attention on the quality of the water their dog drinks as they do on the ingredients that go into the best dog foods; not all water is the same.

The criteria for clean drinking water for dogs is similar to the criteria for drinking water for people. Tap water generally provides the best nutrients and least contaminants; if, however, the tap water contains high amounts of magnesium, nitrates, and iron it can cause long term health risks. For those who fear their tap water may be contaminated, bottled water can be a better choice.

Stainless steel and stoneware dishes are good, safe choices for food and water bowls. Plastic bowls may scratch, giving unhealthy contaminates an ideal place to live. The water should be cool in the summer and room temperature in the winter. The dogs bowl should always be clean. If you're not sure if it needs changing, ask yourself if you would drink the water -- if the answer is no, change it.

Dogs should have access to fresh water at all times. This is even more important than giving it the best dog foods on the market. Dogs need three times more water than they do food every day. They need even more water if it is extremely hot, the dog is lactating, or if the dog is exercising more than normal. Dogs that eat canned dog food do not need to drink as much water because of the high amount of water contained in the food.

Often, sick dogs don't want to drink the water they need, but the illness increases the need for water. When this happens, a dog can become quickly dehydrated. To check for dehydration, dog owners can pull upward on the dog's skin at the nape of the neck. If the skin snaps back, the dog is sufficiently hydrated, if it takes several seconds for the skin to go back, fluids may need to be replaced intravenously or subcutaneously. Owners should never offer water to vomiting dogs; this is perhaps the only time to make sure dogs don't have access to water. If a dog vomits for more than a twenty-four hour period it should see a vet immediately.

In addition to better health, proper hydration contributes to the performance of a dog. Many owners of working dogs flavor their dog's food in order to make sure it is drinking the appropriate amounts. Studies have proven that proper hydration increases an animal's working ability by 80%. The next time you pour one of those "better" dog foods into your dog's bowl, remember that if the dog doesn't have the right amount of clean water, the food is useless.

Daniel Moore contributes articles to several web magazines, such as http://kydel.com and http://sufup.com.

 
  Get The Money Out of the Way
There are handshake deals and then there are contracts. How do you operate? Do you put everything in writing before you start working on a client project? Do you ask for a deposit up-front?

In the past four years I have been running my business, I have always received payment from my clients. Of course, there have been a few bounced cheques along the way, but no financial losses. One of the most valuable lessons I learned while training for my business was to get every client to sign a contract before working with them. My classmates and I were given a sample contract to review. This particular contract was specific for consulting services perfect for my business.

From that day onward I used that contract as a template after customizing it slightly for my own purposes. The contract was general enough that I could use most of its content. When a client signs a contract, the project then becomes official. Without a contract or a deposit up-front, you put yourself in a vulnerable position. And yet, when I first work with a client, I dont always get a contract, especially if I am conducting a marketing assessment. Why? Because this project starts as an initial meeting, which is as far as the relationship might go. Under these circumstances, the client pays the entire cost of the assessment on that day. If there is no cheque cut, then I do not write the marketing assessment report.

It is after this assessment that I have a clear idea of what the client needs. Then it is easy to draft both the proposal and a contract. Although I would like to paint a perfect picture of myself for you, I have to admit that there are times when I dont take the contract route. This is merely a personal decision in the moment, and I would not recommend it. Most of my clients get billed up-front every month in the form of a retainer payment. I then proceed to work with them by creating, implementing and testing marketing initiatives. Conversely, I have other clients who use my services on an as-needed basis. These are often clients who received a marketing assessment, and now want to hire me to work on a small project.

An example of this would be project-managing a new website for a client. Under these circumstances, the client does not sign a contract; we have a verbal agreement that each month they pay me upon invoicing. I work a specific amount of hours and then bill accordingly. These clients are usually micro businesses (less than four employees) as opposed to small businesses, so I am more flexible with them. Am I taking a risk? Most of the time I dont feel that I am, because they have a good track record of paying me within a reasonable time frame. I minimize my risk by working with only one or two micro businesses under this payment structure at any given time.

The other exception to signed contracts is for my long-term clients. Once they have signed a contract for twelve months, I may work on a verbal arrangement after the first year. I call it trust; some might call it lazy. If I have a good long-term relationship with a client and they are paying their monthly retainer consistently, then for me, a written contract becomes less necessary.

What I suggest for those of you just starting up your business, is put systems in place from day one, so you can be really clear with your clients how you would like to get paid and what terms apply. The clearer you are with your clients from the beginning, the less likely you will run into difficulties with getting paid. Getting paid is one thing, and getting paid on time is another. The last thing you want to do is spend your valuable time chasing down money owed to you. It is emotional and exhausting. I would rather let go of a client that does not respect my payment schedule than sit around praying for the money to show up.

When it comes to money, eliminate as much stress around getting paid as possible. I find that in order to give my clients 100 percent, I cant be worrying about when they are going to pay me next. I get money issues out of the way first, and then I can put my focus into providing clients with the best service possible.

Find out what billing and payment standards are common in your industry. Either go with that or create a new system that works for you. The less time you spend thinking about getting paid, the more energy you have to invest in a great relationship with your clients.

Jen DeTracey spearheads Buzz Marketing and Consultants and Businesswoman Books. Jen works with small business owners that are already successful yet want to get and keep more customers.

 
  Have Favors Fallen Out of Favor?
The short answer is No. Favors given to the guests of special events- weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, etc. are still a popular way to thank your guest for attending the special event, add some flair to your dining tables, add a unique reflection of who you are and add a more gracious tone to the event. However, we are seeing a significant change in the type of favors most often given.

The custom of giving the guests of special events a small gift, dates all the way back to the sixteenth century. These early guest favors were fruits and nuts and were presented to guests by the bridal couple. Over the years the tradition was extended to the myriad of other special events we celebrate with family and friends. Today favors are given not only at wedding receptions but all of the events leading up to that day. From the engagement party to the bridal shower to the rehearsal dinner, a small guest memento is a much-appreciated gesture of hospitality.

Further, they are not relegated only to the wedding related events but today favors have become a popular way for the host to express hospitality at most any special event- birthdays, anniversaries, baptism/christenings, first communions, bar/bat mitzvahs, confirmations, sweet 16s, quinceaneras, holiday parties and even corporate events.

In modern times, the initial custom of giving fruits and nuts was expanded to include inedible gifts such as candles, and small photo frames. However, while this type of favor is still widely used, there seems to be a growing trend back to the edible favor that is beautifully packaged and wrapped.

In addition to thanking the guest of the event for joining you, favors add to the table dcor and event theme. Dining tables certainly look more festive when there is a favor at each place setting. The choices for favors are limited only by your imagination. The tone that you wish to set for the event can be further enhanced by your choice of a favor. Sophisticated and Elegant? Simple and Charming? Unique and Personal? Your memento can be any of these.

In order to make the favor a personal reflection, consider the interests, hobbies, careers of the special event star(s). Consider also adding the date of the event and the name(s). For example:

Bar Mitzvah: The boy plays soccer on his middle school team. Consider a favor of a soccer shaped chocolate. Wrap in a cello bag and add ribbon in the colors you have chosen for the party color palette. Add a tag with the boys name and the event date.

Baptism: Consider a favor of a large white cross-shaped cookie. Put it in an organza bag (blue for boys and pink for girls, of course) and add a tag with babys full name and date of baptism.

Wedding: Favors presented in mini Chinese take out style boxes in colors to coordinate with those of the table flowers and linens. Tag each with: "An abundance of family and friends is the greatest fortune of all" with the addition of the bride and grooms name and event date.

Rehearsal Dinner: With the bride a teacher and the groom an ex-player and avid fan of football set the tables with decorated cookies. Alternate little red schoolhouses with footballs to make for a very personal tablescape.

Sweet Sixteen: Simple small white favor boxes filled with a decadent piece of chocolate fudge take on a much more personal note when the box is tied with ribbon in the event colors to which a small silver heart charm has been added and is further embellished by a simple seal with the girls name and event date.

Favors are a wonderful opportunity to make your guests feel warmly welcomed and as such they continue to be a popular part of the special event.

Webmasters are free to reprint this article provided that it is not edited, the author's information is included, and the links are included as live links.

Teresa Franko, who is never happier than when hosting her large out-of-town family members at any event, treasures the many milestone events in the lives of her family and friends and cherishes the memories of each. She is the owner of the website, http://www.exquisitegiftsforguests.com a company that celebrates those special events which are joyously shared by family and friends.

 
  Beagle - The Facts Every Owner Of This Dog Breed Should Know
Made famous by the Peanuts character, Snoopy, Beagles were bred in England as trail hounds, used to hunt rabbits and hares. Beagles are scent hounds and have a tendency to ignore everything but the interesting scent when hunting. A very energetic breed of dog, Beagles are social, curious, intelligent and brave. They are also likely to get into trouble as their hound dog instinct can take over in an instant should a Beagle catch a whiff of an exciting or interesting scent.

Male Beagles will grow to an average height of 14 to 16 inches and average weight of 22 to 25 pounds; females, 13 to 15 inches and 20 to 23 pounds. On average, a Beagle will live 12 to 15 years. Most Beagles have a tri-color coat, consisting of red and white, orange and white or lemon and white. It is a short to medium length coat that requires no more than minimal care regular brushing and bathing only when necessary.

Beagles will shed, but not excessively. They have long, wide ears and brown or hazel eyes that often times look like pleading 'puppy dog' eyes. They have a distinct, and often times, familiar baying sound that they make when hunting prey. It is this distinctive howl and ability to pick up on strange scents that make them excellent guard dogs.

Beagles are good with families and children and love to play, but care should be taken with other family pets. If a Beagle is not properly socialized early, it may try to hunt and capture the other pets; however, they do not like being left alone and may bay excessively (annoying the neighbors). Beagles do well traveling and adapt quickly and easily to new experiences, thanks to their fearless nature, but also need strong and consistent training to ensure they do not run off. Beagles will do well in almost any living environment, provided they are given plenty of opportunity to run and exercise.

A leash is a must with a Beagle, or a well fenced in yard as well as consistent obedience training. Their hunting instinct will take over when a scent comes their way and will run off in search of the prey. Ears should be checked and cleaned regularly, as Beagles are prone to painful ear infections. Beagles are also prone to heart disease, epilepsy, eye and back problems, and chondroplasia - dwarfism that results in warped front legs.

There is a website that has great information on Beagles and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2006

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

 
  Tips For Preparing For Your Piano Exam
Whether you are a new piano player or a full-time professional, exams can be a strenuous and often daunting task. Each exam has its separate challenges. However, if you prepare for your exams correctly, it could mean the difference between passing and failing.

For this example, let us pretend that we are sitting for a Grade Six piano exam. Let the record denote that I have sat and passed a Grade Six exam. Although admittedly I did not pass it well - this was caused by a severe lack of preparation leading up to the exam. I did not put the time or effort into my preparation for this music exam. I can assure you from first hand experience that you need more than 15 minutes practice three to four times a week to effectively prepare for a Grade Six piano exam!

THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE EXAM

At this time you should be doing approximately one hour's worth of practice a day, five days a week. In your selected pieces you should be able to at least press all of the right notes. This is the time to start developing your pieces from a series of notes to a piano masterpiece. Concentrate on things like expression, dynamics and tempo. Put some feelings and emotion into your pieces.

You should also profusely study all of your theory and scales. Too often scales and theory are neglected at this time and are only revised about a fortnight before the exam. This is a terrible mistake! Remember the more you study now, the more you will retain this information, thus having a better chance of recalling the required knowledge during your exam.

ONE MONTH BEFORE THE EXAM

It is time to up the anti a bit. You should be spending one and a half to two hours practicing a day, six days a week. This is the time to smooth out all of the minor flaws in your pieces of music. Practice things like getting that tricky triplet sounding fluent and making sure you hit the F sharp with your fourth finger rather than the fifth. These issues might seem minor, but it will help you immensely with your exam.

Practice without the sheet music in front of you and see how well you go. During your exam if you rely too heavily on your score, I can guarantee you will stuff up. Learn your music off by heart.

Also, make sure that your exam becomes your number one priority. Do not be distracted by other issues in your life. Do not become distracted by relationship, financial or other issues that might divert your attention from your exam. You will become stressed and worn out, and you will not perform at your potential.

ONE WEEK BEFORE YOUR EXAM

Now is the time to just practice, practice, practice! I would recommend doing between two to three hours per day by now. You should have all of the knowledge required for the exam. It is simply a matter of revising it for your exam.

Whilst we are working and studying hard, we have to remain relaxed. Put it into perspective; it is only an exam. There is no need to worry about it 24/7.

DAY BEFORE YOUR EXAM

Most people on the night before an exam practice for 5-6 hours, studying until some ungodly hour in the morning. This is a big no-no! At maximum you should only play through your pieces once. What I like to do is pretend I am actually sitting for the exam. So I would do my scales first, then my pieces in order, and then do some sight reading.

Don't try to do any last minute revision for your exam. Chances are that you will only put unneeded pressure on yourself and more importantly you will only have a small chance to remember it for your exam. Do not get distracted by other things in your life. Your piano exam is tomorrow - everything else can wait another day.

Relax! It is essential that you get a good night's sleep. I would recommend that you get 8 to 10 hours solid sleep if you can afford the luxury.

MORNING BEFORE YOUR EXAM

Do not do any work, whether it is piano related or not. Do something fun that doesn't require a lot of brain power. Watch a movie. Kick a soccer ball. Do whatever that suits you.

Try to eat a healthy breakfast. However, if you suffer from butterflies in the stomach, which I suffer from immensely, don't try to force anything down. It will only comes straight back up! (Trust me!)

I will say it again, RELAX! Try not to think about your exam. Don't try to think about your theory, scales, pieces, fingering etc. etc. Don't think about what you have and haven't done for your exam. This is only going to get you all frazzled and this will seriously hinder your exam.

30 MINUTES BEFORE THE EXAM

By now you should be at the venue where your exam is being held. Do some ultra-light revision. Look through your music sheets and visualize yourself playing it as you read the notes. Play some 'air-piano.' Test yourself with a couple of theory questions.

Do not under any circumstances talk to other people about the exam. Do not ask each other theory questions. Do not discuss your pieces. Do not talk about previous exams or examiners. This is nothing more than an unwanted hindrance. Take a few deep breaths, relax and focus on your exam.

5 MINUTES BEFORE THE EXAM

Close the books for a moment. Take three deep breaths and focus. Think to yourself that this is just like any other piano practice session. Go into the exam with positive thoughts. Whether you have prepared yourself for the exam as I have discussed above or not, it does not matter now. All you can do now is concentrate on the upcoming task of your exam.

DURING THE EXAM

Two things will be happening to you about now. Firstly, you think you are doing well. Great! Ride on this wave of euphoria until the end of the exam. But you must not slack off! You still have a couple of pieces or a couple of scales or some theory to do. You must concentrate until the end of the exam. A lot can happen between now and then.

The second thing that could be happening to you during your piano exam is that you think you are performing badly. Forget about it! It doesn't matter what has happened. You still have the rest of the exam to impress the examiner. A lot can change between now and the end of the exam.

Another point worth thinking about is just because you think that you have done a bad job, doesn't mean that the examiner knows you've done a bad job. He/She will not pick up every single mistake you make. Just forget what has happened, clear your mind and start again with your next task. Think about what is going to happen, not what has just happened.

AFTER THE EXAM

Congratulations! You have completed your exam! You can now breathe a huge sigh of relief! It's finally over!

Carefully analyse your exam. What did you do well? What do you do badly? What could you have done to improve? Make notes so you can use them as a reference for future exams.

Be careful not to be too confident with your exam. You might be disappointed when you see your results. Conversely, do not be too negative with your exam and think that you have done badly. More often than not you will get a nice surprise!

RECEIVING YOUR RESULTS

After waiting one to two weeks for your results to come back, you would be naturally excited, or at least inquisitive to see your results. Have you done well and/or better than you expected? Have you done worse than you have thought? Either way, read your examiner's comments at least three times. See what they liked about your piano examination and what they didn't. No matter how well you did, you can always improve! Next year's exams are guaranteed to be harder than this year.

Take the assessor's comments on board, but also take your own thoughts on board. Was your preparation leading up to the exam as good as it could have been? Nine times out of ten, if you have done badly you generally know why. Think about why you did badly and improve! Learn from your mistakes. Do not get depressed! It is not the end of the world. There is always next year.

I hope this article was helpful for your preparations for your exam. This is what I personally do when preparing for a piano exam. Obviously, if you have your own routine that works, by all means stick to it. However, if you do pick up one piece of advice from this article and apply it successfully, I will consider this article a success. Good Luck for your exams and most importantly, remember you can only do your best.

Christopher Carlin is the founder of the new resource for piano players, Free Piano Sheet Music. He has applied over twelve years of piano knowledge and experience into this article. Visit Free Piano Sheet Music to get free piano sheet music, articles, tools and much much more.

 

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