Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

RoughCollie

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    9,129

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by RoughCollie

    Confess your unpopular opinion

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I don't like organizer purses.  There are so many places to put things that I can't find anything because I can't remember where I put stuff. I am way too impatient to wait for this information to imprint on my memory.  I can't find anything in big purses either -- like those hobo bags.  I like hobo bags, just can't use them.  If a purse is big enough to hold my wallet and my Kindle, it is the perfect size for me.

    Who's going to tackle Sunday with me?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Take care of Aidan (dog)

    4 loads laundry, from wash to put away

    Clean kitchen

    Tidy dining room & vacuum

    Tidy living room & vacuum & mop

    Tidy bathroom & mop

    Pay bills

    Make budget

    Discuss budget with DH

    Go to Healthcare.gov and try to sign up yet again

    Comb dog

    Make dinner

    Eat/serve/clean up after dinner

    Call Mom, sister, and several friends

    Make sure kids take trash to road for pickup tomorrow

    Bake something

    Make chocolate truffles

     

    Confess your unpopular opinion

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I have never met a woman who puts catsup on eggs or meat, but I've met plenty of men who do.  DH puts catsup on his steaks, which used to drive me nuts.  Then I realized that I like garlic and pepper on my meat, and how is that different.  It's all a matter of taste -- mine is good taste and DH's isn't, but I don't get aggravated by his catsup habit any more.

     

     

    And he brought home a puppy...

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Also, this puppy is not used to your family yet.  He has also not gone through the so-called teenage phase yet, which begins at 9 months.  When it adjusts to living with your family, it may change to being a rambunctious puppy, and be sweet and calm when it is sleepy.  Just be aware there is an adjustment period for the puppy.

     

    Just remember the mantra ... a tired dog is a good dog. If he nips, and many puppies do, go to the dog forums and look up the sticky on how to get your puppy to stop doing that.

     

    Make sure your kids don't leave things lying around (especially on the floor) that the dog can ingest.  The end result could be a very expensive vet bill for surgery to retrieve the item.  Dogs have eaten all sorts of things -- from socks, to Legos, to scissors.

     

    Look up things that are poisonous to dogs and make sure these things are not available to your dog. This includes raisins and chocolate.  http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/

     

    Be very glad that he is already housebroken.  This doesn't mean accidents won't happen.  If you can install a dog door to your fenced yard, that will be beneficial because he won't have to ask to go out all the time.  Hopefully his prior owners told your DH how to tell when the dog wants out.

     

    Also, since you don't like dogs, be aware of two things.  One, you may not like dogs, but grow to love this particular dog.  Two, that puppy will bond to You if you are the one who takes care of it.  I have never met a kid who isn't overjoyed to have a new dog.  I have never met a kid who takes care of the new dog after the newness wears off.  I have met many mothers who are surprised that they have a new dog.  Kids require a lot of supervision to make sure they know how to take care of a dog properly, and they need their moms to follow up to make sure they are doing it.  This circumvents the Mom being surprised that the dog is really hers.

     

    I don't count on my kids to take care of our dog unless I specifically ask them to.  That doesn't bother me because I love dogs and our dogs are really My dogs.  I have to be their primary caretaker because I enjoy it so much.

     

    It also helps to teach your kids how to treat a dog ... it doesn't come naturally.  Many dogs, for instance, don't like to be patted on top of their heads, or hugged.  They can get used to it, though.  Another big thing is not to reprimand the dog for growling.   A growl is a warning.  If you teach a dog not to do it, it could bite without warning.  Never assume a dog won't bite.  Teach your kids not to stick their faces into the dog's face because if they do that and he is startled, he could bite (or nip).  Best to learn something about dog body language, too.  Look it up online. 

     

    A crate is a great dog management tool.  The dog should not wear a collar while in the crate because dogs have choked to death when their collar gets hung up in there.  The crate should have padding on the bottom unless the dog is one who tears that up.  Put dog treats and something to do (filled Kong, bully stick) in the crate with the dog.  If the dog is going to sleep in the crate, you can put a blanket over a wire crate to indicate that to the dog.  The crate is not punishment ... my collie loved his crate and would go in there whenever he wanted to be left alone. 

     

    Training is very important.  It is a lifelong process.  It takes patience and time, and it is well worth it.  Dogs learn at different rates, and there is nothing you can do about that.  Don't skimp on the treats while training, and be sure they are high value treats used only for training.  A high value treat, for many dogs, is something like a hot dog cut up into tiny pieces, or little pieces of meat or chicken.  If you are supremely lucky, your dog will work for his own food.  I know a few dogs who will eat anything that doesn't eat them first, and who will work for their own food.

     

    Also, if the dog is not microchipped, have it done at the vet, and then go home and register that microchip online.  If the dog is microchipped, you will have to have the registration changed to you.

     

    And he brought home a puppy...

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    For dog food ratings & to sign up for recall alerts:  http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

     

    I advise getting a 4 or 5 star food, grain free.  You may have to try several, to find one the dog likes.  My dog loves Orijen Adult and Orijen Six Fish.  For a puppy, either get all stages dog food or puppy food. 

     

    I buy Aidan's food at http://www.chewy.com/ because it saves me gas and time, as I have to drive 45 minutes to get to the store that sells it.  The price, including shipping, is the same at Chewy as it is locally.

     

    Pet food storage container (15 lbs):  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A6UF4U/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

     

    For bully sticks and the like (made in the USA), see https://www.bestbullysticks.com/ . 

     

    Do not buy toys, treats, or food made in China.  Dogs can see the color blue, so I now buy blue toys for Aidan.  Planet Dog has good toys.

     

    Zuke's treats are good for training (Mini Naturals).  I buy them on Amazon because they are cheaper there than at the stores here.  I slice them into smaller pieces for training.

     

    Find a good obedience class to take the dog to, if you are interested in bonding with him.  Otherwise, send your DH.  Positive training methods should be used.  I teach a dog obedience class, and the key factor between failure and success is solely whether the owners train their dogs between sessions.  I advise 3 training sessions per day, of 10 minutes or less, and that the session end when the dog loses interest. Dogs differ in the length of their attention spans.

     

    Having a treat bag for training purposes is important:  http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Gear-Terylene-Training-Treat/dp/B001TH6Q1K/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1388285922&sr=1-6&keywords=dog+treat+bag

     

    Control Unleashed:  The Puppy Program is a great book.  http://www.amazon.com/Control-Unleashed-The-Puppy-Program/dp/B0077BTNFS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388284868&sr=8-2&keywords=control+unleashed

     

    For advice and lots of stickies with helpful advice, go to:  http://www.dogforums.com/

     

    Karen Pryor's book on clicker training is good:  http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Clicker-Training-Dogs-ebook/dp/B007NMQF66/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1388284910&sr=8-4&keywords=karen+pryor

     

    On Youtube, Kikopup has tons of great dog training videos:  http://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup/videos

     

     

    A reminder about unsafe products

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Check for recalls of unsafe products here:  http://www.cpsc.gov/

     

    Report unsafe products here:  http://www.saferproducts.gov/Default.aspx

     

    CPSC does not regulate the products listed below. The links shown will take you to the correct agency's website.

    Who's going to tackle Thursday with me?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Morning:

    Sort papers into piles according to what I have to do with them (don't know, file, pay, review)

    Personal and business accounting

    Load and run dw

    Eat breakfast, take meds, & feed Aidan (dog)

     

    Afternoon:

    Nap 2 hrs

    Make dinner

    Clean kitchen

     

    Evening:

    Serve/eat/clean up after dinner

    Report carpet cleaner (caught fire) to CPSC

    Call Mom & sister

    Laundry 1

    Laundry 2

    Meds again

     

     

     

    Wake up time on Christmas day

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    When the kids were little, DH had to wake them up -- around 8 or 8:30 a.m.  I felt very fortunate, since having night owls meant that I was up on Christmas morning until 3 a.m. or later, so that I could set up the living room.  Mind you, I had elaborate settings for the toys.

     

    Tonight, I told the family that Christmas Day begins at 10 a.m.  That early hour (for my kids) is to accommodate DH, who will be up early and chomping at the bit, simply because it is Christmas.

    Should this mother be facing charges?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I don't think the mother should be charged.  The prosecutor is a *****.  He had a choice about whether to charge her, and decided to take the low road.  If I were his boss, I'd be pretty darned irritated with him, unless of course his boss is just like him.

     

    In end the end, this twerp prosecutor will have caused her a lot of mental anguish and money for a lawyer.  The charges will dropped or she will be forced into a plea bargain to avoid jail time, and then she will have a criminal record.  He also heaped a whole lot of trouble into that family, that was likely already having a hard enough time dealing with the situation.

     

    I don't think the mother had poor judgment.  I think she was appalled by what her DD did and totally didn't expect that.  Her DD had appallingly poor judgment, and so does the prosecutor.

     

    I really dislike prosecutors who take advantage of the power of their office to prey on people for minor transgressions.  This guy obviously has too much time on his hands besides being a horse's behind.

     

    Edited to add this link:  http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/wentzville-mom-charged-for-topless-hot-tub-photo-with-her/article_dee0d6e1-a21e-563e-b932-8f0987c73125.html

     

    I understand why the prosecutor thinks the mother used poor judgment.  She should have removed the camera and deleted the picture herself, under the circumstances.  Still, even with this additional info, I don't think the mother should be charged.  The kid was already trouble and had had counseling, and the mom probably thought she had to show the kid that she trusted her.  It's a fine line mother's walk when they have "troubled" teenagers.

     

    The photo, by the way, did not show completely bare anatomy.   The prosecutor, however, thinks the photo was posed and had s*xual overtones.  I still think the prosecutor is a ****.

     

    I wonder where dear old dad is?  He's not publicly supporting his wife, or ex-wife, or mother of his child, that's for sure.

     

     

     

     

×
×
  • Create New...