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Dogs and cats are supposedly life-long enemies. Hence the phrase, “fighting like cats and dogs.” Having always owned both cats and dogs, I find the phrase and the premise to be far more inaccurate than accurate. Of course, we all know that there are those dogs that will simply chase every cat they see and those cats that will never tolerate a dog. However, it has been my experience that handled correctly, the vast majority of dogs and cats can live together. They may not learn to love each other; but they certainly can learn to tolerate each other’s presence. Dogs and cats that are raised with each other typically do fine their entire lives. They may actually accept an animal of another species more easily than one of their own, in that there are fewer fights over dominance and territory.

There are some dogs that should not be kept with cats. Dogs with a strong hunting heritage may always view cats as prey and may never be able to be trusted with any small animals. In addition to hunting dogs, terriers such as Jack Russells and pitbulls are often poor companions for cats. These dogs have an incredibly strong predatory instinct; they chase and attack moving objects without thinking about whom or what the object may be. Cats and other small pets are just too much of a temptation for these dogs.

Other dogs respond less to the animal than the situation and will leave alone a cat that sits still, but chase and attack one that moves. This is especially true of dogs that are kept outside. There is something about being out of the house that really pushes the hunting instinct into overdrive and will often result in even the most docile indoor dog attempting to chase cats once outside. So, one would not want to make the assumption that a cat and dog who tolerate each other indoors will do the same outside. The dog may decide to attack the cat. Finally, dogs that have a history of attacking cats are likely to do so again and should not be trusted with cats. If you are planning on rescuing a previously-owned dog, it is a good idea to get a history of the dog’s attitudes and behaviors around cats before bringing it into a house with cats. Many shelters will allow you to ‘test’ the dog by introducing it to a cat before completing the adoption.

Most cats, if they have had positive experiences with dogs, will tolerate canines in the house. Those that will not typically have had some prior negative interaction that is firmly embedded in their memories. Because most cats, even those that hate dogs, do not attack without provocation, these cats may be able to live with a dog. However, they probably will never bond with the dog, will avoid the dog at all costs, and will be pretty miserable. It is kinder to leave these cats in a feline-only household. Again, it is often possible to find out the history of a cat before adopting it, or to test the cat’s reactions to dogs in an adoption situation.

So which cats and dog can get along? The answer is just about all of the rest of them. In the best of circumstances, cats and dogs really become friends, playing and sleeping together. In other situations, cats and dogs may never be overly friendly, but they can learn to tolerate and behave themselves with other members of the family, including those of other species. As long as you are willing to work out a positive introduction and protect the animals from physical harm, these species usually get along. The process may take up to six or eight weeks, or even longer, but can be successfully accomplished.

If you are thinking of bringing a cat into a dog household, or vice-versa, there are steps that you can take to ensure the success of the relationship. First, because a dog can kill a cat, safety is your first concern. The dog needs to be able to be kept separated from the cat. This can be accomplished with a crate, or a separate room. The dog should have a refresher obedience course, so that it will sit, stay, and come to you when told, and leave the cat alone if ordered to. The dog needs to remember that the people, not the dog, rule the house. This way you can ‘explain’ to the dog, if necessary, that the cat is yours and needs to be treated with respect. In addition, the cat needs to have a safe haven. This means that the cat’s food and litter boxes need to be inaccessible to the dog and that the cat has places to run and hide. For example, leave a few bookcase shelves empty so the cat can climb to them, put a cat door into a closed bedroom, or use baby gates to separate the dog from the cat’s own room.

I keep my cats’ litter boxes, toys, scratching posts, water, and food in an extra bedroom. I use a baby gate to keep the dogs out of the room. I have cut a small cat-size opening into the closed mesh of the gate so that the cats can dash through it if necessary and not have to leap the gate. My dogs respect the gate, but if you have dogs that leap over it, you may need to cut the cat door into the room door or install a screen door with an opening large enough for the cats.

The initial meeting and first few weeks are critical times to set the tone for the future, so it is important to make all introductions go as smoothly as possible. The key is to remember that these animals will be together for a lifetime; there is no reason to rush their meetings. If bringing a cat into the house, provide the cat with its own bedroom for the first few weeks or longer. The litter box and food should be placed in this room. The dog in the house can smell the cat under the door, but has no real need to meet the new member of the family until the cat is comfortable and bored with its personal space. If this is a young kitten, they may end up living in this room for several more weeks. Once the cat is doing well in its own room, you can let the cat explore the house, undisturbed by the dog. You can actually put the dog in the cat’s room while the cat is out, so that the dog really gets to experience the cat’s scent without bothering the cat. You can also get the pets used to each other’s scents by swapping toys, towels, or other items between them.

The initial face to face meeting should be done after the new cat is familiar with the entire house. Make sure that the dog is on a leash and under control. Have another person near the cat to provide help, if needed. Keep the meeting short and positive. Praise the dog for being wonderful around the cat. Use food rewards if appropriate and make sure that the dog understands that good things happen when the cat is present. After a few, short positive meetings, it is time to let the cat explore for longer periods, with the dog present and on the leash. If this step proceeds calmly, let the dog off the leash and watch the interactions. Make sure you are always there to stop any problems before they can accelerate. Do not allow the dog to be aggressive in any way to the cat, and lavishly praise the dog for good behavior. Be certain that the cat has access to hiding places. If aggression occurs at any stage of the introductions, return to the previous stage and slow down. Even if all looks great, do not leave the cat alone with the dog until you are truly positive that everything is running smoothly. This means that if they cannot be supervised, the cat should be left in its bedroom or the dog kept crated.

Bringing a dog into a cat household is relatively easy. The dog should be kept on a leash for the initial introductions and never left unsupervised. Make sure that all animals are praised for their wonderful behavior when they are together. As previously discussed, the dog can be crated or the cat left in a bedroom when they cannot be watched. Since the cat is already familiar with its territory and the dog is a newcomer, the dynamics of the relationship often turn in the cat’s favor, making the transition relatively easy.

Puppies and kittens do present unique challenges. Kittens must be protected from dogs at all times simply because any dog is big enough to badly hurt or kill a young kitten. A kitten must always be closely supervised even around the best behaved of dogs. Provide the kitten with appropriate toys of its own. Do not let the kitten ‘play attack’ the dog or chase it. This can rapidly escalate into a dangerous situation. For the same reason, do not let the dog ‘play’ with the kitten. The kitten must be kept in a safe room when an adult it not home. My kittens stayed in their own room when I was not at home and at bedtime until they were approximately six months old.

Rambunctious puppies may also be a problem. Without meaning to, an energetic puppy can harm a kitten or even an adult cat. It is up to you to make sure that their interactions are monitored so that no one gets hurt. It is also really important to exercise and play with the puppy routinely. Make sure the puppy has its own toys and uses them. A tired puppy is less likely to bother the cat and less likely to be a behavior problem in the house.

It takes work, patience, and time to introduce cats and dogs to each other. However, the positive outcome is well worth the work. My cats and dogs play, eat, relax, and sleep together. I get tremendous pleasure watching them. You will be pleasantly surprised how much positive energy is brought into your home by having both cats and dogs living there.

About this Author

Pet Supplies Delivered / Omaha Vaccine Company is the pioneer and benchmark for the animal health mail order profession. For over 40 years, hundreds of thousands of loyal customers have relied on Omaha Vaccine Company for their animal health needs. For more information visit http://www.omahavaccine.com. Customer Service is also available by calling (800) 367-4444.

Article Source:
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As one of the oldest children in a family of nine, I know that cooking for a crowd can almost be a full-time job. Once-a-month-cooking has been a lifesaver for our family. In the beginning though, when we first heard of cooking 30 meals in one day, it sounded rather impossible. It was not until we had tried it, though, that we found it is not only possible, but it can even be quite simple and fun!

Blessings

If you are skeptical about taking on what might seem like an overwhelming task to you, let me first share some of the blessings which have resulted for our family from once-a-month-cooking.

o It has saved us many hours of trying to figure out what to have for dinner and answered the infamous question, “What’s for dinner?”

o We have been more readily able to show hospitality to other families when the main dish is already made and in the freezer. (We usually plan ahead for this by doubling or tripling seven to ten of the recipes on cooking day to use as “company meals.”) In like manner, it is much easier to being meals to needy families when you have casseroles in the freezer ready to be pulled out and heated at the drop of a hat. (We also plan for this by preparing many of the dishes in disposable pans.)

o It saves time (You only have to do mountains of dishes one day a month, not every day! You also don’t have to start dinner at 4:30 p.m. or earlier everyday… just pull dinner out to thaw in the morning.) and money (You can usually save quite a bit by buying in bulk).

o We are brought closer together as we spend a special day as a family cooking these meals.

o This is an excellent lesson in Home Economics for your children. Mom always has the oldest girls plan the menu, grocery list, and strategy for the cooking day. She often has us do the grocery shopping, as well.

Planning

Proper planning is essential for a successful cooking day. I usually start planning at least a week in advance. First, pick which day will be your cooking day. Clear your schedule that day. You will want to focus your energies entirely on cooking.

Menu Planning: After you have chosen your cooking day, begin menu planning. Go through your cookbooks and find recipes suitable for freezing. Strive for variety. My list usually includes: one-dish dinners, meatloaf, meatballs, layered casseroles, soups, chili, hamburgers, meatless dishes, and so on. Make sure that you include a number of family favorites, in addition to any new recipes you may be trying out. You do not want to fill your freezer with meals your family won’t find appetizing! When you write down your menu, make sure and write down the cookbook and page number the recipe came from. In addition, mark whether you are planning to double or triple the recipe.

Make Your Grocery List: Using your menu list, write down the quantities of ingredients needed for each recipe. I like to categorize like ingredients on five to seven different lists (meats, vegetables, cheese, pasta, spices, etc.). Take these lists and combine all like ingredients onto a final list. For example, if there are fifteen recipes calling for one pound of ground beef, you will write “15 pounds ground beef” on your final grocery list.

After you have made your final grocery list, make sure and check your cupboards to see what you might already have on hand. You probably have most of the seasonings. But be sure that if you need four teaspoons of garlic powder, you actually have that much in the jar. I have not checked thoroughly before, and it has been real headache.

I have found it most helpful to keep a separate “food preparation list” along with my grocery list which states what is to be done with the items which I need large quantities (Such as, if one the items on your list is “20 pounds of chicken breasts,” note beside that item how many cups need to be cooked and diced, how many chicken breasts need to be cooked and left whole, how many need to be left frozen, etc.).

You will also want to make sure you have plenty of freezer bags and foil on hand. These will be essential on your cooking day.

Cooking Day Strategy: It is wise to develop a basic cooking day strategy of what you will do when. This does not need to be an exhaustive list, but it will save you time and effort if you have planned the basic order of what you will be cooking when. If you are going to be working together as a family on cooking, plan who is responsible for what tasks. Although everyone will need to be flexible, it will definitely save hassle to have most of the schedule worked out ahead of time.

Shopping: The day before you begin cooking, do your grocery shopping. Make sure you do not rush through this. Read your list thoroughly and check to get the best deal.

Cooking

The sooner you can start in the morning, the better. Begin by cooking the meats, grating the cheese, chopping the onions, or whatever bulk preparations your “food preparation list” says you need to do. If you have planned to make soups, you should start these early on, as they usually need to cook for longer.

Cooking the meat is one of the most time-consuming projects and you will probably find you end up browning ground beef and boiling chicken most of the day! As much as is possible, use all of the burners on your stove at the same time.

Keep soapy water in the sink at all times and take turns being on “dish duty.” As soon as a dish is used, wash it. This will save you from having an enormous mess at the end of the day. You might also find it helpful to take a five-minute kitchen cleaning break every hour or so to wipe down the counters and put things away which you are no longer using.

Freezing

What do you do with the completed dishes? Here are some guidelines for freezing:

o We always designate the kitchen table as our “finished recipe” zone. We often have someone who is specifically just working on labeling things and taking them to the freezer from the kitchen table.

o Proper labeling is a key factor in making sure you know what you have in freezer. Make sure you label the containers with the recipe, the cookbook it came from, the page number, how many it serves, and any additional instructions for the dish. Also write out a list with all of the recipes you make and freeze and how many they serve on the outside of your freezer.

o Transfer soup to a big bowl and cool for about an hour. You can either place the soup in plastic freezer bags or plastic containers with lids (32 oz. cottage cheese and yogurt containers work well for this).

o Most other recipes can be transferred to plastic freezer bags. Do not fill the bags very full, as foods expand when frozen. Do not put anything which is still hot into bags. You will likely split the bag at the seams and have a gigantic mess to deal with!

o Use smaller labeled bags for cheese or anything else to be sprinkled on top once the dish is cooked. Make sure you keep these in a very accessible place in the freezer.

o If the recipe is something like lasagna which cannot be frozen in a plastic bag, freeze it in the size of pan the recipe calls for, cover with foil, and label.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to give once-a-month-cooking a try. If you are like us, you will soon wonder how you ever lived without cooking this way! You could also simplify this plan and just cook for two weeks at a time to start.

For further information, ideas, and recipes, I highly recommend you read Once-A-Month-Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg and Dinner’s in the Freezer by Jill Bond.

Happy Cooking!

Crystal Paine is a 23-year-old homeschool graduate and the owner of Covenant Wedding Source, LLC (an online retail bridal business). She writes articles on a variety of topics and recently authored her first booklet for young women, The Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions. She lives with her husband in Topeka, KS. They are expecting their fist child in January. For more information on her business and booklet, visit her website: http://www.covenantweddingsource.com.

Keywords and Writing

1. Unlike other web content, a blog is more social, personal and informal. Use a casual tone while writing. You can earn money by blogging with the help of AdSense and affiliate marketing.

2. Don’t write blogs on just about anything. Choose your niche carefully; preferably something that really interests you.

3. Before writing, do some research and find the right keywords to use in the blog. This can be done by thinking of words people are most likely to use while looking for your blog and by using some keyword research tool.

4. Choose keywords that are less competitive and target the long tail keywords.

5. Create attractive blogs by customizing the look of the blog while feeling templates.

6. Make sure that the content of the blog is of great quality; it is the quality of the blog content that makes a successful blog.

7. Don’t just write content; do some research to find the right content for the blog.

8. Write your blog in such a way that it will become the main source of information you are writing about.

9. Don’t place all your blog posts on a single post; just a few.

10. Make sure you spell check your post and proofread it before submission.

11. Titles play an important part in the blog post so create catchy titles while using keywords over there.

12. If you have long posts, use sub headings – use keywords in subheadings.

13. Wherever possible, add some italic and bulleted text containing your keywords.

14. Stem your keywords. Use singular, plural, past forms, etc.

15. Make use of synonyms and don’t spam your blog with one and the same keyword.

16. Your URL also has to be keyword rich.

17. The more posts you have on the blog, the higher is the chance of getting found on search engines through targeted traffic.

18. When writing blogs, make it a point to add sources and references for matter.

19. Blogs become user friendly and easy to navigate by building an index on the blog.

20. Link to other similar blog posts on the internet.

21. Use and add tags carefully in the blog post.

22. Moderate all the comments you get.

23. Promote the writing of comments, and answer all comments you receive instantaneously.

24. It is better to have a long blog divided into divisions.

25. Include an ‘about us’ page on the blog for newcomers to learn more about you and what your blog boasts of.

26. Write for the readers not for the search engines i.e. Do not do keyword stuffing.

27. Interlink the blogs within the contents.

28. Make your top posts prominent.

29. Write blogs with a positive note, and not how negative something may be.

30. Give a first hand narration of what you know or have experienced.

31. Instead of repeating points, find and add new angles to a discussion.

32. Be the first person to write on the topic you have chosen.

33. Never duplicate content; you can be jailed for this.

34. Write about one subject per post.

35. It is better to write on evergreen topics which will remain fresh and in demand even after a few years’ time.

36. When writing for a blog, write on topics that people will want to read and share.

37. Make it a point to add keywords to the start, middle and end of each page.

38. Make sure you cover topics and FAQs thoroughly in your niche.

Designing and Maintaining

39. The blog design is important; so make it easily readable with the right background colors and placement of text.

40. Color for the blog should be chosen carefully.

41. Avoid using fancy and small fonts on the blog as they are difficult to read.

42. All white spaces or spacing between elements of the blog have to be removed.

43. Place some emphasis on the blog design not for SEO purposes but to attract the attention of visitors and have them returning for more.

44. This does not mean you need an elaborate blog design; something simple is sufficient.

45. Blogs have to be updated regularly, with a minimum of 5 blogs per week, if not 7. This content helps generate traffic and thus income for you.

46. Your blog should be easy to subscribe perhaps through RSS, mobile subscription and emails. People should also be able to digg your posts.

47. Your blog should make it easy for people to contact you when required.

48. Blogs should run with a good link building campaign.

49. Work to get as many links to other blogs from your blog. People tend to find out who links to them and in exchange, will also link back to your blog.

50. With all this linking, it is important that you check your statistics and analytics on a regular basis and make the required changes in your blog.

51. All the categories of your blog should be well organized.

52. Don’t place too many ads on the blog.

53. Use the help of research, surveys and polls to make your blog more interesting. It also improves the quality of your blog.

54. All important contents of the blog should be placed ‘above the fold’.

55. Make it a point to add images to the blog, and to optimize them.

56. Ad visuals in the form of blockquotes, videos, charts, graphs and photos are important for a blog.

57. Work at integrating these ad visuals into the blog and not at bombarding visitors with the ads.

58. Speed in downloading is important in blogs, so maintain a low page size.

59. Choose and create a decent logo for your blog, and display it with your posts.

60. This logo should link to the home page.

61. The functionality of the blog is enhanced with plugins. In the process, it also saves time.

62. When archiving a blog, you have to archive it according to topic and not go by date.

Promotion

63. Make sure you optimize and distribute a press release announcing the start of your blog.

64. Use the help of blog directories to promote your blog.

65. Forums and other similar blogs can be used to promote your blog by participating, and by commenting in them.

66. Online communities are effective in promoting a blog.

67. Participating in social networking sites like Facebook, orkut and MySpace are effective in promoting your blog.

68. Simultaneously, your blog URL has to be included in social media profiles.

69. Work at researching and commenting on various industries related to your blog.

70. Article marketing is a great tool for promotion of the blog.

71. Use pingomatic.com to send out notices and pings.

72. Online blog communities are great for blog promotion. You could also create your own community to promote the blog.

73. Dig and stumble upon are feasible options for promoting the blog.

74. Let others know about the updates on your blog by using Twitter and Jaiku micro-blogging.

75. Make your own videos and post them on YouTube, podcast and Vlog directories.

76. Every time you post a new blog, remember to post and thus make a network

77. You can attract new visitors to your site by participating and getting involved in a community.

78. Inform others about your blog; and don’t feel shy to say you have a blog.

79. Include you blog URL in all your email signatures.

80. Never attempt Black Hat SEO techniques as these are unethical SEO techniques.

81. Like all businesses, you have to work at first building your visitor base to your blog, and then at earning money online.

82. Keywords have to be used in linking texts.

83. This keyword linking text can also be used to get and exchange links from relevant sites with high PR.

84. Your signature should have a link to your blog so that the posts you make to forums, outgoing mails, etc work at promoting your blog.

85. Look at other blogs for ideas- http://www.bloglines.com and http://www.technorati.com are great sites to visit to get ideas from other blogs.

86. Meet and interview famous and interesting bloggers.

87. Though SEO may be time consuming, it gives long lasting effects and is better than the quick social bookmarking where results are not long lasting.

88. Blogs have to be submitted to major search engines.

89. Blogs have to be submitted to blogging directories using keywords for links.

90. Work at becoming an expert in your trade and also a specialist in your topic.

91. Make an account in stumble upon where you have to stumble good stuff and make new accomplices.

92. Work at growing, and sustaining your audience.

93. Be careful of ongoing discussions on your blog.

94. Make it a point to keep track of visitors, with the help of some analytic software.

Final Words

95. Don’t concentrate on short term benefits of your blog- work at increasing your readership base.

96. Be as helpful as possible, whenever possible.

97. Keep some time solely for your blog.

98. Be patient as blogging is more like running a marathon, and not a 100m sprint.

99. Learn and make improvements from previous mistakes.

100. Though the going may be tough, perseverance succeeds.

For further information, please visit SEO Consultant Specialist’s Blog

Abdul Hayi Mansoor
SEO Specialist and Article Marketer

Bringing a second dog home requires a lot of thought. It means a complete change in your “normal” family routine. It matters not whether the new dog is a puppy or an adult.

There are many things to consider before you bring the new pet home.

It is not just a matter of bringing the new dog home and you all will live happily ever after (though that can be a remote possibility.)

You need to take time to think this new undertaking through and mull over these questions:

Read these questions a few times and answer them truthfully. Being truthful will help eliminate you making a mistake.

Some dogs really don’t want a “companion,” they are as happy as a clam being the “only dog.”

The real question here is “is it you that wants a new dog?”

Once you have made up your mind and truly feel that another dog will be an added benefit to your household. There are a few more things to consider such as: puppy, young adult or an older dog. That will depend on your resident dog.

Puppies are probably easier to introduce to your current dog, as a puppy doesn’t appear as an intruder, only as a pest.

If you decide on a puppy, please keep this in mind. Puppies do not realize they are supposed to behave in a certain way until they are about 4 months old.

Until they are old enough to know all this “dog stuff,” it will be up to you to protect the puppy from the older dog and protect the older dog from the puppy.

The puppy will drive the older dog crazy at times. Puppies want to play; older dogs will play for a little while then want to stop.

It is up to you to give your older pet, free time away from “fluff and stuff.”

Do not under any circumstances leave the puppy and older dog alone without supervision.

Always put the puppy in its crate or put your resident dog in a safe room if you are leaving the house or cannot supervise.

The older dog could unintentionally injure the puppy, if the puppy pesters the older dog too much.

Adding a young adult dog or an older dog to your household requires a lot more tact along with patience and planning. You are going to need help with this one.

Step number one; the dogs will have to meet on neutral ground. To do this you will need help of a friend or a relative (not a member of your household.)

The dogs need to meet in a place your dog has never been, that will be the neutral territory. It can be a park, a neighbor’s yard, or if all else fails a parking lot.

Both dogs need to be on a leash and introduced casually. Allow them to do all the “doggy things,” such as smelling each other, their stance may be rigid, but for the first meeting that is okay. However, if you hear growling or see lip curling, calmly move them apart.

Remain calm and do not be nervous, talk to the dogs in a “happy voice.”

After a few minutes try to introduce them again, but do not let them get too close together.

If the growling and lip curling happens again it is a good bet that these two will not ever be friends.

Whatever you do, do not try to force a friendship. You will only be looking for a great deal of trouble when you get them home.

Dogs will fight and if they do not like each other, it can be disastrous for you and the dogs.

In looking for a new dog (not a puppy) try to find a dog whose personality matches that of your dog. If your dog is outgoing and friendly, find one that is equally so. If your dog is quiet and gentle, do not bring home a dog that is very active and playful, the match more than likely will not work.

Female dogs that have been the only dog in the house seem to have a harder time adjusting to a new “friend.”

Dogs that have been socialized and get along well with other dogs have an easier time relating to a new dog in the household.

One of the first rules in raising a puppy is “socialize, socialize and socialize” some more. If you have followed that rule, adding a new dog should be easier.

Once the introductions have been made and it is time to bring the two dogs home a good suggestion is “do not bring them home together” in the same car. Let the person who helped you with the introduction bring the new dog home.

It is a suggested procedure that when you have both dogs at home you keep their leashes on them. It will be easier for you to keep control if you need to by having a leash to grab on to.

If the new dog is close in age to your resident dog there is bound to be a bit of aggression going on.

You now have a “pack,” it will be necessary for the two dogs to decide which one is going to be second in charge (you are the real leader) and this decision may take some haggling.

Acceptable aggressive behavior should last for a few seconds (10 –20 seconds) and may consist of some growling, lip curling, snarling, snapping and possibly pinning one of the dogs down by the neck.

Unacceptable aggressive behavior would be biting to draw blood or any of the above behaviors that last more than a few seconds.

One of the dogs may exhibit submissive behavior and this is to be expected also. Barking like a puppy, rolling over on its back, tail between its legs, running away from the other dog are all acceptable submissive behaviors.

It may take the dogs a week or two to settle on who is the leader and while that is going on DO NOT let them alone together unsupervised.

Put the dogs in separate areas or in their crates, do not let them be together until you are certain they have settled their ranking and will get along.

The hardest thing for you will be following their decision especially if your first dog is no longer the “number one.”

The important thing here is that you abide by their decision no matter how hard it will be for you.

The number one dog gets the first treats, is first out the door, is first to be fed and so on.

Speaking of feeding, give each dog their own bowls and their own eating spot, do not let one steal food from the other.

Expect your first dog to go through some stress and probably some misbehavior patterns as this new addition will be upsetting to it and the dog will need to adjust.

It is up to you to expect these problems and act accordingly. Remember your dog did not ask for a new friend. It was your idea. As the old saying goes “you made your bed now lie in it.”

It may take a month or more for a routine to establish and peace to rein supreme once again in your household. If you keep the dogs apart when you are not home to supervise and you make the time they spend together “fun” they will soon become friends, maybe not “best friends,” but close enough to enjoy being together.

Do not forget that you are the LEADER, the boss supreme, and you run the show, and both dogs need to follow your orders first.

Do not beat, hit or otherwise use force to make a point, be patient, stern if necessary and most of all CONSISTENT in what you are asking of the dogs.

One last point: exercise is the secret to keeping your dogs too tired to argue with each other. Exercise relieves their stress (and maybe yours. too) and tired dogs behave better.

Good luck and remember to have FUN.

I am a mother of 6, grandmother of 9 and great grandmother of 4. Animals and their care has been a part of my life from early childhood. I have hand raised many kittens, puppies, squirrels and baby birds with great success. I am committed to educating people to understand that having a pet is a commitment and not just a “fly-by-night” endeavor. Having a pet means caring and loving it for its lifetime and not just for a time that suits your wim. For more information on the care and nurturing of cats and dogs please see my website at http://www.cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com

Has a new puppy recently become a member of your family? Puppies are born with instincts, but not with the knowledge of how to behave. Therefore, it is necessary to teach your new puppy appropriate behaviors and also some fun tricks. You can try to do this yourself or you can enlist the help of a dog school.

There are many different types of dog schools available. What dog school would be the best for your dog? Things to consider when searching for a dog school include: the age of your dog, the breed, the personality, and what it is that you want your dog to learn.

Let’s focus first on what you want your dog to learn. Do wish to have your dog learn basic obedience commands such as “sit” and “stay”? Do you want to learn practice drills you can do with your dog at home such as keeping them from begging for food at the dinner table? Then local dog schools will best meet your needs.

Local dog schools can be found at community colleges, city recreation centers, through pet stores, and even through private dog schools. You can opt to take a group class with up to twenty other dogs. These types of dog schools are often less expensive and meet in a local park. They meet once or twice week for a few weeks. You can have fun teaching your dog new commands as well as let them socialize with fellow dogs.

Local dog schools can offer more advanced dog training classes as well. Perhaps your dog has mastered the basic commands and you want to teach them how to hold a piece of food on their nose for a specified amount of time and then flip it into their mouth. You can find dog schools that have fun, exciting advanced classes where you and your dog can bond.

You may consider having your dog compete in dog shows. Maybe you purchased your dog from an established breeder that has determined your dog has champion DNA in their pedigree. If so then you should look into more in depth dog schools that are focused specifically and dog handling/showing. You can find these through breeders and the American Kennel Club. You can search for dog training materials and resources on the American Kennel Club website at:

http://akc.org/

On a different note, maybe you want your dog to become a service dog or guide dog for the blind. Dogs that perform these jobs have to go to specific guide dog training schools. These special dog schools are necessary because there are very detailed requirements and commands that a guide dog must learn. These types of dog schools will also provide the support, knowledge, and training necessary to make your dog a successful guide dog.

There are many guide and service dog schools around the world to train your dog. You can find these schools through your breeder, groomer, and veterinarian. You can also find information about these dog schools through the Internet. A comprehensive listing is available by Wolf Packs – List of Service Dog Schools and Information. You can find this on their website at: http://wolfpacks.com/serviced.htm/

Once you have determined what you want your dog to learn then you can narrow down your search of dog schools by taking into account your dog’s age, personality, and breed. Do you have a young puppy that is large like a Great Dane? Or do you have tiny new Bichon Frise that weighs in at only 4 pounds? Find out the type of dogs that are allowed into the dog training class.

Will the dog training class be filled with many large dogs that might scare your little Bichon Frise? Or are there dog classes available that are separated by age and weight? It is a good idea to be aware of this information before you sign your dog up for classes. You want to provide them the best experience possible and not have them cower when it is time to head to dog class each week.

Another consideration when choosing between dog schools is the amount of one-on-one attention. Is your dog very active and can’t sit still during group training sessions? Many dog schools offer private classes. Sometimes the dog trainer will even come to your home to give you and your pooch lessons.

Picking among dog schools is also reliant upon the price and schedule flexibility of the classes. Run a price and schedule comparison on dog schools in your area. This will help you to discover a dog school that fits your schedule, your dog’s personality, and meets your budget.

Choosing between dog schools is an important decision that will set your dog on the path to obedience success. Take your time and choose wisely so that both you and your canine buddy have a memorable, enjoyable dog training experience.

Visit the dog [http://www.dog-breeds-infosite.com] website to research dog breeds & get free tips on dog training, dog health, dog grooming & how to find dog sitters & dog walkers.

What you need to learn to start a Small Home Business.

There are employees who find themselves unhappy with their present employment situation, resign, and try to find other jobs that will suit their specific needs. Unfortunately, these individuals are now among the millions of Americans who are currently unemployed.

On the other hand, there are individuals who are just determined to earn not just enough but to strike it rich, and take the risk of starting a small home based business. They get out of the pressure of working on a stressful environment and enjoy the flexibility of their working hours. Although there are home base entrepreneurs who failed in their business venture, most individuals who started a small home base business continue their struggle, and luckily, generating substantial income before they realize that they do not need a regular job in the office to work with.

Why should I consider a small home based business opportunity?

However, there are instances wherein you come to think that the income you receive both from your regular and alternate work is still insufficient to compensate your expenditures given the fact that the prices of basic commodities and other necessities are consistently increasing. There is no chance that your salary will also increase every time the prices of basic commodities also increase.

It is your responsibility to sustain the needs of your family.

During those instances, there are employees who are brave enough to face the risk of getting into business. Thus, they retire from their previous work, collect the necessary cash benefits due to them, and use this as their starting capital for their business venture. Most of them get into home-based business and they start selling several merchandises to their neighbours and later selling such items to the business district within their locality.

That is why these employees are getting involved into home-based Internet marketing business. They clear some space inside their house that will serve as their “business office” (they also makes use of their bedrooms as offices) and purchase a single personal computer unit that is connected on the Internet. What they typically do is to surf on the Internet, research for several Internet-based earning opportunities that does not require huge starting capital, and learn the strategies needed to succeed in this type of program.

Home-based Businesses is on the increase.

How Important is to market my business properly?

Take a sneak peek on the following and determine what kind of promotion is best suited for your business. Internet marketing is distinguished from other types of business venture (such as the brick and mortar marketing) through its structures. Internet marketing structure is composed of several elements such as long and short term marketing strategies, direct and indirect branding market, traffic analysis, sales volume evaluation, and other relevant elements.

There is a need for every Internet marketer, whether a neophyte or an experienced one, to master the strategies of Internet marketing to get the right approach and be successful in their respective programs.

One of the secrets in obtaining effective marketing approaches is to learn and understand the basic structure of Internet marketing. For instance, you need to realize that there is a huge distinction between short term and long term marketing strategies in which the former is a “temporary approach” and the latter is a “permanent approach”.

Your site must appear on the top pages of every search engine results made by Internet users. Its rapid development, along with the clever minds of webmasters and Internet geniuses, paved the way for the innovations that changed the way we live in this world.

This is one of the effective marketing strategies used in online-based businesses. In case that you are getting negative results, there is a need to change your approach. Affiliate Marketing Programs Category.

It must provide a long-term focus; that is, earning money not just only today but to the coming years as well. Lastly, do not be deaf to the feedbacks and concerns expressed by your clients. However, you can also help building brand awareness of not well-known products or services that will help a lot in making your online advertising successful.

Internet is not just for pure information dissemination or transmission of useful data–it now changed the way we do business in the 21st century. Is there a vehicle without engine and wheels? Take a course or spend time learning these techniques.

1. It is easy to promote products and services that are already well-known to the public rather than unbranded ones. Good decision, yet you need to know what can you expect when you take an Internet marketing course. There are many programs (both offline and online) that offers Internet marketing course, but the best course contains the best subjects that will serve as your guide on Internet marketing. Such subjects are as follows:

2. The course will start by discussing some basics of Internet marketing. Although it will not elaborate the history of the investment, it will include the basic opportunities on how you will be able to earn online without wasting your effort and financial resources.

3. Next in line is setting up your website. Keep in mind that on Internet marketing, your website will serve as your “shop” where you can sell products of other Internet marketers or promote something that will generate income on your part. The subject will include the appropriate website design templates to be used on a particular business, registering your site in its own domain name, and others.

4. Along with the course, expect that it will include several strategies on how you will be able to anticipate the moves of your competitors. Internet marketing is a growing market, and competition among Internet marketers is inevitable. Thus, there is a need for you to watch how your competitors move in order to stay alive in your chosen investment.

5. The course will also include subjects related to website promotion through the use of online classified ads, press releases, newsletters, emails, newsgroups, and others. Keep in mind that your website must be as popular as possible so that you will be able to attract more clients. Promoting your website as your product is very critical on Internet marketing, and it is one of the subjects that would be discussed extensively.

It is natural that you will spend some of your money in taking an Internet marketing course. Keep in mind that in order to succeed, you must have the necessary knowledge and skills that will help you reach your market.

Furthermore, it is not just selling a certain product to online shoppers. Affiliate links work best in the context of the information contained within the website. ” Although the structure is considered to be as the “basic outline”, there are instances wherein due to changing market conditions and other external factors, there is a need to change some parts of the structure either to remove or add several elements.

The present structure of Internet marketing is now one of the better if not the best structures among all existing investments. There are additional elements that are now considered to be the “ultimate lifeline” of the online business industry.

o THE FOUNDER- you are one of the important elements of an Internet marketing structure. The business will not be successful if you will not stand up and lead your business to the right path. Remember that the Internet has its own “dungeons”–and it is where you need to shine and break the darkness to become successful on your Internet marketing career.

o THE PRODUCT- if you do not have a product to sell, do you think you will be able to grab a slice of the Internet marketing revenue pie?

Although you have an excellent Internet marketing business opportunity, but if you do not have a marketing plan for developing such opportunity, there is a slim chance that you will be successful.

How do you market a small home based business.

Although classified ads is the designated part for such endorsements, you will still find several product and service endorsements on the front page, sports page, and even on the comics section of the newspaper. Structure is an integral part of their being–without it, their being and purpose is not complete.

If you think that the structure is just for physical attributes alone, then you need to think again.

As a matter of fact, abstract things also need structure in order to survive. And Internet marketing does need a specific structure.

In what way? Why is important to get the structure right?

Once the brand is consistently patronized by the people, you will be able to achieve success and your products will certainly have an edge over unbranded products. This will influence the way they patronize your products or services that may even result in the expansion of your clientele base.

There exist wide range of advertising-related and consultancy services based on market conditions, advance sales strategies, and popular culture. As previously mentioned, you do not need to secure necessary permits from city or state governments or find premises for your business. It was a simple idea.

Some merchants run their own affiliate programs while others use third party services provided by intermediaries to track traffic or sales that are referred from affiliates.

It is irrelevant (for the compensation) how often an Ad is displayed.

If you have your mailing list, you must have an auto responder service. If you don’t yet you will soon, it’s part of internet marketing. Some advertisers however did and still do embrace this behaviour of their affiliates and allow them, even encourage them, to bid on any term they like, including the advertisers trademarks.

Depending on the kind of Internet marketing business you are into as well as your subscriber’s level of interest, the appropriate volume for you could be weekly or monthly. SEO, or the search engine optimization, is a proven online advertising method, and presently in-demand. The choice is yours to make.

It is an online-based exchange agency that serves as an intermediary between buyers and sellers in making business transactions (particularly business-to-business transactions, hence the term B2B applies).

All other effective strategies will come in line as long as you stick to the basic yet the best strategies in your Internet marketing venture. Remember that your ultimate goal is to be a successful Internet marketer who continues to generate revenues on an upscale. Many affiliate programs were poorly managed. But don’t let that worry you because with time vendors are getting better.

Once the selected brand name is still available, It is a unique system that allows you to collect commissions on your own sales as well as individuals you recruited. Those are the key features that you need to watch out when deciding on which Internet marketing business you will engage into.

Advertising your products or services for sale through the Internet is relatively cheaper than advertising through local newspapers and large billboards. Develop you own product. Or better still you can JV with an established vendor and collect regular commission cheques by promoting their products. One popular method is Pay Per Click search engine traffic. Also known as “google adword” More information can be found by visiting the links below.

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“Pets are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions and they pass no criticisms” said George Eliot about pet animals. Pets often reciprocate the love that their masters lavish on them by demonstrating various forms of affection including licking, hickeys, even love-bites.

There’s no other job quite like keeping a pet. Pet care is in fact a permanent job, and includes the very important functions of grooming and striving to maintain good pet health care. General pet supplies could be considered a definition of useful tools for grooming and keeping your pet in good health.

Pet Supplies:

An essential list of pet supplies for purchase could include the following: pet food and food dishes, pet id tags and collars, pet medications, supplements and tonics, etc. Some other items to consider are animal carriers, pet houses and furniture, pet beds, clothes, and pet jewelry.

Online Pet Supplies:

Online pet supplies are supplies that can be purchased from pet stores over the Internet. There are numerous pet grooming product manufacturers and pet-grooming stores selling their products online through their individual official websites.

Pet Grooming Supplies:

Pet grooming supplies include items such as grooming clippers, pet hair care products, soaps, shampoo and perfumes.

Pet Health Care:

Pet health care is a very important responsibility of pet ownership. For puppies and kittens, or any other four-legged pets, important treatments would include giving a hygiene bath, cleaning, combing, brushing, checking ears, paws, teeth and underside of the tongue, nail trimming, removing fleas and insects, and fixing regular meetings with a professional veterinary. A good pet owner should follow a regular schedule of grooming sessions.

Pet care can require a lot of patience. Like children, pets often require special attention. A puppy, kitten or any other pet in its infancy needs to be handled with extreme care. In particular they must be groomed properly, fed carefully, and bedded properly.

Choosing A Pet:

The process of choosing a pet is very important. Choosing a pet depends on one’s preferences, but there are still some important things that should be kept in mind. One should always choose an animal of good breed. Secondly, the pet should be healthy especially if it is still in the initial stage of its life. A healthy young pet shows good fast growth.

Pet Grooming Business:

The pet grooming business is a flourishing business today. There are numerous pet grooming schools offering the equivalent services of a pet grooming professional. People hire the services of these professional experts for the proper grooming of their pets. Professional pet grooming is becoming quite popular in United States, Canada, and European countries.

Paul MacIver writes about pets and Pet Health Care [http://www.information-spring.info/?cat=12]. Visit Online Pet Supplies [http://www.complete-pet-supplies.info] to read more about Pet Care, Pet Grooming [http://www.complete-pet-supplies.info/pet-grooming-products.html] and Pet Supplies. You may freely reprint this article as long as nothing is changed, and bio is included with all links intact.

You’ve decided to take your pet along on vacation. It will be more fun, and you won’t have to worry about leaving a member of your family behind in an unfamiliar kennel. With some extra planning and forethought, you can have a safe and enjoyable trip with your pet.

Taking a Road Trip

If you’re driving with your pet, you’ll need to find a comfortable and safe way for your pet to travel. You can place your pet in a carrier and secure it in the car. Alternatively, you can purchase a seatbelt-like harness for your pet that will allow him to be out of the carrier but still safely restrained. It isn’t safe to allow your pet to roam freely in the car. He can be seriously hurt in the event of even a minor accident, and he is much more likely to escape and become lost when you make stops.

Don’t leave your pet alone in the car, especially in hot weather. The heat can quickly become life-threatening. If your pet becomes carsick easily, you may want to ask your veterinarian for motion-sickness medicine before the trip.

Carry some of your pet’s food along with you, and feed your pet only small amounts of food at a time. If your trip is short, you may want to have your pet wait and eat when you arrive to avoid carsickness. You should also carry some of your pet’s water along, or purchase bottled water. Local tap water may contain different minerals or sulphur, which might upset your pet’s stomach.

Flying with your pet

Many pet owners do not like to fly with their pets because it can be traumatic for them, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Unless your pet is very small, he will fly as cargo and not in the cabin with you. Check with your airline to determine what type of carrier is acceptable and what rules apply to flying with a pet. Also ask what safety precautions are in place, what conditions the pet will fly in, etc. Ask your veterinarian if your pet is well enough to fly or if there are any special precautions you should take.

International Travel

Taking your pet out of the country requires careful planning. Check the regulations for the country you are traveling to and verify that your pet has the required vaccinations. In some cases, you’ll need to have the vaccines administred weeks before your departure date.

Most countries will require a Rabies Vaccination Certificate and a Health Certificate. Your veterinarian can help you obtain both of these. The country you are traveling to may require that you complete paperwork gaining permission to bring your pet into the country. Also, some countries have quarantine regulations that may require your pet to remain in a kennel for up to several months.

Pet Friendly Hotels

A quick search on the Internet can help you find hotels that are receptive to pets. Many travel sites also allow you to specify only pet-frienly accommodations. Check with the hotel to find their specific rules regarding staying with a pet.

If your pet requires walks, ask for a room that opens on the outside. This will be more convenient for those late night trips outdoors.

Many alternative lodging sites, such as resorts, cabins and bed and breakfasts are also open to receiving pets. Check ahead of time for availability where you’re traveling. Since many of these vacation spots offer outdoor activities, they can be great options for pet owners.

What Will your Pet do All day?

You know how you’ll travel, and you’ve found a hotel that will welcome your pet, so now what? What will your pet do all day when you’re out having fun?

An outdoor vacation is an ideal choice if you’re traveling with pets. Consider renting an RV and taking a camping vacation. Many RV rental agencies allow pets with an extra deposit. A trip to the beach is another good choice for pet owners. However, keep in mind that sand can be irritating to some pets, especially dogs with deep skin folds. Some animals are bothered by long sun exposure as well.

If you’re spending a lot of time outdoors, keep plenty of cold water on hand and watch your pet for signs of heat exhaustion.

Some restaurants now provide outdoor seating that is also pet friendly. Check ahead of time if any are available near where you are staying. If you’d like to spend mealtime with your pet and no pet-friendly restaurants are close by, you might consider takeout or even picnicing outdoors.

What if you’re taking a more traditional vacation? Many tourist attractions will not welcome your pet, and it isn’t a good idea to leave your pet alone in a strange hotel room all day. You may be able to place your pet in his carrier for shorter excursions, but for all day trips, consider researching pet daycare centers or kennels available in the area. You can leave your pet for a few hours in a safe environment but still enjoy his company on your trip.

What to Take Along

Bring your pet’s food along or plan to buy it as needed. This is not a good time to change your pet’s diet, and you should certainly avoid giving your pet any table scraps. Traveling can be stressful regardless of how careful you are, and you don’t need the added complication of stomach upset for your pet.

Don’t give your dog the local water, especially if you’re traveling internationally. It’s safer to give your pet only bottled water to avoid possible stomach upset.

Bring along any medicines your pet takes, including vitamins, flea medicines, heart worm prescriptions, etc. You should also bring some basic first-aid supplies in case of injury. Ask your veterinarian what should be included in your pet’s first aid kit. These might include medicines for stomach upset and a mild tranquilizer in case your pet becomes extremely agitated. You can purchase pre-stocked pet first aid kits at many pet supply stores.

To make your pet more comfortable, bring along a few items from home. Bring some of your pet’s bedding and a few of his favorite toys. Bring only treats your pet has eaten in the past with no stomach upset. Again, this isn’t the time to try any new foods. The carrier you bring should be large enough for your pet to remain comfortably inside for a few hours. He should be able to stand, lie down and turn around easily within it. Also, be sure your pet has fresh water available within the carrier.

A Pre-Trip Checklist

Make an appointment with your veterinarian. Have your pet examined and any vaccinations done that are needed. Ask if your pet is healthy enough to travel, and ask for advice concerning any of your pet’s health conditions. Remember that if you are traveling outside the country, you may need to plan weeks in advance.

Make sure your pet has current identification attached to his collar, and that it fits well and isn’t likely to slip off. You might want to consider having an identification chip implanted before your trip, but you’ll need to discuss with your veterinarian how soon your pet can travel after the procedure.

Gather phone numbers for veterinarians, pet emergency care facilities, kennels, etc. before you leave for each place where you’ll be staying. If an accident or illness does occur, you’ll be grateful that you don’t have to take the time to find someone to care for your pet.

Make a packing list for your pet based on his needs and what your veterinarian recommends. Double-check it as you pack his things. Take your veterinarian’s phone number along with you in case you need to call and ask a last minute question or have your pet’s records sent to another clinic.

Take time to get your pet used to his carrier, especially if it’s new. If you’re driving, take your pet in the car for practice trips before the big day so it won’t be so traumatic. Another benefit to this approach is that you’ll learn if your pet become motion sick easily.

If you’re traveling with your cat, bring a litterbox and litter along with you. It’s easier to purchase cheap plastic litterboxes and throw them away rather than try to clean and transport them. If traveling with a dog, be sure to bring baggies to clean up after your pet’s walks.

Embarrassing and Alarming Moments

Pets get stressed when traveling, so accidents can and will happen. Bring some disposable wipes and plastic baggies to clean up after your pet. Another good idea is bringing a small bottle of enzyme based cleaner. If your pet selects the hotel carpet as the perfect spot for his accident, this can remove the odor and stain before it has a change to set.

Never open your pet’s carrier unless you’re in an enclosed room. Pets can move much more quickly than you can, and nothing will ruin your vacation faster than losing your traveling companion.

Traveling with your pet can be challenging, but with some planning ahead, it can also be a fun and rewarding experience. Trying a short weekend trip before a longer vacation can also help your pet acclimate to travel, and you will learn how well your pet travels.

Author Ian White is founder of pet-sitters.biz Pet Sitting Directory

Find a Pet Sitter, Find Pet Sitting Clients.

Pet-Sitters.biz can help both ways! Pet sitters list their business and can be found easily when pet owners search for your services.

Pet owners list pet-sitting requirements and find those who meet their specific needs. Fast, easy membership Dog walkers, pet day cares also welcome!

The following are suggestions to the client involved in a contested divorce case, motion to modify or paternity case in which custody or temporary custody is or may be at issue. Also, remember that there may be a request for change of custody or temporary custody in the future and therefore, the following suggestions should always be taken into consideration.

These suggestions are made for the present and future benefit of your children and your goal as a parent should always be to improve the children’s lives and to better provide for their needs.

Remember: Everything you do or do not do as a parent affects your children and their future.

1. Exercise your custody rights to the maximum, but always remain flexible to accommodate special circumstances relating to either the children or the other parent. Try to determine the real needs of your children and really listen to what they have to say, and equally importantly, what they are not saying. Do not attempt to become a private investigator and do not speak disparagingly of or belittle the other parent or stepparent, or any other significant person in your children’s lives. Enjoy the time you spend with the children and allow them to enjoy you and the time that they spend with you.

2. Regularly keep a journal or diary of events in order to remember and be able to point out dates, witnesses, facts, etc., pertaining to significant events and problems regarding the children. Maintain this diary in a secure place where it is not accessible to the children. Do not let the children know that you are keeping this diary.

3. Learn how to be a better parent. Begin by selecting, from the bookstore or library one or two books on child care, child raising, and parenthood that are written for parents of children of your children’s ages or any special needs they may have (for example, being children of divorce or having an absent parent suddenly reappear). If you are considering joint custody or if the other party is requesting joint custody, read some of the available books on the subject. Knowledge is power and it will help you make the best decisions for your children and yourself.

4. Be involved in all of your children’s activities, including school, sports, scouts, counseling, medical and dental care. Get to know those people who teach your children, run their extracurricular activities and care for them. Generate and maintain a genuine interest in these areas. Maintain communication with the other parent about these issues. If you feel excluded, take action to remedy the problem. Go to the school, attempt to get information from the other parent and document those requests by sending letters or e-mails and keeping copies for your files. Do not quiz the children. If you can not get the information you seek, talk to your attorney about the options that you have.

5. Attend the church or temple activities of your choice. Become active in the affairs and social activities of your church or temple. Get to know and be known by those who actively participate. Take the children with you to these activities and otherwise involve them whenever possible.

6. Develop a plan showing how you would provide care, love and guidance and meet the other needs of your children should you be awarded custody. If you have custody and are involved in a Motion to Modify, be able to speak on how you do so now. Examples: where the children would live, their daily routine, who would care for them when they are not in school and when you are not physically present; educational and religious plans; what visitation and custody plans you would work out for the other parent (be liberal in your thinking and planning); what custodial arrangement you ultimately wish to obtain. Develop a workable, reasonable, and logical daily routine for the care of your children and be able to point out how your plan, care, and attention to the needs of the children is better than the existing one and how it will be better for the children in the future.

7. Make a list of relatives, close friends, and neighbors who have been or will actively assist you in providing for the needs of the children. Enlist these people and involve them with you and the children. Have your children get to know these people and establish a meaningful relationship between these individuals, the children and yourself.

8. Make sure the physical facilities of your home are totally adequate for the children. Try to step outside yourself and view the situation from a neutral vantage point. Look at it with a critical eye to be able to realize where improvements and changes are needed and make them. A clean and well-organized home is necessary. The children must have adequate shelter, food, and around-the-clock care, attention, love, supervision and discipline. You will need to show your home surroundings are or will be beneficial for the children. If you have a pre-school aged child, consider contacting the “Parents As Teachers” programs run by your local school. It is free to all, and they are an excellent source of information and guidance.

9. If you will require daycare for your children, investigate several alternatives that will suit your particular circumstances. You should be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each option, taking into account location, hours, level of care, reputation in the community, and, of course, cost. Be realistic about what you and the other parent can afford. The State of Missouri has a “Family Care Safety Registry” that may be accessed by calling toll-free 1-866-422-6872 or http://www.dhss.mo.gov/FCSR/. BJC offers a free booklet with tips on choosing a quality daycare that may be obtained by calling 314-454-KIDS or visiting http://www.bjc.org.

10. Develop common interests with your children and continue to be involved with those that already exist. Become a part of, share, and enjoy their world with them. Do not forget birthdays, Christmas, parent-child events at school or church and other special occasions that mean so much to children. Other than just gifts, you must give of yourself. Be an active parent, interested in their schoolwork, outside school activities, their sports, clubs, organizations, friends, and their plans for the future.

11. Make a study of the schools your children are or would be attending if living with you. Know and familiarize yourself with bus services or other transportation, hours of school, before and after school care, extra-curricular activities, etc., and have a good working knowledge of this important area of your child’s development. By law, each public school is required to produce a “school report card” with basic statistics about the school. Call the schools in your area and in the area where the other parent lives and get copies of these documents. Read them carefully and talk with school personnel if there is anything that you do not understand.

12. Obtain friends, relatives, neighbors, bosses, fellow employees, and church members who will be willing to testify in court as to your behavior patterns, reputation, responsibility, interaction and relationship with the children and general fitness as a parent. You will need to discuss this frankly with each of these people. Give us their names, addresses and telephone numbers and a brief statement as to what they are able and willing to testify to in the actual trial of your case. Advise us if you do not wish us to call them without first talking to you.

13. You need to honestly prepare a statement of constructive criticism of yourself and your spouse or former spouse, any stepparents or significant others in a stepparent role, as parents. Be fair and accurate, and put down facts and circumstances that can be proven or about which proof should be obtained. This statement tells why a change in custody is necessary or why you should retain custody. It should be detailed, and you should forward it to us as soon as possible. Remember that it is a sign that you are a good parent that you can admit that there are ways that you can improve as a parent.

14. Do not have members of the opposite sex to whom you are not related spending the night with you when the children are there. The court may consider this to be a negative factor when determining custody.

15. Have, maintain, and show an open healthy attitude toward visitation and custody of the other parent. The children need the love of both parents, and your own attitude in this respect is important to the children and will be given some weight by the court. The greatest gift that you can give your children as they grow up without both parents in the same home is the ability to love the other parent.

16. Your own emotional and physical health are important factors that will be considered by the court. It is important for you to be composed and in full control at all times and to be able to prove your maturity, responsibility, and self-management. Remember that actions speak louder than words and that there is no excuse for you to disagree disrespectfully with the other parent in front of the children or to discuss adult issues such as why you and the other parent are not together or the financial arrangements between the parents for the support of the children even f they ask or even if they have inaccurate information. Simply tell the children that both parents love them and that they will be taken care of and whatever issues they have are between the adults and that you will not discuss them. If this is a problem in your situation, talk to your attorney about your options.

17. It is important for you to be able to discuss in some detail your strengths and weaknesses as a parent and your spouse’s or former spouse’s strengths and weaknesses as a parent, as well as those of any step-parents or significant others. Remember, if your spouse did not have significant good points and strengths, you would not have had children with him or her. Similarly, you should be able to discuss your children’s strength and weaknesses in some detail. It is a positive attribute of a parent to be able to recognize both positive and negative in his or her children, him or herself and others.

Leigh Joy Carson, St. Louis Family Law Attorney

“Bowling Alley”, “Bowling Center”, “The Bowl” and “House” are used interchangeably to describe the building where bowling takes place. Bowling alleys are usually comprised of many lanes (as many as 100 or more), but can be comprised of only a few lanes. Some people have a lane in their home, while I wouldn’t consider this a bowling alley, per se; it is in the most literal sense one. A single lane is sometimes referred to as a bowling alley. For the purposes of this book, a bowling alley or house will refer to a place where there are multiple lanes and games are purchased.

Where are bowling alleys?

They are everywhere. Lately it seems that a lot more houses are closing due to property and maintenance prices getting to expensive, or lack of use. Looking in your local telephone book, you should be able to find quite a few houses in your area. Bowling is a very popular sport and therefore there are a lot of bowling alleys in most areas. If you can’t find one where you live, check the nearest city or big town, there’s bound to be one within driving distance of where you live.

Recently a large bowling stadium was constructed in Reno, NV (United States). If you want to see a really large house, that is the place to go. If you get a chance to bowl there it is really quite the thing! I have bowled there on several occasions and have really enjoyed it. The PBA (Pro Bowlers Association, see Chapter 9) has tournaments there as well as the USBC. A few of the tournaments that I know of that bowl there are the PBA, USBC Nationals, USBC Mixed, and the High Roller. This stadium was built expressly for the purpose of handling large bowling tournaments, and is not allowed to have leagues in it. It also has a very large Pro Shop (place to buy bowling stuff), that even has a bowling lane in it so that you can see everything! They will video tape your game and help you to figure out what you need to improve. It is quite impressive.

Bowling Center Layout

Most bowling alleys will have a desk (where you buy games), a bar, game room, at least one meeting room, a room to handle babysitting, and, of course, lanes! A lot of houses have a pro shop also.

The desk is usually situated somewhere near the center of the house and the bar is usually not far from it. For most bowlers that’s all you need to know about a bowling alley right there! Drinking and bowling go hand and hand for a lot of bowlers (not me, though). It’s no mistake that the bar is centralized in the bowling alley. The game room is usually centralized in the bowling alley also, and most of the time contains pool tables, video games, and pinball machines.

Meeting rooms can be anywhere in the bowling alley, and will seat anywhere from 25 – 100s of people. The meeting rooms are used for league meetings, receptions, birthday parties, etc…. Most of the time, one of the rooms will have toys and things in it for kids. This room is generally used for babysitting the children of the bowlers. Most bowling alleys offer free babysitting for children up to age 7 or 8 for league bowlers. This comes in very handy when you are bowling.

Pro shops are very popular in bowling alleys. Inside of the pro shop you can find just about anything that you need for bowling from balls and bags to shoes, brushes, and powder or resin. You can even get advice from a “pro”. Most of the pro shops are either owned by a professional bowler or have a professional on staff. Be careful though, not all of the people working in the pro shop are pros, and not all of them necessarily have your best interest at heart. There is a lot of stuff to be bought and if you are getting equipment, be sure that you are speaking to somebody who knows your game. Buying equipment for bowling is not as simple as getting a ball and shoes (more on that in Chapter 3).

Who do I call?

The first person that you are likely to meet in the bowling alley is the desk person. This is the person behind the desk that will take your money and assign you a lane. This is also the person that is your main contact at the bowling alley should anything happen. If you spill a drink, your ball gets stuck in the return, or whatever… you should contact the desk person and let them know what you need.

League bowlers usually go through the league secretary to get things accomplished in the house. The league secretary usually has a little more clout than the individual bowler as he/she represents an entire league of bowlers (and therefore a lot of revenue to the bowling center).

There are two other people that you may encounter at the bowling alley. The Porter is the person cleaning up the lanes, getting dead balls, dead wood, fixing scores and just about anything else that needs to be done on the customer side of the lanes. The Mechanic is the other person that you may encounter. You probably won’t come into direct contact with them; they are the person that works in the back of the alley, resetting pins, fixing the machines, and making sure that things work right. They are usually the one that oils the lanes (more on that later), also.

Keep bowling and having fun!

Author BIO Mike Kolar has been bowling for about 20 years and has taught several bowlers helping them to improve their averages by over 30 pins!

Click on Free Bowling Information [http://www.BowlersEverything.com] for all of your bowling needs from balls and bags to articles and advice.

One of the very best things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. And what a pleasure it must be to be able to touch peoples lives and please them with our cooking.

Now gourmet cooking does not really mean complicated dishes presented with extravagant grandeur. The beauty of gourmet recipes is in their simplicity, their freshness and of course presentation. It incorporates creating a subtle balance of flavours and taking your guests on a culinary experience that they will never forget.

I know you may feel that that gourmet meals are beyond your reach, what with all the skill involved in preparing the food and the fast paced lifestyle that we are now resigned to follow. Where will you find the time to learn the art that is gourmet cooking and then to prepare meals that require such careful preparation and precision in the jam packed schedule that you have?

So here’s something that will make you feel a lot better. ITS NOT ALL THAT DIFFICULT!

Daunting as it may seem, gourmet cooking is essentially making use of the best possible ingredients, creating a dish that pleases your senses (even if it is as simple as mashed potatoes) and presenting it with flair. There is a history behind every dish waiting to be explored. Every corner of this world, every culture, every country has something new to contribute to your food adventure. And knowing and exploring this uniqueness of each cuisine, understanding the key ingredients of every dish and just experimenting and trying new recipes is what makes you a gourmet cook. It doesn’t have to be about complicated techniques, expensive ingredients and pretentious plating. Regional specialties cooked slowly with care and attention are gourmet cooking. When most food is fast food, slow food is gourmet food.

You can join a course to learn the basic skills, or refer cook-books that will offer a wide variety of content on techniques, skills and recipes, but in the end just like any other art form, gourmet cooking is instinctive. You just need to widen your horizon in term of your food experience and begin your culinary adventure that will last a lifetime. In the end cooking is about the heart. It’s about love and pleasing people. It’s about your passion for food. And eventually its all about YOU.

For more of Mishi’s recipe picks, cooking tips and food thoughts visit her blog at http://cooking-gourmet.com/

PHP is known as server side scripting language and used in all known operating systems like Windows, UNIX, Linux etc. Nowadays PHP frameworks are a step ahead of the general PHP coding format. Majority of innovative PHP programmers are using these types of frameworks for different performance tuning issues.

These well known PHP frameworks like CakePHP, Codeigniter, Zend etc. supports maximum reputed database connections like SQL, My SQL, Oracle, ODBC thus it becomes as an easy choice for contract programmers. These latest frameworks are also much popular due to its embedded coding directly and can be carried by nearly all of the web servers.

These superlative PHP frameworks follow MVC (model view controller) coding style which is a great combination of database application (model), HTML coding (view) and input / output instructions (controller). Applying this MVC style will make your code lightweight, sharp and secure.

Core advantages of using PHP framework

1. Fast: As these frameworks are following MVC, you need not take hazards of thousand lines of complex coding. Thus it is easily assumable that due to optimized coding it will run faster.

2. Lightweight: These frameworks has inbuilt core library with them and thus the coding is much lightweight in nature than normal one. Here you need not follow vast complex coding structure what we see in the normal ones.

3. Recycle of coding: By using these frameworks in web development, several basic features are almost same, and thus you can recycle the same code (modify necessarily) of any module in different projects.

4. Reliable: frameworks already run on millions of worldwide servers, which fundamentally proves that they are powerful enough for the most demanding situations and also prove that much secure enough to use.

5. Capable: These frameworks have several creative functions that are prepared for you to have an edge in your coding. There are functions for handling date formats, database connections, handling emails, editing strings etc.

6. Easy debugging: PHP frameworks have their own specific debugging methodologies that allow you to easily spot out the errors in your development.

7. Extendable: You can effortlessly extend your PHP coding through these frameworks to get the specific functions that you like to integrate in your website development.

8. Community help: You never ever feel alone while coding with these framework. When ever you feel any pressure, you can ask for help in communities. There are good numbers of developers that will surely help in your development.

Joanna Gadel is a PHP programmer and also associated with several .net programmer jobs. Her article on benefits of PHP guides her readers to gather more knowledge about latest PHP development.

The role of the automotive advertising agency has changed to follow the new rules of the road on the Internet Super Highway. Newly empowered consumers are no longer limited to shopping for a vehicle using information provided by self serving auto dealers pushing information to them using conventional media like radio, T.V. or newspaper. Social media has allowed car shoppers to gather information from like minded customers before, during and after their shopping and/or buying experience. These online friends are playing an increasing role in the car shopping process and automotive advertising agencies are using them to influence buyers.

The new pull / push nature of the market powered by the Internet requires automotive advertising agencies to focus on people vs. product or price. Car shoppers are following their own agendas when pulling information from the world wide web that no longer requires them to rely on an auto dealer as the source. Today’s online shoppers prioritize people when selecting a dealership they are willing to do business with. That is not to suggest that product and price aren’t important. It simply suggests that all systems start and end with people and that people are the true asset of any auto dealer, automotive advertising agency or vendor!

The most obvious evidence of the priority that people play in the auto shopping/buying/service experience is the explosive growth that social media has enjoyed as a marketing media vs. conventional radio, T.V. and print that used to dominate the automotive advertising landscape. Automotive advertising agencies recognize that people have always preferred to do business with people that they like and social networking has expanded the spheres of influence of car shoppers/buyers to include their online friends.

The market is a conversation amongst friends before, during and after the car shopping/buying/ service cycle. Auto dealers that have friends in the social networking communities are more likely to be invited to participate in the dialogue. More specifically, automotive advertising agencies realize that it is difficult to befriend a building or a website! It is the people that work at the dealership to support their families that have the story to tell to their friends and who will earn the sale — not the Chevrolet, Toyota, Mercedes, etc. — or the extended service hours and weekly specials. Saturday service hours have no appeal if the customers don’t like or trust the people that they are handing their keys to. Having a friend in the car business is a relief that trumps the best process, product or price for the average car buyer.

Automotive advertising agencies also recognize that people play a role in both the real and virtual world showroom experience which will be reflected in the number of units sold and their job performance at the end of the month. First impressions are irretrievable and they are not limited to a large inventory, clean showroom or a dealer centric selling system that processes customers in sales and/or service. The atmosphere in a well run dealership reflects the morale of the staff in sales and service which directly impacts the customers that an automotive advertising agency drives to the dealership.

A smiling sales person, service writer, operator and cashier can’t be forced as a part of policy — much like customer satisfaction can’t be bought or taken for granted by simply offering the best price; it must be earned. It is earned when a dealer or manager appreciates the individual and team contributions of his staff — and tells them so on a regular basis! It is maintained by HR departments and hiring practices that select personality over prior auto sales experience with compensation plans that reflect individual contributions along with job descriptions and defined areas of responsibility that are managed and monitored by a caring management team.

Employee retention is directly linked to customer satisfaction and customer retention and neither can be taken for granted. Automotive advertising agencies are counseling their auto dealer clients to invest in their people before, during and after they are hired to compliment their investments in automotive advertising. It is their people that will represent their dealership and it is their people who will sell their cars and service to a growing list of friends and customers.

Automotive advertising agencies have extended their areas of responsibility to include their involvement in all aspects of day to day operations at an auto dealership. Most selling systems and related processes include a meeting and greeting, an initial manager T.O. to qualify the customer’s needs, an inventory and facility walk, a test drive, a feature benefit presentation, a desking procedure, a manager T.O., negotiations, an F&I introduction, a delivery procedure and service introduction. All of these steps are then supported by a state of the art CRM/ILM, DMS and follow up system. Unfortunately, all of these well thought out procedures are only as good as the sales person who entered the customer into the system and/or who is expected to follow up if not sold or who is relied on to solicit future service and referrals.

All of these actions reflect on the job performance of the automotive advertising agency and they must be addressed as part of their areas of responsibility. Automotive advertising agencies recognize that sales training is all too often limited to a few weeks immediately after the hire and/or some outsourced trainer hired to pump up the staff. Given the complexity of a well planned selling system — as described above — how can a new hire be expected to retain everything that they need to know? Add product information and an understanding of how human nature impacts the negotiation process and — once again — the investment in the people becomes self evident.

There is a paradigm shift taking place in the way that sales and service training should be applied at a dealership and it is up to the automotive advertising agency to insure that it is understood and applied. Forward thinking automotive advertising agencies have discovered that sales and service training can’t be limited to the new hires and or as needed to motivate the staff. It must start in the hiring process by selecting trainable personalities and then integrated into the selling system in such a way that the processes teach the sales person as much as the customer. Buyers and sellers must form a habit to listen and learn from each other before they can presume to sell or buy anything. A sales person does not need to know everything — they simply need to know where to find the answers that are relevant to the customer to move them through their buying decision.

Automotive advertising agencies often rely on new technologies to provide efficiencies applied to proven old world wisdom. New mobile sales applications are being developed that promise to provide a salesperson with the right information at the right place and the right time which will integrate training into the sales process. The key is to focus on the people part of the presentation supported by the processes, products and the price rather than the other way around.

Philip Zelinger is a former auto dealer principal with an earned reputation as a nationally recognized automotive advertising expert specializing in the technology sector. His philosophy that a rising tide floats all boats motivates him to listen and learn so he can presume to teach. To that end, Philip shares best practices on the respected automotive advertising resource networking portal — http://AdAgencyOnline.Net — as well as the blog talk radio station featured on the site — WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time — http://blogtalkradio.com/adagencyonline.

For a complimentary consultation on your automotive advertising needs, or to share your wisdom and insights with the online automotive advertising community hosted by Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. visit the portal and contact Philip Zelinger directly. To quote Philip, “Help is only a click away because — after all, what are friends for!”

PHP or hypertext preprocessor is a language which in used in developing dynamic web pages for budding e-business and other web applications. According to Wikipedia we can say PHP is an open source, reflective programming language. PHP was actually developed as a high level scripting language for creating vibrant web pages. PHP stands still as the third most popular programming language at the rear of Java and C.

Consumers across the world prefer India as the center point when it comes to PHP programmers as they are efficient enough to provide rising platforms to the owners, with the creation of booster web sites which increases their site traffic and eventually increases their sales. PHP programmers with the use of open source codes benefit from the elasticity of editing, modifying and updating the source code when there is requisite. Such programmers with strong basic knowledge and experience accept all sorts of difficulties and aims at benefiting the consumers at the most. Open source as proved itself a boon for these programmers as resources could be utilized at the max with minimum cost. In India the pay scale for these programmers are a fraction when compared to other developed countries, which is another reason why India has become the first choice at global market.

PHP and MySQL software are very helpful in Content Management System that has become a must for every website to progress properly. It can be said PHP is a fine combination of some features of C and Perl in a simple format. When compared to other scripting languages PHP MySQL is preferred by programmers as it is easier to maintain and update. It is accepted as a boon for easy-to program superb web pages.

PHP-Programming-India caters its professional PHP development services to almost the whole ecommerce in the world and has its offshore Development Center in India e in PHP-Programming-India have a vast number of professional, and experienced PHP developers who are fanatical to their work and ensures total lucidity with the client’s staff.

Every project is always completed within the allotted time given by our customers. Our staffs are very sincere to their work and could help you to become a leader in the business you are involved keeping your competitors behind with their high knowledge and innovative ideas for developing web sites. With the use of PHP MySQL our professional are enthusiastic to take all types of challenges and create new and innovative things. Here at PHP-Programming-India we ensure your business growth and increased sales and fame by using latest features in the business and best coding practices.

PHP-Programming-India and our professional clearly understand that the technologies are changing continuously and therefore have a well maintained in-house team to look over the latest advancements so as to run the continuous activities accordingly. For this we provide project based programmer team to understand the need of a particular project. For the smooth operation for your business activities we offer maintenance procedures irrespective of the location of the application development.

Jemima Holbert is working as Internet Marketing Manager for Cignus Web Services, a well-known Data Entry India Company. PHP Programming India, a premier Web Development India company is a Website Development Company of Cignus Web. They offer range of cost-effective Data Entry, Web Design & Development and SEO Services to their clientele worldwide. Cignus Web believes in providing high quality services at an affordable price. Cignus Web Services is an expert in designing a new website, website redesigning and website maintenance services.

The Kubota tractor is currently manufactured in more than 130 countries although its headquarters is in Kubota Japan. The Kubota Corporation began in 1890 and is now an international brand leader of environmentally compatible equipment. Many of their equipment pieces are designed to improve the quality of life for those that use it and receive the benefits of it.

Kubota manufacturer’s tractors, mowers, utility vehicles and construction equipment however their tractors are what they are known best for in the United States. There is a wide selection of Kubota tractors to choose from. From landscaping to livestock and everything in between the Kubota Tractor Corporation has you covered.

These bright orange Kubota tractors will do any job needed whether it’s a big scale landscaping renovation or you’re using it out on the farm the Kubota tractor will take anything you can dish out. It’s made of construction grade or professional grade materials even for the homeowners who own the Kubota tractors for mowing the lawn it will withstand rough treatment and still keep on going.

The Kubota tractor is durable and dependable yet if anything goes wrong with your Kubota tractor there a replacement parts at any Kubota tractor dealership or online if you’d like to do it yourself.

There are many brands of tractors but it just is durable and dependable as the Kubota tractor, such as the Ford tractor, New Holland tractor, Cub Cadet tractor and the ever popular John Deere tractor. You can find all of these tractors at your local tractor dealer or online for reasonable prices.

Tractors are not only for mowing the lawn or tilling the garden, they are also for hauling, plowing, pulling, lifting, moving, digging and clearing brush just to name a few of the things they tractor can do around the house or farm. If you only have the house and don’t have a garden that a tractor would be good for mowing the lawn and most tractors have various heights for their blades so you know you can have a very short cut lawn or rather high lawn it’s totally up to you and your tractor.

If you only have a lawn mower tractor there are attachments you can purchase such as the hauling base in which you can haul around flowers and other garden tools when you’re working in the yard if you have a big yard to get from place to place. Or if you have a sizable garden you can raise the blades and drive through the garden with your pull along calling the vegetables at harvest time.

The Kubota tractor is manufactured all around the world and in the past several years has become the most eco-friendly tractor available today. From the gasoline that you put in to the admissions it puts out the Kubota tractor is the best earth friendly tractor around. And in today’s world, the world needs all the help it can get. And in being eco-friendly, the Kubota tractor has won many awards for its continued efforts to help save the planet.

Michael Floren is an expert in Kubota tractors, he has been actively involved in the farm machinery business for more than a decade. Visit his website at http://www.tractor-depot.com for more information about Kubota tractors

PHP web programming services are now much in demand as PHP offers a wide range of advantages like low development cost and high performance. PHP is a script based server side scripting language whose main focus is development for the web. It provides design structure to promote rapid application development and can solve scenarios quicker than some other languages.

Custom PHP programming is a time and money saving strategy. The code written in PHP is simple and easy to understand. It can be embedded directly into HTML coding. It is flexible in database connectivity and can be used in all major operating systems and supports most web servers. It can be used for command line scripting and is very helpful in developing content management systems.

PHP based websites offer more room to grow as PHP adds more functionality to your website and allows your site visitors to interact with you through scripts. It’s easy to add content and additional pages to a PHP base website without doing much editing. The language provides a more effective way to make changes to your website without working on every page involved.

If you have a limited budget, PHP web application development might be a wise choice for your project and its success.

Our PHP development efforts are put towards creating and deploying highly competitive and reliable web solutions that will succeed in the market.

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A new car sounds lovely doesn’t it? Imagine the purr of the new engine and the looks you will get as you drive down the road in the latest model of your chosen car. However, we also know that the new model of today will be the old superseded model in the not too distant future and that the value of the car will go down very quickly.

So with this in mind we really need to be careful when considering whether or not to buy a new car.

Before rushing off to the car yard, you should grab out a large sheet of paper and write up the top “Do I really need to buy a new vehicle?” Then let the brain cells take a journey and come up with all of the reasons that you can to justify going out and getting a new car. Underneath this, write down all of the reasons to justify why you shouldn’t go out and buy a new car.

Here are some ideas to get you started and some common reasons that people write down:

1. Reasons to buy a new car

Car too small / big

• Starting a family and need more room
• Can’t fit in all of my gear
• Can’t transport all of the kids and their friends around
• It is just us now so we don’t need such a large car
• We are going away so we need more leg room and storage capacity

No air conditioning

• It is just so hot each summer we bake in our car

No air bags

• The car has never been fitted with air bags

Lacking accessories (stereo / cd player / gps)

• We need to have a cd player
• Some new vehicles have an in built GPS so we need one too
• The stereo is broken so we need to replace the car

Costing too much money to run

• I am always spending money on this car
• The car always seems to be at my mechanic

Need to look good at work

• My car is a status symbol of my wealth
• My boss would look down on me if I didn’t drive a new car
• Having a new car will portray a message to my clients that I am very successful

Too old

• My car is x years old so it needs to be replaced
• I have had this car x years so it is time for an upgrade to a new model
• This model is old, I need the newer model

Petrol guzzler

• I am always putting fuel into this car
• I checked my credit card statement and boy my car is thirsty
• I used to put in $x of fuel a week and now I am putting in $y

Running too fast / slow

• I can’t keep up with every one else on the road
• My foot is almost flat to the floor and yet we hardly seem to be moving
• If I don’t sell this I am going to do damage to someone as it just zips off so fast I can’t keep in control

Want security of a new vehicle warranty

• I do a lot of travel for work and I want peace of mind if something was to happen
• If the car is under a warranty I won’t have to spend any money on it

No longer road worthy

• The mechanic said the car isn’t road worthy
• I don’t think the car would pass a road worthy test

Want to keep up with the Jones

• My friend has just purchased one of these new cars so I want one
• The neighbours have just purchased a new car so we should also buy one

I have been offered a good trade in

• The new car sales man has offered me a good trade in
• I want to trade now whilst I can get good value for my current car

I want a diesel vehicle

• I want to change from petrol to diesel as I heard it is more fuel efficient

I need a ute / 4wd / sedan

• I want to change from a sedan to a ute
• I need to trade the ute for a 4wd
• I need a 4wd for my upcoming holiday
• I need a ute so I can shift houses

2. Reasons not to buy a new car

Can’t afford it

• The repayments will be too high
• It is a lot of money for me to spend on a car
• The loan will take me 7 years+ to pay back

Don’t really need a new car

• I am being silly, I don’t really need a new car
• There are other things I need ahead of getting a new car

Old car is going well

• My old car works just fine
• I can always get from A to B so what else do I need

Too expensive

• Although it is new, I feel it is still very expensive
• There is a big gap between 2nd hand cars of 2-3 years to the price on these new cars

Will drop in value too quickly

• I have heard as soon as you drive a new car out of the show room they drop significantly in value
• 2nd hand cars seem like a much better alternative, I have seen they are much lower in value

Expensive on-road costs and stamp duties

• When I buy a new car I will have to incur extra fees such as on-road costs and stamp duties. Aren’t these costs in the thousands?

Insurance will increase

• When I get a new car, I know my insurance premium will increase significantly

Young family

• I don’t know if my kids will look after a new car or treat it well; they are always banging the car doors into things
• I know that kids are kids and it is hard to keep a car nice with them around

Have better things to spend my money on

• I do have a lot of other important items on my wish list; a new fridge, high school fees, reduce mortgage, etc

Work may provide a vehicle

• Work may offer me a car as part of my package at my next salary review

3. Then you need to carefully look at both lists and to analyse all of the reasons you have written down

• How important is the reason you wrote down?
• Look through your list and decide which reasons you have written down contain something that is a must have – this might be for safety reasons or security
• Be careful here and very honest with yourself with what you consider to be absolutely critical
• Look through your list and decide which items you have written down is a nice to have but something that you could do without – this might be a gadget or feature of the car that isn’t absolutely critical
• Take the time to rank each item from 1 to 10 in level of importance
• Look through your list of reasons not to buy a new car. How strong and valid are these reasons?
• It is important that you spend a decent amount of time doing this exercise and that you are somewhere nice and quiet where you can really think about yourself very carefully. This exercise could save you thousands of dollars!

4. As part of your analysis you should now spend time looking for alternatives. Start with the items that are of highest importance to you.

Car too small / big

• Consider hiring a trailer
• Consider hiring a car for the holidays
• Clean out your car and see what space you then have

No air conditioning

• Check out the cost to have this fitted to your current car

No air bags

• Check out the cost to have this fitted to your current car

Lacking accessories (stereo / cd player / gps)

• How much will it cost to have one fitted
• Can you use a portable cd player / stereo
• How much is a portable GPS
• Can you make do with the radio

Costing too much money to run

• Work out how much your car has actually cost you over 12 mths
• Seek a professional opinion on the vehicle from your mechanic or local automobile club
• Look carefully at how you treat your vehicle. Are you causing some of this cost?
• What about your driving habits? Is this the cause of costing you money? Ie heavy braking or is your foot too heavy on the accelerator

Need to look good at work

• You can still look good in a later model vehicle
• Talk to your boss about being provided with a company car when you need to entertain clients
• Talk to your boss about hiring cars / taxis when you need to entertain clients or travel
• It seems pointless trying to look wealthy by owning a new vehicle if it is causing you financial grief and hardship. You will not be successful in your career if you spend all day worrying about how to pay your bills
• Consider that a new car may put some clients off – your services may appear too expensive or that you don’t value money as you spend it on unnecessary items that decrease in value

Too old

• How old is too old? There are some decent vehicles on the road that are 7-10 years old that are still running perfectly
• Who states that there is a set time frame that you need to replace your vehicle
• What will the newer model provide you with that your current car doesn’t provide you with

Petrol guzzler

• Look at how much running around you are doing and whether or not you can seek alternatives such as car pooling, doing multiple tasks whilst out
• Has your car been serviced recently? You might have a problem with your car that is easy to fix that is causing the extra fuel consumption
• Consider how much the price of fuel has risen recently. Is this the real reason your petrol has increased
• How much of the fuel bill on the credit card contains other items such as food and drink that you bought at the petrol station?

Running too fast / slow

• Has your car been serviced recently? You might have a problem with your car that is easy to fix that is causing this to happen

Want security of a new vehicle warranty

• Understand what is offered under the warranty
• Consider having road side assistance from your local automobile club in case of break down
• Keep your vehicle regularly serviced
• Travel with a mobile phone so you can call for help in the case of an emergency

No longer road worthy

• Get a couple of opinions on the road worthy status of your vehicle from a mechanic or your local automobile club
• Establish how much it will cost to get the vehicle road worthy
• Seek a professional’s opinion on this matter

Want to keep up with the Jones

• Why why why, do you need to keep up with what someone else is doing?
• Be an individual and live your own life and not those of others

I have been offered a good trade in

• A trick / marketing strategy for selling new cars is to lure people in by offering a high trade in
• You either get a high trade in or low purchase price – it generally doesn’t happen that you get both
• Is the salesman playing around with figures? They sometimes up the price of the trade in and lower the discount on the new car OR they sometimes lower the price on the new car and lower the price on the trade in
• If you waited a year or two before swapping vehicles, what do you think you might get as a trade in then

I want a diesel vehicle

• How much will it cost to get diesel fitted to your current car
• Are there any government rebates in relation to diesel fitouts

I need a ute / 4wd / sedan

• Can you hire the ute / 4wd / sedan for the particular period of use if it is only short term / one off
• Can you borrow a friend’s ute / 4wd / sedan
• Is it worth paying a tradesperson to do your job to negate this requirement

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Taking a trip and have an interest in hiking? Whether you choose to hike for one or five days, you will be looking out for the best hiking park for the area you travel to, and the trails for hiking. There are many hiking trails that you can go on, but taking the time to choose the best is probably what you want to get the most enjoyment out of. By taking time out to examine many hiking trials in the area you are traveling to, you can then pick and choose that are more favourable to you, so that you can be assured that you will enjoy your hike.

So how do you go about finding the ideal hiking trail, you may be asking yourself. By taking the time to look at all the trails, you will know more of what to expect when you are out hiking, and more likely to find the “perfect hiking trail”. Here are few guidelines below to give you some idea of what to look out for.

Firstly, it is always good to ask for any recommendations; this is the easiest way to start out. You can then research those recommendations so this will cut down on the time spent on looking, and knowing what is popular is as easy a place to start as any. It is also good to ask people you know if they enjoy hiking – friends, family, work colleagues and neighbours, to see if they can recommend some hiking trails that they have taken. The best hiking trails are those that are popular and well maintained, those that are safe and are cheap to hike.

Contact your local hiking parks or the hiking trails to get some ideas for finding a great place to hike. By looking in your phone book, you should be able to find local contacts to find out more information. Your local parks are an excellent place especially if you are new to hiking to get a feel of what it is like. Over the phone you can ask questions to gather more information, make requests for brochures and maps that are available which can be sent out to your home address. You can even stop by the hiking park or trail if it is close enough to get information for yourself and a friend, perhaps.

You may be interested in traveling further away from home for a holiday, and need to research hiking parks and trails. The internet is useful for finding the information you need and for other resources like places to stay whilst you are away. Once you have arrived at your destination, the local tourist office will have plenty of information available and usually have the most up-to-date information. Sometimes hiking trails or parks have to close for one reason or another, so you can get recommendations for other places to hike. You can always the best trails that way. Local residents at your destination will have a good knowledge of the area, so you may want to think about asking them some questions about the local trails and the ones that are highly recommended.

The internet provides good search engines for looking up any local or hiking trails in other places, and a general look at hiking parks. Just typing a key phrase like “hiking trails” or “hiking parks” will provide you with lots of hits that you can browse through. You can cut the search down to a certain place or destination so that the results are tailored to your needs. These will most likely come up with hiking websites which are full of valuable information that you may not have thought of before. You should be able to find just what you need, and you can email for more information if you are unable to find it.

A standard internet search will also come up with the official online websites of hiking parks or the hiking trails that you are looking for information on. You can then examine them thoroughly and bookmark them as your favourites so that you can refer back to them later. The internet is very useful to find the best hiking parks and hiking trails around, the ones that suit you and your needs.

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Summer is here. What better way to enjoy the summer than go on a camp. Students of all ages, from seven to eighteen or nineteen, love going to camps. They learn to live away from their families, staying with their people of their age group. They also learn to be independent. This in turn helps in developing their personality. There separate camps for boys and girls, and also coed camps. In a real life situation, a person has to interact with men and women. So, it is a good exposure to send children to coed camps.

Camps have to be chosen according to individual tastes. Some might like academic camps, while some may be interested in fine arts. Still others might be interested in sports. Different camps cater to individual needs according to their age and interests. When it is a coed camp, some points must be taken into consideration. First, the policies formed by the camp. The type of projects that would they would take up and whether they would work in groups in the various projects. The living quarters should be clean. The amount of interaction between the boys and girls and the length of stay should be taken into account. Care should be given to the security arrangements and the supervision that they get. The number of counselors in ratio to the number of students, hours of curfew and the number of visits allowed by outside persons, should also be known. The safety factor should be given importance. There should trained people knowing first aid and CPR. There should also be hospital nearby.

After all these factors are considered, the type of camp according to individual interest should be chosen. Camp life makes a person more mature and helps them learn to handle difficult situations.

There are different kinds of camps to choose from. There are Academic camps which lay emphasis on educational development. One such camp is Seacamp Association, Inc. Florida. Sports camps are also popular. One such is ‘Trapeze School New York – Bean Town’, Massachusetts. The participants can learn juggling, fly on the trapeze and other tricks from the circus that comes to town. There are also sports camps giving them coaching in soccer and basketball. There is also one at Pennsylvania, “Sixers”. There is traditional vamp at California called, ‘Camp Ocean Pines’. There is camp for Performing and Fine Arts located at ‘Long Lake Camp for Arts, New York. There is another camp for Performing and Fine Arts at Berkley.

There are also tours for teens with travel such as the iD Tech camps, where there is study abroad program with film making in Spain. This involves staying with a host family. They are exposed to the Spanish language and culture. There are also adventure camps; one such is Sea Trek BVI, British Virgin Islands. There are also cyber camps, where they are taught about computers, computer gaming, web Page Designing. They are located in California, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington.

Some of the camps are Camp Walt Whitman for boys and girls. This is a coed camp in New Hampshire. There is ‘Camp Friendship’ in Central Virginia. They have coed traditional camps and also adventure camps. They have more than fifty activities.

Coed camps are healthy and prepare on to handle real life situations, in addition to enjoyment and socializing. Children and teenagers should be ready to go to camps, especially coed camps. So, why don’t you start now and join a camp today.

Mari Milian is an Expert author for Coed camps and youth summer camps. She has written many articles like Children summer camps [http://www.paliadventures.com/children_summer_camp_articles.php], boys summer camps,overnight summer camps, horseback riding camp and music summer camps. For more information visit: paliadventures.com contact her at caterina.milian@gmail.com

Wiper, the hybrid striped bass/white bass, is gaining a lot of popularity in fishing circles across Colorado and surrounding areas that have wiper fisheries. The greatest excitement is probably found among the relatively small circle of fly fishers who pursue them. Once you find these fish, fooling them with a fly is not difficult. The powerful fight that entails is something that will almost make you wonder why you’d fish for anything else.

Now, wiper are fairly mysterious fish and volumes have not been written on the subject of fishing for them. As with any type of fishing article, authors offer information based on their experiences, leaving the door wide open for an array of other tactics, insights, and opinions. It seems everyone I talk to about wiper have their own thoughts that have been formulated not by magazine articles and fishing shows, but from their own personal quests. This article is nothing different. I have put in many hours behind the reel searching for these steamrollers, and the following is a compilation of my experiences.

Fly fishing for wiper can be humbling, but if you get that one trip under your belt where you really get into them and figure them out, you will be hooked for life. Having these hybrid-vigor fueled fish tear line out of your hands is an amazing feeling, and we should consider ourselves lucky to have this fish available to us. It’s like saltwater fishing in the Rockies.

Wiper will eat forage fish about the width of the gape of their mouth, entitling this 6-inch shad to be dinner for the big boys.

Finding the fish:

The most important thing in any type of fishing is locating the fish. If you’re fishing trout in a river you look for pockets and runs of the right depth, size, and water speed. When smallmouth fishing in a lake, you look for certain structure and depth depending on the time of year, or you survey with your electronics. Whatever the scenario, if you find the spots where the living is easy and the food aplenty, you will find big fish.

It is often assumed wiper travel constantly and randomly around the lake in schools at generally high speeds picking off whatever food they come across. My thoughts are that this is partially correct. I have witnessed their schooling mentality and their speed of travel. One moment they will bust near the surface 50 yards to the east, and the next you will see them flashing underneath your boat and onto the west. But I don’t think it is completely random. Those frustrated by this thought, hang in there. This may not be an easy fish to locate, but I don’t think it’s a crap shot.

Every fish has some level of energy conservation written into their DNA. If they did not, they would exhaust themselves swimming about freely all day long. Think about trout in a river – the biggest fish will take the best spots where current is slight but carries plenty of oxygen and food so they can keep growing big and fat.

Wiper are no different. They have spots and patterns on each body of water that provide what they need – food. With little current to speak of in general, forage is the key. They are not so much like bass that they need cover and structure to ambush fish. They are more effective schooling and taking a team-based approach to feeding. The best example of this is when they corral baitfish to the surface, bay, or other type of trap so they can perform their signature “busting” feast.

Wind blowing into any structure makes that structure better. This complex has plenty to offer wiper, especially traps for schooling baitfish.

But what about when they are not busting baitfish near the surface? I believe they are doing similar things subsurface. Here’s where experience with a lake, knowing structure and water temperatures on the lake, and understanding wiper movement comes into play the most. Wiper like other fish will use underwater structure, edges if you will, as their highways. Perhaps it is a depth breakline, submerged road beds, rocks, sunken trees, or humps. Perhaps it’s a weed line, mud line, or inlet/outlet channel. Whatever it is, these edges define a path for them. These fish travel in a route consistent with edges and the availability of food.

The “available and abundant” theory expressed by a variety of authors is alive and well. Wherever there is an abundance of food that is highly available to predators, you will find fish. So is the case with wiper. However, don’t expect the schools to sit still in one area for long. Instead expect the schools to travel paths between or with abundant food sources. That’s right, I said “with.” Wiper are ravenous beasts. They have been known to decimate forage populations. They are living vacuums. In understanding this, definitely consider baitfish schools structure. Wiper almost certainly corral and follow schools of shad and other forage fish when abundantly present. One of the best indicators in finding wiper is prevailing wind. Always check the leeward side of a lake which may harbor schools of baitfish.

Chasing wiper around a lake is not often considered a smart thing to do. It wears out trolling motor batteries and may tear your heart out. Don’t get me wrong, I do it myself all the time – especially when the busting activity is moving slowly in semi-predictable fashion. I am not the type to sit in one spot and fish for hours even if it is the best choice. My only recommendation is to find a happy medium.

Surface water temperatures are one important piece of the puzzle that will help you find wipers. These temps combined with knowledge of the fish’s movement and preferred forage will provide a good starting point to finding wipers on any given day. In the spring as surface water temps approach the 50′s, wiper will become more and more active. Optimal temps are relative to a body of water and strain of fish, but in general the farther away you get from the optimal range for any fish, the lower their metabolism and thus the less they are compelled to eat and the slower their actions will be.

One of the reasons we put the Fish Explorer website together is to provide information that will help you find fish in individual water bodies. Our focus on water temperatures is not simply a novelty. If you understand how water temperatures affect fish on a particular lake, you are one step ahead of the game.

As wiper become more active in the early season, they reportedly go into a false-spawn. At lakes with active, accessible inlet streams at the right time of year, as Jackson Lake in northeast Colorado often experiences, wiper will actually run up the inlets as if spawning. In other places such as Union Reservoir, we have seen hordes of wiper stacked outside the inlet in a typical pre-spawn staging. It is also possible that these fish are relating to the shad that are in spawn mode. Whatever the reason for this activity, it would be a good place to check these inlet areas early in the season and any time of year, especially when the water is flowing.

Outlets are also a good place to scope out wipers any time of year, especially when the faucets are turned on. At Jackson Lake it was reported that several hundred wiper escaped into the outlet river, compelling officials to put in a screen downstream to capture the AWOL and return them to the reservoir.

In both of these cases, one thing is for sure – food organisms up and down the chain are drawn to these areas at any time of the year, which may prove to be enough draw to concentrate these ever-feeding fish.

When surface water temps are in the mid 50′s to mid 60′s wiper fishing seems to be the best in Colorado. They will be active in the upper column of water meaning they are more readily available and recognizable to the fly fisherman. The upper column feeding means that fish will be in the shallows, or they may be over deeper water but up high. During this period, you will also witness good wiper fishing all day, as opposed to the oft-assumed theory that wiper are only low-light feeders. I believe wiper feed all day just like trout in a river, because they inherently like to expend energy by swimming around and thus must eat accordingly.

Analyzing satellite images can help you determine lake structure. In this image of Jackson Lake you can easily see where the “flats” are versus the main basin, which may lead you to warmer water areas in the early-season.

As water temps rise, the fish will typically move deeper to more comfortable water. The temps are better, the forage thinks so too, and sunlight/UV rays will be more dispersed. This is the most difficult time to find wiper, and you really need to put your time in and get to know a lake for its structure and tendencies. Often experimentation and time on the water will be the primary key to your success. During these times you may find wiper moving back to the surface column at night, dawn, dusk, and very cloudy days. This is the typical low-light feeding scenario aforementioned. Wiper will still be feeding mid-day, just deeper. If you’re like most people and like to see fish in the upper column or in close to shorelines, fish the low-light times.

As fall approaches and water temps lower, wiper will move back into the upper column and you will again be greeted with more optimal fishing conditions. As is typical with most fish species, the pre-ice season turns wiper into ravenous beasts. They will feed heavily. Catching this period will often produce larger fish due to the fact the fish have been growing all season and are eager to eat whatever they can before they slow down for the winter.

Two thoughts come to mind at this point as I run out of ideas to express on how to find these fish: non-standard structure and rise identification. As Dick Pearson describes so well in his book “Muskies on the Shield”, structure is not necessarily always stationary and permanent like points, humps, and weeds. Often edges can be defined in less physical terms. Other edges you may consider are baitfish schools, wind current, and my favorite, carp pods.

If you see a swarm of seagulls or diving birds congregating in the middle of a lake, go over and check it out, you might find a nice school of baitfish that has drawn not only flying critters, but wiper as well. If there’s a good wind, look for current or places where the wind makes a “spot” a better “spot”. Examples are wind blown vegetation edges, a wind-blown point, or a saddle. Current will concentrate forage into certain areas and the wiper will be there.

Regarding carp pods – don’t overlook them. We have fished around carp pods and hooked really nice wiper. Stay as far away from the slow-moving mud-stirring pods as you can so not to spook them. Cast right over their edges and off further to the sides, but not right into them. Spooking them may break up the pod and in turn you may lose your structure. We will often fish bugger or crayfish patterns in this scenario, as we think the wiper are taking advantage of the plethora of food items being stirred up by the scrounging carp.

By rise identification, I mean being able to look at a fish breaking the surface and determining what kind of fish it is and what it is doing. One calm day on Union Reservoir, we were looking for wiper and having a tough go at it. There were rises all over the lake that we initially determined were trout or bass taking insects. As we studied the actions more thoroughly we began to notice a difference in rise forms. One type of rise was different than the others – it was more of a quick “pop” than a quick splash or slurp. Soon we discovered these somehow transferred into wiper – although we aren’t sure if they were wiper eating insects or small fish near the surface, or perhaps a school of shad that were semi-frequently slurping the top. We spent the rest of the trip looking for this rise form, quickly casting streamers into the vicinity, and hooking into several wiper.

Observation is key no matter what sort of fish you are going after. Continuously observe everything around you such as water temps, lake structure, bird activity, insect activity, barometric pressure, weather changes, wind direction, wind speed, your partner’s headache, and anything else that could play into the overall puzzle you are trying to solve. Even the smallest things may trigger a thought process that could lead to success.

First, bring binoculars with you. When you have a lot of water to cover, extending your eyesight could give you the edge. They are an invaluable tool on the water when trying to locate busting fish. If you see or hear some splashing on a distant shoreline, break out your binoculars and see if they’re spawning carp, shore birds, or really wiper crashing bait in shallow water. Scan over the lake to see if you can find any surface disturbance or any birds actively feeding. One day a pair of binoculars might be the difference between boom or bust.

Second, it should be mentioned that we don’t always find wiper in large, tight schools. We often see sporadic wiper spooked by the boat jetting away from the boat. I don’t think these are necessarily solo fish, but I don’t think they’re in large schools either. If you see this happen, take some time to fan-cast the area looking for more. Take note of where you saw the fish and come back later. And more importantly try to find some other spots that fit the same makeup where you saw the fish, paying attention to wind direction, structure, depth, etc.

Now on to actually fly fishing for wiper…

Presenting Flies to Wiper:

Presenting to wipers with a fly is not rocket science. Consider the fly and setup you use to be a tool. When you are fishing to wiper in the upper water column, present your fly there. When fishing to wiper down deep, present there.

The type of fly rod you use is determined by what you’re throwing. You will often want to cast far, so I’d recommend not going lighter than a 6wt rod. If you’re finding wiper relating to the surface you will want to throw poppers or high-riding streamers, therefore a 6wt is adequate with floating or short sink-tip lines. If you want to fish a few feet down, throwing a 150-grain RIO 24-foot sink tip is the ticket, and again a fast 6wt rod should do the trick. When you need to get deeper, say 5-10 feet deep, throwing a 200 or 250-grain RIO sink tip would do the trick and you will want to be using a 7wt or 8wt rod simply to be able to handle the heft of these lines. Go to a 300-500 grain line to get deeper, upgrading to a rod between an 8 and 10 weight to carry the load. With a well-made rod with some backbone, you should be able to play even the largest wipers available in the state.

Having a fly rod with a strong backbone is essential for landing the biggest wipers Colorado has to offer.

The main factor with what tippet to use is strength. I am not a firm believer in leader shyness when fishing streamers to stillwater fish. As long as you’re not using telephone cable and you’re not fishing super slow, I don’t think wipers will be deterred by your tippet. I will most often use 15-20 pound fluorocarbon tippet which for me has not broken off on a strike yet. The worst mistake you can make is to go too light and break off on a fish. I’ll use a couple of feet of 40-pound mono looped to a couple feet of 20-pound mono looped to the fluorocarbon tippet. So typically my entire leader is not much more than 6 feet long. However when I fish on or very near the surface, I will go longer.

When you’re fishing to wiper, you will want to vary your retrieve until you find what works best. Typically you cannot strip fast enough through busting schools. But often you will find that quick short strip-strip-strip-pause retrieves work better in other conditions and to well-fed wiper. Vary the pause length….you may be surprised to lose hold of your line as you look up to say something to your buddy on one of the pauses and a wiper grabs the suspended fly and turns at Mach 1 in the opposite direction. One thought that should play into your technique is the belief that some of the biggest wiper will sit below schools of shad, waiting for easy pickings. If you drop your fly through and under the baitfish school you may find a heavy surprise down below. Experiment every time you go out, the mood of the fish seems to change daily.

Bait size is a factor. In some studies on bass feeding, it is proven that fish in certain bodies at a given time of year will have a preferred bait size. For wiper, I have been told that they like to eat baitfish that are as long as the width of the gape of their mouth when open. Experiment with streamer sizes if you’re having trouble locating and hooking fish. If you’re fishing with a partner, start off the day fishing different colors and different sizes until one of you has more success than the other, then switch over to the hot bait. We have had success with streamers as short as one inch to streamers as long as six inches.

Which color fly to use is opening a huge can of worms. As my good friend and perennial fisherman Phil Small says, “If it ain’t chartreuse, it ain’t no use.” That often may be the case, although we fish chartreuse very often which may skew the numbers. One theory I believe in is contrast….to use a fly that is two-colored, often with a light and a dark. The reason this may be effective is that fish see colors differently throughout the day, and therefore may pick up on the contrast if one or both of the colors is less visible at the time. You may try to “match-the-hatch” or go with more of an attractor pattern….and either may work, but I do not know of any tried-and-true pattern that works every time all of the time. It took me a long time to believe in any color theories, but I now believe color has something to do with the equation. So again, experiment daily with color, determine if one pattern is working more so than another, and run with it.

These are some of my most commonly used flies when fishing for wiper. From top, l-r: A saltwater popper, perch-colored Rainy’s CF Baitfish Streamer – unweighted, a home-tied big clouser-style shad imitation, chartreuse/white clouser, another big shad imitation, a streamer weighted body with wrap-around lead, and my favorite crayfish/bugger pattern with twist-tail.

Whether you use weighted streamers or not is another item to experiment with. We have had success fishing very light flies, lead-head or clouser-type flies, and weighted-body flies. Clouser-type flies work very well when using the strip-pause retrieve and when fishing a little lower in the water column. Weightless flies seem to work better when fishing high and fast especially on a sink-tip…but don’t fail to experiment fishing very light flies on floating line quickly right in the surface film which gives an injured baitfish kind of look. You may also try fishing clouser-type flies on floating line to fish just under the surface. If you’re looking for fish down deep, sinking lines and heavy flies will allow you to cover more water quickly.

Whether to use a sparsely tied or a very hairy fly is yet another option that the wipers will help you decide. To give some guidance based on my observations, try sparser streamers in water with good clarity, and thicker, hairier streamers in discolored water or mudlines. Flies that produce more water disturbance as they’re retrieved will appeal better to the lateral line senses utilized more so by fish in darker waters. This is also the case for night fishing.

One area I have yet to experiment with greatly is the use of surface flies, namely poppers. Definitely give poppers a chance, especially in low-light conditions or in busting schools. Vary retrieves from a pop-pop pause, to ripping the popper through the surface film. The typical rule of thumb in top water presentation is to create just enough disturbance to attract fish. You’ll want to try fishing larger poppers that make more noise in choppy conditions, and smaller poppers in still conditions.

And do not forget flies other than streamers. As I mentioned before, we’ve caught plenty of wipers on bugger and crayfish patterns, especially around pods of carp when we were most inclined to throw them. The rule of abundant and available applies anytime you fish. If there’s an abundance of crayfish available to wiper, you better give it a shot. One way to know for sure what the fish are concentrating on is to look for undigested food coming out of a fish you’ve caught. One weekend fishing on Horsetooth Reservoir for smallmouth, we noticed a small orange chunk of crayfish spewed from the mouth of a bass we had on the hook next to the boat. It had been a tough day finding any smallies that day as we rotated between a variety of streamer patterns and retrieves. Truth is the smallies had turned onto the molting crayfish much like trout key in on insect hatches.

Presenting crayfish with a fly rod is not as easy as fishing a tube jig on a spin rod. You want to fish them slow and low, preferably in areas with various sized rip-rap and boulders, even ticking the rocks. Doing so will often lead to plenty of hang-ups and lost flies. To improve your efficiency, fish a short sink-tip line with crayfish patterns designed to ride hook-point-up. The best crayfish patterns are those that are tied more like a wooly bugger, with short or no pincers (chelae), and in a color leaning more towards orange/tan than dark brown. In studies that relate to this subject, smallmouth bass preferred softer molting crayfish over larger hard-shell crayfish, the former tending to be of lighter color.

The jury is still deliberating on whether fishing insect imitations to wiper is effective. I myself have not tried this one lick. Whenever I have found wiper smacking the surface in a manner that might suggest that they are eating insects, a streamer always did the trick. But, perhaps this is a technique to consider. I believe all fish eat insects at some time or another – and I would guess that wipers may do so more than one might think.

For slower fishing, and when letting our fly drop below shad schools, I like to go with a shinier and more active streamer like this sparkly clouser-style streamer.

The Battle:

The wiper fight is what you came for. These fish take a fly in what was described by Dennis McKinney’s DOW Outdoor’s Journal article “Wiper Watch” as a U-turn fashion, which I completely agree with. The initial take is a hard thump, as if they hit it going 30 MPH in the opposite direction. Setting the hook should not be a problem as they tend to hook themselves.

Getting the fish to the reel, meaning picking up all the slack so your reel drag is activated, is not difficult to do with wiper. They will typically take all the slack line at your feet out with them on the first run. Just make sure you’re not wrapped around your feet, bushes, or items in your boat before the strike. Doing so may bring the fight to an abrupt halt and will cost you about one fly.

The fight can vary, but typically they will make a very pronounced initial run followed by a rest period and subsequent sharp runs. Do not overplay the fish to the point it is exhausted, and do not try to net the fish so green that it will injure itself flailing about. Take advantage of their “rest periods” by turning their heads gently, pumping your rod, and reeling in line to bring them closer to you. Let them take drag when they want to run. Do not put too much pressure on the fish as you may wear a hole in their lip that will make escape much easier for them. And do not, by any means, give them slack line.

After a few runs, if the fish seems to be losing some steam, put more pressure on the fish to bring it to the net. Once landed, if you plan to release the fish, handle it gently, support its weight fully when lifted for a photo, and return it to the water promptly. I have had no problem reviving wiper when handled in this manner. We always fish barbless and have not lost any fish due to this factor alone (if we do lose a fish it’s typically our own fault for allowing slack.) I encourage barbless fishing for any type of fishing you may try…hooks are easier to get out of your skin when the inevitable occurs, the hooks set deeper, and as long as you keep your line taught I do not believe you will ever lose a fish due to barbless hooks. But you will lose fish to weak hooks, so use strong saltwater hooks for your wiper flies or they might come back as straight as an arrow.

Smaller Wiper can be “thumbed” out of the water, but if you plan to release the fish, be sure to support their full body and don’t leave them hanging by the lip.

In conclusion, if you have not hooked into a wiper on the fly, you’ve got to give it a shot. But be aware that it may turn you into a wiper junkie. Finding wipers is a majority of the battle, so concentrate your efforts there, and when you do find them get ready for a battle! These observations are only from my experiences and a lot is yet to be written on this subject.

Matt Snider is an author, fishing guide and the founder and CEO of FishExplorer.com, a leading Fishing Report and Information website.