Top Training Tips for Your New Dog

Do you need to train your dog? As much as you’d like to hear a “no” from us, unfortunately, the answer is a yes. You do need to train your new dog. If you want to know when you need to start training the answer is right now. The best time to train your dog is when it’s still a puppy. Experts agree that training adult dogs is more challenging compared to training puppies. In dog training, you can choose to do the training yourself or hire a dog expert to train your dog. If you want to give dog training a try, you can benefit from the following dog training tips from expert dog trainers.

#1 Choose Your Dog’s Name

Just like a new child, you must also pick a name for your dog. There are plenty of potential names but dog experts recommend you choose a short name that ends with a consonant. Research shows that names like Ginger or Jack helps get your dog’s attention. If you got an older dog that already has a name, you can opt to retain the name or change it. If your dog came from an abusive household, it’s better if you give it a new name signifying a fresh start. Don’t worry, your new dog will eventually get used to its new name.

#2 Establish House Rules

Part of the training is establishing house rules. Be strict on your house rules because if you tolerate bad behavior and let it slide your dog will get confused. Before getting your new dog, establish a set of house rules and see to it that everyone in the household is on the same page. It will be useless if some members of the family do not follow the rules.

#3 Give Your Dog Some Privacy

Just like you, your dog also prefers to have its own space. The moment you decide to get a dog, buy a crate for it to sleep in. Dogs love to be left alone in their private den. It’s also a great tool that you can use during training. Make sure to reward your pup with a treat if it remains behaved and quiet in its crate.

#4 Make Your Dog Relax

To help keep your dog relaxed you can give it a clock or a warm water bottle in its crate. Research shows that the warmth and the sound will helps soothe pups and will remind them of their litter mates. In a way, the feeling of familiarity will help them get used to your new home quicker. This is tip is extremely helpful if your pup came from a loud and busy environment. As much as possible, do whatever you can to help make your home comfortable for your new pet.

#5 Reward Your Pet For Good Behavior

If your pup does something good reward it with a treat. This form of dog training follows the concept of positive reinforcement. You can use different treats depending on what your dog wants. Examples of treats you can use in training are praise, love, and toys. Make sure you don’t’ dispense treats when your dog is misbehaving. Otherwise, it will get confused and think bad behavior deserves a treat.

#6 Teach Your Dog To Come When Its Name Is Called

One of the basic commands you should teach your new dog is the Come command. To do this command, you will have to go down to their level and tell the dog to come by saying its name. When your dog goes near you, use positive reinforcement like the words “Good job!” Over time, if you continue practicing positive reinforcement, you’ll be living with a well-mannered dog.

#7 Repetition Will Do The Trick

Sometimes you’re tired or you’re busy and you forget about dog training. There may be instances when you give your dog a treat just for the heck of it. The problem with this is that your dog can get confused and if it gets confused everything you taught will be for nothing and you’ll have to start all over again. For dog training to work you have to be consistent. Don’t give a treat when your dog misbehaves. Always go back to the concept you used in dog training.

Takeaway

When training your dog, keep the sessions short around 10 to 15 minutes tops. Studies show that if you train for long periods of time it’s not going to be effective because dogs have a short attention span. Are you excited for dog training? Good luck!

Nick White is the owner of Off Leash K9 Training. He has over 80 dog training franchise locations throughout the United States. He currently hosts the A&E show, America's Top Dog.

Heating Solutions for a Construction Jobsite

The varying weather conditions pose a challenge for several tasks. One industry that faces a huge setback is the construction field. During winter, the cold can lead to delays since the ice buildups stop the people from efficiently performing. The only way to curb this problem is by looking for heating solutions. Since the area might be large, regular heaters in residential locations might not achieve the intended goal. Specialized heating systems can reliably melt the ice and pave the way for the relevant tasks. Below are some of the commonly used devices that can help.

Electric Heaters.

Electricity is a powerful source of energy. The provision is the reason why electric heaters are considerably efficient for this task. However, these designs are only suitable for remote locations. They also work to emit dry heat, making the environment more comfortable. One limitation, though, is the huge costs of electricity. Most of these heaters work round the clock to meet the goal. The requirement results in a large consumption hence not a suitable option. Furthermore, the cost of this option is also much higher compared to the rest.

Hydronic Heater.

Hydronic heaters have proven to be among the best options for contractors. The gadget serves well, particularly during a concrete pour. It features an alcohol mixture, hoses, and a vapor barrier. The mixture gets pumped through the hoses, which are spread through the entire designated location. Upon completion, you cover them with the vapor barrier to prevent heat loss during functioning. The provision makes this option energy efficient. Investors can heat a large area without incurring costs. When everything is set, the mixture gets subjected to heat, spreading throughout and warming the place. In the absence of the alcohol mix, you could connect the hoses to heat exchange. However, this should be located outside of the working area. Both approaches will provide warm air hence heating the place as required.

Direct Fired Heater.

As the name suggests, the heater warms up the construction site through heating air passing on a flame. The approach makes the option so far the best solution for construction concerns. However, it is a temporary solution for small-scale projects. When the air gets in contact with the fame, it gets heated up and controlled by internal components. The application helps in locations where the temperatures have dropped up to 30 degrees. Such temperatures are quite low; therefore, regular heaters cannot manage to heat the location sufficiently. One point to note is the heating gadget should be a distance away from the working area. Ducts work efficiently to uphold the safety of workers. This idea is far much affordable yet bears results within a short period.

Indirect Fired Heaters.

Unlike the direct heaters, the indirect versions work by drawing cool air from the atmosphere through a set of chambers. Once the air is in the system, it gets heated and further discharged to the designated location. The performance of this device is quite complex compared to its counterpart. The machine features an array of working parts, thus reducing the level of efficiency. The availability of numerous parts translates to numerous risks, thus a need for investing in regular maintenance and checkup. Nevertheless, air circulation helps reduce energy consumption, hence lower bills for the contractor. The application makes them ideal for locations like hospitals and industries in need of clean, warm air.

All the above types of heating solutions for construction projects can optimally perform when appropriately placed. The price range for each mode is different since they have varying functionality levels. Before making settlements, it is imperative to evaluate your site in-depth. The findings will help you pick a design that a suitable work for your business.

Granite, Kitchen & Bath Design and Remodeling Ideas

People love to decorate their homes after they buy one or are remodel when they are already there so that it looks nice and also has a style all of its own. One of the rooms that they really enjoy looking into is the kitchen. The kitchen is a room that is used a lot by the people living in the home and is also a place where people gather when guests come over. That is why it’s important that it look nice. When people are looking into decorating their kitchens and their bathrooms, they will want to consider granite, kitchen & bath design and remodeling ideas, especially for their countertops. Granite countertops for kitchen and bath look excellent and are also practical.

Granite, Kitchen & Bath Design And Remodeling Ideas – Countertops For Kitchen & Bath

There are ways that people can really do some awesome things with their kitchen and bath countertops. Since this is something that will look great and also be very practical, people are looking into the possibilities that they will have to make their home look great. Here are some ideas for the kitchen and the bath remodeling:

1. Matching The Granite Countertops To Other Places In The Room

When people put the granite countertops in their kitchen or their bathroom, they might also want to put granite elsewhere in the room. A windowsill or another area that can have the granite on it really makes for a cohesive look in the entire room.

2. Getting The Proper Color

Picking the right color is important. People will want to take the time to figure out which color will go the best in the particular room that they are redoing. It might mean that they want to match it to the curtains that they have in the room so they will need to think about that.

3. Finding The Right Texture

They can also pick from various textures of the granite. This is an important part of making the rooms look great and by taking a look at a variety of samples, they will be able to find the right texture that will give the room a definitive look that will be awesome.

4. Pricing

Noticing the price and making sure that it fits in with their budget is also something that they need to consider. They will want to make sure that they take advantage of any of the sales, promotions, and other discounts that might be available to them so that they are able to save money.

5. Caring For The Granite

They will also want to ask as many questions as they might have about caring for their granite countertops. By asking how to do this, they will be able to make sure that it stays looking nice for a long time to come. In the same sense, they can also ask for any advice that may help them to protect the surfaces at all times. This is important and the experts will be able to assist them with this at all times so that they are sure that they are doing the right thing.

Remodeling the kitchen and the bathroom is an exciting time for many people. They love to make their homes look great for themselves and for others when they come to visit them. It makes such a great difference when people are proud of their homes. They feel great and it shows and they aren’t afraid to have people over to admire what they have done with their decorating skills to make it look fantastic at all times.

De-icing, Why Your Garden Should Have a Pond

If you are thinking about installing a pond in your backyard, or even in your garden, you have to be concerned when wintertime arise. Depending upon the depth and size of the pond that you are going to put in, you can end up with a substantial amount of area where people could fall and slip. That’s why you might want to consider getting de-icers if you will be installing a pond in the garden area. You never know if people will walk in, and by having this material available, you can make sure that they are safe.

What Is A De-icer?

Most people have use these chemicals before. They are typically in some type of an aerosol can. When you spray it out, it’s going to eliminate the possibility of ice forming. Of course, it can only do this down to a certain temperature, but this is perfect for windshields and windows that are fogging over and will eventually have ice. It is capable of doing this because the material in the deicer is going to lower the freezing point of the water upon which it is sprayed. That’s why you may want to have several cans of this available if you live in an area where ice is very common.

Where Can You Use Deicer?

Instead of using a can of deicer, you may want to consider using something that is more like a solid or liquid salt solution. You are going to get the same effect. For example, if you have ever had a driveway that was frozen over, it’s hard to drive on the surfaces. You will likely have used some type of solid or liquid salt solution in order to melt the ice that is there. There are also different types of chemicals that you can use. Some of these are used when professionals are removing the ice from parking lots or roots. Therefore, it does have a practical purpose, and if you are installing a pond in the garden area, you may want to have some of this material handy.

How To Get Deals On Deicer

If you want to find a resource that can provide you with this material at the lowest possible price, price comparison shopping must occur. You can simply search for deicers online, or liquid and solid salt-based solutions, and these will be sold to you at prices that you can afford. You can even have it shipped to you for a reasonable cost, and if your order is large enough, they may even wait for shipping. You need to have this sent long before winter arrives so that you will have this at your disposal to use whenever ice forms.

Other Places You Can Use Deicing Materials

If you have a place of business, and there are customers coming in all the time, you should have this material handy. If you live in an area where ice will easily form on the sidewalks leading up to your place of business, you do not want them to slip and fall. That’s why it is so imperative that you order exactly what you need from a supplier that charges reasonable prices.

If you have not used any type of deicer before, particularly on the ground, you may want to invest in a large amount of this material. If you are going to install a pond in the garden area, you will probably want to sprinkle this material on the surface. If the pond is not very deep, and you have already drained it to some degree, this will make it safer for people that will accidentally go into that area. You can learn more about deicing properly, and also the many different deicing materials, searching on the web. You will eventually find one that is affordably priced that you can use at your home.

Benefits of Working with The Right ADA Consultant

There is no denying the fact that passage of the ADA has increased opportunities for people with disabilities as more employers are willing to hire qualified applicants with disabilities. While the law has been in existence for many years but still, there are millions of businesses and hundreds of counties, cities and towns with ADA obligations. It has given rise to the trend of ADA lawsuits wherein suits are filed against small businesses as well as big companies due to non-compliance. In many such cases, the access issues could be fixed inexpensively with the help of adacompliancepros.com. If these issues are not fixed in time, your business could also be sued and you might have to pay thousands of dollars towards legal fees and fines.

There are several benefits of working with a qualified and experienced ADA consultant. It is true that you will have to pay for their services but the right consultant will save a lot of money for your business and also prevent any kind of bad publicity. In most cases, the cost of hiring an ADA consultant could be a few hundred dollars though it can go up to thousands of dollars. The cost depends on the size and type of your business but you will definitely save tens of thousands of dollars in potential legal fees as well as fines.

The consultant will perform a thorough on-site audit of your facility to make sure that it is physically accessible as per the law. There will also perform policy reviews along with specialized trainings for the facility staff and HR. Usually, a detailed report is provided by the consultants. These reports include rough costs, photos, measurements as well as a transition plan to make sure your facility is compliant. Many good consultants also offer ongoing technical assistance. An experienced consultant will also help you with the tax breaks available and in case there is a lawsuit, they can help demonstrate your efforts.

One of the most important things you need to keep in mind is that a qualified consultant is not going to help you get out of the compliance with the law. A good consultant will always tell you everything you need to do to make your facility compliant even if it’s something you do not want to hear.

As far as finding the right ADA consultant is concerned, you will be spoilt for choice in case you do not make any efforts to find the right consultant. First and foremost, you should know that there is nothing known as a certified consultant. No certification is offered by the federal government for ADA consultants. If anybody advertises their services as a certified consultant, you should stay away from them.

Another important thing you need to keep in mind is that only the federal agencies and courts are qualified to tell that you are in compliance. There is no other authority to give you that guarantee. You will easily find individuals labeled as experts without any legitimate training or experience.

When it comes to hiring the right consultant, you need to make sure they have formal training. Sometimes, people just read a book or attend a two-day seminar, and start selling their services as ADA experts. Similarly, a person with disability without adequate training is not an ADA expert. You need to partner with someone who has a lot of experience in this field and has been offering their services for many years.

Check with their past clients and ask the consultant to provide samples of their work. Professional and qualified consultants will never shy away from sharing sample reports to demonstrate their qualifications. As far as the fees are concerned, professionals always charge reasonable prices. When the price happens to be too low or too high, it is usually not a good sign.

Overall, it takes a little work to choose the right ADA consultant but the efforts are worth it. You will potentially save a lot of money in terms of fines, legal fees as well as bad press if you fail to comply with the law. Keep the above-mentioned tips in mind and partner with a qualified and experienced ADA consultant to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Tips on Buying Condo in Philadelphia for First Time Buyers

Owning your first place to call home is an exciting achievement for aspiring homeowners. With condos a viable housing option for such individuals, it is important to do your research and find out more about buying condos. Looking to buy the Philadelphia condos for sale Rittenhouse Square? You will need to consider some factors lest you make avoidable blunders. Condos are great for people who fancy living in a community and are often priced lower than single-family homes. As such, buyers might be easily tempted by the price tag and overlook other important factors. It is, however, critical to know your condominium community before buying – Get to know the community rules, amenities, management company, and association fees.

Here are tips that will come in handy in the process of buying your first condo.

Reflect on Your Lifestyle

Before buying your first condo, it is important to consider your lifestyle. If you don’t like trimming your hedge, budgeting for your roof replacement or washing your driveway, then you might be a good fit for condo living. Condos are best for people who prefer apartment living. If owning a home with a backyard is your preference, buying a condo may not be the way to go.

Find Out Whether the Condo Is the “Right Fit”

After establishing that living in a condo would suit your lifestyle, the nest thing to do is find out the details of the condo. What kind of neighborhood will you be moving into? What are the association fees? What amenities will you access once you buy your condo? What rules govern the community? Asking such questions will help paint a picture of the condominium community. It is also important to know the management company in charge of the condos.

Seek the Advice of an Experienced Realtor

Realtors with loads of experience in selling condos may have priceless advice that will make your buying process smooth sailing. Such realtors have great track records and are trustworthy. As such, they provide insights into any issues you may have and may also come in handy when verifying condo association documents.

Such realtors also follow the development of most condo communities closely. They can, therefore, share important information on the infrastructure, structural, financial, and any other community issues. Such insights will help you make an informed decision before buying your first condo.

Look Out for FHA Approvals

When searching for the condo to buy, ensure that your shortlist is made of FHA-approved condos. The Federal Housing Administration approves condo projects that have attained the expected standards. A list of approved condos is easily obtained from the FHA website.

Find Out About the Management Company

It is important to get familiar with the management company that does the maintenance of your condo. Find out how good the amenities they offer are. This way, you can be sure that the association fee is put into good use.

Your research should also include establishing the reputation of the management company. You can also find out who directs any concerns of the community to the company. This will give you a glimpse of how day-to-day operations are handled.

Financing Your Condo Purchase

Buyers who intend to obtain financing for their condo purchase should also make arrangements as early as possible. Most lenders do not offer loans for condo purchases, and most buyers should, therefore, consider cash purchases.

Buyers looking to secure an FHA loan for their condo purchase should ensure that the condominium community is FHA approved. Buyers may also consider obtaining a private mortgage, which often comes at a higher cost.

Before buying your first condo, you must avoid the common buying mistakes by keeping essential tips in mind. Find out about the condo community, seek advice from experienced realtors, and secure your financing.

Important Things to Know About Construction Framing

One of the most critical elements during construction is the framing of a structure. In fact, this is an aspect that will help get the rest of the work done quickly and ideally ascertain that the entire building remains in shape. Even a tiny mistake during this stage can result in an array of issues, including fitting hurdles with the doorways, sagging roofs, crooked walls, and much more. As such, it is imperative to keep a keen eye on the tiniest of details during construction framing, whether you are doing it yourself or getting a company such as https://www.richardearlsconstruction.com/ to do it for you. In this read, we are going to mention a few things to keep in mind during the construction framing stage.

Get All the Permissions

There’s an array of riles when it comes to construction. Some may dictate the ceiling height or even the number of windows that are particular structure should have. It is essential that you acquire all the required permissions before proceeding with the framing. Once this is done, it will be very hard to change the floor plan as it didn’t meet the required specifications. Several construction codes may ideally bind you when constructing a place. Although the codes may appear to be ridiculous, planners and engineers have put them together, and so, it is advisable to abide by them. This implies that you may need to utilize certain methods, particular parts of specific sizes during the construction framing state. Failing to adhere to the codes can result in the building collapsing or many repairs down the line.

Pick the Right Materials

Frames come in a wide array of varying materials, and many individuals prefer some materials over others depending on the kind of building is being erect. For instance, wooden frames are usually preferred for simple structures. They are not only cheaper compared to their counterparts, but they are also excellent for the limited weight that they have to support in a building. On the contrary, wooden frames may not be a good idea for places that require strong frames in order to support a lot of weight. Concrete and steel frames are often utilized for more robust structures. When picking the materials, ideally get the right equipment, as it will be necessary for the entire project.

Be Organized

Construction framing can be a tiresome and time-consuming process. So, sort out the equipment and tools that you will need through the framing stage. Set them out so you can know where everything is kept. Also, keep them close to avoid wasting both time and energy when picking up a tool or piece of equipment that you require. Purchase tools such as framing hammers as they will make the job easier and quicker. Ideally, store the tools safely, covered, and out of reach when they’re not in use.

Make a habit of checking the work after it’s completed. Ensure that each and every board has been fixed in the right manner and that every line is straight. Check the fittings to ascertain that there’s no creaking. This may consume some time, but it is worth spending the extra time at this stage as it will save you a lot more when it comes to installing shelves and cabinets. Uneven walls can ideally lead to problems down the line. Even if you get a professional to do the framing, it’s crucial that you get someone from a reputable agency to ascertain that you get high-quality work done.

If you are on the search for a reputable contractor for your construction framing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with https://www.richardearlsconstruction.com.

How To Address Foundation Problems

If you have noticed cracks in your foundation or cracks along the walls in your home, you might be dealing with foundation problems. Foundation problems can happen for many reasons. You might have drainage issues or your house just might be settling.

When you are having foundation problems you will start to notice things happening in your house. The doors and windows often stick and you might notice that the walls are starting to crack. If you are having foundation problems you should make sure that you call a foundation repair service to give you an estimate and inspect your home.

It is important to stop foundation issues from becoming worse and you need to get help from a good foundation repair service so you can stop the movement in your foundation. Foundation problems can detract from the value of your home so you want to get them fixed as soon as possible. You want to try to make sure that you take care of your foundation issues so they don’t get worse. Foundation issues can turn serious so if you are noticing problems with your foundation make sure that you get the help you need from a foundation service you trust.